The present study aimed to investigate phylogeographical patterns present withinA. halleriin Central Europe. 1,281 accessions sampled from 52 populations within the investigated area were used in the study of genetic variation based on chloroplast DNA. Over 500 high-quality species occurrence records were used in ecological niche modelling experiments. We evidenced the presence of a clear phylogeographic structure withinA. halleriin Central Europe. Our results showed that two genetically different groups of populations are present in western and eastern part of the Carpathians. The hypothesis of the existence of a glacial refugium in the Western Carpathians adn the Bohemian Forest cannot be rejected from our data. It seems, however, that the evidence collected during the present study is not conclusive. The area of Sudetes was colonised after LGM probably by migrants from the Bohemian Forest.

We used different tests to assess the effect of high soil concentrations of heavy metals on pollen viability in plants from metallicolous (MET) and nonmetallicolous (NONMET) populations. The frequency of viable pollen depended on the test applied: MET plants showed no significant reduction of pollen viability by acetocarmine, Alexander, MTT and X-Gal dye testing, but a drastic reduction of pollen viability in MET flowers (MET 56% vs 72% NONMET) by the FDA test. There was no correlation between pollen viability estimated in histochemical tests and pollen germination in vitro or in vivo. We discuss the terminology used to describe pollen viability as determined by histochemical tests.