Pericarp anatomy and surface micromorphology of some orchids in the Black Sea Region

In this study, we have investigated the anatomy and ultrastructure of the pericarp to determine important characters ofthe fruits belonging to some Turkish orchidoid species, and to determine which features are related to ecological or habitatpreferences. For the purpose, the samples belonging to 19 orchid taxon were collected in the Black Sea Region. SEM and lightmicroscopy photographs were taken with the standard techniques. Variations among taxa were evaluated using variousstatistical methods such as correlation and discrimination analysis. Among the investigated characteristics, fruit surfaceornamentation is related to habitat preferences of the species while morphometric properties of epidermal cells and structuralfeatures such as the type of crystal inclusions are important characters at the genus level.