Abstract
It is argued that the taxonomie rank of species is now used for a very wide range of biological situations, from well-marked taxa that hybridize promiscuously to strict inbreeders, and that it should therefore be used equally in apomictic groups. Further, it is considered that the hierarchical variation found within such agamospecies should be designated by the usual ranks of subspecies, variety, etc., thus rendering the use of special terms for apomictic groups obsolete.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armstrong J.V. &Sell P.D. (1996): A revision of the British elms (Ulmus L.,Ulmaceae): the historical background.Bot J. Linn. Soc. 120: 39–50.
Bradshaw M.E. (1963): Studies onAlchemilla filicaulis Bus., sensu lato, andA. minima Walters. Introduction and 1. Morphological variation inA. filicaulis, sensu lato.Watsonia 5: 304–320.
Davis P.H. &Heywood V.H. (1963):Principles of angiosperm taxonomy. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh & London.
Edees E.S. &Newton A. (1988):Brambles of the British Isles. The Ray Society, London.
Hackel E. (1882):Monographia Festucarum Europaearum. T. Fischer, Kassel & Berlin.
Heywood V.H. (1963): The “species aggregate” in theory and practice.Regnum Veg. 27: 26–37.
Ingrouille M.J. &Stace C.A. (1985): Pattern of variation of agamospermousLimonium (Plumbaginaceae) in the British Isles.Nordic J. Bot. 5: 113–125.
Ingrouille M.J. &Stace C.A. (1986): TheLimonium binervosum aggregate (Plumbaginaceae) in the British Isles.Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 92: 177–217.
Karlsson T. (1976):Euphrasia in Sweden: hybridization, parallelism, and species concept.Bot. Not. 129: 49–60.
King L.M. (1993): Origins of genotypic variation in North American dandelions inferred from ribosomal DNA and chloroplast DNA restriction enzyme analysis.Evolution 47: 136–151.
Leenhouts P.W. (1976): A conspectus of the genusAllophylus (Sapindaceae). The problem of the complex species.Blumea 15: 301–358.
Markgraf-Dannenberg I. (1980):Festuca. In:Tutin T.G. et al. (eds.),Flora europaea 5, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 125–153.
Marklund G. (1961): DerRanunculus auricomus-Komplex in Finnland I.Fl. Fenn. 3: 1–128.
Melville R. (1975):Ulmus L. In:Stace C.A. (ed.),Hybridization and the flora of the British Isles, Academic Press, London, pp. 292–299.
Newton A. (1980): Progress in BritishRubus studies.Watsonia 13: 35–40.
Richards A.J. (1996): Genetic variability in obligate apomicts of the genusTaraxacum.Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 31:405–414.
Richens R.H. (1983):Elm. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Sell P.D., West C. &Tennant D.J. (1995): Eleven new British species ofHieracium L. sectionAlpina (Fries) F.N. Williams.Watsonia 20: 351–365.
Stace C.A. (1975):Hybridization and the flora of the British Isles. Academic Press, London.
Stace C.A. (1989):Plant taxonomy and biosystematics. Ed. 2. Edward Arnold, London.
Stace C.A. (1997):New flora of the British Isles. Ed. 2. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Stace C.A., Gornall R.J. &Shi Y. (1997): Cytological and molecular variation inHieracium sect.Alpina. Opera Bot. 132: 39–51.
van Steenis C.G.G.J. (1957): Specific and infraspecific delimitation. In:Flora Malesiana, Ser. I, 5, Noordhoff, Djakarta, pp. clxvii-ccxxxiv.
Walters S.M. (1993):Erophila. In:Tutin T.G. et al. (eds.),Flora europaea I, Ed. 2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 377–378.
Weber H.E. (1996): Former and modern taxonomie treatment of the apomicticRubus complex.Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 31: 373–380.
Weber H.E. (1998): Proposal concerning the names of apomictic species aggregates.Taxon 47: 495.
Yeo P.F. (1956): Hybridization between diploid and tetraploid species ofEuphrasia.Watsonia 6: 216–245.
Yeo P.F. (1979): A taxonomie revision ofEuphrasia in Europe.Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 77: 223–334.
Zahn K. H. (1921–1923):Compositae — Hieracium. In:Engler A. (ed.),Das Pflanzenreich IV. 280 (Hefte 75–79, 82), Engelmann, Berlin, pp. 1–1705.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stace, C.A. Species recognition in agamosperms — The need for a pragmatic approach. Folia Geobot 33, 319–326 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03216207
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03216207