Phlox

Representative floral diversity in Phlox. (A-D: species of eastern North America). A. Phlox divaricata subsp. divaricata. B. Phlox glaberrima subsp. interior. C. Phlox stolonifera. D. Phlox pilosa subsp. fulgida. (E-H: species of western North America). E. Phlox condensata. F. Phlox diffusa. G. Phlox hoodii subsp. hoodii. H. Phlox multiflora.

With over 65 species, Phlox is the largest genus in Polemoniaceae. It is almost entirely native to North America, although one species, P. sibirica, also occurs in northern Asia. The genus is taxonomically complex. The treatmet of Wherry (1955) certainly splits out too much of the variability and the the classification presented below largely follows Locklear (2011) and is probably too conservative.

Much of the taxonomic uncertainty primarily surrounds western North American species, including the P. longifolia complex and especially in the mat-forming species. This may be the result of recurrent polyploidy in the genus.

Biogeography

While not displayed on this map, Phlox also occurs in Siberia.

worldwide distribution of Phlox

Taxonomy

1. Phlox aculeata A. Nels.
2. Phlox adsurgens Torr.
3. Phlox alaskensis Jordal
4. Phlox albomarginata M.E. Jones
5. Phlox alyssifolia Greene
6. Phlox amabilis Brand
7. Phlox amoena Sims
   • P. amoena Sims subsp. amoena
   • P. amoena Sims subsp. lighthipei (Small) Wherry
8. Phlox amplifolia Britt.
9. Phlox andicola E. Nels.
10. Phlox austromontana Coville
    • P. austromontana Coville subsp. austromontana
    • P. austromontana Coville subsp. jonesii (Wherry) Locklear
    • P. austromontana Coville subsp. lutescens (S.L. Welsh) Locklear
    • P. austromontana Coville subsp. prostrata (E. Nels.) Wherry
11. Phlox bifida Beck
    • P. bifida Beck subsp. arkansana D.L. Marsh
    • P. bifida Beck subsp. bifida
    • P. bifida Beck subsp. stellaria (A. Gray) Wherry
12. Phlox borealis Wherry
13. Phlox buckleyi Wherry
14. Phlox caespitosa Nutt.
15. Phlox carolina L.
    • P. carolina L. subsp. angusta Wherry
    • P. carolina L. subsp. carolina
16. Phlox caryophylla Wherry
17. Phlox clutena A. Nels.
18. Phlox colubrina Wherry & Constance
19. Phlox condensata (A. Gray) E. Nels.
    • P. condensata (A. Gray) E. Nels. subsp. condensata
    • P. condensata (A. Gray) E. Nels. subsp. covillei (E. Nels.) Locklear
20. Phlox cuspidata Scheele
21. Phlox diffusa Benth.
22. Phlox dispersa C.W. Sharsm.
23. Phlox divaricata L.
    • P. divaricata L. subsp. divaricata
    • P. divaricata L. subsp. laphamii (Alph. Wood) Wherry
24. Phlox dolichantha A. Gray
25. Phlox douglasii Hook.
26. Phlox drummondii Hook.
    • P. drummondii Hook. subsp. drummondii
    • P. drummondii Hook. subsp. glabriflora Brand
    • P. drummondii Hook. subsp. johnstonii (Wherry) Wherry
    • P. drummondii Hook. subsp. mcallisterii (Whitehouse) Wherry
    • P. drummondii Hook. subsp. tharpii (Whitehouse) Wherry
27. Phlox floridana Benth.
28. Phlox glaberrima L.
    • P. glaberrima L. subsp. glaberrima
    • P. glaberrima L. subsp. interior (Wherry) Wherry
    • P. glaberrima L. subsp. triflora (Michx.) Wherry
29. Phlox gladiformis (M.E. Jones) E. Nels.
30. Phlox griseola Wherry
    • P. griseola Wherry subsp. griseola
    • P. griseola Wherry subsp. tumulosa (Wherry) Wherry
31. Phlox hendersonii (E. Nels.) Cronq.
32. Phlox hirsuta E. Nels
33. Phlox hoodii Richardson
    • P. hoodii Richardson subsp. canescens (Torr. & A. Gray) Wherry
    • P. hoodii Richardson subsp. hoodii
34. Phlox idahonis Wherry
35. Phlox kelseyi Britt.
36. Phlox longifolia Nutt.
37. Phlox maculata L.
38. Phlox missoulensis Wherry
39. Phlox multiflora A. Nels.
40. Phlox muscoides Nutt.
41. Phlox nana Nutt.
42. Phlox nivalis Sweet
    • P. nivalis Sweet subsp. hentzii (Nutt.) Wherry
    • P. nivalis Sweet subsp. nivalis
    • P. nivalis Sweet subsp. texensis Lundell
43. Phlox oklahomensis Wherry
44. Phlox opalensis Dorn
45. Phlox ovata L.
46. Phlox paniculata L.
47. Phlox pattersonii L.A. Prather
48. Phlox pilosa L.
    • P. pilosa L. subsp. deamii D.A. Levin
    • P. pilosa L. subsp. fulgida (Wherry) Wherry
    • P. pilosa L. subsp. longipilosa (Waterf.) Locklear
    • P. pilosa L. subsp. ozarkana (Wherry) Wherry
    • P. pilosa L. subsp. pilosa
    • P. pilosa L. subsp. sangamonensis D.A. Levin & D.M. Sm.
49. Phlox pulcherrima (Lundell) Lundell
50. Phlox pulchra (Wherry) Wherry
51. Phlox pulvinata (Wherry) Cronq.
52. Phlox pungens Dorn
53. Phlox richardsonii Hook.
54. Phlox roemeriana Sheele
55. Phlox sibirica L.
56. Phlox solivagus M. Mayfield & M. Darrach
57. Phlox speciosa Pursh.
    • P. speciosa Pursh. subsp. lignosa Brand
    • P. speciosa Pursh. subsp. nitida (Suksd.) Wherry
    • P. speciosa Pursh. subsp. occidentalis (Durand) Wherry
    • P. speciosa Pursh. subsp. speciosa
58. Phlox stansburyi (Torr.) A. Heller
59. Phlox stolonifera Sims
60. Phlox subulata L.
    • P. subulata L. subsp. brittonii (Small) Wherry
    • P. subulata L. subsp. setacea (L.) Locklear
    • P. subulata L. subsp. subulata
61. Phlox tenuifolia E. Nels.
62. Phlox vermejoensis B. Legler
63. Phlox villosissima (A. Gray) Small
    • P. villosissima (A. Gray) Small subsp. latisepala (Wherry) Locklear
    • P. villosissima (A. Gray) Small subsp. villosissima
64. Phlox viridis E. Nels.
65. Phlox viscida E. Nels.
66. Phlox woodhousei (Torr.) E. Nels.