Abstract:
Scanning electron microscopy and paraffin sections were used to observe the surface micromorphology of
Sanicula plants from North America and East Asia (seven species distributed in the United States and eight species distributed in China). Combining previous research on the micromorphological characteristics of other groups from the Apiaceae family and molecular systematic evidence from recent years, the interspecies classification of the genus
Sanicula was studied. Results showed the genus
Sanicula to be a natural group, with the barb structure on the fruit surface beneficial for dispersal and distribution. Furthermore, the fruit micro-characteristics were useful for explaining the interspecific relationship of the genus. Based on the fruit micromorphological data, a key to the species within the genus
Sanicula was compiled.