COMPARATIVE LEAF ANATOMY OF SOME ENDEMIC CROCUS L. TAXA FROM TURKEY

Relationships among 14 Crocus L. taxa such as. C. ancyrensis (Herbert) Maw, C. baytopiorum Mathew, C. biflorus Miller ssp. crewel (Hook.) Mathew, C. biflorus ssp. isauricus (Siehe ex Bowles) Mathew, C biflorus ssp. nubigena (Herbert) Mathew, C. biflorus ssp. pseudonubigena Mathew, C cancellatus Herbert ssp. cancellatus, C. cancellatus ssp. damascenus (Herbert) Mathew, C. cancellatus ssp. lycius Mathew, C. cancellatus sso. mazziaricus (Herbert) Mathew, C. cancellatus ssp. pamphylicus Mathew, C. pestalozzae Boiss.. C reticulatus Steven ex Adams ssp. hittiticus (T. Baytop & Mathew) Mathew and C. sicheanus Barr ex Burtt collected from different two locations of Turkey have been investigated using 11 anatomic leaves characters. These taxa are endemic (except ssp. damascenus) and rare in Turkey. The anatomical variations in the cross sections of the leaf parts of the taxa were ascertained by statistical methods. It appears that the length and breadth measurements of palisade and spongy parenchyma cells, trachea diameter and cuticle thickness are important leaf anatomical characters that show variation in relation to altitudes.