Morphological and Genetic Variability in Plantago Cordata (Plantaginaceae), a Threatened Aquatic Plant

Morphological and genetic variation were studied in Plantago cordata Lam., an imperiled aquatic plant. The existence of distinct seasonal morphs was confirmed by numerical morphological analyses of specimens from 53 populations. Plants from two North Carolina populations possessed leaves that were significantly shorter, narrower, and fewer‐veined than populations in other portions of the species range. Genetic variation within and among ten populations in seven states/provinces (Illinois, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin) was examined electrophoretically. The species is an apparent allopolyploid with fixed heterozygosity observed at 67% of the loci surveyed. Electrophoretic variation was mostly partitioned among populations. The genetic identity among populations was high except for North Carolina populations which differed at 27% of the loci surveyed.