Morphological and genetic variation in disjunct populations of the avalanche lilyErythronium montanum

Abstract

The genetic structure and morphological variability of species are influenced by both life-history traits and historical factors. We studied morphological and genetic variability in 12 populations of the avalanche lily, Erythronium montanum, representing the four disjunct regions of its geographic range in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Floral traits exhibited significant differences among regions and among populations within regions, but these differences showed no clear geographic pattern, and for all traits there was substantial overlap among populations. In contrast, analysis of isozyme variation indicated a marked north–south gradient in genetic variability. The northernmost populations (from the B.C. Coast Range) had an average of 13% polymorphic loci and 1.13 alleles per locus, whereas southern populations (from the Cascade Mountains) averaged 48% polymorphic loci and 1.67 alleles per locus. The northern populations possessed no unique alleles but contained a subset of the alleles found in regions further south. We conclude that disjunct populations of E. montanum in B.C. probably arose through long-distance dispersal from more southern populations following deglaciation. Keywords: Erythronium montanum, genetic variation, glacial refugia, isozymes, long-distance dispersal, phytogeography.