Needle variability of Pinus mugo Turra in the West Tatra Mts.

Two year-old needles were collected from 57 individuals from the Tatra Mts. between Grześ and Wołowiec summits. The needles were analysed in respect to 16 morphological and anatomical traits. Data obtained were subject of multivariate statistical analyses. The most stable traits appear to be needle thickness/width ratio, needle thickness and width, and width of epidermal cells. The most variable traits include the distance between vascular bundles and Marcet's coefficient. Intrapopulational variation is low.