TAXONOMY OF THE HIERACIUM-ALPINUM GROUP IN THE SUDETEN-MTS, THE WEST AND THE UKRAINIAN EAST CARPATHIANS

A taxonomic revision of the Hieracium alpinum group (sensu Flora Europ aea) in the Sudeten Mts., the West and the Ukrainian East Carpathians is provided. Six species ate distinguished in the area studied, viz. H ieracium alpinum, H. halleri, H. augusti-bayeri, H. melanocephalum, H. tubulosum, and H. schustleri. H. alpinum occurs throughout the mounta in ranges studied, three other taxa are endemic to the Sudeten Mts. (H . melanocephalum, H. tubulosum, H. schustleri), one is confined to the West Carpathians (H. halleri, in addition to the Alps) and one is end emic to the Ukrainian East Carpathians (H. augusti-bayeri). A diploid cytotype (2n=18) was ascertained in H. alpinum from the Ukrainian East Carpathians and the same chromosome number was found for H. augusti-b ayeri. An agamospermous mode of reproduction was confirmed for the tri ploid cytotype of H. alpinum, the triploid H. melanocephalum and H. ha lleri and the tetraploids H. tubulosum and H. schustleri; the diploid taxa were found to be sexual. Pollen production in diploid taxa is hig h and pollen grains are homogeneous in size; triploid species, as well as tetraploid H. tubulosum, do not produce pollen; tetraploid H. schu stleri has pollen grains of variable size. Data on the ecology and dis tribution of the species are also given.