Macro- and micro-morphological study of fruits and seeds in the genus Geranium (Geraniaceae)

Geranium (Geraniaceae) is a genus with 325 species worldwide. In present study fruit and seed morphology of 832 individuals from 23 taxa of Geranium were collected from different habitats in Iran. Samples were examined by use of light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphometric study involved 8 quantitative and 11 qualitative characters. Statistical analysis employed PAST software. Principal Component Analysis defined the most variable characters. Features as mericarp shape, mericarp and seed color, hair density, mericarp ornamentations and seed coat pattern were of diagnostic importance. Taxa of two subgenera are clearly separated based on selected fruit and seed characters. Seed macro and micro morphological characters were found useful for the taxonomic delimitations. Despite separation of the subgenera, some sections are mixed.

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A phenetic study of the genus Rasahus Amyot & Serville (Heteroptera, Reduviidae)

Entomologica Fennica ◽

10.33338/ef.83459 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 131-144

Author(s):

María Coscarón

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Cluster Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Basal Plate ◽

Using Data ◽

Diagnostic Importance

Cluster analysis by four methods and a principal component analysis were performed using data on 24 morphological characters of 27 species of the genus Rasahus (Peiratinae). The results obtained by the different techniques show general agreement. They confirm the present number of taxa and reveal the existence within the genus of three groups of species: scutellaris , hamatus and vittatus. The scutellaris group is constituted by R. aeneus (Walker), R. maculipennis (Lepelletier and Serville), R. bifurcatas Champion, R. castaneus Coscarón, R. guttatipennis (Stål), R. flavovittarus Stål, R. costarricensis Coscarón, R. scutellaris (Fabricius), R. atratus Coscarón, R. peruensis Coscarón, R. paraguayensis Coscarón, R. surinamensis Coscarón, R. albomaculatus Mayr, R. brasiliensis Coscarón and R. sulcicollis (Serville).The hamatus group contains R. rufiventris (Walker), R. hamatus (Fabricius), R. amapaensis Coscarón, R. arcitenens Stål, R. limai Pinto, R. angulatus coscarón, R. thoracicus Stål, R. biguttatus (Say), R. arcuiger (Stål), R. argentinensis Coscarón and R. grandis Fallou. The vittatus group contains R. vittatus Coscarón. The characters used to separate the groups of species are: shape of the pygophore, shape of the parameres, basal plate complexity, shape of the postocular region and hemelytra pattern. Illustrations of the structures of major diagnostic importance are included.

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Morphological variation in the genus Juliomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) and taxonomic status of Juliomys anoblepas (Winge 1887) from the Quaternary of Southeast Brazil

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4861.3.9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4861 (3) ◽

pp. 429-443

Author(s):

CAROLINA PIRES ◽

MARCELO WEKSLER ◽

CIBELE R. BONVICINO

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Morphological Variation ◽

Morphological Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

The Other ◽

Anterior Portion ◽

Living Species ◽

Qualitative Characters

The region of Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is one of the most important karstic areas of the Brazilian Quaternary due to the faunistic diversity of living and extinct forms. Among them, some taxa remain poorly studied, as is the case of Calomys anoblepas Winge 1887. Despite the recent allocation of the taxon within Juliomys, its description and morphological analysis are condensed, based on comparative few specimens and on few informative characters. In this study, we investigate characters proposed to distinguish species of Juliomys, and reevaluate the taxonomic status of the fossil Juliomys anoblepas. We analyzed 80 cranio-dental morphological characters in 233 specimens represented by the four species currently recognized: J. pictipes (Osgood 1933), J. rimofrons Oliveira & Bonvicino 2002, J. ossitenuis Costa, Pavan, Leite & Fagundes 2007, and J. ximenezi Christoff, Vieira, Oliveira, Gonçalves, Valiati & Tomasi 2016. We also performed principal component analysis on eight craniodental measurements available for the J. anoblepas hypodigm. The review of morphological systems and the evaluation of the characters used in the literature revealed that there are no diagnostic characters in the anterior portion of the skull and in the molar series of Juliomys, being difficult to differentiate the fossil from the other living species. Only six qualitative characters were variable and applicable to the hypodigm of J. anoblepas. Characters are polymorphic, invariable, or the fossil is not sufficiently complete to determinate its states. The taxon could not be morphometrically differentiated from J. pictipes and J. ossitenuis. Based on the results presented herein, we consider J. anoblepas as a nomen dubium and restrict its name to the taxon’s hypodigm.

