A morphometric study of Armeria canescens aggr. (Plumbaginaceae) in the Italian Peninsula

Abstract Armeria Willd. is a genus of diploid, self-incompatible plants with weak internal reproductive barriers, in which hybridisation and introgression play a fundamental role and are partly responsible for patterns of variation. One of the most critical groups in Italy comprises Armeria canescens (Host) Ebel and Armeria majellensis Boiss., species living in grasslands and pastures of central and southern Apennines. The taxonomic status of A. majellensis is not clear: for some authors it must be considered as a species endemic to Italy, but according to others it must be included in A. canescens because of their poor morphological separation. With the aim of clarifying the real status of A. majellensis and its relationship with A. canescens, we performed a morphometric study using materials coming from field collections throughout their Italian distribution area, herbarium specimens and samples coming from the loci classici of the species. The morphometric multivariate analyses showed that there are no significant differences in morphology among the Italian sampled populations referable to A. canescens/A. majellensis and so they should be referred to the same biological entity. The priority name for the A. canescens/A. majellensis complex, at the specific level, is A. canescens.