On the taxonomy and distribution of Paeonia mascula s.l. in Italy based onrDNA ITS1 sequences

The internal transcribed spacers (ITS1) of nuclear ribosomal DNA of ten pop ulations of Italian subspecies of Paeonia mascula s.l. were analysed. The a im was to correlate molecular and morphological data in order to solve taxo nomic and distributive problems. Three highly homogeneous patterns of molec ular variability and three corresponding groups of populations were identif ied. One group includes plants with both molecular and morphological simila rities suggesting their attribution to P. mascula ssp. russoi The other two groups show differences which do not grant their present separation in the two subspecies P. mascula ssp. mascula and P. mascula ssp. hellenica. This study confirms that reticulate evolution obscured morphological variabilit y in Paeonia and stresses the usefulness of ITS analysis in studies at low taxonomic circumscriptions.