Sexuality of Aruncus aethusifolius (Rosaceae)

Aruncus L. is a small genus which is distributed in the circumpolar regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, and North America. In Korea, there are two taxa, A. dioicus var. kamtschaticus and A. aethusifolius. Aruncus aethusifolius is a species endemic to Korea, occurring only on Jeju Island. An important characteristic of Aruncus is dioecy. However, there is some controversy regarding the sexuality of this genus, and little is known about A. aethusifolius. To characterize the sexuality of A. aethusifolius and to provide insight into the evolution of its sexual system, we investigated natural populations and herbarium specimens of A. aethusifolius. The results indicate that the species has carpellate, staminate, and bisexual flowers. Carpellate flowers are always borne on separate individuals, and staminate flowers are borne either on separate individuals or mixed with bisexual flowers on the same individuals. The sexuality of A. aethusifolius is defined as polygamo-dioecious. The polygamodioecious type is also found in A. dioicus var. dioicus and A. dioicus var. kamtschaticus and thus may be a general condition in Aruncus.