Scape anatomy and its systematic importance in the Allium stipitatum species complex (Amaryllidaceae)

Abstract

Allium subg. Melanocrommyum is the second largest subgenus of Allium (Amaryllidaceae) and encompasses several taxonomically difficult groups. One of these is comprised of A. stipitatum and allies referrable to a vague number of sections, subsections and species. We investigated the anatomical characters of the scape in 12 species of this complex and its allies representing four recognized sections, viz Compactoprason, Megaloprason, Procerallium and Pseudoprason, and evaluated their systematic importance. The following features were found to be most informative for taxonomic classification of the complex at sectional and subsectional level: number of vascular bundles and their conforming rings, diameter of scape (or the cross‐sections), diameter of parenchymatous pith, thickness of sclerenchymatous ring and thickness of parenchymatous cortex. Statistical analyses (Kruskal‐Wallis, Anova and principal factor analysis) of 23 examined characters allow appropriate circumscription of species and sections in this species complex. In general, the results corroborate the conclusions from previous anatomical, morphological and molecular studies and phylogenetic reconstructions, but a few species are suggested to be reallocated among the sections.

Seed morphology and testa ultrastructure in Alliumstipitatum complex (Amaryllidaceae; Allioideae) and their systematic significance

“…Procerallium subsect. Costatae, based on morphological and anatomical traits of bulb and tunic, such as size of bulb and tunic cell, shape of tunic cell, texture of tunic and presence of calcium oxalate crystals (Khorasani et al, 2018b), as well as scape anatomical results (Khorasani et al, 2018a). Therefore, our data are in line with available literature, placing A. sarawschanicum close to members of A. stipitatum complex.…”

“…In general, seed characteristis, in line with anatomical results of scape (Khorasani et al, 2018a) and quantitative traits of bulbs and tunics (Khorasani et al, 2018b) support classifying this section into two subsections. However, we were not able to find any informative traits to infer a close relationship between A. orientoiranicum and members of subsect.…”

“…subg. Melanocrommyum (Fritsch and Abbasi, 2013) and in comparison with the most recent data of A. stipitaum complex (Khorasani et al, 2018a(Khorasani et al, , 2018b.…”

“…type of tunic cells (Khorasani et al, 2018b) as well as anatomical details of scape, i.e. diameterof crosssections and pith parenchyma, and number of vascular bundles (Khorasani et al, 2018a).…”

Seed Morphology of Allium L. (Amaryllidaceae) from Central Asian Countries and Its Taxonomic Implications

“…Currently, several new taxa have been recognized in this genus based on their morphology including seed macro- and micro-morphological characteristics and phylogenetic studies [ 29 , 33 ]. Some other characteristics that provide important taxonomic information in Allium for infrageneric groups are anatomy of bulb tunic, scape, and pollen morphology [ 29 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”