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ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Volume 96 Budapest, 2004 pp. 51-62. Some differences in morphological structure of the vegetative parts (herbage) of Sesleria heufleriana Schur and Sesleria hungarica Újhelyi (Poaceae) D. KOVATS Department of Botany, Hungarian Natural History Museum H-1087 Budapest, Könyves Kálmán krt. 40. Hungary E-mail: [email protected] Abstract - Comparative morphological measurements were carried out on the culms and leaves of Sesleria heufleriana SCHUR and Sesleria hungarica ÚJHELYI. On the basis of observations and mea surements it can be stated that differences occur in numbers and length values of internodes. The length dimension (ratio) of leaf blades and leaf sheets changes on another level of the culms in Sesleria heufleriana as in Sesleria hungarica. The investigations were carried out on plants collected from original habitats and on those planted in an experimental garden. With 5 figures and 4 tables. Key words - Sesleria heufleriana, Sesleria hungarica. INTRODUCTION FERDINAND SCHUR (1799-1878) - who had a hard life as a pharmacist, chemist and botanist - during his botanical round trip in Transylvania between 5th luly and 15th August in 1853 discovered a lot of new taxa, among them a new spe cies of Sesleria, and described it as Sesleria heufleriana SCHUR (SCHUR 1853). Another outstanding botanist, taxonomist in Hungary several decades later was JÓZSEF ÚJHELYI (1910-1979), who had always been a paternal friend to this author. He was the best specialist of the European species of Koeleria, Sesleria, Achillea, and Lotus. ÚJHELYI described Sesleria hungarica ÚJHELYI as a new spe cies of Poaceae (ÚJHELYI 1959). These two Sesleria are closely related taxa. Ac cording to ÚJHELYI, S. hungarica is octoploid 2n=56 and a much more robust plant than the tetraploid 2n=28 S. heufleriana SCHUR (ÚJHELYI 1959). In this paper the author sketches out the morphological structure of the vege tative parts of culms, makes comparision with culms, internodes, leaf blades, leaf sheaths, the measures of lengths, and their ratios. The author tries to find more morphological differences between these two closely related taxa, because most of the scientific literature does not accept S. hungarica as an independent species. In most of botanical literature Sesleria hungarica ÚJHELYI is considered to be a subspecies of Sesleria heufleriana (DEYL 1978, 1980, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2000, SOÓ 1980, PRISZTER 1985, SIMON 2000). Only in few instances Hungarian litera ture accepts Sesleria hungarica as a species (SOÓ 1973, SIMON 1992). In the floristic work of the Hungarian Bükk Mountains (VOJTKÓ 2001) and in protected plants of Hungary (LESS 1999), Sesleria hungarica is dealt with as an independent species. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research material of both Sesleria taxa amounting to 320 specimens, from 13 populations (Table 1) was collected at different times (see below), and in different places of the northeastern part of Hungary partly from original habitats, and partly from an experimental garden of identical condi tions (100 specimens from 4 populations). They were side by side at a distance of about 40 cm from one another. The sampling for measurement in the case of samples from the original habitats were 220 specimens from 9 populations (Table 1) gathered in May, immediately after the blooming period, at the beginning of the fruiting stage (see below). The collection of samples from the experimental garden for measurement took place about a month earlier, in April, in the blooming period. In this lat ter case the lengths of culms and those of the internodes of specimens from the original habitats can not be compared with the specimens from the experimental garden. As is known, the culms and the leaves of grasses further increase in length not only until the blooming period but also after that. The research material was collected from the following habitats. Sesleria heufleriana SCHUR, 1853 - Population 1: Comit. Cibin. In lapidosis montis "Verfu Magura" prope pagum Nagy Talmács. Solo arenoso saxoso, alt. c. 250 m.s.m. Loco classico! Leg. Dr. ÁRPÁD DE DEGEN 05.05. 1903. Gramina Hungarica exsiccata. Topotypus DEZSŐ KovÁTS, 09.2002. Population 2: In rupibus apud Szarvaskő, mt. Bükk. Legit: 05.05.1949. ANDRÁS HORÁNSZKY. Population 3: Material from the experimental garden originated from: 10-11. Comit. Heves, prope pagum Szarvaskő. In rupibus gabrosis, in monte "Várhegy", in "Bükki Nemzeti Park", alt. cca. 300 m.s.m. 06.06.1983. Leg. et det. TIBOR SZERDAHELYI. Taken out of the experimental garden: 16.04.1986. Population 4: Comit. Abauj-Torna. In rupibus calcar. sept, silvat. montis Szádvár prope Szögliget. Alt. cca. 450 m.s.m. 01.05.1953. Leg. ÁDÁM BOROS. Table 1. Sesleria research material from original from experimental sum habitat garden number of number of number of number of number of number of specimens populations specimens populations specimens populations S. heufleriana 110 4 30 1 140 5 S. hungarica 110 5 70 3 180 8 Sum 220 9 100 4 320 13 Population 5: Hungária sept.-orientalis. In montibus Tornai Karszt, in monte Nagyoldal exp. merid. in ass. Seslerietum heuflerianae subcarpaticum, 400 m.s.m. prope pag. Jósvafő. 18. 05. 1958. Leg. et det. JÓZSEF ÚJHELYI. Sesleria hungarica ÚJHELYI, 1959 - Population 1: Comit, Borsod. Catena Bükk: in saxosis herbosis montis "Tarkő". Sol. calc.; alt. c. 900 m.s.m. Legit: 25.05.1916. JÁNOS HULJÁK. Population 2: Hungária sept.-orientalis. In montibus Bükk-hegység. In caespitibus saxi montis Szentléleki Látókő supra casam Szentlélek ad pag. Omassa prope opp. Miskolc, alt. 700 m.s.m. Exp. NO. Solo calcareo 2n=56! 21.05.1959. leg. JÓZSEF ÚJHELYI et TERÉZ ASBÓTH. Population 3: Hungária sept.-orientalis. In montibus Bükk hegység. In saxosis sylvis fagetis valle Sebes völgy, ad. pag. Ómassa, prope opp. Miskolc, alt. 600 m.s.m. Exp. N. Solo calcareo. 2n=56! 21.05.1959. Leg.: JÓZSEF ÚJHELYI et TERÉZ ASBÓTH, det.: JÓZSEF ÚJHELYI. Population 4: Material from the experimental garden originated from: Mts. Bükk, Bükk Na tional Park, prope opp. Felső-Hámor, in saxi montis "Puskaporos" 15.04.1983. Leg. et det.: DEZSŐ KOVATS took it out of the experimental garden: 18.04.1998. Population 5: Comit. Heves, prope pag. Bánkút, prope opp. Nagyvisnyó, in rupibus calcareis Ablakoskő, cca. 750 m.s.m. 18.05.1983. Leg. DEZSŐ KOVATS etTlBOR SZERDAHELYI, det.: DEZSŐ KOVÁTS. Population 6: Originated as before. Taken out of the experimental garden: 17.04.1986 Population 7: In montibus Bükk hegység, prope opp. Felsőtárkány, Csákpilis 19.05.1983. Leg. et det.: DEZSŐ KOVÁTS. Population 8: Material from the experimental garden originated from: Comit. Borsod-Abaúj- Zemplén, in montibus Bükk hegység, in monte Uppony prope opp. Dédestapolcsány, ad limites lacuum Lázbérc, 05.10.1982. Leg. et det.: DEZSŐ KOVÁTS. Taken out of the experimental garden: 14.04.1986. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Distribution of culms according to internode numbers The author made a comparision of the internode numbers of culms bearing panicles on 320 specimens from 13 populations. The comparision between the two Sesleria taxa was made with experimental probability (frequency), and the differ ences between the specimens collected from the original habitats (220 specimens from 9 populations) and those grown in the experimental garden (100 specimens from 4 populations), (Fig. 1, Tables 1-2). As regards the specimens grown in the original habitats the double internoded culms (culms with 2 internodes) are the most frequent and, in an interesting way, of the same rate, 64% in both Sesleria taxa. After that follow the culms with 3 internodes, also of the same percentrage in both Sesleria taxa: 27% level. Differ ence beetween the two closely related taxa is found at 9-9%. That means culms without node - culms with 1 internode - at Sesleria heufleriana (9%) and culms with 4 internodes at Sesleria hungarica (9%). Table 2. Distribution of culms by internode numbers Sesleria heufl zriana Sesleria h ungarica number of from original from experimental from original from experimental internodes habitats garden habitats garden 1 10/110 = 9% 10/30 = 33% 0 0 2 70/1 10 = 64% 20/30 = 67% 70/110 = 64% 0 3 30/1 10 = 27% 0 30/1 l() = 27(/r 50/70 = 72% 4 0 0 10/110 = 9% 10/70= 14% 5 0 0 0 10/70= 14% sum % 100 100 100 100 At experimental garden conditions there are significant differences in the number of internodes between the two taxa (measuring 100 specimens from 4 pop ulations). Here in the case of Sesleria heufleriana 33% of the culms have not nodes; 67% of the culms have 2 internodes. In the case of Sesleria hungarica 72% of the culms have 3 internodes, 14% 4 internodes, and 14% even 5 internodes (Fig. 1). In this way at garden conditions there remain culms with 2 internodes in most cases at Sesleria heufleriana, but in contrast with this no culms with 2 internodes or culms without node can be found at S. hungarica. At this taxon culms with 3 internodes are the most frequent, even culms with 4 or 5 internodes are not rare. According to the foregoing observations and measurements it seems that a higher number of internodes is characteristic of Sesleria hungarica especially at garden conditions where the ecological differences are basically eliminated (Fig. 1). In a previous work, similarly to Sesleria, on two taxa of Phleum {Ph. hertolonii DE CANDOLLE = Ph. hubbardii D. KOVÁTS and Ph. pratense LINNAEUS) I found sig nificant differences in the number of internodes especially at garden conditions (KOVÁTS 1976, 1977). Fig. 1. Distribution of culms by internode numbers Distribution of culms according to lengths and their internode lengths Measuring 220 specimens from 9 populations from the original habitats shows that the fertile culms of Sesleria hungarica are ca. 10-15-20 cm higher than the culms of Sesleria heufleriana (Fig.