Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 65. (Budapest 1973)

Ujhelyi, J.: Data to the systematics of the sections Bulbosae and Caespitosae of the genus Koeleria, XI.

point also in this paper because, apart from DOMIN'S Koeleria splendens PRESL, it is perhaps the collective species Koeleria eriostachya, hereunder treated, which shows best the untenableness of his artificial system. At the same time, even the latest floral works (e.g. HESS, LANDOLT & HIRZEL 1967) still operate with DOMIN's collective species. Thus, for instance, Koeleria splendens appears because of a K. DOMIN subvariety in the Swiss flora of this book, regarding its area as stretching from Spain to the Krim and therefore unequivocally considering DOMIN'S great-species. The fundamentals of the present paper are partly the autopsy I gained in the original habitats of most European Koelerias and partly the live material study of my uniform garden now looking back to two decades. It was these direct experiences which helped to regard herbarial specimens as proofs of the living instead of a dead material. In every case I made epidermal preparations from every specimen of the investigated plant with my method, and also microscopic photographs of invariably the same magnification (ÚJHELYI 1954). The following material served for study : Herbarium of the Botanical Garden and Botanical Institute of the University of Zürich (Z), Herbarium of the Systematic Botanical Institute of the University of Prague (PRC), Herbarium of the University of Budapest (BPU), Herbarium of the Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest (BP). The problem of Koeleria Wilczekiana Domin K. DOMIN described the plant in 1913 (Fedde Report, spec, no v. regni vegetabilis 13:50) under the name K. Wilczekiana DOMIN, hybr. n. (K. hirsuta x pyramidata an K. hirsuta x gracilis^ ), Helvetia: Culta in horto botanico alpino Pont de Nant, universitatis Lausonnensis, leg. et. comm. E. WILCZEK. The data of the duplicate specimen in DOMIN'S herbarium are: K. Wilczekiana. Culta in horto botanico alpino Pont de Nant, 12.7.11. Wilczek. Schedula DOMINI: K. Wilczekiana m. hybr. n. (K. hirsuta x pyramidata an hirsuta x gracilis). Subdense caespitosa pluriculmis elata; culmis basi haud incrassatis sed tenuibus vaginis vetustis pallidis tractu longiore involucratis 50 cm et plerumque ultra longis glabris infra geniculatim ascendentibus et robustis supra gracilibus pallidis parte superiore midis (vix ad mediam foliatis) sub panicula pubescentibus; foliis innovâtionum et culmeis infimis mediocriter longis. DOMIN'S work cited above gives a further detailed description. The Latin diagnosis reflects truly every feature of the type specimen. DOMIN assumed they hybrid state of the plant mainly by its habit, his standpoint exhibiting the hybrid-aspect of his age. At the time of discovering the primary hybrids, and affected by the classical examples, if the florists found something exceptional or pecuhar

—-these were usually habitat aberrations — they thought to have detected the features of two similar species, without ever attempting to justify their statements by experiments. Nor was DOMIN free of this generally prevailing view. The other cause of regarding the plant's state as a hybrid derived from never having grown specimens taken their from original habitat for his studies. He could not ascribe the robust state of the plant, the elate stature of the panicles, and the elongatedness of the vaginae to the optimal habitat conditions. Every Koeleria inhabiting subalpine regions have violet panicles despite the cold microclimate. And every alpine and subalpine Koeleria loses this violet hue in a cultured state. Another cause of his hybrid — interpretation stems from DOMIN'S systematic view. In almost every one of my previous Koeleria papers I have pointed out that K. DOMIN'S two sections, the Sectio Bulbosae and the Sectio Caespitosae reveal lifeforms and not relationship. Xerothermous species, or those exposed to extreme conditions

—such, e.g. are Koeleria hirsuta (LAM. & DC.) GAUD, and Koeleria