A taxonomic revision of the Antennaria media (Asteraceae: Inuleae) polyploid species complex in western North America

The Antennaria media polyploid species complex has been evaluated, at least in part, on numerous occasions without consensus on either the taxa that should be included within the complex or the rank at which these taxa should be recognized. The primary purpose of this quantitative, multivariate, phenetic study is to propose a taxonomy for the polyploid species complex that not only is independent of a knowledge of either chromosome number or reproductive biology but that concurrently minimally reflects morphological variation associated with each. The use of canonical discriminant analysis facilitates this purpose. In an attempt to maintain consistency with other recent revisions of polyploid complexes within the genus, the rank of subspecies (A. media subsp. media, A, media subsp. ciliata, A, media subsp. compacta, A, media subsp. fusca, and A. media subsp. pulchella) is selected as the infraspecific rank that satisfies the purpose of the phenetic study and is supported by the analyses. These subspecies differ to varying degrees with respect to reproductive characters (corolla length, pappus length), vegetative-reproductive characters (involucre length, peduncle length, cauline leaf length, cauline leaf width), and vegetative characters (basal leaf length and basal leaf width). Antennaria media subsp. pulchella is a sexually reproducing, diploid subspecies, whereas the remaining four subspecies are essentially agamospermous polyploids.