ON DIVERGENCE OF CHARACTERISTICS IN THE G ENUS POTENTILLA L. (ROSACEAE)

Some Potentilla species are chimerical, e.g., P. evestita Th. Wolf, or have mosaic characteristics, e.g., P. multifida L. and P. nivea L. Th ey are usually considered as hybrids. Chimeras appear as a result of s omatic mutations and plasmogenic heredity. The chimeric characteristic s exist against the background of the adaptive gene pool, rather than being adaptive. Divergence of the chimeric characteristics is an impor tant strategy of biological variability, as is well seen in the genus Potentilla.