Molecular phylogeography can lead to a better understanding of the interaction between past climate events, large-scale vegetation shifts, and the evolutionary history of Neotropical seasonal forests. The endangered timber tree species Cedrela fissilis is associated with seasonal forests and occurs throughout South America. We sampled C. fissilis from 56 sites across the species' range in Brazil and Bolivia and obtained sequence data for nuclear and chloroplast DNA. Most specimens (149 out of 169) exhibited intraindividual polymorphism for the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS). Cloning and an array of complementary sequence analyses indicated that the multiple copies of ITS were functional paralogs--concerted evolution in C. fissilis appeared to be incomplete. Independent Bayesian analyses using either ITS or cpDNA data revealed two separate phylogenetic lineages within C. fissilis that corresponded to populations located in separate geographic regions. The divergence occurred in the Early Pliocene and Late Miocene. We argue that climate-mediated events triggered dispersal events and split ancestral populations into at least two large refugial areas of seasonal forest that were located to the east and west of the present day Cerrado. Upon recent climate amelioration, formerly isolated lineages reconnected and intraspecific hybridization gave rise to intraindividual polymorphism and incomplete concerted evolution in C. fissilis.

-(Distyly and variation in floral traits in natural populations of Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes (Rubiaceae)). Psychotria ipecacuanha is a perennial, medicinal herb that grows in clusters in the understory of humid, shady areas of the Atlantic Rain Forest of southeastern Brazil. The present study characterized the variation in floral traits among 35 clusters from three natural populations of this plant species. Field observations showed that the clusters are isomorphic, that is, a given cluster will either set long-styled or short-styled flowers. Stigmas and anthers are reciprocally placed in each morph, a dimorphism characteristic of distyly. The populations are isoplethic, that is, a given population exhibits an equilibrium 1:1 ratio of floral morphs. Morphometric analyses revealed that anther length, stigma length, corolla diameter, and pollen grain diameter were consistently greater in short-styled flowers, regardless of the population investigated. Significant differences for floral traits in the short-styled morph were found among populations. Floral traits in the long-styled morph also showed some significant differences among populations, but not for stigma height and corolla length. Controlled pollinations carried out in natural populations showed that fruit production was higher after inter-morph pollination. Nevertheless, observations of pollen tube growth in style, and also fruit production after spontaneous self-pollination and intra-morph pollination, indicated partial intramorph compatibility in this plant species.Key words -distyly, floral morphology, ipecac, medicinal plants, Psychotria ipecacuanha RESUMO -(Distilia e variação das características florais em populações naturais de Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes (Rubiaceae)). Psychotria ipecacuanha é uma espécie medicinal que se desenvolve em agregados perenes, denominados reboleiras, em áreas úmidas e sombrias no sub-bosque da Floresta Atlântica. O presente trabalho caracterizou a variação de atributos florais em 35 reboleiras de três populações naturais desta espécie. Observações de campo mostraram que as reboleiras são isomórficas, isto é, apresentam apenas uma forma floral (brevistila ou longistila). Estigmas e anteras estão posicionados reciprocamente em cada forma floral, um dimorfismo característico de distilia. As populações são isopléticas, isto é, apresentam razão equilibrada (1:1) entre as formas florais. Análises comparativas da morfometria floral revelaram que, independente da população investigada, as flores brevistilas apresentaram maiores médias de comprimento da antera, comprimento do estigma, diâmetro da corola e diâmetro do grão de pólen. Flores brevistilas apresentaram diferenças interpopulacionais significativas com relação aos atributos florais investigados. Flores da forma longistila também apresentaram diferenças interpopulacionais significativas, exceto quanto à altura dos estigmas e ao comprimento da corola. Polinizações controladas conduzidas em condições naturais mostraram que a produção de fruto...

