670205 Smelowskia johnsonii G.A. Mulligan
Distribution
West Chukotka: Rare
Western Alaska: Rare
Southern Arcti Tundra: Presence uncertain
Shrub Tundra: Rare
Geography: American Beringian: ALA.
Notes: Yurtsev: Melanidion boreale sharply contrasts to species of true Smelowskia, e.g., in the monopodial structure of rosette and the ternate leaves reminding those of Ermania parryoides.
Mulligan, Elven, and Murray: Appel and Al-Shehbaz (2003) wrote about Smelowskia: "One of its segregates, Melanidion, perhaps merits recognition". Mulligan commented that he does not agree with this. In his opinion, the differences are not large enough for recognition of Melanidion as a genus. Melanidion nested within Smelowskia in the analysis of Warwick et al. (2003a) and were synonymized with it by Al-Shehbaz and Warwick (2006b). However, in microsatellite data, the three North American Melanidion species (S. borealis, S. ovalis, S. pyriformis), together with the non-arctic northeastern Asian S. inopinata, constituted a sister to Smelowskia s. str. (Carlsen et al. 2010). The matter may have to be re-evaluated when more material of the other previous segregate genera (Ermania, Gorodkovia, Hedinia) is included in the analysis.
Higher Taxa
- Smelowskia [6702,genus]