Ak. Brysting et L. Borgen, Isozyme analysis of the Cerastium alpinum C-arcticum complex (Caryophyllaceae) supports a splitting of C-arcticum Lange, PLANT SYS E, 220(3-4), 2000, pp. 199-221
As part of a larger investigation of the C. alpinum-C. arcticum complex of
arctic and North Atlantic areas, isozyme variation of C. alpinum, C. arctic
um, and related taxa was analysed. A total of 124 multilocus phenotypes was
divided into more or less distinct groups by numerical analyses. Most grou
ps correspond well to previously recognized taxa. However, what has traditi
onally been considered as C. arcticum was divided into two distinct groups,
consisting of northern (Svalbard, Greenland) and more southern (Norway, Ic
eland) populations, respectively. The division of C. arcticum into two taxa
is also supported by other kinds of data and the two taxa probably deserve
species rank. Serpentine plants from Shetland had multilocus phenotypes si
milar to those of C. arcticum from Iceland and should be included in the so
uthern taxon.