Abstract Detail

Systematics Section/ASPT

Fenneman, Jamie [1].

The systematics of Antennaria in western Canada revisited: recognition of two neglected agamospecies clarifies the taxonomy of a notoriously challenging agamic complex.

Antennaria (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae), commonly known as the ‘pussytoes,’ is a genus of dioecious plants characterized by extensive hybridization, polyploidy, and apomixis among many of its species. The resulting taxonomic complexity has rendered the systematics of the genus a considerable source of confusion for over a century, and several differing approaches have been proposed in an attempt to define and describe the component taxa. These approaches differ most notably in their treatment of the apomictic taxa within the genus, which are exceedingly morphologically variable yet are defined almost exclusively on morphological grounds. These difficulties associated with attempting to apply the most recent taxonomic concepts prompted a review of the extensive Antennaria collections at the University of British Columbia Herbarium to determine if older or neglected concepts may better capture the morphological variability within the genus. I focused primarily on reviewing collections from the province of British Columbia, which had received only partial attention in previous studies, to test the various approaches directly on a large sample of specimens from a region that had not been fully incorporated into earlier research. The results strongly suggest that two taxa that have not been widely recognized in recent decades, Antennaria pallida and A. pulvinata, are morphologically, ecologically, and phytogeographically distinct from any other members of the genus, and that their recognition as species renders the remaining members of the genus better defined and morphologically more consistent.  The adoption of these changes clarifies species boundaries and simplifies the systematics of the genus in British Columbia, and their adoption in other jurisdictions may be of similar benefit.

1 - University of British Columbia, Botany, 3529-6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

Keywords:
Antennaria
systematics
British Columbia
Antennaria pallida
Antennaria pulvinata
Antennaria alpina
Antennaria rosea
Antennaria media
morphology
agamospecies.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 60
Location: Salon 2/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: 60009
Abstract ID:735
Candidate for Awards:None