| Abstrakt: |
Salixis a genus of considerable taxonomic complexity, and accurate identification of its species and hybrids is not always possible. Quantification of ovules was used in this study to verify the parentage of a few hybrids of Salix. It has been shown that ovule numbers in willow hybrids are the mean of the ovule numbers of their parents. The ovule index of a prostrate specimen of S. ×cottetiiaffirmed that this was a hybrid of S. myrsinifoliaSalisb. and S. retusaL., and the ovule index of the ornamental cultivar ‘The Hague’ affirmed that this was a hybrid of S. capreaL. and S. gracilistylaMiq. Finally, we also examined a confusing group, previously identified in North America as S. pentandra. The ovule indexes and other morphological characters indicated that there were four taxa among the studied specimens: S. pentandra, S. ×meyeriana, S. serissimaFernald, and a hybrid of S. serissimaand S. fragilisthat has not previously been described. It was concluded that quantification of ovules in willows is a reliable tool that can be used in willow taxonomy, genetics and population studies. |
