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Differentiation in morphology and flowering phenology between two Campanula thyrsoides L. subspecies

Scheepens, J. F. and Kuss, Patrick and Stöcklin, Jürg. (2011) Differentiation in morphology and flowering phenology between two Campanula thyrsoides L. subspecies. Alpine Botany, 121 (1). pp. 37-47.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6001632

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Abstract

Subspecies are usually characterized by sets of morphological discontinuities. By means of common garden experiments, we investigated genetic differentiation in morphological and phenological traits in two geographically disjunct subspecies of Campanula thyrsoides L., i.e. subsp. thyrsoides (= C.* thyrsoides) occurring in the European Alps and Jura Mountains, and subsp. carniolica (= C.* carniolica) occurring in the Southeastern Alps and the Dinaric Arc. Nine out of 16 investigated traits were significantly different between C.* thyrsoides and C.* carniolica. For C.* carniolica inflorescence length was 1.4×, and above-ground biomass 2.7× higher, while flower density was significantly lower. Campanula* carniolica also showed delayed flowering and flower development from bottom to top compared to C.* thyrsoides which flowered from top to bottom. The inflorescence growth was indeterminate and flowering took several weeks in C.* carniolica, whereas C.* thyrsoides showed determinate flowering, rapidly opening all flowers within a few days. This differentiation in flowering phenology is likely to be adaptive. The submediterranean climate favours indeterminate flowering in C.* carniolica, allowing ongoing growth of the inflorescence throughout the long summer until environmental conditions worsen, whereas determinate and early flowering in C.* thyrsoides is favourable in the short growing season in the high Alps where seed production must be secured before temperature drops. Glacial survival in refugia with different climates (alpine vs. submediterranean) may have caused this regional differentiation.
Faculties and Departments:05 Faculty of Science > Departement Umweltwissenschaften > Ehemalige Einheiten Umweltwissenschaften > Pflanzenökologie (Körner)
UniBasel Contributors:Stöcklin, Jürg and Scheepens, Johannes
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Springer
ISSN:1664-2201
e-ISSN:1664-221X
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Language:English
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Last Modified:13 Nov 2017 14:24
Deposited On:08 Nov 2012 16:13

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