engleski

The genus Festuca L. (Poaceae) in ZAGR herbarium

The genus Festuca L. (Poaceae) is not a well-researched genus in the Croatian flora, probably because of the high morphological similarity and variability within the taxon level which makes determination demanding. The aim of this study was a revision of fescues specimens in ZAGR herbarium. A revision was based on 14 different morphological and anatomical characters that are important for determination: plant height, leaf height, panicle length, number of spikelets, average length of spikelet, number of flowers per spikelet, average length of awn, number of vascular bundles, ribs and sclerenchyma strands, leaf length, leaf thickness and central rib height and width. For microscopic investigation hand made sections of five tiller leaves per plant were taken. ZAGR herbarium has 104 fescues specimens mainly from Croatia, Italy, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the beginning of research 55% specimens were identified at generic level and after this revision the number is reduced to 25%. ZAGR holds 15 different species and the most represented ones are F. hercegovinica Markgr.-Dann. and F. valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudi both having the same number of specimens. Both taxa were found in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while F. hercegovinica was also recorded in Northern Macedonia and Montenegro. There are five specimens of Croatian endemic F. lapidosa (Degen) Markgr.-Dann. from Istria Peninsula and Dalmatia. The rarest fescue in ZAGR is F. nitida Kit. found on Mt Velebit. A revision revealed new data on occurrence of some rarest Croatian fescues e.g. F. circummediterranea Patzke and F. panciciana (Hack.) K. Richt.

anatomy, Balkans, fescue, herbarium revision, taxonomy

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