NUTLET SCULPTURING OF SELECTED TEUCRIUM SPECIES (LAMIACEAE) - A CHARACTER OF TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE

Nutlet sculpturing of 23 Teucrium species belonging to six sections wa s studied. The nutlets of analysed species were characterized by the p resence of the oil glands of various density. Section Teucrium is well defined by very densely distributed trichomes and oil glands on nutle ts. Trichomes on nutlets were absent in all other species, except in T . marum from sect. Chamaedrys. Sect. Polium is a homogeneous group, di stinguished from the other sections. There are some similarities of th is sect. with sect. Scrodium. Species of sect. Chamaedrys are heteroge neous and overlap according to the surface sculpturing characters with the other sections. The significance of nutlet microcharacters as add itional taxonomical markers in the infrageneric classification of the genus Teucrium is discussed.