This article investigates the seed exomorphic characteristics of 14 taxa of Lepidium L. in Brassicaceae by light microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The exomorphic characteristics of the seed are size, seed shape, seed colour, seed wings, and seed surface pattern. All characteristics of the seeds are described, illustrated, and compared in this article. | Turkish Journal of Botany Research Article Turk J Bot (2013) 37: 662-668 © TÜBİTAK doi: Seed-coat microsculpturing of Turkish Lepidium (Brassicaceae) and its systematic application Mehmet BONA* Department of Botany, Science Faculty, İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey Received: Accepted: Published Online: Printed: Abstract: This article investigates the seed exomorphic characteristics of 14 taxa of Lepidium L. in Brassicaceae by light microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The exomorphic characteristics of the seed are size, seed shape, seed colour, seed wings, and seed surface pattern. All characteristics of the seeds are described, illustrated, and compared in this article. The results of SEM at higher magnification showed 6 types of seed surface patterns: tuberculate, reticulate, ruminate, reticulate-tuberculate, reticulate-areolate, and reticulate-fovate. In these seed surface patterns, there were diagnostic characteristics and differences at the specific level for Lepidium. Key words: Brassicaceae, Lepidium, seed-coat, SEM, morphology 1. Introduction The Brassicaceae is a large family that includes 338 genera and 3700 species. It has major scientific and economic importance (Koch & Mummenhoff, 2006). The tribal classification of the Brassicaceae is problematic because the characteristics traditionally used at this rank are few in number, usually only 1 or 2 morphological characteristics. These characteristics are also variable within genera, and they conflict with one another in their distribution patterns among genera and tribes; thus, they may not support natural groups (Khalik et al., 2002). Seed morphology is frequently used for understanding and classifying Brassicaceae at the tribal level (Zohary, 1948; Appel & Al-Shehbaz, 2002; El Naggar, 2005). According to morphological studies, Lepidieae is a natural tribe of about 66 genera, of
