Microscopy Research and Technique, EarlyView.

This study focuses on the macro‐micromorphological achene characteristics of 12 species that belong to the Crupina , Jurinea , and Klasea (Asteraceae) by using the light microscope and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). SEM analysis showed four different achene surface patterns for the studied species. Two of them (smooth and undulate) can be distinguished as principal types, and the remaining two (smooth‐undulate and undulate‐ruminate) are intermediaries between the principal ones. Micromorphological characteristics provide useful means for both generic and intrageneric differentiation for the species analyzed.

Abstract

This study focuses on the macro‐micromorphological achene characteristics of 12 species of the genera Crupina , Jurinea , and Klasea (Asteraceae) using light microscopy and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphological characteristics of the achenes, including shape, size, color, and surface pattern of achene, and hair structure, length, and color of pappus are studied. The results show that the achene length is between 3 and 8 mm, and its width is between 1 and 4 mm. Pappus is 4–15 mm long and persistent for seven species. SEM analysis shows four different achene surface patterns for the studied species: smooth, undulate, smooth‐undulate, and undulate‐ruminate. The genus Crupina has darkly colored achenes with yellow, dense firm hairs, and the achene surface pattern is smooth. Triangular and sulcate achenes seem to characteristic for the genus Jurinea. The genus Klasea distinguished from the remaining species studied with its straw‐colored and deciduous pappus. Macro‐micromorphological characteristics provide effective tools for both generic and intrageneric differentiation for the studied species.