Ipecac (Psychotria ipecacuanha) is a perennial, medicinal herb that grows in the understory of semi-deciduous tropical forests in the Neotropics. Ipecacs present a widely disjunct distribution, with two of its three ranges occurring in Brazil. The Amazonian populations are at least 1600 km from the nearest Atlantic populations. This work used ISSR markers to compare the genetic diversity and structure of populations from the two Brazilian ranges. Lower genetic diversity in Amazon populations (P = 60.11%, Hs = 0.18) and higher genetic diversity in Atlantic populations (P = 73.94%, Hs = 0.20) were detected. Differentiation between ranges were high (theta (B) = 0.6838, G(ST)-B = 0.6665). AMOVA revealed that 65.3% of the total molecular variance can be attributed to regional differences between the two ranges. Principal coordinate analyses and cluster analyses organized ipecacs at either individual or population level into two exclusive groups that correspond each to one of the two disjunct ranges, without exception. The results do not support a scenario that postulates human-mediated, long-distance dispersal events as a plausible origin for the distribution of the Brazilian ipecacs, but indicate geographic isolation as a long-standing barrier to genetic exchange and connectivity among populations from different ranges. Conservation implications are discussed.

ABSTRACT. The genus Theobroma found in the Amazon region is composed of 22 species, including Theobroma speciosum, better known as cacauí. These species are constantly threatened by forest fragmentation caused by human activities and require conservation strategies and management aimed at preserving them in their natural environments. The main objective of this study was to analyze the population structure and genetic diversity within and between natural populations of T. speciosum by using ISSR molecular markers to understand the population structure of the species. Four natural populations belonging to the Amazon rainforest (BAC, CRO, FLA, and PNA), located in the State of Mato Grosso, were selected. Amplification reactions were performed using 15 ISSR primers. A total of 101 loci 3511 Genetic diversity in Theobroma speciosum©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 13 (2): 3510-3519 (2014) were found, of which 54.46% were polymorphic at the species level. The BAC population showed higher genetic diversity (H = 0.095 and I = 0.144) and higher percentage of polymorphism (28.71%). The populations showed an F ST value of 0.604, indicating marked genetic differentiation. The highest genetic variation was found between populations. Gene flow was low between populations, indicating genetic isolation between populations.

The roots of the understorey shrub Carapichea ipecacuanha (ipecac) have medicinal properties, and the uprooting of wild plants has supplied most of the world demand for this species. Although under severe population decline, C. ipecacuanha lacks legal protection. In the wild, the aerial stems of ipecac clump together to form clusters with well-defined borders. Cluster size may range from several to hundreds of aerial stems. To investigate the extent of clonality among aerial stems in ipecac clusters, we sampled 50 wild clusters (a total of 291 aerial stems) and screened them with 89 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The 291 aerial stems were grouped into 42 putative clones. The clonal groups generally consisted of aerial stems from the same cluster, and there was little or no genetic differentiation among aerial stems at the cluster level. These findings suggest that strategies designed to conserve ipecac in situ should not rely upon census data, which are based on the number of aerial stems per cluster and the number of clusters per population, because such data greatly underestimate the species effective population size and genetic diversity. Our results also indicate that this species needs protection at a federal level.

ABSTRACT. The genus Theobroma, recently reclassified in the family Malvaceae, comprises some species with high economic potential, including the cupuí, Theobroma subincanum Mart., which has not yet been domesticated, and whose genetics and population structure are mostly unknown. This study aimed to assess the population structure and genetic diversity in natural populations of T. subincanum Mart., using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. A total of 59 individuals were sampled in three geographically separate populations, CFA, CMN, and CPT. Nei's genetic distance was estimated to characterize populations with the use of 13 polymorphic primers. The analysis of 4999 ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 12 (4): 4998-5006 (2013) Genetic diversity in Theobroma subincana Mart. molecular variance revealed that the variability between populations (51.71%) was higher than that within populations (48.29%). Among the three populations, CPT showed the highest diversity index and percentage of polymorphism. The ISSR molecular markers were efficient and presented sufficient polymorphism to estimate genetic diversity in populations of T. subincanum Mart.

