Unravelling some factors affecting sexual reproduction in rock-specialist shrub: Insight from an endemic Daphne arbuscula (Thymelaeaceae).

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 (Thymelaeaceae), which inhabits extreme rocky habitats, and to comprehend the influence of specific factors on its reproductive success. We conducted the research across four populations, varying in size and environmental conditions. Over two years, we monitored flower and fruit production, analyzed genetic variability within and among populations, and studied pollination mechanisms. Daphne arbuscula proved to be strictly self-incompatible, with significant variations in flower and fruit production among populations and seasons. The average fruit production percentage consistently remained below 50% across populations, indicating challenges in sexual reproduction. Cold and harsh weather during the reproductive phase had a substantial negative impact on sexual reproduction efficacy, leading to decreased fruit production. Nevertheless, several individuals in sheltered microhabitats displayed significantly higher fruit production, ranging from 60% to 83%, emphasizing the critical role of microhabitat heterogeneity in sustaining sexual reproduction in this species. We found no pronounced differences in genetic diversity within or among populations, suggesting that genetic factors may not critically influence the reproductive success of this endemic species. The implications of our findings might be of paramount importance for the long-term survival of D. arbuscula and offer valuable insights for the development of effective conservation strategies for this species.

Incidence and evolutionary relevance of autotriploid cytotypes in a relict member of the genus Daphne (Thymelaeaceae).

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 three relict shrub species of the genus Daphne (Thymelaeaceae Juss.) in central Europe. Daphne cneorum subsp. cneorum is a widespread European species that has a broad ecological amplitude, whereas D. cneorum subsp. arbusculoides and D. arbuscula are narrow endemics of the western Pannonian Plain and the Western Carpathians, respectively. Our study confirmed that all three taxa are diploid. However, of more than a thousand analysed individuals of D. cneorum subsp. cneorum, five in four different populations were triploid. Our data indicate that these triploids most likely originate from recurrent autopolyploidization events caused by the fusion of reduced and unreduced gametes. High pollen viability was observed in all three taxa and in both diploid and triploid cytotypes, ranging from 65 to 100 %. Our study highlights the significant role of odd ploidy-level cytotypes in interploidy gene flow, calling for more research into their reproduction, genetic variability, and overall fitness. Interestingly, while the endemic D. arbuscula differs from D. cneorum based on genetic and genome size data, D. cneorum subsp. arbusculoides was indistinguishable from D. cneorum subsp. cneorum. However, our study reveals that the subspecies differ in the number of flowers per inflorescence. This is the first comprehensive cytogeographic study of this intriguing genus at a regional scale, and in spite of its karyological stability, it contributes to our understanding of genomic evolution in plant species with a wide ecological amplitude.

The importance of arbuscular mycorrhiza for Cyclamen purpurascens subsp. immaculatum endemic in Slovakia.

At present, there is no relevant information on arbuscular mycorrhiza and the effect of the symbiosis on the growth of wild populations of cyclamens. To fill this gap, two populations of Cyclamen purpurascens subsp. immaculatum, endemic in Nízke Tatry (NT) mountains and Velká Fatra (VF) mountains, Slovakia, were studied in situ as well as in a greenhouse pot experiment. For both populations, mycorrhizal root colonization of native plants was assessed, and mycorrhizal inoculation potential (MIP) of the soils at the two sites was determined in 3 consecutive years. In the greenhouse experiment, the growth response of cyclamens to cross-inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was tested: plants from both sites were grown in their native soils and inoculated with a Septoglomus constrictum isolate originating either from the same or from the other plant locality. Although the MIP of soil at the NT site was significantly higher than at the VF site, the level of AMF root colonization of C. purpurascens subsp. immaculatum plants in the field did not significantly differ between the two localities. In the greenhouse experiment, inoculation with AMF generally accelerated cyclamen growth and significantly increased all growth parameters (shoot dry weight, leaf number and area, number of flowers, tuber, and root dry weight) and P uptake. The two populations of C. purpurascens subsp. immaculatum grown in their native soils, however, differed in their response to inoculation. The mycorrhizal growth response of NT plants was one-order higher compared to VF plants, and all their measured growth parameters were stimulated regardless of the fungal isolates' origin. In the VF plants, only the non-native (NT originating) isolate showed a significant positive effect on several growth traits. It can be concluded that mycorrhiza significantly increased fitness of C. purpurascens subsp. immaculatum, despite the differences between plant populations, implying that AMF symbionts should be taken into account in conservation programs of this endemic plant.