CONTENS - International Organization of Plant Biosystematists

Xth Symposium of the International Organization of 

Plant Biosystematists 

2 – 4 July 2008 

Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia 

CONTENS 

Oral presentations 2 

Phylogeography 2 

Biogeography 8 

Evolutionary processes in European mountain ranges 14 

Polyploidy 22 

Molecular approaches in plant evolution 33 

Ecological factors in plant evolution 38 

Evolutionary processes in extra-european mountains 42 

Role of apomixis in plant evolution 47 

Poster presentations 51 

1

PHYLOGEOGRAPHY 

O 01 

Phylogeography of arctic-alpine plants - recent advances 

Christian Brochmann 

National Centre for Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, PO 

Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway. email: christian.brochmann@nhm.uio.no 

Many individual species histories of arctic-alpine plants have now been inferred 

based on various nuclear and cytoplasmic markers. I will review some recent case 

studies which have brought new insights into various aspects of arctic-alpine 

phylogeography, for example by comparing different types of molecular markers and 

by merging molecular and fossil data. I will also provide an update of recent studies 

revealing long-distance dispersals and multiple regional colonizations in arctic-alpine 

plants, and present some recent advances in comparative arctic-alpine 

phylogeography on regional to circumpolar scales. Of particular importance in current 

arctic-alpine phylogeography will be to develop stronger links with the 

paleoecological community as well as with groups working on predictive species 

distribution modeling and GIS-based approaches to analyses of genetic data, and to 

develop new molecular tools based on the pyrosequencing technology. I will present 

results from some ongoing projects demonstrating the potential for coupling of 

genetic data with paleoecological data, for modeling of loss of genetic diversity 

following future climate warming, and for reconstructions of past species distributions 

based on DNA preserved in permafrost. 

2

O 02 

Comparative phylogeography of Afro-alpine plants inferred from 

AFLP and plastid DNA variation 

Magnus Popp 1 , Abel Gizaw 1, 2 , Biructawit Bekele 1, 2 , Dorothee Ehrich 1,3 , Adane 

Assefa 4 , Sileshi Nemomissa 2 , Mulugeta Kebede 2 , & Christian Brochmann 1 

1 National Centre for Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, PO 

Box1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway; 2 Department of Biology, Addis Ababa 

University, PO Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 

3 Department of Biology, 

Universitety of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway; 4 Department of Biology, P.O.Box: 

79, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; magnus.popp@nhm.uio.no, 

s.a.gizaw@nhm.uio.no, biructawit.bekele@nhm.uio.no, dorothee.ehrich@ib.uit.no, 

adaneas@yahoo.com, nemomssa@bio.aau.edu.et, kmulugetak@yahoo.com, 

christian.brochmann@nhm.uio.no 

Many studies have addressed the impact of the Pleistocene climate fluctuations on 

phylogeographic history and structuring of intraspecific diversity in the Northern 

hemisphere, but there are few such studies on African plants. The Afro-alpine region 

in Eastern Africa, consisting of isolated high mountains acting as biological ‘sky 

islands’, offers a particularly interesting system to address questions such as the 

relative importance of random long-distance dispersal versus gradual expansion via 

montane forest bridges during humid interglacials. We will present some results from 

a comparative study of the phylogeographic history of widespread plants from the 

Afro-alpine and Afro-montane zones in the high mountains of Eastern Africa. We use 

nucleotide sequences from several non-coding plastid DNA regions along with 

recently completed AFLP data sets for seven species without obvious mechanisms 

for long-distance dispersal: Cerastium afromontanum, Erica arborea, Haplosciadum 

abyssinicum, Hypericum revolutum, Lobelia giberroa, Nuxia congesta, and Salvia 

merjamie. The relationships inferred from the sequence data are largely congruent 

with the AFLP data. Our preliminary results indicate that whereas the genetic 

diversity in plants with an Afro-alpine distribution is geographically structured, the 

genetic groups discovered in Afro-montane plants are geographically more widely 

distributed. 

3

O 03 

Phylogeographical structure of alpine plants in the Carpathians: a 

comparative study 

Michał Ronikier 1 & Intrabiodiv Consortium 2 

1 Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, PL-31-512 Kraków, 

Poland; e-mail: michal.ronikier@ib-pan.krakow.pl; 2 www.intrabiodiv.eu 

The Carpathians belong to major mountain ranges forming the European alpine 

system and form a mountain arch extending over ca 400 km. With a comparable 

spatial extension but deviating in topography and glacial history, the Carpathians 

provide a different system than the European Alps for studying the Quaternary history 

of alpine plants. Alpine areas form here a discontinuous island system, separated by 

large forested and subalpine areas. Unlike the Alps, the Carpathians were not 

extensively glaciated during the Quaternary; glaciers developed only locally, while 

lower massifs remained ice-free. Only the highest Carpathian ridges, like the Tatra 

mountains (the highest massif, 2663 m a.s.l.), showed more extended glaciation. In 

contrast, while plant habitats in the Alps were mostly limited to marginal refugia, 

alpine areas were extended in the large ice-free and treeless Carpathian ranges, 

potentially enabling range extensions for high-mountain plants. In the present study, 

populations of 14 high-mountain species distributed in alpine habitats across the 

Carpathians were studied using AFLP markers to infer their genetic structure. 

Additionally, chloroplast DNA sequences were examined in part of species to test the 

phylogeographical groups detected. Most species were characterized by a significant 

phylogeographical structure in the Carpathians and several well-supported regional 

groups were detected. A main genetic break supported by results from most taxa 

separated Western and South-Eastern Carpathians, following the well-known 

phytogeographical boundary. Further genetic groups were found in the SE 

Carpathians, suggesting for several species a last glacial isolation in several regional 

refugia rather than population expansion potentially favoured by extension of ice-free 

and treeless areas. 

4

O 04 

Contrasting phylogeographies inferred for the two alpine sister 

species Cardamine resedifolia and C. alpina (Brassicaceae) 

Judita Lihová 1 , Tor Carlsen 2 , Christian Brochmann 2 & Karol Marhold 1 

1 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 14, SK-845 23 

Bratislava, Slovak Republic; judita.lihova@savba.sk 

2 National Centre for Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 

P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway 

Two sister species were studied using AFLPs to address the history of disjunctions in 

the European alpine system: Cardamine alpina (Alps, Pyrenees) and C. resedifolia 

(mountain ranges from Sierra Nevada to the Balkans). We explored differentiation 

among their disjunct populations as well as within the contiguous Alpine and 

Pyrenean ranges, and compare the phylogeographic histories. Samples of the 

closely related, predominantly arctic C. bellidifolia were also included in attempt to 

explore its origin and postglacial establishment. 

In the snow-bed species C. alpina we resolved two strongly divergent lineages, one 

Alpine and one Pyrenean, possibly representing cryptic species. While multiple 

glacial refugia were invoked in the Pyrenees, we inferred only a single one in the 

Maritime Alps - from which postglacial colonization of the entire Alps occurred, 

accompanied by a strong founder effect. In C. resedifolia the genetic structuring was 

rather weak and did not correspond to the main geographic disjunctions. Two 

widespread and largely sympatric main genetic groups were found, one of them 

subdivided into four geographically more restricted groups, with frequent secondary 

contacts among them. The conspicuously different histories of these two species are 

likely associated with their different ecologies. The more abundant habitats available 

for C. resedifolia may have increased its probability for gradual migration during 

colder periods and for successful establishment after long-distance dispersal, 

whereas C. alpina has been more restricted by its dependence on snow-beds. 

Surprisingly, the arctic C. bellidifolia formed a very divergent lineage with little 

variation, contradicting a scenario of recent, postglacial migration of this species from 

the Alps or Pyrenees. The origin of C. bellidifolia likely followed a more complex 

scenario, perhaps taking place in the Asian part of its distribution area. 

5

O 05 

Phylogeography on the Balkan Peninsula – examples from Veronica 

(Plantaginaceae) 

Katharina Bardy 1 , Peter Schönswetter 1 , Dirk C. Albach 2 & Manfred A. Fischer 1 

1 Department of Biogeography and Botanical Garden, Faculty Centre Botany, 

University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Wien, Austria; 

katharina.bardy@univie.ac.at, peter.schoenswetter@univie.ac.at, 

manfred.a.fischer@univie.ac.at 

2 Institute for Special Botany, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Bentzelweg 9, 

55099 Mainz, Germany, albach@uni-mainz.de 

The Balkan Peninsula is one of the hotspots of biodiversity in Europe; presumingly 

because of its role as a refugial area during the Pleistocene ice ages. Additionally, 

the Balkan Peninsula was a place for further diversification and formation of new 

species further enhancing its richness in endemic species. 

Up to now, our knowledge of the phylogeographic history of plant species of the 

Balkan Peninsula is predominantly based on the study of trees. However, most of its 

species richness is due to herbaceous perennials such as the genus Veronica. 

We focus on species from three different subgenera: subgenus Stenocarpon – 

growing in alpine habitats – subgenus Pseudolysimachion – occurring on grasslands 

– and subgenus Chamaedrys – mainly inhabiting forests. Using genome size 

estimation, AFLP fingerprints and cpDNA markers we address the following main 

questions: 1) Which taxa form well-defined taxonomic units? 2) Which 

phylogeographical patterns do these taxa exhibit on the Balkan Peninsula? 

6

O 06 

Molecular phylogeography of Rhodiola integrifolia (Crassulaceae): 

postglacial recolonization of western North America 

Heidi Guest 

University of Victoria, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 3020 Stn. CSC, Victoria, BC 

V8W 3N5, Canada, dessa@uvic.ca 

The cyclic contraction and expansion of available habitat during the Quaternary 

period has strongly influenced patterns of genetic variation in plant populations. 

Genetic diversity is expected to be high in glacial refugia - such as Beringia, and low 

in recently deglaciated areas. The arctic/alpine plant Rhodiola integrifolia is found at 

high latitudes from northwestern North America to northeastern Asia and extends 

southward along mountain ranges on both continents. To explore its genetic diversity 

I surveyed variation in the cpDNA psbA-trnH spacer region of 69 populations from 

western North America (including Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, Montana, 

Wyoming, Colorado and California). Digests with three restriction enzymes (ApoI, 

BstXI and MseI) revealed 12 haplotypes over this geographic region. Sequencing of 

the same cpDNA region in a subset of samples yielded 28 haplotypes. Of these, nine 

were found exclusively within Beringia and five exclusively south of the glacial 

maximum. Three haplotypes were found both within Beringia and in adjacent 

glaciated B.C., Alaska and Yukon, and five were wholly within glaciated southeast 

Alaska. Four haplotypes were widespread with disjunct distributions, occurring both 

north (within or bordering Beringia), and south of the glacial maximum. Two 

haplotypes were found within glaciated regions and may have persisted in coastal 

refugia. Populations of R. integrifolia in western North America appear to have 

persisted both north and south of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet during the most recent 

glaciation, and have subsequently recolonized western Canada primarily from the 

north since the last glacial maximum. 

7

BIOGEOGRAPHY 

O 07 

The importance of refugia for evolution and biogeography of alpine 

and arctic-alpine plants 

Andreas Tribsch 

Department of Organismic Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 

5020 Salzburg, Austria; andreas.tribsch@sbg.ac.at 

During severe climatic changes only populations of those organisms survive that are 

able to migrate to suitable habitats, to adapt to the new environment quickly or that 

live in environmentally stable regions. An area where living conditions are suitable 

and stable throughout climatic fluctuations are often termed refugium. Stability is 

usually a factor in areas less affected by natural climatic changes, like in 

mountainous areas, where altitudinal migrations of populations are easily possible. 

Several studies where published that deal with the relevance of refugia in Europe for 

explaining distribution and phylogeographic patterns and the paradigm that refugia 

where mainly situated in the main Mediterranean peninsulas was created. Recently 

this view has been changed, although strong support for Northern refugia far beyond 

these areas is still limited. In my presentation I would like to show the relevance of 

the European mountains and some areas in the Arctic as refugia by discussing 

published and own phylogeographic data on several alpine and arctic-alpine plants. 

Moreover I will explain that potential refugia, where organisms where potentially able 

to survive climatic changes should be discriminated from realized refugia that are 

supported by biological data. Knowing the location of such realized refugia hold a key 

for our understanding of many (intraspecific) phylogeographic pattern found, but does 

not explain the evolutionary significance wholly. The question, whether 

phylogeographic patterns are stable simply because of genetic drift and limitation of 

gene-flow or whether phylogroups did already diverge by adaptation to different 

habitats associated with refugial patterns as a first step towards speciation remain 

open so far and will be important for future research. 

8

O 08 

Phylogenetic and biogeographical studies of alpine species of 

Ranunculus in Eurasia 

Khatere Emadzade & Elvira Hörandl 

Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Vienna, Rennweg 

14, 1030 Vienna, Austria; emadzadekh@yahoo.com & elvira.hoerandl@univie.ac.at 

Ranunculus is the largest genus in Ranunculaceae. It comprises c. 600 species and 

is distributed worldwide in all continents. Morphological adaptations enable the genus 

to colonize a very broad spectrum of habitats, ranging from terrestrial to aquatic, 

arctic or alpine areas. The genus has a great diversity of species in the Eurasian 

mountains. Previous studies on European taxa (Hörandl & al., 2005; Paun & al., 

2005) suggested that European alpines have mostly an autochthonous origin, but the 

relationships to the species of the Asian mountains remained unclear. 

A molecular phylogeny based on DNA sequences of the nuclear ITS region and the 

plastid matK/trnK region has been worked out to establish the ecological and 

geographical clades in a worldwide framework. Biogeo-graphical analysis was 

implemented using the program Dispersal – Vicariance Analysis (DIVA). 

Biogeographical analyses of genus reveal a radiation within the ancient Tethyan 

area. Tethyan’s taxa originated in the meridional zone and migrated to temperat and 

boreal zones. The mountain species of the Mediterranean and western Irano- 

Turanian region (East to Hindu Kush) have the same origin but are not related to the 

species central Asian mountains (Altai, Himalaya, Tien-shan, Tibet). The central 

Asian high mountain species are related to arctic, northern European and North 

American species. This clade originated probably in North America and migrated via 

a northern route to Eurasia. This geographical differentiation within Eurasia might be 

due to different climates, but also to speciation and diversification of clades in 

different time periods. 

9

O 09 

Phylogeny and biogeography of selected plant groups from the 

Balkan Peninsula 

Božo Frajman 1 & Peter Schönswetter 2 

1 Biology Department, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI- 

1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. E-mail: bozo.frajman@bf.uni-lj.si 

2 Department of Biogeography and Botanical Garden, University of Vienna, Rennweg 

14, A-1030 Vienna, Austria. E-mail: peter.schoenswetter@univie.ac.at 

The Balkan Peninsula is renowned for its biodiversity and high levels of endemism 

both among animals and plants. Still, biota of some parts of the Balkans ranges 

among the least known in Europe. Studies using modern molecular approaches are 

largely lacking, with the exception of some recent phylogenetic and phylogeographic 

studies. 

One of the genera with several endemics described from the Balkans is Heliosperma 

(Sileneae, Caryophyllaceae). Phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies using 

chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences as well as AFLP data suggest complex 

reticulate patterns and molecular data do not support traditional taxonomic 

delimitations within the H. pusillum group. Chloroplast data suggest an old split within 

the group, which is geographically correlated. This is not supported by nuclear data, 

possibly due to hybridisation between the two groups. Molecular dating suggests a 

recent, most probably Pliocene/Pleistocene diversification within the group. On the 

contrary, H. macranthum from Montenegro/Albania/Kosovo, is likely of more ancient 

Tertiary origin. The general assumption that many Balkan endemics are Tertiary 

relics has thus to be taken with caution. 

Another plant group including several Balkan endemics is the Euphorbia barrelieri 

group. Phylogenetic studies using nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences reveal 

patterns different from traditional classifications. ITS data suggest that Euphorbia 

barrelieri from Italy is not most closely related to E. barrelieri from the Balkan 

Peninsula. Euphorbia nicaeensis and E. glareosa are nested within this group and E. 

herzegovina is most closely related to E. nicaeensis. Euphorbia kerneri and E. triflora 

are most closely related, whereas E. saxatilis from the Eastern Alps forms an 

independent lineage. Additional sampling is needed to corroborate these preliminary 

results. 

10

O 10 

Phytogeographical relationships of high-mountain flora in the 

Carpathians 

Zbigniew Mirek 1 , Gheorge Coldea 2 , Roman Letz 3 , Karol Marhold 3,4 , Halina Piękoś- 

Mirkowa 5 

1 Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, PL-31-512 Kraków, 

Poland; 2 Institute of Biological Research, Strada Republicii 48, RO-3400 Cluj- 

Napoca, Romania; 3 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská 

cesta 14, SK-845 23 Bratislava, Slovak Republic; 4 Department of Botany, Charles 

University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01 Praha 2, Czech Republic; 5 Institute of Nature 

Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Mickiewicza 33, PL-31-120 Kraków, 

Poland. 

Based on distribution of high mountain vascular plant species in the Carpathians 

most important phytogeographical phenomena are characterised and discussed 

relying on multi-varied numerical analyses. 

These include: 

‐ patterns of distribution discernible within high mountain flora of the 

Carpathians in relation to main phytogeographical elements, 

‐ endemism, with special concern to categories of endemic species, 

‐ division of the Carpathians into natural phytogeographical units and floristic 

entity of these units reflected in distinctiveness of high mountain flora, 

‐ evident floristic gap and conspicuous differences between western and southeastern 

Carpathians, 

‐ clear gaps between eastern and southern parts of the Carpathians with some 

other floristic discontinuities found among these two parts; apart of that 

gradual changes along the arch of the Carpathians from South to the North 

and from East to the West have been observed. 

Some general relationships with high mountain flora with Alps are drawn. 

11

O 11 

When phylogeography meets biogeography: Inter- and intraspecific 

differentiation and genetic diversity in alpine plants 

Conny Thiel-Egenter 1 , Felix Gugerli 

1 , Nadir Alvarez 2 , Thorsten Englisch 3 , Rolf 

Holderegger 1 & IntraBioDiv-Consortium 4 

1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, 

Switzerland; conny.thiel@wsl.ch, 2 Laboratoire de Botanique Evolutive Université de 

Neuchâtel 11, rue Emile-Argand CH-2007 Neuchâtel, Switzerland; 

nadir.alvarez@unine.ch, 3 Department of Biogeography, Institute of Botany, University 

of Vienna, Rennweg 14, A-1030 Vienna, Austria; thorsten.englisch@univie.ac.at & 

4 www.intrabiodiv.eu/IMG/pdf/IntraBioDiv_Consortium_v10.pdf 

There is a long history of studying the flora in the European Alps and its 

biogeography. Since the early 19 th century, scientists have attempted to localize 

floristically similar regions and its delimitations. Here, we propose a new approach to 

geographically identify biogeographic breaks. We use an exhaustive dataset of the 

distribution of alpine plant species, compiled within the project IntraBioDiv. Data on 

species occurrences refer to a regular spatial grid across the whole range of the Alps. 

On the same grid, we assessed the genetic structure of several widely distributed 

alpine plant species to identify common phylogeographic breaks. We found that 

biogeographic and phylogeographic breaks were largely congruent, indicating that 

historical processes acted at both the genetic and the species level in the same 

direction. We further assessed genetic diversity of these plant species in the Alps and 

the Carpathians to test the influence of various species traits, elevation and 

phylogeographic history on genetic diversity. Species dispersed and pollinated by 

wind showed higher genetic diversity than species with self or insect pollination and 

animal or gravity dispersal. Genetic diversity was generally lower in the Carpathians 

than in the Alps, due to higher topographical isolation of alpine habitats in the 

Carpathians and this mountain massif’s divergent phylogeographic history. Elevation 

did not influence genetic diversity, challenging the long-held view of decreasing 

genetic diversity with increasing elevation in mountain plants. 

12

O 12 

Did vascular plants and bryophytes survive the last glaciation in 

Scandinavia? 

Kristine Bakke Westergaard 1,2 , Magnus Popp 2 , Kjell Ivar Flatberg 3 , Inger Greve 

Alsos 4 , Torstein Engelskjøn 1 & Christian Brochmann 2 

1 Tromsø University Museum, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway, 

2 Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, N-0318 Oslo, 

Norway 

3 Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, Norwegian University of Science and 

Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway 4 The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. 

Box 156, N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; kristine.westergaard@tmu.uit.no, 

magnus.popp@nhm.uio.no, kjell.flatberg@vm.ntnu.no, ingera@unis.no, 

torstein.engelskjon@tmu.uit.no, christian.brochmann@nhm.uio.no 

Glacial survival vs. postglacial immigration of the Scandinavian alpine flora has been 

debated for more than 100 years, and has recently received increased attention with 

the development of molecular tools. Several vascular plant species occur disjunctly 

on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, but are lacking from areas east- and 

westwards. A subset also absent in the Alps, the so-called ‘west-arctic’ species, has 

been considered to provide the strongest evidence for local survival in Scandinavia at 

least through the last glaciation. Bryophytes have never attained weight in this 

discussion, even though many of them are exceptionally hardy and therefore more 

likely as in situ survivors. Using AFLPs, cpDNA markers and low-copy nuclear gene 

data, we carry out a comparative phylogeographic analysis of some of these species 

to test whether the Scandinavian populations originate from recent (postglacial) 

cross-oceanic dispersal from the west, and/or whether they descend from long-term 

glacial in situ survivors. This talk will focus on the results from studies on three highly 

disjunct species. First, AFLP and cpDNA data from the arctic Saxifraga rivularis s.l. 

represents the first case study contributing extensive molecular data to investigate 

the extreme biogeographical disjunction between the amphi-Beringian and the 

amphi-Atlantic areas. Second, cpDNA data from the ‘west-arctic’ Arenaria humifusa 

reveals little variation in the amphi-Atlantic area. Third, preliminary cpDNA data from 

the most extreme ‘west-arctic’ and dioecious Carex scirpoidea will be presented. 

13

EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES IN EUROPEAN MOUNTAIN 

RANGES 

O 13 

Primula sect. Aleuritia: a paradigm of hybrid speciation via 

secondary contact 

Elena Conti 

University of Zurich, Institute for Systematic Botany, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zuerich, 

8008, ContiElena@access.unizh.ch 

Hybridization, often followed by polyploidization, represents one of the most 

important modes of speciation in plants, especially in arctic/alpine systems, probably 

because the repeated habitat fragmentation caused by advancing and retreating 

glaciers during the Pleistocene created many opportunities for secondary contact 

between partially differentiated populations. Primula, a circumboreal genus with high 

species diversity and variation of ploidy levels and breeding systems, is an ideal 

group to study the effects of climate change on species distribution, reproductive 

biology, and speciation modes at different evolutionary scales. Detailed phylogenetic 

analyses of Primula, sect. Aleuritia revealed that switches to polyploidy and 

homostyly co-occurred in the group, possibly as a result of recombination at the 

heterostyly linkage group caused by genomic rearrangements associated with 

polyploidization. The higher success of the autogamous polyploid species of sect. 

Aleuritia at recolonising habitats freed by glacial retreat might be explained in terms 

of selection for reproductive assurance. Analyses of DNA sequences from the 

chloroplast and nuclear genomes, in combination with chromosome in situ 

hybridization studies, revealed that the amphi-Beringian tetraploid P. egaliksensis 

evolved via inter-sectional hybridization from a North American maternal parent and 

an Asian paternal parent and that most ITS sequences of the tetraploid hybrid were 

homogenized towards the paternal repeat. 

14

O 14 

Gentianella (Gentianaceae): A model taxon for evolution in the 

European mountains 

Josef Greimler 

Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Faculty Center Botany, University of Vienna, A- 

1030 Vienna, Rennweg 14, Austria 

Members of the large genus Gentianella occur on every continent. Taxa of the 

fimbriate section Gentianella are distributed in the northern latitudes and mountain 

ranges of North America and Eurasia. The European taxa occur in various 

grasslands and open forests throughout the continent and provide a good model 

group for investigating processes of evolution and speciation. The highest diversity 

within this group is found in the Alps and their periphery. Most of these ca. 20 

European taxa are highly variable due to ecological polymorphism among 

populations in different habitats, due to seasonal dimorphism within and among 

populations, and probably due to high plasticity at populational and individual levels. 

Shifts in resource allocation from the vegetative to the reproductive part and seed 

size variation might indicate adaptations to the mountain habitats. Investigations from 

reproductive biology, common garden experiments, morphology, nrDNA, cpDNA, and 

AFLP reveal a variety of evolutionary trends and various processes that can lead to 

incipient speciation. In contrast to morphology, genetic data show clear differentiation 

into two cryptic species within one widespread taxon. These allopatric cryptic or 

sibling species appear to have been separated by Pleistocene climatic oscillations. 

The glacial oscillations are obviously responsible for weakly differentiated peripatric 

narrow endemic variants in the Southern Alps. Reticulate patterns among taxa seem 

to be common and have been investigated in the Northeastern Alps. Seasonal 

dimorphism resulting from more recent historical human impact may lead to 

sympatric speciation. 

15

O 15 

Evolving towards the tops: phylogeny and evolution of the 

European endemic Phyteuma (Campanulaceae) 

Gerald M. Schneeweiss 1 , Michael Barfuss 2 , Mike Thiv 3 

1 Department of Biogeography and Botanical Garden, University of Vienna, Rennweg 

14, A-103 Vienna 

2 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Vienna, Rennweg 

14, A-103 Vienna 

3 Department of Botany, Federal Natural History Museum Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, D- 

70191 Stuttgart 

Phyteuma comprises c. 20 species endemic to Europe and is morphologically 

characterized by its peculiar flower morphology with long and narrow corolla lobes 

remaining attached distally and separating only late in anthesis. Phyteuma species 

occur in different habitats, ranging from lowland woodlands via mid-elevation rock 

crevices to alpine grasslands and subnival tundra, rendering it a good model system 

to investigate habitat evolution in a comprehensive phylogenetic context. To this end, 

we established a sound hypothesis on the relationships among all Phyteuma species 

based on phylogenetic analysis of 4.3 kb sequence data from the plastid (trnL-intron 

and trnL-trnF spacer, trnK-intron including the matK gene) and the nuclear genome 

(ITS). Phyteuma is a well supported monophyletic group and is sister to the SE 

Alpine endemic Physoplexis. Within Phyteuma, two clades are found, largely 

corresponding to previously recognized sections, which were delimited by the 

distribution of different inflorescence types (spikes vs. capitulae). The majority of 

currently recognized species are confirmed as separate lineages, while in others, 

most notably Ph. globulariifolium and Ph. scheuchzeri, current taxonomy does not 

adequately reflect lineage diversity. Using this phylogenetic framework, habitat 

evolution is analyzed under the assumptions that habitat evolution correlates either 

with the amount of molecular evolution (phylogram branch lengths) or with time 

(branch length of an ultrametric tree). Although the morphologically more primitive 

taxa occur in woodlands, there is no evidence that this habitat was the ancestral one 

for the genus, but rather the ancestor of Phyteuma was a chasmophyte, 

alpine/subnival habitats being clearly derived. 

