The soil characteristics of some of Silene L. species grown in Turkey

Soil characteristics of 19 (21 taxa) Silene L. (Caryophyllaceae) species belonging to the sections Italicae (Rohrb.) Schischk. Giganteae Du Pasquier, Siphonomorpha Otth, Lasiostemones Boiss., Sclerocalycinae Boiss., Chloranthae Rohrb., Tataricae Chowdhuri and Otites (Adams.) Otth were investigated in the Flora of Turkey. Soil characteristics were examined in terms of physical character, water saturation, as chemical characters, salt, organic matter, lime rates, pH (soil reaction) value, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) amounts (ppm). Plant specimens of Silene taxa were collected and soil samples were taken from these areas at a depth of 10–30 cm. Soil acidity (pH) with "glass electrode pH meter", Electrical conductivity (ECX103) in the tool "Conductance Bridge", grain diameter of the soil according to the "Hydrometer method of Bouyoucos", phosphorus in soil according to the method "Bray and Kurtz No. 1", in alkaline soils according to "Olsen" method, determination of potassium, calcium, magnesium in soil was made according to "ammonium acetate method". In our study, the soil grown in taxa, clayey, loamy, clayey–loam, most of the taxa are slightly alkaline, all salt–free, very low and high levels of organic matter, lime–free–too much lime, moderate–good phosphorus, deficient–high potassium, poor–moderate amount of calcium, poor–very high rate of magnesium was found to grow in soils. After having been examined, Silene species, except for local endemic, it was seen that Turkey has a growing feature in the very different soil character.