A morphological and anatomical comparative Study of the Reproductive parts of the genus Veronica L. (Plantaginaceae) in northern Iraq

The present study aims Morphological characteristics studies (for flowers, fruits, and seeds) and anatomical characteristics (petiole fruit, fruits and seeds) of 6 species are: Veronica anagills-aquatica L., Veronica anagilloides L., Veronica arvensis L., Veronica cymbalaria bod., Veronica persica L. and Veronica polita Fries

Wild grow in northern Iraq and belonging to the genus Veronica L., which belongs to the Plantaginaceae family, which was formerly classified within the Scrophulariaceae family, The results of the morphology study of the flowers showed a distinct difference in the colors of the petiole were violate in V. anagills-aquatic and pink in V. anagilloides and blue in other species, while all species were similar to the Insertion of the stamens on the petals (Epipetalous), and the pistils on the receptacle. While there was a clear difference in the shape and dimensions of the fruits, the two-lobes were obcordate in species V. anagills - aquatica., V. anagilloides, V. arvensis and trilobed in the V. cymbalaria, V. Persica and tetralobed in V. polita. A variation in the types and shape of Indumentum also appeared, as was their number within the fruit ranged between 2-40 seeds and since their characteristics are constant and unchanged with the environment, so it is one of the most important taxonomic characteristics. The fruit holder has a variation in the thickness of the plant tissues and the way they are arranged, and the thickness of the fruit casing differs according to the species studied, and the thickness and shape of the transverse section in the seeds different from the studied species