16

O 16 

Crocus - Evolution and domestication 

Marian Ørgaard & Niels Jacobsen 

Department of Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 

Rolighedsvej 21, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C (Copenhagen), Denmark 

Crocus belongs to the family Iridaceae and includes more than 80 species. The 

genus is mainly found in the northern Mediterranean region, especially towards the 

Middle East. Crocus exhibits a large inter- and intraspecific variation regarding 

morphology, cytogenetics and molecular composition. The chromosome numbers 

vary from 2n = 6 to 2n = 64 and this variation is also to be found intraspecifically, e.g. 

at the subspecies and even population level. Crocus vernus s.l. has a wide 

distribution from Spain to easternmost Europe with reported chromosome numbers 

varying from 2n = 8 to more than 20. Crocus biflorus s.l. represents the one species 

with the most variation encountered. Chromosome numbers range from 2n = 8 to 28 

and vary at the subspecies and population level. These cyto-/ecotypes are often 

confined geographically to mountain peaks and ranges. Natural hybridization 

between populations and species occurs and give rise to new genotypes and 

eventually new species. Variation in chromosome numbers can be explained by the 

“Triploid Pathway”. Expression of diversity can be speeded up when plants from 

different geographical areas are taken into cultivation and allowed to hybridize 

through open pollination. This has resulted in more than 200 Crocus cultivars 

altogether. 

The diversity is registered in morphological appearance, DNA polymorphism (e.g. 

results from RFLP, AFLP, in situ hybridization, DNA sequencing), chromosome 

number and crossability. 

17

O 17 

Refuges within refuges: evolutionary complex patterns in southern 

Spanish mountain ranges 

Gonzalo Nieto Feliner 

Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain 

The phylogeographic literature is filled with interpretations of current genetic patterns 

based on the contraction/expansion model forced by the climatic oscillations during 

the last two million years. But of the wealth of scientific studies accumulated along 

the last two decades, particularly in Europe, we only understand reasonably well 

those referred to higher latitudes. This is because evolutionary histories in those 

latitudes resemble a model in which in each climatic cycle most traces from the 

previous one are erased. In southern European ranges (or in general, in those places 

where ice effects were less severe) the situation is fairly different and to some extent 

opposite. These regions are referred to as refuges due to the long-time recognised 

fact that they contain more genetic diversity than elsewhere. But this is due not only 

to an accumulation of genotypes from other places escaping from extinction but to a 

number of processes that operated on them, including the mixing of different 

genotypes. Additional sources of complexity come from the predominance of 

mountain ranges in the southern European landscape – adding an altitudinal 

migration component to the latitudinal one imposed by climatic changes – and the 

patchy nature of landscape. The overall consequences are that there is no general 

phylogeographic pattern in these regions and that just speaking of refuges to refer to 

southern regions is an oversimplification. These ideas will be illustrated with data 

generated in the last years from various plant groups, which allow, at most, the 

identification of the processes involved but not the recognition of a single 

phylogeographic pattern for the so-called southern refuges. 

18

O 18 

Is hybridization between Pinus sylvestris and P. uncinata expressed 

in morphological traits? 

Anna K. Jasińska & Witold Wachowiak 

Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, 

Poland; jasiak9@wp.pl, witoldw@man.poznan.pl 

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and P. uncinata DC. are closely related species and 

they often create mixed forest stand. The aim of this study was to investigate the 

natural hybridisation of these pine species and answer the question if hybrids can be 

recognized using morphological and anatomical traits? Two year-old needles were 

collected from individuals from mixed and isolated populations from the Perenees in 

Spain and Andorra and from the Central Massive in France. Morpholological and 

anatomical analyses show that P. uncinata differs at statistically significant level from 

P. sylvestris in a few traits, mostly by the number of the resin canals, shape of 

epiddermis cell and the vascular bundles distance. Hybrids origin of several 

individuals was confirmed with the application of the species specific cpDNA 

markers. The influence of hybridisation for morphological and anatomical traits is 

discussed. 

19

O 19 

Species-genetic diversity correlation in the European alpine 

grasslands dominated by Carex curvula 

Mihai Puşcaş 1,3 , Pierre Taberlet 1 , Philippe Choler 1,2 

1 Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS-UJF 5553, Université J. Fourier, 

Grenoble I, BP53, 38041 Grenoble, France 

2 Station Alpine J. Fourier, UMS CNRS-UJF 2925, Université J. Fourier, Grenoble I, 

BP53, 38041 Grenoble, France 

3 

A. Borza Botanical Garden, Babeş-Bolyai University, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, 

Romania 

mihai.puscas@e.ujf-grenoble.fr, pierre.taberlet@ujf-grenoble.fr, philippe.choler@ujfgrenoble.fr 

The distributional range of alpine plants experienced dramatic changes during the 

Quaternary ice ages. These changes offer many opportunities for studying the impact 

of habitat contraction and fragmentation on both species and genetic diversity. Here, 

we examined the AFLP-based genetic diversity in the sedge Carex curvula All. in 

relation to the species diversity of siliceous European alpine grasslands in which the 

sedge is dominant. We found no relationship or even a negative relationship between 

genetic and species diversity indices. Local species richness was associated with the 

regional pool size of siliceous alpine species, which was itself dependent on the 

extant area of suitable habitats for these species. Genetic diversity of C. curvula was 

primarily shaped by the presumed location of glacial refugia and the routes of postglacial 

colonization. We conclude that the two levels of diversity are not positively 

correlated because genotypes and species do not respond similarly to the spatial 

dynamics of suitable habitats induced by Quaternary temperature changes. 

20

O 20 

Evolutionary studies in a group of high mountain Artemisia 

(Asteraceae, Anthemideae): molecular cytogenetic, phylogenetic 

and genome size data 

Sònia Garcia 1 , Teresa Garnatje 1 , Oriane Hidalgo 1 , Jaume Pellicer 2 , Sonja Siljak- 

Yakovlev 3 , Joan Vallès 2 

1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s/n, 08038 

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; sphaeromeria@gmail.com, tgarnatje@ibb.csic.es, 

orianehidalgo@ibb.csic.es 2 Laboratori de Botànica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat 

de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; 

jaumepellicer@ub.edu, joanvalles@ub.edu 3 Écologie, Systématique, Évolution, UMR 

CNRS 8079, Université Paris-Sud, bâtiment 360, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France; 

sonia.yakovlev@u-psud.fr 

The genus Artemisia encompasses some European and west Asian orophytic taxa, 

mostly belonging to the subgenus Absinthium, which can be called the Artemisia 

umbelliformis complex. This dysploid-polyploid group is distributed from Sierra 

Nevada to Central Asian mountains, through the Pyrenees, the Alps and the 

Caucasus. Some taxa of the group have been largely studied from several 

viewpoints, including cytogenetic and biogeographic, but a study involving the whole 

complex is lacking and several critical questions regarding its origin and the 

relationships between its members still remain unclear. In the framework of our 

researches on genome organization and evolution in Artemisia and related genera, 

we are presenting the results on a dozen taxa (orophytic and their close relatives), 

including a molecular phylogenetic reconstruction, chromosome counts, fluorochrome 

banding, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and genome size assessment. On 

the light of the data obtained, hypotheses are discussed on the origin of the dysploidy 

(appeared several times in the genus) and of polyploid species (through independent 

or recurrent events involving the extant diploid taxa and/or some extinct diploid 

precursors). Genome size differences have been detected between disjunct 

populations of the same species, suggesting ongoing diversification processes linked 

to geographical isolation. 

21

POLYPLOIDY 

O 21 

Polyploidy and angiosperm diversification 

Douglas E. Soltis 

Department of Botany, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA 

The importance of polyploidy as a major force in angiosperm evolution has long been 

recognized. Recent genomic studies have provided important new insights into 

polyploid evolution in the flowering plants. The question is no longer “what proportion 

of angiosperms are polyploid”, but “how many episodes of polyploidy characterize 

any given lineage.” Through the interplay of genomic and phylogenetic approaches, 

we are on the verge of determining the frequency of ancient polyploidy events 

throughout angiosperm history. A series of investigations suggest that ancient 

polyploidy may be ubiquitous among angiosperms; these studies also reveal a 

number of ancient genome doubling events in the flowering plants. These ancient 

events include genome duplication in basal angiosperm lineages, as well as a 

proposed paleohexaploid event that may have occurred close to the origin of the 

eudicot clade. Interestingly, however, there is so far no evidence of ancient polyploidy 

in Amborella, the sister to all other living angiosperms. A major challenge that 

biologists now face is to reconstruct the ancestral genomes of lineages prior to 

genome duplication. Using new algorithms, it may be possible to reconstruct the 

ancestral eudicot genome or even the ancestral angiosperm genome. A major 

question has long been, does polyploidy promote species richness? Comparisons of 

species diversification rates suggest that ancient polyploidy has indeed resulted in a 

dramatic increase in species richness in several angiosperm lineages, including 

Poaceae, Solanaceae, Fabaceae, and Brassicaceae. However, additional genomic 

studies are needed to pinpoint the exact phylogenetic placement of the ancient 

polyploidy events within these lineages. 

22

O 22 

Polyploid evolution and ecological differentiation in Senecio 

carniolicus (Asteraceae) 

Peter Schönswetter 

Department of Biogeography and Botanical Garden, University of Vienna, Rennweg 

14, A-1030 Vienna, Austria; peter.schoenswetter@univie.ac.at 

Senecio carniolicus (Asteraceae), a frequent element of acidophilic alpine meadows 

of the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians, was previously believed to be uniformly 

hexaploid. A recent study, however, revealed the existence of three main cytotypes 

(diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid cytotypes) within the distribution area of S. 

carniolicus in the Eastern Alps, but also frequent cytotype-mixture within populations. 

Another study, focussing on an altitudinal gradient on a mountain slope where di- and 

hexaploids are known to co-occur, suggested a narrow altitudinal range of the 

hexaploid cytotype in the low-alpine belt and a much wider range of the diploid one, 

spanning both low-alpine and high alpine zones. 

In my presentation I will summarise published results and present a new project 

exploring origin and maintenance of intrapopulational cytotype mixture in S. 

carniolicus following two complementary research avenues. First, origin and 

evolutionary relationships among different cytotypes will be investigated in both 

space and time using a phylogenetic and phylogeographic approach based on DNA 

sequence and AFLP fingerprint data, supplemented by molecular cytogenetic and 

genome size data. The following aspects will be addressed: (1) Origin of polyploids 

and cytotype mixture, (2) phylogeographic patterns within and across cytotypes, (3) 

chromosomal re-organisation accompanying polyploidisation. 

Second, mechanisms for maintenance of the cytotype mixture will be explored with 

respect to the potential role of several pre- and postzygotic isolation mechanisms. 

Microsite analysis (analysis of surrounding vegetation), phenological observations 

with reciprocal transplantations, cross-pollination and germination experiments will be 

employed to address the following aspects: (4) habitat segregation and ecological 

displacement, (5) flowering time differences and flowering time displacement, and (6) 

postzygotic isolation mechanisms. 

23

O 23 

Biosystematic study of the Pilosella alpicola group (Asteraceae, 

Lactuceae) – from taxonomy to adaptive evolution 

Barbora Šingliarová 1 & Patrik Mráz 2 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic, barbora.singliarova@savba.sk & 

2 Département de 

Biologie, Unité d`Ecologie & Evolution, Université de Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg, 

Switzerland, patrik.mraz@unifr.ch 

The Pilosella alpicola group displays a polydisjunctive distributional pattern across 

high European ranges (Alps, Carpathians, Balkan mountains). Six subspecies have 

been traditionally recognized within the group. Present morphometric study including 

populations from the whole range revealed four morphologically well-separated 

allopatric taxa. Significant taxon-specific ploidy level variation was detected. While P. 

ullepitschii and P. glandulifolia are exclusively diploid taxa, P. rhodopea and P. 

alpicola s.str. possess four and three different cytotypes respectively, in ploidy-mixed 

populations. Allozymic variation reflects reproduction mode of the particular ploidy 

level. Although diploid sexually reproducing plants display much higher genetic 

variation (e.g. proportion of different multilocus genotypes) than polyploids 

reproducing mostly apomictically, the latter ones often harbour the alleles which are 

rare or missing in corresponding diploid cytotype. Thus, the polyploids might serve as 

a stock of alleles fixed by apomictic reproduction. Absolute DNA content downsizing 

found in the diploid cytotype is significantly correlated with decreasing precipitation 

during growing season. Cline variation was observed in some physiological traits 

relating to water-use efficiency such as specific leaf area, percentage of leaf carbon 

and ∆ 13 C. Interestingly, the morphological characters discriminating particular taxa 

and considered as important phenotypic traits involved in evapotranspiration, such as 

density and colour of indumentum, show similar pattern. Clothing and stellate 

trichomes are more dense and brighter in taxa growing in southern ranges with lower 

precipitation during vegetation season. Our findings can be explained by adaptive 

speciation operating in allopatry among closely related taxa. 

24

O 24 

Species delimitation in a complex polyploid group - Papaver section 

Meconella 

Heidi Solstad, Christian Brochmann & Reidar Elven 

National Centre for Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. 

Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway, heidi.solstad@nhm.uio.no 

The arctic and alpine poppies – Papaver section Meconella – constitute a 

widespread mainly polyploid group of about 70-80 species. The group is notorious for 

its taxonomic problems. Several attempts have not resulted in any consensus as to 

number of species or their relationships. The treatments currently applied in different 

regions are largely incompatible. We investigated phylogenetic relationships and 

species delimitation using DNA sequences of plastid regions, ITS and a low copy 

nuclear region (RPA2), AFLPs, morphological analysis, and ploidy variation by flow 

cytometry and chromosome counts. The phylogenetic relationships within section 

Meconella remain, however, still largely unresolved, probably due to very recent 

evolution and extensive reticulation by hybridization and polyploidization. AFLP 

analysis of a subset of the section identified 30-40 more or less distinct entities, 

supported by morphological and ploidy consistency as corresponding to species or 

subspecies, but only partly reflecting current taxonomic solutions. Some of the 

conclusions are that recognition of three North European species (P. radicatum, P. 

lapponicum and P. dahlianum s.str.) is supported, that the two former have unclear 

links to other species, and that P. dahlianum s.l. is closely related to a Beringian 

species. The AFLP data indicate high species diversity in northeastern Asia and 

northwestern North America, in America distinctly higher than the number of currently 

recognized and named species. 

25

O 25 

Recurrent allopolyploidization in Brassicaceae 

Kentaro Shimizu 1 , Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi 1,2 , Hiroshi Kudoh 2 , Judita Lihová 3 & Karol 

Marhold 3,4 

1 Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008, 

Switzerland; shimizu@botinst.uzh.ch, inatsugi@botinst.uzh.ch, 

2 Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano, Ohtsu, Shiga, 520-2113, 

Japan, kudoh@kobe-u.ac.jp 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; judita.lihova@savba.sk, karol.marhold@savba.sk & 

4 Department of Botany, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01 Praha 2, Czech 

Republic 

Although polyploidy is widespread, parental species are not known in most of the 

cases. Chloroplast and ITS sequences may be incongruent or have inadequate 

information. However, the sequencing of nuclear single genes is not a trivial task. 

Cloning procedures may be used to separate the mixtures of homoeologue 

sequences, but the number of clones containing artificial recombinants can be quite 

high (0-89%) and thus much effort is needed to distinguish true sequences from 

artificial recombinants. We developed a rapid method to design homeolog-specific 

primers. First, the mixture of homoeologues is amplified using universal primers, and 

the promoter region was directly sequenced. A short readable portion is often 

followed by a portion with overlaid peaks, which was presumably caused by smallscale 

insertion/deletion differences between the homoeologues. The primers 

embracing the detected insertion/deletion difference would, in this case, be 

homoeologue-specific ones. 

Cardamine is one of the largest genera in Brassicaceae with >200 species. We found 

that allopolyploidy occurred repeatedly and explored new niche. Evolutionary and 

ecological significance of the polyploidy will be discussed. We will also discuss about 

polyploid taxa of Arabidopsis living in mountainous and alpine habitats. 

References 

Shimizu, K.K., Fujii, S., Marhold, K., Watanabe, K., Kudoh, H. (2005). Arabidopsis 

kamchatica (Fisch. ex DC.) K. Shimizu & Kudoh and A. kamchatica subsp. 

kawasakiana (Makino) K. Shimizu & Kudoh, new combinations. Acta Phytotax. 

Geobot. 56: 165-174. 

Lihova, J., Shimizu, K. K., Marhold, K. (2006). Allopolyploid origin of Cardamine 

asarifolia (Brassicaceae): Incongruence between plastid and nuclear ribosomal DNA 

sequences solved by a single-copy nuclear gene. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 39: 759- 

786. 

26

O 26 

Phylogeography and polyploid evolution in the white-rayed 

complex of Melampodium (Asteraceae) 

Carolin Rebernig 1 , Hanna Schneeweiss 1 , Renate Obermayer 1 , Cordula Blöch 1 , José 

Villaseñor 2 & Tod Stuessy 1 . 

1 Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Vienna, Austria; 

Herbario Nacional, Universidad Nacional Autónoma, Mexico, D.F. 

The genus Melampodium (Asteraceae, Heliantheae) consists of 39 species 

distributed mainly throughout Mexico and Central America. Most species have 

flowering heads with yellow rays, except for three shrubby, xerophytic taxa in the 

southwestern U.S.A. and adjacent Mexico, M. argophyllum, M. cinereum and M. 

leucanthum, which are clearly separated by morphological, distributional, and 

ecological features. Molecular populational studies both with AFLPs (six primer 

combinations) and chloroplast haplotypes (four markers: psbA-trnH, ndhF-rpL32, 

trnQ-rpS16, rpL32-trnL) also support these taxonomic distinctions. Based on 

molecular phylogenetic analyses (with nuclear and chloroplast markers), it appears 

that the white-rayed complex originated from a yellow-rayed ancestor of Series 

Cupulata in northwestern Mexico and adjacent Arizona. Within the complex, three 

different ploidy levels have been reported: diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid. While M. 

argophyllum is uniformly hexaploid, both diploid and tetraploid cytotypes occur in the 

other two species. In this study all individuals analysed for AFLPs and cpDNA 

haplotypes have also been examined for ploidy level, which enables formulation of 

hypotheses on evolutionary origin of polyploids. In M. leucanthum and M. cinereum 

diploids prevail in the western portions of their ranges and tetraploids in eastern 

sectors. Assignment tests show that tetraploids are of autopolyploid origin, and 

pollen/ovule ratios strongly indicate xenogamous breeding systems. The hexaploid, 

M. argophyllum, appears to be an allopolyploid, with M. cinereum being the paternal 

and M. leucanthum the maternal parent. 

27

O 27 

Participation of the high mountainous grass Colpodium versicolor 

(Poaceae) in the evolution of some Zingeria species 

Violetta Kotseruba 1 , Klaus Pistrick 2 , Anahit Ghukasyan 3 , Andreas Houben 2 

1 

Komarov Botanical Inst., 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia, 

viola.kotseruba@gmail.com 

2 

Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 

Gatersleben, Germany, pistrick@ipk-gatersleben.de, houben@ipk-gatersleben.de 

3 National Botanical Institute of Armenia, Erevan, Armeni, abotanyinst@sci.am 

The high mountainous grass Colpodium versicolor (Stev.) Schmalh. has an unusual 

low basic chromosome number of two considering that the basic number of 

chromosomes of the Poaceae family is seven. At this moment we know only four 

plants with high reduced chromosome number 2n=4 and two of them belong to the 

Poaceae family: Colpodium versicolor and Zingeria biebersteiniana (Claus) P.A. 

Smirn. 

Analyses of the relation between these unique two genera of grasses including 

Colpodium versicolor (2n=2x=4, 2C=2.4 pg) Zingeria biebersteiniana (2n=2x=4, 

2C=3.5 pg) Z. trichopoda (Boiss.) P. A. Smirn. (2n=4x=8, 2C=5.3 pg) and Zingeria 

kochii (Mez) Tzvelev (2n=6x=12, 2C=6.7pg) revealed a dynamic evolution of the 

genomes with the following results: (1) Z. trichopoda is of amphidiploid origin. Only 

four of the eight chromosomes of Z. trichopoda are strongly labelled after genomic in 

situ hybridisation with genomic DNA of Z. biebersteiniana. Therefore, Z. trichopoda 

evolved from a hybrid involving a species very close to the recent form of Z. 

biebersteiniana and a second species with a similar low number of chromosomes. (2) 

Z. kochii is of allohexaploid origin. Four of the twelve chromosomes of Z. kochii are 

strongly labelled after genomic in situ hybridisation with genomic DNA of Z. 

biebersteiniana, and four other chromosomes are strongly labelled with genomic 

DNA of C. versicolor. Therefore, Z. kochii evolved from a hybrid involving a species 

very close to the recent form of Z. biebersteiniana and C. versicolor.(3) The 45S 

rDNA loci of the Z. biebersteiniana-similar component of Z. kochii vanished after 

amphiploidisation. Supported by: RFBR 06-04-48399, DAAD 325, DFG 2001, DFG 

2005. 

28

O 28 

Chromosome evolution in selected mountainous species of Luzula 

(woodrush). 

Monika Bozek 1 , Andrew R. Leitch 2 , Yoong K. Lim 2 , Graham Moore 3 , Thomas Haizel 3 

and Elzbieta Kuta 1 

1 Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian 

University, 52 Grodzka Street, 31-044 Cracow, Poland, m.bozek@iphils.uj.edu.pl 

2 School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, 

Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK 

3 John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UH, UK 

The monophyletic genus Luzula is a cosmopolitan Juncaceae taxon comprising 

about 115 species. It is the only known plant genus where all species have 

holocentric chromosomes, in which the kinetochore proteins occur along the entire 

chromatid. This attribute enables fused chromosomes and chromosome fragments to 

segregate normally in cell divisions. As a result, chromosome fragmentation 

(agmatoploidy) and/or fusion (symploidy) are commonly occurring structural 

chromosome mutations. Furthermore, polyploidy can be superimposed on these 

changes. Interestingly, a significant number of these events occur in species 

originating in alpine regions. We analyse karyotype divergence in eight closelyrelated 

species to better understand patterns of holocentric chromosome evolution in 

Luzula. C-banding and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) with selected DNA 

sequences (centromeric-LCS1, plant telomeric TTTAGGG, ribosomal DNA, 

retroelements) supported by dot-blot estimates of sequence copy numbers and 

nuclear DNA measurements are used to characterize genome structure. 

Heterochromatin banding patterns are similar between species. Likewise the 

centromeric repeat-LCS1, which contributes significantly to the heterochromatic 

fraction of the genome, is found at numerous bands across the genome. Studies on 

retroelement distribution, especially between symploid and related diploid species, 

reveal lineages with extraordinary copy number increases. 

In a symploid species none of our markers indicated ancient fusions (e.g. interstitial 

rDNA loci or multiple loci on a single chromosome) and in polyploids there is 

evidence for diploidisation (e.g. a reduction in rDNA locus number from expectation), 

both results indicate genome evolution subsequent to karyotype structural change. 

29

O 29 

From individuals to populations: the impact of flow cytometry on 

understanding polyploid evolution in mountain plants 

Jan Suda 

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 

CZ-128 01 Prague, Czech Republic & Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences, 

Průhonice 1, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic; suda@natur.cuni.cz 

Flow cytometry (FCM) is a powerful technology that simultaneously measures and 

analyses multiple parameters of single particles (cells, nuclei). Since the 1980s, use 

of FCM in plant population and evolutionary biology, biosystematics, and ecology has 

expanded dramatically both in scope and frequency, addressing primarily questions 

of phenotypic manifestation, spatial distribution, and evolutionary dynamics of 

genome duplication (polyploidy). Estimating differences in nuclear DNA content, FCM 

offers many advantages over other methods of detecting ploidy, high speed and 

reliability in particular, which paves the way for large-scale surveys at the landscape, 

population, individual, and tissue levels. Representative samplings allowed gaining 

novel insights into the extent of intra- and inter-population ploidy variation, niche 

differentiation, and ecological preferences of particular cytotypes. The technique is 

ideally suited for the detection and quantification of rare evolutionary episodes. An 

attractive feature is the possibility to reformulate former taxonomic concepts and 

propose robust classifications based on detailed understanding of population 

structure and phenotypic differentiation of polyploid alliances under investigation. 

Discrimination among homoploid taxa and their hybrids, based on differences in 

genome size, is another power of FCM. In combination with other, notably molecular, 

techniques, FCM promises qualitative advances in our understanding of genome 

multiplication and the population biology of vascular plants. Examples from both 

European (e.g., Androsace, Anthoxanthum, Empetrum, Pilosella, Senecio, 

Vaccinium) and extra-European (e.g., Lasiocephalus, Lychnis, Swertia) mountain 

plants will be discussed. 

30

O 30 

Evolutionary-related changes in marginal wheat populations - 

speciation versus elimination 

Olga Raskina & Alexander Belyayev 

Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel; 

raskina@research.haifa.ac.il, belyayev@research.haifa.ac.il 

The Middle East is considered to be the primary center of diploid and polyploid 

Triticeae species variability where local populations exhibit significant genetic 

diversity. A comprehensive study of wild tetraploid Triticum dicoccoides and five 

diploid Aegilops species (sect. Sitopsis) of marginal populations revealed a wide 

spectrum of intra-specific variability in repetitive DNA fractions (tandem repeats and 

transposable elements (TE)). It was discovered that: (i) several TEs are 

transpositionally active; (ii) there is a significant change in TE numbers over 

succeeding generations; (iii) copy numbers of TEs as well as the amplitude of 

oscillation in copy number are much higher in gametophyte than in sporophyte; (iv) 

temporal change in TE copy number is associated with a high level of morphological 

and chromosomal aberrations. Two contrasted scenarios of marginal population 

development can be distinguished. Both scenarios imply sufficient genome 

perturbations (chromosomal aberrations, TE activization, etc.). The first scenario 

leads to population elimination. Another scenario assumes that genetic/epigenetic 

alterations could allow species with plastic genomes to survive as new forms/species 

under intensive environmental pressure. We hypothesize that on a diploid level four 

Sitopsis species originated in this way, as derivatives of Ae. speltoides due to 

dynamics of Middle Eastern flora in the Holocene. Another way is allopolyploidy − 

when two or more different genomes unify in one nucleus to create a new species. 

