Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Species relationships and genetic variation in the New Zealand endemic Leucogenes (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae)

2008; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 46; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00288250809509754

1175-8643

Rob D. Smissen, Ilse Breitwieser,

Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies

Abstract AFLP profiles, nuclear ITS sequences, and chloroplast psbA-trnH intergenic spacer sequences for representative samples of the New Zealand edelweiss species Leucogenes grandiceps, L. leontopodium, L. neglecta, and L. tarahaoa were examined. Analysis of AFLP profiles from a small number of populations strongly groups samples of each species, and in turn samples of diploid (2n = 2x = 28) L. leontopodium and tetraploid (2n = 4x = 56) L. neglecta cluster together, consistent with a derivation of the latter from the former by auto‐polyploidy. However, octoploid (2n = 8x = 112) L. tarahaoa does not cluster closely with either L. neglecta or L. leontopodium, indicating this species has an independent origin. Analyses of chloroplast DNA sequences show that although the majority of Leucogenes samples share similar chloroplast sequences not sampled from other species of New Zealand Gnaphalieae, a single accession of L. grandiceps and North island populations of L. leontopodium share chloroplast sequences more similar to other species of New Zealand Gnaphalieae. ITS sequence variation is more complex, with sequences sampled from Leucogenes not constituting a monophyletic group, and striking intraspecific variation detected within L. grandiceps.