Fruit Features of Some Bupleurum Species (Apiaceae) and Their Systematical Implication

Based on morphological and anatomical observation of the fruit of 21 representative Bupleurum taxa,the following results were found:(1) Most Chinese Bupleurum species had bilaterally compressed fruit and divided into three main fruit shapes,namely cylindrical,oblong,and ovate.(2) Crystals deposited in mesocarp cells of "basal Apioideae",Saniculoideae,and Hydrocotyloidea were not found in Bupleurum.(3) According to oil canal numbers in the furrow,Chinese Bupleurum were divided into two groups.The first group had single vittae in each furrow and the second group had three or more vittaes per furrow.From previous anatomical and molecular studies on Apiaceae,we concluded that:(1) The evolutionary trend of vittae in Bupleurum was from one to two or more in each furrow,and Chinese species represented the derived taxa within this genus;(2) Bupleurum was very likely an intermediate group between"basal Apioideae"and"remaining Apioideae"or a collateral branch of Apioideae;(3) The morphological and anatomical features of Bupleurum fruit can be used as evidence of inter-and intraspecific taxonomy.Lastly,a key to species was also given based on fruit characters.