Volume 42 – Issue 2 (Jun 1977)

Infraspecific Variation in Sarracenia rubra Walt.: Some Observations

ABSTRACT The red-flowered pitcher plant <em>Sarracenia rubra</em> Walt. is widely distributed throughout the southeastern United States, occurring in small, scattered stands. In many parts of the range, populations and population groups become markedly disjunct and there is considerable morphologic variation among these disjuncts. These variants have been subject to taxonomic dispute and morphologic, geographic and some biochemical studies suggest that perhaps the taxon should best be considered as an evolutionary superspecies composed of at least five semispecies, since there is insufficient discontinuity of characters among these groups to consider any as separate species. The International Code makes no provision for the concept of semispecies, and we feel that subspecies designation would be acceptable for those variants that have already suffered taxonomic confusion. We would accept the recent new combination <em>S. rubra</em> Walt. ssp. <em>jonesii</em> (Wherry) Wherry for the populations of western Carolina, and propose reduction of one recently described set

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An Undescribed Cedar Glade Community in Middle Tennessee

ABSTRACT Frequency distribution of the plant species and soil depth determinations are presented for a previously undescribed plant community in the Middle Tennessee cedar glades. <em>Andropogon scoparius</em> was the dominant species; its frequency of occurrence in 140 1-M2 quadrats was 99.3%. Ninety-three other species, including seven cedar glade endemics, occurred in the community. Of the 574 soil depth determinations, 98.8% were 25 cm or less, which corresponds to soil depth in other cedar glade communities previously described.

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