Our data support that B- and G-genomes of allopolyploid wheat are similar to the two 

contrasting types of Ae. Speltoides 

31

O 31 

Evolutionary responses towards adaptation and speciation after 

allopolyploidization in Dactylorhiza (Orchidaceae) 

Ovidiu Paun, Mark W. Chase, Javier A. Luna, Robyn Cowan & Michael F. Fay 

Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, U.K.; 

o.paun@kew.org, m.chase@kew.org, javoluna@gmail.com, r.cowan@kew.org, 

m.fay@kew.org, 

Hybridization and polyploidization are widespread in angiosperms and regularly 

stimulate plant evolution, promoting genetic diversity, evolutionary innovation, 

adaptive radiation and speciation. An important feature of allopolyploidization is its 

potential to occur repeatedly between the same parental taxa, leading to arrays of 

allopolyploids that subsequently interbreed. In Dactylorhiza, ecologically divergent 

allotetraploids D. majalis, D. traunsteineri and D. ebudensis resulted from 

hybridization of diploids D. fuchsii and D. incarnata. In this system we are analysing 

consequences of polyploidy and hybridization on natural evolution of the genomes 

and adaptation to the environment. A genome-wide survey of the transcriptome at 

286 loci using cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP), 

complemented by investigating epigenetic variation with methylation sensitive AFLP 

(MSAP), indicates extensive physical (non-epigenetic) differences in gene expression 

between parents and descendants, as well as between allotetraploids. Although no 

widespread repeatable loss of low copy DNA sequence is apparent in the hybrids, 

there is a significant increase of the number of transcripts expressed at a moment in 

time in the polyploids potentially resulting in biological complexity increase. Several 

novel transcripts in the polyploids are associated with environmental parameters and 

might represent parts of the molecular mechanisms that result in adaptation to 

different ecological conditions/habitats enforcing reproductive isolation. In addition to 

stabilizing allopolyploid genomes such novel expression patterns along with 

increased heterozygosity and gene redundancy might confer on hybrids an elevated 

evolutionary potential, with effects at scales ranging from the molecular to the 

ecological. 

32

MOLECULAR APPROACHES IN PLANT EVOLUTION 

O 32 

DNA barcoding and reconstruction of past plant communities from 

permafrost samples 

Pierre Taberlet 1 & Ludovic Gielly ,1 

1 Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, CNRS UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 

38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. 

DNA barcoding, i.e. taxon identification using a standardized DNA region, has 

received much attention recently, and is being further developed through an 

international initiative. The now well-established Consortium for the Barcode of Life 

(CBOL; http://barcoding.si.edu/), an international initiative supporting the 

development of DNA barcoding, aims to both promote global standards and 

coordinate research in DNA barcoding. For plants, the target is chloroplast (cp) DNA, 

but the situation is controversial, due to the relatively low sequence variation of this 

genome. With more and more DNA sequences allowing species identification 

accessible in databases and new sequencing technologies dramatically expanding 

available sequencing power, we anticipate that DNA barcoding techniques will be 

increasingly used by ecologists for biodiversity assessment. They will be able to 

determine the composition of complex source material. For example, the use of very 

short DNA fragments that persist in the environment will allow an assessment of local 

biodiversity from soil. In the talk, I will emphasize the perspectives offered by the 

analysis of environmental samples. I will focus on the adjustment of the methodology 

to reconstruct past plant communities from permafrost samples. I will also present the 

first results concerning modern Arctic soil and permafrost samples. Finally, I will 

discuss the power and the limitations of such an approach. 

33

O 33 

Low copy rDNA types dominate expression of rDNA in Tragopogon 

allotetraploids 

Hana Šrubařová 1 , Roman Matyášek 1 , Yoong K. Lim 3 , Andrew R. Leitch 3 , Douglas E. 

Soltis 2 , Pamela S. Soltis 4 , Aleš Kovařík 1 

1 Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 

135, CS-61265 Brno, Czech Republic, Srubarova@ibp.cz 

2 Department of Botany, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A 

3 School of Biological Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, E1 4NS, U.K. 

4 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, 

U.S.A. 

Interspecific hybrids and allopolyploids often silence expression of ribosomal genes 

inherited from one parental species. This phenomenon, known as nucleolar 

dominance, was studied at the population level in recent (

O 34 

Molecular studies of Amaranthaceae based on matK DNA sequence 

data 

Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe 1 and Mark Chase 2 

1 Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria; 

toyin60@yahoo.com 

2 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3DS, 

Comparative sequencing of the chloroplast matK coding and non-coding regions was 

used to examine relationship among the species of Amaranthaceae with emphasis 

on the West African species and other closely related families such as 

Chenopodiaceae, Portulacaceae and Caryophyllaceae. Phylogenetic analysis of the 

matK sequences alone and in combination using maximum parsimony methods 

produced monophyletic lineage of Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae. Our results 

indicated that a polyphyletic Celosieae as sister to an Amaranthus-Chemissoa 

lineage. Subfamily Amaranthoideae is paraphyletic to the core Gomphrenoids. This 

study also shows that the polyphyly of Amarantheae is apparent and so is the 

polyphyly of Amaranthinae. 

35

O 35 

Evolution of a RNA polymerase gene family in the polyploid 

Cerastium alpinum complex 

Anne Krag Brysting 

Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biology, P.O.Box 

1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway; a.k.brysting@bio.uio.no 

The high-polyploid Cerastium alpinum complex (Caryophyllaceae) has been shaped 

through repeated hybridization and polyploidization events. By the use of a network 

algorithm and sequences of a single-copy nuclear region of the RNA polymerase II 

gene family RPB2, we have previously shown that it is possible to untangle genome 

mergings within this species complex. RPB2 nicely tracks the allopolyploid events 

that gave rise to several recent (late Pleistocene) octo- and dodecaploid taxa. 

However, only remnants of one or more earlier tetraploidization events are present as 

pseudogenes in some of the supposed tetraploid ancestral taxa. Here, new data from 

a non-coding region of the RNA polymerase IV gene family RPD2 is presented. In 

some eudicot angiosperm taxa (e.g. Arabidopsis, Silene and Viola) this gene has 

been independently duplicated. In some lineages subfunctionalization or 

neofunctionalization of the two paralogues has occurred (probably specializing on the 

two different RNA polymerase IV types existing in angiosperms), and in other 

lineages one paralogue has become pseudogenised or completely lost. RPD2 is 

duplicated also in Cerastium; two very different paralogues were amplified for all 

analysed taxa, and for each of these paralogues several copies exist depending on 

the ploidy level of the particular taxon. In the talk, I will present the most recent data 

and in the light of results from other studies (Silene and Viola) discuss the fate of the 

different paralogues following genome merging in the allopolyploid Cerastium 

alpinum complex. 

36

O 36 

Comparative genomics in the Brassicaceae: Genetic mapping, 

chemical defense and apomixis in montane Boechera 

M. Eric Schranz 

University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), 

Kruislaan 318, building I-B019, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

m.e.schranz@uva.nl 

Comparative genomics of Arabidopsis relatives has great potential to improve our 

understanding of molecular function and evolutionary processes. In the last two years 

there have been major advances in our understanding of Brassicaceae relationships, 

genome structure and the evolution of specific traits. I will discuss the development 

and application of comparative genomics tools within a phylogenetic framework to 

study the evolution of chemical defense and apomixis in the North American genus 

Boechera. The partial genome sequencing and construction of a genetic linkage map 

of B. stricta provide the framework for comparisons and evolutionary analysis of 

genome structure relative to Arabidopsis and other Brassicaceae. Analysis of 

glucosinolates, important secondary compounds in plant defense, identified a major 

polymorphism both within and between species. Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) 

analysis using our genetic mapping population identified a single locus controlling 

both glucosinolate profiles and levels of herbivory. Work is now underway to clone 

this locus. The genus Boechera is also an excellent system to study apomixis 

(asexual reproduction) because of the rare occurrence of apomixis at the diploid level 

and its potentially simple inheritance by transmission of a heterochromatic (Het) 

chromosome. Investigations on the potential role of hybridization, polyploidization 

and transmission of the Het chromosome on the control and evolution of apomixis in 

Boechera will be discussed. 

37

ECOLOGICAL FACTORS IN PLANT EVOLUTION 

O 37 

Population differentiaton, local adaptation and gene flow in the 

alpine landscape 

Jürg Stöcklin 

Botanical Institute, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, 

Switzerland. E-mail: juerg.stoecklin@unibas.ch 

Steep environmental gradients and patchy habitats characterize alpine environments. 

Life conditions change dramatically with altitude, exposition, snow cover or 

succession. As a consequence, shifts in selection pressure are to be expected. 

Spatial isolation and limited gene flow are the rule for alpine plants, and 

differentiation might also result from small population size and genetic drift. 

Furthermore, most alpine areas include cultural landscapes; agricultural land use has 

considerably added to the natural diversity of alpine habitats. The characteristics of 

alpine environments are well known but consequences for evolutionary processes 

are still poorly understood. Here I present case studies of alpine plant species to 

answer the following general questions. Does genetic diversity decrease with 

altitude? How is genetic diversity distributed within and among populations and by 

what factors is it affected? How important is population differentiation in important 

liefe history traits? Is selection pressure strong enough for pronounced adaptation 

along ecological gradients? Genetic diversity was found to be generally high, and 

genetic differentiation was not particularly pronounced, but increasing with 

geographic distance in all studied cases. Results suggest considerable genetic drift 

among populations of alpine plants, but it is not high enough to mask genetic imprints 

of glacial history. Adaptive trait differentiation was observed due to altitude and as a 

consequence of different land use. Selection pressure in contrasting habitats is not 

always strong enough for pronounced differentiaton. Factors like land use or local 

conditions may override altitude. To conclude: Genetic variation in growth and 

reproduction are common among isolated populations of alpine plants and is shaped 

by adaptive as well as random evolutionary processes. Plasticity in growth and 

reproduction help plants to survive in the alpine landscape. 

38

O 38 

How alpine landscapes and dispersal vectors shape gene-flow and 

population structure in Melampyrum sylvaticum 

Jörg Wunder 1,2 , Mingai. Li 2 , Ruggero Valentinotti 2 , Fabio Zottele 2 , Filippo Prosser 3 , 

Eliana Scarponi 2 , Michele Graziola 2 , Enrico Barbaro 2, Heinz Saedler 1 , Claudio 

Varotto 2 

1 Max-Planck-Institut for Plant Breeding Research, Dep. Molecular Plant Genetics, 

Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829 Cologne, Germany: wunder@mpiz-koeln.mpg.de 

2 Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige, Via Edmondo Mach 1, 38010 San Michele 

all'Adige, Trento, Italy, 

3 Museo Civico di Rovereto, Borgo S.Caterina 41, 38068 Rovereto, Italy 

The processes acting within and between populations at landscape scale are the 

basis for most evolutionary events in nature. They shape the genetic structure of 

populations, affect local adaptations to microhabitats and the development of 

ecotypes and subspecies. To better understand the effects of both the intrinsic 

biological properties of a species and highly structured alpine landscapes on these 

processes, we analyzed the myrmecochore and bumblebee pollinated species M. 

sylvaticum L. 

AFLP analyses revealed strong spatial genetic structure (SGS) both within and 

among populations and regions (Φ ST =0.65, Φ CT =0.14). SGS within populations is 

mainly due to the restricted seed dispersal ability of ants and high selfing rates. 

Furthermore there were correlations between geographic and genetic distances 

indicating distance dependent gene flow at various scales. The regular dispersal 

vectors, however, only account for gene-flow within populations. Regional SGS are 

due to non-standard dispersal vectors, not in line with the morphological dispersal 

syndrome. To improve the representation of the landscape in the correlation 

analyses, we further developed a GIS-model describing habitat suitability. - In the 

presentation we will discuss the spatial genetic population structuring of M. 

sylvaticum in the light of different dispersal vectors for pollen and seeds, including the 

role of long distance dispersal (LDD) events. We further compare different models of 

spatial dependence of genetic variability in the region of Trentino/South Tyrol based 

either on straight-line distances or on least-cost paths taking habitat suitability along 

altitudinal gradients into account. 

39

O 39 

Soil ecology as a driver of spatial genetic structure in alpine plants 

Nadir Alvarez 1 , Conny Thiel-Egenter 2 , Andreas Tribsch 3 , Rolf Holderegger 2 , 

Stéphanie Manel 4 , Pierre Taberlet 4 , Philippe Küpfer 1 , Sabine Brodbeck 2 , Myriam 

Gaudeul 5 , Ludovic Gielly 4 , Guilhem Mansion 6 , Riccardo Negrini 7 , Ovidiu Paun 8 , 

Marco Pellecchia 7 , Delphine Rioux 4 , Peter Schönswetter 9 , Fanny Schüpfer 1 , Marcela 

Van Loo 8 , Manuela Winkler 9 , Felix Gugerli 2 , IntraBioDiv Consortium 

1 

University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland, 2 WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, 

Switzerland, 3 University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria, 4 University Joseph 

Fourier, 38041 Grenoble, France, 5 National Museum of Natural History, 75005 Paris, 

France, 6 University of Zurich, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland, 7 Sacro Cuore Catholic 

University of Piacenza, 29100 Piacenza, Italy, 8 Royal Botanic Gardens, TW9 3AB 

Kew, United Kingdom, 9 University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria 

Throughout Quaternary climatic changes, distribution ranges of species shifted largely. 

Since the early 20 th century, biogeography debated about the relative importance of 

historical versus ecological determinants as drivers of species distributions and 

biogeographic patterns. Recently, molecular analyses of species phylogeographic 

patterns have allowed new insight into their historical fate, but the role played by 

ecological factors in such processes remained largely unknown. Here, we hypothesize 

that ecological factors determined intraspecific spatial genetic structuring in Alpine 

plant species and tested this hypothesis by using 27 widespread Alpine plant species 

sampled extensively on a regular grid across the whole European Alps. All investigated 

species are well defined by their ecological requirements (e.g., moisture, temperature, 

soil reaction, etc.). Intraspecific phylogeographic patterns were assessed with AFLPs 

and model-based Bayesian clustering. We calculated the pairwise level of genetic 

structure similarity between species and correlated these with the ecological similarity 

between species. Only soil reaction influenced species genetic structures, 

demonstrating high congruence between species growing on similar soil type. The 

partial spatial discordance between Alpine glacial refugia on calcareous and on 

siliceous soils combined with the high stability of bedrock occurrence (influencing soil 

reaction) over time explains species’ phylogeographic patterns and concerted 

migration routes. 

40

O 40 

Habitat exploitation and diversification through inter-ecologicaltype 

allopolyploidization 

Hiroshi Kudoh 

Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, 

Japan, kudoh@ecology.kyoto-u.ac.jp 

Polyploid formation is a common mode of speciation in plants. Especially in 

allopolyploids, the unity of two sets of genomes may provide a great opportunity for 

new lineages to explore vacant niches. We studied the role of polyploidization in the 

diversification process of the genus Cardamine. The genus contains more than two 

hundred species and is one of the most diversified genera in Brassicaceae. The 

genus is ecologically unique because it expanded habitats near to the water, and we 

found that many polyploid species inhabit in the spectra of niches along a drywaterlogged 

gradient. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the adaptation to the 

waterlogged environments occurred once in the diploid diversification. This allowed 

us to distinguish two groups of diploids, i.e. ‘wetland’ and ‘dryland’ groups. 

Identification of parental diploids suggested that many polyploids have hybrid origins 

between the two types, and we named these polyploids as ‘inter-ecological-type 

allopolyploids (IETA)'. To test whether the IETAs have wider potential niches 

compared with diploid parents, we conducted a series of growth experiments in which 

water levels were artificially controlled. In Cardamine, IETAs are likely to be more 

successful than intra-niche polyploids and autopolyploids, and the pattern may 

explain rapid adaptation and diversification of the genus. 

41

EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES IN EXTRA-EUROPEAN 

MOUNTAINS 

O 41 

Relationships and genetic variation in the New Zealand edelweiss 

Leucogenes (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) 

Ilse Breitwieser & Rob Smissen 

Allan Herbarium, Landcare Research, PO Box 40, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand; 

breitwieseri@landcareresearch.co.nz 

Plants of the New Zealand endemic genus Leucogenes (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) 

are alpine perennial evergreen subshrubs that are characterised by sessile yellow 

capitula in a very dense corymb surrounded by a ring of modified densely-white 

tomentose leaves, the whole giving the appearance of a single, showy flower. 

Beauverd named this genus Leucogenes to mark the similar appearance of the 

inflorescence of the New Zealand species to that of the European edelweiss, 

Leontopodium alpinum, and its relatives. Thus, Leucogenes became known as the 

New Zealand edelweiss. 

These similarities led some previous authors to suggest close relationships between 

northern and southern hemisphere edelweiss, but we found that the southern 

hemisphere edelweiss is part of a generic complex within the Gnaphalieae which also 

includes the New Zealand endemic genera Rachelia and Raoulia, the genus 

Anaphalioides known from New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, and the New 

Zealand species currently assigned to Ewartia and Helichrysum. Our observations 

suggest it is closest to Raoulia subg. Psychrophyton, although the two are 

morphologically very different. Leucogenes has the capacity to hybridise quite freely 

with these pulvinate species of Raoulia. 

We examined AFLP profiles, nuclear ITS sequences, and chloroplast psbA-trnH 

intergenic spacer sequences for representative samples of the four species of 

Leucogenes to get more insight into the evolution and geographic variation of the 

species. We found that the tetraploid L. neglecta was derived from the diploid L. 

leontopodium by autoploidy, but that the octoploid L. tarahaoa arose earlier than and 

independently of L. neglecta. Some populations of L. leontopodium and L. 

grandiceps have chloroplast sequences more similar to those of other species of the 

New Zealand Gnaphalieae than to the majority of Leucogenes samples. ITS 

sequence variation is also complex, with sequences sampled from Leucogenes not 

forming a monophyletic group and siginificant intraspecific variation found within L. 

grandiceps. 

42

O 42 

The Andean uplift and its influence on Neotropical biodiversity 

Alexandre Antonelli 1 , Johan A.A. Nylander 2 , R. Toby Pennington 3 , Isabel Sanmartín 4 

1 Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Göteborg University, Box 461, 

405 30, Sweden; alexandre.antonelli@dpes.gu.se 

2 Department of Systematic Botany, Stockholm University, 106591, Stockholm, 

Sweden; johan.nylander@bergianska.se 

3 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK; 

t.pennington@rbge.org.uk 

4 Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC; Plaza 

Murillo 2, 28014, Madrid, Spain; isanmartin@rjb.csic.es 

Extending over 5000 km along the western coast of South America, the Andean 

Cordillera constitutes the largest mountain chain in direct connection with a tropical 

rain forest. Its formation has proceeded from south to north and from west to east, 

with most uplift phases of the tropical Andes taking place in the last 20 Ma. The 

Andean uplift may have promoted speciation in several ways: i) by creating new 

montane and pre-montane habitats in the Neotropics, favouring morphological 

adaptation of lowland taxa; ii) by producing geographic vicariance, and consequently 

genetic isolation, between populations on both sides of the emerging mountains; iii) 

by favouring allopatric speciation among montane taxa, separated by deep valleys 

and impassable ridges and peaks; and iv) by changing the hydrology and climate of 

the entire South American continent, thus creating new evolutionary pressures on 

montane and lowland taxa. 

In order to quantify the relative importance of each of these potential mechanisms of 

speciation, and to discern cladogenesis caused by competing hypotheses (e.g., 

Pleistocene climatic fluctuations), we perform a meta-analysis of all dated molecular 

phylogenies published for Andean-centred taxa, plants and animals alike. Here we 

will present preliminary results and their significance in understanding the origins and 

evolution of the world’s most biodiverse region. 

43

O 43 

Polyploid evolution in rock outcrop mountains of South-Eastern 

Brazil 

Itayguara Ribeiro da Costa & Eliana Regina Forni-Martins 

Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, 

Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, s/n, Caixa Postal 6109, CEP 13083-970, 

Campinas – SP, Brazil; itayguara@gmail.com, elianafm@unicamp.br. 

The rock outcrop complexes in South-Eastern Brazil are mainly part of the Espinhaço 

(campos rupestres) and Mantiqueira Range (campos de altitude), belong to Brazilian 

Cerrado and Atlantic Tropical Rain Forest biomes. The high elevation formations, the 

relicts, are characterized by poor soils and daily extreme temperatures, occurring 

above 900 and 1500 m of altitude, respectively, and possess a peculiar flora with 

high levels of endemism. Myrtaceae have widespread distribution at all Brazilian 

vegetation formations and present a high taxonomic complexity with hybrid species. 

The chromosome number for this family showed high frequency of 2n = 22 (x = 11), 

with the occurrence of polyploidy in several species, including the polyploid 

cytotypes. We carried out chromosome counts for ca. 80 species of Brazilian 

Myrtaceae in several genera, aiming to determine if occurrence of polyploidy would 

be associated with the distribution of some species in these environments. We found 

eight pairs of cytotypes and four different ploidy levels (2x, 3x, 4x and 6x) distributed 

in three genera. The greatest ploidy levels (3x and 4x) were found in some species of 

Eugenia and Myrcia occurring in campos rupestres against the diploid relatives in the 

Cerrado vegetation. Similar situation to Psidium, where 6x populations occurs at 

highest altitude of Mantiqueira Range while 4x is distributed in other Atlantic Tropical 

Rain Forest localities with lower altitudes, next to the sea level. Higher ploidy levels 

were also observed by others authors in species of other families, as Bromeliaceae, 

Velloziaceae, Orchidaceae and Xyridaceae, occurring in these rock outcrop 

mountains. In the future, studies will be conduced to explain the origin of polyploid 

cytotypes in these differential environments. 

44

O 44 

Glucosinolate diversity in New Zealand alpine Pachycladon 

Claudia Voelckel 1 , Peter Heenan 2 , Michael Reichelt 3 & Peter J. Lockhart 1 

1 AWC for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Massey University, Palmerston North, 

New Zealand; c.voelckel@massey.ac.nz, p.j.lockhart@massey.ac.nz 

2 Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand; heenanp@landcareresearch.co.nz 

3 Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, 

Germany; reichelt@ice.mpg.de 

Using studies of differential expression we have begun investigating the potential 

importance of biotic and abiotic drivers in the recent diversification of New Zealand 

alpine Pachycladon. Following initial observations on differential expression of 

glucosinolate biosynthesis genes in two sister species (P. enysii and P. fastigiata), 

we measured intra- and interspecific diversity of glucosinolates (GS) in natural 

populations of these species. We have identified three chemotypes in P. enysii and 

two chemotypes in P. fastigiata. In a further experiment, we also compared GS 

profiles in roots and leaves of five Pachycladon species (P. cheesemanii, P. exilis, P. 

novae-zealandiae, P. fastigiata, and P. enysii) representing the three main lineages 

of the species radiation. Interestingly, the similarities in both root and shoot patterns 

do not reflect the expected phylogenetic relationship of the five species. Moreover, 

differences in GS types suggest the segregation of various GS biosynthetic loci 

across the Pachycladon radiation. For example, in the shoots, between-species 

differences in chain length of methionine-derived GS, methylsulfinylalkyl and alkenyl 

GS and hydroxyalkenyl GS suggest segregation at the GS-Elong, GS-AOP and the 

GS-OH locus, respectively. In addition, between-species differences in indolyl GS in 

the roots suggest differential activity of tryptophane-processing GS biosynthesis 

genes across the Pachycladon radiation. Root patterns mostly resemble shoot 

patterns except for a notable increase in the methylthioalkyl precursor of the 

dominant leaf compounds, an observation previously made also in the seeds of P. 

enysii. This suggests a higher activity of the GS-OX locus in leaves vs. roots 

irrespective of species. In summary, our comparative approach implicates several GS 

loci as having undergone differential evolution during the radiation of Pachycladon. It 

remains to be investigated whether this evolution has been driven by stochastic 

processes (e.g. genetic drift) or natural selection (exerted by below and above 

ground herbivores and pathogens). 

45

O 45 

Evolution of terrestrial life forms in the genus Peperomia 

(Piperaceae): a result of orogeny of the Andes and the Sierra Madre, 

or radiation out of ice age refugia? 

Marie-Stéphanie Samain 1 , Lars Symmank 2 , Guido Mathieu 1 , Christoph Neinhuis 2 , 

Paul Goetghebeur 1 , Stefan Wanke 2 

1 Ghent University, Department of Biology, Research Group Spermatophytes, B-9000 

Gent, Belgium, MarieStephanie.Samain@UGent.be 

2 Technische Universität Dresden, Institut für Botanik, Plant Phylogenetics and 

Phylogenomics Group, D-01062 Dresden, Germany 

Peperomia (about 1600 species) is one of the largest angiosperm genera and occurs 

in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. However, the highest life form diversity 

is encountered in the subtropical (mountainous) areas of Mexico, Central and South 

America. The vast majority of the species diversity has radiated with the exploration 

of the epiphytic life form, but some interesting evolutionary patterns appear in the 

diversity of terrestrial life forms. 

Phylogenetic tree reconstruction shows at least two independent lineages of 

terrestrial species with tubers within the genus. Most of these species belong to the 

subgenus Tildenia, sister to all other Peperomia clades, whereas some others occur 

scattered in the remaining clades. Leaves and inflorescences of subgenus Tildenia 

originate directly from the perennial tuber, in contrast with species of the crown group 

where annual stems with leaves and inflorescences originate from the tuber. 

Nearly all tuberous species are encountered in seasonally arid habitats in two 

biodiversity hot spots (Peru-Bolivia and Mexico-Guatemala) with few species 

reported from the countries in between. Species of the subgenus Tildenia from both 

hot spots are currently recovered as a monophyletic clade. 

Independent driving forces behind evolution of the terrestrial life forms in Peperomia 

must have acted at different times. Two major processes are considered: 1) orogeny 

resulting in island-like opportunities for diversification and 2) radiation out of ice age 

refugia. 

