Taxonomic review of chinas (Lathyrus L.) species in the flora of Azerbaijan

Abstract

As a result of the expedition, herbarium and literature review, the article presents a new conspectus of the genus Lathyrus L. s. l. of the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan Republic). The study revealed a new area of two species (L. hirsutus L., L. inconspicuus L.) and clarified the status of one species (L. leptophyllus Bieb.). For the first time, micromorphology structure of seeds in some species (L. annuus, L. cicera, L. hirsutus, L. tuberosus, L. miniatus, L. pratensis, L. laxiflorus, L. aphaca, L. nissolia, L. sphaericus) were included by scanning electron microscope. Morphological characters of the sections were analysed according to Kupicha with some additions. Our work showed that Lathyrus seeds are circular, pressed-angular, elliptical, coloured in brown tones, with tuberculate, smooth, reticulate-rugulose surface. In the article, in contrast to the classification according to "Flora of Azerbaijan", species belonging to the genus Orobus are included in the genus Lathyrus.