• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

DNA sequences of nrITS regions obtained from 49 accessions representing 12 species and one variety within the section Adonanthe of the genus Adonis were analyzed to test the previous intra-sectional classification system and to determine their phylogenetic relationships. The results showed that the seven accessions of A. amurensis Regel et Radde included in the present study did not form a monophyletic group, as some of the accessions showed a close relationship with the Japanese endemic species A. ramosa Franch., which implies that the current species delimitation and identification of A. amurensis is problematic. Adonis pseudoamurensis W. T. Wang, which is frequently misidentified as A. ramosa in Korea, formed a segregated group, which suggests that they should not be considered as conspecific taxa. Accessions from A. shikokuensis Nishikawa et Koji Ito, A. multiflora Nishikawa et Koji Ito, and A. pseudoamurensis formed a clade, but monophyly of each species was not evident. The nrITS data did not support the classification system proposed by Wang, who classified sect. Adonanthe into four series, as most of these were found to be either polyphyletic or paraphyletic.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.329-337
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• 2011

The Acer wilsonii complex including A. wilsonii, A. tutcheri, and A. confertifoilum is distributed in southern China. Morphological variation was examined to delimit the species and to determine whether recognition at the specific level was warranted. Univariate and bivariate statistical methods, based on data taken from herbarium specimens, were used to examine morphological variation between and within species. This study showed that A. tutcheri differed from A. wilsonii by its rather short inflorescence, small leaf blades, and three leaf lobes with distinctive serrate leaf lobes. In contrast, there was virtually no separation of taxa with respect to the paniculate-corymbose or short paniculate inflorescence between A. confertifolium and A. tutcheri, suggesting that A. confertifolium morphologically resembled A. tutcheri and is a rather smaller form of it. Circumscription of Acer wilsonii has been quite troublesome, because the important holotype and isotype specimens contained different species under the same number and were misleading with respect to the correct application of the name. Furthermore, lobation is very weak within ser. Sinensia, but diversified inflorescences usually occur in China. A three lobed leaves species, A. wilsonii, represents the reduction in lobation without any modification of panicle inflorescences and seems to be closely related to A. sinense. However, A. tutcheri, which shows a reduction in panicle inflorescence with four petals and sepals, may not be closely related to A. sinense. Three lobed taxa may not correctly reflect the true relationship within ser. Sinensia. The designated lectotype of A. wilsonii, line drawings of representative leaves of related species, a key, and distribution maps of these taxa are presented.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 2012

The distribution, vegetation characteristics and an assessment of the conservation status of the Korea endemic species Coreanomecon hylomeconoides Nakai were investigated to collect biological basic data to formulate a conservation strategy. According to the distribution map of C. hylomeconoides based on the literature, specimen information, and local field surveys, natural populations of C. hylomeconoides are intensively distributed in the Southern regions of the peninsula, around Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeollanan-do. C. hylomeconoides was distributed in the middle and low slope adjacent to a valley. The altitude ranged from 227 m to 744 m, with inclinations of $5-10^{\circ}$. As a result of a vegetation survey within natural populations, a total of 238 taxa were identified from 29 quadrates in 8 natural populations. The importance value of C. hylomeconoides is 25.34% based on the coverage and frequency of the herbaceous layer with in the populations. The species diversity of the occurrence of the species in 8 natural populations was 1.52, while the averages of species evenness and the dominance values were calculated to be 0.83 and 0.17, respectively. As a result of assessing the conservation status through IUCN Red List criteria, C. hylomeconoides was evaluated as Near Threatened (NT). Conservation strategies are also discussed for the sustainable conservation of C. hylomeconoides.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.226-233
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• 2010

