XVI International Botanical Congess
Taxonomic treatments based on the over 3,000 herbarium specimens of the genus Sesamum resulted 26 taxa including 7 subspecies. The 26 taxa divided into 8 seed morphotypes : 1) S. capense complex, 2) S. lepidotum complex, 3) S. triphyllum complex, 4) S. alatum complex, 5) S. prostratum complex, 6) S. angustfolium complex, 7) S. rigidum complex, and 8) Other wingless group. Seed morphology and seed microscrupturing pattern of seed surface reflect well the taxonomic relationships among species. Each complex also show very distinct capsule shapes. The commonly cultivated S. indicum shows close affinities to S. prostratum, S. latifolium, and S. radiatum based on the seed and capsule morphology. S. latifolium and S. radiatum were suggested as the wild progenitors of the cultivated S. indicum.