Morphological Characteristics and Phenology of the New Taxon Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus from Turkey

Feyza Candan^*

Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey

Abstract

Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus Candan & Özhatay is a basic taxon of Crocus chrysanthus distrubutes in west and south part of the Turkey. Its significant morphological, cytological, palynological and seed micromorphological differences made it as a new taxon. This taxon can be distinguished from the others with its delicate pure yellow anthers and yellow or sometimes yellowish orange flowers. In this study, it is aimed to describe all morphological characteristics of the new taxon Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus as regards mature plants with its colorful original photographs in a detailed way. On the other hand, phenology of the taxon is explained with this investigation.

Keywords

Morphology, Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus

Received: June 11, 2015
Accepted: July 1, 2015
Published online: July 28, 2015

@ 2015 The Authors. Published by American Institute of Science. This Open Access article is under the CC BY-NC license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

1. Introduction

The Saffron plants which is known as genus Crocus, is one of the members of the family Iridaceae. Saffron, is one of the world's most costly spices by weight. Because of its agricultural importance, this genus has a commercially importance in the world in the point of its value as a spice and delicate view of flowers for gardens, parks and rituel places (Mathew 1982, 1984; Mathew 2000).

Iridaceae is a family of about 92 genera and 1800 species and mainly distributed in the Southern hemisphere continents as herbs with rhizomes, corms or bulbs (Mathew 1998; Mathew 2002). Crocus genus is represented by 133 taxa of which109 are endemic to Turkey (Candan and Özhatay 2013; Harpke et al. 2013; Kerndorrf et al. 2013a, 2013b, 2013c; Rukšāns 2010, 2013; Schneider 2014; Yüzbaşıoğlu et al. 2015).

There are some investigations made about some Crocus taxa distributed all over the world (Collins 1937, Karasawa 1942, Shorina 1975). After the book ‘The Crocus’ written (Mathew 1982), different Crocus species have received attention on some ecological, anatomical, cytological, palynological and molecular studies (Kerndorff and Pasche 2004, 2006, 2011; Yüzbaşıoğlu and Varol 2004; Şık et al. 2008; Işık and Oybak Dönmez 2006; Candan 2007;Candan et al. 2009a, 2009b; Rudall 1990, 1992; Rudall and Mathew 1990, Candan and Özhatay 2013, Kandemir 2009; Şık and Candan 2009;Yüzbaşıoğlu and Özhatay 2014; Candan 2015a, 2015b).

The author studied about Crocus chrysanthus at her doctorate thesis that she found different forms of Crocus chrysanthus and completed her study in 2007. The author continued her studies between 2007-2011 after her doctorate thesis. According to all detailed field and laboratuary studies, Candan and Özhatay (2013) wrote the article about 7 new taxa of Crocus chrysanthus (Herbert) Herbert. It is mentioned at that article that, Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus Candan & Özhatay can be identified by looking at its yellow flowers and yellow anthers which was mentioned at the identifying key of the Crocus chrysanthus sensu lato. Therefore, the initial objective of this study was to investigate the all morphological features of new taxon Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus in a detailed way with its original colorful photographs.

2. Material and Method

The populations of the plants examined are given below with the locality they deploy. The expression A5, B6, C3, C4, C5 are located before the localities are given in accordance with the grid square system used in Flora of Turkey (Mathew 1984).

Taxonomical description of the plant taxon followed Candan and Özhatay (2013). All the examinations were based on living and herbarium materials. The locality of the sample is given below.

*Type: Turkey, C5 Adana, Pozanti, Aladağ Mountains, Kamişli village, Siyirma place, 1555 m, 26.03.2005, F. Candan, ISTE 86026 (holotype: ISTE).

Other specimens examined: A5 Yozgat, Çekerek, Hanözü village, 1250 m (ANK 332); B6 Kayseri, Pinarbaşi, Hinzir Mountain, 1950 m (AEF 20563)!; ibid 2100 m (AEF 14009)!; ibid 2100m (HUB 35994); B6 Kahramanmaraş, Göksun, Kaman Mountain, 1400-1600 m (HUB 35991) with C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. bicoloroceus; C3 Antalya, 15 km from Akseki-Seydişehir, 1800 m (GAZI)!, C4 Karaman, Hadim, Bolay village, 1500-1800 m (HUB 35998) with C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. bicoloroceus and C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. atrovioloceus.

The specimens themselves have been deposited in the Herbarium of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul University (ISTE). Other samples examined are deposited at the following herbaria AEF (Ankara University, Pharmacy Faculty Herbarium), ANK (Ankara University, Science Faculty Herbarium), GAZI (Gazi University, Science Faculty Herbarium), HUB (Hacettepe University, Science Faculty Herbarium),

Table 1. Comparison of the data in Flora of Turkey (1984) as regards C. chrysanthus (Herbert) Herbert and the data obtained with this study as regards C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus.

