A PHYLOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF VIOLA-RUPESTRIS - 3 POSTGLACIAL IMMIGRATION ROUTES INTO THE NORDIC AREA

Morphology and isoenzyme patterns support the taxonomic delimitation o f two subspecies of Viola rupestris F. W. Schmidt in the Nordic area, i.e. ssp. rupestris and ssp. relicta Jalas. Three different, geographi cally distinctly defined genotypes, are revealed (based on seven enzym e systems): one in north Scandinavia (= ssp. relicta, distinct in AAT- 1, AMP-1 and PGM-3), one in north Finland (distinct in AMP-2), and one widespread in the southern and central parts of Norden. Two of the th ree unique bands in ssp. relicta are also detected in British material . The data are consistent with the scenario of three post-glacial immi gration routes into the Nordic area: one from the south-west, today re presented by the north Scandinavian populations, one from the east, to day represented by the populations in the Kuusamo area of north Finlan d, and one from the south-east, today represented by widespread popula tions south of the mentioned areas. (C) 1998 The Linnean Society of Lo ndon.