46

ROLE OF APOMIXIS IN PLANT EVOLUTION 

O 46 

Agamic complex of Pilosella: comparison of its structure in two 

mountain ranges in Central Europe 

František Krahulec 1 , Anna Krahulcová 1 , Judith Fehrer 1 , Siegfried Bräutigam 2 

1 Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 

Průhonice, Czech Republic; krahulec@ibot.cas.cz 

2 Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Postfach 300154, D-02806 Görlitz, Germany 

The genus Pilosella is formed by basic species, hybridogenous species and recent 

hybrids. We performed a detailed study of the entire species complexes in the 

Krkonoše and the Šumava Mts., two mountain ranges situated on the periphery of 

the Czech basin, but sufficiently isolated spatially. We studied chromosome numbers, 

breeding systems, chloroplast haplotypes, and clonal structure. The set of the basic 

species in both areas is almost identical, but the set of hybridogenous species and 

recent hybrids resulting from hybridizations is different. Evidently, some rare events 

in the past triggered the further evolution. E.g. in the Krkonoše Mts it was the rise of 

P. iserana which started the evolution of a set of forms connecting P. floribunda and 

P. officinarum. In the Šumava Mts, it was the origin of P. scandinavica, which 

connects P. glomerata and P. officinarum. The distribution of cpDNA haplotypes in 

both ranges also differs: in the Krkonoše Mts each basic species has only one 

haplotype, but in the Šumava Mts several basic species have more than one. The 

area of the Krkonoše Mts is characterized by a larger proportion of stabilized 

hybridogenous species and a lower amount of recent hybrids compared to the 

Šumava Mts. We have found that some types of the same origin and morphology 

differ in the proportions of individual classes within their progeny: types, which 

behave as stabilized hybridiogenous species, have a lower degree of residual 

sexuality than recent hybrids. Both groups have the same classes within their 

progeny (2n+0, n+0, n+n hybrids, 2n+n hybrids), but their proportions differ: 

stabilized apomicts produce about 90% of apomictic (2n+0) progeny, but the recent 

hybrids have low proportion of apomictic progeny but reaching up to 80% of 

polyhaploid (n+0) or hybrid (n+n) progeny. 

47

O 47 

Geographic parthenogenesis and phylogeography in Hieracium 

alpinum L. (Asteraceae) 

Patrik Mráz 1,2 , Philippe Choler 1 , Jindřich Chrtek 3 , Delphine Rioux 1 & Pierre Taberlet 1 

1 Université Joseph Fourier, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR UJF-CNRS 5553, 

PO Box 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France; patrik.mraz@unifr.ch 

2 University of Fribourg, Unit of Ecology and Evolution, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland 

3 Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-25243 

Průhonice, Czech Republic 

Hieracium alpinum s.str. is an arcto-alpine species spreading from the far North 

(Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Northern Russia) to the southerlysituated 

European mountain system (Alps, Carpathians, Sudetes, Vosges, Vranica 

planina). While sexually reproducing diploids occur solely in the Eastern and 

Southern Carpathians, apomictic triploids cover the rest of the range. We used AFLP 

markers and ITS sequencing for inferring of genetic structure and origin of 

geographical parthenogenesis in this species. AFLP data suggest polytopic origin of 

triploid apomicts with almost no genetic relatedness to the recent diploids. Although 

triploid populations show usually very low genetic variation, several populations from 

Central Europe are very variable because they include genetically very distant 

clones. Past migration among different triploid populations and independent 

recolonization might explain the extant of genetic variation of some triploid 

populations in Central Europe. Northern populations consist virtually from only one or 

several closely related AFLP genotypes, suggesting very strong genetic bottleneck 

during postglacial recolonization of northern Europe. Genetic data, non-overlapping 

range of diploids and triploids, and occurrence of many closely-related microspecies 

within triploid range indicate that triploid plants of H. alpinum are likely not 

descendants of recent diploid populations, but rather they are remnants of extinct 

diploid lineages. 

48

O 48 

Facultative apomixis in the alpine Ranunculus kuepferi 

(Ranunculaceae) enhances colonization of previously glaciated 

areas 

Anne-Caroline Cosendai & Elvira Hörandl 

Department of Evolutionary and Systematic Botany, Faculty Center Botany, 

University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, A-1030 Vienna, Austria, annecaroline.cosendai@univie.ac.at 

elvira.hoerandl@univie.ac.at 

Ranunculus kuepferi is distributed along the Alps, in Corsica and in the north of the 

Apennines. Of the three ploidy levels known (2n = 2x, 3x and 4x), the diploids occur 

only in the Alps Maritimes on the western border and are sexual, whereas the 

tetraploid apomicts (flowers, pollen and fruit irregular) are more widespread and 

occur also in previously glaciated areas. This general phenomenon, known as 

geographical parthenogenesis, sensu Hörandl (2006), is being studied on population 

samples out of the range of the species using molecular markers and flow cytometry. 

In the mixed area, the putative hybrid origin of triploids and amount of introgression of 

apomixis into sexuals will be analyzed. Flow cytometry revealed that triploids and 

pentaploids occur in the hybrid zone but some triploids and hexaploids are present in 

the area of tetraploid apomicts, suggesting facultative sexuality. Pseudogamous 

mode of reproduction of the tetraploids could be ascertained using flow cytometric 

seed screen (Hörandl et al. in press). Preliminary results of AFLPs show as much 

genetic variation within the tetraploid populations compared to the diploids, but each 

population has its own gene pool, suggesting founder events. Apomicts have 

superior colonizing abilities and grow in a broader range of altitude than the sexuals. 

A Mantel test computed between F ST genetic distance and the geographical distance 

shows a weak correlation and suggests a spread of the tetraploids in the Alps from 

the Alps Maritimes. Analysis of private bands suggests autopolyploid origin of 

tetraploids and hybridization between diploids and tetraploids. 

References 

Hörandl, E. 2006. New Phytologist 171: 525 – 38. 

Hörandl, E., Cosendai, A.-C. & Temsch, E. (in press) Plant Ecology and Diversity. 

49

O 49 

Apomixis in Taraxacum: European and Himalayan taxa from the 

cytogenetic viewpoint 

Radim J. Vašut 1,2 , Kitty Vijverberg 3 , J. Hans de Jong 2 & Peter J. van Dijk 3 

1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ- 

78371 Olomouc, Czechia; 2 Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Genetics, 

Wageningen University, Arboretumlaan 4, NL-6703 BD Wageningen, the 

Netherlands; 3 Keygene N.V., P.O. Box 216, 6700 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands. 

The genus Taraxacum (dandelion; Asteraceae) combines three modes of 

reproduction: two sexual ones (allogamy, autogamy) and apomixis. Autogamy is 

known only in few ancestral taxa, whereas apomixis is widely distributed across all 

continents and it covers most of phylogenetic groups of the genus. The dandelion’s 

type of apomixis is diplosporous apomixis and it is confined to polyploids (mainly 

triploids and tetraploids). One of three genes involved in its regulation is Diplospory 

(DIP; first division restitution meiosis). We physically positioned DIP region to middle 

of distal arm of one of the NOR chromosome in apomictic common dandelion (T. 

sect. Ruderalia). In this study, we therefore aimed at answering the question: a) what 

is the position of DIP region in other apomictic Taraxaca from different geographical 

regions, b) not related phylogenetic groups and c) of different genome-size. In 

addition, we studied NOR chromosomes in autogamic taxa. We address the 

question, whether this can explain origin of apomixis. We used Fluorescence in situ 

hybridisation (FISH) with BAC probes containing DIP-linked SCAR markers. In 

autogamic species, increased number of NOR chromosomes was observed. In 

apomictic taxa, the same position of DIP region in all our studied sections was 

confirmed. We detected either unique strong signal or signal significantly larger then 

remaining signals located in the middle of distal arm of one of the NOR 

chromosomes. This indicates that DIP region has conserved position in the genus 

Taraxacum and apparently has longer evolutionary history then apomictic taxa 

themselves. 

50

P 01 

Mediterranean vegetation and Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus libani A. 

Rich.) forests of Turkey 

Necmi Aksoy¹ & Ali Kaya² 

¹Duzce University, Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest Botany TR-81620 

Beçiyörükler, Duzce-Turkey; necmiaksoy@duzce.edu.tr 

²University of Istanbul, Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest Botany TR-34470 

Bahçeköy, Istanbul-Turkey; alikaya84@yahoo.com 

Turkey occupies a transitional region extending between middle and tropical belts, 

and continental part of Asia and the eastern part of the Mediterranean Region. This 

geographical position gives to various floristic regions and forest types. 

Mediterranean vegetation encompasses the costal belt of the Marmara Sea, western 

part of Anatolian and the south - western Mediterranean region of Turkey. It can be 

divided into two main floristic formations to ecological properties of this region. 

Typical Mediterranean vegetation appears on lower belt of the Mediterranean Region 

characterized by Maquis vegetation with Turkish Red Pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and 

upper part of this region contains Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus libani A. Rich.) with Black 

Pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) and Taurus Fir (Abies cilicica (Ant. et Klotsch.) Carr.). Maquis 

vegetation distributes different form the ecological conditions and the floristic 

composition. As it has richens biological diversity. Lebanon Cedar is being to climax 

tree of middle Mediterranean Mountain belt being at an elevation of 800 m and 

reach’s up to 2000 m on the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains. Maquis 

vegetation has destroyed to using the farming, grazing and tourism activity in 

Mediterranean Region. Also forest of C. libani is effected by wrong forestry 

management and grazing. Due to, diversity of flora and fauna increase the area of 

transition in between Maquis and Lebanon Cedar Forests. For the save the 

biodiversity, it must be created new forest management policy and describe to 

biogenetic reserve area in Maquis and Cedar Forests at Mediterranean Region. 

51

P 02 

Genetic variation, population size, and reproductive success in an 

endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula (Erodium foetidum, 

Geraniaceae) 

Marisa Alarcón, Pablo Vargas & Juan Aldasoro 

Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, CSIC, Madrid, Spain 

Erodium foetidum is a xenogamous species, of which three subspecies have been 

described. It forms part of a monophyletic group (sect. Petraea), which is distributed in 

Iberian mountains. We investigated the population size, reproductive success and 

genetic variation of 12 populations using AFLP fingerprints. Despite their variable 

population size, the genetic variation within populations was high (mean Hj = 0.193, 

range = 0.16-0.22; PLP= 54.45, range = 47-62). 

In a PCO analysis, the populations were grouped together according to distributed 

ranges in tree groups: central-eastern and southern-eastern mountains, and northerneastern 

coastal hills. FST values (0.19-0.29) between geographical areas were 

correlated significantly (p = 0.703, p = 0.000) with the geographical distance between 

them, giving evidence for certain geographical isolation. The historical gene flow 

estimated was higher for populations situated at distances

P 03 

Comparative study effects of PH and water salinity on Papaver 

rhoeas medicinal plant germination 

S. H. Ashraf, A. Dashtban, M. Darbaninan, 

Faculty of Agriculture, Cheshme Ali street, Damghan Azad University, Damghan, 

Iran; shahram_ashraf@yahoo.com 

In order to study the effects of pH and salinity of irrigation water on germination of 

Papaver rhoeas was conducted factorially arranged in a randomized complete design 

in Azad University of Damghan of Iran. The water salinity factor include 3 level (EC = 

3 , 6, 9 dS m -1 ) and ph factor 3 level (6.5, 7.5, 8.5) were made in petridishes in an 

ancubator at 20 ± 0.5°C and relative humidity was 70% for experiments.This 

experiment was include 9 treatment, in which was for study rate and germination 

percent on Papaver plant seed.The Results of variance analysis indicated that the 

effects of ph and salinity factors and their interaction effects on germination percent 

and rate, have significant with 1 percent level (except effects of interaction salinity 

and ph on germination percent). The result of variance analysis indicated that with 

increase salinity in total treatments, germination percent and rate decreased . The 

maximum germination percent was in the treatment with salinity 3 ds/m (73.8889) 

and ph 6.5 (51.5556) and minimum of germination percent was in the treatment with 

salinity 9 ds/m (11.5556) and ph 8.5 (47.3333). The analysis indicated that the 

highest germination rate was in the treatment with salinity 3 ds/m (0.039444) and ph 

6.5 (0.058222). 

53

P 04 

Environmental conditions influence distribution of two willow 

(Salix) species and their hybrid at relict site in Hrubý Jeseník Mts. 

(Czechia) 

Blanka Brandová & Radim J. Vašut 

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ– 

783 71 Olomouc, Czechia; radim.vasut@upol.cz 

The genus Salix (willow) is represented by four relict subalpine species in Czechia. 

All ones have limited distribution and they are threatened there. One of the potential 

threats is intensive hybridisation and possible gene-flow. Therefore, we addressed 

the question to what extent are relict subalpine willow taxa threatened by 

hybridisation with common mountainous species. In the first part of the project, we 

studied morphological and ecological overlap between Salix hastata, S. silesiaca and 

their hybrid S. ×chlorophana. Two study plots were established in the Velká Kotlina 

fold (Hrubý Jeseník Mts, Czechia), where is the most stabile population of S. hastata 

in CZ as well as is known frequent occurrence of the hybrid there. We recorded the 

taxon, the size of plant, morphological key characteristics, biotope and main physical 

conditions on both plots. The data revealed expected morphological overlap between 

studied three taxa. Additionally, we found that the hybrid is the most frequent taxon at 

the locality (56.18 % out of 372 plants), whereas the most rare one is S. silesiaca 

(14.52 %). However, these taxa are ecologically and spatially well separated: S. 

hastata significantly prefers subalpine springs and its ecotons, S. silesiaca grows 

mostly in subalpine Vaccinium vegetation and finally the prevailing biotope for the 

hybrid is the wind-swept alpine grasslands. Although is the hybrid the most frequent 

taxon at locality, environmental preferences of each taxon cause spatial separation of 

the endangered species S. hastata from the hybrid and therefore is not directly 

threatened by the hybridisation with S. silesiaca. This project recently continues by 

the analysis of genetic structure of the population, frequency of hybridisation events 

and the nature of the gene-flow among taxa using appropriate molecular markers. 

54

P 05 

A biosystematic study of biodiversity in Viola comollia Massara. 

Maura Brusoni, Roberta Negri, Linda Conti 

Department of Territorial Ecology, University of Pavia, Via Sant’Epifanio 14, 27100 

Pavia, Italy; brusoni@et.unipv.it 

We investigated differentiation among and within populations of Viola comollia 

Massara at the molecular level. V. comollia is a diploid (2n = 22) species, endemic for 

Orobic Alps (Italy, Lombardy), occurring on rock debris over 1700 metres above sea 

level. It is characterized by a very restricted but fragmented areal so that levels of 

gene flow among geographically separated populations may be low. This allows 

interpopulational differentiation that may be related to geographic distance among 

populations. We sampled two populations of V. comollia located in two sites as far as 

possible from each other in Lombardy (Italy), Mount Legnone (Lecco) and Scais 

Valley (Sondrio). Plant material was collected in situ and to minimize the sampling 

impact on this rare species we only sampled a few young leaves per plant. 

Considering one cushion as one individual, from each population five individuals 

were sampled. Intrapopulation and interpopulation genetic diversity was investigated 

using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total of 56 reproducible 

polymorphic bands were generated using 7 different primers. The presence–absence 

matrix of RAPD bands was examined by hierarchical clustering and principal 

component analysis (PCA) using the SYN-TAX 2000 program. Results demonstrate 

that the two populations are genetically clearly separated by a genetic distance value 

of 0.45 suggesting low gene flow between populations in accordance with the 

geographic isolation. All plants sampled in the two sites showed different RAPD 

phenotypes. The genetic distances observed within population from Legnone (0.38) 

and within the Scais Valley population (0.48) reflect the high level of intrapopulation 

genetic differentiation. In our investigation we observed genetic polymorphism both 

between populations and within populations of V. comollia. Populations from every 

location should therefore be protected to preserve the genetic variability. 

55

P 06 

Genome size variation and evolution in Hieracium s.str. 

(Asteraceae) 

Jindřich Chrtek 1,2 , Jaroslav Zahradníček 2 , Judith Fehrer 1 & Karol Krak 1 

1 Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Zámek 1, CZ-252 

43 Průhonice, Czech Republic; chrtek@ibot.cas.cz, fehrer@ibot.cas.cz, 

krak@ibot.cas.cz 

2 Department of Botany, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01, Praha 2, Czech 

Republic; j.zahradnicek@gmail.com 

Hieracium subgen. Hieracium is an intricate species-rich group with numerous 

mountain taxa composed of relatively few sexual diploids and a vast number of 

apomictic polyploids. The aim of the present study was to analyse nuclear genome 

size in a phylogenetic framework and to assess relations between genome size and 

ploidy level, breeding system and selected ecogeographic features. Genome sizes of 

42 so-called ‘basic’ Hieracium species were determined using propidium iodide flow 

cytometry. The mean 2C values differed up to 2,37-fold among different species 

(from 7.03 pg in diploid to 16.67 pg in tetraploid accessions). The 1Cx values varied 

1,22-fold (between 3.51 pg and 4.34 pg). Variation in 1Cx values between 

conspecific (species in a broad sense) accessions ranged from 0.24% to 7.2%. Mean 

1Cx values of the three cytotypes (2x, 3x, 4x) differed significantly indicating 

downsizing of genomes in polyploids. The pattern of genome size variation correlated 

well with two major phylogenetic clades based on sequences of the external 

transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ETS), which were composed of 

species with either south-western or south-eastern European origin. The monoploid 

(1Cx) genome size in the ‘western’ species was significantly lower than in the 

‘eastern’ ones. Correlation of genome size with geographic latitude, altitude and 

selected ecological characters (light and temperature) was not significant while a 

longitudinal component was apparent, albeit weaker than the phylogenetic 

correlation. 

56

P 07 

Breakdown of heterostyly and the evolution of selfing in alpine 

Primula sect. Aleuritia 

Jurriaan M. de Vos 1 & Elena Conti 1,2 

1 Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zürich, 

Switzerland; Jurriaan.deVos@systbot.uzh.ch; 2 ContiElena@access.unizh.ch 

One of the core problems in evolutionary biology is to understand how and why the 

wonderful diversity in angiosperm sexual systems has evolved. Heterostyly is a 

breeding system known from 28 angiosperm families in which individuals of a species 

come in two (distyly) or three (tristyly) floral morphs that have anthers and stigmas 

placed at reciprocal heights. In distylous Primula and most other groups this is 

combined with self- and intramorph incompatibility. The system is therefore believed 

to promote outcrossing and increase fitness, despite causing a reduction in the 

number of available mates. It is genetically regulated through the S-supergene, which 

determines at least style length, pollen size and anther height. In Primula, some 

species lost the system (became monomorphic), display a mixture of characters of 

both morphs (i.e. a long style and high anthers, homostyly), and are able to self. 

Understanding the importance of selfing in these species is key to elucidating the 

evolution of heterostyly. We use emasculation and pollinator exclusion experiments 

to determine the outcrossing rates of monomorphic Primula halleri and P. scotica, 

and the closely related heterostylous species P. farinosa. Additionally, we investigate 

the proposed recombinational origin of homostyly and selfing in monomorphic 

Primula species by reanalysing data on the thousands of crossing experiments 

performed by Ernst (1920s-1950s). These analyses are part of a PhD project that 

aims to better understand diversification in heterostylous groups. 

57

P 08 

Micromorphological studies on Lallemantia L. (Lamiaceae) species 

growing in Turkey 

Muhittin Dinç 1 , Nur Münevver Pinar 2 , Süleyman Doğu 3 , Şinasi Yildirimli 4 

1 Selçuk University, Education Faculty, Department of Biology Education, 

42090 Meram, Konya, Turkey; muhdinc@yahoo.com 

2 Ankara University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, 06100 Ankara, Turkey; 

pinar@science.ankara.edu.tr 

3 Selçuk University, Education Faculty, Department of Science Education, 

42090 Meram, Konya, Turkey; sdogu@selcuk.edu.tr 

4 Hacettepe University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, 06532 Beytepe, 

Ankara, Turkey; ot@hacettepe.edu.tr 

Micromorphological features related with the pollens, nutlets and trichomes of 

Lallemantia L. species growing in Turkey have been investigated mainly based on 

scanning electron microscope (SEM). Lallemantia pollens share common 

morphological features with the other subfamily Nepetoideae tribe Mentheae subtribe 

Nepetinae pollens. However, the fine details are characteristic to differentiate the 

pollen among the species. Exine is microreticulate in L. peltata (L.) Fisch. & C.A. 

Mey. and L. iberica (M. Bieb.) Fisch. & C. A. Mey., reticulate-foveolate in L. 

canescens (L.) Fisch. & C.A. Mey. Similarly, nutlet features are similar in general, but 

striking differences occur among the species in surface details. Nutlets are black and 

oblong-triangular with V-shaped areoles. The surface is verrucate in L. iberica and L. 

canescens, verrucate-rugulate in L. peltata. The warts are regular and separated in L. 

peltata, irregular and separated in L. iberica, irregular, and separated or sometimes 

associated into 2 to 4 groups in L. canescens. Two types trichome, capitate and 

acicular, present on the stems, leaves, calyx and bracts. The results suggest that 

although the distribution and micromorphology of trichomes has not taxonomic value, 

some pollen and nutlet micromorphological characters have the potential to serve as 

phylogenetic markers at the specific level in the genus Lallemantia. Hovewer, pollen 

characteristics show no correlation with the nutlet characeristics. 

58

P 09 

Possible hybrid origin of the Asian/American alpine genus Askellia 

W. A. Weber (Cichorieae, Compositae) 

Neela Enke & Birgit Gemeinholzer 

Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 

Königin-Luise-Str. 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany; n.enke@bgbm.org, 

b.gemeinholzer@bgbm.org 

The genus Askellia was established by W. A. Weber in 1984. The genus is based on 

Crepis L. section Ixeridopsis. The species of this section comprise common 

morphological characteristics and are distinct from all other Crepis species. The 

Askellia group also features a basic chromosome number of x=7, a trait otherwise not 

known from Crepis. Morphologically the Askellia species seem to be transient 

between Crepis and the central Asian genus Youngia. 

Askellia is solely distributed throughout mountain ranges in North-America and 

Siberia. The most widespread species, A. nana, co-occurs with all other species of 

the genus, while of the others one is restricted to N-American Rocky Mountains and 

the rest are local or regional endemics of central Asian mountain ranges. 

Recent molecular work based on nuclear ITS and chloroplast matK sequences now 

confirmed W.A.Weber’s exclusion of section Ixeridopsis from Crepis as genus 

Askellia. The species of Askellia are sister to Crepis s.l. in the ITS phylogeny, while 

they cluster with Youngia in the chloroplast tree. This discrepancy hints on a hybrid 

origin of the genus Askellia from ancestors of Crepis and Youngia. Ongoing studies 

on chromosome features, as well as biogeographic development of the genus are 

thought to bring further insights to the origin of the genus Askellia. 

59

P 10 

Speciation in Mediterranean mountain systems: Two examples from 

Spain and Morocco 

Pedro Escobar García, Gerald Schneeweiss and Peter Schoenswetter 

Department of Biogeography and Botanical Garden, Faculty Center Botany, 

University of Vienna. Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria; 

pedro.escobar.garcia@univie.ac.at 

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the richest and most endangered ecoregions of 

the Earth. Its complex geological history has shaped a large geographical diversity, 

with mountains higher than 4,000 m and a variety of islands and peninsulas which 

allow for a wide range of local climates. As a result, 13,000 species are endemic and 

concentrate in regional hotspots. With endemism rates higher than 20%, the Baetic- 

Rifan mountains (South-East Spain and Northern Morocco) are outstanding focuses 

of plant diversity. The Lavatera olbia complex is a mainly Western Mediterranean 

species group that has undergone up to two homoploid speciation processes in the 

Baetic-Rifan mountain systems. The related L. oblongifolia and L. valdesii are 

endemic of the Alpujarras (Eastern Andalucía, Spain), and of the Djebel Mezgout in 

the Eastern Rif (Morocco), respectively. Both species are morphologically similar and 

have developed marked morphological traits to protect themselves from 

environmental aridity. Contrastingly, L. olbia thrives in mesic areas near the 

seashore. Though directly related and despite their morphological affinities, L. 

valdesii and L. oblongifolia seem to be subjected to different challenges and differ 

from the perspective of population dynamics. Although both species are 

geographically restricted, L. oblongifolia is locally copious, appearing in large 

populations composed by individuals of different ages, and L. valdesii is known from 

a single population of less than 500 adult individuals. This work is a primer on the 

diversification, character evolution and phylogeography of the L. olbia complex in the 

Western Mediterranean Basin, and the first molecular study of L. valdesii. 

60

P 11 

Molecular phylogenetics of family Cleomaceae inferred from 

nuclear sequences with special reference to C3-C4 photosynthesis 

evolution, morphology, phylogeography and systematics 

Tatiana A. Feodorova 1 , Elena V. Voznesenskaya 2 , Gerald E. Edwards 3 , Eric H. 

Roalson 3 

1 Department of Higher Plants, Biology Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 

Moscow, 119992, Russia; fedor@herba.msu.ru, torreya@mail.ru 

2 Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of Russian 

Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376, St Petersburg, Russia 

3 School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164- 

4236, USA 

The goals of this study are to reconstruct the evolutionary patterns in the transitions 

between C 3 and C 4 photosynthesis and the origin of C 4 photosynthesis in Cleome. 

This includes determining whether evolution of C 4 occurred once or multiple times, 

the diversification of types of photosynthesis in Cleomaceae family, tendencies of 

structural evolution of flowers, inflorescences and shoot systems, and biogeography. 

In order to determine the frequency and direction of changes in types of 

photosynthesis and some floral and inflorescences structures, and biogeographical 

patterns for the Cleomaceae, we have inferred the phylogeny within the family from 

sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. 

Our preliminary phylogenetic analysis showed that C 3 photosynthesis is the ancestral 

condition in Cleomaceae, and intermediate and C 4 photosynthesis are both derived 

conditions. C 4 photosynthesis is present in clade Gymnogonia (C. angustifolia, C. 

gynandra) and clade Siliquaria (C. oxalidea). Cleome paradoxa is a C 3 -C 4 

intermediate which occurs in the evolutionary lineage Gymnogonia, while C. allamani 

is a putative C 3 -C 4 intermediate, which is found in clade Siliquaria. Using the 

phylogenetic framework of Cleomaceae, we describe detailed relationships between 

photosynthetic type, hypothesis of origin and evolution of C 4 photosynthesis. Usually 

the shoot, inflorescences, floral and leaf structure are highly conserved at the lower 

taxonomic levels. We use our phylogenetic hypothesis to determine the frequency 

and direction of changes in shoot, inflorescences, floral and leaf structure in 

Cleomaceae family members and propose hypotheses on the direction of change of 

these features. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest that both Peritoma and Polanisia 

have a North American origin. Polanisia taxa were widespread in the Old World. 

Thyllacophora-Buhsea groups and Cleome s.str have Afro-Asian origin and migrated 

to Australia and America. The taxonomy of Cleomaceae and systematic position of 

species Cleome s.lat. are controversial. Implications for taxonomy and ranges of 

Polanisia, Peritoma, Buhsea, Thyllacophora, Cleome s.str. taxa are discussed. This 

work was supported by CRDF grant RUB1-2829 ST-06. 

