Modern Phytomorphology 9 (Suppl.): 85, 2016 CHOSEN ASPECTS OF FLOWERING OF RanUNCULACEAE REPRESENTATIVES IN POLAND Bożena Denisow 1*, Małgorzata Wrzesień 2, Jacek Jachuła 1 Key words: Ranunculaceae, flowering phenology, floral sexual phases, flower abundance 1 Department of Botany, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, Poland; * bozena.denisow@ up.lublin.pl 2 Department of Geobotany, Institute of Biology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland The family Ranunculaceae consists of even in the same genus: flowers ofAconitum numerous widespread species occuring from lycoctonum began opening at 5.00 (with the lowlands to subalpine or alpine zones. In peak between 6.00-9.00), while flowers of Poland, the species grow in different types Aconitum carmichaelii started opening at 8.00 of habitats, including xerothermic swards and peaked between 11.00-13.00. (Adonido-Brachypodietum, Brachypodio- The flowering abundance may differ Teucrietum, Thalictro-Salvietum, Seslerio- among populations of the same species. Scorzoneretum) and decidous forests (Tilio- The management type was found to have an Carpinetum). Many species are popular impact on the individuals’ density of Adonis ornamentals cultivated fro their esthetic vernalis occurring in xerothermic grasslands. value. Ranunculaceans vary remarkably in the The control of shrub encashment has already phenology of blooming. Among them, there been designated as the factor determining are early spring blooming species like Eranthis the flowering abundance ofAdonis vernalis in hyemalis, Ficaria verna, Isopyrum thalictroides, Lublin Upland. Anemone nemorosa, A. ranunculoides, and Some Ranunculaceae representatives those that start to bloom in autumn, e.g. are dichogamous. This feature is commonly Aconitum carmichaelli. The overall flowering thought as the factor preventing self- duration may differ significantly between pollination and inbreeding depression. For years – for example, in Anemone sylvestris the example, Helleborus foetidus and Anemone disparities reached more than three weeks. The sylvestris are known to be protogynous, while occurrence and the length of each blooming many of the Aconitum representatives are phase may vary considerably between sites, protandrous. There may be evident difference e.g. in Adonis vernalis 10-15-day dissimilarities in duration of each floral sexual phases, like in in the occurrence of blooming stages were protandrous Aconitum carmichaelii (the length recorded. Additionally, the duration of the full of male phase vs. female phase = 7.6 vs. 1.9 blooming stage varied from 10 to 30 days. days, on average) or the time spent in stigma The diurnal pattern of blooming among and pollen presentation can be similar, like in Ranunculaceae members was proved to be protogynous Adonis vernalis (7.5 and 8.4 days highly species-specific. Flowers ofAquilegia on average, respectively). vulgaris started opening at approx. 5.00 Disparities in flowering period, diurnal (GMT+2), which was 2-3 hours earlier than dynamics of blooming and sexual phases were those of Adonis vernalis. Significant differences found to be the adaptations to different insect in the diurnal flowering dynamics can be found foraging patterns. © The Author(s), 2016.