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INTRODUCTION
From the systematic viewpoint the tribe Cardueae is very much disputive and
its tribal delimitation is also controversial. The tribe Cardueae is one of the largest
in Asteracee, contains 73 genera and over 2,360 species and the tribe shows great
variations in habit, floral morphology and cypselar anatomy but all show some
common features including the key characters of style morphology, which is
thickened below the branches of the upper region and usually provided with a
collar of hairs. According to Bentham (1873) the broadly defined tribe Cardueae
consists of four subtribes i.e. Echinopsidinae, Carlininae, Carduinae and
Centaureinae, which are followed for simplicity. Apical caruncle is present in many
genera of subtribe Carduinae. Subtribe Carduinae and mainly Centaureinae show
higher structural differentiation than the remaining subtribes, according to Wagner
(1977). A limited cladistic-morphological analysis, by Bremer (1994) supported the
monophyly of the group. Molecular analyses also proved the monophyletic nature
of Cardueae. In the classical delimitation of the tribe, Staehelina and the
Xeranthemum group were placed in Carlininae by Bremer (1994). Geographical
distribution of this tribe is mainly in Mediterranean in its widest sense (including
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Diversity of cypselar features and their taxonomic significance in three species ...
Sources of specimens
Botanischer Garten der Universitat
Zurich,
Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zurich/ Switzerland.
Specimen no.- XX0BRISS-20093677
Humboldt- Universitat Zu Berlin, Institut fur
Biologie, Spezielle Botanik u. Arboretum, D 12437 Berlin, Germany. Specimen no.- 74
Humboldt- UniversitatZu Berlin, Institutfur
Biologie, Spezielle Botanik u. Arboretum, D 12437 Berlin, Germany. Specimen no.- 72
RESULTS
Centaurea aspera Linnaeus
Morphology (Fig. 1A-D; 3 F-I)
Cypsela homomorphic, 4 mm x 1 mm with pappus, 3 mm x 1 mm without pappus,
white brown, stripped, obovate, slightly curved, upper portion truncate whereas
basal portion slightly tapered, spheroidal in cross sectional configuration. Surface
pubescent, ribs absent. Surface hairs ascending in orientation with the surface,
made up of body cells and basal cells. At the upper portion of cypsela stylopodium
present, inconspicuously arranged, fully immersed in the nectar. At the basal
region of cypsela carpopodium present, diameter of carpopodium same as the
base of the cypsela; cells outline visible, distinguishable from the other cells of
235
236
Diversity of cypselar features and their taxonomic significance in three species ...
L
Fig. 1. Morphology of cypselas: A - D. Centaurea aspera. A. Cypsela; B. Upper part of
Cypsela; C. Carpopodial cella; D. Upper part of pappus bristle. E -1. Centaurea scabiosa:
E. Cypsela; F. Basal part of Cypsela; G Upper part of Cypsela; H. Upper part of pappus
bristle; I Carpopodial cells. J - L. Centaurea stoebe: E. Cypsela; F. Basal part of Cypsela; G
Upper part of Cypsela; H. Upper part of pappus bristle; I Carpopodial cells.
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DISCUSSION
All the studied species of Centaurea Linnaeus (C. aspera Linnaeus, C.
scabiosa Linnaeus, C stoebe Linnaeus) exhibit homomorphism.
Morphologically, the colour and size are less diagnostic than shape of cypselas.
Similarly surface ornamentation, pappus structure and carpopodium are
valuable than stylopodium. Colour of cypsela is also variable and depends on
the maturity of cypsela. In Centaurea aspera, cypsela is white brown in colour;
whereas in C. stoebe, C. scabiosa, cypselas are yellow brown in colour. The
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Diversity of cypselar features and their taxonomic significance in three species ...
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shape of cypsela is also variable but it has not been considered as an important
taxonomic parameter. Among the studied species, Centaurea aspera and C.
scabiosa shapes of cypsela are obovate, whereas in C. stoebe, cypsela is
oblanceolate. In all the studied species, phytomelanin layer is absent. In C.
scabiosa and Centaurea aspera, surface is pubescent, whereas in C. stoebe
surface is rough and glabrous. In all the studied species, stylopodium is
inconspicuous in size. All the studied cypsela, at the basal region carpopodium
exists, which is a very important taxonomic character. In Centaurea aspera
and C. scabiosa, carpopodial cells are arranged in single row, whereas in C.
stoebe, carpopodial cells are arranged in 2-3 rows. Presence of carpopodium is
an important taxonomic character to separate different taxa. Information about
the different types of abscission zone of cypselas in Asteraceae has been
presented in the work of John (1921). This zone has been recognized as 'callus
or podocarp' by Robinson (1913), 'carpopod' by Blake (1918), 'separation
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C. scabiosa
lb. Resin duct absent in pericarp: number of resin duct in each cotyledon three
2
2a. Cypselar surface rough and glabrous; pappus bristles arranged in 2-3 rows... C. stoebe
2b. Cypselar surface pubescent; pappus bristle arranged in 4-5 rows
C. aspera
Acknowledgements
Authors are grateful to the Curators and Directors of Botanischer Garten der
Universitat Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zurich / Switzerland and HumboldtUniversitat Zu Berlin, Institut fur Biologie, Spezielle Botanik u. Arboretum, D 12437 Berlin, Germany for providing authenticated identified research specimens
for our work.
LITERATURE CITED
Bentham, G. 1873. Compositae. In Genera Plantarum (Eds. G Bentham & J. D.
Hooker) 2. Pp. 533.
Londini Reeve and Co., London.
Bremer, K. 1994. Asteraceae: Cladistics & Classification. Umber Press, Portland.
Blake, S.F. 1918. A revision of the genus Viguiera. Contr.Gray Herb. N. ser. 54: 1
-205.
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Diversity of cypselar features and their taxonomic significance in three species ...