Phenotypic strategies for Jasione L. or the challenge that taxonomy face to recent floristic responses along western Eurasia

Authors: JOÃO ROCHA, PAULO ALMEIDA, RUBÉN RAMÍREZ-RODRÍGUEZ, FÁTIMA SALES, FRANCISCO AMICH, ANTONIO CRESPI

Abstract: Jasione L. (Campanulaceae) is regarded as one of the recent floristic responses in western Eurasia. The characterization of the morpho-environmental fluctuating asymmetries (FA) to describe the phenotypic responses for Jasione L. is here exposed. Continuity is pointed out to describe these morpho-environmental responses, as a redundancy effect (RE), in accordance with the significant similarity involved. In this case, 327 individuals and 14 species were investigated (J. sphaerochephala Brullo, Marcenò & Pavone and J. idaea Stoj. synonymized as J. montana L. var. montana and J. supina Sieber ex Spreng. subsp. pontica (Boiss.) Damboldt). J. montana L. and J. heldreichii Boiss. & Orph. showed the highest comprehensive morphological response, while more important divergence was observed in J. foliosa Cav. and J. mansanetiana Roselló & Peris. No significant difference was obtained by the morphological approach without taxonomic differentiation. Six morphogroups (Grs) were detected, and only one (Gr6) showed lower morpho-environmental instability (50% RE). Germoplasmic accommodation was observed during the interglacial and glacial periods along the SW distribution range of the genus. The lack of target phenotype must be the consequence of the intense alterations of potential distributions in Jasione since its origin. J. montana and J. heldreichii showed agglomerative phenotypes characteristics.

Keywords: Morphogroup, potential habitat distributions, fluctuating asymmetries, agglomerative phenotype, target phenotype, redundancy effect

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