Jaromír Kučera

• Head of Department at Slovak Academy of Sciences

Rocky habitats, globally distributed ecosystems, harbour diverse biota, including numerous endemic and endangered species. Vascular plants thriving in these environments face challenging abiotic conditions, requiring diverse morphological and physiological adaptations. Their engagement with the surrounding microbiomes is, however, equally vital for...

The role of endemic species in global biodiversity is pivotal, and understanding their biology and ecology is imperative for their fitness and long-term survival, particularly in the face of ongoing climatic oscillations. Our primary goal was to investigate the sexual reproduction level of the endangered Western Carpathian endemic Daphne arbuscula...

Specific ecological conditions in the high mountain environment exert a selective pressure that often leads to convergent trait evolution. Reticulations induced by incomplete lineage sorting and introgression can lead to discordant trait patterns among gene and species trees (hemiplasy/xenoplasy), providing a false illusion that the traits under st...

Anatolia is a significant centre of biodiversity and endemism with diversity hotspots located mainly in mountain ranges. Its complex geological history and heterogeneous topography have generated natural barriers to gene flow that favour speciation, and migration corridors that accentuate its transitional biogeographic position. While more attentio...

For the first time, the number of chromosomes was determined for 5 species of genus Pyrus L. (Rosaceae) from Armenia, viz. P. daralaghezii Mulk., P. hyrcana Fed. var. yeghegisi Akopian, P. medvedevii Rutzov, P. oxiprion Woronow, P. takhtajianii Fed., and the previous count of chromosomes number for P. caucasica Fed. was confirmed. All the explored...

Odd ploidy-level cytotypes in sexually reproducing species are considered a dead end due to absent or reduced fertility. If sterility is only partial, however, their contribution to the population gene pool can be augmented by longevity and clonal growth. To test this, we investigated the cytotype origin and spatial pattern, and pollen viability in...

Background and Aims Southwestern Asia is a significant centre of biodiversity and a cradle of diversification for many plant groups, especially xerophytic elements. In contrast, little is known about the evolution and diversification of hygrophytic flora. To fill this gap, we focus on Cardamine (Brassicaceae) species that grow in wetlands over a wi...

Hybridization is a key mechanism involved in lineage diversification and speciation, especially in ecosystems that experienced repeated environmental oscillations. Recently radiated plant groups, which have evolved in mountain ecosystems impacted by historical climate change provide an excellent model system for studying the impact of gene flow on...

Knowledge of population variation across species’ ranges is a prerequisite for correctly assessing the overall variability of any group of organisms and provides an invaluable basis for unraveling evolutionary history, optimizing taxonomy and devising effective conservation strategies. Here, we examine the genus Neotinea, which represents a relativ...

Diminished reproduction success in species with narrow distribution ranges might be one of the factors responsible for their limited dispersal and colonization abilities. We investigated here various aspects of the seed biology of the West Carpathian endemic Daphne arbuscula (Thymelaeaceae) and compared it with its more widespread relative D. cneor...

Plant speciation results from intricate processes such as polyploidization, reproductive strategy shifts and adaptation. These evolutionary processes often co-occur, blurring their respective contributions and interactions in the speciation continuum. Here, relying on a large-scale study, we tested whether gynodioecy triggers the divergent evolutio...

Effective conservation of biodiversity should build on a strong basis of taxonomic and spatial distribution knowledge. The Carpathian Mountains, an iconic centre of biodiversity in temperate Europe, harbour a remarkable number of endemic vas-cular plants. Current knowledge on their taxonomic status, spatial distribution and genetic diversity is, ho...

Effective conservation of biodiversity should build on a strong basis of taxonomic and spatial distribution knowledge. The Carpathian Mountains, an iconic centre of biodiversity in temperate Europe, harbour a remarkable number of endemic vas-cular plants. Current knowledge on their taxonomic status, spatial distribution and genetic diversity is, ho...

It is known that the allopolyploid genome of different species of the genus Elymus L. (Poaceae: Triticeae) is formed by at least five haploms of different origin (Dewey, 1984; Löve, 1984; Mason-Gamer & al., 2010). Earlier in the study of sequences of the nuclear gene encoding the enzyme granule bound starch synthase I (GBSSI), we obtained data that...