An intensive study of the embryology of Gymnospermium microrrhynchum was conducted to provide information regarding a discussion of the phylogenetic relationships of the genus, which is yet unstudied. Our results indicated that Gymnospermium is similar to other genera of Berberidaceae in terms of its embryological features. Nevertheless, newly reported and unique features are the well-developed endothelium and the undifferentiated seed coat type. Until the study of Gymnospermium, it may have been considered to be closer to Caulophyllum and Leontice in the tribe Leonticeae. These three genera share many morphological features as well as molecular similarities, by which they are kept in the same tribe, Leonticeae. However, very little detailed embryological data regarding these genera have been published thus far. Gymnospermium was characterized according to the basic type of anther wall formation as well as its glandular tapetum, successive cytokinesis in the microspore mother cell, two-celled mature pollen grains, anatropous and crassinucellate ovules with a nucellar cap, well-developed endothelium, its Polygonum type of embryo sac formation, its nuclear type of endosperm formation, and its undifferentiated seed coat type. In comparison with Nandina, there are many differences, such as the dehiscence of the anther, the cytokinesis in the microspore mother cells, the shape of the megaspore dyad, and the seed characteristics. Although we had no available detailed embryological information regarding Caulophyllum and Leontice, which are genera that are more closely related to Gymnospermium, we could deduce from the phylogenetic relationship that Gymnospermium, Caulophyllum, and Leontice are more closely related to each other than other genera of Berberidaceae on the basis of the seed characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.263-277
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• 2006

Anemone pendulisepala, recently described as a new species, is distributed in sympatry with A. reflexa, A. amurensis, and A. raddeana at Mt. taebeark and Mt. Baekdu. Anemone pendulisepala was previously proposed to be a hybrid species between A. reflexa and A. amurensis becaue it displavs overlapping features with them in involucre shape, petiole length, sepal apex and xylem shape, To verify the taxonomic status and to examine the hybridity of A. pendulisepala, sequences of ITS region of nuclear ribosomal DNA and the psba-trnH, rps16 and trnLF region of cpDNA from 36 accessions of 5 taxa including outgroup were analyzed. In maximum parsimony tree based on ITS sequences, A. pendulisepala had the same sequences of A. reflexa and was clustered with monophyletic A. amurensis, and then A. raddeana. Anemone pendulisepala was distinguished from the other taxa by having four base insertion in rps16 region, two species-specific bases and insertion in trnLF region. In the phylogenetic trees of combined cpDNA, A. pendulisepala showed monophyly with the bootstrap 100%. Anemone pendulisepala exhibited no polymorphism and shared no sequences with putative parental or related taxa examined in this study. Molecular data suggest that A. pendulisepala should be a distinct species, and no evidence of the hybridization was detectcd.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.255-270
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• 2003

Pollen morphology of four genera (Daphne L. - 4 spp., Edgeworthia Meisn. - 1 sp., Wikstroemia Endl. - 2 spp., and Stellera L. 1 sp.), except 1 taxon (Diarthron Turcz. - 1 sp.) in Korean Thymelaeaceae were examined with light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The size of grains ($11.3-60.0{\mu}m$) are varied from small (in Stellera) through medium (in Daphne and Wikstroemia) to large (in Edgeworthia). All studied taxa have monad, spheroidal, pantoporate (10-20) grains. The exine is reticulate, especially a typical "croton pattern" which is comprising rings of more or less trihedral subunits. Each triangular subunit is topped by a single microspinule, and the surface pattern is psilale. In Daphne, three types of subunit arrangement can be recognized; - (1) Type I : subunits are arranged circles and attached to each other or sometimes fused in part, (2) Type II: each subunit is trihedral and isolated distinctly, and (3) Type III: each subunit is isolated, but somewhat vague. Systematic implication of the present pollen data for the Korean Thymelaeaceae is also briefly discussed.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.227-253
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• 2003

Morphological characters of C. kobomugi, C. gibba, C. echinata. C. remotiuscula. C. maakii. C. curta, and C. loliacea of genus Carex were rexamined. The epidermal patterns of perigynium, achene and leaf were investigated using by a scanning electron microscope(SEM) and a light microscope(LM). Morphological characters. such as length and width of stem and leaf, sheath, bract, spike, scale, perigynium, beak of perigynium, length of spike peduncle, size, and frequency of stomatal complex of leaf, number of bract, shape of stem transection, scale and apex of scale, beak and base of perigynium, achene, epidermal cell and cell wall of perigynium, achene, leaf epidermal patterns (fundamental epidermal cell and cell wall, silica body, subsidiary cell), hair, papillae, prickle present/absent of perigynium and leaf were useful for the identification of observed seven taxa. Examined six taxa of section Macrocephalae, Gibbae, Stellulatae, Elongatae, Ovales, and Heleonates were distint from each other with respect of length and width stem, leaf, bract, perigynium, perigynium beak, lenght of spike peduncle, perigynium, and leaf. A key based on data was presented here.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.163-177
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• 2008