61

P 12 

Karyotype analysis and new chromosome number reports in Silene 

L. species (Sect. Auriculatae Boiss.) 

Abbas Golipour & Masoud Sheidai 

Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Tehran, Iran; 

abbas.gholipuor@gmail.com 

Silene L. is a very large genus of Caryophyllaceae containing c. 700 species which 

are mostly distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, of them 110 species grow 

in Iran. Silene section Auriculatae is the largest section containing about 35 species, 

out of which 21 species are endemic to Iran. Karyotypic analyses and new 

chromosome numbers of 13 populations of 11 (S. palinotricha, S. Sojakii, S. 

Gertraudiae, S. elymaitica, S. Meyeri, S. pseudonurensis, S. dshuparensis, S. 

eriocalycina, S. araratica, S. prilipkoana and S. commelinifolia) species have been 

reported for the first time. The chromosome number of all species studied were 2n = 

2x = 24 and mainly of metacentric (m) and sub-metacentric (sm) types. The ANOVA 

and LSD tests reveal a significant differences (p 0. 90), while in the second factor 

(8%), the ratio of long arm to short arm of the chromosomes 11 and 12 as well as 

TF% are the most variable characters (r >0. 70). Therefore these karyotypic 

characters play role in the genomic changes of the Silene species. 

62

P 13 

Phylogeography of the arctic-alpine Euphrasia minima complex 

(Orobanchaceae) 

Gussarova, G., 1, 3 Alsos, I.G. 2 and Brochmann C. 3 

1 Dept. Botany, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034 St. 

Petersburg, Russia; galina.gusarova@nhm.uio.no 

2 Department of Arctic Biology, The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Pb. 156, 

9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; inger.alsos@unis.no 

3 National Centre for Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, PO 

Box 1172 Blindern,NO-0318 Oslo, Norway; christian.brochmann@nhm.uio.no 

The Euphrasia minima Jacq. ex DC. aggregate includes the arctic E. wettsteinii and 

the alpine E. minima and E. tatrae. The plants are annual hemiparasites and thus 

represent rare exceptions in the perennial-dominated arctic habitats. We studied 

genetic differentiation to infer the migration history of this species group, with 

emphasis on the Arctic. Bayesian clustering, multilocus assignment tests, tree- and 

network building were applied to molecular data from 217 individuals from 43 

populations. Three distinct AFLP groups were identified: Central European (Alps and 

Pyrenees), East Atlantic (Kola, Pechora and Urals, N Norway, Scotland, Svalbard) 

and West Atlantic (Newfoundland, E and W Greenland, Iceland, N Norway, 

Svalbard). A parsimony based cpDNA phylogeny confirmed a major split between the 

alpine and arctic populations, also evident in the AFLP data. The arctic cpDNA 

lineage was split into two weakly supported sublineages, corresponding to the two 

northern AFLP groups. Our results thus suggest two distinct northern glacial refugia, 

one eastern and one western, and that plants from both of them colonized 

Scandinavia and Svalbard after the last glaciation. The two arctic lineages apparently 

diverged before the onset of the Pleistocene glaciations (4.9 Mya), according to 

estimates based on the cpDNA data. 

63

P 14 

Polyploid cytotypes of Senecio jacobaea in Central and Eastern 

Europe 

Iva Hodálová 1 , Pavol Mereďa Jr. 1 , Alexandra Vinikarova 2 , Vít Grulich 2 & Viera 

Feráková 1 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; iva.hodalova@savba.sk, pavol.mereda@savba.sk, 

viera.ferakova@savba.sk 

2 Institute of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37 Brno, 

Czech Republic; 106286@mail.muni.cz, grulich@sci.muni.cz 

The occurrence of polyploid races within plant species continues to be of interest to 

plant biosystematists and evolutionists. Some studies have suggested that polyploidy 

has played a much more important role in plant evolution than believed previously. 

Senecio jacobaea (Asteraceae) is an example of a karyologically variable species 

comprising two cytotypes in Central and Eastern Europe: tetraploid (2n = 40) and 

octoploid (2n = 80). Tetraploids are widespread throughout Europe; octoploids are 

restricted only to: (1) Central Europe – Pannonian basin and (2) Eastern Europe – 

Podillya highlands, Ukraine. Although tetraploid populations of S. jacobaea have 

been studied recently from various points of view (using molecular treatments), there 

are no comprehensive studies devoted to the octoploids. Results of our 

morphological evaluation of populations of S. jacobaea from Central and Eastern 

Europe revealed that "Ukrainian" octoploids are morphologically different from 

“Ukrainian” tetraploids, as well as from both tetraploid and octoploid plants occurring 

in the Pannonian basin. This might indicate for this polyploid a different taxonomic 

status and evolutionary history. 

In our forthcoming study, we will use amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) 

marker profiles to elucidate (1) taxonomic position of octoploid populations from the 

Podillya highlands, and (2) origin of octoploid cytotypes occurring in Pannonian basin 

and Podillya highlands [whether they form a monophyletic group or they have arisen 

recurrently at different locations (having multiple origin)]. 

64

P 15 

A preliminary approach to the genetic structure of Arabis alpina 

populations from the Arctic, Europe and Morocco 

Pablo T. Ibarra & Julia Rueda 

Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, UCM. Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 

Madrid, Spain. ptibarra@bio.ucm.es. 

Arabis alpina L. is a world-wide Arctic alpine species growing from Kilimanjaro to the 

North Pole. Recently, some studies have been carried out on its phylogeography 

providing some clues about the postglacial migration of this taxon. Consequently, our 

interest is focussed on a wide study of the genetic structure of the Northern 

Hemisphere populations. 

We sampled one population from Morocco, five populations from Europe and one 

from Greenland, in order to estimate the genetic variation within and between 

populations. The estimates were done by means of ISSR markers. Six primers were 

chosen which gave more than 50 polymorphic markers. Most markers did not detect 

variation in the Arctic populations, being difficult to distinguish among individuals 

coming from Greenland or Island. The population from Tatry mountains was the most 

variable followed by the Moroccan and Pyrenean populations. Not surprisingly, the 

south Spanish population of Sierra Nevada presented low genetic variation probably 

due to the isolation of this mountain range. Generally, most of the genetic variation 

was found between populations. However, a Pyrenean population was clearly split 

into two subpopulations: Five individuals collected in a damn in the lower part of the 

valley could be clearly distinguished from five individuals collected in a river margin in 

the upper part. 

A. alpina populations seem to have strong genetic differentiation between 

geographically close populations. This scenario could be due to a high selfing rate, 

common in the Cruciferae family, and to the scattered discontinuous distribution of 

populations, which is commonly observed in the field for the species. That strategy 

could be long term limiting due to the reduced genetic variation within populations. It 

seems to be the result of many trials that occasionally generated rather favourable 

ecotypes that became widespread. This might have been the origin of the 

widespread, and genetically uniform, Arctic A. alpina whose populations showed a 

pattern which was clearly separated from those of the alpine ones. 

65

P 16 

Evolutionary processes in continental island systems: molecular 

phylogeography of the Aegean Nigella arvensis L. complex 

(Ranunculaceae) by means of AFLP markers 

Ursula Jaros, Andreas Tribsch, Hans Peter Comes 

University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria, 

ursulajaros@yahoo 

The complex paleogeographic history of the Aegean Archipelago makes this mostly 

continental island system a unique biogeographic setting for the study of plant 

evolution and speciation. In this area, the genus Nigella has radiated during the 

(Late) Quaternary into six species (12 taxa) of mainly allo- or parapatric distribution 

(N. arvensis complex). While most taxa are outcrossing and interfertile, two species 

are predominantly selfing and reproductively isolated from each other and the former. 

Phylogeographic evidence based on chloroplast (cp) DNA (Bittkau & Comes, 2005) 

indicated that geographic isolation, limited seed flow, and genetic drift had a major 

role in the evolution of the complex, but failed to resolve inter-species relationships. 

Here, we will re-address these issues based on a survey of amplified fragment length 

polymorphisms (AFLPs) across all species of the complex (48 populations/568 

individuals). Preliminary results and conclusions drawn from genetic distance and 

diversity analyses are: (1) Most nominal species of the complex are genetically 

distinct entities, suggesting that erratic instances of cpDNA haplotype sharing across 

species boundaries are due to incomplete lineage sorting rather than ongoing 

hybridization. (2) The enigmatic disjunct distribution of N. arvensis ssp. brevifolia in 

Crete and Rhodes likely reflects the existence of two separate species. (3) Although 

the spatial-temporal origin of the two selfing island taxa (N. doerfleri, N. stricta) is not 

yet fully understood, they clearly do form separate genetic entities rather than being 

nested within the outcrossing alliance. (4) Given the genetic distinctness of N. 

doerfleri, its present co-occurrence with the outcrosser N. degenii in the Cyclades is 

best interpreted as a zone of secondary contact. (5) Not unexpectedly, levels of 

genetic diversity are markedly reduced in both N. doerfleri and N. stricta compared to 

the outcrossers, most likely as a result of reductions in effective population size due 

to selfing. In addition, however, the former taxon is markedly depauperate in terms of 

rare marker fragments. This may reflect a pronounced difference in the demography 

of these two selfers, with the widespread N. doerfleri having been more strongly 

affected by founder effects in the wake of (remote) island colonization than the 

narrow endemic N. stricta (Crete, Kithira). 

66

P 17 

Polyploid evolution in plants: the effect of genome duplication on 

self-incompatibility systems in Arabidopsis 

Marte H. Jørgensen 1, 2 *, Barbara Mable 2 , Anne K. Brysting 1 

1 Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, 

University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 OSLO, Norway 

2 Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Graham Kerr Building, 

University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom; *martej@ulrik.uio.no, 

Polyploidy, i.e., the duplication of entire nuclear genomes, has shaped the evolution 

of major lineages of eukaryotes and is particularly prominent in flowering plants. 

Although many duplicated genes will be silenced or lost through time, more than 

expected from classical theory are retained in the genomes of polyploids. Identifying 

diploid predecessors of tetraploid populations will enable us to compare directly 

polyploids with their parental taxa. The evolution of several polyploid lineages in 

Arabidopsis and the close relationship to the model species A. thaliana makes this 

genus a highly interesting model system for studies on polyploid evolution. We use 

this to study the consequences of polyploidisation on genetic diversity in natural 

populations of A. lyrata and A. arenosa, with emphasis on the self-incompatibility (SI) 

system. Four diploid and four tetraploid populations of both taxa will be analysed by 

low-copy nuclear genes (PgiC, scADH, CHS) to identify the origin of the tetraploids, 

and allelic diversity of the populations will be compared using genotyping of S-alleles. 

67

P 18 

Chemodiversity of essential oil components in some Ferula 

(Apiaceae) species from Iran 

Mohammad Reza Kanani 1 , Mohammad Reza Rahiminejad 1 , Shahrokh Kazempour 

Osaloo 2 & Valioallah Mozaffarian 3 

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran; 

2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Tarbiat Modarres University, 

Tehran, Iran; 

3 Department of Botany, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Iran, Tehran, 

Iran; m_kanani@stf.sbu.ac.ir 

The genus Ferula L. belonging to the Apioideae subfamily of Apiaceae consists of c. 

177 species which are mostly distributed throughout the central asia, of which 32 

taxa containing 16 endemic species are growing in Iran. A chemodiversity of 

essential oil components in nine Ferula species (F. hirtella, F. badghysii, F. 

diversivittata, F. foetida, F. tabasensis, F. orientalis, F. galbaniflua, F. gummosa and 

F. persica) were studied. The oils were obtained by hydrodistillation from aerial 

flowering parts of samples and analyzed by GC-MS. The identified constituents 

revealed significant qualitative and quantitative differences among species studied. 

For the evaluation of chemotaxonomic significance of the essential oil components, 

each specific and or common identified compound was used as marker. α-Pinene 

was the common component almost in all analyzed oils except for the first three 

species. Germacrene B and germacrene D were the major compounds of F. hirtella, 

while verbenone isomers were the principal ones for F. diversivittata. The major 

constituents in other species studied were myrcene, thiophene derivatives, sabinene, 

nonane and octane, β-pinene, carotol and sabinene, respectively. Finally, a detailed 

discussion on chemodiversity and chemotaxonomic relationship among species 

investigated are presented. 

68

P 19 

Biosystematic study on the genus Onobrychis in Iran 

Massoud Ranjbar, Roya Karamian, Fatemeh Hajmoradi, Anahita Hadadi & Saeedeh 

Afsari 

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, P.O.Box 

65175/4161, Hamedan, Iran; E-mail:ranjbar@basu.ac.ir 

The genus Onobrychis with nearly 130 species is mainly distributed in the north 

temperate regions, but centers of its diversity are in the eastern Mediterranean area 

and western Asia. Many species are exploited as high-protein fodder plants for 

ruminants and equines and, due to the specific peculiarity of nitrogen fixation; they 

play an important role in the enrichment of soil, increasing the nutritive value of 

drought-resistant pasture. Biosystematic study on three large sections of the genus 

was performed using morphometric and cytogenetic data. In morphometry, more than 

45 qualitative and quantitative characters in 70 populations of 30 species were 

studied. Meiotic studies were performed on above taxa concerning meiotic 

chromosome counts; polyploidy level, chiasma frequency/distribution, chromosome 

association and segregation. The species and populations studied possessed 2n = 

14, 16 and 28 chromosome number. The chromosome numbers of the most species 

are reported for the first time. Meiotic abnormalities observed included laggard 

chromosome formation, stickiness, desynapsis and cytomixis. Unreduced pollen 

grains were observed in some of the species, which differed significantly in their size 

compared to the normal (reduced) pollen grains. Cluster analysis of morphometric 

and meiotic data and ordination of species based on the first two principal component 

axes grouped the taxa with similar characteristics. Pollen fertility was studied in all 

taxa that showed a significant positive correlation with the frequency of terminal and 

total chiasma as well as proper segration of chromosomes during anaphase and 

telophase stages. B-chromosomes were observed in some species affecting the 

chiasma frequency/distribution as well as chromosome association. 

69

P 20 

Nutlet morphology of Turkish Acinos Miller species 

Ayla Kaya 1 & Muhittin Dinç 2 

1 Anadolu University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, 

26470 Eskisehir, Turkey; aykaya@ anadolu.edu.tr 



Nutlet characters within the family of Lamiaceae have the taxonomic significance. In 

this study, nutlet morphology of 6 taxa of Turkish Acinos species was examined using 

both stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Different morphological 

types are described and illustrated according to features of the nutlet surface. It is 

clear that external nutlet characters, especially surface ornamentation, have a 

diagnostic character to separate for Acinos species. 

70

P 21 

Anatomical, ecological and palynological investigations on Allium 

cassium Boiss. (Liliaceae) 

Muhittin Dinç, Baştürk Kaya, Süleyman Doğu 

Allium cassium is East Mediterranean element growing in Turkey as well as in 

Latakia, Cyprus, and Lebanon. This study firstly presents investigations into the 

anatomical, ecological and palynological features of A. cassium colected from 

province of Mersin, South Anatolia. For anatomical studies, cross-sections of the 

stems, leaves and surface sections of the leaves of A. cassium are investigated. 

Palynologically, the pollens of the species are studied using both LM and SEM. 

Furthermore, for ecological investigations, the climatic features of its habitat, and its 

typical associated species are briefly discussed. As a result of the studies, vasculer 

bundles of the stem are regularly distributed on two axes, the leaves are isolateral 

and amphistomatic with anomocytic stomata, the pollens are tricolpate, prolate, with 

perforate ornamentation. A. cassium ecologically grows on river banks and alpine 

steppe at an elevation of 1700-2100 m, on which the first variant of the East 

Mediterranean precipitation regime prevails. 

71

P 22 

A morphological cladistic analysis of tribe Eritrichieae 

(Boraginaceae) in Iran 

Maryam Khoshsokhan 1 , Shahrokh Kazempour Osaloo 2 , Farideh Attar 3 , Sara 

Saadatmend 4 , Taher Nejadsatari 4 

1 Biology Department, Basic Science Faculty, Azad University of Qom, Qom, Iran, 

maryamkhoshsokhan@yahoo.com 

2 Biology Department, Basic Science Faculty, Tarbiat Modarres university, Tehran, 

Iran 

3 Plant Biology Department, Basic Science Faculty, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran; 

4 Biology Department, Basic Science Faculty, Azad University, Science and Research 

Branch, Tehran, Iran 

A cladistic analysis of tribe Eritrichieae (Boraginaceae) based on morphological data 

is presented. The data matrix comprises 42 ingroup taxa and Trichodesma incanum, 

T. africanum, Cynoglossum creticum and C. officinale as outgroups. 43 vegetative 

and reproductive characters using maximum parsimony approaches implemented in 

PAUP* were analyzed, in two stages. The first (equally weighted) and second 

(reweighted by rescaled consistency index) analyses generated 774 (L=221 steps, 

CI=0.290, RI=0.691) and 15 (L=42.59 steps, CI=0.501, RI=0.861) shortest trees, 

respectively. From the base of trees, Asperugo procumbens was the first branch 

followed by two species of Cynoglossum as a sister to an assemblange of 

Myosotideae-Eritrichieae. Based on morphological data, Eritrichieae is appeared to 

be monophyletic. Within this clade, Heterocaryum, Rochelia and Lepechiniella are 

monophyletic but monophyly of Lappula is not clear. These data are almost 

congruent with molecular analysis results of both nuclear and chloroplast DNAs. 

72

P 23 

Seed flavonoids in some members of Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) 

from Markazi province in Iran 

Masomeh Khosravi 1 , Mitra Noori 2 & Akram Ahmadi 2 

1 Islamic Azad University, Ashtian Branch, Ashtian, Iran 

2 Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Arak, Arak, Iran 

Euphorbia is one of the largest genera in Euphorbiaceae with more than 2000 

species in the world and about 100 species in Iran. The taxonomically most important 

phenolics are the flavonoids that are a class of plant secondary metabolites. Seed 

flavonoids were one of the character sets used to assess the relationships among 

taxa. Aqueous-ethanolic extracts of seeds from 15 collected Euphorbia species from 

different part of Markazi Province of Iran were examined for flavonoid detection, 

isolation and identification by 2-dimensional paper chromatography (2-DPC), thin 

layer chromatography (TLC). Voucher specimens of each sample were prepared for 

reference. Studies of seed flavonoids showed some phytochemical characters such 

as total number of flavonoids, kaempherol, quercetin, myricetin, flavone and 

dihydroflavonol glycoside are valuable for chemotaxonomy and their usage. 

73

P 24 

Inventory of the flora of the Nature Park Učka 

Tamara Kirin, Dario Hruševar, Marina Magajne, Luka Škunca 

BIUS-Biology Student Association, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia; 

tamarakirin@gmail.com, hrusevar@botanic.hr, marina.magajne@gmail.com, 

skuncal@gmail.com 

The Nature Park Učka is located in the area of Učka mountain massif and adjacent 

part of Ćićarija plateau (N – NE part of Istrian peninsula), west Croatia. The area of 

the Park is 160 km 2 and the highest part, named Vojak, is 1401 meter above the sea 

level. According to the climate classification by Köppen the explored parts belong 

mostly to the warm temperate and fully humid climate with warm summer (Cfb). The 

main part of Park lies on limestone and flysch, which allowes the existance of many 

groundwater collectors. Geological structure, together with climate, is the main factor 

of development of numerous plant taxa. 

Inventory of the flora of the Nature Park Učka was held in July 2006 on 18 before 

arranged locations in order to cover the most different habitat types. The aim was to 

collect the preliminary data about floristic biodiversity of the Park. 

During the research 373 different plant taxa from 69 families have been found. The 

most numerous families are Poaceae (9.6%), Fabaceae and Asteraceae (8.6% 

each). The most common life form is hemicryptophyte (49,7%) followed by 

phanerophyta (16.4%), geophyta (12.9%), therophyta (9.7%), chamaephyta (8,9%), 

nanophanerophyta (2.1%) and only one form of hidrophyta. 18 species (EN 1, NT 6, 

VU 4, LC 6, DD 1) from The Croatian Red Book of Vascular Flora (Nikolic, T. & 

Topic, J., eds. 2005) were found. According to the Nature Conservation Law 16 taxa 

are strictly protected and 63 taxa are protected. 

74

P 25 

The genus Onosma in the Alps 

Vladislav Kolarčik 1,2 & Pavol Mártonfi 2 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; vladislav.kolarcik@savba.sk 

2 Institute of Biology and Ecology, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, P. J. 

Šafárik University, Mánesova 23, SK-04154 Košice, Slovak Republic; 

pavol.martonfi@upjs.sk 

In the Alps, the genus Onosma is represented by two groups of taxa with bimodal 

karyotypes: “O. pseudoarenaria“ group (2n=12L + 14S) and “O. arenaria“ group 

(2n=12L + 8S). Individual taxa of the mentioned groups have originated through 

allopolyploidization and are characterized by uncertain morphological differences. 

Evaluation of characters usually used to distinguish individual taxa (type of 

indumentum, shape of leaves, length and width of leaves, margin of anthers and 

branching of stems) are nearly always problematic. Discrepancies in using of their 

names, occurring also due to taxonomic complications, are known in the literature. A 

review of taxonomic concepts and contradictory literature data related to 

nomenclature of individual taxa of the presented groups in the Alps and possible 

solutions of the described problems are given. 

75

P 26 

Phylogeography of Sempervivum montanum 

Grazyna Korbecka 1 , Dominik Roman Letz 2 , Michal Ronikier 1 , Elzbieta Cieslak 1 and 

Intrabiodiv Consortium 

1 Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, PL-31-512, Krakow, 

Poland 


Bratislava, Slovakia 

We analyzed the patterns of genetic variation of Sempervivum montanum 

(Crassulaceae), a European mountain plant species. Our dataset consisted of 

amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data of 118 individuals from 43 

populations in the Alps, the Carpathians and single localities in the south of Europe. 

The analysis of the AFLP profiles resulted in scoring 121 repeatable markers. On 

average, the percentage of polymorphic markers and Nei’s gene diversity were lower 

for the Carpathian populations compared to the Alpine ones. Interestingly, within the 

Alps, Nei’s gene diversity increased with longitude; it was the highest between 13 

and 15 degree, in Eastern Alps. Principal coordinate analysis revealed the highest 

differentiation between the Carpathians and the Alps. More detailed patterns of the 

genetic structure were studied using Bayesian analysis. 

76

P 27 

ENSCONET, the European Native Seed Conservation Network 

Jaromír Kučera 1 , Marek Slovák 1 & Karol Marhold 1,2 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; judita.lihova@savba.sk, karol.marhold@savba.sk & 


Republic 

Ensconet, the European Native Seed Conservation Network, walked its first steps in 

November 2004 after a long preparation process. The network, headed by the 

Millenium Seed Bank (Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew), is composed of 24 institutes 

from 17 European countries and two associate members, covering 9 of 10 major biogeographical 

regions of Europe. It is a Co-ordination Action funded under the 

European Union’s 6 th Framework Programme. The project links to other national and 

European conservation networks and comprises a wealth of seed banking 

experience. Its purpose is the improved quality, coordination and integration of 

European seed conservation practice, policy and reasearch for native plant species, 

and to assist EU conservation policy and its obligations to the Convention on 

Biological Diversity and its Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. 

ENSCONET co-ordinates and enhances activities of several European seed banks, 

botanical gardens or institutes interested in seed conservation, in order to reduce 

duplicated efforts in establishing and improving technologies for seed collecting, 

curation and data management. That is being achieved through creating common 

high standard protocols for collection and curation, compiling data on species held in 

European seed banks. At this moment, a virtual seed bank is being created for 

European native plants. The 24 partners are establishing priority species lists for new 

seed collection in each of the 9 bio-geographical regions. ENSCONET’s perspective 

is that it is essential to preserve seed diversity in order to avoid the extinction of 

native species from European regions. ENSCONET work is organised in four main 

activities: collection, curation, data management and dissemination. The 

dissemination activity group communicates with the general public, decision makers 

and research colleagues. It will achieve over the years a better public understanding 

of seed banking and of the importance of seed banking of native plants. 

77

P 28 

Cytological studies on some members of Monochlamydeae from 

Patiala and adjoining areas 

V.K.Sinohal, M.K.Sidhu and Puneet Kumar* 

Department of Botany, Punjabi University, Patiala-147002, India 

*puneetbotcyto@gmail.com 

The present detailed meiotic studies pertain to 25 species grouped under 18 genera 

belonging to eight families of Monochlamydeae from Patiala and adjoining areas. Out 

of these, 15 are herbs and the remaining are trees and shrubs. The chromosome 

counts for nine species, Boerhaavia diffusa (2n=4x=52), Aerva scandens 

(2n=2x=16), Chenopodium album (2n=4x=36), C. ambrosoides (2n=4x=32), Rumex 

hastatus (2n=2x=18) Cinnamomum camphora (2n=2x=24), Aleurites moluccana 

(2n=2x=22), Codiaeum variegatum (2n=6x=72) and Jatropha panduraefolia 

(2n=2x=22) have been studied for the first time from North West India. In spite of 

abnormalities in disjunction of 1-2 bivalents in some PMCs which have led to the 

formation of laggards during anaphases/telophases in Debregeasia hypoleuca 

(2n=28) and Rumex dentatus (2n=20), microsporogenesis is perfectly normal 

resulting to very high pollen fertility. Cytomixis, involving inter PMC transfer of 

chromatin has been reported to be present in Rumex hastatus (2n=18) and 

Euphorbia royleana (2n=120). In these species, cytomixis does not seem to affect the 

meiotic course as pollen fertility is found to be very high. In rest of the species meiotic 

course is normal and results into high pollen viability. Intraspecific chromosomal 

variations are present in several currently investigated species like, Boerhaavia 

diffusa (2n=26, 52), Bougainvillea glabra (2n=20, 34), Achyranthus aspera (2n=14, 

21, 36, 42, 84), Aerva scandens (2n=16, 36, 52), Amaranthus spinosus (2n=32, 34), 

Chenopodium album (2n=18, 36, 42, 54), C. ambrosoides (2n=16, 32, 36, 64), 

Aleurites moluccana (2n=22,44), Codiaeum variegatum (2n=24, 48, 72, 80, 84, 90, 

96, 100, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 72), Euphorbia helioscopia (2n=12,42,) E. hirta 

(2n=12, 18, 20), E. pulcherrima (2n=21, 26, 28, 30, 42, 44, 56), E. royleana 

(2n=120+0-2B,120) and Cannabis sativa (2n=20, 40, 80). It suggests therefore, that 

there is a need to reinvestigate these species also from other areas. 

78

P 29 

Differentiaton of Salix herbacea and S. reticulata (Salicaceae) 

populations in Europe 

Katarzyna Marcysiak, Amelia Lewandowska 

Department of Botany, Institute of Environmental Biology, Kazimierz Wielki 

University, Ossolinskich 12, 85-072 Bydgoszcz, Poland; marc@ukw.edu.pl 

Salix reticulata and Salix herbacea are examples of arctic-alpine plants, with 

disjunction in their ranges since the end of the last glaciation. The aim of the present 

work is to answer the question whether this period has been sufficient for 

morphological differentiation between contemporary isolated populations to occur. 

