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environment for three years, then the morphological features of the control individuals
(which remained in the original habitat) were compared with the transplanted ones. The
study looks for answers to the following questions: (1) whether there are differences in
morphological features between the two species, excluding those used for identification
and collection, (2) whether the transplanted individuals differ from the controls in their
morphological features (3) whether reproductive features more readily reveal taxonomic
differences than do vegetative features (4) whether there is any obvious separation
between the two species - and among other Poa species - based on AFLP markers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Plant material: The shoot clusters for transplantation were collected in May 2003 from
sandy, sandy loam and alkaline soil pastures in Hajdú-Bihar County, Eastern Hungary
(Table 1). Two individuals of P. pratensis and an individual of P. compressa were also
included in the molecular part of this study because the genetic distance among P.
pratensis, P. angustifolia and P. humilis may give more information about their
taxonomic status.
Table 1: Origins of studied P. humilis, P. angustifolia, P. pratensis and
P. compressa populations.
Population Origin Lat. (N) Long. (E) Association
P. humilis (1) Józsa 47°34’ 21°36' Agrosti-Alopecuretum
P. humilis (2) Pallag 47°36’ 21°40' Cynodonti-Poetum
P. humilis (3) Martinka 47°35’ 21°46' Astragalo-Festucetum
P. humilis (4) Mikepércs 47°28’ 21°39' Trifolio-Lolietum
P. humilis (5) Hajdúbagos 47°25’ 21°41' Agropyro-Convolvuletum
P. angustifolia (1) Pallag 47°36’ 21°40' Cynodonti-Poetum
P. angustifolia (2) Martinka 47°35’ 21°48' Astragalo-Festucetum
P. angustifolia (3) Martinka 47°36’ 21°50' Cynodonti-Festucetum
P. angustifolia (4) Zsáka 47°09’ 21°26' Agrosti-Alopecuretum
P. pratensis (1) Bagamér 47°28’ 22°00' Caricetum acutiformis-ripariae
P. pratensis (2) Martinka 47°35’ 21°51' Caricetum vulpinae
P. compressa Mikepércs 47°29’ 21°39' Trifolio-Lolietum
Additionally, to estimate the genetic relation within the aggregation it is informative to
compare the three species with P. compressa as a distinct species outside the
aggregation.
The shoots of the 12 populations were separated to small tiller units and planted in
the Botanical Garden of University of Debrecen in the same plot. There were 10 rows in
the plot, one row for each population. A row contained 15 tillers. The distance between
tillers was about 100 mm, the width of a row is 500 mm. Plastic dividing walls of 200
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