A morphometric analysis of the Cimicifuga foetida L complex (Ranunculaceae)

Plants referred to the collective 'species' Cimicifuga faetida L. occur in four main disjunct areas of Eurasia; (1) Siberia and northern Mongolia; (2) central and western China; (3) Kashmir and western Tibet and (4) middle Europe. Taxonomic limits within this collective group have been very ill-defined, with some authors recognizing only a single variable species comprising variously delimited varieties, and others recognizing a number of separate geographically or morphologically circumscribed species. Our examination of 17 morphometric variables, using Analysis of Variance and Canonical Discriminant Analysis, reveals a number of clear differences in shape and size of plant organs between the four main geographic areas. These morphometric differences, furthermore, correlate well with differences in other, more qualitative, features. We thus recognize four geographically delimited species: C. europaea Schipcz. in Europe, C. foetida L. in Siberia and Mongolia, C. kashmiriana J. Compt. & Hedd. sp. nov. in Kashmir and C. mairei H. Levl. in China. Two varieties, C. foetida var. racemosa Regel and C. mairei var. foliolosa (P.K. Hsiao) J. Compt. & Hedd., are also recognized. Keys and brief descriptions are provided for all the taxa, and the distribution of each species is mapped. (C) 1997 The Linnean Society of London.