MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF Cyclamen sp GROWN NATURALLY IN TURKEY: PART II

WOS: 000391345700015The morphology of 279 accessions of Cyclamen sp. growing naturally in Turkey, namely C. alpinum (syn. C. trochopteranthum), C. graecum, C. hederifolium (syn. C. neapolitanum) and C. mirabile, was characterized. Plants with intact tubers were collected from locations in Antalya, Isparta, Aydin, Mugla, Izmir and Denizli, determined by GPS, where they grow naturally in spring and autumn. The morphology of the four Cyclamen species was characterized using one year old regenerated plants based on 27 morphological traits (13 flower, 11 leaf, 2 plant, 1 tuber). There were distinct differences among these accessions related to petal colour, pedicel length, leaf length and width, leaf shape, and tuber diameter. Even though principle component analysis confirmed the grouping of characters into species-specific clusters, a wider range of morphological data as well as molecular data are needed for more reliable conclusions to be drawn about the classification of these Cyclamen species.Council of Scientific and Technological Research of TurkeyTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TUBITAK 110O102]The authors are grateful to the Council of Scientific and Technological Research of Turkey for financial support (Project No.: TUBITAK 110O102) and to Prof Dr. Sedat Serce to his kindly help with statistical analysis