Variability of leaf blade characters of some microspecies from Alchemilla L. (Rosaceae) in nature coenopopulations and culture on the territory of Mari El Republic

The genus Alchemilla L. is one of the largest in angiosperm. This paper deals with variability of leaf blade characters of some microspecies from Alchemilla L. genus. The studies were conducted in 3 natural regions on the territory of Mari El Republic and in culture. A consensus configuration of leaf blade for A. acutiloba Opiz, A. gracilis Opiz, A. monticola Opiz, A. sarmatica Juz., A. schistophylla Juz., A. substrigosa Juz. was obtained by a geometric morphometrics method. The variability of the leaf blade shape for A. acutiloba , A. gracilis , A. sarmatica in natural cenopopulation was described. The study has shown that the size and shape of leaf blade for A. gracilis in ecologically contrasting conditions differ. The size of leaf blade for A. substrigosa differs in conditions with some differences in the ecological characteristics of soils, the shape – does not differ. According to a discriminant analysis based on a complex of morphometric characters of leaf blades for microspecies A. litwinowii , A. monticola , A. substrigosa in meadow plant community are classified with an accuracy of about 80%. A similar classification result of leaf blades for A. acutiloba , A. gracilis , A. hirsuticaulis in culture was revealed. Leaf blades for different microspecies form distinct, but overlapping «clouds» in the plane of discriminant functions.