700101-04 The Phlox sibirica aggregate P. alaskensis, P. borealis, P. hoodii, P. sibirica
Geography: Asian (N/C) - amphi-Beringian - Cordilleran.
Notes: Elven and Murray: The few taxa of Phlox that reach the Arctic are closely related in a P. sibirica aggregate. Hultén (1968a, 1968b) recognized two races of P. sibirica: subsp. sibirica (including P. alaskensis) and subsp. richardsonii. Jordal (1952) reported characters that seem sufficient for acceptance of P. alaskensis as specifically different from P. sibirica, e.g., the presence of one-seeded locules. Wherry (1955) accepted three species: P. sibirica, a Bering Strait P. borealis, and P. richardsonii with two subspecies, subsp. alaskensis and subsp. richardsonii. Wherry's P. borealis was subsequently forgotten but was revived by Locklear (2009) as P. richardsonii subsp. borealis. Löve and Löve (1975a, 1976a) recognized three races: P. sibirica subsp. sibirica, subsp. alaskensis, and subsp. richardsonii. All these authors kept P. hoodii apart. Phlox alaskensis and P. richardsonii are well distinguished morphologically and without known intermediates. Cody (1996) reverted to three species for northwestern North America: P. alaskensis, P. hoodii, and P. richardsonii. For P. richardsonii vs. P. hoodii, see below.
Locklear (2009) treated the Beringian plants as three intergrading subspecies of P. richardsonii (subsp. borealis, subsp. alaskensis, and subsp. richardsonii) but presented no data supporting the stated intergradation. Subspecies alaskensis was distinguished from subsp. richardsonii by qualitative characters, whereas subsp. borealis only was characterized by quantitative characters. Locklear also described the three as more or less fully allopatric: subsp. borealis in lowland areas on both sides of the Bering Strait, subsp. alaskensis mainly in the alpine parts of interior Alaska and the Yukon, and subsp. richardsonii mainly on the arctic coastal plant of northwestern Canada, slightly transgressing into Alaska. Until transitions are supported by data, we accept the taxa of this group as species.
Higher Taxa
- Phlox [7001,genus]