Morphometry and Mineral Content in the Seeds and Soil of Two Species of Argemone L. (Papaveraceae) in the Central Part of the Chihuahuan Desert

The genus Argemone L. (Papaveraceae) is found widely distributed in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert (CD). Some species of this genus are of phytochemical or ethnobotanical interest. They are inedible plants considered as scrubs. To date they have not been broadly studied; thus, their ecology is, to our knowledge, unknown. The present work was centered around carrying out a morphometric analysis and the determination of minerals in the soil and seeds of the wild populations of Argemone at sites belonging to two ecoregions of the CD in Mexico. In April 2021 and April 2022, seeds of Argemone spp., and soil samples were collected at 10 sites of the CD. The seeds were selected under a randomized design, and weight, length, diameter, thickness, buoyancy, and mineral content were determined. The soil samples were obtained under the Mexican regulation NOM-021-RECNAT-2000, and determinations of mineral content, electrical conductivity, apparent density, and soluble anions were performed. The information obtained was grouped by variable, species, and place of precedence. The statistical tests consisted of an ANOVA, Tukey means tests considering p ≤ 0.05, and a Principal Components Analysis. Argemone pleiacantha exhibited differences in terms of weight (F = 54.79, p = 0.001), length (F = 90.83, p = 0.001), thickness (F = 104.89, p = 0.001), and diameter (F = 155.82, p = 0.001), and the differences in Argemone mexicana were in weight (F = 46.71, p = 0.001), thickness (F = 187.49, p = 0.001), length (F = 191.56, p = 0.001), and diameter (F = 215.83, p = 0.001). The evaluated seeds reached their maximal imbibition velocity at 24 h of evaluation. The content of the micro- and macro-nutrients analyzed in the seeds and soil suggest a tight relation with the morphometric characteristics of the seeds.