Talk:Dasiphora fruticosa

Notes on differences between North American, European and Asian specimens

Uniformly North America specimens are diploid n=14, whereas North European are tetraploid 2n=28, but Southern European also have diploid populations.The only reliable morphological differences are that diploids are hermaphrodite, whereas the tetraploids are dioecious. Asian populations appear to be a mixture of diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid individuals, but have not been as reliably studied as North American or European. Based upon this microscopic floral detail, Elkington proposed raising two subspecies (see over). There appears to be no intrinsic barrier between interbreeding between the various levels of ploidy. However, Wang found that hybridisation between unisexual and bisexual flowers produced sterile seeds. The results tend to support Elkington's proposal that polyploidy contributes to the coexistence of hermaphroditic and dioecious individuals, and that at least two cryptic biological species can be found in D. fruticosa. Andyboorman (talk) 17:54, 8 June 2024 (UTC)