L. Lőkös szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 24. 1993 (Budapest, 1993)

Kereszty, Zoltán: The distribution of the genus Scilla in Hungary

In the wake of some early trials (Darlington), the more detailed cytological research was started in Japan (Sato); and soon continued and further developed by Italian (Battaglia) and Indian experts (Raghavan, Rao) up to the 1970s when the work achieved international dimensions. The activity of Greilhuber and Speta has particular significance by encompassing all representatives of the genus from Europe and Asia Minor. In the chapter on cytology I considered only the works dealing with the genus as their main or foremost subject; innumerable studies mentioning only the various species in some connection have been disregarded. Chromosome charts containing of necessity cytological data were omitted. The most important studies used in embryology, genetics and tissue culture are given in this group. The base of a continuous systematic elaboration is the collection of the species and their floristico-geobotanical evaluation. This work goes back to the Middle-Ages but really prospers from the 18th century only. Along with general works on the flora, a detailed assessment of regions and smaller areas gradually became more organized within a harmonized framework until they obtained international character. The places of occurrence of the genus have been generally indicated by me with the page number; in the case of short local studies or in descriptions often mentioning the genus, I indicated the relating page numbers or the entire extent of the passage. The biochemical and chemotaxonomic examinations are primarily connected with the high biologically active agent content of certain members of the genus; these examinations are directed to aim medical biology and have produced in the second half of this century — mainly as a result German, French, Indian and recently Japanese research — serious new results immediately benefiting medical practice. The present name of the genus has more or less been mixed up with that of Hyacinthus until the end of the 18th century. Most of the species bear this name from Dioskurides up to Linné so that the denomination Scilla designated unequivocally the genus Urginea as it is today. From the mid-nineteenth century onwards, the variance experienced in the course of collecting has brought about a rapidly growing number of synonymous denominations, leading to a recurring systematization (Greiner, Salisbury, Baker); in this way, at the beginning of our century, an increased mass of new information could be utilized (Chouard, Galup, Krause), which subsequently has been enlarged with the results of research beginning in Eastern Europe (Grossheim). The bases of up-to-date systematization of the genus were laid down by Speta: this should have been gradually completed by the new results achieved along the detailed examination of local flora (Mordak, Kereszty). Owing to lack of space, I have omitted to list the wellknown botanical textbooks and periodicals (e.g. Curtis Bot. Mag.). CYTOLOGY, EMBRYOLOGY, GENETICS, TISSUE CULTURE AINSWORTH, C. C, PARKER, J. S. and HORTON, D. M. (1983): Chromosome variation and evolution in Scilla autumnalis. — Kew Chromosome Conference II: 261-268. ARAKI, H. (1971): Cytogenetics of Scilla scilloides complex. III. Homology between genomes A(x=8) and B(x=9). —Jap. J. Genet. 46: 265-275. ARAKI, H. (1972): Cytogenetics of Scilla scilloides complex IV. Eu- and aneuploid offspring from allotriploids in a natural population. —Jap. J. Genet. 47: 73-83. ARAKI, H. (1972): Cytogenetic study of Scilla scilloides from Korea. —Jap. J. Genet. 47: 147150 ARAKI, H. (1975): Cytogenetics of Scilla scilloides complex V. The Relationship between two adjacent natural populations. —Nucleus 18: 1-6. ARAKI, H. (1976): Year-after-year occurrence of aneuploids in a natural population of the Scilla scilloides complex. —Bull. Fukuoka Univ. ofEduc. 26: 77-83.