Six populations of Salix reticulata and 7 of S. herbacea from the Tatra Mountains, the 

western part of the Scandinavian Mountains, the Western Alps and the Pyrenees 

were examined. For each population 10 leaves of at least 30 specimens, at least 3 m 

distant from each other, to avoid sampling the same genets, were collected. 

Similar leaves’ characters of the two different species were the most and the least 

varied. The calculated features were more stable than the measured ones, which 

may have resulted from the influence of the growth conditions on the size of leaves. 

For that reason, comparisons among populations were made using calculated traits 

only. Several leaf traits of S. herbacea were statistically significantly correlated to 

longitude. 

Among the S. reticulata populations, one of the samples from the Pyrenees and one 

from the Tatra Mountains were the most different ones. Other samples were more 

similar. The samples of S. herbacea from Norway and the Pyrenees were similar. 

The population from the Western Alps was more distant, whereas the one from the 

Tatra Mountains was very different. 

The observed differentiation may have been caused by postglacial isolation between 

populations. The obtained results may indicate a migration way from the Iberian 

Peninsula to Scandinavia. The Tatra populations probably have been isolated for a 

longer period. 

79

P 30 

Cytoplasm and nuclear ribosomal DNA evidence reveal a 

differentiated Southern Iberian lineage of wild trumpets (Narcissus 

sect. Pseudonarcissus) 

Isabel Marques 1 , Gonzalo Nieto Feliner 2 , Amélia Martins-Loução 1 & Javier Fuertes 

Aguilar 2 

1 Jardim Botânico, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Escola Poltécnica 58, 1200 Lisboa, 

Portugal; icmarques@fc.ul.pt & 2 Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 

28014 Madrid, España 

Narcissus section Pseudonarcissus, horticulturally known as trumpet daffodils, 

includes 6 to 28 species (depending on authors) endemic to Europe, with its largest 

diversity concentrated in the Iberian Peninsula. As part of a wider study aiming to 

reconstruct the phylogeny of Narcissus, we present here the results concerning this 

section based on two chloroplasts and one nuclear marker. 

Phylogenetic analyses based on parsimony and Bayesian methods, reticulation 

networks like TCS, and splits decomposition were used to reconstruct the 

relationships among the analysed species. Chromosome numbers and karyological 

features were also considered. 

Our results reveal two major lineages in maternally inherited phylogenies, one of 

them geographically associated with Southern Iberian Mountains. The nuclear 

ribosomal data also indicates isolation of Southern Iberian taxa from the remaining 

representatives of the section although the position of one of the Southern Iberian 

species, N. bujei, switches in the two phylogenies. The possible causes for such 

incongruent pattern, probably including reticulation, are discussed since it is not 

directly linked to any morphological, ecological or karyological trait. 

80

P 31 

Mediterranean mountains: plant biodiversity and phylogeographical 

hotspots 

Katia Diadema 1, 2 & Frédéric Médail 1 

1 

Institut Méditerranéen d’Ecologie et de Paléoécologie (IMEP, UMR CNRS 6116) 

Université Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille III, Europôle méditerranéen de l’Arbois, B.P. 

80, F-13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 04, France 

katia.diadema@univ-cezanne.fr, f.medail@univ-cezanne.fr 

2 Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen de Porquerolles, Castel Ste-Claire, rue 

Ste-Claire, F-83418 Hyères cedex, France 

With ca. 30,000 plants, the Mediterranean Basin constitutes one of the world's major 

hotspots for plant biodiversity. Within this region, Mediterranean mountains are 

particularly interesting due to their high plant diversity and endemism. Diverse 

palaeogeographical and historical and episodes, long term human influence and 

current geographical and climatic contrasts play a key role in the biogeographical 

originality of these mountains. Recent phylogeographical studies have indeed 

underlined the contrasted role of South European mountains during the drastic 

climatic cycles of the Tertiary and Quaternary. They have both allowed the 

persistence or the differentiation of several local plant lineages, since mountain 

ranges have acted as barrier or refugia. 

We examine here the spatial congruence between the distribution of refugia and the 

location of endemic centres, both at the Mediterranean Basin scale and at a finer 

scale scale, the Maritime Alps. The objective is to estimate the putative importance of 

Mediterranean mountains for the future of plant biodiversity, within the perspective of 

global change. 

With a total of 33 mountainous refugia of the 52 identified in the Mediterranean 

Basin, the role played by Mediterranean mountains, including large mountainous 

islands, is confirmed both in the northern and the southern part of the region. We 

found also a strong biogeographical congruence between the identified refugia and 

the major biodiversity areas of the Mediterranean region: regional hotspots of plant 

biodiversity are mainly situated on mountains which often shared level of rangerestricted 

endemics > 10%. At a finer scale, comparisons between the distribution of 

putative refugia and endemic centres of the Maritime Alps, exhibit similar spatial 

patterns. 

Therefore, Mediterranean mountains constitute significant areas for the local 

persistence of plants and a reservoir of unique genetic diversity favourable to the 

evolutionary processes of Mediterranean plant species. Thus, these mountains could 

play a crucial role in mitigating the putative extinction of species linked to climate 

change. Our results emphasize the critical importance of Mediterranean mountains 

for regional planning of conservation biogeography of this highly threatened 

ecoregion. 

81

P32 

The karyology of some high-mountain Euphrasia species 

Lenka Mártonfiová 1 & Vlastimil Mikoláš 2 

1 Botanical Garden, P. J. Šafárik University, Mánesova 23, SK-043 52 Košice, 

Slovakia, lenka.martonfiova@upjs.sk 

2 Hanojská 4, SK-04013 Košice, Slovakia, sorbusaria@azet.sk 

The genus Euphrasia consists of many microspecies in Europe. Rapid evolution of 

the genus Euphrasia subg. Euphrasia is connected with pleistocene and 

development of many taxa growing in strict ecological conditions. In European alpine 

mountains probably autogamous small-flowered taxa evolved as a consequence of 

insufficiency of insect pollinators in alpine environment. In Europe and Slovakia two 

ploidy levels developed: diploids and tetraploids. Many taxa of Euphrasia evolved 

probably after hybridization events in connection with climatic oscillations in 

pleistocene. High variability of tetraploids is probably connected with their hybrid 

polytopic origin. In Slovakia only few data are available on the karyology of Euphrasia 

species. Only E. tatrae Wettst. was studied carefully. This species is diploid one and 

it is one of 3 diploid species of the ser. Latifoliae Pugsley s. Juzepczuk 1955 in 

European mountains. Another taxa are represented by E. inopinnata Ehrend. et Vitek 

and E. sinuata Vitek et Ehrend. E. exaristata Smejkal was described from Western 

Tatra Mts. The morphological analyses and a new chromosomal count (2n = 22) are 

in agreement with the hypothesis on its hybrid origin. New counts for E.officinalis L. 

subsp. kerneri (Wettst.) Eb. Fisch. also confirm the hypothesis that E. exaristata 

evolved from hybrid of this taxon with E. tatrae. As a relatively small-flowered species 

E. exaristata evolved populations especially in areas located between E. tatrae and 

E.officinalis subsp. kerneri. As it was observed, incidental hybridization causes the 

occurrence of occasional back hybrids with both parental species. This phenomen 

need another research, especially with the use of molecular methods and also 

observation of insect behavior on flowers of Euphrasia species in selected localities. 

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Historical-geographical background of endemism of Aconitum in 

Central Europe 

Józef Mitka 

Jagiellonian University, Institute of Botany, Botanical Garden, Kopernika 27, 31-501 

Kraków, Poland; j.mitka@uj.edu.pl 

The Carpathian and Sudetic Mountains are important centers of endemism of the 

genus Aconitum in Central Europe. Among 25 taxa (species and subspecies) 

growing in this area 29% are the Western, 25% Eastern/Southern Carpathian, 17% 

Carpathian endemics and subendemics; 12% are of the Balkan-Alpine-Carpathian 

range type. The remaining 16% of taxa are the Sudetic-Hercynian and Carpathian- 

Sudetic elements (Mitka 2003). One of the mechanism of endemism is evolutionary 

migration or geographical vicarism. An example is A. degenii. It is a montane species 

occurring in two geographic centers, circumscribed in the rank of subspecies. Typical 

subsp. degenii occurs in the Southern/Eastern Carpathians, and subsp. paniculatum 

in the Alps and north-western part of the Balcans (Slovenia, Bosnia and 

Hercegovina). The other important mechanism contributing to high endemism of 

Aconitum is secondary contact. A. firmum subsp. moravicum, the Western- 

Carpathian endemic, probably originated in effect of the Carpathian A. firmum and 

Sudetic A. plicatum hybridization. Both are high-mountain species. This putative 

hybrid might have originated in an area adjoing to the Moravian Gate during one of 

the Quaternary pleniglacials when alpine vegetation descended to the foothills and 

came to the contact. The most intriguing among Aconitum in Central Europe is A. 

firmum subsp. maninese. It occurs only in two localities: in the Strážovské vrchy Mts 

in Slovakia and the Tatras. Rather unusual trait in the sectio Aconitum, i.e. glandular 

hair on indumentum, closes it to the Balcanic A. divergens (=A. pentheri) and 

endemic to the Maritime Alps A. burnatii. Further molecular DNA and cytogenetic 

studies are needed to circumscribe A. maninese in the proper taxonomic and 

evolutionary context. 

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P 34 

Phylogeography and evolution of Gentiana verna s.l. 

(Gentianaceae) 

Karin Moosbrugger, Hans-Peter Comes & Andreas Tribsch 

AG Ecology and Diversity of Plants, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 

5020 Salzburg, Austria; Karin.Moosbrugger@sbg.ac.at 

The Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna) is a perennial herb frequently occurring in 

montane and alpine grasslands throughout the European mountain ranges. 

Geographically disjunct are populations located in Ireland, Scotland and in the 

Northern Ural region. From Turkey eastwards G. verna is replaced by Gentiana 

angulosa in the Caucausus and by Gentiana uniflora from the Tienshan over the Altai 

to the Baikal region. 

The present study aims to elucidate the evolutionary history and phylogeographical 

patterns of Gentiana verna by applying AFLP fingerprinting (Amplified fragment 

length polymorphism). Of special interest is the biogeographical origin of the isolated 

British and Ural populations and the degree of their genetic divergence from 

populations of the Central Europe. The sampling covers the entire distributional 

range of the species group (including Asian populations of G. angulosa and G. 

uniflora). A number of 380 samples originating from 54 populations are examined. 

As hybridization and introgression might blur phylogeographic patterns, further 

investigations are addressing potential gene flow between G. verna and the closely 

related and sympatrically distributed taxa G. brachyphylla and G. orbicularis. Being 

morphologically similar these species differ regarding their edaphic requirements. 

G. orbicularis requires calcareous substrate whereas G. brachyphylla is confined to 

siliceous soils. 

At three mixed stands within the Austrian Alps (Hohe Tauern, Stubaier Alpen) leaf 

material of 10 individuals per species was collected. First AFLP analyses proved the 

presence of hybrid individuals (G. verna x G. brachyphylla, G. verna x G. orbicularis) 

evidencing the potential of gene flow among these species. 

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P 35 

Studies of seed morphological characters in 17 Iranian Euphorbia 

(Euphorbiaceae) species 

Mitra Noori 1 , Abdolkarim Chehregany 2 & Mahdi Kaveh 3 

1 University of Arak, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Arak, Iran 

2 Bu-Ali sina University, Department of Biology, Hamadan, Iran 

3 Islamic Azad University, Brojerd Unit, Biology Department, Brojerd, Iran 

Seed morphology is characters sets used to assess the relationships among Iranian 

species of the genus Euphorbia. Euphorbia is one of the largest genera in 

Euphorbiaceae with more than 2000 species in the world and about 100 species in 

Iran. Some macro and micro-morphological characters of seeds such as existing and 

durability of caroncule, seed size, shape, colour, chemical compounds and dorsal 

and ventral surface decoration seed have important role in seed dispersion and can 

be useful for taxonomists. 35 seed quantitative and qualitative characters of 17 

collected Euphorbia species from different part of Markazi Province (central of Iran) 

were studied. Voucher specimens of each sample were prepared for references as 

herbarium vouchers. The morphology of the seeds was studied using a zoom 

binocular light microscope and scanning electron microscopy. Photomicrographs 

were taken under different magnification. A number of macroscopic characters were 

also scored. The key summarized these data. Macro- and micro-morphological 

studies of the Iranian Euphorbia species seeds showed some characters may 

support the identification of the species and their varieties. 

85

P 36 

Morphological and karyological variation of the Cyanus triumfettii 

group (Asteraceae) in the Western Carpathians 

Katarína Olšavská 1,2 , Marián Perný 1,2 & Iva Hodálová 1 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; katarina.olsavska@savba.sk, marian.perny@savba.sk & 

iva.hodalova@savba.sk 

2 Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, SK-974 01, 

Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic 

The Cyanus triumfettii group is distributed from Syria across Europe to Morocco and, 

according to various taxonomic concepts, comprises from three to twelve species 

along with other infraspecific taxa recognized within them. Taxonomy of this group 

remains unsettled due to its pronounced morphological variation including 

morphologically intermediate populations and a considerable intra-population 

variability. Four taxa, classified as species, subspecies or varieties, are reported from 

the Western Carpathians: C. triumfettii subsp. axillaris, C. t. subsp. dominii, C. t. 

subsp. strictus and C. t. subsp. triumfettii. To identify the taxonomic position of the 

Western Carpathian populations from the C. triumfettii group, karyological and 

morphological variation of 47 populations from this area was studied. Analysed 

material was completed with populations from the type localities of all abovementioned 

subspecies. 

Chromosome counting and flow cytometric analyses confirmed diploid level for all 

analysed populations; however, some differences in nuclear DNA content were 

detected. Multivariate morphometric analyses revealed that C. triumfettii subsp. 

triumfettii does not occur in the Western Carpathians and showed complex 

morphological variation of C. triumfettii subsp. axillaris, C. t. subsp. dominii and C. t. 

subsp. strictus in this region. Additional data will be gathered to classify various 

morphotypes within the C. triumfettii group distinguished by presented morphometric 

analyses; therefore a need for further taxonomic study is emphasized. 

86

P 37 

Morphological traits in Dianthus gelidus from the Romanian 

Carpathians – comparison with D. glacialis from the Tatry 

Mountains 

Marilena Onete 1 , Virgil Iordache 2 , Rodica Blându 1 , Anca Păunescu 1 

1 Institute of Biology, Romanian Academy, Spl. Independentei 296, 060031, Sector 6, 

Bucharest, Romania; m_onete@yahoo.com 

2 Department of Systems Ecology, University of Bucharest, Spl Independentei 91-95 

050089, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania; virgil.iordache@g.unibuc.ro 

Analyzing literature and herbaria focused on distribution and taxonomy of Dianthus 

gelidus and D. glacialis in the Carpathians, we have found uncertainties regarding 

distributional and taxonomical data. Following field sampling, we realized 

morphological measurement on D. glacialis from the Tatry Mountains (Poland and 

Slovakia), D. gelidus from the Bucegi Massif and D. callizonus from the Piatra 

Craiului Massif as already known taxa. Differential characters (quantitative and 

qualitative) among species were analysed using ANOVA. The statistical analysis 

show that there are high meaningful differences between the Tatry and Bucegi 

regarding length and width of calyx, internal and external epicalyx-scales, length and 

width of seeds, derma of leaves, etc. There is also high geographical difference of 

the three species, which imply that the taxon which lives in the Bucegi is different 

from the taxon living in the Tatry and both from taxon living in the Piatra Craiului. 

Stems length, internodes’ number, leaves length and width; all depend on the 

integrative plant associations and altitude. 

The morphological measurements of Bucegi and Tatry taxa, reveals that not all the 

studied parameters overlap (as is stipulated in the literature), demonstrating high 

differences between D. glacialis and D. gelidus belonging to populations from the 

Tatry and Bucegi, which imply that in the Tatry and Bucegi there are two separated 

species, at least in studied populations. 

87

P 38 

Evolutionary relations of Linum species in the flora of Ukraine 

Olga Optasyuk 

M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 

2 Tereshchenkivska St., Kyiv, Ukraine; linum@ukr.net 

Genus Linum L. of the flora of Ukraine amounts 23 species which belong to 8 

sections (Optasyuk, 2007). Pecularities of historical development of the genus 

Linum, evolutional and phylogenetic relations and ways of speciation are discussed, 

based on the original results biomorphological, macro- and micromorphological 

research, the geographical and ecological-coenotic analysis, summary of molecular 

and cytogenetic data. Ancestral form of Protolinum is at the base of evolutional 

scheme of Linum, closely related with sections of Adenolinum, Linum and Syllinum. 

Monotypic section Cathartolinum is the evolutionally youngest section. Sections 

Linopsis, Dichrolinum, Tubilinum and Dasylinum occupy intermediate isolated 

position. Specialization within the genus occurred in different ways: polyploidy played 

a significant role in the evolution of groups with different chromosome numbers, and 

species isolation within groups occured due to chromosomes reconstruction. In the 

genus 3 parallel evolutional branches are clearly оbserved: blue-flowered, yellowflowered 

and white-flowered. Section Adenolinum (n=9) is basal for blue-flowered 

linums (sect. Adenolinum, Linum, Dasylinum, Dichrolinum). Further evolution of the 

section goes in two directions: evolution of homostyled forms (subsect. Linum) from 

heterostyled (sect. Adenolinum or subsect. Nervosa) and doubling of chromosomes 

number. Further evolutional changes in the genus probably come through polyploidy 

and aneuploidy. Section Syllinum is basal for yellow-flowered linums (sect. Syllinum, 

Linopsis, Tubilinum). Evolutional processes within this group went in two directions: 

formation of Suffruticulae branch (edaphic specialized suffruticulus) and Flava 

branch (herbaceous policarpics). Polyploidy in L. flavum indicates intensive 

speciation processes within the series, confirmed by the hybridizations between 

some species of series Suffruticulae. In general, our results correlate with molecular 

data (McDill, 2004, 2005). 

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P 39 

Origin and evolution of agamospermic Potentilla species 

(Rosaceae) in Central Europe 

Juraj Paule 1 & Christoph Dobeš 2 

1 University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg Institute of Plant Science, Department of Plant 

Systematics and Biodiversity, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, 

Germany; jpaule@hip.uni-heidelberg.de 

2 Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 

Wien, Austria; christoph.dobes@univie.ac.at 

The aggregates of Potentilla verna and P. argentea are both agamospermic species 

complexes of overlapping geographic distribution, which integrate into each other by 

extensive hybridisation. Hybrid populations are found in a multitude of isolated places 

throughout Europe and are currently treated as species within the Potentilla collina 

agg (Collinae sensu Th. Wolf). Chloroplast DNA sequence polymorphisms within the 

putative paternal aggregates but also within other related taxa were analysed in order 

to identify those parental evolutionary lineages which gave rise to P. collina forms. In 

a first phase of the project, we have focused on the origin of Potentilla alpicola De la 

Soie, a member of the Collinae, in Southern Tyrol and adjacent areas. In this study 

on hybrid speciation we assessed the question whether P. alpicola populations are of 

single or multiple origin and whether they have been established by a uniform 

evolutionary process or if a more complex scenario of evolution applies. For that 

purpose cpDNA, morphological and cytological data were combined. 

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P 40 

Karyological variation of the Phleum pratense group (Poaceae) in 

Europe 

Marián Perný 1,2 , Lenka Mártonfiová 3 & Pavol Mártonfi 4 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; marian.perny@savba.sk 

2 Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, SK-974 01, 

Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic 

3 Botanical Garden & 

4 Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology and Ecology, 

Department of Botany, P. J. Šafárik University, Mánesova 23, SK-041 54 Košice, 

Slovak Republic; lenka.martonfiova@upjs.sk & pavol.martonfi@upjs.sk 

Flow cytometric analyses and chromosome counting revealed complex karyological 

variation within the Phleum pratense group in Europe. Analyses of 157 natural 

populations from the Apennine Peninsula, Alps, Carpathians with adjacent part of 

Pannonia, and Scandinavia detected four ploidy levels within the group. Hexaploid 

cytotype (2n = 6x = 42) is the most common, occurring in 152 populations. It often cooccurs 

with diploids (2n = 2x = 14) in the Carpathians, Pannonia and Sweden. 

Detailed sampling in the Carpathians showed that most mixed populations occur in 

the Western Carpathians (26), while in the Eastern Carpathians mixed populations 

are much rarer, with three populations in Ukraine and one in Romania. In the 

Southern Carpathians, only hexaploids were found. Rare triploid plant (2n = 3x = 21) 

was found in a mixed population with hexaploids and diploids in Switzerland. 

Occurrence of tetraploid P. pratense (2n = 4x = 28) was confirmed on three localities 

in the Apennine Peninsula. Conventional taxonomic concept of the two species, 

diploid P. bertolonii and hexaploid P. pratense, is followed in spite of their sympatric 

occurrence. Triploids and tetraploids are provisionally classified as P. pratense. 

Distribution maps based on chromosome number data from previous studies and on 

ploidy level estimates are presented. The pattern of distribution of the cytotypes and 

taxa in Europe is discussed. 

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P 41 

Modeling reticulate evolution 

Anna Petri 1 , Martin Lott 2 , Vincent Moulton 2 , Katharina Huber 2 , Bengt Oxelman 1 

1 Dept. of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Göteborg University, Göteborg, 

Sweden; anna.petri@dpes.gu.se 

2 School of Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom 

Allopolyploidy is a well known speciation mechanism in plants, but up until now there 

has been no formal way to visualize the formation of these. We are developing a 

method in which a number of multilabelled single-gene phylogenies are transformed 

into a single multilabelled genome tree, which is subsequently transformed into a 

species network. It works by a greedy consensus algorithm so that it can deal with 

missing data and unresolved trees, and it discriminates single-gene duplications from 

whole-genome duplications. The resulting network aids in formulating an hypothesis 

concerning the evolutionary relationships of hybrids and their parental taxa. We have 

implemented our new method within the open-source PADRE software tool, a new 

version of which will be released in the near future. 

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P 42 

Chromosome studies on the Poaceae of Russia: present and future 

Nina S. Probatova 

Institute of Biology & Soil Science, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of 

Sciences, 159 Stoletia Prospect, 690022, Vladivostok, Russia; 

probatova@ibss.dvo.ru 

Chromosome number (CN) is particularly important for the taxonomy of Poaceae. 

The CNs of Poaceae are the most studied not only in Russia but also in the world. 

They have been the subject of our study since 1968, in collaboration with an 

outstanding Russian caryo-geographer, A.P. Sokolovskaya, and these studies 

continue to the present day. We focused on the caryosystematics and the evolution 

of the largest Poaceae genus Poa, as well as Glyceria, Agrostis, in the Russian Far 

East, and some of the Poaceae groups in the flora of the former USSR including: 

Calamagrostis, Alopecurus, Milium, Holcus, Colpodium s. ampl., Trisetum, Koeleria, 

Festuca, Arctopoa, etc. In total, our studies on CN involve representatives from more 

than 130 Poaceae genera. During our work, we have produced the first data on the 

CN of a unique endemic grass genus in Russia – Limnas, discovered the second 

known species with the minimal CN of 2n = 4 – Colpodium versicolor (in Caucasus), 

revealed the minimal CNs for Catabrosa, Catabrosella (2n = 10), Trisetum (2n = 12), 

and discovered the highest CN – in Milium (2n = 42). A rare occurrence for a 

Poaceae species, polybasic status within one species, was confirmed in Milium 

vernale s.l. (2n = 8, 10, 14, 18 (x = 4, 5, 7, 9). Additionally, the main trends of CN 

evolution within two large groups – Aveneae and Poeae -- were delineated. Our 

research group is currently working on a project entitled “Chromosome numbers of 

Poaceae in Russia and adjacent territories: diversity, caryotaxonomy, 

phytogeography, evolution”, with the aim of making a complete listing of Poaceae CN 

and analyzing the accumulated data obtained from 40 years of study. As a part of 

this study, a list of CNs in Poaceae from the Russian Far East is published. This work 

is financed by the Russian Fund for Basic Research (RFBR), project 07-04-00610 

92

P 43 

Biosystematic study on Oxytropis sect. Mesogaea in Iran 

Massoud Ranjbar, Soheila Bayat & Roya Karamian 

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, P.O.Box 

65175/4161, Hamedan, Iran; ranjbar@basu.ac.ir 

Oxytropis DC. is a genus belonging to the tribe Astragaleae of Papilionoideae in the 

Fabaceae, comprises about 300 species occurring in cold mountainous regions of 

Europe, Asia, and North America, and is most numerous in Central Asia. Oxytropis 

sect. Mesogaea one of the richest in species within the subgenus Oxytropis, includes 

19 species within Flora Iranica. It is one of the difficult sections with respect to 

taxonomy, and probably by having often blue flower, basfixed hairs has given rise to 

the sections belong to Astragalus subgen. Hypoglottis. In this research, the main 

focus was on systematic investigation using morphometry, pollen micromorphology 

and seed morphology. Morphometric study on the species was carried out using 

more than 50 qualitative and quantitative characters. Pollen morpholgy was carried 

out by light microscopy after acetolysis procedure. For each taxon, 25 pollen grains 

were measured for polar and equatorial diameters, thickness of the wall at the poles 

and equator, length and width of colpus, mesocolpium, apocolpium and shape index. 

All of data were analysed by MVSP software and the relationships between species 

were studied. Also seed morphology of the species was studied by scanning electron 

microscopy. Based on qualitative characters of seed shape and testa ornamentation, 

three types are recognized. 

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P 44 

Phylogeny of the genus Lasiocephalus (Asteraceae) – colonization 

of the equatorial páramo 

Eva Rejzková 1 , Tomáš Fér 1 , Petr Sklenář 1 , Jan Suda 1,2 , Karol Marhold 1,3 

1 Department of Botany, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01 Praha, Czech 

Republic; jezanek@centrum.cz, tomas.fer@centrum.cz, petr@natur.cuni.cz, 

suda@natur.cuni.cz 

2 Institute of Botany,Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Průhonice 1, 

CZ-252 43 Praha, Czech Republic 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; karol.marhold@savba.sk 

The neotropical genus Lasiocephalus Willd. ex Schltdl. (Asteraceae) consists of 

approx. 30 species inhabiting a range of vegetation types, from montane forests to 

the high páramo, in the Andes (from Venezuela to Bolivia). Two main growth forms 

can be recognized in the genus, i. e., the broad-leaved suffrutescent climbers of 

montane forests and the narrow-leaved ascending subshrubs of the páramo. These 

growth forms plausibly reflect an adaptive variation during the colonization of the 

páramo habitats. Our study aims at: (i) the inference of the evolutionary history of the 

genus, (ii) the assessment of relationships among the species, (iii) the reconstruction 

of the mode of colonization of the páramo habitats, and (iv) the interpretation of the 

ecological traits and geographical distribution of the species in the context of climatic 

chances during the Pleistocene. To elucidate these tasks, we employ molecular 

approaches (i.e., sequencing of chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers and AFLP) 

and DNA flow cytometry. 

