SEED MORPHOLOGY AND SEED COAT ANATOMY OF THREE SPECIES BERBERIS L (BERBERIDACEAE JUSS)

Three species of Berberis L (Berberidaceae Juss), namely B. amurensis, B. dictyophylla and B. sibirica were investigated with respect to the seed morphology and seed coat anatomy by using light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Mature seeds of studied species are ellipsoidal to ovoid in shape. They are black, brown-grey and reddish-brown in colour. Seeds are size from 4.6-6.2 (5.8 ± 0.53) mm length, 1.2-3.2 (2.3 ± 0.59) mm in width. The seed surface is smooth-reticulate in B. amurensis, convex-globoid in B. dictyophylla and wavy in B. sibirica. The seed coat anatomical structure is exotestal type in all three species. The exotestal layer is extremely elongate radially, lignified and it accumulates a dark brown staining substance and become collapsed eventually in Berberis amurensis and B. dictyophylla. Mesote sta has a few fibrous cell or collapsed layers. Endotesta and tegmen are completely crushed and tangentially with thin-layers in two species. The exotesta of Berberis sibirica is composed of evenly lignified, pali-sadal and long-cubic one-cell layers. Mesot esta is crushed and longitudinally elongate, two and three small-cell layers with thin-tanniferous. Endostesta and tegmen are also crushed, tangentially with thin-layers. We compared the seed morphology and seed coat anatomy in some species of Berberis L a nd Mahonia Nutt. Berberis shows a very similar shape and seed colour to Mahonia, they show some differences in the seed size and surface sculpture. The seed coat anatomy of both genera is of exotestal type. Seeds of Mahonia are different from those of Berb eris by cuboidal, unevenly lignified cell structure of exotesta and mesotesta is thin-walled, longitudinally elongated and parenchyma two and three cell-layered.