Morphological and Anatomical Study of Phlomis bruguieri (Lamiaceae), in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Phlomis bruguieri belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Plant specimens were collected from different locations in Iraqi Kurdistan, Sulaymaniyah-Garmian Province. A comprehensive biosystematics evaluation of P. bruguieri has never been conducted. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the morphological and anatomical characteristics of P. bruguieri. This study states a significant role of the studied plant parts and whether they play a role in the classification of plants. The morphological characteristics of the vegetative parts were determined using fresh plant samples. For anatomical investigations, specimens were preserved in alcohol 70%. Transverse sections obtained from the species' roots, stems, leaves, and petioles were observed under a light microscope. The morphological findings were compared to the species descriptions in the Iranica and Tukey Floras. The anatomical findings were compared with earlier studies on the genus Phlomis and other Lamiaceae family members. The results of the study revealed that the significant taxonomic information is provided by the anatomical characters, which include the number of pith ray layers in the root, the thickness of the xylem and phloem tissues, the quantity of collenchyma and parenchyma layers, the thickness of the cortex tissue in the stem, the shape and number of vascular bundles within the midrib and petiole, the leaf and stomata kind, the shape of the crystal, and the trichome.