The application of some morphological characters of seeds in the taxonomy of the genus Rebutia (Cactaceae)
Features of seed and fruit morphology were studied in 18 species, 1 variety, 3 forms of the genus Rebutia K. Schum. Some features of seed and fruit mofphology turned to be the most significant in taxonomy of members of Rebutia. These features are: the way of opening of fruit, consistency of pericarpium, form of both seed and arillus, texture of surface, colour and sculpture of the seed coat. These features enable us to classify the Rebutia species as belonging to three groups. Group A (R. chrysacantha Backeb., R. minuscula K. Schum., R. senilis Backeb., R. senilis Backeb. f. semperflorens Poind, R. senilis Backeb. f. stuemeri (Backeb.) Buining, R. simoniana Rausch): the seeds are oblong-rounded, oblong-ovate or rounded form, the surface of the seed coat is black, glossy, its sculpture is foveolate-papillate, arillus is roller-shaped. Group B (R. aureiflora Backeb. f. boedekeriana Backeb. (Sida), R. gracilispina F. Ritter, R. mudanensis Rausch, R. steinmannii (Solms) Britton et Rose): the seeds are oblong-rounded, oblong-ovate or rounded, the surface of the seed coat is matt, brown, sculpture of the seed coat is foveolate (agranular), arillus is tuberculate. Group C (R. buiningiana Rausch, R. cajasensis F. Ritter, R. fiebrigii (Gurke) Britton et Rose var. densiseta (Cullman) Oeser, R. flavistyla F. Ritter, R. ithyacantha (Cardenas) Diers, R. kieslingii Rausch, R. kupperiana Boed., R. mamillosa Rausch, R. muscula F. Ritter et Thiele, R. pulvinosa F. Ritter et Buining, R. spinosissima Backeb., R. tamboensis F. Ritter): the seeds are oblong-ovate, rounded or oblong-rounded, the surface of the seed coat is matt, brown, sculpture foveolate, the arillus is roller-shaped or scallop-shaped. Morphologic features of the seed of Rebutia species can be used for determination of plants obtained from doubtful sources.
Keywords
Rebutia, Cactaceae, морфология, семя, плод, систематика, Rebutia, Cactaceae, morphology, seed, fruit, taxonomyAuthors
Name | Organization | |
Chichkanova Elena S. | Donetsk Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Donetsk, Ukraine) | 30alenka-elenka@mail.ru |
References

The application of some morphological characters of seeds in the taxonomy of the genus Rebutia (Cactaceae) | Sistematicheskie zametki po materialam Gerbariya im. P.N. Krylova Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta - Systematic notes on the materials of P.N. Krylov Herbarium of Tomsk State University. 2015. № 112.