Table 3 Comparison of the species groups within Knautia sect. Trichera proposed by us with those of Ehrendorfer [21, 30]. Information in squared brackets refers to accessions of the same species belonging to different AFLP groups. The addition “p.p.” after a species’ name indicates that the species is included in more than one AFLP groups. Distributions of individual species are characterised based on floras as well as on the author’s field observations

South Arvensis

2 x

widespread

leaves mostly divided

K. ambigua

K. arvensis

2x

grasslands and ruderal places

SE Balkan Peninsula

K. arvensis

K. arvensis

2x [4x]

grasslands and ruderal places

most of Europe except for the extreme south

K. lucana

K. arvensis

2x

forests

S Italy

K. macedonica

K. arvensis

2x

grasslands and ruderal places

Central Balkan Peninsula

K. visianii

K. arvensis

2x

grasslands and ruderal places

Central and W Balkan Peninsula

Carinthiaca & North Arvensis

2 x , 4 x

widespread

morphologically heterogeneous with mostly divided leaves

K. arvensis

K. arvensis

[2x] 4x

grasslands and ruderal places

most of Europe except for the extreme south

K. carinthiaca

K. velutina

2x

natural grasslands and rock cervices, limestone

Austria (E Central Alps)

K. dipsacifolia p.p.

K. silvatica

4x [6x]

forest margins, tall herb communities, meadows

Central Europe [Alps, Central Balkan Peninsula]

K. kitaibelii

4x

meadows, wood margins

Central Europe

K. norica

K. subcanescens/persicina

4x

grassy forest understory, rocks

Austria (E Alps)

K. pseudolongifolia

2x

alpine rock pastures

W Krkonoše (Czech Republic)

K. serpentinicola

2x

serpentine forest clearings and edges

NW Czech Republic

K. slovaca

2x

natural grasslands on limestone

central E Slovakia

Drymeia & Dinarica

2 x , 4 x

widespread

mostly undivided leaves; soft indumentum with additional, mostly yellowish setae on basal parts, partly monopodial rhizomes

K. csikii

K. dinarica

2x

(sub) alpine meadows, tall herb communities

Central and W Balkan Peninsula

K. dinarica

K. dinarica

2x, 4x

(sub) alpine meadows, tall herb communities

Central and W Balkan Peninsula; S Italy

K. dipsacifolia p.p.

K. silvatica

4x [6x]

rocky forest clearings

Central Balkan Peninsula [Alps, Central Europe]

K. drymeia

K. drymeia

2x, 4x

forest and forest margins

Central and SE Europe, N Italy

K. sarajevensis

K. sarajevensis

4x

forest margins

Central Balkan Peninsula

K. sp. 2

4x

serpentine clearings

Central Balkan Peninsula

Alpine Dipsacifolia

6 x

regional

Undivided, dentate leaves

K. dipsacifolia p.p.

K. silvatica

[4x] 6x

forests, forest margins, tall herb communities

Alps [Central Europe, Central Balkan Peninsula]

Longifolia

2 x , 4 x , 6 x

regional, disjunct

often undivided leaves, lanceolate, with entire margins, divided leaves with long terminal segment

K. baldensis

K. subcanescens/persicina

4x

subalpine meadows

N Italy

K. fleischmannii

K. fleischmannii

4x

thermophilous shrubland

Slovenia

K. illyrica p.p.

K. arvensis

2x, 4x [6x]

meadows, pastures, open forests

SE Alps to NW Balkan Peninsula

K. longifolia

K. longifolia

2x

upper montane to alpine meadows and tall herb communities

S and E Alps, S and E Carpathians

K. pancicii

K. longifolia

2x

damp mountain meadows

Zlatibor planina (Serbia)

K. persicina

K. subcanescens/persicina

4x

stabilised limestone screes

N Italy

K. purpurea p.p.

K. arvensis

2x, 4x

meadows

SW and S Europe

K. ressmannii

K. silvatica

6x

forest margins

N Italy

K. velutina

K. velutina

2x

screes, pastures, forest edges

S Alps

Midzorensis

2 x , 4 x

regional, continuous

undivided lanceolate leaves with entire margins; peduncles glandular or eglandular

K. magnifica

4x

subalpine grasslands, pastures

E central Balkan Peninsula

K. midzorensis

K. longifolia

2x, 4x

tall herb communities, rocky pastures

E central Balkan Peninsula

Montana

2 x

widespread

yellow-flowering; often tall herbs with ovate, undivided to lyrate leaves

K. involucrata

K. montana

2x

subalpine meadows

Anatolia to Caucasus

K. montana

K. montana

2x

tall herb communities

Caucasus to Urals

SW European

2 x , 4 x , 6 x

widespread, but disjunct

heterogeneous; often undivided leaves, sometimes deeply divided; leaves glabrous to densely hairy

K. arvernensis

K. silvatica

4x

forest margins, wet meadows

Massif Central (France)

K. basaltica

K. longifolia

2x

(sub) alpine grasslands on volcanic bedrock

Massif Central (France)

K. foreziensis

4x

dwarf shrub-communities

K. godetii

K. longifolia

2x

wet meadows, fens

Massif Central (France) to Jura Mountains (Switzerland)

K. lebrunii

K. longifolia

2x

tall herb communities, open forests

Eastern Pyrenees

K. legionensis

4x

meadows

N Iberian Peninsula

K. nevadensis

K. silvatica

4x

tall herb communities, road margins, silicate

Iberian Peninsula

K. rupicola

4x, 6x

montane meadows, limestone screes

E Iberian Peninsula

K. subcanescens

K. subcanescens/persicina

2x, 4x

tall herb communities, (sub) alpine meadows

Western Alps

K. subscaposa

2x

grassy and rocky slopes

Iberian Peninsula

Xerophytic

2 x , 4 x , 6 x

widespread

usually strongly divided leaves with one to three pairs of lobes, often densely lanuginose to tomentose

K. adriatica

4x

rocky limestone slopes, calcareous hillsides, scrub margins

Dalmatia (Croatia)

K. albanica

K. velutina

2x

dry grasslands

Central W Balkan Peninsula

K. arvensis

K. arvensis

2x, 4x

grasslands and ruderal places

most of Europe except for the extreme south

K. calycina

K. velutina

2x

mountain grasslands

Central and S Italy, Sicily

K. clementii

K. dalmatica

4x, 6x

dry grasslands

Dalmatia (Croatia)

K. collina

K. arvensis

2x

dry grasslands and subruderal places

S France and NW Italy?

K. dalmatica

K. dalmatica

4x

rocky limestone slopes, calcareous hillsides, scrub margines

Dalmatia (Croatia)

K. illyrica p.p.

K. arvensis

2x, 4x, 6x

dry grasslands

SE Alps to NW Balkan Peninsula

K. mollis

K. velutina

2x

mountain grasslands

SW Alps

K. pectinata

K. dalmatica

2x, 4x

dry mountain grasslands

NW Balkan Peninsula (Velebit)

K. purpurea p.p.

K. arvensis

2x, 4x

dry grasslands and ruderal places

SW and S Europe

K. sp. 1

6x

upper montane meadows

NW Balkan Peninsula (S Velebit)

K. travnicensis

K. fleischmannii

2x, 4x, 6x

dry mountain grasslands

Central NW Balkan Peninsula

K. velebitica

K. velutina

2x

dry mountain grasslands

NW Balkan Peninsula (Velebit)