Premium
Patterns and relationships between and within the sections Alchemilla and Ultravulgares of the genus Alchemilla (Rosaceae) in Estonia
Author(s) -
Sepp Silvia,
Paal Jaanus
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2000.tb01606.x
Subject(s) - biology , genus , botany , section (typography) , rosaceae , character (mathematics) , mathematics , geometry , advertising , business
Nine Estonian Alchemilla species belonging to the sections Ultravulgares and Alchemilla , or considered being close to them, were analysed. When the analysed specimens were divided into sections, the latter were statistically distinct and formed separable groups in the character space. When the specimens were grouped on a species level, A. cymatophylla, A. subcrenala and A. heptagona were insignificantly distinct, but, in the character space, specimens of A. heptagona were visually well distinguished from the other two. Specimens of A. acutiloba, A. micans , and A. xanthochlora formed confidently distinct (p < 0.01) species‐clusters, but at the same time they formed a joint cloud in the character space, indicating the compactness of section Alchemilla. Specimens of A. semilunaris were close to A. lindbergiana , and not, as has previously been supposed, to the section Ultravulgares. A. semilunaris should possibly be kept in a separate section Decumbentes. Specimens of A. lindbergiana were on one hand close to A. semilunaris. on the other hand close to the species of section Alchemilla ; including it in the latter section is still doubtful. A. subglobosa was indistinct from A. subcrenata but could generally be separated from sections Alchemilla and Ultmvulgares. Of the 41 tested characters, 35 were useful for species discrimination; counts, nominal and ratio characters were better than metric ones. According to the cluster analysis, specimens of A. acutiloba and A. micans formed one big cluster, all other specimens belonged to another.