Studies on theStellaria longipes complex (Caryophyllaceae): Isozyme variability and the relationship betweenStellaria longipes andS. longifolia

Genetic variation within and the relationship betweenStellaria longipes Goldie andS. longifolia Muhl. were studied. Ten enzyme systems were assessed in eight natural populations ofS. longipes (25 loci) and three ofS. longifolia (20 loci) using starch and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Patterns of population differentiation corresponded to geographic distance. There was no evidence that polyploidS. longipes had greater electrophoretic variability than diploidS. longipes. The isozyme data confirmed extensive population differentiation in these species and, within that context, a relatively close relationship betweenS. longipes andS. longifolia. It was postulated that diploids of these two species might be the progenitors of tetraploidS. longipes.     

Chloroplast DNA inheritance in theStellaria longipes complex (Caryophyllaceae)

Inheritance of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was examined in F₁ progenies derived from three crosses and three corresponding reciprocal crosses betweenStellaria porsildii andS. longifolia. Chloroplast DNA restriction fragments were analyzed using methods of nonradioactive digoxigenin-11-dUTP labeling and chemiluminescent detection with Lumi-Phos 530. Distinct interspecific restriction fragment polymorphisms were identified and used to demonstrate the mode of cpDNA inheritance. Mode of cpDNA inheritance differed among crosses. Two crosses in whichS. porsildii, SP2920-21, was the maternal parent exhibited three different types of plastids, maternal, paternal and biparental, among the F₁ hybrids, suggesting a biparental cpDNA inheritance and plastid sorting-out inStellaria.     

Corresponding patterns of geographic variation among populations ofSilene latifolia (=S. alba =S. pratensis) (Caryophyllaceae)

Morphological and biochemical data were analysed from 30 greenhouse-grown populations of EuropeanSilene latifolia. Six separate character sets (flavones, seed, pollen, capsules, male and female flower morphology) were used in the analyses. There was broad-scale congruence between trends of geographic variation in most character sets, with the populations being assigned to western (or southern and western) and eastern clusters. The eastern and western clusters abut along a transition zone that runs roughly from Belgium to the northern Balkans; this zone represents a region of relatively rapid change and contains populations intermediate between the eastern and western clusters. Variation in flower morphology was weak and discordant with variation in the other character sets. The origin and maintenance of the variation pattern is discussed in terms of migrational history and hybrid zones.     

Analysis of the clinal variation pattern inSilene latifolia (Caryophyllaceae) pollen morphology

Reticulate and microechinate pollen forms withinSilene latifolia (S. alba, S. pratensis) were first described from N. America, where the species is an introduced weed. A previous study showed that the two forms also exist in Europe and intergrade along a zone roughly congruent with intergradation zones in seed morphology and flavone glycosylation genotypes. The present survey of pollen from herbarium specimens is more extensive and covers localities from nearly the whole of the species' native Eurasian and North African range. The first axis of a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of qualitative characterstate data for 11 pollen morphological characters shows a gradient between the two extreme exine types, reticulate and microechinate. When mapped, the co-ordinates of pollen samples on this axis indicate a broad zone of intergradation which coincides approximately with the somewhat sharper transition between low- and high-tubercle seeds in C. and N. Europe, but becomes diffuse in Italy and the Mediterranean region and diverges from the seed transition zone in SW. Asia and the Middle East. The biological significance of the pollen morphs is unknown; the variation pattern in pollen morphology, unlike that in seeds, is not consistently correlated with macroclimate.     

Morphometric variation in theAlonsoa meridionalis complex (Scrophulariaceae)

Morphological field studies of 27 populations of theA. meridionalis complex were conducted in Ecuador. It is possible to distinguish four different form series by the position of the stamens in relation to the style. This trait was congruent with the overall morphometric variation, shown by the results of a canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). The taxonomy of the species complex is discussed based upon the results of the CDA. The degree of outcrossing varied in different form series, from a comparatively high degree of selfing to predominantly outcrossing, as indicated by the variation within relative to among populations. This is probably due to the varying potentials for self-deposition owing to differences in the degree of herkogamy.     

C-bands and chiasma distribution inScilla amoena,S. ingridae,andS. mischtschenkoana (Hyacinthaceae)

An effect of C-band pattern and polymorphism on chiasma distribution in pollen meiosis was recently demonstrated inScilla siberica. A further meiotic banding study has been performed in the alliesS. amoena, S. ingridae, andS. mischtschenkoana in order to analyze the effect, if any, of their specific C-band patterns and cytochemically different heterochromatin types on recombination. No clear evidence for a preferential formation of chiasmata adjacent to homozygous intercalary heterochromatin and no consistent reduction of chiasma frequency near strongly heterozygous intercalary heterochromatin blocks, as observed inS. siberica, could be found. Terminal C-band heteromorphism is suspected to cause distal chiasma defaults. The results suggest once more that there is no uniform effect of heterochromatin on crossover distribution.     

