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The soil properties of the annual Gypsophila L. taxa of Turkey and their effects on plant morphology were investigated. The taxa studied were Gypsophila heteropoda Freyn & Sint., G. parva Barkoudah, G. elegans M.Bieb., G. bitlisensis Barkoudah, G. viscosa Murray, G. antari Post & Beauverd, G. muralis L., G. tubulosa (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss., G. confertifolia Hub.-Mor., and G. pilosa Hudson. The soils of the plant taxa were medium textured, sand or sandy-loam, saltless or a little salty, neutral, limy, rich in potassium and with very little phosphorous, and with medium levels of nitrogen and organic matter. G. antari, which had the greatest lime content, had the lowest number of leaves. G. muralis and G. tubulosa had the lowest saturation values and lime content but the greatest number of leaves. If the lime content increased, the development of roots decreased, and when the rate of sand increased, the development of roots increased. For G. muralis, phosphorus concentration, seed size, and salt content were negatively related to number of leaves. For G. tubulosa and G. antari, potassium and organic matter concentrations were negatively related to number of leaves. In G. muralis, salt content was positively related to calyx diameter and seed size. In G. confertifolia, organic matter content was positively correlated with height of the calyx, petal, and bract. It was observed that G. pilosa, G. bitlisensis, and G. viscosa species are also distributed in limeless steppe areas. The most important distribution areas of the species in Turkey are Sivas, Erzincan, Çankırı, Eskişehir, and Ankara. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine the antioxidant system responses of a xerophytic plant to salinity and drought, which were not elucidated before. Physiological and antioxidant responses of the xerophytic plant Gypsophila aucheri Boiss. were investigated under salinity (100 and 300 mM NaCl) and drought (withholding watering) treatment for 2 weeks in a controlled growth chamber. Besides growth responses (relative growth rate (RGR)), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, and SOD and CAT isoenzymes activities were determined under stress conditions. Moreover, the level of lipid peroxidation was determined as thiobarbutiric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content. Tolerance of G. aucheri to salinity and drought was evaluated based on lipid peroxidation (oxidative damage) and RGR. According to the experiments, G. aucheri was found to be tolerant to drought and 100 mM NaCl and its antioxidant system was able to cope with oxidative stress under these conditions. However, 300 mM NaCl treatment had detrimental effects on plant growth and membrane integrity. Under this concentration, oxidative stress cannot be precluded in spite of increased SOD, POX, and APX activities. These data indicate that xerophytic G. aucheri is a moderate halophytic plant that uses an efficient antioxidant defence mechanism under salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gypsophila turcica Hamzaoğlu is described as a new species. The specimen was collected from gypsaceous hills, at an altitude between 1755 and 1835 m from Zara District (Sivas Province). The new species is similar to Gypsophila festucifolia Hub.-Mor. The differences between these 2 taxa are discussed. Moreover, Silene choruhensis Hamzaoğlu nom. nova should replace S. ispirensis A.P.Khokhr. 1997, which is an illegitimate name as a younger homonym of S. ispirensis Boiss. 1856. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen morphology of 12 taxa (6 of them endemic) that belong to the genus Gypsophila L. were investigated using light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Differences in pollen morphology between these taxa were determined based on palynological studies. Pollen grains are spheroidal and polyporate. The exine structure is tectate, but that of G. sphaerocephala var. sphaerocephala is intectate. The exine sculpture is granulate-microechinate-microperforate, but that of G. sphaerocephala var. sphaerocephala displays clavate-microechinate ornamentation. The operculum exists in the form of scattered pieces in G. curvifolia, while it exists as a whole in the other taxa. G. perfoliata var. perfoliata has the largest pollen grain diameter, whereas G. tubulosa has the smallest. The exine consists of 2 parts; the upper part is the thick ectexine and the lower part is the thin endexine. The endexine is thin and continuous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soaproot (Radix Gypsophilae) is an important herbal drug having medicinal and economic importance and has been collected from nature for more than 30 years. The main goal of this study was to determine soaproot yielding plant species in East Anatolia, and their potential in nature. Collected plants were determined by field studies; damage to the environment after collection was observed, and commerce, exportation, domestic utilisation of soaproot, and problems and proposed solutions were examined. Soaproot is presently obtained from a total of 7 plant species belonging to 2 genera in Turkey (6 Gypsophila L., 1 Ankyropetalum Fenzl): G. graminifolia Bark, G. arrostii Guss. var. nebulosa (Boiss. & Heldr.) Bark., G. eriocalyx Boiss., G. bicolor (Freyn & Sint.) Grossh., G. perfoliata L., G. venusta Fenzl, and Ankyropetalum gypsophiloides Fenzl. It is determined for the first time that G. graminifolia is also being collected as soaproot from Van province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses were carried out ot identify boron (B) hyperaccumulating plant species in an actively B- mined area of Kirka, Eskişehir, Turkey. Only 4 plant species, Gypsophila sphaerocephala Fenzl ex Tchihat. var. sphaerocephala (Caryophyllaceae), Gypsophila perfoliata l. (Caryophyllaceae), Puccinellia distans (jacq.) Parl. subsp. distans (Gramineae) and Elymus elongatus (Host) Runemark subsp. turcicus (McGuire) Melderis (Gramineae), were identified in the highest b- containing sections of the mine. The species were found growing successfully under high total (8900 mg kg-1) and available (277 mg kg-1) soil B concentrations. Among these plant species, G. sphaerocephala contained considerably higher B concentrations in its above-gound parts (2093 ± 199 SD mg kg-1, seeds; 3345± 341 SD mg kg-1, leaves), compared to the roots (51 ± 11SD mg kg-1) and organs of the other species as revelaed by analyses using an ICP-AES (Varian, Vista model) instrument. This species was followed by G. perfoliata with respect to B concentrations in its various organs. This study shows that G. sphaerocephala was not only able to grow on heavily b-contaminated soils, but was also able to accumulate extraordinarily high concentrations of B. This provides a new plant genotype to explore the mechanism(s) of B hyperaccumulation which may lead to identifying the gene(s) conferring b-resistance and to phytomining of contaminated soils, especially where B-toxicity symptoms occur. To our knowledge, there are no reports available on the hyperaccumulation of B, although many reports are available on the phytoremediation of metalliferous soils that contain excess amounts of Zn, Mn,Cu, Co, Pb, al and Ni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]