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

Horvatic, this species is widely ranging in the Illiryian area in 1000— 1700 m a. s. 1., and is here the character species of Seslerietalia coerulae. I. Horváth considers it the true species of Festucetum pungentis. Aichinger remarks, when treating Chr. leucanthemum L., enumerated in the same plant association, that it is represented there by a curious variety. Zoll er (36) makes a similar remark : in the Swiss Jura, there is a variety different from Chr. leucanthemum L. in the primary places of Seslerietum. In both cases, they were doubtlessly confronted by Chr. maximum Ram., causing much difficulties for the phytoceonologists. At the request of the author, J. Újhelyi was kind enough to observe the range and oecological behaviour of this species in Albanis (Monti Moli me Gropa and Mt. Korab, 1100—1600 m), in the summer of 1956, and he related of the same results. In montane regions, on rock-grassy, narrow walleysides, then in the highweed associations alongside mountain creeks, and in beech-woods ; in the subalpine-alpine region, in wet, watery places, only Chr. maximum Ram, grew ; whilst on barren mountain meadows of a dry soil, Chr. leucanthemum L. abounded in masses. In the full knowledge of the oecological conditions, we may almost exactly ascertain from the papers on phytocoenology what species is meant by the name Chr. leucanthemum (at least for Central Europe), enumerated in the lists of certain associations. Namely, aside of the associations discussed above, it is a member of the plant associations Calamagrostidetum variae, Seslerieto-Semperviraeturn, Nardetum strictae ; in subalpine regions, on basic soil, of Piceetum myrtilletosum, etc. This few examples will emphatically call attention to Chr. maximum Ram., and will also call for the clarification of the oecological behaviour in high mountains of Chr. leucanthemum L., a task that was not in the power of author to do. It is exceedingly difficult to outline the range of Chr. maximum Ram., owing to its misconception and its relegation to Chr. leucanthemum L. Author refers now in her enumeration to data seen in herbaria, which are, naturally, incomplete. Its range is from the Pyrenees through Central Europe to the eastern Capathians, that is, the whole of Central Europe, further Poland, the central parts of Italy, and the southern parts of Albania and Bulgaria in the Balkan Peninsula. If we examine the relationships of Chr. leucanthemum L. s. 1., from a cytological point of view and on the basis of chromosome numbers, we find a nice polyploid series with species of chromosome numbers 18, 36, 54, 90. Of these, Chr. leucanthemum L. ssp. triviale is a diploid, Chr. maximum Ram. a hexaploid, whose horticultural variety is a decaploid. We will yet return to this latter. The tetraploid was first shown byShimotomai in 1933, then by R o h w ed e r, studying the range of the polyploids, from the Darss-Zingst area of Northern Germany, in the vegetation of the sand dunes. Unfortunately, we have no specimens from this place, but we dispose of herbarium individuals from Northern Europe and Siberia, specimens which stand between our Chr. leucanthemum L. and Chr. maximum Ram., that is, with regard to habitus, they approach rather the first one. Their stem leaves are evenly broad, tongue-shaped, slightly blunt-tipped, sessile with a broad base, their blade not deeply incised but serrate or bluntly indentate. The leaves are of a thin consistency, even the ground leaves are thinner, not fleshy as in the case of Chr. maximum Ram. Their inflorescences are also big, their stem sometimes ramifying. Their extreme achenes have pappus. We do not know much about its oecology ; according