The genetic structure of 24 populations of the
Calypogeia fissa complex from Poland and Germany has been studied. Fifteen putative loci in eight enzyme systems were resolved. Ten of these loci were polymorphic. The inter-population variation of the examined populations of
C. fissa was partitioned into three distinct groups, tentatively called group P
S, P
B and G. Groups P
S and P
B occur in Poland, group G in Germany. Fixed alleles were diagnostic of each of the three groups. Obtained values of genetic distances showed a high level of genetic distance (0.664–0.796) between populations from Germany and those of the Polish group P
S. A UPGMA dendrogram based on Nei
s genetic distance coefficient was constructed; it showed differentiation of the studied populations in two distinct groups, one consisting of group P
S from Poland, the second of plants from Germany and the Polish group P
B. Studies of oil bodies in
C. fissa showed, as in other
Calypogeia species, their high correlation with the isoenzyme phenotypes.
Key words Bryophyta - liverworts - Calypogeia fissa - isoenzymes - genetic diversity - genetic distance - oil bodies
I would like to thank Dr. R. Düll and Dr. D. Quandt for sending living plant material of C. fissa. Grateful thanks are extended to Prof. Dr. Jerzy Szweykowski for his ideas and interest, help in the collection of the plant material used in this study, for providing his unpublished data and helpful comments on the manuscript. This research was financially supported by the Faculty of Biology of Adam Mickiewicz University (grant No. 216/2000 PBWB).