• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.93-109
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• 2008

The morphological variation was analysed to examine previous hypotheses on the taxonomy of B. amurensis complex which includes B. amurensis Rupr. var. amurensis, B. amurensis var. quelpaertensis (Nakai) Nakai and B. amurensis var. latifolia Nakai. The results from the univariational and principal components analyses employing 22 putatively diagnostic characters indicate that B. amurensis var. quelpaertensis is distinct from var. amurensis in the length and width of leaves, angle of leaf apex, distance between spinose teeth, length of internode, number of flowers per inflorescence, whereas B. amurensis var. latifolia is different from other varieties in the angle of leaf apex and leaf length/width ratio. In principal component analysis, the characters of the leaf including leaf width and length were the main characteristics to distinguish those three taxa. The evidence both from the principal components analyses and current geographical distribution pattern suggest that retaining the varietal status for the two taxa, B. amurensis var. latifolia and B. amurensis var. quelpaertensis is reasonable.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.260-266
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• 2012

Because the embryological features of Jeffersonia dubia are poorly understood, we conducted the first embryological study comparing it to other related genera of Berberidaceae. Important embryological features of J. dubia are as follows: the anther is tetrasporangiate, anther wall formation confirms basic type, glandular tapetum cells are two nucleate, the epidermis persistent, and the endothecium develops fibrous thickenings, anther dehiscence by two valves, meiosis in a microspore mother cell is accompanied by simultaneous cytokinesis, microspore tetrads are usually tetrahedral, pollen grains two cells at the time of anthesis. The ovule is bitegmic, anatropous and crassinucellate, archesporium single celled, development of the embryo sac Polygonum type, a mature embryo sac is ellipsoidal in shape. Endosperm formation is of Nuclear type and embryogeny Onagrad type. Seeds are arillate and seed coat exotestal type. Embryological comparisons showed that Jeffersonia resemble to Epimedium and Vancouveria rather than Berberis and Mahonia in some features, like as number of tapetal cells, cytokinesis in meiosis, and thickness of exotesta. It also resembles to Gymnospermium in mode of anther wall formation, number of tapetal cells, formation of nucellar cap, and nature of antipodal cells. Nevertheless, Jeffersonia and Gymnospermium differ from several other embryological features and molecular data too. Therefore, embryological evidences support that Jeffersonia is closely related with Epimedium and Vancouveria.