Anatomical study on the petiole of Consolida species in Iran

The genus Consolida(DC.) S. F. GRAY of Gray  is a member of Ranuculaceae family, Delphinieae tribe.. It comprises approximately 52 species which almost all of them are weed and includes the members of the genus Aconitella Spach.  The genus distributed in Iran with 24 species, Iran is thus one of the richest countries for the genus in South-West Asia. Consolida has separated from Delphinium by De Candolle  based on single-spurred petals , one follicle and annual life cycle and has occurred in separate section. Finally it introduced as a separate genus by Gray in 1821.    In this study the petiole anatomy of 16 species of the genus Consolida have investigated. Three population from each species have examined. After pre-treatment of  the material , hand sections prepared and Carmen and methyl green solution used for staining the materials. Olympus light microscope used for study and photography. Our results showed that the presence of : angle, collenchymas layer below the epidermis, the number of vascular bundles LB, vascular sheath type, mechanical tissue between the vascular bundles and  type of vascular bundles  and indumentums of petiole are diagnostic characters for distinguishing the species. Based on anatomical results the species of two subgenera (Consolida and Aconitella) have separated and this confirmed  the results of molecular systematic study of the genus.