Abstract:The quantification of genetic diversity and intrapopulation spatial genetic structure (SGS) of tree species are important aspects for in and ex situ conservation practices. In this study we seek to understand the importance of conservation areas by quantifying the genetic diversity and the spatial genetic structure of a natural population of Theobroma speciosum. Within this population, 49 adults and 51 subadults were genotyped for five microsatellite loci. The results showed that adults and subadults have similar levels of genetic diversity and inbreeding (adults: A= 10.4, A e = 10.3, F= 0.68, subadults: A= 10.6, A e = 10.6, F= 0.57). Genetic diversity was spatially structured within the population, and the results suggest that near-neighbor trees up to a distance of 70 m are likely related. SGS is likely the result of short-distance seed dispersal, the short-distance range of pollinators, and infrequent breaches of the self-incompatible mating system. Considering the high demographic density of the species and size of the study area, as well as the high average number of alleles per locus and the presence of rare alleles, we believe that the study population is an excellent resource for in situ genetic conservation of T. speciosum. The study area is also a useful resource for collecting germplasm for ex situ conservation and seed collection, either for breeding programs used in the restoration of degraded areas or forest improvement. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (3): 1091-1099. Epub 2016 September 01.Key words: Amazonia, genetic variability, microsatellite markers, cacauhy.The national program of biological diversity, that evaluated and identified priority areas for conservation, sustainable use, and benefitsharing of biodiversity of the Brazilian Amazon, established 27 ecoregions of the Brazilian Legal Amazon (PNJU, 2013). One ecoregion is the Mato Grosso dry forests located in the Northern part of Mato Grosso State. In this area, the Juruena National Park (Parque Nacional do Juruena) was established in 2006 with the aim of protecting endemic Amazonian species. The Conservation Unit (CU) includes headwaters and stretches of important Amazonian rivers, such as Aripuanã, a tributary of the Madeira, Juruena, and Teles Pires Rivers, and tributaries of the Tapajós, and it encompasses an area of significant biogeographical interest. The genus Theobroma occurs naturally in the area.Several species within the Theobroma genus have conventional or potential uses, including Theobroma speciosum Willd. ex Spreng, commonly known as cacauhy. This species is important because it represents a possible source of genetic resistance for other, more economically important species, such as Theobroma cacao (Silva et al., 2011). The fruit rind of T. speciosum is mixed with wood ash to produce a handmade soap that is used in the Amazon and it is an excellent deodorant (Di Stasi & Hiruma-Lima, 2002). In relation to its fatty acids, Gilabert-Escrivá et al. (2002) noted that the composition is very similar to that found in cocoa butter. ...

Resumo As raízes da mandioca são ricas em carboidratos e amplamente consumidas em todo o mundo. Objetivou-se, neste estudo, avaliar características morfológicas e culinárias de quatro etnovariedades de mandioca (Cacau branca, Cacau roxa, Cacau amarela e Mandioca pão), em diferentes épocas de colheita. As características avaliadas foram: forma da raiz, cor da película, textura da epiderme, cor do córtex, cor da polpa, descascamento da película e do córtex, tempo de cozimento, padrão de massa cozida e deterioração pós-colheita das raízes. As etnovariedades exibiram variação fenotípica quanto às características morfológicas. A Cacau branca e a Cacau roxa apresentaram descascamento fácil nas três primeiras épocas de colheita. O tempo de cocção variou de ‘bom’ a ‘ruim’ entre as etnovariedades, sendo que a Cacau roxa apresentou o menor tempo de cozimento (15 min), aos seis meses, e a Cacau amarela, o maior tempo (35 min), aos 10 e 12 meses. A Cacau branca e a Cacau roxa apresentaram maior nota média quanto à classificação de massa cozida, sendo as mais indicadas para utilização como mandioca de mesa. Quanto às características ‘tempo de cocção’ e ‘qualidade da massa cozida’, as raízes das quatro etnovariedades, colhidas aos seis e oito meses pós-plantio, apresentaram-se ideais para o consumo de mesa. O tempo de cozimento apresentou aumento crescente de acordo com a permanência das plantas no campo. As etnovariedades Cacau amarela e Mandioca pão são as mais indicadas para cultivos que visem à comercialização, pois apresentaram, em todas as épocas de colheita, menor susceptibilidade à deterioração.