Abstract
The present investigations were carried out in the years 2010–2012 in Kraków-Opatkowice (Southern Poland). The observations were conducted in patches of abandoned <em>Molinietum caeruleae</em> meadows with different dominant species. Patch LM was dominated by low meadow species, forming small procumbent shoots and delicate belowground organs; patch TM was occupied by tall-growing taxa creating large tussocks or robust rhizomes; patch SH was overgrown by shrubs and trees with wide spreading roots. In all patches, the number of ramet clusters of <em>Dianthus superbus</em> was low and constant during the whole study period. All populations showed signs of advanced senility due to the absence of individuals in pre-reproductive stages and the occurrence of generative ramet clusters only. The total number of aboveground units per ramet cluster declined, while the leaf length, height of vegetative and generative stems as well as the size of inflorescences and flowers increased from patch LM to patch TM to patch SH. The presented results provide valuable data concerning the state of ramet clusters studied and their prospects for survival in inhabited sites.
Highlights
Large pink Dianthus superbus L. (Caryophyllaceae) is a loosely tufted perennial, clonal forb with a strong primary root and an ascending or creeping rhizome
During the whole study period, 11 ramet clusters were found in patch LM, 18 ramet clusters were noted in patch TM, and 12 ramet clusters were observed in patch SH
The constant low abundance and signs of advanced senility observed in all populations of Dianthus superbus might be due to a lack of safe sites suitable to recruitment and establishment of seedlings
Summary
Large pink Dianthus superbus L. (Caryophyllaceae) is a loosely tufted perennial, clonal forb with a strong primary root and an ascending or creeping rhizome. Dianthus superbus is a threatened species in entire Europe. It is considered as critically endangered (CR) in the Czech Republic [5,6], endangered (EN) in Latvia and Lithuania [7], vulnerable (VU) in Sweden [7] and Poland [8], near threatened (NT) in Hungary [9], and rare (R) in Denmark [7]. Taking into account the advanced processes of extinction of numerous populations and the scarcity of data on variation in the features of populations, it should be pointed out that further demographic investigations are still strongly needed Such observations provide very valuable data about the state of the population and its prospects for survival at occupied sites as well as they might be the basis for successful conservation programs. Considering the present state of knowledge, investigations were conducted on the abundance and structure of populations of Dianthus superbus inhabiting patches of Molinietum caeruleae with different habitat conditions
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