The knowledge of phenotypic response of rare and protected species provide useful information for the conservation and management strategies. Doronicum austriacum, a subalpine Central-European species has several lowland localities, which in Poland are regarded as glacial relicts. Diverse edaphic, climatic and coenotic conditions in particular localities give evidence to the broad ecological amplitude of the species. Based on data pertaining to three various populations occurring in different geographical regions (from South and Central Poland), different elevations a.s.l. (275–1350 m a.s.l.) and growing within different plant communities (subalpine tall-herb communities, mountain meadow, carr) an attempt has been made to characterise selected morphological, developmental and ecological features (like number of capitula and their diameter, effectiveness of reproduction, spatial distribution) and to test a hypothesis as to whether a lowland form of this species exists. The results indicate certain statistically significant differences (as number and diameter of capitula) between the study populations pertinent to plants at the generative stage. The distribution of the examined traits, however, falls within the range of species variability. The differences between averages are conditioned by the quality of the environment in terms of the soil moisture level, availability of mineral compounds and lighting, as well as by the degree of competition from other plants. The result of the experiment, involving transplantation of specimens into gardens, allow for the presumption that morphological features undergo environment-related modifications. At this stage of the studies, the idea of a morphologically different lowland form of the species cannot be supported.
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