DISCUSSION 



Preliminary cpDNA and phenetic analysis both strongly suggest that E. lackscbewitzii is intimately 

 related to E. ochroleucus and E. radicatus and differs clearly from the outroup complex of E. 

 simplex, E. speciosus, and E. caespitosus. Individuals within each group also displayed unique 

 sequences which will require further study. Additional DNA from other specimens will be isolated 

 to adequately determine whether initial results continue to display consistent differences as 

 outgroups are changed. 



Preliminary DNA restriction site variations and morphological data call into doubt the species 

 status of E. lackscbewitzii. Nesom (1989 and personal communication) and Dom (1984 and 

 personal communication) have suggested that E. lackscbewitzii does not warrant specific status. 

 However, the taxonomic status of E. lackscbewitzii still needs to be investigated. For example, 

 Huber and Leuchtmann (1992) invoke recent speciation during glaciation epochs to account for 

 genetic uniformity of nine alpine Erigerons in the Alps. It could be that E. lackscbewitzii belongs 

 to a species complex that has only recently evolved and does not show much divergence 

 genetically. This hypothesis will be evaluated with allozyme studies of all putative relatives of £. 

 lackscbewitzii during the second year of my study. 



Morphological data is very preliminary for three reasons. Firstly, very few E. ochroleucus were 

 collected and only from two sites. Secondly, specimens of E. radicatus were collected from a 

 single site and may represent a stunted form of the putative species. Herbarium specimens from 

 Rocky Mountain Herbarium in Laramie suggest that E. radicatus and E. ocbroleucus var. scribneri 

 are more similar than my preliminary data revealed. Examination of herbarium specimens and 

 field specimens collected during the second collecting season should determine taxonomic status of 

 E. radicatus. Thirdly, because no specimens have yet been collected of the southern alpine race of 

 E. grandiflorus, the species was not included in this report. Spongberg's (1972) treatment of the 

 southern alpine race as separate from E. simplex is currently being re-evaluated (Hartman, Rocky 

 Mountain Herbarium, personal communication). Synonomy of the southern alpine raci of E. 

 grandiflorus with E. simplex may not confound my studies of E. lackscbewitzii, since this may 

 only mean that the southern alpine race is more closely related to E. simplex than it is to the 

 species of concern in this report. 



Chromosome counts were unsuccessful due to lack of pollen, which accords with the statement by 

 Nesom and Weber (1983) that E. lackscbewitzii may differ morphologically due to apombcis and 

 polyploidy. The single pollen grain SEM photomicrograph from Western State College 

 substantiates pollen abnormality. Chromosome counts will be attempted from additional flower 

 head collections during the second collecting season in order to determine ploidy level and mode of 

 reproduction. 



In summary, based on my initial investigations, I consider the relationship to E. ocbroleucus var. 

 scnbnen to be more central to taxonomy of E. lackscbewitzii than either E. simplex or the 

 southern alpme race of E. grandiflorus. Due to the preliminary nature of these studies, however I 

 cannot state unequivocally that E. lackscbewitzii should be synonymized vA\h E. ocbroleucus 



