Ranunculus subgenus Batrachium on the Aegean islands and adjacent areas: nectary types and breeding system

Abstract

Eight nectary types of Ranunculus subgenus Batrachium on the Aegean islands and adjacent areas are described, and presented in camera lucida drawings and scanning electron micrographs (SEM). Their relation to taxa and the variation in and between populations are discussed. The appearance of the nectary is one of the most useful morphological characters taxonomically, and is also useful for revealing the hybrid origin of many populations. The breeding system of Aegean taxa and the probable evolution of the nectary types are discussed.