New insights into seminal and stomatal morphology and their contribution to the taxonomy of the Old World succulent perennial Salicornioideae

Seminal and stomatal morphology of three succulent halophyte genera (Sarcocornia, Halocnemum and Arthrocnemum) around the Mediterranean basin and surroundings areas were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations showed well-different seminal coat ornamentations among the studied taxa. Both Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and Halocnemum strobilaceum do not show trichomes. Conversely, the species Sarcocornia perennis and S. fruticosa can be easily identified by the presence of long curved hairs against papillae or short conic hairs, respectively. Because most of the herbarium vouchers of Sarcocornia lack seeds, and thus the permanency of seeds on plants is quite short, an alternative vegetative character as stomata was also studied using SEM and light microscope. The detailed stomatal morphological features were analysed for the first time to infer taxonomic relationships among these perennial halophytes. Stomata are constantly paracytic for the four studied species, but two morphotypes were identified related to the level arrangement of guard cells, named as sunken and prominent stomata, respectively. Sunken stomata are found in A. macrostachyum, H. strobilaceum and S. fruticosa, whereas prominent stomata are only characteristic for S. perennis. Besides, we have found somehow relationships among the ecology of these plants based on the frequency of floodings and the observed morphology and density of stomata. Nonetheless, each observed morphotype is a stable character, without any influence of climate or environmental conditions. As a result, seminal coat ornamentation and stomata morphology are the two most reliable characteristics for discriminating Mediterranean halophytes taxa, especially related to Sarcocornia taxa.The work was partly supported by the projects CGL2005/06505 (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of Spain), ACIE10-01 and ACIE11-05 (University of Alicante) and AP/042501/11 (AECI, Ministerio de Asunto Exteriores of Spain)