Differentiation between some taxa of Brassica similar in seed shape and plant organs at early growth stages [electronic resource].

Includes reference.

This investigation was carried out at the greenhouse of the Department of Agricultural Botany. Faculty of Agriculture. Cairo University. during 2006 season to differentiate between three taxa of Brassica; namely. B. oleraceu var. botrytis (Cauliflower). B oleracea var. italica (Broccoli) and B. aleracea var. capilala (Cabbage), being similar at early stages of growth as well as seed shape. The results showed that, there were clear differences between the three taxa as some macroand micro-morphological characters were used such as; seed colour (light brown to dark grey in Cauliflower, red to light red in Broccoli, and light brown to light grey in Cabbage), hilum colour (dark grey in Cauliflower, light brown in Broccoli, and light grey in Cabbage). seed surface sculpture by using SEM (ruminate-pusticulate in Cauliflower. ruminate with weak reticulate in Broccoli, and reticulate-rugose in Cabbage), Icaf lamina margin (crenatus in Cauliflower, erosus in Broccoli. and serratus in Cabbage), leaf lamina base (inaequilaterus in Cauliflower, truncates in Broccoli and breve angustatus in Cabbage). Meanwhile. the anatomical differences of leaf lamina. petiole, stem and root were less clear between the three investigated taxa at the early stages of growth (up to 45 days). Thus, the anatomical studies may be more useful at older plant stages to tind out these differences.

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