Plants of hybrid origen

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com
Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:26:46 PDT
Donnie wrote: "Is this enough information to justify calling the plant:

*Opuntia charlestonensis* CLOKEY 1943  instead of just writing the plant off

as another hybrid."

 

 

In my opinion, it's not enough information. Here's the first thing which
pops into my mind: how do you know that the hillside with many plants is not
in fact a single plant which has formed a clone over the years? You mention
" The plants were extremely uniform." That's suspicious; you would expect a
hybrid swarm to show variation. 

 

I would leave the decisions about the appropriate ranks for the taxa in
question to the taxonomists.  

 

If I had to put something into print about these in a formal publication, I
would probably say something like this " the existence of the purported
hybrid Opuntia x charlestonensis Clokey suggests that Opuntia phaeacantha
and O. erinacea are in a species-like relationship in the areas where the
purported hybrid occurs." 

 

Since you are not writing a taxonomic treatment, why take up someone else’s
battles? Let people (the taxonomists in particular) sort it out on their own
in accordance with their own views.

 

 

Jim McKenney

jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com

Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone
7

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