SPECIES AUTONOMY AND STRUCTURE OF ACHILLEA MICRANTHOIDES KLOKOV

Abstract

The paper examines the nomenclature and species structure of the poorly-known and rarely mentioned taxon Achillea micranthoides Klokov. The specimens of this species are measured using the materials collected by the authors in the west of the Orenburg region and using available herbarium materials (MHA, MW). The data are analyzed by the method of variance analysis in the statistical program PAST. 3.01. The studies show that A. micranthoides differs in a number of characteristics from other taxons Achillea L., which occur in the same biotopes. Absolutely reliable diagnostic features of the taxon are the shape of the leaves of the envelope of the inflorescence, the keeliness of the wrapper leaves and the intermediate leaf segments, to which enough attention has never been paid.