Reconsideration of Acer pictum complex in Korea

Abstract

Acer pictum complex (A. pictum Thunb. ex Murray with varieties, A. okamotoanum Nakai, A. truncatum Bunge) in eastern Asia causes frequent difficulty in identification. One hundred twenty five specimens from A. pictum complex of China, Korea and Japan and A. cappadocicum var. sinicum of China were compared to investigate patterns of intra- and interspecific variation and to evaluate a recognition of several species as well as many varieties using 22 characters for morphometric analysis. The first three PCA accounted for 59% of the total variance. No strong discontinuities existed among taxa with respect to fruit and leaf characters. Much overlap among all taxa occurred the central region of the scatter diagram. Many characters appeared to show some clinal variation with changes from east of China to Japan through Korea. This was true not only when all species as considered as a single taxon, but when characters of individual taxa were compared with geography. As one considers a path from the western part of the ranges to areas to the east, the leaves become larger in most respects and become increasingly many lobed (five to seven or nine). In general, there was a tendency toward larger nutlet with smaller wing in the area toward northeast of China (=A. truncatum), while in the east of ranges (Island Ullung-do), plants were larger with respect to characters of fruit and leaves (=A. okamotoanum). The morphological differentiation between A. okamotoanum and Japanese and Korean individuals of A. pictum was not considered sufficient to warrant recognition of either specific or varietal status and should be treated as con specific under A. pictum var. mono. Since the lectotype of Acer pictum had minute hairs uniformly on the under surface of leaves(A. pictum var. pictum), the glabrous type of A. pictum was called A. pictum var. mono as Ohahsi suggested. The univaraite analysis (the mean and maximum/minium of nutlet size and wing/nutlet length ratio) indicated geographical differentiation of northeastern populations, A. truncatum, was distinctive, but Korean individuals of A. truncatum showed an affinity between Chinese individuals of A. truncatum and Korean individuals of A. Pictum var. mono. The current results, together with qualitative character, trunk features, justify subspecific status for this taxon. The previous varieties of A. mono in Korea were indistinguishable from typical form of A. Pictum var. mono on the basis of the wing angle and nutlet size, rejecting continued recognition of these taxa as distinctive varieties. Therefore, it is recommended that only one polymorphic species of A. pictum be recognized in addition to three varieties.