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Variation in morphological characters of Marsilea crenata living in floating aquatic, emergent aquatic, and terrestrial habitats

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity ◽

10.13057/biodiv/d220736 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

Author(s):

WISANTI WISANTI ◽

DURAN COREBIMA ALOYSIUS ◽

Siti Zubaidah ◽

SRI RAHAYU LESTARI

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Morphological Variations ◽

Quantitative Characters ◽

Morphological Adaptations ◽

Terrestrial Habitats ◽

Grouping Pattern ◽

Qualitative Characters ◽

Two Populations

Abstract. Wisanti, Aloysius DC, Zubaidah S, Lestari SR. 2021. Variation in morphological characters of Marsilea crenata living in floating aquatic, emergent aquatic, and terrestrial habitats. Biodiversitas 22: 2853-2859. Marsilea is a hydrophyte fern that has plasticity often influenced by enviroment. Several of the species with different habitats or geographies show morphological variations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the variations in morphological characters of M. crenata growing in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. A total of 38 plant samples were collected from their natural habitats including floating aquatic, emergent aquatic, and terrestrial types. Morphological variations data included 4 qualitative characters and 9 quantitative characters. The quantitative characters were analyzed by one-way ANOVA to test for differences, while the combination of both characters was analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine the distribution between groups. The data results showed a separate grouping pattern between aquatic and terrestrial populations. These two groups showed significant differences in 5 quantitative characters and 2 qualitative characters. However, emergent aquatic samples’ distribution pattern is closer to the terrestrial group. The characters’ similarity of these two populations was in ??the rhizomes air spaces area, the position between leaflets and absence of red streak on the abaxial lamina. Conclusively, the variations in M. crenata’s morphological characters indicate that this plant has experienced morphological adaptations to water availability in its environment.

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Morphological variability of recent species of the order Cassiduloida (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) of Mexico

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v69isuppl.1.46382 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 69 (Suppl.1) ◽

pp. 423-437

Author(s):

Andrea-Alejandra Caballero-Ochoa ◽

Blanca-E. Buitrón-Sánchez ◽

Carlos-A. Conejeros-Vargas ◽

Brenda-L. Esteban-Vázquez ◽

Mariana-P. Ruiz-Nava ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Direct Relationship ◽

Morphological Variability ◽

Principal Component ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Morphometric Characters ◽

Living Species ◽

Qualitative Characters ◽

Recent Species ◽

Taxonomic Studies ◽

Character Correlations

ntroduction: In Mexico, there are two recorded living species of Cassiduloida: Cassidulus caribaearum and Rhyncholampas pacifica. Most of the taxonomic studies on cassiduloids have used external morphology, pedicellariae and morphometric characters; however, the intraspecific variation of quantitative and qualitative characters has been poorly evaluated. Objective: To compare the basic morphology of R. pacifica and C. caribaearum. Methods: We examined a total of 2 158 specimens of R. pacifica and C. caribaearum, selecting 50 to evaluate shape and size with linear regression and Principal Component analysis. We selected an additional 62 specimens per species to identify significant character correlations and morphological groups within species. Results: There is a direct relationship between Test length and Test width. Test height/Test width, and Total length (oral view)/Distance from the ambitus to the peristome apex, are the two main ratios to distinguish both species. C. caribaearum is more dorsoventrally compressed and has a round peristome base; versus R. pacifica has a tall and triangular one. There are four morphological groups of C. caribaearum and two groups for R. pacifica. Conclusions: These two species can be distinguished with reliable morphological characters, in which peristome shape suggests that R. pacifica is more adapted to burrowing deeper into certain types of substratum.

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Phenotypic diversity of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)accessions in the Philippines for utilization

Legume Research - An International Journal ◽

10.18805/lr.v0iof.3769 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Hidelisa De Chavez ◽

Teresita Borromeo ◽

Nic Oswald Borines ◽

Renerio Jr Gentallan

Keyword(s):

