EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
The European Journal of Environmental Sciences offers a mixture of original peer-reviewed research papers, which bring you some of the most exciting developments in environmental sciences in the broadest sense, often with an inter- or trans-disciplinary perspective, focused on the European problems. The journal also includes critical reviews on topical issues, and overviews of the status of environmental protection in particular regions or countries. The journal covers a broad range of topics, including direct or indirect interactions between abiotic or biotic components of the environment, interactions of environment with human society, or environmental sustainability.

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, Vol 1 No 2 (2011), 125–136

An intriguing morphological variability of Platanthera s.l.

Petr G. Efimov

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/23361964.2015.55
published online: 23. 02. 2012

abstract

The morphology of 38 species of the genus Platanthera s.l. was investigated by means of light and electron microscopy. Particular attention was paid to the structure of gynostemium and pollinaria. The species investigated represent 10 major lineages of the genus, all being recognized as sections or segregate genera in various taxonomical treatments. Considerable morphological variability was confirmed for Platanthera s.l. The most notably variable structures are tuberoids (root-like, stoloniferous, spherical, etc.), lip (entire, lobed, fimbriate etc.), rostellar lateral lobes (flat, concave, bursicle-like), lateral stigma lobes (flat, protruding, etc.) and viscidia (orbicular, lanceolate, sub-linear, deeply concave, reduced). The morphology of several taxa confirms that they do not belong to Platanthera s.l., of them Platanthera camtschatica displays relation to Galearis s.l. and P. latilabris, P. clavigera and P. biermanniana – to subtribe Habenariinae. In many cases the morphology confirms the monophyly of the lineages within Platanthera s.l., as Tulotis, Limnorchis etc., although more thorough sampling is needed. Some of those groups correspond to the clades as defined by previously published molecular phylogenies (Hapeman and Inoue 1997, Bateman et al. 2009). The morphological polymorphism in Platanthera s.l. (especially gynostemium structure) seems to be higher than in many other large genera of the subtribe Orchidinae, as Dactylorhiza, Ophrys or Orchis, and led to recognition of several segregate genera within Platanthera s.l. However, lesser genetic polymorphism revealed by molecular markers gives evidence for morphological plasticity (in particular, in gynostemium structure) and rapid morphological evolution of this group.

keywords: Platanthera; gynostemium; morphological plasticity; viscidium; bursicle

Creative Commons License
An intriguing morphological variability of Platanthera s.l. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

210 x 297 mm
periodicity: 2 x per year
print price: 150 czk
ISSN: 1805-0174
E-ISSN: 2336-1964

Download