Variation components in leaf morphology of recruits of two hybridising oaks [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Q. petraea</Emphasis> (Matt.) Liebl. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Q. pyrenaica</Emphasis> Willd.] at small spatial scale

Leaf morphological variation was examined in recruits of two hybridising oaks in a small sympatric area from Central Spain. Nuclear microsatellites were used to identify hybrids and assess the parental lineage. By Bayesian clustering analysis, 5% of hybrids were found. Principal component analysis was used to reduce 15 morphometric variables to four components associated with leaf size, lobation/pubescence and overall shape of the leaf. The percentage of variance due to genetic factors was evaluated through nested analysis of variance. As much as 70% of variance component was due to the factor “species” for lobation/pubescence, suggesting high adaptive value for these traits, possibly related to ecological constraints of the species. The genetic component of variance for leaf size and overall shape of the leaf was below 33%. Age and height of the recruits did not correlate with sun-leaf morphology. Competition indexes and diameter of the recruits showed slight, although significant, correlations with leaf size and lobation/pubescence components, pointing to some trade-offs between competition for light and leaf morphology of Q. petraea and Q. pyrenaica recruits.