Coat Color ◽

Phenotypic Diversity ◽

Germplasm Collection ◽

Principal Component ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

The Philippines ◽

Soybean Germplasm ◽

Plant Growth Habit ◽

Qualitative Characters

An increasing trend of soybean production and consumption has been seen in the Philippines. To assess the potential of the soybean germplasm for utilization, diversity of the Philippine soybean collection was established. High diversity was marked on 17 out of 29 qualitative characters, which include plant growth habit, leaf blistering and flower standard color. Phenotypic diversity indices (H’) of 92 soybean accessions averaged at 0.62. This aside, traits identical to a variety of soybean with superior characters were all present in the soybean germplasm collection. Using simple matching similarity coefficient, cluster analysis separated the different accessions into 12 distinct clusters at 62% similarity. Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA) showed that two independent components accounted for 35.36% of the total variation of the qualitative morphological characters. Factor loadings for each component showed the morphological characters, such as pubescence color, flower wing color, and seed coat color, that were contributing to the high projections in the two principal components. Accessions with vigorous seedlings were also observed. With the marked trait diversity, the soybean collection could be potentially used directly and for breeding purposes. Consequently, to uncover further the potential of our genetic resources at hand, the remaining germplasm accessions at NPGRL should be characterized and evaluated

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Seed morphology of the genus Scrophularia L. (Scrophulariaceae) from Turkey and its taxonomic implications

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.434.1.4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 434 (1) ◽

pp. 35-64

Author(s):

FUNDA ÖZBEK ◽

MEHMET ERKAN UZUNHİSARCIKLI ◽

MURAT EKİCİ ◽

EBRU DOĞAN GÜNER ◽

NUR MÜNEVVER PINAR

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Principal Component ◽

Diagnostic Value ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Seed Morphology ◽

Seed Length ◽

Taxonomic Implications ◽

Seed Width ◽

Scanning Electron

73 taxa of the genus Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae) from Turkey have been investigated using light stereomicroscope (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to describe their seed morphological characteristics and to evaluate the diagnostic value of these features as a contribution to the genus systematics. The seeds are oblong, ellipsoid, ovoid or obovoid in shape and light or dark brown, blackish-brown to black in colour. The seed length ranges from 0.41 to 2.04 mm and seed width from 0.24 to 1.33 mm. All investigated taxa have bireticulate-alveolate ornamentation with vesicles on the corners of secondary reticulum cells except of S. zuvandica. The alveoli are oblong, orbicular and linear with a size of 7.63–143.1 × 21.62–314.2 µm. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis have been used to determine the contribution of seed morphological characters to the taxa relationships. Numerical analysis has revealed that the seed size and the secondary reticulum properties have significant importance in taxonomy of the genus for distinguishing taxa from each other.

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Achene Morphology and Anatomy of Clematis L. (Ranunculaceae) in Korea and Its Taxonomic Implications

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9101279 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 1279

Author(s):

Balkrishna Ghimire ◽

Beom Kyun Park ◽

Dong Chan Son ◽

Seung-Hwan Oh

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Point Of View ◽

Group Method ◽

Pair Group ◽

Light Yellow ◽

Alternative Means ◽

Electron And Light Microscopy ◽

Qualitative Characters ◽

Taxonomic Point

Clematis, a widely distributed genus in Ranunculaceae, is one of the most difficult groups of taxa in the family from a taxonomic point of view. A comprehensive study on achene morphology and the anatomy of 19 taxa of Clematis from Korea was carried out using scanning electron and light microscopy to evaluate the taxonomic significance of achene characters. Clematis achenes are elliptical, obovate or fusiform in shape, light yellow or brown to black in color and completely or sparsely covered with hairs. The permanent style is elongated and plumose in all the studied taxa except C. brachyura. We found that the size, indument, permanent style, surface sculpture, shape in cross-section, and nature and thickness of the exocarp, and endocarp were valuable achene features for species delimitation and may contribute to the unraveling of the taxonomic problems in the genus Clematis. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the quantitative achene variables among the species were highly significant (p < 0.001). Principal component analyses based on seven quantitative characters and UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean) analysis based on seven quantitative and 18 qualitative characters also signify the utility of achene features for taxonomic discriminations of the Clematis taxa within the genus. Similar to other morphological characters in the genus Clematis, achene morphological and anatomical characters with the limited taxonomic value alone cannot be expected to resolve the infrageneric relationships but certain achene features combined with other morphological features could be useful as an alternative means of determining the infrageneric relationships within the genus.

