Biosystematics on the alpine flora of Sayan and Altai Ranges

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This study has been aimed to get better understanding of the differentiation patterns among alpine plant species in Sayan and Altai Ranges and the origin of alpine floras in Japan and Himalaya, through the biosystematic analyses. The relults obtained in 1993 are as follows.1. About 7000 sheets of plant specimens were collected in West Sayan Ranges in 1993. They include the many species which could never be observed in the botanical expedition of Altai Ranges made in 1992. Through approximately 14000 sheets of plant specimens collected in this study in 1992 and 1993, the outline of alpine flora in Sayan and Altai mountain ranges seems to have been grasped, which will be kept in Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. The duplicates will be send to the other herbaria.2. The arctic circumpolar elements such as Saxifraga cernua, Dryas octopetala and Oxyria digyna were observed in the alpines of Siberia. These plants were usual and widely distributed in Siberia, though they are ver … More y rare and restricted in narrow area in the alpines in Japan. Especially, Saxifraga cernua in Japan is exclusively reproduced asexially by bulbils, but it has been recognized that this species in Siberia is reproduced also by the bisexial flowers.3. Aconitum: (1) A new species in this genus, named as A. krasnoborfii in the present study, was found in West Sayan mountains, which was closely related to A. burnattii Gayer subsp.petheri (Hayek) Jalas belonging to the sect. Napellus found in Europe. (2) A.paskoi Worosch. endemic to West Sayan mountains were recognized to have definite inflorescence which has been known only in the species distributed in the alpines of Central Japan. This species is closely related to A. senanense Nakai var.paludicola (Nakai) Tamura of Japan. The examples that the endemic species in Japanese alpine flora has its sister species only in the alpines of Siberia are found also between Ranunculus sulphureus and R.altaicus, and between Trollius pulcher and T.altaicus.4. Saussurea: The species in the subgenus Amphilaena has been known as one of "green house plants" distributed in Himalayan region. It was, however, recognized that this group occurred also in Siberia. The species are S.orgaadayi in Altai and S.dorogostaiskii in West Sayan. The flower-heads, especially, of S. dorogostaiskii were enveloped by the bracts when young, but they become naked completely after anthesis, the papery bracts spreading downward. These plants might be of important for understanding the origin of S.obvallata occurring in Himalaya.5. About 200 bottles of chromosome materials were obtained in Saxifraga, Chrsosplenium, Rhodiola, Sedum and Hypotelephium. They include many species materials which we could not get in Altai Range.6. Carex: About 2600 sheets of the specimens covered approximately 100 species were collected in West Sayan Range. It was found that about 1/3 of these species were distributed also in the northern area or the alpines of Japan, or closely related to Japanese species. This may give the valuable information for understanding the origin of Japanese Carex flora. Less