Morphological, anatomical and karyological investigations of the Turkish endemic species Lathyrus woronowii Bornm. (Fabaceae)

Abstract

Lathyrus woronowii Bornm., an endemic species of Turkey, is threatened with extinction due to dam construction. It exists only in the Çoruh valley, Artvin. This annual species is in the critically endangered (CR) category according to the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria. Its morphology, anatomy and karyology are studied here for the first time. A detailed description is given and the general appearance of the species has been drawn; cross sections from the stem and leaf have been taken and examined; and the diploid chromosome number (2n = 14) has been reported and illustrated for the first time.