Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 8. (Budapest 1957)

Baksay, L.: The cytotaxonomy of the species Chrysanthemum maximum Ram., Centaurea montana L., Serratula lycopifolia (Vill.) Kern., and Bupleurum falcatum L., ranging in Europe

plant, designated as the variety mentioned above, is nothing else but Chrysanthemum maximum Ramond (Bull. Soc. Philom. II. 1800) described from the Pyrenees. When contrasting the morphological characteristics of Chrysanthemum leucanthemum and Chrysanthemum maximum, we are necessarily bound to repeat ourselves, since, in the case of Chr. maximum, we have to deal with a good yet misconcepted species in Central Europe. There is a small coronet, a pappus, on the extreme achenes of Chr. maximum Ram., missing on Chr. leucanthemum L., whose achenes are all uniformly free of pappus. Chr. maximum Ram. is a more robust plant, 40—70 cm high, usually one-stemmed, rarely few-stemmed, with but one large inflorescence (4—6 cm). Its ground leaves are obovate or elongate, slowly or suddenly tapering to the petiole, fleshy thick, frequently glossy, the margins of the leaves bluntly or sharply dentate, serrate, sometimes deeply and scoopedly incised. In a fresh state, the venation does not protrude on the underside of the ground leaves. Its stem leaves are also fleshy, lanceolate, evenly broad or slightly narrowing basally, attached to the stem without lobul finely or roughly dentate or serrate. The stem and the leaves are frequently sparsely hairy or smooth. The edges of the scales have dark or light margins. Chr. leucanthemum L. ssp. triviale has a smaller stature, it is many-stemmed, its ground leaves have thin blades, their edges crenate, crenately incised, its venation, especially the midrib, protrudes in the living state. The stem leaves are shorter, the middle ones with a rounded tip, frequently suddenly tapering basally, their blades at base lobed deeply auriculate (See Figs.). Aside of the home biotops, author had occasion to collect living material of this critical plant also in the Béla limestone Range in the area of the High Tatra in Czechoslovakia, in 1956. In an alpine-subalpine region of about 1300 m, she had collected stocks resembling Chr. maximum Ram., already wellknown to her, with chromosome numbers 2n = 54, on craggy places of thinning Piceeium, in the company of Festuca Tatrae. The plant was of a smaller stature and with smaller, fleshy leaves than the ones collected in other montane and submontane localities. According to identification keys, this plant agreed with the name Chr. leucanthemum L. ssp. montanum (All.) Gaud. The morphological characteristics (achenes with pappus ; lanceolate and fleshy leaves) and the chromosome number of the plant complied also with Chr. maximum Ram., being its alpine (subalpine) subspecies ; it does not belong into the form group of the diploid Chr. leucanthemum L. Chr. maximum Ram. differs sharply — both morphologically and cytologically — from all related species, that is, also from Chr. leucanthemum L. itself ; concerning its evaluation and range, we naturally have to alter our views. Namely, the species Chr. maximum Ram. was considered only by the French workers as distinct and wholly valid for the plant of the Pyrenees, — it was supposed to be ranging to the Western Alps and to Corse; only horticulturists use this name and rank in Central Europe, considering it as valid for the cultivated variety raised by them as an ornamental plant. Other, mainly Central European, botanists were struck by this differently formed Chrysanthemum, and referred various names and ranks to it independently of each other. This species is hidden and mixed-up in numerous papers as ssp. or var. heterophyllum among the varieties of Chr. leucanthemum L., or under the name Chr. montanum (All.), or simultaneously under both. With regard to the immense diffuculties and consider able confusion caused by this erroneously interpreted species, author finds it