Hybridization ofSaxifraga oppositifolia andS. biflora (Saxifragaceae) in a mixed alpine population

Saxifraga oppositifolia, S. biflora, and their hybridS. ×kochii were studied in a mixed population in the Swiss Alps. Qualitative morphological characters did not allow to clearly separate the hybridS. ×kochii from its parental species. All quantitative characters were intermediate inS. ×kochii, but the ranges of these characters overlapped with those ofS. oppositifolia andS. biflora. A hybrid index and canonical discriminant analysis allowed a clear separation of the three groups and strongly confirmed a priori grouping. Phenological observations showed that the three groups were not temporally separated within the investigated mixed population. Reciprocal hand pollinations betweenS. oppositifolia andS. biflora yielded higher seed set withS. oppositifolia than withS. biflora as maternal plant. Germination rate of seeds from these crossing experiments varied in the same way as seed yields, whereas germination rate was intermediate for seeds from naturally pollinatedS. ×kochii. Considering its ecological and reproductive properties,S. ×kochii has good prerequisites for evolving into a distinct species.     

On the taxonomic position ofSilene thebana (Caryophyllaceae)

Silene thebana Orph. exBoiss. is transferred as a subspecies toS. fabaria (L.)Sm., resulting in the new combinationS. fabaria (L.)Sm. subsp.thebana (Orph. exBoiss.)Melzh. The chromosome count of 2n = 24 is recorded for the first time for this taxon.Dedicated to Prof. DrK. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday, 16th October 1986.     

A new taxon in the genusMoehringia (Caryophyllaceae)

The new taxonMoehringia intricata subsp.giennensis, from the calcareous mountains of the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula is described. A comparative morphological study with regard to the most closely related taxa, contributes information of leaf anatomy, seed and pollen morphology, ecology and distribution.     

Giemsa karyotypes and their evolutionary significance inScilla bifolia,S. drunensis,andS. vindobonensis (Liliaceae)

Quantitatively evaluated C-banded and conventional karyograms are presented for the related speciesScilla bifolia subsp.danubialis Speta,S. drunensis (Speta)Speta, andS. vindobonensis Speta. On the basis of banding patterns and karyotype structureS. bifolia subsp.danubialis (2n = 18, 2×) andS. drunensis (2n = 36, 4×) are quite similar, whileS. vindobonensis (2n = 18, 2×) is entirely different. There is a moderate degree of karyotypic variation withinS. bifolia subsp.danubialis andS. drunensis. However, inS. vindobonensis karyotypes and banding patterns are almost completely stable over a geographical range of about 500 km. The present results confirm the recent taxonomic separation ofS. vindobonensis fromS. bifolia, and suggest a considerable phylogenetic distance between these two diploid species. The results are discussed with reference to the morphological characters of the species and their geographical distribution.Evolution ofScilla and Related Genera, II.Dedicated to Univ.-Prof. Dr.Elisabeth Tschermak-Woess on the occasion of her 60th birthday.     

DNA contents,giemsa banding,and systematics inScilla bifolia,S. drunensis,andS. vindobonensis (Liliaceae)

DNA contents have been determined cytophotometrically in the three Central European, relatedScilla speciesS. bifolia (2n = 18, 2 x, 1 C = 6.2 pg),S. drunensis (2n = 36, 4 x, 1 C = 12.8 pg), andS. vindobonensis (2n = 18, 2 x, 1 C = 9.4 pg). The tetraploid speciesS. drunensis contains twice as much DNA as the diploidS. bifolia. However, the diploid speciesS. vindobonensis differs in DNA content fromS. bifolia by a factor of about 1.5. This difference is largely due to euchromatic DNA, although the higher DNA content inS. vindobonensis is combined with higher heterochromatin content. The data indicate thatS. bifolia andS. drunensis on the one hand, andS. vindobonensis on the other hand are phyletically well separated. Previous taxonomic conclusions from morphology as well as C-banding are thus corroborated.Evolution ofScilla and Related Genera, V.     

Zwei neue Arten der GattungSaponaria (Caryophyllaceae) aus Afghanistan und Pakistan

Saponaria stenopetala sp.n. in Eastern Afghanistan is close toS. pachyphylla Rech. f. andS. subrosularis Rech. f.—The nearest allies ofS. makranica sp.n. from Western Pakistan and Southeastern Iran areS. kermanensis Bornm. andS. floribunda (Kar. & Kir.)Boiss.

Flora Iranicae praecursores 36–37. — Praecursores praecurrentes in Pl. Syst. Evol.139, 313–317 (1982).     

