| Summary: In this study, all Turkish Tragopogon L. (Asteraceae) taxa were investigated by means of morphological, palynological, micromorphological, cytological and molecular features for the first time and the results were evaluated taxonomically. Habitat features, threat categories, distribution maps, keys and emended descriptions of the examined taxa were also presented. T. dshimilensis K. Koch., a neglected endemic species to Turkey, was re-collected, and its distribution and description were updated by the present study. The distribution of T. graminifolius DC., doubtfully recorded species for the Flora of Turkey was confirmed in the current study. The taxonomic position of some taxa were re-arranged based on the gross morphological examination of the samples collected up to now. Threat categories of endemic taxa to Turkey were re-evaluated as CR (T. aureus Boiss. and T. fibrosus Freyn & Sint), EN (T. albinervis Freyn & Sint., T. oligolepis Hartvig & Strid, T. olympicus Boiss. and T. subacaulis O. Schwarz) and VU (T. dshimilensis). Palynological observations showed that pollen grains of Tragopogon are tricolporate with generally suboblate and oblate-spheroidal shape, and echinolophate, perforate ornamentation. It was also observed that epidermal cells of achenes are tetragonal, pentagonal, hexagonal, elliptical, elliptic-circular and rarely undistinct in shape. Of the studied plants, 13 taxa were determined to be diploid (2n=12) and five taxa were tetraploid (2n=24). It was determined that length of ITS region varied from 639 to 642 bp and also 1521 bp for matK in all the examined taxa. It is concluded that the molecular analyses performed supports the previous findings on this genus. |