Pollen grains of 17 taxa (14 species with two additional subspecies and one variety) of genera Patrinia Juss. and Nardostachys DC. in tribe Patrinieae (Valerianaceae) were studied using light microscope, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. Pollen grains are medium ($37.41{\times}43.60{\mu}m$ - $45.65{\times}48.50{\mu}m$) to large ($54.88{\times}59.41{\mu}m$ - $61.70{\times}71.00{\mu}m$) in size, tricolpate (rarely tetracolpate) with the characteristic halo surrounding the aperture. In equatorial view, the pollen is oblate to subprolate, and in polar view, it is mostly circular or rarely 3-lobed. Two major pollen types are recognized on the basis of exine sculpturing patterns; Type I: Exine is composed of echinae together with sparse or dense microechinae, and verrucae shallow or rarely absent (Nardostachys and sections Paleopatrinia, and Monanadropatrinia of Patirinia). - Type II: Exine is composed of massive echinae together with dense microechinae, and prominent verrucae (section Centrotrinia of Patrinia). In TEM sections, columellae are extended from the footlayer into verrucae, and exine thickness is uniform at the pole and equator. Additionally, the infrageneric classification systems of the Patrinieae were evaluated on the basis of the present data.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.145-157
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• 2015

The nucleotide sequences of nuclear ribosomal ITS regions and chloroplast rbcL, matK and psbA-trnH regions of 30 individuals of Dendrobium moniliforme from several localities in four countries and 28 related species of Dendrobium were compared to investigate the genetic differences among Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese D. moniliforme, and to verify the homogeneity of D. moniliforme, which is used as a traditional medicine in East Asia. A phylogenetic analysis showed that Korean D. moniliforme and Japanese D. moniliforme form a monophyletic group, with no significant differences between their nucleotide sequences. This confirms that they are the same species. However, the Chinese and Taiwanese D. moniliforme were polyphyletic. Various species related to D. moniliforme were located between the Korean-Japanese D. moniliforme and the Chinese-Taiwanese D. moniliforme, and other related species were found between individuals of Chinese-Taiwanese D. moniliforme. D. moniliforme is described in Japan, providing evidence that the Korean-Japanese D. moniliforme is the original species. In addition, our data suggest that the Chinese-Taiwanese D. moniliforme complex is a mixture of a range of other species. Further studies are required to understand the taxonomic identity of this species. In the Korean-Japanese D. moniliforme, there were almost no genetic differences among the localities, whereas the genetic heterogeneity was high among individuals of the Chinese-Taiwanese D. moniliforme.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2010

Recognizing a basal group in a taxon is one of the most important factors involved in understanding the evolutionary history of that group of life. Many botanists have suggested a sister to all other angiosperms to understand the origin and rapid diversification of angiosperms based on morphological and fossil evidence. Recent technical advances in molecular biology and the accumulation of molecular phylogenetic data have provided evidence of the extant basal-most angiosperm which is a sister to all other angiosperms. Although it is still arguable, most plant taxonomists agree that Amborella trichopoda Baill., a species (monotypic genus and monotypic family) distributed in New Caledonia, is a sister to all other extant angiosperms based on evidence from the following molecular approaches: 1) classical phylogenetic analyses based on multiple genes (or DNA regions), 2) analyses of a tree network of duplicated gene families, and 3) gene-structural evidence. As an alternative hypothesis with relatively minor evidence, some researchers have also suggested that Amborella and Nymphaeaceae form a clade that is a sister to all other angiosperms. Debate regarding the basal-most angiosperms is still ongoing and is currently one of the hot issues in plant evolutionary biology. We expect that sequencing of the whole genome of Amborella as an evolutionary model plant and subsequent studies based on this genome sequence will provide information regarding the origin and rapid diversification of angiosperms, which is Darwin's so called abominable mystery.