Seed morphological description requires quantitative methods for further comparison. Here, traditional measurements, curvature analysis, and the J-index (percentage of similarity to a geometric model) were applied to the average contours (Acs) of 271 Vitis cultivars from the Spanish collection at IMIDRA (Madrid, Spain), including 9 different Vitis species and several sylvestris seeds (i.e., those derived from plants that once grew in the wild). Acs are graphical representations of the shape in seed populations, which can be obtained either from image analysis programs or computationally opening the way to quantitative analysis. A geometric model is a geometrically defined, closed curve, used as a reference for shape quantification. Based on existing differences between the Hebén cultivar (collected in 2020 and 2024; Hebén model, for morphotype 1) and the European varieties Chenin and Gewurztraminer (Chenin model, for morphotype 2), we created two models. The comparisons were based on a J-index, resulting in four groups: Group 1 contained all seeds with values lower than 90 for both models and included all Vitis species other than V. vinifera and most sylvestris seeds; Groups 2 and 3 contained seeds with J-index values higher than 94 for the Hebén and Chenin models, respectively. Group 4 consisted of seeds not included in the other groups. Based on J-index values, differences in curvature and solidity, and PCA analysis with Fourier coefficients, this work defines two new morphotypes associated with the Hebén (Group 2) and Chenin (Group 3) models, related to Iberian and Western European varieties, respectively.

• Klíčová slova
• Vitis cultivars, grape diversity, morphometric geometry, shape analysis, solidity,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The seeds of many species in the order Caryophyllales exhibit surface protuberances called tubercles. While tubercle shape and distribution have often been proposed as taxonomic criteria, paradoxically, their description has primarily relied on adjectives, with quantitative data on tubercle width, height, and other measurements lacking in the literature. Recently, a quantitative analysis of seed surface tubercles based on tubercle width, height, and curvature values (maximum and average curvature, and maximum to average curvature ratio) was proposed and applied to individual populations of a total of 31 species, with 12 belonging to Silene subg. Behenantha and 19 to S. subg. Silene. Tubercles were classified into two categories: echinate and rugose. Echinate tubercles exhibited higher values of height and curvature, and lower width, and were more prevalent in species of S. subg. Behenantha, while the rugose type was more abundant in S. subg. Silene. This work explored infraspecific differences in tubercle size and shape. For this, measurements of tubercle width, height and curvature were applied to 31 populations of eight species of Silene. Significant differences between populations were observed for most of the species examined. A particular tubercle type, previously described as umbonate or mammillate, was identified in S. nocturna seeds, characterized by high curvature values.

• Klíčová slova
• curvature, mammillae, seed protuberances, surface geometry, tubercles,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

In the Caryophyllaceae, seed surfaces contain cell protrusions, of varying sizes and shapes, called tubercles. Tubercles have long been described in many species, but quantitative analyses with measurements of size and shape are lacking in the literature. Based on optical photography, the seeds of Silene were classified into four types: smooth, rugose, echinate and papillose. Seeds in each of these groups have characteristic geometrical properties: smooth seeds lack tubercles and have the highest values of circularity and solidity in their lateral views, while papillose seeds have the largest tubercles and lowest values of circularity and solidity both in lateral and dorsal views. Here, tubercle width, height and slope, maximum and mean curvature values and maximum to mean curvature ratio were obtained for representative seeds of a total of 31 species, 12 belonging to Silene subg. Behenantha and 19 to S. subg. Silene. The seeds of the rugose type had lower values of curvature. Additionally, lower values of curvature were found in species of S. subg. Silene in comparison with S. subg. Behenantha. The seeds of S. subg. Behenantha had higher values of tubercle height and slope and higher values of maximum and average curvature and maximum to mean curvature ratio.

• Klíčová slova
• Bézier curve, Caryophyllaceae, complexity, curvature, development, seed surface, tubercle,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The application of seed morphology to descriptive systematics requires methods for shape analysis and quantification. The complexity of lateral and dorsal views of seeds of Silene species is investigated here by the application of the Elliptic Fourier Transform (EFT) to representative seeds of four morphological types: smooth, rugose, echinate and papillose. The silhouettes of seed images in the lateral and dorsal views are converted to trigonometric functions, whose graphical representations reproduce them with different levels of accuracy depending on the number of harmonics. A general definition of seed shape in Silene species is obtained by equations based on 40 points and 20 harmonics, while the detailed representation of individual tubercles in each seed image requires between 100 and 200 points and 60-80 harmonics depending on their number and complexity. Smooth-type seeds are accurately represented with a low number of harmonics, while rugose, echinate and papillose seeds require a higher number. Fourier equations provide information about tubercle number and distribution and allow the analysis of curvature. Further estimation of curvature values in individual tubercles reveals differences between seeds, with higher values of curvature in S. latifolia, representative of echinate seeds, and lower in S. chlorifolia with rugose seeds.

• Klíčová slova
• Bézier curve, Elliptic Fourier Transform, complexity, curvature, development, models, morphology, seed, systematics,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH