Towards a better understanding of Prunus (Rosaceae): molecular and morphological notes on Prunus subgenus Cerasus in Turkey

Abstract In this study, we explore the relationships among taxa of Prunus subgenus Cerasus in Turkey using a combination of macromorphology, micromorphology and molecular techniques. We recorded qualitative and quantitative characteristics of flowers, leaves, seeds and endocarp for 96 populations representing 14 taxa of Prunus subgenus Cerasus. ITS, matK, ycf1, trnL-trnF DNA sequence data were used to reconstruct phylogenetic trees for this group. Haplotype analyses results found 11 haplotypes among the samples used in this study. We also note that the infraspecific taxa of Cerasus angustifolia (=P. albicaulis), P. mahaleb, P. microcarpa and P. prostrata, as described by previous authors, do not exhibit significant differences even among the features of foliar morphology that are so often used to distinguish them from one another. As a general rule, our analyses indicate that the highly variable features of leaf micromorphology and endocarp and seed micromorphology are not taxonomically significant. In contrast, although floral morphology is often overlooked in systematic studies of Prunus subgenus Cerasus, we found several taxonomically useful flower characters, including sepal indumentum, hypanthium shape and indumentum and petal shape. This work clarifies the infraspecific relationships of members of Prunus subgenus Cerasus in Turkey and solves some taxonomic problems.