Zbigniew Celka

Variability of stomata and 45S and 5S rDNAs loci characteristics in two species of Anthoxanthum genus: A. aristatum and A. odoratum (Poaceae)

Diploid Anthoxanthum odoratum and tetraploid A. aristatum were compared with respect to stomatal guard cell lengths, and stomatal density at adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the lamina. Further, the genome size of both species was determined by flow cytometry, and the number as well as the chromosomal distribution of 5S and 45S rDNAs were examined using FISH with ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probes. The average length of stomatal guard cells in A. odoratum was shown to be greater than that for A. aristatum, but the ranges overlapped. Moreover, reduction in stomatal frequency was found at higher ploidy levels.The genome size was 6.863 pg/2C DNA for A. aristatum and 13.252 pg/2C DNA for A. odoratum. A. aristatum has four sites of 5S rDNA in its root-tip meristematic cells, whereas A. odoratum has six. Both species have six sites of 45S rDNA. Chromosomal localization of the rDNA varied, which suggests that chromosome rearrangements took place during Anthoxanthum genome evolution.

Molecular studies did not support the distinctiveness of Malva alcea and M. excisa (Malvaceae) in Central and Eastern Europe

Relics of Malva alcea are found in Central and Western Europe. A similar taxon, M. excisa, is native to the eastern parts of Europe. According to selected sources, the geographical range boundary of the above taxa intersects Poland. Taxonomic research relying on key morphological features (the depth of corolla petal incisions and the type of hairs covering the stem) did not clearly validate the distinctness of those species.Genetic variation between Malva alcea and M. excisa was analyzed using ISSR and ISJ markers. The performed analysis did not reveal statistically significant differences at the level of genetic diversity between M. alcea and M. excisa populations. The obtained genetic identity values (I = 0.985) do not support the identification of eastern populations as a distinct biological species of M. excisa. The applied DNA markers did not reveal species-specific bands supporting molecular identification of those taxa. The obtained genetic identity values were verified by neighbor-joining grouping which showed that M. alcea and M. excisa did not form corresponding clusters, thus pointing to an absence of significant differences between the analyzed taxa. Differences between the above species were not revealed by an analysis of the sequences of chloroplast regions trnHpsbA and rpoC1, either.

Genetic relationships between some of Malva species as determined with ISSR and ISJ markers.

Genetic relationships between some of Malva species as determined with ISSR and ISJ markers Two categories of DNA markers were used to determine genetic relationships among eight Malva taxa. A maximum parsimony analysis validated the division of the genus Malva into the sections Bismalva and Malva. The species classified into those sections formed separate clusters. M. moschata was a distinctive species in the section Bismalva, as confirmed by previous genetic research based on ITS and cpDNA sequence analyses. The applied markers revealed a very high level of genetic identity between M. alcea and M. excisa and enabled molecular identification of M. alcea var. fastigiata. Speciesspecific markers were determined for the majority of the analyzed species, permitting their molecular identification. A specific marker supporting the differentiation of M. alcea and M. excisa was not found.

Botrychium simplex E. Hitchc. (Ophioglossaceae) – a new species for the native flora of Ukraine

Abstract The work presents the results of herbarium survey that resulted in finding Botrychium simplex E. Hitchc. – a new for the native Ukrainian flora species of the family Ophioglossaceae. A specimen of this taxon was found in the National Herbarium of Ukraine in the M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv (KW) among the specimens of Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw. originating from the surroundings of Kharkiv. Thus, this finding indicates the most south-eastern locality of B. simplex in Europe found so far.

Morphological characters of the seed coat in selected species of the genus Hypericum L. and their taxonomic value

Abstract Eight Hypericum species are native to Poland: H. elegans Stephan ex Willd., H. hirsutum L., H. humifusum L., H. maculatum Crantz, H. montanum L., H. perforatum L., H. pulchrum L., and H. tetrapterum Fr. Only seeds of H. elegans were investigated in detail in Poland before, so here we present results of qualitative and quantitative analyses of seed morphology of the other 7 species, based on characters like seed length, width, and shape, seed coat sculpture, shape of epidermal cells of the testa, and number of epidermal cells along the seed axis. The results show that seeds of the studied species are small, 0.56-1.15 mm long and 0.26-0.49 mm wide. In SEM images, seed coat sculpture is reticulate in 5 species, papillate in H. hirsutum, and cup-shaped in H. pulchrum. The differences are caused by the varied final development of the testa epidermis, which constitutes the outer layer of the seed coat. The mean number of epidermal cells along the seed axis ranges from 22 to 33. Results of cluster analysis, based on the agglomeration method and including also published data on seeds of H. elegans, show that the variation in the investigated characters of seeds is reflected in the taxonomic division of the genus into sections.

The Growth Pattern of Ophioglossoid Ferns: A Case Study of Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw.

Abstract The family Ophioglossaceae is one of the oldest fern lineages, characterized by a specific sporophyte structure where each leaf is divided into a fertile (sporophore) and a sterile (trophophore) segment. The aims of this study were to analyze: (1) the growth rate and duration for each developmental stage of the sporophyte of the protected fern Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw., (2) the correlation between sporophore and trophophore size, and (3) the effects of soil conditions and density of other herbaceous plants on the development and number of individuals of B. lunaria to suggest some possible methods for its protection. Field research was conducted in a threatened population of this species in alluvial ash forest (Astrantio-Fraxinetum Oberd. 1953) at the base of Dziewicza Góra, a wooded hill in western Poland. During leaf emergence, the first and longest stage of development, the leaf developed intensively. Subsequently, its subdivision into the sporophore and trophophore became apparent. Throughout the four subsequent stages of sporophyte development (initial maturation, final maturation, spore release and senescence), the sizes of the trophophore and sporophore were significantly correlated. Additionally, sporophore size was affected by abiotic factors, including the total N and organic C contents of the soil. In patches with a higher cover of the herb layer we observed a smaller number of individuals of B. lunaria, so active protection by control of competing plant species seems necessary to ensure the survival of this population. Our results may help to design an effective conservation strategy for this rare and threatened fern in Poland and elsewhere.

Morphological variability of the two altitude vicariants, Anthoxanthum odoratum L. s.s. and Anthoxanthum alpinum in the Babia Góra Massif (Western Carpathian Mountains – Żywiec Beskid, Poland)

Abstract Anthoxanthum odoratum, a species occurring below the upper forest limit on the Babia Góra Mountain, is replaced by Anthoxanthum alpinum in the subalpine and alpine belts. It is a typical example of altitudinal vicariance. The aim of the study was to determine the range of morphological variability within the populations of A. odoratum and A. alpinum along an altitudinal transect. Special attention was paid to specimens growing in the transition zone between both species. Plant material was collected from 11 localities and samples were examined with respect to 24 morphological traits of the panicle. Results were analysed with the use of multidimensional statistical methods. It was found that A. alpinum grows above the upper forest limit. Populations of this species have a relatively small range of variability of the studied traits. Samples originating from the contact zone, situated at the altitude of c. 1166 m above sea level, consist of individuals representing both species. In turn, samples collected below the upper forest limit represent A. odoratum and occasionally A. alpinum, and reveal considerable morphological differentiation.