The taxonomy of the Cyanus tuberosus group has been unsettled since its first members were described in the nineteenth century. In this paper, we provide a revision of the group based on analyses of its genetic (amplified fragment length polymorphisms; 240 individuals), morphological (48 morphological traits, 611 individuals), ecological (42 studie...

Prospero autumnale (Hyacinthaceae) is taxonomically intricate geophyte species complex with a circum-Mediterranean distribution. In contrast to the extraordinary karyological diversity within P. autumnale complex, morphological variation is limited, and thus, reliable taxonomically diagnostic traits are absent. This investigation addresses whether...

The taxonomy of the Cyanus tuberosus group has been unsettled since its first members were described in the nineteenth century. In this paper, we provide a revision of the group based on analyses of its genetic (amplified fragment length polymorphisms; 240 individuals), morphological (48 morphological traits, 611 individuals), ecological (42 studie...

Understanding transcontinental biogeographic patterns has been one of the main foci of the field of biogeography. While multiple explanations for transcontinental disjunctions have been proposed, little is still known about the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic traits for the diversification dynamics of disjunct taxa. Here, we study th...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Detailed knowledge about the karyological diversity of organisms undoubtedly represents one of the crucial steps toward a better understanding of their evolutionary trends and history. We investigated the cytotype and absolute genome size (AGS) patterns in the European mountaindwelling genus Soldanella (Primulaceae) in light o...

There was an error in Figure 7. The correct figure is shown here. The figure in the issue has been corrected online. The publisher apologizes for this error.

Background and Aims The Balkan Peninsula is one of the most important centres of plant diversity in Europe. Here we aim to fill the gap in the current knowledge of the evolutionary processes and factors modelling this astonishing biological richness by applying multiple approaches to the Cyanus napulifer group. Methods To reconstruct the mode of di...

The genus Soldanella (Primulaceae) is endemic to European mountain ranges and harbors up to 20 taxa. Species are segregated into two sections, Tubiflores and Soldanella, which differ in their morphology and ecology. Karyologiacally has been all taxa reported to be diploids, but with two known chromosome races 2n=2x=38 and 40. Detail distribution of...

Stellaria graminea L. (Caryophylaceae) is karyologically variable taxon possessing several different ploidy levels including aneuploids. Only little is however known about cytotype demography at the population level, the geographic distribution of cytotypes as well as potential correlation of karyological and morphological variation in this species...

Five strains (CCY 058-007-001T, CCY 058-007-002, CCY 058-007-003, CCY 058-007-004 and CCY 058-007-005) of a novel parasitic yeast belonging to the genus Taphrina were isolated from leaf tissues of Geum montanum L. (Rosaceae), collected from the Vysoké Tatry Mts., Slovakia. Genetic analyses revealed that these isolates differ by 15 unique substituti...

Polyploid speciation is an ongoing, important source of angiosperm diversity. However, the ecogeographical differences between polyploids and their lower-ploid progenitors remain poorly understood. Here we explore patterns in the distributions of three Jacobaea vulgaris ploidy levels (4x, 6x and 8x) in Slovakia, which involved sampling at 203 sites...

Several systematic and ecological studies have been recently devoted to Jacobaea vulgaris (syn. Senecio jacobaea) in Europe. As a result, interesting data on its karyology, genetics, morphology, and ecology have been revealed. One of them is the description of a new subspecies J. vulgaris subsp. pannonica occurring in Central Europe and probably al...

Trváce byliny (5–)10 – 20 cm vysoké, s krátkym šikmým podzemkom a vláknitý-mi koreňmi. Byle bezlisté, nerozkonárené stvoly. Listy stopkaté, v prízemnej listovej ružici, prezimujúce, jednoduché, obvykle celistvookrajové alebo na okraji vrúbko-vané, bez prílistkov; stopka holá, žliazkatá alebo žliazkato chlpatá; čepeľ obličkovitá až okrúhlo obličkovi...

Five cytotypes have been reported for Jacobaea vulgaris (syn.: Senecio jacobaea); three of them with euploid (tetraploid, hexaploid, and octoploid; 2n = 40, 60, and 80) and one with aneuploid (2n = 32) chromosome numbers. Among them, only tetra- and octoploid cytotypes are regularly found, the other two are very rare. In this study we re-evaluated...

