Adonis vernalis L. in the conditions of introduction on the botanical-geographical plot "Steppes of Ukraine" at the M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine

Abstract

Aims. To find out and characterize the phenological, floristic, phytocoenotic, coenopopulation, morphometric and consortive peculiarities of the rare steppe species included in the Red Book of Ukraine, Adonis vernalis L., in the conditions of introduction in the meadow-steppe culturphytocenosis at the botanical-geographical plot “Steppes of Ukraine” in the M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine (NBG). Methods. The research was carried out in 2020–2023 in the Department of Natural Flora of the NBG. The nomenclature of taxa is given according to POWO (2023). The age states of A. vernalis were determined by (Mel'nyk & Parubok, 2004). Results. In the plot “Steppes of Ukraine”, the flowering of A. vernalis begins at the end of March — the first half of April. Mass flowering of A. vernalis occurs in the second half of April and lasts about two weeks. Here, 73 taxa were identified, among their numbers 53.4% were introduced, 31.5% were local, 6.9% were ergasiophygophytes, and 8.2% were xenophytes. Of these 73 flora representatives, 57.5% were in the phenophase of vegetation, 4.1% — budding, 28.8% — flowering, and 9.6% — fruiting. The projective coverage of A. vernalis during the period of mass flowering in some places reached 40%. The completion of A. vernalis flowering and the beginning of fruiting occurs in the first half of May; mass fruiting — from the second half of May; completion of fruiting — during June. In the spectrum of ontogenetic states of the introduction coenopopulation of A. vernalis, generative individuals prevail; spatial distribution of individuals is uneven. During the period of A. vernalis mass flowering, the height of the shoots can reach 50 cm; there are up to 36 flowers and buds per individual; the flowers diameter is 3.2–8.5 cm; petals 1.6–4.3 cm long, 0.5–1.0 cm wide. The fruits of A. vernalis are multi-nuts, measuring from 1.2×1.2 cm to 2.8×1.8 cm. Among the consorts of A. vernalis, five species of insects, four species of spiders and a European mole were found. Conclusions. The introduction of A. vernalis in the plot “Steppes of Ukraine” of the NBG was successful: for more than 70 years, a stable numerical homeostatic introduction coenopopulation of the species was formed with an area ca. 0.5 ha. The diameter of the flowers and the length of the petals of A. vernalis are characterized by the largest ranges of variations precisely in the plot “Steppes of Ukraine”, in comparison with other data. It was found that A. vernalis nuts are spread by Formica cunicularia ants.