ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCES OF THE TURKISH STUCKENIA BORNER (POTAMOGETONACEAE) AND THEIR TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE

Anatomical studies of the Stuckenia species occurring in Turkey were conducted. The results showed that the presence or absence of interlacunar bundles and the stelar type were the most important in plant anatomical characters of the stem. The leaves of the all investigated species typically had uniseriate epidermis with a thin cuticle, aerenchyma was composed of arm-shaped chlorophyllous cells, similar to those found in the stem and the peduncle. Two lateral vascular bundles and a central vascular bundle are present in the leaves of all investigated species. However, the number of lateral vascular bundles can vary in S. pectinata according to leaf width and the fiber bundles are also present in the triquetrous leaves of this species.