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Validation of leaf undulation traits in the taxonomy of Epipactis muelleri Godfery, 1921 (Orchidaceae, Neottieae)

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Abstract

Leaf undulation is used as a diagnostic feature in the taxonomy of different taxa of the Epipactis (Orchidaceae) genus. It is considered a specifically important trait, apart from the column (gynostemium) structure, in the identification of E. muelleri. However, leaf undulation is a common developmental phenomenon in various plants, including orchids, thus the main goal of the research presented was to validate the usefulness of this feature in Epipactis taxonomy. In the course of this study, the leaf structure of six Epipactis species was analyzed, i.e., E. albensis, E. atrorubens, E. helleborine, E. muelleri, E. palustris and E. purpurata. The leaf margin outline and the cellular pattern of the leaf surface, as well as the presence of papillae, were examined in detail. The results obtained showed that in all taxa analyzed, representing different groups of the Epipactis genus, leaf undulation was present. The phenomenon was related to leaf blade development and the local differential growth of leaf sectors rather than to the taxonomic position of the species. Therefore, leaf undulation studied in Helleborines does not have a diagnostic value as a non-programmed intrinsic feature and should not be applied to taxa identification. The valid trait in Epipactis classification (including E. muelleri) is the column structure.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Prof. Dariusz L. Szlachetko (University of Gdańsk, Poland) for material confirmation and advice in the description of Fig. 3; Dr. Mindaugas Lapelė (Dzūkija National Park, Lithuania) and RNDr. Vítězslav Plášek, Ph.D. (University of Ostrava, the Czech Republik) for help in material collection; our colleagues from the Department of Developmental Plant Biology (Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wrocław, Poland) for their discussions and Mr. Ian Anderson for language correction. We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Kanonia 6/8, 50-328, Wrocław, Poland

    Anna Jakubska-Busse

  2. Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wrocław, Kanonia 6/8, 50-328, Wrocław, Poland

    Edyta M. Gola

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  1. Anna Jakubska-Busse
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Correspondence to Anna Jakubska-Busse.

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Jakubska-Busse, A., Gola, E.M. Validation of leaf undulation traits in the taxonomy of Epipactis muelleri Godfery, 1921 (Orchidaceae, Neottieae). Plant Syst Evol 300, 1707–1717 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-014-0996-x

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