1. 1 Graduate Student, University of Alaska Museum of the North, 2 Assistant Professor of Botany and Curator of the UA Museum Herbarium (ALA), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 3 Curator Emeritus, University of Alaska Museum of the North

2. The genus Claytonia L. (Spring Beauty) is well recognized around Alaska for its attractive flower. Despite its charismatic appearance, there is much confusion around the species delineation of Claytonia in Alaska. The Genus: Claytonia Limnia 3 ovules3 ovules annualannual Claytonia 6 ovules6 ovules bulbsbulbs Rhizomatosae 6 ovules6 ovules caudex or rhizomecaudex or rhizome

3. Family Montiaceae Genus Claytonia Section Limnia perfoliata (invasive) sibirica Section Claytonia acutifolia eschscholtzii multiscapa ogilviensis tuberosa Section Rhizomatosae arctica porsildii sarmentosa scammaniana Alaskan Claytonia

4. Historical Prospective There is a long history of Claytonia being documented in Alaska. Many early explorers and botanists have recorded its presence…. Seeman’s C. sarmentosa image published 1857 Steve Young’s survey of Noatak 1974 1932 Rydberg’s C. sarmentosa collected in Interior 1974 A.E. Porsild refutes Seeman’s claim of C. Sarmentosa Jurtzev renames Interior plants C. porsildii 1981 Edith Scamman rocks Eagle Summit 1937 2005 O’quinn molecular work shows it’s all a mess…

5. 1817 C. arctica Adams 1939 C. scammaniana Hultén 1981 C. porsildii Jurtz 1829 C. sarmentosa C.A. Mey. Claytonia sect. Rhizomatosae A. Gray ex Poelln. 1932 Young’s survey of Noatak of Noatak1974 Historical Perspective C. eschscholtzii Cham. 1831 C. acutifolia Pall. ex Willd. 1819

6. Research Questions 1Taxonomic Identity 2Morphological differences: ecological or genetic 3Feniak Lake: new species Distribution map of Claytonia in Alaska

7. Research Methods -Specimen Review -Field Collection -Molecular analysis -Ecological Niche Modeling

8. Type Description Review

9. Variation within genus C. acutifolia C. arctica C. tuberosa C. scammaniana C. megarhiza

10. Variation within species C. scammaniana

11. Review of type specimens and figures

12. Field work! Noatak National Preserve – Collection of potentially new species Eagle Summit – Collection at Scamman’s original type location Aleutian Islands – Specimen for comparison to C. arctica type North Slope

13. Future Work - Genetic Analysis - Ecological Niche Modeling - Greenhouse Experiment And hopefully clarification… Follow my work at: http://sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/stephany-jeffers/

14. Acknowledgements Special thanks to: Robin O’Quinn Jordan Metzgar, Monte Garroutte, & Zachary Meyers Andrew Balser & Katie Christie Carolyn Parker Funding through: NPS Murie Science & Learning Center Research Fellowship