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In this study, the pollen morphology of 20 representatives of ten taxa of Vincetoxicum from Turkey was observed under a scanning electron microscope and light microscope. Observations showed that each flower contained five pollinaria, including a pair of pollinia and caudicles attached to a central corpusculum. In the investigated taxa, the shape of the pollinium varied from ovate, elliptical, and obovate, to clavate, pollen cell surfaces exhibited gemmate or rugulate ornamentation, and the shape of the corpuscula was ovate or oblong. Numerical analysis showed that the shape of pollinia and corpuscula, size and surface ornamentation of pollen cells, and size of corpuscula and caudicles are valuable traits in delimiting the examined taxa. A key to Turkish Vincetoxicum based on pollinarium morphology is presented.

In this study, pollen grains and anatomical features of Turkish lilies were investigated under the electron (SEM) and light (LM) microscope. LM and SEM observations showed that the pollen grains are monosulcate, heteropolar, elliptical in polar view and oblate. Numerical results based on combined palynological and anatomical characters were discussed and compared with traditional taxonomic treatments. It was found that the midrib shape, mesophyll type, P/E (polar/equatorial), sulcus length, and lumina width are the most valuable traits in separating the examined taxa. The numerical analysis showed that Lilium candidum L. differs from the rest Turkish Lilium and also confirmed a close relationship between L. szovitsianum Fisch. & Avé-Lall. and L. armenum Miscz. ex Grossh. Also this study is the first report dealing with anatomical and palynological features of all Turkish lilies.

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We report chromosome counts for ten taxa of Vincetoxicum sensu stricto (s. str.) (Apocynaceae) from Turkey (of which two are endemic), including the first chromosome counts for V. canescens subsp. pedunculata, V. funebre, V. fuscatum subsp. boissieri, V. parviflorum and V. tmoleum. Two taxa of V. fuscatum proved to be tetraploid (2n=44) and the remaining eight taxa diploid (2n=22). Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nrDNA (ITS) and cpDNA (trnT-trnL) (including 31 newly generated sequences) confirm the position of the Turkish Vincetoxicum in the Vincetoxicum s. str. clade. Vincetoxicum fuscatum, V. parviflorum, V. speciosum, as well as the Turkish endemic V. fuscatum subsp. boissieri, were clearly resolved as species-level clades, whereas the delimitation of the rest of the Turkish taxa was less clear based on molecular data.