The Taxonomic Significance of Ecological and Phytocoenological Characteristics of the Genus Daucus L. (Apiaceae)

Analizom ekoloških i sinekoloških osobina vrsta roda Daucus, koje dolaze u flori Hrvatske, može se ustanoviti da te osobine imaju i taksonomsko značenje. Na taj zaključak navodi činjenica da su pojedine te vrste usko vezane na određena staništa i određene biljne zajednice te, s druge strane, neke od tih vrsta dolaze zajedno, na istim lokalitetima i u istim ekološkim uvjetima, a da se međusobno ne križaju.Fruits of the species of the genus Daucus occurring in the flora of Croatia have recently been studied. The studies include D. carota s.s., D. major (Vis.) Pospichal, D. maximus Desf., D. hispanicus Gouan, D. hispidus Desf., D. dentatus Bert. A comparative morphological analysis has shown the differences, especially in the arrangement, number and appearance of the oil canals. These species differ among themselves also by their ecological and phytosociological features. Therefore it is necessary to ascribe a certain taxonomic significance to these features. The species D. carota s.s. grows in the continental parts of Croatia, and is characteristic of the order Arrhenatheretalia, while all other species occur in the littoral parts of Croatia, where D. major and D. maxi- mus are associated with rocky pastures, while D. hispanicus, D. hispidus and D. dentatus represent elements of halophilous vegetation of littoral cliffs. Some of the species grow together on the same habitats such as D. hispanicus and D. dentatus on Dugi otok, or D. hispidus and D. hispanicus which appear together in some other, smaller islands (Biševo, Svetac. Jabuka), in the communities Crithmo-Staticetum cancellatae and Phagnalo-Centaureetum ragusinae. This would support the theory that they are separate, independent species rather than subspecies of the species D. carota s.l