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Seed micromorphology of central European Orobanche and Phelipanche (Orobanchaceae) in relation to preferred hosts and systematic implications

Australian Systematic Botany ◽

10.1071/sb15007 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 124 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Renata Piwowarczyk

Keyword(s):

Morphological Characters ◽

Seed Morphology ◽

Diagnostic Features ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Vegetative Organs ◽

Periclinal Wall ◽

Taxonomic Criterion ◽

Seed Micromorphology ◽

Wall Perforation ◽

Almost All

Holoparasitic genera within family Orobanchaceae are characterised by greatly reduced vegetative organs; therefore, seed micromorphology has proved to be a useful complementary taxonomic criterion. Seeds of 160 samples from 54 localities of 26 taxa of the Orobanche and Phelipanche genera occurring in central Europe, specifically from Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia, supplemented by samples from Spain, France and Ukraine, were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Thirteen quantitative or qualitative morphological characters of seeds were analysed. The following three types of periclinal wall sculpture of seeds were identified: veined and fibrillar in Phelipanche; with oval or elliptic perforations (pitted) in almost all species of Orobanche; with outer periclinal wall smooth, granular or rugged (very rarely visibly pitted), impeding vision of the inner one, occurring only in O. gracilis Sm. and O. coerulescens Stephan in Willd. The influence of different hosts on the features of seeds of eight species is also presented, as well as relationships between seed morphology and taxonomic classification, including problematic taxa. The best diagnostic features include type of ornamentation of the periclinal wall, perforation diameter (in pitted sculpture), fibrillar diameter (in fibrillar sculpture) and width of anticlinal walls. Size and shape of the seeds and cells and the presence of median troughs are variable; however, these features can be helpful when using larger samples. The usefulness of micromorphological studies on seeds of Orobanche and Phelipanche is demonstrated.

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Antlers Characterization for Identification of Deer Species (Family Cervidae) in Indonesia

Journal of Tropical Biodiversity and Biotechnology ◽

10.22146/jtbb.45667 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 97

Author(s):

Donan Satria Yudha ◽

M Zulfiqar Meizar Pratama ◽

Rury Eprilurahman

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Main Beam ◽

Size Measurement ◽

Economic Values ◽

Deer Species ◽

Unique Character ◽

Long Time ◽

Shape And Size

There are five species of deer (family Cervidae) living in Indonesia today. Male deer possesses antlers, a unique character of male deer. Antlers have economic values for quite a long time. Antler’s growth is influenced by several factors, therefore each species of deer have its own unique antlers’ shape and size. Antler’s identification usually relies on size measurement and overall shape of complete antlers which still attach to the skull. It is difficult to identify shed, broken or individual antler. The purpose of the research is to understand antlers’ morphological characters on each species to become diagnostic characters. Specimens analysed were collections of LIPI and were analysed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using PAST3 software. The results showed each species of deer having their own unique antlers’ character, and so it can be used to determine the species of Indonesian deer. The important structures for identification are relief, pedicle, brow, bez, and main beam.

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An assessment of the taxonomic validity of three species of marsupial frogs (Anura: Hemiphractidae: Gastrotheca) from the Yungas of Bolivia based on external morphology and cranial osteology

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.5068.2.3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5068 (2) ◽

pp. 211-239

Author(s):

CLAUDIA LANSAC ◽

RODRIGO AGUAYO ◽

IGNACIO DE LA RIVA

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Ct Scanning ◽

Developmental State ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Biological Entity ◽

Nominal Species ◽

Linear Discriminant ◽

Morphological Studies ◽

Cranial Osteology

The genus Gastrotheca (Anura: Hemiphractidae) is a group of marsupial frogs particularly diverse in Andean regions. Several taxonomic studies of this genus have been conducted in the humid cloud forests—or Yungas—of the Andean eastern slopes of central Bolivia (departments of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz). Yet, the distinction among three species that occur sympatrically in these forests, G. lauzuricae (proposed as a junior synonym of G. coeruleomaculatus in 2015), G. piperata, and G. splendens, remains unclear since the morphological characters that purportedly support their differentiation are variable and partly shared among them. We have carried out external morphological studies, including multivariate morphometric analyses, to assess how they support the taxonomic status of these three species. We also evaluated characters of the cranial osteology of a sample of six individuals using micro CT-scanning. Principal component and linear discriminant analyses resulted in a great overlap among the putative species. Cranial osteological comparisons did not reveal highly significant differences among them, but suggested that different degrees of hyperossification could be related to the developmental state of individuals. Our results indicate that most morphological and osteological reported differences between the three species likely represent intraspecific variation. Thus, we propose that the three nominal species belong to a single biological entity, for which the name Gastrotheca splendens (Schmidt, 1857) has priority. We also restrict the name Gastrotheca coeruleomaculatus (Werner, 1899) to externally similar congeneric populations from the Yungas forests of department of La Paz, but highlighting the need of a detailed evaluation of their taxonomic identity.

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