The structural studies on the medicinal plant Haplophyllum telephioides

Haplophyllum telephioides Boiss., Rutaceae, is an endemic herb which generally grows at the steppe region in Central Turkey. Its aerial parts in flowering stage are used by local people against influenza virus due to its antimicrobial effect. The main purpose of this study was to examine the morphology, anatomy and histology of the vegetative and reproductive organs of the H. telephioides, which are used in popular medicine, thereby, contributing to the pharmacognostic evaluation of the species. The species was studied morphologically in detail. New morphological features were described for them, such as the dimension of leaf, sepal and fruit, size of filament, anther and pistil, and diameter of the ovary. In addition, some deviating features were found in relation to previous published descriptions for the species, such as plant height and petal length. The anatomy of plant parts such as stem, leaf, sepal, petal, filament and pistil, were studied using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Stem has incipient secondary growth. The leaf is amphistomatic and the mesophyll is equifacial. Stomata are anomocytic and sunken. In micromorphological studies, it is determined that the leaf is coated by a thick cuticle and above epicuticular wax. Schizogenous glands were found in all vegetative and reproductive organs. The structural features herein found can assist the diagnosis of H. telephioides.