Leaf characteristics of elderberry hybrids

Bezgi (rod Sambucus) predstavljajo pestro skupino vrst, ki imajo lahko številne enake ali podobne lastnosti, v marsičem pa se zelo razlikujejo. Naša raziskava je obsegala 157 rastlin/genotipov iz 44 različnih kombinacij medvrstnih križanj, ki se vzdržujejo v genski banki Botaničnega vrta Univerze v Mariboru. Z različnimi meritvami, štetjem in primerjanjem smo opisali nekatere ključne morfološke značilnosti listov. Na vsaki opazovani rastlini smo izbrali najbolj tipičen povsem razvit list in izmerili dolžino celega lista, dolžino peclja, dolžino in širino vršnega lističa ter razdaljo od baze do linije, ki opredeljuje maksimalno širino vršnega lističa. Poleg tega smo prešteli število vseh lističev, ki sestavljajo list, število nedeljenih lističev in število lističev drugega reda (če so obstajali) ter morebitne priliste. Od kvalitativnih lastnosti smo določili obliko listnega roba, konice in baze. Pri opazovanih križancih je bil rob vršnega lističa napiljen oz. nažagan, konica podaljšana, baza pa ostrokotna ali razširjena (zaobljena). V drugem delu raziskave smo na vsaki vzorčeni rastlini izbrali najmlajši že povsem razvit list in na njem s kromometrom kvantitativno določili barvo vršnega lističa in lističa levo in desno od njega ter izračunali povprečje vseh treh meritev. Čeprav so nekatere rastline pripadale isti hibridni kombinaciji, so se njihovi listi med seboj razlikovali tudi po več kot eni lastnosti.Elderberries belong to the genus Sambucus which includes several plant species with numerous equal or similar, as well as different characteristics. We studied 157 genetically different plants originating from 44 different interspecific hybrid combinations which are being preserved at the genebank of the Botanical Garden of the University of Maribor. Based on various measurements, countings and comparisons, we described some of the crucial morphological leaf characteristics. On each studied plant we selected the most typical, fully developed leaf and measured the lenght of the whole leaf, the lenght of leaf petiole, the lenght and width of the terminal leaflet and the distance between the terminal leaflet\u27s base and the line indicating the maximum width. We also counted the total number of leaflets, the number of entire (not divided) leaflets, the number of second degree leaflets (if they existed) and evenutal stipules. Among qualitative traits, we described the leaf margin, base and tip. The most frequently present were serrate margins, acuminate tip and acute or obtuse base. In the second part of investigation, we picked the youngest but fully developed leaf and on three uppermost leaflets, we quantified the colour using a chromameter. The final value represented an average of three values (three leaflets). Although some plants originated from the same hybrid combination, their leaves, due to predominant heterozygosity of parental material differed in more than one trait