Embryo and seedling morphology of some Trigonella L. species (Fabaceae) and their taxonomic importance

•Extraction of embryo and seedling morphological character of Trigonella taxa.•Numerical analysis to determine the interrelationship between taxa.•Determining the significance of these characters in the sectional classification of the genus.

The current study aims to evaluate the significance of embryo and seedling characters in the taxonomy of genus Trigonella L. Embryo and seedling morphology of 33 accessions of the genus belonging to 9 sections were examined using stereo-microscopy. Observation showed considerable variations among the studied taxa. The different types of embryos and seedlings were illustrated, compared and analyzed based on morphological characters such as cotyledons shape and colour, radicle shape and position, prophyl leaf shape and margin and their taxonomic importance were discussed. Our phenetic analysis partially supported the sectional classification of section Falcatulae and Foenum-graecum based on existing morphological data. However, section Callicerates seemed to be more closely related to section Cylindricae and not to section Verae, that is not consistent with the phylogenetic analysis and morphological features. Thus, we can say that embryo and seedlings characters are taxonomically important but cannot be used alone for sectional classification of Trigonella.