Astragalus talasseus Boiss. & Bal. is a Turkish endemic species belonging to Astragalus sect. Pterophorus (Fabaceae). Despite its taxonomic importance, comprehensive information on its morphology, anatomy, seed micromorphology, and pollen characteristics is lacking. This study aims to provide the first detailed characterization of these features and to evaluate their taxonomic significance. Morphological observations were performed using a stereomicroscope. Anatomical features of the stem, rachis, and leaflets were examined by light microscopy, while the micromorphology of leaflets, seeds, and pollen grains was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A detailed morphological description of A. talasseus is presented, along with diagnostic macro- and micromorphological characters. The species is characterized by a lax, cushion-forming, spiny habit; paripinnate leaves; numerous sessile flowers; and a stenonychioid standard. Anatomically, the stem exhibits secondary growth; the rachis contains well-developed sclerenchyma; and the leaflets are equifacial, with anomocytic and anisocytic stomata on both epidermal surfaces, accompanied by non-glandular trichomes. Pollen grains are tricolpate, prolate (P/E: 1.82), and have a microreticulate-perforate exine ornamentation. Seed micromorphological features are also documented in detail. Several diagnostic characters of the floral organs, including the wings, keel, stamens, style, and ovary, as well as legume and seed micromorphology, are reported for the first time for this species. The newly documented diagnostic characters expand the available knowledge of this endemic species and provide valuable data for species identification and future taxonomic studies of the taxonomically complex genus Astragalus.
Geophytes are perennial plants that persist through seasonal stress via underground storage organs. They are a conspicuous and ecologically significant component of the flora of the Northern Western Ghats and Konkan (NWGK), a biogeographically distinct unit within the Western Ghats—Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. Although a preliminary checklist of geophytes from the northern Western Ghats exists, no comprehensive inventory incorporating the Konkan region, recent taxonomic revisions, and systematic data on USO types, phenology, and endemism has previously been available. Here we present a systematic checklist of 305 geophyte species belonging to 72 genera and 26 families from NWGK, compiled from published floras, taxonomic revisions, herbarium records from four major regional collections, and long-term field observations. Cyperaceae (62 spp.), Orchidaceae (53 spp.), Asparagaceae (32 spp.), and Araceae (30 spp.) are the most species-rich families, together accounting for approximately 58% of regional geophyte diversity. Monocotyledons dominate the flora (237 spp.; 77.7%), consistent with global patterns. Tuberous species are the most common underground storage organ type (52.13%), followed by rhizomatous (31.48%), bulbous (11.48%), and corm-bearing taxa (4.9%). Flowering phenology is tightly coupled to the southwest monsoon, peaking in August–September (207 spp.). Of the 305 species, 140 (45.9%) are endemic at one or more geographic scales, including 81 (26.6%) restricted exclusively to NWGK, one of the highest rates of geophyte micro endemism documented in tropical Asia. The non-asymptotic species discovery curve indicates the flora remains incompletely known. We interpret the exceptional richness and endemism of NWGK geophytes within a nested island biogeographic framework. NWGK itself functions as a macro-scale habitat island within the hotspot, while its lateritic plateaus and rocky outcrops constitute micro-islands within, a two-tiered isolating architecture which combined with the physiological filter of the eight-month dry season, promotes ongoing geophyte diversification and micro endemism accumulation.
