Allozyme differentiation between the lowland Carex capitata and the alpine Carex arctogena (Cyperaceae) in Scandinavia

Within Scandinavia, Carex capitata s.l, is usually divided into two taxa: the lowland to lowalpine C. capitata s.s., and the alpine C. arctogena. The systematic status of these taxa is uncertain, reflected by their taxonomic treatment in different floras. In this study, allozymes were used to assess the degree of genetic differentiation between and within taxa. Ten populations of Carex capitata s.s. and eight of C. arctogena, from Norway and Sweden, were included in the study. Sixteen loci in eleven different enzyme systems were analysed: five were variable within or between taxa, three could be interpreted in all plants. In all, 20 different alleles were found. Four of these alleles were confined to C. capitata s.s., and two to C. arctogena. In C. capitata s.s., three loci (18%) were polymorphic, while all loci were monomorphic in C. arctogena. The number of alleles per polymorphic locus was 2.2 in C. capitata s.l. The taxa had completely different alleles at two loci {Pgi‐2, Pgm‐1). Nei's genetic identity was 0.86 between taxa, and ranged between 0.95 and 1 in pairwise comparisons of populations of Carex capitata s.s., while it was 1 in all comparisons between populations of C. arctogena. The distinction of C. capitata s.s. and C. arctogena as separate species agrees well with the amount of differentiation found between other congeneric species. It is suggested that the low genetic variation observed in both taxa is due to ancient founder events. The difference in genetic variability between taxa may be due to differences in immigration history: whereas C. capitata s.s. may have colonized Scandinavia from several close refugia after the last glaciation, C. arctogena may have reached Scandinavia after long‐distance dispersal of a limited number of propagules.