Morphological variation inLolium (Poaceae) as a measure of species relationships

Analysis of morphological and phenological data for determining the genetic variation within sevenLolium species led to the recognition of two groups within this genus. One group, containing the two inbreeding speciesL. temulentum andL. persicum, was clearly distinct from all other species. Strong morphological and phenological intergradation was found between both species. The cross-breeding species,L. perenne, L. rigidum, andL. multiflorum, formed another group. Little differentiation was found between these species, though they were distinct. Two inbreeding species,L. loliaceum andL. remotum, were clearly distinct from each other and the two groups.L. loliaceum had an isolated position and was most related toL. rigidum. L. remotum had an intermediate position between the cross-breeding and inbreeding species, and was almost equally distant from all three cross-breeding species.Genetic variation inLolium spp. I.     

Genetic variation and putative hybridization inSalix alba andS. fragilis (Salicaceae): Evidence from allozyme data

Genetic variability was estimated by enzyme electrophoresis in 239 Belgian clones from theSalix alba-S. fragilis complex. This morphological complex suggested a high frequency of hybrids. To test this hypothesis, the clones were pooled as a single co-adapted species complex and secondly as belonging to either species, i.e. beingS. alba-like orS. fragilis-like. The standard genetic variability measures showed higher values for the complex than for the separate species. However, the observed mean heterozygosity was lower in the putative hybrid complex than for each of the species separately. The fixation indices were more variable at the species level and indicated that mostS. fragilis locations appeared fixed forlap-1, whereas no fixation occured inS. alba locations. Averaged at the regional (i.e. catchment) level, this difference between the two species remained and values ranged from 0.457 to 0.617 inS. alba and were much higher, fixed homozygous or monomorph inS. fragilis. Hierarchical F-statistics revealed that most of the differentiation occured at the lower levels of localities and tributaries and that there was no further differentiation between catchments. Tributaries which are 10–25km in length were proposed as the most likely entities for further examination of putative hybridization and events of allelic fixations. By considering the two abovementioned approaches of data input, it could be suggested that most of the allozyme differentiation was between the species and less between the regions.     

Estimates of hierarchical variation in flower morphology in natural populations ofScleranthus annuus (Caryophyllaceae), an inbreeding annual

The variation in two sets of morphological characters of the flowers of the highly inbreedingScleranthus annuus (Caryophyllaceae) was assessed using 15–20 plants from each of 20 natural populations from the southernmost region of Sweden. The stamen fertility data set consisted of 10 characters describing the degree of fertility of the ten stamens/staminoids, while the sepal/gynoecium data set comprised 10 sepal characters, together with style and stigma length. Substantial variation was found in both the degree of development and the fertility of the stamens, the degree of variability in stamen fertility being related to stamen position within the flower. Considerable variation was found in the characters of the sepal and the gynoecium. Hierarchical analyses of variance indicated that 29% of the variation in total male reproductive effort was distributed among populations, 28% among plants within populations and 43% represented within-plant variation. The corresponding averages for the characters from the sepal/gynoecium data set are 26, 38, and 35%: a greater proportion of the total variance in female reproductive characters is accounted for by among individual variation than is the case with the male reproductive characters. Significance tests of Mahalanobis distances derived by canonical variate analyses indicated that all populations were significantly separated using the sepal/gynoecium data set, while only 50% of the pairwise comparisons on the basis of the stamen fertility data set were significant. Cluster analysis did not reveal any aggregation of the populations. The incongruence of the two data sets and their ability to discriminate between the populations is discussed.     

Species relationships within Diplotaxis (Brassicaceae) and the phylogenetic origin of D. muralis

Nineteen from the ca. 30 Diplotaxis species including all known haploid chromosome numbers have been analysed for isoelectric focusing patterns of Rubisco, allozymes and RAPDs. D. erucoides (n=7) was clearly separated from all other species as were D. harra and D. crassifolia (n=13 each). Taxa with n=8 had different IEF patterns, but allozyme data grouped D. siettiana, D. ibicensis and D. brevisiliqua together. Species with n=9 were characterised by different IEF patterns, and their position was neither resolved in the allozyme nor in the RAPD tree. Only the D. catholica accessions were strongly clustered together. D. viminea and D. siifolia (both n=10) were kept separate, whereas the n=11 taxa D. tenuifolia, D. cretacea and D. simplex grouped together. Data confirm D. viminea as maternal parent of the allotetraploid D. muralis, and D. tenuifolia as the likely parent.     

Morphological variation and population dynamics of Bosmina (E.) longicornis kessleri Uljanin (Crustacea: Anomopoda: Bosminidae) in the Bukovec Reservoir (S.E. Slovakia)

Bosmina (Eubosmina) longicornis kessleri and B. (Bosmina) longirostris are minor components among the crustacean zooplankton in the pelagial of Bukovec Reservoir. B. (E.) l. kessleri is a recent colonist in the Carpathian region and was first found in the Bukovec reservoir in 1986. The present study gives some information about the niche occupied by B. (E.) l. kessleri in the zooplankton community; the seasonal abundance of zooplankton and phenotypic variability (cyclomorphosis) of B. (E.) l. kessleri are also examined.