Saponaria karapinarensis Vural et al. (2006: 252)

Ulukuş, Deniz, 2018, Morphology, anatomy and palynology study on Turkish endemic species Saponaria karapinarensis (Caryophyllaceae), Phytotaxa 374 (1), pp. 80-86 : 81-84

Saponaria karapinarensis Vural et al. (2006: 252) .

Type: — TURKEY. C 4 Konya: Karapınar, Meke Lake, 1000 m, volcanic scree, 30.vıı.1997, M. Vural 7969, Adıgüzel & F. Ertuğ (holotype GAZI!, isotypes ANK, HUB, EGE, YILDIRIMLI [the latter herbarium not listed in Index Herbariorum ]).

Description:— Biennial to perennial herb. Stem divaricately branched, 4–5 cm long, with short eglandular hairs below and dense long glandular and short eglandular hairs above. Leaves spathulate, 12–15 mm in length, 1-nerved, with short eglandular hairs on the lamina. Inflorescence many-flowered. Pedicels erect, 0.5–2.5 mm in length. Calyx narrowly cylindrical, 7.5–9.0 mm, purple, densely covered with long glandular hairs; teeth triangular, 1.0– 1.5 mm in length. Petals 9.5–10.5 × 1.5 mm, dark pink, with black striate oblong limb, two linear scales and a narrow linear claw. Ovary 8–12 short ovulate. Capsule oblong-ovoid, 6.5–7 × 3–3.5 mm, shorter than the calyx, borne on 1–2 mm long carpophore. Mature seeds reniform to orbicular, tuberculate.

Distribution and habitat:— Saponaria karapinarensis is local endemic species distributing at Konya, Karapınar Village, around Meke Lake ( Fig. 1). It grows at altitudes ca. 1019 m volcanic scree with species such as: Cousinia birandiana Hub. -Mor., Haplophyllum vulcanicum Boiss & Heldr , Limonium iconium (Boiss & Heldr.) Kuntze , Reseda lutea L., Jurinea macrocephala DC. , Nigella arvensis L, Alhagi pseudalhagi (M.Bieb.) Desv. ex Keller & Shap. , Consolida hellespontica (Boiss.) Chater , Peganum harmala L., Teucrium polium L., Centaurea solstitialis L., Centaurea urvillei DC. , Rhaponticum repens (L.) Hidalgo, and Centaurea virgata Lam.

Root anatomy:— Root is perennial and shows secondary thickening. The periderm is multilayered and thin. The cortexs tissue, which is located under the periderm, is composed 10−12-layered, oval, cylindrical or rectangular parenchymatic cells with druse crystals. The phloem is 7−9-layered, consist of irregular or rectangular cells. Cambium is 1–2-layered. The xylem, which extends all around the primary xylem, consist of trachea and tracheids. Rays are not distinguishable. The primary xylem is filled root centre ( Fig. 3A, B ).

These findings are same description given by ( Metcalfe & Chalk 1950). In the anatomical studies cross-section root of Saponaria conducted up to now, studies of Ataşlar (2004) and Çinbilgel et al. (2007) are consistent with our finding.

Stem anatomy:— Saponaria karapinarensis has epidermis 1-layered, consisting of rectangular and oval cells and is surrounded by a cuticle layer. The upper surface has eglandular hairs. The cortexs tissue, which is located under the epidermis, is composed 2−3-layered, oval, cylindrical or rectangular parenchymatic cells with chloroplasts and has druse crystals. Endodermis is 1 layered consists of ovoid cells. The pericycle is composed from 5–7-layered schlerenchyma cells. The phloem is 2–3-layered and consist of irregular cells. The pith consists of large hexagonal or orbicular parenchymatous cells with thin cell ( Fig. 4A, B ).

