• 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.