Taxa included in the Antennaria monocephala DC. polyploid complex were previously circumscribed at the specific, subspecific, or varietal levels without concensus. The purpose of this phenetic study was to construct a taxonomy that not only reflects the presumed evolutionary history of the complex but also presents a taxonomy that is both functional and informative, regardless of an individual's gender or more importantly, the reproductive mode of the population. The rank of subspecies (A. monocephala ssp. monocephala and A. monocephala ssp. angustata (Green) Hultén) was accepted as the most appropriate level of gender independent circumscription that satisfied the purpose of the phenetic study. These subspecies differ with respect to tomentum, chromosome number, reproductive biology, and (in part) provenance. The former taxon, A. monocephala ssp. monocephala, is a sexual diploid (2n = 28); the latter taxon, A. monocephala ssp. augustata, is an apomictic polyploid, with chromosome numbers ranging from tetraploid (2n = 56) to octoploid (2n = 112). In A. monocephala ssp. monocephala the adaxial surface of the basal and cauline leaves is glabrous-strigose, as is the stem. In A. monocephala ssp. angustata the adaxial surface of both basal and cauline leaves is floccose-tomentose, as is the surface of the stem. Key words: Antennaria monocephala polyploid complex, multivariate analyses.
Evolutionary history of the Dactylorhiza maculata polyploid complex (Orchidaceae)