Cytotaxonomical study of Caltha palustris

Authors have divided the populations of Caltha palustris L. from the Czech Republic into four subspecies: subsp. cornuta (Schott, Nyman et Kotschy) Hegi with 2n = 32 chromosomes, subsp. laeta (Schott, Nyman et Kotschy) Hegi with 2n = 32 (34) in lowland and with 2n = 56 (57, 58, 59, 61, 64) in mountains, subsp. palustris with 2n = 32 (34, 35, 36) chromosomes, and subsp. procumbens (Beck) Neumayer with 2n = 56 (55, 57, 59, 56 + 6B) chromosomes. The chromosome numbers of 2n = 32, 44, 47 were also found in some intermediates. Chromosome counts for 88 samples are presented. Great variation in morphological features were found in all subspecies. Morphological characters are independent of each other, ecological conditions influence some of their values. Results are given for plants in wild, in herbaria and for 129 samples cultivated in an experimental field.