Aconitum in Central Europe : from Linnean taxonomy to molecular markers

A role of the Linnaean taxonomy in the arising of historical-biogeographical hypotheses is envisioned. The first example concerns the presumed hybrid origin of an Eastern-Sudetic endemic Aconium plicatum subsp. sudeticum. It was described on the basis of a unique character set including glandular hairiness of the indumentum. A PCR-RAPD+ISSR fingerpriting confirmed the supposition based on the morphological analysis. The second example is dealt with the marginal populations. They are of special interest because of the ecological and population genetic phenomena, including genetic drift and subsequent schizoendemism (endemovicarism), a form of the peripatric speciation. Aconitum bucovinense occurs in two marginal, isolated populations in the Western Bieszczady Mts. (E Carpathians). They form a unique morphotype recognized by a taxonomic revision. A PCR-ISSR protocol was used to check a hypothesis on the genetic distinctness of the small, isolated populations. In the effect the lowering by 13% of genetic diversity in the marginal populations, in comparison to the core population, was noted. However, the genetic depauperation was accompanied by the existence of unique bands leading to the distinct genetic stocks in the marginal populations

Aconitum moldavicum Hacq. (Ranunculaceae) i jego mieszańce w Karpatach i przyległych obszarach

Herbarium and field studies on Aconitum moldavicum Hacq. in Poland, Ukraine Romania, and partially in Slovakia, were carried out. The species consists of two geographical races circumscribed in the rank of subspecies: subsp. hosteanum (Schur) Graebn. et P. Graebn. and subsp. moldavicum. The pattern of geographical distribution confirms Szafer’s (1930) hypothesis on the eastern Podolo-Volhynian glacial refugium, and the Western Carpathian refugium of the species. The common occurrence of the hybridogenous morphotypes A. m. subsp. hosteanum × subsp. moldavicum in the Małopolska Upland is elucidated by a migratory hypothesis. Other taxa distinguished are putative hybrids scattered across the Carpathians in the sympatric areas of their presumed parents. The key for determination of supraspecific taxa and their hybrids is provided

Chromosome numbers in Aconitum sect : cammarum (Ranuncu - laceae) from the Carpathians

Chromosome numbers for four species and two nothospecies of the sect. Cammarumser.Variegata,ser.Toxicum, and nothoser.Toxigatain the Carpathians amount to 2n=16, and in one case to 2n=32. For thenothospecies:A.× gayeri Starmühl. and A. × pawlowskii Mitka et Starmühl. chromosome numbers are given for the first time. According to the cytological evidence a new combination Aconitum degenii subsp. degenii var.intermedium (Zapał.) Mitka [=A. hebegynum non DC.] is proposed

A phenetic study on Aconitum ×hebegynum DC. (Ranunculaceae) in the Eastern Carpathians

The aim of the study was to re-evaluate the taxon limits of the putative hybrid A. ×hebegynum (A. degenii × A. variegatum). The nothospecies was described on the specimen originated from a region of the Swiss Alps. Its occurrence in the Eastern Carpathians is controversial since one of the putative parents A. variegatum is extremely rare there. A phenetic analysis using quantitative and qualitative floral and leaf morphology characters in 159 herbarium specimens (OTUs) of Aconitum sect. Aconitum ser. Variegata (A. variegatum), ser. Toxicum (A. degenii and A. lasiocarpum and putative hybrid A. ×gayeri) and nser. Toxigata (A. ×hebegynum) from the Eastern Carpathians was carried out. The analyses included Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), Monte Carlo permutation tests, and description statistics. This confirmed the intermediate position of the nothospecies in a morphospace delimited by the putative parents. One of the morphotypes showed introgression towards species of the ser. Toxicum. The other, relatively rare morphotype , was similar to that occurring in the Alps. The Helmet Index of the nothotaxon was exactly between the values found for the putative parents. The findings did not directly point to the existence of the genetic hybrid in the Eastern Carpathians; more molecular DNA and cytogenetic data are needed. They pointed to the existence of distinct morphotypes which, in the case of the rejection of the hypothesis of nothotaxon existence in the region, should be circumscribed in a low-rank taxon within A. degenii

Typification of Zapałowicz's names in Aconitum section Aconitum

Hugo Zapałowicz described and named 27 taxa in Aconitum sect. Aconitum. Their names are typified here. Two of them (Aconitum berdaui, Aconitum bucovinense) are deemed correct for currently accepted species of the Carpathians, 24 are reduced to synonymy under five taxa, and for one no original material has been located. The correct place and exact date of their publication, which differs from those usually assumed, have been ascertained by bibliographic verification and the study of archival documents

Guidelines for the assessing the threat to plant populations and their sites

The guidelines for the assessing the threat to plant populations and their sites at the regional level, based on the IUCN (2003) criteria, are proposed. To unify the description and to qualify information on vascular plant taxa, three forms are elaborated including site, population and species. Additionally, bryophytes and liverworts are taken into consideration, according to criteria by Hallingbäck et al. (1998)