Leaf morphological variability of Pyrus spinosa and Crataegus monogyna and their potential hybridization
2025
Vidaković, Antonio | Šatović, Zlatko | Liber, Zlatko | Jurica, Marko | Poljak, Igor
This paper is aimed at investigating leaf morphological variability and possible hybridization between two species within the Rosaceae family: the one-seed hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) and the almond-leaved pear (Pyrus spinosa Forssk.). These two genera are taxonomically related and meet many prerequisites for successful hybridization between them, which prompted us to investigate the possibility of the presence of a long-described yet uninvestigated hybrid called ×Pyrocrataegus. The research was conducted along the Eastern Adriatic coast, where both species are widespread and often grow together in open woodlands, forest edges and abandoned agricultural areas. The examination of morphological variability was based on a morphometric analysis of seven populations using ten phenotypic traits of leaves. In general, our results showed great variability of leaf morphological traits within and between the studied populations, as well as a clear differentiation between the two species. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed a few intermediate individuals between the two species, indicating possible hybridization. However, as heteroblasty is present in P. spinosa, with its seedlings reported to have lobed, hawthorn-like leaves, dimorphism could also result from the reappearance of juvenile leaves on adult trees by means of rejuvenation. In order to draw a definitive conclusion about the existence of hybrid individuals in the next study, DNA markers and a much larger sample, especially morphologically intermediate individuals per population should be included.
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