Department of Botany

rubus.html.en - rubus.html.en

Systematics of the intricate apomictic genus Rubus in Austria and Italy

The genus Rubus (Rosaceae) is distributed almost worldwide and comprises about 400 sexual species. To complete, there is at least the same number of brambles (“Rubus fruticosus”). Of these, only a minority reproduces sexually whereas the vast majority is constituted by (facultative) apomicts. Knowledge on the European bramble flora has increased enormously during the last years and decades, albeit with strong differences among different countries and regions. Especially southern European countries are still lacking modern treatments of their bramble flora.

One research topic deals with the Italian Rubus flora and the preparation of descriptions and diagnostic keys to the Italian Rubi in the course of the second edition of Pignatti’s “Flora d’Italia”.

A second focus is on the bramble flora of the Eastern Alps, with special attention to western and southern Austria, as well as northern Italy.

The studies are currently based on morphological features which are scored on material gathered during several years of field mapping and collecting.  In addition, specimens from several herbaria have been revised. Forthcoming projects will aim at combining morphological and molecular biological approaches towards resolving evolutionary patterns in southern European Rubi.

Personnel involved
Konrad Pagitz