Preliminary results based on the analyses of eight species collected in Ecuador and 

Venezuela showed only minor interspecific differences in three chloroplast 

non-coding DNA regions. ITS region provided more variable characters, suggesting a 

higher value of this marker for resolving phylogenetic relationships. Genome 

duplication may play an important role in the evolution of the genus as indicated by 

flow cytometric data. Ploidy heterogeneity (diploid and triploid cytotypes) was found 

in two species (L. ovatus and L. lingulatus). While most species showed a stability in 

nuclear DNA content, two different genome size variants were revealed in L. patens 

from Ecuador. 

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P 45 

Phytogeographical relationships of Mediterranean mountains 

Ian Richardson 

Department of Botany, University of Reading, UK. 

A chorological analysis of montane species, reflecting geomorphological and 

climatological history, as well as suggesting areas, both geographical and taxonomic, 

where biosystematic studies might be rewarding. 

95

P 46 

Impact of exotic species in native mountain communities of Cape 

Verde Islands (Macaronesian region) 

Maria Romeiras 1,2 , Violante Medeiros 2 , Cláudia Fernandes 1 & Cristina Duarte 1 

1 Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Travessa Conde da Ribeira 9, 1300-142 

Lisboa, Portugal; 2 Instituto de Ciência Aplicada e Tecnologia, FCUL, Campo Grande, 

1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; mariaromeiras@net.sapo.pt, 

violante_medeiros@yahoo.com, claudiaf_cv@hotmail.com & mcduarte@iict.pt 

Exotic species, introduced deliberately or accidentally by man, are one of the main 

threats to the preservation of the islands' biodiversity. In Cape Verde Islands 

(Macaronesian Region: North-eastern Atlantic Ocean) the situation has deteriorated 

rapidly in the past few years and the ecological degradation of mountain regions, 

where most of the endemic species occur, is of special concern. Research is needed 

to understand their ecology and impacts, and develop and test methods to control the 

invasive plants. To address this predominant problem, the overall strategy may 

comprise two components: (1) dealing with exotic species already present in the 

islands, and (2) prevention of further plant introductions. For this purpose, a 

taxonomical review of naturalized nonindigenous species is performed. For the Cape 

Verde mountain islands (Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Santiago, Fogo and 

Brava Islands) provisional numbers suggest that, from a total of 93 angiosperm 

families, 66 have exotic representatives, namely: 58 Dicotyledons (306 species) and 

8 Monocotyledons (83 species). The largest families, with more than 15 exotic 

species, are Asteraceae, Leguminosae, Solanaceae, Euphorbiaceae, 

Amaranthaceae and Poaceae. The genera contributing with more than 5 exotic taxa 

are Amaranthus, Ipomoea, Solanum, Chamaesyce, Indigofera (Dicotyledons) and 

Cyperus, Bromus, Eragrostis, Digitaria (Monocotyledons). Lantana camara and 

Furcraea foetida are amongst the strongest present day invaders of some mountain 

Cape Verde habitats. The results will contribute to a first insight of the invasion 

phenomena in native mountain communities of Cape Verde Islands and aim to 

contribute to conservation management plans. 

96

P 47 

Systematics of Lachemilla (Rosaceae) in the High Andes 

Katya Romoleroux 

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, 

Herbario QCA, 12 de Octubre y Roca, 172184, Quito, Ecuador; 

kromoleroux@puce.edu.ec 

Lachemilla (Rosaceae) is a group of approximately 80 morphologically variable herbs 

and shrubs. They are distributed between 2200 and 5000 m altitude, in the western 

mountains of the Neotropics from Southern Mexico to Northern Chile and Argentina, 

and one species is found in the Dominican Republic. About 60% of species are found 

in the Northern Andes of South America from Venezuela to Bolivia, above 3000 m, 

which suggests that the elevation of the Andes was important for the evolution and 

diversification of this taxa. 

In Ecuador, 25 species of Lachemilla have been recorded, four are endemics and 

one is a new species. These species are distributed between 3000 and 5000 m. Most 

of the species are found in páramos, especially in bunch grass páramo where 15 

species have been recorded. Other species occur in cushion and desert páramo, and 

some are confined to wet páramo; few species are growing in forested regions. Some 

of the species considered more primitive occur mainly in desert páramo, while the 

most specialized species are usually found in wet páramo and swamps. 

Lachemilla has traditionally subdivided into 6 sections or series based on their growth 

form, leaf characteristics and inflorescence structure. Together with other botanists 

we have begin molecular studies based on the analysis of chloroplast and nuclear 

regions to test the traditional classifications and subdivisions. The preliminary results 

we have obtained partly coincide with the morphological data and proposed 

subdivisions. 

Lachemilla was first described as a section of Alchemilla, later it was considered as a 

different genus based mainly on the geographical distribution of the genera, and the 

number and position of stamens. Nevertheless, our first molecular phylogenetic 

studies including species of Lachemilla, Alchemilla and Aphanes suggest that these 

three taxa are very close and could be treated as one genus in the future. 

97

P 48 

Reconstructing the history of Campanulaceae s. str. with a 

Bayesian approach to molecular dating and dispersal-vicariance 

analysis 

Cristina Roquet 1 , Isabel Sanmartín ,2 , Niklas Wikström ,3 , Llorenç Sáez ,4 , Núria 

García-Jacas ,1 , Juan José Aldasoro. 2 

1 Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del migdia s/n, E-08038 

Barcelona, Spain; cristina.roquet@gmail.com; 2 Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, 

Plaza de Murillo 2, E-28014 Madrid, Spain; 3 Evolutionsbiologiskt centrum, University 

of Uppsala, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; & 4 Unitat de Botànica, 

Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain. 

Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Campanula is not monophyletic, and 

that many satellite genera are nested within it. In this study, we attempted to 

reconstruct the past in terms of ancestral areas and divergence episodes of these 

genera, in order to increase the understanding of the evolution of this group of plants. 

We explored the spatial and temporal evolution of the Campanulaceae s. str., and of 

the Campanula alliance in particular, by applying a Bayesian approach to molecular 

dating and dispersal-vicariance analysis that takes into account phylogenetic 

uncertainty. To better resolve relationships among major groups (Wahlenbergieae- 

Campanuleae) with respect to Campanula, we have sequenced the rbcL-conserved 

region including taxa of some major lineages within Platycodoneae and 

Wahlenbergieae. Dating and biogeographic analyses were applied to the new rbcL 

data and to the trnL-F data obtained in a previous study. The results obtained 

suggest that Western Asia and Eastern Mediterranean seem to have played an 

important role as centers of migration and diversification of the Campanula core. The 

biogeographical history of this genus seems to be highly complex. Rates of species 

diversification of Campanula seem to have increased during the Messinian period. 

Strong selective pressures from the climate changes and the expansion of 

mountainous regions during this period are suggested to explain the fact that many 

species of Campanula are adapted to drought, cold or disturbed environments. 

98

P 49 

Genetic variation in natural populations of Arabidopsis halleri 

(Brassicaceae) in Carpathians, Sudetes and upland regions of 

southern Poland 

Paweł Wąsowicz 1 , Alicja Kostecka 2,3 , Pierre Saumitou-Laprade 3 , Krystyna 

Grodzińska 2 & Adam Rostański 1 

1 Department of Plant Systematics, Faculty of Biology and Evironmental Protection, 

University of Silesia, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland, 

pawasowicz@gmail.com; 2 Department of Plant Ecology, W. Szafer Institute of 

Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków, Poland; 

3 Laboratoire de Génétique et Evolution des Populationes Végétales, UMR CNRS 

8016, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Bâtiment SN2, F-59655 

Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France 

Arabidopsis halleri is a central European, mountain species from Brassicaceae 

family. It possesses interesting and rare abilities to grow in environment highly 

polluted with heavy metals. As A. halleri is closely related to A. thaliana it is 

considered as emerging model species in research on tolerance and accumulation of 

heavy metals in higher plants. In southern regions of Poland A. halleri occurs in wide 

variety of habitats from mountain meadows and rocky slopes in the Tatra Mts. and 

Sudetes to highly polluted areas surrounding smelters and mines in Silesia. The area 

is particularly important in terms of research activities as here metallicolous (M) and 

non-metallicolous (NM) populations of A. halleri occur within relatively short 

distances. We undertook research on genetic variation in natural populations of A. 

halleri from this interesting area in order to understand more accurately general 

pattern of genetic variation observed in other parts of Europe. Research was carried 

out on 24 populations located in the Tatra Mts., Sudetes as well as in upland regions 

of southern Poland. To accomplish our research we employed chloroplast DNA 

(cpDNA) PCR-RFLP analysis (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) and 

SNaPshot (Single Nucleotide Primer Extension Assay). Due to nonrecombinating 

nature of cpDNA genome, alleles observed in all analysed loci were combined into 

chlorotypes and analysed. Data obtained form our research allowed us to determine 

genetic structure of investigated populations and to establish the pattern of 

geographic distribution of chlorotypes throughout the investigated area. We proposed 

hypotheses about migration routes and evolution of A.halleri on investigated area. 

99

P 50 

Essential oil studies of Artemisia species in Azarbaijan-e-Gharbi, 

Iran 

Kazem Saedi 1 and Adel Jalili 2 

1 Scientific board member in Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center of 

Kurdistan; kazemsaedi@yahoo.com 

2 Scientific board member of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands 

Considering Artemisia-Astragalus as the largest community in Iran, currently, basic 

studies are conducting on Artemisia spp. properties. Ecological-systematical aspects 

of essential oil studies of eight populations (six species) of the genus were dealt with 

in Azarbaijan-e-Gharbi. In this study, generative browses containing flowers of 

different species/populations were gathered in the same phonological stage. After 

preparing dry matter of the browses in open air, water distillation applied for obtaining 

essential oils used for investigating constituents by GC and GC/MS. To conduct a 

comparison between different studied taxa, a cluster analysis was used in Minitab 

11.12. The results showed that there were two different chemotypes of A. fragrans 

and the oil was free of common detected toxic components in A. absinthium. 

Resulted cluster proved the inefficiency of chemical data in systematical categorizing 

of different taxa even in subgenus level. 

100

P 51 

Flora investigation of Ulubey (Turkey-Uşak) Canyons 

Mehtap Şahin 

Department of Science Education, Education Faculty, Uşak University, 1 Eylul 

Campus, Uşak, Turkey Republic; mehtap.sahin.64@gmail.com. 

Our field of search located on south and south east part of Uşak province is formed 

because of its geological features. The canyons are structurally formed from The 

Dokuzsele River and Banaz Stream which located on east of Uşak-Karahallı 

motorway, 800-900 metres above sea level. The canyons are 100-500 metres in 

width, 135-170 meters in dept and 75 kilometers in length. The structures of canyon 

system have been changing its form 4.5 million years as a result of chemical and 

mechanical corrosion of limestones. The soil in the canyons floor is alluvium soil with 

these specifications it is the second biggest in the world. 823 plant taxa belonging to 

70 families were collected from the area. The distribution of these plant taxa with 

respect to the floristic regions are as follows: 8% Irano-Turanian, 20% Mediterranean, 

10% Euro-Siberian, 20% widespread, 42% of these is unknown and 5% of this taxa is 

endemic for Turkey. Total endemic taxa are 13.2%. 

101

P 52 

Cloning of ITS (nrDNA) sequences unveils a complex reticulate 

pattern in the Iberian orophilous polyploid Jasione crispa 

(Campanulaceae) 

Miguel Serrano, 1 Roi Carbajal 1 , Santiago Ortiz 1 & Javier Fuertes-Aguilar 2 

1 Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, 

Compostela, Spain; serranov@usc.es 

2 Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, CSIC, Pza. de Murillo, 2, 28014, Madrid, Spain 

Jasione crispa complex, distributed through Iberian and southern French ranges, 

exhibits a remarkable variation in its levels of ploidy (2x, 4x, 6x, 8x). The level of 

ploidy increases with the altitude along the Iberian mountain ranges. Cloning of the 

ITS region from nr DNA evidenced geographical genetic differentiation among 

populations, undetected through direct sequencing, allowed the discrimination of coexisting 

ITS types within a single individual. All the detected ITS sequences from the 

70 analysed populations can be assigned to three lineages among those detected in 

a phylogenetic analysis of the genus, namely J. crispa, J.laevis and J. montana. 

Sequences detected in the few lowland J. crispa diploid populations exhibited the 

same ribotype than the sympatric diploid J. montana, which, despite its name, occurs 

in lowland or mid-altitude habitats from western and central Europe and northwestern 

Africa. Along the remaining J. crispa polyploid populations we frequently 

have found “laevis” and “montana” ITS types. The detection of “laevis” sequences, 

another mid-altitude and top mountain species, could be explained by introgression 

between tetraploids from both species or by allopolyploidization processes involving 

crispa and diploid or tetraploid forms of laevis. An intriguing result is the widespread 

occurrence of “montana” ITS sequences among the J. crispa orophilous polyploid 

populations. Several causes are discussed to account for such a presence: 1, the 

persistence of “montana” sequences through ancient introgression; 2, the 

permeability of “montana” types through the introgression with J. laevis, since several 

J. laevis also bear “montana ITS type”; or 3, a multiple allopolyploid origin for J. 

crispa, being J. montana one of its parents. 

102

P 53 

Notes on species of Papaver (Papaveraceae) in Iran 

Fariba Sharifnia & Sodeh Heydarian 

Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran 

Branch, P.O. Box: 19585-936. Tehran, Iran; fa_sharifnia@asia.com 

Papaver is the largest genus of the family Papaveraceae. According to Flora Iranica, 

there are 26 species in Iran of which 5 species are endemic. In this research, 

numerical taxonomy, anatomy and electronic microscopic research have been done. 

Referring to some herbaria, most of the specimens were observed and data were 

noted. The focus was on 77 quantity and quality characters of 75 samples from 14 

taxa in numerical taxonomy research. The 11 diagnosis characters of pollen grains 

and 6 diagnosis characters of seeds were studied, too. These data were subject to 

phenetical analysis carried out using SPSS, ver.15 software The phenogram of these 

species was prepared and the factor analysis determined the source of changes 

between species. Besides, in present research, the different following organs such as 

pedicle, stem, basal petiole and cauline leaves were studied anatomically in the most 

possible replication. All seeds and pollen grains were photographed by Scanning 

Electronic Microscope (SEM). The following results have been obtained from this 

research: P. macrostomum and P. piptostigma are synonyms. P. gaubae was 

transferred to the variety level as P. glaucum var. gaubae. P. halophilum was 

transferred from species to variety level as P. macrostomum var. halophilum. P. 

fugax and P. armeniacum are synonyms. Distribution maps for all taxa were prepared 

together with the identification key for studied species. 

103

P 54 

Biosystematic study of the genus Bromus in Iran 

Masoud Sheidai, Fatemeh Fadaei, Maryam Nouroozei, Sara Saeidi 

Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. 

Bromus species are among important range grasses of Iran which have been placed 

in 6 sections according to Flora Iranica. Biosystematic study was performed on about 

80 populations of 17 Bromus species and varieties from 3 sections of Bromus L., 

Genea Dum. and Pnigma Dum., using morphometric, cytogenetic, anatomic and 

seed protein characteristics. Intra and inter-specific morphological variations were 

studied by the use univariate and multivariate statistical methods. The species 

relationships were studied by clustering and ordination methods indicating 

distinctness of the species by grouping different populations of each species in a 

single cluster and also supporting in general the taxonomic treatment of the genus in 

Flora Iranica. The present study suggests the use of some ratio characters along with 

other quantitative and qualitative characters in taxonomy of the Bromus. Cytogenetic 

studies showed the occurrence of different ploidy level for some of the species and 

also the major role of change in chromosome number and the occurrence of 

chromosomal structural changes (heterozygote translocations) in the evolution of 

these genus Bromus. A significant difference in the frequency and distribution of 

chiasmata among different populations and species indicated the occurrence of a 

major change in the genes controlling meiotic behavior of chromosomes during the 

species diversification. B-chromosomes occurred in many taxa which could 

significantly change the recombination index creating new genetic combinations in 

the next generation. Unreduced gametes were formed in most of the taxa studied 

through cytogenetic abnormalities including anaphase failure, desynapsis and 

cytomixis. Such unreduced gametes may have played a significant role in the 

adaptation and speciation of taxa studied. Anatomical and seed protein 

characteristics were also useful in the species delimitation in most of the species 

studied. Specific protein bands were identified for some of the species and also the 

bands present in all except one species which may be used in the species 

identification. 

104

P 55 

Polyploidization and adaptive radiation along water-usage gradient 

in the genus Cardamine 

Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi 1, 2 , Hiroshi Kudoh 2 & Kentaro Shimizu 1 

1 Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zololikerstrasse 107,8008 Zurich, 

Switzerland; inatsugi@botinst.uzh.ch, kudoh@kobe-u.ac.jp, shimizu@botinst.uzh.ch 

& 2 Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Ohtsu, Shiga, 

520-2113 Japan 

It is known that more than half of plant species have experienced genome 

duplication (polyploidization) although the significance of genome duplication is still 

an open question. Susumu Ohno proposed that gene and genome duplication is a 

major motive force for evolution, since the additional gene copy can freely evolve. In 

contrast, Stebbins supposed that genome duplication retards adaptive evolution 

since the additional copy also can keep its original function. The aim of this study is 

to demonstrate the effect of polyploidization on adaptation through analyzing the 

adaptive radiation of an Arabidopsis relative, genus Cardamine, along water- usage 

gradient. 

Cardamine has more than two hundreds species, which includes both wet species 

and dry species. The diploid species live in either wet conditions or open habitats 

and the polyploid species live in intermediate and fluctuating habitats, where they 

experience both wet and dry condition. The phylogenetic analysis of CHS revealed 

that most polyploid species originated from the fusion of genomes from various 

combinations of both wet and open habitats. Moreover, the polyploidization between 

wet and dry species occurred at least 10 times from different parent pairs. These 

observations suggest that the rapid adaptive radiation of Cardamine is attributed to 

recurrent polyploidy. 

Consequently, Cardamine could be a good example to investigate the contribution of 

polyploidy to an adaptive radiation. We speculate that a polyploid species can 

survive fluctuating habitat by exploiting the suitable gene set from either of its 

parental species according to the water environment. The close relationship to 

Arabidopsis (90%< in coding region) should allow the application of its genomic tools 

to Cardamine for further analysis. 

105

P 56 

Repeated range shifts of Potentilla fruticosa during glacial and 

interglacial periods on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau revealed by 

chloroplast DNA sequence variation 

Ayako Shimono 

National Institute for Environmental Studies, Environmental Biology Division, 16-2 

Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan 

The Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is one of the most extensive habitats for alpine plants in 

the world. The patterns of genetic variation in populations on the plateau can, 

therefore, provide us with the detailed demographic history of alpine plants. We 

analysed sequence variation and geographical distribution of the chloroplast matK 

region of Potentilla fruticosa L. (Rosaceae), a shrub currently present across the 

whole plateau. Sequence data were obtained from 522 individuals from 24 

populations, ranging from the high altitude interior to the relatively low altitude northeastern 

plateau. In the interior, the genetic diversity was high and contained 

ancestral haplotypes. In contrast, the populations in the north-eastern area had 

relatively low genetic diversity and recently derived haplotypes. The expansion time 

in the interior was estimated to be 17 times longer than that in the north-eastern 

region. These data suggest that the demographic history of P. fruticosa on the 

plateau involved population expansion during periods of climatic cooling, alternating 

with warmer periods when the population contracted to the interior region. The 

interior would have acted as a refugium and greatly contributed to the diversification 

of P. fruticosa. Our data also indicate that there have been two cycles of range 

shifting along with a recent dramatic expansion of P. fruticosa in response to climate 

fluctuation. 

106

P 57 

The alpine violet Viola lutea is ancestor of both metal-tolerant 

subspecies, Viola lutea ssp. westfalica and V. lutea ssp. calaminaria 

Aneta Słomka 1 , Maria Pilarska 1 , Monika Bożek 1 , Ulrich Hildebrandt 2 , Hermann 

Bothe 2 , Elżbieta Kuta 1 

1 Department of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Jagiellonian University, 52 Grodzka 

St., 31-044 Cracow, Poland; a.slomka@iphils.uj.edu.pl 

2 Institute of Botany, The University of Cologne, 15 Gyrhofstrasse St., 50- 

923 Cologne, Germany 

The origin of metal-tolerant plants is still open to discussion. Controversies exist 

between paleo- and neoenemic opponents. Thus metalliferous species may either be 

remnants of widely distributed plants in glacial periods or may have been evolved in 

parallel, originating from their non-tolerant relatives thriving in neighborhood. The 

blue and the yellow zinc violets, previously named V. guestphalica Nauenburg and V. 

lutea ssp. calaminaria (Ging.), respectively, are some of the most endangered plant 

species in Central Europe. They have a very restricted distribution confined to sites 

with highly elevated concentrations of Zn and Pb in soil. Based on various 

nomenclature data, a close relationship of both zinc violets to Viola lutea was 

suggested. We used molecular markers (674 bp sequences of the ITS1-5.8S rDNA- 

ITS2 region of 6 closely related taxa), combined with several embryological 

characters to find ancestor(s) of the zinc violets. Molecular data unambiguously 

indicate that the yellow and the blue zinc violets are closely related to each other and 

also to V. lutea. Therefore we termed them V. lutea ssp. westfalica (blue zinc violet) 

and V. lutea ssp. calaminaria (yellow zinc violet). Embryological data indicate that the 

yellow zinc violet reproduces sexually forming viable pollen (95%) and sets seeds 

with typically organized embryos thereby following the sexual reproduction model of 

its putative parental species V. lutea. Several disturbances affected sexual 

reproduction of the blue zinc violet, leading to the decrease of pollen and embryo 

viability (77% and 35%, respectively). Abnormalities could result from its hybrid 

origin, but the possibility that genetic drift may have led to an accumulation of 

mutations in its small, local populations can not be excluded. In conclusion, both zinc 

violets may be remnants of previously widely distributed populations of V. lutea, 

having its main distribution in several disjunctive alpine regions of Europe. 

107

P 58 

Intraspecific genome size variation in Picris hieracioides 

(Compositae) 

Marek Slovák 1 , Petr Vít 2,3 , Tomáš Urfus 2,3 & Jan Suda 2,3 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; marek.slovak@savba.sk 


Republic; suda@natur.cuni.cz, vit@natur.cuni.cz & tomas.urfus@seznam.cz 

3 Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Zámek 1, CZ-252 

43 Průhonice, Czech Republic 

Due to its large phenotypic variation, Picris hieracioides (hawkweed oxtongue) ranks 

among taxonomically challenging groups of European flora. Previous attempts to 

elucidate the taxonomy of the species using conventional karyological approaches 

were in vain, since no variation in the number of chromosomes was observed. In this 

study, we therefore employed another cytogenetic character, genome size, in order 

to determine the level of variation in this marker, search for potential interpretations of 

the size heterogeneity, and assess its value for taxonomic decision-making. One 

hundred and seventy nine plant accessions from 54 populations distributed across 10 

European countries were analyzed using propidium iodide flow cytometry. The 

species showed a remarkable variation in genome size, with diploid 2C-values 

(population means) ranging from 2.26 to 3.11 pg (a 1.37-fold variation). A new 

cytotype, DNA triploid, was found for the first time. The pattern of genome size 

variation was quite complex, nonetheless, showed certain associations with 

phenotypic differentiation and geographic distribution. Genome size provided some 

support for the two main morphotypes recognized previously (i.e., the ‘Lower altitude’ 

type and the ‘Higher altitude’ type), which possessed significantly different nuclear 

DNA amounts. However, interpretation of the within-group variation is still a 

challenge. Generally, the genome size of both morphotypes increased significantly 

from SW to NE. A relation between the distribution of genome size variants and the 

palaeovegetation history was found. We suggest that the complex evolutionary 

history of P. hieracioides (e.g., the existence of several cryptic lineages with different 

levels of cross-interactions) is the most plausible explanation for the observed 

heterogeneity in genome size. 

108

P 59 

Variation of Pinus mugo in the Giant Mountains (Sudethians) 

Karolina Sobierajska 1 , Krystyna Boratyńska 1 , Katarzyna Marcysiak 2 , Andrzej 

Lewandowski 1 , Artur Dzialuk 2 , Adam Boratyński 1,2 

1 Institute of Dendrology Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, 

Poland; sobieraj83@o2.pl 

2 Kazimierz Wielki University, Ossolińskich 12, 80-064 Bydgoszcz, Poland 

The verification of native provenance of several populations of Pinus mugo in the 

Karkonosze National Park (Giant Mountains, Sudethians) was the aim of the present 

work. The seven populations were sampled, four on hardly accessible precipices of 

glacial cirques as a natural and three on the plane, topical part of the mountains as 

potentially alien provenance. Three populations were sampled in various parts of the 

Alps as possible seed source of alien provenances and two populations in the Tatras, 

as a comparative material. The differences among all individuals within samples and 

among samples were verified on the basis of analyses of DNA using 10 chloroplast 

microsatellite loci (cpSSR), on the level of isoenzyme using 10 enzymatic systems, 

biometrically using morphological and anatomical characters of needles and 

morphological characters of cones. Results indicate the high level of genetic 

differences, both DNA and isoenzymatic, between the Giant, Alpine and Tatra 

populations. The same points out also the biometrical analyses, especially on the 

needle characters, but differences between provenances have lower level than in the 

genetic analyses. The differences among samples from the Giant Mountains were 

found as relatively low. This indicates, that contemporary populations of P. mugo on 

the areas deforested and utilized as a pastures and meadows in the historical times 

have been colonized spontaneously or reforested with the local material. The 

participation of seeds from the Alps and/or Tatras has been excluded. 

