A taxonomic study of the Silene sections Behenantha and Dichotomae (Caryophyllaceae) in Turkey based on the micromorphology of their seed and pollen

The seed and pollen grain micromorphologies of 10 taxa of the Silene sections Behenantha and Dichotomae (Caryophyllaceae) were analyzed in this study. Although the seeds of the analyzed taxa were generally reniform, S. tenuiflora and S. koycegizensis from the section Behenantha were clearly distinct from other taxa, while subspecies of S. dichotoma and S. euxina in the section Dichotomae showed differences. Pollen grains are periporate and spheroidal and ornamentation is generally spinulate-microperforate in all taxa. However, ornamentation is spinulate in S. euxina and semireticulate in S. koycegizensis. While the exine structure is generally tectate, it is semitectate in S. koycegizensis. It was found that S. heldreichii and S. cariensis subsp. muglae had the highest number of pores, while S. dichotoma subsp. racemosa had the lowest number of pores. The results showed that S. euxina can be distinguished from S. dichotoma based on morphological characteristics of their pollen grains and seeds.