Evidence from micromorphology and gross morphology of the genus Loranthus (Loranthaceae) in Iran

Authors : Robabeh Shahi Shavvon, Shahryar Saeidi Mehrvarz, Narges Golmohammadi

Pages : 655-666

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Publication Date : 9999-12-31

Article Type : Makaleler

Abstract :The genus Loranthus L. (Loranthaceae) is represented in Iran by 2 species: Loranthus europaeus Jacq. and L. grewingkii Boiss. & Buhse; the latter species is endemic to the area of Flora Iranica. The plants of Loranthus are hemiparasites growing on various host trees such as Quercus infectoria Oliv., Acer monspessulanum L., and Armeniaca vulgaris Lam. In order to investigate the range of morphological variation in different populations of these species, an inclusive gross morphological and micromorphological study was conducted. For this purpose, the anatomical characteristics of the stem, leaf, petiole, and fruit were also investigated. The most prominent features were the presence or absence of calcium oxalate crystals, their types, and distribution. In general, 3 types of wax crystalloid structures are identified on the leaf surface, including irregular glandular as well as platelet in L. grewingkii and smooth in L. europaeus. The crystalloid structures of the wax allow differentiation of both species. Seed surface ornamentation demonstrates little difference among these taxa. The seed surface is deeply wrinkled in L. europaeus and shallowly wrinkled in L. grewingkii. Finally, 62 qualitative characters were scored and analysed by both cluster analysis and principle component analysis (PCA), resulting in 2 distinct groups.
Keywords : Key words: Loranthaceae, gross morphology, anatomy, micromorphology, Iran