• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Diploidy suggests hybrid origin and sexuality in Sorbus subgen. Tormaria from Thuringia, Central Germany
  • Contributor: Meyer, Norbert; Gregor, Thomas; Meierott, Lenz; Paule, Juraj
  • imprint: Springer-Verlag Gmbh, 2014
  • Published in: Plant Systematics and Evolution
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 0378-2697; 1615-6110
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <p>From Thuringia, Central Germany, seven presumably apomictic microspecies were described within Sorbus subgen. Tormaria (Sorbus aria × torminalis, S. latifolia group): Sorbus acutiloba, S. acutisecta, S. decipiens, S. heilingensis, S. isenacensis, S. multicrenata, and S. parumlobata. Flow cytometric ploidy estimation revealed one sample-standard ratio class for all taxa which corresponds to diploidy. As the apomixis in Sorbus is exclusive to polyploids we deduce that the sampled trees are F₁ or early diploid hybrids of the combination S. aria × torminalis. The oldest name for this combination is Pyrus × decipiens Bechst. 1810 (= Sorbus × decipiens (Bechst.) Petz. &amp; G. Kirchn.). Hence, the wide-spread presumption that the diploid hybrid Sorbus × decipiens is rare, sterile, and only scarcely found between its parents does not apply for Thuringia. Here, this taxon forms relatively dense stands and spreads by suckering and fertile seeds.</p>