A Comparative Anatomical Study on Two Endemic Sempervivum taxa (Crassulaceae) in Türkiye

Abstract

This paper comparatively examines the anatomical features of Sempervivum brevipilum and Sempervivum gillianiae using cross-sections from roots, stems, rosette leaves, sepals, and petals, alongside surface sections from rosette leaves, sepals, and petals. It identifies key distinguishing characters including: root periderm and cortex layer numbers; periderm width and length; root tracheid diameter; cortex parenchyma cell diameter; root tannin density (dense/not dense); stem cuticle layer structure; micropapillae presence/absence; stem cortex layer count; xylem configuration (straight/wavy); stem epidermis cell diameter; pith parenchyma and xylem tracheid diameter; stem cuticle thickness; mesophyll parenchyma diameter; stomatal width and length; rosette leaf upper/lower epidermis cell length, shape, and anticlinal wall structure; mesophyll layer number and shape in rosette leaves and sepals; margin structure of irregular cells adjacent to stomata in sepals and rosette leaves; sepal upper epidermis cell length; sepal lower epidermis cell width and length; petal cuticle thickness (thick/thin); petal epidermis cell diameter; petal epidermis anticlinal wall structure; petal mesophyll layer number; and tannin quantity in vegetative organs. This study confirms statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in select anatomical features. It also establishes that these findings align with earlier anatomical research within Crassulaceae and the genus Sempervivum, validating the diagnostic utility of these characters.

Keywords

• Sempervivum taxa
• endemic
• anatomical features
• Crassulaceae

Supporting Institution

There is no institution supporting this work.

Project Number

This work is not supported by a project

Ethical Statement

No approval from the Board of Ethics is required.

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