Nutlet surface micromorphology of the genus Nepeta L. (Lamiaceae) in Turkey

Abstract

Nutlet characters within the genus Nepeta L. are of taxonomic significance. In this study, the nutlet morphology of 39 taxa of Turkish Nepeta species was examined using both stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). According to surface ornamentations, 3 main types, smooth, partly smooth, and sculptured, and 7 subtypes, undulate-ridged, cellular, reticulate, protuberance, papillate, verrucate, and tuberculate, were defined and illustrated. In addition, the unknown nutlet features of N. conferta Hedge & Lamond, N. crinita Montbret & Aucher ex Bentham, and N. viscida Boiss. are given for the first time here in detail. It is clear that external nutlet characters, especially surface texture, could help in the classification of the species of the complex genus Nepeta in the future