109

P 60 

Phylogeny in Tanacetum (Anthemideae, Asteraceae) inferred 

from nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences 

Ali Sonboli 

Mozaffarian 4 

1 , Shahrokh Kazempour Osaloo 2 , Hossein Riahi 3 & Valioallah 

1 Department of Biology, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid 

Behshti University, G.C., Evin, 1983963113, Tehran, Iran. a-sonboli@sbu.ac.ir 

2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 

Tehran, Iran 

3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Behshti University, 

Tehran, Iran 

4 Department of Botany, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran 

Asteraceae is one of the largest angiosperm families and comprises about 1300 

genera and 25,000 species distributed in the worldwide. The genus Tanacetum 

belongs to the tribe Anthemideae. Within the tribe, Tanacetum is the third largest 

genus after Artemisia and Anthemis, comprising ca. 160 species. Phylogenetic 

relationships among some members of Anthemideae were assessed using 

sequences of the nrDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region to study the 

delimitation of the genus Tanacetum in broad sense. Total genomic DNA was 

extracted from leaves by DNeasy Plant Mini kit (Qiagen). PCR amplifications of the 

nrDNA ITS were performed using primers ITS4 and ITS5. Maximum parsimony 

analysis of the data set was carried out for phylogenetic reconstruction using the 

heuristic search algorithm of PAUP* with ACCTRAN, MULPARS and TBR branch 

swapping in action. The results suggest that the genus Tanacetum, in its classical 

circumscription, is not monophyletic due to the consistent placement of segregated 

genera (e.g. Tanacetopsis, Ajania, Xylanthemum, Lepidolopsis and Richteria). 

Furthermore, ITS data was in conflict with artificial infrageneric classification of the 

genus Tanacetum sensu Podlech and provide support for the new subtribal 

classification of the tribe Anthemideae sensu Oberprieler et al. This investigation 

identified 10 major clades within the Tanacetum and confirmed the inclusion of 

Gonospermum and Lugoa into Tanacetum. 

110

P 61 

Biogeography of tall-herb species in the Carpathians: a case study 

of Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallr. 

Alina Stachurska-Swakoń 1 , Elżbieta Cieślak 2 , Michał Ronikier 2 

1 Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, ul. Kopernika 27, 31-501 Kraków, 

Poland; alina.stachurska-swakon@uj.edu.pl 

2 Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Lubicz 46, 31-501 Kraków, 

Poland 

The alliance Adenostylion alliariae Br.-Bl. 1925, (class Mulgedio-Aconitetea Hadač et 

Klika et Hadač 1944) includes tall-herb communities which constitute important 

elements of vegetation within the subalpine zone of European mountain ranges. In 

the frame of our project, a complex biogeographical study focused on these 

communities in the Carpathians has been initiated, covering aspects of syntaxonomy, 

phytogeography and phylogeography. According to a preliminary analysis, 32 

communities of this alliance occur in the Carpathians. They form groupings 

characteristic for the Western, Eastern and Southern Carpathians, with diverse 

species compositions, including endemic species and other species reaching limits of 

their distribution. As the flora of tall-herb communities consists of different 

geographical elements (eg. the alpine-Central-European species, the arctic-alpine 

species, the Carpathian-Balkan species, the endemic species, the boreal species) 

there is a question about its origin in different part of mountains and potential 

migration routes during the Quaternary Period. In the second part of our project, 

several tall-herb species were selected to examine their genetic structure and infer 

their distribution history: eg. Adenostyles alliariae, Cicerbita alpina, Doronicum 

austriacum, Geranium sylvaticum, Ranunculus platanifolius. Cicerbita alpina, 

presented in this article, is the character species of the Adenostylion alliariae alliance 

and has a relatively wide distribution range covering central and northern European 

mountain massifs. The study is based on the AFLP analysis applied to a distributionwide 

sampling of populations from the Alps, Balkans, Carpathians and Scandinavia. 

Research is financially supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher 

Education Grant No. 2 P04G 09528. 

111

P 62 

The Melampyrum sylvaticum group in Central Europe – comparison 

among variation patterns in the Alps, Carpathians and Hercynian 

Massif 

Jakub Těšitel, Tamara Malinová, Milan Štech & Miroslava Herbstová 

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 

31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; jakub.tesitel@centrum.cz, 

milan.stech.prf.jcu.cz 

We investigated morphological and molecular variation in the Melampyrum 

sylvaticum group in the Alps and Carpathians to capture and compare variation 

patterns in these regions and reconstruct evolutionary history of the whole complex. 

Two additional species, M. saxosum and M. herbichii, have been traditionally 

delimited from M. sylvaticum s. str. in the Eastern Carpathians on the basis of corolla 

size and anther length. These two species should differ from each other in corolla 

color which is white in M. saxosum or golden yellow in M. herbichii (i. e. same color 

as in M. sylvaticum s. str.). Populations occurring in the Alps have been always 

assigned to M. sylvaticum s. str. although certain degree of variation has been 

reported from this region too. 

We collected population samples from the Alps, Eastern and Western Carpathians 

and the Hercynian Massif. Morphometric analyses of corolla shape (thin plate spline 

with sliding semilandmarks) and sequencing of ITS region of nuclear DNA and trnLtrnT 

region of cpDNA were employed to capture morphological and molecular 

variation respectively. Beside this, we also recorded variation in corolla color. 

We detected a pronounced morphological and molecular differentiation of the 

Eastern Carpathian populations from the rest. These results indicate that they are not 

directly interrelated to the Western Carpathian and Hercynian type but are two 

distant lineages which met and hybridized on the boundary between the Eastern and 

Western Carpathians. We did not detect any coincidence between differences in 

corolla color and variation in any of the morphological traits or molecular markers 

within the North-Eastern Carpathian region. Hence, we suggested M. saxosum and 

M. herbichii conspecific (a single species displaying two corolla colors). 

112

P 63 

Genetic structure of endangered Eremostachys superba as 

assessed by RAPD analysis 

Susheel Verma 1 , J. L. Karihaloo 2 and A. K. Koul 3 

1 Centre for Biodiversity Studies, School of Biosciences & Biotechnology, Baba 

Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri – 185 131, J&K, India; 2 Asia Pacific 

Consortium for Agricultural Biotechnology, CG Centres Block, DPS Marg, New Delhi 

– 110 012, India; 3 Centre for Biodiversity Studies, School of Biosciences & 

Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri – 185 131, J&K, 

India; 1 eremurus@rediffmail.com 

Eremostschys superba Royle ex Benth. (Lamiaceae), an endangered species has 

undergone a severe decline in population size since its discovery in the North- 

Western Hamalaya in late 19 th 

Century. The reason attributed to its decline is 

anthropogenic stress because of its high medicinal value. One hundred and seventy 

two plants from six populations in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & 

Kashmir, located between 0.45 km and 455.72 km apart from each other were 

evaluated for RAPD polymorphism to determine the genetic structure of the species. 

Sixteen random primers generated 92 bands overall, 77 of which were polymorphic. 

Shannon’s index of genetic diversity within populations (Ho) ranged between 0.305 

and 0.421; the average within population diversity (Hpop) was 0.389; and the total 

species diversity (Hsp) was 0.478. The population from Mohand, the type locality of 

the species, had the lowest number of plants, at 18, and was genetically the most 

depauperate. Among the other populations, ranging in size between 52 and 1,022 

individuals, no relation between population size and genetic diversity was evident. It 

is suggested that these six populations represent relics of a larger, extended 

population in which the presence of perennating rootstock has helped preserve 

historic patterns of genetic diversity. Analysis of Molecular Variance revealed that 

83.01% of the variation exists within populations which were consistent with earlier 

studies on reproductive biology of E. superba, which indicated this species is 

predominantly allogamous. FST distances between all populations were significant, 

indicating geographic differentiation despite some of them being closely located. The 

paper will speak in detail about the factors that may have influenced the partitioning 

of genetic diversity. Also the strategies for conservation of the species will be 

discussed. 

113

P 64 

The occurrence of arctic-alpine elements within high - mountain 

plant communities in relation to enviromental factors, functional 

types and phytogeography 

Ivana Šibíková 1 & Jozef Šibík 1 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; ivana.sibikova@savba.sk & jozef.sibik@savba.sk 

This contribution serves a view on processing of phytosociological relevés together 

with phytogeographical, functional and ecological data, paying particular attention to 

phytogeographical elements in the flora of Western Carpathians, life forms of 

individual taxa and Ellenberg’s indicator values. We used selected high-mountain 

plant communities of Western Carpathians with abundant arctic-alpine species as 

excellent model system. On the other hand, this contribution handles with the 

distribution of arctic-alpine taxa within Western Carpathians and their abundance in 

individual vegetation types. 

We worked with more than 43 thousand phytosociological samples taken from Slovak 

National Vegetation Database. Fourteen alliances (from the classes Asplenietea 

trichomanis, Caricetea curvulae, Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii, Elyno- 

Seslerietea, Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea, Montio-Cardaminetea, Mulgedio-Aconitetea, 

Salicetea herbaceae and Thlaspietea rotundifolii) were compared with respect to 

abundance of chorological elements, species richness, environmental factors and 

species composition. 

The abundance of arctic-alpine species was significantly correlated not only with the 

European high-mountain element, but also with the occurrence of Carpathian or 

Western Carpathian endemic taxa. The island phenomenon of the highest mountains 

gave rise not only to formation of refuge for relic taxa, but on the other hand, 

according to plasticity of individual taxa, the same habitats also provided suitable 

conditions for speciation and hence became the centre of endemism. 

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P 65 

Cytogeography of the Alyssum montanum – A. repens complex and 

related taxa 

Stanislav Španiel 1 , Judita Lihová 1 , Mincho E. Anchev 3 , Nicodemo G. Passalacqua 4 & 

Karol Marhold 1,2 


Bratislava, Slovak Republic; stanislav.spaniel@savba.sk, judita.lihova@savba.sk, 

karol.marhold@savba.sk 


Republic 

3 Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 23, 

B-1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; botmanch@bio.bas.bg 

4 Museo di Storia Naturale della Calabria ed Orto Botanico, Università della Calabria, 

I-87030 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy; nicodemo@unical.it 

The Alyssum montanum – A. repens (Brassicaceae) complex is a taxonomically 

critical group with large morphological diversity in central and southern Europe. 

A number of infraspecific taxa have been described within both A. montanum and A. 

repens, and several putative relatives have been reported from the Balkan and 

Apennine Peninsulas. Our study aims to resolve evolutionary history of this complex, 

and to derive a sound taxonomic concept. Here we present our first insights into its 

cytogeography, based on chromosome number counts and DNA ploidy levels 

estimated by flow cytometry. 

Three ploidy levels have been found in A. montanum. Both diploids (2n=16) and 

tetraploids (2n=32) are common across the species area, while hexaploids (2n=48) 

appear to be rare (so far found only in the Apennine Peninsula). Within A. repens 

only tetraploid and hexaploid cytotypes have been found in the sampled material. A 

few populations corresponding to A. cuneifolium subsp. pirinicum (2n=18) and A. 

pulvinare (2n≈6x) have been analyzed as well. The material studied includes 

samples from type localities of several names: A. cuneifolium subsp. pirinicum 

(2n≈2x), A. diffusum (2n≈2x, 4x), A. mildeanum (2n≈6x), A. montanum subsp. brymii 

(2n≈4x), A. montanum subsp. alibotuschicum (2n≈4x), A. pedemontanum (2n≈6x), A. 

preissmannii (2n≈2x), A. reiseri (2n≈2x), A. repens (2n≈4x), A. stribrnyi (2n≈4x) and 

A. wierzbickii (2n≈2x). 

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P 66 

Phylogeny and comparative phylogeography of the orchid genus 

Epipactis along the Italian peninsula 

Valentina Tranchida Lombardo 1,2 , Antonia Cristaudo 1 , Salvatore Cozzolino 2 

1 

Sezione di Biologia ed Ecologia Vegetale D.A.C.P.A., Università di Catania, via 

Vadisavoia 5, 95123, Catania, Italy; valentinatranchida@simail.it. 

2 Sezione di Biologia Vegetale, Università “Federico II”, Via Foria 223, 80139 Napoli. 

The genus Epipactis is a morphologically variable aggregate of taxa that can 

represent an interesting model for investigating the consequences of geographic 

fragmentation and of quaternary glaciations on species cladogenesis and distribution 

in the Mediterranean basin. Here we investigate the phylogenetic and 

phylogeographic relationships among closely related Epipactis species distributed 

along the Italian Peninsula with the aim to understand whether the recent 

paleoclimatic changes occurred in this area may have shaped the actual patterns of 

clade diversification and distribution in Epipactis. For these aims, we analysed 

chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequence variation for reconstructing patterns of 

phylogenetic relationships among closely related Epipactis species and distribution of 

cpDNA microsatellite haplotypes to reconstruct their main phylogeographic routes. We 

found that the genus Epipactis encompasses two main phylogenetic lineages, namely 

the E. helleborine and the E. muelleri/microphylla/atrorubens groups including both 

widespread allogamous species and several endemic, geographically isolated, 

autogamous taxa. We also detected low level of variation in cpDNA microsatellite, 

with a single main haplotype for the E. helleborine lineage and three main haplotypes 

for the E. muelleri/microphylla/atrorubens lineage being widespread along the Italian 

peninsula, and few other rare haplotypes locally distributed. These data strongly 

support the hypothesis of a very recent (postglacial) colonization of the Italian 

peninsula and of the multiple evolutions of locally endemic taxa from the main 

phylogenetic lineages. Frequent and rapid changes in breeding system (from 

allogamy to autogamy) could have represented the mechanism promoting this rapid 

diversification and the observed high taxonomic complexity. 

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P 67 

Diversity of Draba L. sect. Aizopsis DC. (Brassicaceae) in Sicily 

Pietro Mazzola, Francesco Maria Raimondo, Angelo Troia 

Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche dell’Università, via Archirafi 38, I-90123 Palermo, 

Italy; mazzolap@unipa.it 

The genus Draba L. (Brassicaceae) is a typical element of arctic and alpine floras, 

known for its taxonomic complexity. The species belonging to the sect. Aizopsis DC. 

are perennial rosette plants occurring on mountain areas from Spain to West Asia: 

often densely pulvinate, they have rigid, entire, ciliate leaves and usually yellow 

flowers. According to Flora Europaea (1993), about 17 species occur in Europe. 

Taxonomic status and delimitation of several species are still doubtful, not only for 

the unsatisfactory knowledge of their biology and variability, but also for their genetic 

structure derived from last geological history (Quaternary glacial-postglacial periods). 

In this context, the island of Sicily in the center of Mediterranean, with its ascertained 

role of refugium during glacial periods, is one of the key areas to understand patterns 

of speciation, migration and recolonization of the group as a whole. 

Today, two species belonging to the sect. Aizopsis are reported for Sicily: Draba 

aspera Bertol., whose distribution should include mountains of Northern Balkans, 

Central and Southern Italy, and Pyrenees as well; and Draba olympicoides Strobl, 

endemic to the Madonie Mountains (Central-Northern Sicily), whose taxonomic status 

is however uncertain. 

We present here the first results of taxonomic and biosystematic investigations aimed 

to ascertain the number of taxa of the sect. Aizopsis occurring in the mountains of 

Sicily, which species occur, and the amount of infra- and inter-specific diversity using 

enzyme electrophoresis. 

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P 68 

Phylogeography and population structure of Dryas octopetala 

analysed by microsatellite markers 

Unni Vik 1* , Marte Holten Jørgensen 1 , Håvard Kauserud 2 & Anne Krag Brysting 1 

1 

CEES, Dept. of Biology, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway; 

*unnv@student.bio.uio.no, 2 MERG, Dept. of Biology, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO- 

0316 Oslo, Norway 

Dryas octopetala L. belongs to a circumpolar species complex where the taxonomic 

delimitations are not fully clarified. The plant is one of the most important components 

of tundra and heaths in terms of biomass, as it forms the vegetation carpet in dry 

gravelly sites from the mid-boreal to the high arctic zone. 

Microsatellites are co-dominant markers, which are ideal for resolving genetic 

variation at finer scales but might also be useful for interpreting phylogeographic 

patterns at a larger scale. Ten newly developed microsatellite markers are used in 

this work to infer phylogeography and population structure of Dryas octopetala 

populations from the following main localities: Finse (southern Norway), 

Longyearbyen (Svalbard), Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard), Tromsø (northern Norway) and 

Langøysund (southern Norway). From each main locality, 30 plants were collected 

from each of three sub-localities localized approximately 1000 m apart. In addition to 

these populations, 3 x 10 individuals from Greenland and 5 x 10 individuals from 

Russia are included in the analyses. 

Preliminary analyses indicate that the genetic data contain geographically structured 

variation, with a relatively high genetic diversity observed for the Svalbard 

populations, and a somewhat lower diversity for the populations from mainland 

Norway. These patterns are consistent with results from a recent AFLP study which 

suggested different postglacial colonization routes for these two areas; whereas 

mainland Norway are colonized from a southern refugium, Svalbard may represent a 

contact point between a southern colonization and a colonization from an eastern 

(Russian) refugium. 

118

P 69 

Alpine aromatic and medicinal plants: conservation through 

domestication 

José F. Vouillamoz, Catherine A. Baroffio & Christoph Carlen 

Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW, Centre de recherche Conthey, 1964 

Conthey, Switzerland; jose.vouillamoz@acw.admin.ch 

In the past two decades, Alpine aromatic and medicinal plants have gained more and 

more interest with food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Wild populations are 

being used to produce large quantities of aromatic compounds, essential oils or 

drugs. This might threaten some endangered taxa by leading to a loss of Alpine 

biodiversity and genetic erosion. To prevent from wild collecting, we have carried out 

several domestication and selection programs on emblematic plants of the Alps. 

Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum L.), one of the best-known European mountain 

plant, has been successfully domesticated and the variety ‘Helvetia’ is now cultivated 

for ornamental or cosmetic purposes. Genepy (Artemisia umbelliformis Lam.) is often 

collected in nature by liquor producers, mainly in Northern Italy. We have thus 

domesticated Alpine genepy and selected two cultivars (with and without thujone). 

Several research programs on other Alpine species are now in the pipeline: Rhodiola 

rosea L., a promising adaptogen, Sideritis montana L., a good source of antioxidant 

compounds, Dryas octopetala L., a plant with anti-UV activities, etc. These programs 

aim at providing interesting and new plant material to producers in order to avoid wild 

collecting. 

119

P 70 

Genetic variation of Rhodiola rosea L. in Trentino region (Italy) as 

detected by microsatellite markers 

Elena Zini 1 , Carla Vender 1 & Matteo Komjanc 2 

1 Agricultural Research Council, Forest Monitoring and Planning Research Unit (CRA- 

MPF), Piazza Nicolini, 6, 38100 Villazzano (TN), Italy; elena.zini@iasma.it; 

carla.vender@entecra.it 

2 Genetics and Molecular Biology Department, Edmundo Mach Foundation Research 

Center, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’ Adige (TN), Italy; 

matteo.komjanc@iasma.it 

Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) is a circumpolar-montane/alpine species of coldtemperate 

and subarctic areas of the northern hemisphere. In Italy, it is widely 

distributed in siliceous substrates of alpine meadows (1500- 3000 mt). It is a popular 

plant of traditional medical system in Eastern Europe and Asia: extracts of R. rosea 

root were found to contain powerful adaptogens, supposedly enhancing memory and 

stress mastering. Genetic variation of 8 R. rosea L. populations from the Trentino 

region (North of Italy) was investigated using microsatellite markers. SSRs from 

Rhodiola rosea L. were developed with an enrichment procedure for the first time. 

Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the genetic variation was 

mainly found among populations (78%). The main factor responsible for the high 

level of variation among populations is probably the isolation from other populations, 

due to mountainous environment. An additional analysis of population structure by 

principal component analysis (PCA) of allele frequencies was conducted. PCA results 

reflected the geographic distribution of the populations sampled in different locations 

in Trentino region. A simulated annealing procedure implemented in the spatial 

analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA) algorithm was used to define groups of 

populations that are geographically homogeneous and maximally differentiated from 

each other. The results of SAMOVA confirmed the existence of geographic structure 

in the Rhodiola rosea L: populations. 

120

P 71 

Phylogeographic relationships between infraspecific taxa of 

Astragalus vesicarius L. (Fabaceae) in Europe 

Elke Zippel, 

Botanical Garden and Botanic Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 

14195 Berlin, Germany, e.zippel@bgbm.org 

Several infraspecific taxa of Astragalus vesicarius L. (Fabaceae) occur throughout 

Southern Europe. Their distribution ranges from the Iberian Peninsula, the Southern 

Alps in France, Italy and Croatia to the Balkan Peninsula and Greece, and further 

from the Pannonic region to Ukraine. Due to the considerable variation of Astragalus 

vesicarius s. lat. it is difficult or impossible to distinguish between infraspecific taxa 

which differ e.g. in flower colour and slightly in form and length of calyx and banner, 

as well as in symmetry and size of calyx teeth. 

Astragalus vesicarius s.l. is a rare species and occurs presently in regions which 

were unglaciated or at the outer boundary of the maximum expansion of the Würm 

glacial. Only few populations of the subsp. pastellianus in Northern Italy are known 

from formerly glaciated regions, the inner alpine dry valleys Vinschgau and Aosta 

valley. 

The poster shows first results of a molecular study of populations of Astragalus 

vesicarius s.l. from nearly the whole distribution range. PsbA and ITS sequences, as 

well as AFLP data provided first hints on a high genetic differentiation within the 

infraspecific taxa and a split of the Astragalus vesicarius s.l. group into a Western 

and Eastern lineage. The data also suggest a multiple origin of the subsp. 

pastellianus in the inner alpine dry valleys of Northern Italy: the population of the 

Aosta Valley belongs like the populations from the Monte Pastello near Verona to the 

Western lineage, while the populations from the Vinschgau are of Eastern origin. 

121

P 72 

BioCASE – access to specimen and observation data for 

taxonomists 

Elke Zippel , Wolf-Henning Kusber, Patricia Kelbert, Jörg Holetschek, Anton Güntsch 

& Walter Berendsohn 

Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 

14195 Berlin, Germany, e.zippel@bgbm.org 

Natural history collections and species observation records form a unique archive of 

biodiversity. Each object or record documents the occurrence of a species in a given 

location at a point in time. The multilingual Biological Collection Access Service for 

Europe (search.biocase.org) provides access to 50 million records for the European 

Fauna and Flora, based on the GBIF index. The content offered ranges from simple 

occurrence data to highly structured specimen information with multimedia content 

and multiple identifications. Searching for information on a specific species 

sometimes makes it necessary to look under several scientific names. In the 

BioCASE portal, the user can opt to extend the search by means of a taxonomic 

thesaurus. Known synonyms, included taxa such as subspecies, and related 

taxonomic concepts are included in the query. For botanical names, the Euro+Med 

PlantBase database is used as the thesaurus in the BioCASE portal. An alternative 

access system (search.biocase.org/toto/) allows the selection of names from those 

offered by several thesauri before the query is executed. The portal software can be 

adapted to other information needs. The German GBIF node for Botany provides 

access to German Phytodiversity using the German floristic standard lists. Further, 

an annotation system in all BioCASE portals allows the user to comment the data. A 

specimen access module for taxonomists is under development for the EDIT Internet 

Platform for Cybertaxonomy. 

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P 73 

Evolutionary Trends in Genus Alysicarpus Desv. 

Arvind S. Dhabe and Dileep S. Pokle. 

Department of Botany, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, 

Aurangabad, 431004. India e-mail:- asdhabe2006@yahoo.co.in , 

dspokale2005@yahoo.co.in 

The genus Alysicarpus Desv is distributed in tropics & subtropics. Main centre 

of distribution is India followed by Africa. It is represented by about 32 species and 42 

taxa of which nearly 17species and 9 infraspecific taxa occur in India especially in 

Marathwada. Out of 42 taxa, 12 taxa are endemic to India. The genus was revised for 

India (Pokle 1997-2000) and experimental taxonomic studies were carried out which 

includes Comparative Morphology, Floral biology, Phytochemistry, Seed Morphology 

and Testatopography, Anatomy and Dermatology, Seed anatomy, Seedling 

morphology and Palynology. 

The data procured from the studies was subjected to numerical analysis to 

reveal the relationships and evolutionary trends of the species. It revealed that, the 

genus can be subdivided into 5 groups of closely related species. Most primitive 

taxon appears to be A.bupleurifolius var. gracilis while the most advanced taxon 

appears to be A.hamosus. The present paper deals with detailed numerical analysis 

and the evolutionary trends and features are discussed in details. 

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P 74 

Distribution and Conservation Status of Some Steno-endemic 

Species Peculiar to Central Taurus (Turkey) 

Süleyman Doğu 1 , Muhittin Dinç 2 & Yavuz Bağcı 3 

1 Selçuk University, Education Faculty, Department of Science Education, 

42090 Meram, Konya, Turkey; sdogu@selcuk.edu.tr 



3 Selçuk University, Science and Art Faculty, Department of Biology, 42031 Kampüs, 

Konya, Turkey; ybagci@selcuk.edu.tr 

Central Taurus have very rich flora and are important endemism centre of Turkey. 

New distributional data for 6 steno-endemic species (Viola isaurica Contandr. & 

Quèzel, Viola ermenekensis Ş. Yıldırımlı & M. Dinç, Sartoria hedysaroides Boiss. & 

Heldr., Scorzonera longiana H.Sümbül, Cicer isauricum P. H. Davis, Salvia 

adenocaulon P. H. Davis for Central Taurus is determined from Ermenek and 

Sarıveliler districts of Karaman province. The descriptions of the species are 

reviewed based on the literature data and the studies on the collected specimens. 

IUCN red list categories of these taxa are updated in the light of the literature, the 

observations on the determined populations and the possible threats. The habitats 

they occupy, their associated species, distribution map and photos are also 

presented. 

124

P 75 

Evolutionary processes in South American Andes: Molecular Phylogeny, 

and Biogeography of Festuca (Poaceae) 

Daniel Stančík 

Department of Botany, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01 Praha 2, Czech 

Republic, dan_stancik@yahoo.com 

Cosmopolitan genus Festuca is one of the largest grass genera in the World 

composed of more than 450 species. With about 140 species, South America 

represents one of the most important generic diversity centers. This diversity is a 

result of relatively young speciation after tertiary immigration of this genus into 

American continents from Eurasia. This study uses the analyses of two DNA 

fragments (trnL-F, ITS) of 85 North, Meso-, and South American species to show that 

Festuca speciation and diversification in South America was a complex process, 

which included several immigrations of different evolutionary lineages and their 

subsequent spreading along Mesoamerican mountains and tropical to temperate 

Andes of South America. This colonization had not the form of continuous and 

gradual spreading and speciation from north to south. More likely, it occurred via 

several long-distance dispersions from north to south and consequent local 

diversifications. Our analysis also indicates that morphological differentiation and 

inter species similarities in South America may be the result of ecological 

convergence rather than the manifestation of the existence of morphologically 

uniform evolutionary lineages. This should have implications in the systematic of the 

genus Festuca in South America. 

125

CONTENS - International Organization of Plant Biosystematists

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