Results of macro- and micromorphological studies of flowers and fruits of two subspecies of Valeriana stolonifera, subsp. stolonifera and subsp. angustifolia, are presented. Samples from Ukraine and Poland were studied. The structure of flowers and fruits is described, and their detailed characteristics are identified. Morphological structures were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). New micromorphological features of the fruit surface of the studied taxa have been revealed, including the characters of outer periclinal and anticlinal walls of exocarp cells, trichomes, and stomata. In flowers of both subspecies of V. stolonifera, an ovoid protrusion of the connective over the anthers of stamens is present. No significant differences between the studied taxa in their macro- and micromorphological features of fruits and flowers have been found. The obtained results, combined with the known characters of vegetative organs, can be used for more accurate identification of the subspecies of V. stolonifera and for resolving taxonomic issues within the group of V. officinalis aggr.
Keywords: exocarp, flower, fruit, micromorphology, microstructure, SEM microscope, taxonomy
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