Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-10-2025
Department
College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Abstract
Premise: Understanding genetic and morphological variability helps efforts to sustain landscapes and develop effective species concepts for resolving difficult groups. To unravel puzzling relationships and range disjunctions, we applied morphometrics, phenology, phylogenetics and population genetics in Camassia species with cultural, ecological, and conservation value, asking: Do the unusual Camassia populations in northeastern California represent previously unrecognized, disjunct C. howellii? Do C. howellii, C. leichtlinii, and C. quamash maintain diagnostic features in allopatry or sympatry? Are C. quamash subsp. breviflora and subsp. linearis taxonomically distinct?. Methods: We evaluated 34 Camassia populations in situ for morphometric traits, phenology, and habitat type, collecting tissue for population microsatellite and phylogenetic analyses (rpl16, trnD-trnT). Fieldwork and genetic analyses of Camassia species allowed hypothesis testing of all criteria. Results: Oregon and California populations of C. howellii shared 94–95% morphospace but differed significantly from C. leichtlinii and C. quamash, primarily in having more basal leaves, subglobose fruits, and smaller flowers that open in mid-late afternoon, closing at sunset without reopening. Both microsatellite and phylogenetic data indicated separation of the three species, with slight genetic differentiation between the disjunct populations of C. howellii. Subspecies of C. quamash differed morphologically and genetically, with clear phylogenetic separation. Conclusions: Integrative approaches proved effective, affirming disputed species identities and upholding subspecific status for C. quamash subsp. linearis. For C. howellii, population genetic differentiation between disjunct regions appears congruent with phylogenetic analyses. Slight morphological differentiation of Oregon and California populations is consistent with geographic isolation, implying subspecific genetic divergence worthy of future study.
Publication Title
American Journal of Botany
Recommended Citation
Kephart, S.,
Culley, T.,
Archibald, J.,
Tunison, R.,
Theiss, K.,
&
Kephart, J.
(2025).
Disentangling complex relationships and disjunctions in western Camassia: Integrating multiple criteria to resolve taxonomic boundaries.
American Journal of Botany,
112(12).
http://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70135
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p2/2214
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Version
Publisher's PDF
Publisher's Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). American Journal of Botany published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Botanical Society of America. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70135