500728-30 The Saxifraga sibirica aggregate S. cernua, S. radiata, S. svalbardensis
Geography: Circumpolar-alpine.
Notes: Elven, Gabrielsen, and Brochmann: The aggregate consists of a series of large-flowered taxa from diploids (in the non-arctic Saxifraga sibirica L. and S. radiata) to high polyploids, associated with a change from sexual seed-set to propagation by bulbils. Runners occur in S. svalbardensis, S. radiata, and in parts of S. cernua as currently circumscribed. The aggregate is a paraphyletic reticulum as the bulbil-reproducing taxa are results of hybridization between the seed-reproducing taxa (S. sibirica and S. radiata) and taxa of the S. rivularis aggregate (above). The three arctic taxa are well different morphologically.
Higher Taxa
- Saxifraga [5007,genus]