PATTERNS OF INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN ANTENNARIA-ALBOROSEA, ANTENNARIA-CORYMBOSA, ANTENNARIA-MARGINATA, ANTENNARIA-MICROPHYLLA, ANTENNARIA-PARVIFOLIA, AND ANTENNARIA-UMBRINELLA (ASTERACEAE, INULEAE)

Patterns of intraspecific variation were examined in Antennaria alboroseaA. E. Porsild, A. corymbosaE. Nels, A. marginataGreene, A. microphyllaRydb., A. parvifoliaNutt., and A. umbrinellaRydb. Although A. alborosea was initially considered arctic in distribution, it became apparent that a southern montane element also exists. Our results suggest that morphological differences between arctic and southern montane specimens represent clinal variation. The additional morphological data for specimens that occur more than 1,500 km south of the species' range as it was initially described result in a better understanding of this once presumed arctic taxon. Morphological variation in the dioecious species A. corymbosa, A. marginata, A. microphylla, A. parvifolia, and A. umbrinella was greater between the genders than was geographic variation within each gender. These results demonstrate that both pistillate and staminate specimens must be examined in dioecious species of Antennaria if morphological variation in the respective species is to be fully understood. Character size or number of broadly distributed species (A. microphylla and A. parvifolia) generally decreased with increasing longitude, whereas characters of species with more restricted distributions (A. alborosea, A. corymbosa, and A. marginata) generally increased in size or number with increasing latitude or longitude. Antennaria umbrinella was an exception in this respect. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.