The lichen genus Solenopsora occurs predominantly in temperate and subtropical regions of the world, and the centre of diversity and distribution is in the Mediterranean, Macaronesian, and Madrean floristic regions. Taxonomic treatment of several taxa has varied over time and the concepts lack clarity. Focusing on multilocus sequence data, morpholo...

We investigated genetic variation and evolutionary history of closely related taxa of Picris subsect. Hieracioides with major focus on the widely distributed P. hieracioides and its closely related congeners, P. hispidissima, P. japonica, P. olympica, and P. nuristanica. Accessions from 140 sample sites of the investigated Picris taxa were analyzed...

Studies in Microglossum viride (Pers.) Gillet revealed that the name was used incorrectly for two similar but different taxa. Analyses of morphological, ecological and molecular (sequences of ITS and LSU region of rRNA gene) characters of type and voucher specimens of M. viride and related taxa resulted in delimitation and description of a new spec...

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Cyclamen fatrense is described as a narrow endemic of theWestern Carpathians, but because of its uncertain morphological distinction from the closely allied C. purpurascens it is not generally accepted as a separate species. Genetic, morphological and karyological analyses were used to revise the taxonomic status of the Western Carpathian populatio...

The phylogeographical history of mid‐altitude woodland herbs that depend on moist and shaded forest habitats is poorly understood. Here, we analysed the genetic structure of Cyclamen purpurascens, a mountainous calcicolous perennial, to test hypotheses regarding its glacial survival in single or multiple refugia and postglacial colonization routes,...

The present paper provides a large-scale taxonomic revision of Picris hieracioides, a highly polymorphic and taxonomically controversial species in Europe. Altogether, 104 populations were sampled and examined using multivariate morphometrics and genetic amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data. Two morphotypes are delimited, the ‘higher...

The Balkan Peninsula, with many endemic species, is known as one of the most important speciation and diversification centres in Europe. Here, we present a study of the western Balkan populations of the polymorphic European species, V. suavis s.l., which have been reported under the name V. adriatica, but their taxonomic status and position within...

Multivariate morphometrics and an assessment of genetic diversity obtained using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to determine the variability of the polymorphic group Cyanus triumfetti in Central Europe. The ploidy level of the populations studied was also determined; all individuals from the C. triumfetti group were diploid...

The Western Balkans, characterized by high rates of endemism, are recognized as one the most diverse and speciesrich areas of Europe. The present study focuses on diploid speciation in a poorly explored ancestral group of the genus Cardamine that is distributed in the amphi-Adriatic territory. Morphological data and DNA sequences (plastid trnL intr...

The western Balkans, characterized by high rates of endemism, are recognized as one of the most diverse and species‐rich areas of Europe. The present study focuses on diploid speciation in a poorly explored ancestral group of the genus Cardamine that is distributed in the amphi‐Adriatic territory. Morphological data and DNA sequences (plastid trnL...

Multivariate morphometrics and an assessment of genetic diversity obtained using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to determine the variability of the polymorphic group Cyanus triumfetti in Central Europe. The ploidy level of the populations studied was also determined; all individuals from the C. triumfetti group were diploid...

The amphi-Adriatic region, and especially the Western Balkan Peninsula, belongs to the most important biodiversity hotspots in the temperate region. Nevertheless, detailed phylogeographic and molecular systematic studies in the Western Balkan are rare due to sporadic sampling in regions, where access has been, until recently, restricted by war. The...

Background and aims: Viola species are commonly grown for their ornamental flowers, but their evolutionary history and taxonomy are often complicated and have been poorly explored so far. This is a study of the polymorphic, typically blue-flowered species Viola suavis, concentrating on the white-flowered populations of uncertain taxonomic assignme...

Hybridization is an important evolutionary phenomenon, and therefore a detailed understanding of the dynamics of interspecific gene flow and resulting morphological and genetic patterns is of widespread interest. Here hybridization between the polyploids Cardamine pratensis and C. raphanifolia at four localities is explored. Using different types o...

New data on the distribution of Cardamine amara L. and the C. pratensis group in Croatia are presented. Till now only C. pratensis L. (s.str.) and C. amara subsp. amara were reported in floras and checklists for this area. Based on the study of herbarium specimens, five taxa, namely C. amara L. subsp. amara, C. amara subsp. austriaca MARHOLD, C. ma...