Observation and Comparision on Morphological Characteristics of the Seed-like Fruits of Salvia shandongensis and Its Relatives

[Objective] This study aimed to compare and analyse the morphological characteristics of the seed-like fruits between Salvia shandongensis J. X. Li et F. Q. Zhou and its relatives. [Method] The morphological characteristics of the mature seed-like fruits of Salvia shandongensis and its three congeners, S. miltiorrhiza, S. miltiorrhiza f. alba and S. bowleyana, were comparatively observed using both optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. [Result] The results showed that there were distinct differences in the shape, size and exine sculpture of the seed-like fruits of the four Danshen congeners： the seed-like fruits of S. shandongensis that were elliptical and had areolate sculpture with subquadrangular convex meshes as well as densely filamentous transverse lines were easy to be distinguished from those of S. miltiorrhiza Bge., which were broadly elliptical and had reticulate sculpture with subquadrate concave meshes. The seed-like fruits of S. bowleyana were fusiform and their ektexine had reticulate sculpture with polygonal meshes, which were slightly convex at the center, which are obviously different from those of S. shandongensis. [Conclusion] This study first accumulates data of the seed-like fruits of S. shandongensis, which provides important bases for establishing its taxonomical status and studying its germplasm. The morphological characteristics and reticulate sculpture on ektexine of the seed-like fruits S. miltiorrhiza Bge. are consistent with the previous report. The results in this study not only provide references for uncovering the genetic relationships between S. shandongensis and S. miltiorrhiza Bge., as well as the interspecific classification and identification. In addition, this study also provides new scientific proofs for the identification of Danshen species and their introduction and cultivation, genetics and breeding.