Ecogeographic variability and differentiation of Japanese dwarf pine populations in Kamchatka Krai with respect to the characters of generative organs

Abstract

The assessment of ecogeographic variability and differentiation of 22 cenopopulations of Japanese dwarf pine Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel (Pinaceae) on the Kamchatka Peninsula and in Koryakia has been carried out in regard to morphological and phenotypic characters of mature seed cones. The viability of seeds in the cones of ten populations has been determined by a radiographic method. A latitudinal nature of phenotypic differentiation of cenopopulations in the region has been revealed. Lower seed viability related to a high percent of seeds without embryos or with underdeveloped embryos has been recorded in the northeastern populations. The average share of viable seeds in the region is 52% and in the northeastern populations it reaches only 6–24%.