The genus Adoxa L. (Adoxaceae Trautv.) in the flora of Russia

Transbaikal State University, 672039 Chita, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: olga.popova-54@yandex.ru

Abstract

In this paper, species of the genus Adoxa L. were analyzed that occur in the flora of Russia. We noted that three species have been found on the territory of Russia: Adoxa moschatellina L., Adoxa orientalis Nepomn. and Adoxa insularis Nepomn. A. moschatellina has a circumpolar areal. The species A. orientalis rarely occurs in Far East. It was determined that this species has more primitive flower structure as compared with A. moschatellina. The lateral flowers of A. orientalis in the inflorescence are trimerous (Ca₍₃₎CO₍₆₎A₆G₍₃₎),_, whereas anther filaments are integral. On islands Kunashir and Sakhalin, we noted the presence of A. insularis whose flower structure has signs of more complete organization. In A. insularis, petals are oval, with a pointed tip, and have straight veinlets; A. insularis possesses 3- to 4-fold fewer nectar glandules, which are located directly on the petals’ surface, rather than in depressions on the petals as in A. moschatellina. Anther filaments in A. insularis are longer, and the angle between cleft filaments in A. insularis is 30–40° (rather than 90° or more as in A. moschatellina). It was concluded that in Adoxa species, there has been an obvious process of evolutionary reduction of flower structure.