3. Results

3.1. Morphological Peculiarities

Corm ovoid or subglobose, 0,8-2,5x0,8-2,0 cm, tunic coriceus. Rings with recessive tooth like prejections. Cataphyll creamy-yellow, 4-6. Prophyll absent. Bract ve bracteol not equal. Leaves 3-7(8), synanthous, shorter or longer than flowers in flowering time, green, 0,5-1,0(1,1) mm wide, margins papillose. Flowers 1-4(5), yellow, yellowish orange, diameter (0,4)1,0-4,5 cm. Flowers yellow or rarely yellowish orange, 1-4(5),(0,4)1,0-4,5 cm diameters. Throat and perigon tube yellow, (1)2,5-10,5(16) cm, pubescent. Tepals oblanseolate or eliptic-obtus, outer tepals (0,4)0,5-1,3x1,8-3,5; inner tepals generally pale yellow,  (0,35)0,4-1,2x1,5-3,1 cm. Filaments yellow or yellowish orange, orange, (3,2)3,5-6,5(7,4) mm, pubescent or papillose. Anthers yellow (6)7-13,5 mm, basifix, ekstrorse. Stylus yellowish orange, rarely red, somethimes fimbriate, longer than stamens, 8,5-17,2(18,3) mm. Capsula loculicide, not purple-tinged, 15-24 mm. Seeds pale reddish brown, (1,4)1,6-2,0(2,2)x(2,5)2,8-3,8  mm (Figs.1-2).

Habitat:Under Pinus nigra, open grassy area, often with Sarcopoterium sp. Verbascum sp., Colchicum sp.,Muscari sp. and Galanthus sp., C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. bicoloroceus and C.chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. atrovioloceus.

3.2. Phenological Peculiarities

Crocus chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus distributes in the wild places. The plants flowering time period is from February to March.

4. Discussion

C. chrysanthus was described by W. Herbert in 1837, collected by Frivaldsky in Rumelia. It is distributed in the Balkans and E. Romania. Mathew wrote a magnificent monograph ‘The Crocus’ (1982). However; the genus Crocus was previously revised by Mathew (1984) for the Flora of Turkey and The East Aegean Islands. The discussion note under C. chrysanthus account cited in the Flora of Turkey and The East Aegean Islands is as follows: A variable plant, possible consisting of more than one taxon but detailed field studies are needed to determine the status of the various cytotypes.

The Crocus genus and especially biflori serie are complex and problemetic systematic categories. According to Mathew (1982), the new species falls into series Biflori. Crocus chrysanthus belongs to this serie. (Mathew 1982). On the other hand, there is an important phenotypic variation, is seen on C. chrysanthus (Candan 2007; Candan 2013; Candan and Özhatay, 2013).

Candan (2007) determined three forms of C. chrysanthus with different cytotypes (2n=8, 12, 20+2B) during her doctorate thesis field studies. After this study, she continued her investigations as examining more populations. The results of those detailed studies including morphology, anatomy, cytology, palynology and seed micromorphology provide evidence that variation does correlate with anther and flower colors, chromosome numbers, pollen grain features and seed surface micromorphology. After these studies, authors revealed Crocus chrysanthus sensu lato with 4 subspecies (C. chryasanthus subsp. chrysanthus, C.chrysanthus subsp. punctatus, C. chrysanthus subsp. kesercioglui, C. chrysanthus subsp. sipyleus) and 3 varieties (C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus, C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. bicoloreus, C. chrysanthus subsp. atroviolaceus) (Candan and Özhatay 2013).

The first detailed measurements were given in the point of Crocus chrysanthus with Flora of Turkey and The East Aegean Islands (1984). Nevertheless, these knowledge are not clarifying the taxon clearly. Some detailed information given about C. chrysanthus sensu lato (Candan and Özhatay 2013), but more detailed original photographs regarding morphological features of C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus were given with this investigation. This study is the first study gives the information about all the significance characters of C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus with their colorful orginal photographs (Figs. 1-2). However, C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus can be distinguished from the other taxa of C. chrysanthus by its yellow anthers and yellow or yellowish orange flowers. These photographs can be used to seperate this taxon form the other C. chrysanthus taxa clearly.

As a result, it can be clearly said, morphological characters of flower are very important for Crocus chrysanthus sensu lato taxonomy. In the studied taxon according to this investigation, all morphological differences with acceptable taxonomical significance were mentioned with more important orginal colored photographs for making it easy to identify the taxon.

Figure 1. a.General view of C.chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. chrysanthus, b, c.Close view of flowers, d.Close view of anther, e.Close view of styleus, f.Close view of filamants, g, h.Close view of leaves.

Figure 2. a, b.General view of corms, c.Close view of corms, d.Close view of rings, e.Close view of fruit, f.Close view of seed.

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