Tuberous Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) of the Continental United States: Morphological Variation, Taxonomy and Disjunction
Brink D. 1982. Tuberous Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) of the Continental United States: Morphological Variation, Taxonomy and Disjunction. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 109(1):13-23
There are two main natural groups of tuberous Aconitum within the United States (excluding Alaska). Aconitum columbianum ("western" Aconitum) is a polymorphic complex of populations occurring primarily in the western U.S. which exhibits extreme interpopulation variation in floral morphology and in modes of adaptation for vegetative reproduction. A. conitum uncinatum ("eastern" Aconitum) is a more homogeneous group of populations occurring primarily in the mountains of the eastern U.S. The most distinctive difference between these aconites is in tuber morphology. Aconitum columbianum has contiguous parent and daughter tubers whereas A. uncinatum has tubers separated by elongate connectives. These two species differ also in leaf morphology and taste of the tubers. A. conitum populations of Iowa and Wisconsin were previously treated as A. noveboracense or as a subspecies of A. uncinatum, but they are morphologically similar in tuber morphology and in other respects to non-bulbiferous races of western A. conitum with small flowers and shallow nectaries, indicating that they are actually disjunct populations of A. columbianum. The affinities of Aconitum of Ohio and New York and the status of the names A. noveboracense and A. uncinatum subsp. noveboracense cannot be resolved until populations are relocated in these states.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Brink, Don
- Units
- BLRI , GRSM
- Keywords
- aconitum, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, disjunction, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-01785, Morphology, SER, Southeast Region, Taxonomy, Variation