RANUNCULUS-AURICOMUS L AGGR (RANUNCULACEAE) IN ITALY .1. SEXUAL TETRAPLOIDS ON THE APENNINES

Ranunculus marsicus Guss. et Ten., a microspecies belonging to the R. auricomus L. aggregate, has been found to be tetraploid and sexual, an unrecorded combination. R. marsicus can be found with such characters only, in its locus classicus, a one square kilometer area at Piano de lle Cinque Miglia in Abruzzo Italy, and mixed with pentaploid, hexaplo id and heptaploid non fully sexual individuals, in the nearby Altipian i maggiori d'Abruzzo. Sexuality has been ascertained by embryosac init ial cell analysis and isoenzyme variability definition. The preferred habitat of R. auricomus s.l. populations in Central Apennines has been identified and investigations to define distribution, practical diacr itical elements and variation of R. marsicus are at progress.