Comparative anatomy of the Fumaria (Papaveraceae) species in Iran

Fumaria is an annual genus distributed in different habitats of Iran. The species have been usually described on the basis of sepal size, corolla and fruit characters. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the anatomy of stem, root and fruit may help clarify the relationships and delimitation of the Iranian Fumaria representatives. This is the first anatomic study of Fumaria in Iran. The results have shown some differences in the anatomical features between the species. Among these, the shape of stem cross sections and the number of vascular bundles have shown some variations, as well as the rib thickness, wing shape and wall texture of fruits. The anatomical root structure was homogenous. The results contributed to the conclusion that the anatomical features of fruits are of diagnostic value for the Fumaria species of Iran. As F. parviflora and F. vaillantii are recorded as tetraploid (2n=32), the high range of anatomical variation in these taxa seems to be a consequence of their ploidy level. Anatomical observation of stem and root cross-sections has revealed that symmetry, presence or absence of angles in the cross section, and xylem shape are of diagnostic importance. Results of the anatomical study of fruits reveal that some anatomical features can be used to differentiate the species with high morphological similarities, such as F. vaillantii, F. parviflora and F. indica.