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Environmental control of flowering and morphology in the high‐arctic Cerastium regelii, and the taxonomic status of C. jenisejense
Author(s) -
Heide O. M.,
Pedersen K.,
Dahl E.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1990.tb01761.x
Subject(s) - biology , herbarium , botany , morphology (biology) , primordium , photoperiodism , arctic , anthesis , ecology , zoology , cultivar , biochemistry , gene
Cerastium regelii has a distribution confined largely to regions north of 70° N but has retained a strong short‐day (SD) response for primary flower induction despite the fact that it will hardly ever experience SD in a non‐frozen condition in its natural environment. However, like many other high‐latitude short‐long‐day plants it has also an alterntive long day (LD) pathway for floral initiation at low temperatures (<15°C). Floral primordia which are fully differentiated during SD have an absolute requirement for LD for flower development. The critical photoperiod for this LD response is about 16 h at 18°C and more than 20 h at 9°C. Plant morphology, including key characters for identification of the species, is greatly modified by environment and stage of plant development. At higher temperatures and LD C. regelii develops a striking resemblance to the sub‐arctic C. jenisejense . Based on examination of authentic herbarium material it is concluded that the latter is merely a high‐temperature morphotype of C. regelii .