Plant Phenology and An Assessment of the Effects Regarding Heavy Metals, Nanoparticles, and Nanotubes on Plant Development: Runner Bean, Artichoke, and Chickpea Seedlings

The relationship between environmental pollution and nutrition in particular, which forms the basis of health, is fundamentally important for protecting human health. Therefore, the data obtained from the examination of how plants and animals consumed as food are affected by environmental pollution can be seen as an indicator of their effects on humans. On the other hand, the role of technology and nanotechnology in life has been increasing in this century, and a considerable amount of heavy metals, nanoparticles (NPs), and nanotubes (NTs) are released to the environment. The results of morphological or anatomical examination of runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L) and artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) plants subjected to copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) heavy metals and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) plants subjected to Au nanoparticles and C70 single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are presented with this study in the point of their phenological development process. The three taxa belonging to Fabaceae and Asteraceae families with high economic status and having flowers with characteristic features were chosen deliberately as representatives. This chapter presents a study that will shed light on future biomonitoring-based studies focusing on the impact of environmental pollution on plants phenology with economic value

An experimental study on the effects copper and lead on the seedlings of some economically important vegetable species

Bioaccumulation of toxic heavy metals in vegetables is closely related to the problems of safety concerns as they negatively affect plants in particular those consumed by the humans. Among the food systems the vegetables are the most noticeable foods affected by environmental pollution. Vegetables can take up the metals like copper and lead and store them in excessive levels. Keeping this in view this investigation was undertaken to study the effect of copper and lead concentrations (20, 40, 80, 160, 240, 320, 640, and 1280 µM) and assess their toxic affects on germination and seedling growth at early stages of eight vegetable cultivars; kidney bean, peas, black-eyed bean, artichoke, kale, lettuce, rocket and radish. The results were evaluated by multivariate analysis of variance and Pearson correlation statistical analysis. Our results indicate that the seeds of the vegetables studied by us are generally tolerant to both copper as well lead, except higher concentration exposures which showed no improvement when applied to artichoke (for Cu 1280 µM) and lettuce seeds (Cu 1280 µM; Pb 1280 µM). An application of copper and lead ended up with a decrease in barium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium and zinc content in all seedlings studied. In all vegetables exposed to copper and lead a promotion in copper and lead accumulation was recorded. There was a decrease in nutrient element intake which interrupted the mineral element uptake in the seedlings

Micromorphological Investigations on Pollen Samples of Four Yellow Flowered Taxa of Crocus L. (Iridaceae) from Turkey

In this study, yellow flowered taxa of C. ancyrensis (Herbert) Maw, C. sieheanus Barr ex Burtt, C. flavus Weston subsp. flavus and C. flavus subsp. dissectus T. Baytop & Mathew were examined in the point of pollen micromorphology. Accordingly, it was aimed that pollen micromorphological characteristics of the plant samples could be used as a taxonomic criterion considerably or not. In respect to that purpose, exine structure of pollens as regards samples was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). On the other hand, differences between taxa were evaluated. As a result of that investigation, pollen exine ornamentation related to studied four taxa of Crocus L. genus were observed different to some extent and could be used as vice for taxonomic characteristic

Crocus chrysanthus s. lato (Iridaceae) in Turkey

New taxa in Crocus are described from Turkey: C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. bicoloraceus F. Candan & N. Ozhatay var. nov. and C. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus var. atroviolaceus F. Candan & N. Ozhatay var. nov.; C. chrysanthus subsp. punctatus F. Candan & N. Ozhatay subsp. nov., C. chrysanthus subsp. kesercioglui F. Candan & N. Ozhatay subsp. nov. and C. chrysanthus subsp. sipyleus F. Candan & N. Ozhatay subsp. nov. A new classification of the species is based mainly on the colour of flowers and anthers, type of pollen grains, seed surface ornamentation, and chromosome numbers