Morphological characteristics pf Heifei saffron (Crocus heuffelianus Herb.) in the Podilsky Tovtry national nature park

Abstract

The article performs the results of the study of morphological parameters of individuals of the population of Crocus heuffelianus Herb on the territory of the nature reserve fund in the conditions of the Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park. The aim of our research was to study the morphometric parameters of Crocus heuffelianus to establish the adaptive capacity of the species in the study area. The morphometry of 50 generative individuals of Crocus heuffelianus growing in the 10th quarter of the Chemerivtsi environmental scientific-research department was performed.The general characteristic of the dynamics of vegetative cover on the investigated territory is representes basing on the conducted geobotanical descriptions of phytocenoses with the participation of Crocus heuffelianus Herb. Crocus heufellianus grows within 10 quarters in the forest crops Quercus robur L. (twenty-five years old), plantations of Pinus sylvestris L. (forty years old) and in the area with the group of QUERCO-FAGETEA BR.-BL. ET VLIEGER 1937, Fagetalia sylvaticae Pawі. 1928, Carpinion betuli Issler 1931 em. Mayer 1937 where eighty-year-old Carpinus betulus L., Quercus robur L. predominate. The analysis of measurements was carried out in the studied population of the species: plant height together with inflorescence; length and width of leaves. According to the results of our study, it has been found out that the height of plants in the population ranged from 7.6 cm to 14 cm. On average, this figure was 10.3 ± 2.0 cm. The size of the leaves of the predominant number of individuals in the population was characterized by the following anatomical and morphological parameters: width – 0.2-0.7 cm, length – 4.9-10.7 cm. It is shown that the vast majority of individuals of the species have one flower. Crocus heuffelianus has some variability of morphological features in the studied population. This indicates a significant potential for the species to grow in different environmental conditions, which can not be realized under conditions of increased anthropogenic pressure. The unique plain localities of this Montana-Alpine species on the territory of the Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park have a high sozological and scientific significance and require systematic, long-term monitoring.