Cyclamen fatrense, myth or true Western Carpathian endemic? Genetic and morphological evidence.

Cyclamen fatrense is described as a narrow endemic of the Western Carpathians, but because of its uncertain morphological distinction from the closely allied C. purpurascens it is not generally accepted as a separate species. Genetic, morphological and karyological analyses were used to revise the taxonomic status of the Western Carpathian populations of C. fatrense and explore potential differentiations in the widely distributed C. purpurascens. Our results show that the Western Carpathian populations are genetically and morphologically separate from those of C. purpurascens and should be considered a separate endemic subspecies (C. purpurascens subsp. immaculatum). The most important diagnostic characters discriminating it from the nominate subspecies include the absence of ornamentation on the upper leaf surface, the shape of the leaves and sepals, the width of the petals and the position of the widest part of the leaf lamina. All populations studied are karyologically uniform and diploid (2n = 2x = 34) with negligible differences in their absolute DNA content (2C = 6.63–6.92 pg).