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Stewart Robert Hinsley · 31-01-2011, 10:22 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In message , writes
In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:

Note that I'm taking your word for its "mere" sub-species status on
trust: I wouldn't believe it from any old poster, as it seems
unlikely, and it's the first I've heard of it.

It hybridises readily and naturally, doesn't it? Lack of natural
inter-fertility is the usual criterion. As you should know, the
classification of such things is very much a matter of taste,
because plants have truly weird sex lives.

That however is not definitive. The red (Silene dioica) and white
campions (Silene latifolia) hybridise readily and naturally, but still
seem to be could species.

Again, there's been time since the last Ice Age for speciation.

Some evidence for that would make it more believable. I don't
know of a single example of a clear, natural speciation event in
higher animals or plants in that period, that wasn't the result
of an inter-species or inter-generic cross.

The same applies to several other endemic British species, like
the red grouse. I agree that we should avoid destroying them, but
we shouldn't start confusing molehills with mountains.

Have they made the red grouse back into a species again? I missed the
memo.

Miaow. Careless wording. Yes, it's probably a subspecies.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley