• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.90 no.3
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• pp.266-276
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• 2001

This study was conducted to clarify the taxonomic implications of F. chiisanensis Nakai based on morphology and flavonoids of four taxa of Fraxinus [F. chiisanensis Nakai, F. mandshurica Rupr., F. chinensis Roxb. var. rhynchophylla (Hance) Hemsl. and F. sieboldiana Blume] in Korea with one species of China and Japan (F. platypoda Oliv.). Morphologically F. chiisanensis was clearly distinguished from other taxa due to the presence of panicle from leafless lateral bud of previous year, apetalous flower, persistent calyx, and brownish naked bud. A survey of the foliar flavonoids of five species showed two distinctive chemical types. Unique flavones with flavonols, C-glycosylflavone and flavanone were detected in F. chiisanensis (chiisanensis type), while only flavonols, C-glycosylflavone, and flavanone were present in other four taxa (chinensis type). This study showed that F. chiisanensis was not a hybrid between F. mandshurica and F. chinensis var. rhynchophylla, but an endemic taxon distributed in southwestern Korea. Morphologically F. chiisanensis should be included into subgen. Fraxinus, sect. Melioides according to Chang and Qiu's classification. F. platypoda, a taxon of sect. Meliodies in China and Japan, was different from F. chiisanensis with respect of scaled bud, decurrent wing of samara and the lack of flavones (chinensis type). Since four American taxa of sect. Melioides contained flavones (chiisanensis type), they are more closely related with F. chiisanensis chemically.