MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS OF THE SCUTELLINIA-UMBRORUM COMPLEX (PEZIZALES,ASCOMYCETES) FROM 5 ECOTOPES IN THE NETHERLANDS

The multivariate structure of the Scutellinia umbrorum complex (Peziza les, Ascomycetes), based on the morphometrical parameters of 81 specim ens from five ecotopes in the Netherlands, was analysed. According to conventional expert estimation, five putative taxa resp. species were established: S. patagonica (Rehm) Gamundi, S. aff. subhirtella Svrcek S. umbrorum (Fr.) Lambotte, S. parvispora J. Moravec and S. subhirtell a s. Kullman. These taxa form a taxonomic continuum hardly separable b y traditional taxonomy. Five clusters obtained by UPGMA (with the gene ralized J-distance for mixed data as a measure of resemblance) are mor e distinct and in good accordance with ecological factors; some of the m however, are statistically not well separated. The revision of the c lusters' structure by k-means approach yields highly discontinuous clu sters. The morphometric characters of specimens differ when going from open habitats to the forest. Differences are also revealed in phenolo gy: the growing season starts in the forest later than in open habitat s. The data are divided into two subsets according to spore ornamentat ion and spore width, the withingroup variation of either subset is cau sed mainly by the length of marginal hairs. On the basis of several st atistical methods a supposition was introduced that the S. umbrorum co mplex probably consists of two polymorphic species, S. umbrorum (Fr.) Lambotte and S. subhirtella Svrcek s.l., with the mean value of margin al hairs longer than 450 mu m and shorter than 450 mu m, respectively. The UPGMA clusters can be interpreted as ecodemes of respective speci es.