Leaf Anatomy:— Saponaria karapinarensis shows the lamina with upper and lower epidermises covered by a thick cuticle layer. Both epidermises consist of uniseriate oval and rectangular cells. The mesophyll is consist of 2 layer of elongated palisade parenchyma cells and 2 layer of lower palisade parenchyma cells. Palisade tissue has druse crystals. Spongy parenchyma cells are not seen. The xylem towards the upper surface and the phloem towards the lower surface ( Fig. 5A, B ).

These finding found on the leaves are smilar to those of Metcalfe & Chalk (1950), ( Ataşlar 2004) and Çinbilgel et al. (2007). Morever, from the presence of a collenchymatous pseudohypoderm in Saponaria was mentioned by Metcalfe & Chalk (1950). However, this properties have not been seen in S. karapinarensis , in the works Ataşlar (2004) and Çinbilgel et al. (2007).

Pollen:— Pollen grains are spheroideae, isopolar symmetrical. ( Fig. 6A, B, C, D ). Pollen dimensions are polar axis (P) 34.06 ± 2.09 μm (mean ± standard deviation). Pollen dimensions are equatorial axis (E) 33.76 ±2.02 μm, 38 μm diameter, periporatae, 12-pored. Operculum 2 μm diameter with spinulate. The exine sculpture is granulatae, spinulate microechinatae- microperforatae.

Morphology and micromorphology of pollen grains of S. karapinarensis observed by SEM and light microscopy resembled to those reported by Arkan & İnceoglu (1992), Ataşlar (2004), Çinbilgel et al. (2007) and Gemici et al. (2011).

Seed:— Seeds has reniform type with black colour. The size of species is 1.77–1.45 × 1.32–1.60 and the range of the L/W ratio is 1.07 ± 0.08. Testa cell margin and cell shape are rounded polygonal and smooth, respectively. Seed surface pattern is colliculate and there are numerous tubercules on the colliculates ( Fig. 7A, B ).

Seed ornamentation of Saponaria karapinarensis resembles to S. kotschyi , S. pamphylica and S. emineana . However, Çinbilgel et al. (2007) reported that S. pamphylica is colliculate. Both our study and Gemici et al. (2011) study, in these studies, ornamentation is rounded tuberculate.

Taxonomic notes:— Saponaria karapinarensis are morphologically similar to S. mesogitana , and S. kotschyi . According to Vural et al. (2006) S. karapinarensis differs from S. mesogitana Boiss. and S. kotschyi by having shorter stems, pedicels, calyxs and petals ( Table 1). The results took from morphological studies were constistent with description given in the Vural et al. (2006).

Conservation status:— Saponaria karapinarensis is known only from the type locality, which is under threat of grazing. The estimated area of occupancy is less than 1 km 2, therefore it is assessed as Critically Endangered ( Vural et al. 2006).

Examined Specimens:— TURKEY. Konya: Karapınar, Meke Lake , volcanic scree, 30. 07. 1997. M. Vural, Adıgüzel & Ertuğ 7969 (holotype GAZI!) ; Karapınar, around Meke Lake , 1019 m, 20 July 2017, Tugay 10.999 ( KNYA!) ; Karapınar, around Meke Lake , 1019 m, 25 August 2017, Tugay 11.105 ( KNYA!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. A−B. Transverse section of the root: Pe, periderm; Pc, primary cortex; D, druse crystal; Ph, phloem; Ca, cambium; X, xylem.

FIGURE 4. A−B. Transverse section of the stem: E, epidermis; P, parenchyma; En, endodermis; D, druse crystals; Pc, pericycle; Ph, phloem; X, xylem; Pi, pith region.

FIGURE 5. A−B. Transverse section of the lamina: E, epidermis; Ue, upper epidermis; Le, lower epidermis; Pp, palisade parenchyma; D, druse crystals; Vb, vascular bundle.

FIGURE 6. SEM micrographs of the pollen grains. A−B: equatorial view and exine sculpturing of Saponaria karapinarensis (O. Tugay 10999); C−D: light micrographs of the pollen grains.

FIGURE 7. SEM microphaps of the seed. A−B: general view and sculpturing of Saponaria karapinarensis (O. Tugay 11105).