Genetic, cytological and morphological differentiation within the Balkan‐Carpathian<i>Sesleria rigida</i>sensu Fl. Eur. (Poaceae): A taxonomically intricate tetraploid‐octoploid complex

Although the Balkan Peninsula belongs to the main European biodiversity centres, phylogeographical structure of its high‐mountain flora and relationships with adjoining mountain systems remain almost unknown. Here, we analyse the evolutionary patterns in Campanula alpina s.l., which comprises C. alpina Jacq. (eastern Alps, Carpathians) and the mostly neglected, allopatric Balkan taxon C. orbelica Pančić. Using a range‐wide sampling, two molecular marker systems (mostly nuclear AFLPs and chloroplast DNA sequences), flow cytometry and morphometric assessment, we (1) test earlier hypotheses assuming the impact of the Balkan lineages on the history of populations in the Alps and the Carpathians; (2) elucidate the long‐lasting controversy concerning the taxonomic status of the populations in the Balkan Peninsula. The primary evolutionary break, evidenced by a substantial genetic differentiation, separated the Alpine/Carpathian and Balkan populations. Thus, the previously hypothesized influence of the Balkan gene pool on the present more northerly lineages (especially on a distinct phylogeographical group occurring in the southwestern Carpathians) was rejected. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of cpDNA may support the Carpathians as the ancestral area within C. alpina from which the species reached the Alps, although strongly divergent AFLPs point at a relatively ancient time of this colonization. Molecular data and clear morphological segregation supported C. orbelica as a Balkan endemic species evolutionarily divergent from C. alpina. Both taxa are lectotypified, illustrated and morphologically characterized; their diagnostic characters are outlined.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Independent evolutionary history between the Balkan ranges and more northerly mountains in Campanula alpina s.l. (Campanulaceae): Genetic divergence and morphological segregation of taxa

Ronikier

Zalewska‐Gałosz

2014

“…The AFLP technique generates a high number of biparentally inherited markers capturing genome polymorphisms, and despite some limitations (e.g., potential fragment size homoplasy, dominant and anonymous nature of markers, their potential non-independence, low information content), it has proven informative in evolutionary and phylogenetic inferences among closely related congeners (Meudt & Clarke, 2007;García-Pereira & al., 2010). Its efficiency has also been demonstrated in several polyploid complexes (e.g., Balao & al., 2010;Bardy & al., 2010;Bendiksby & al., 2011;Rebernig & al., 2012;Greiner & al., 2013;Kuzmanović & al., 2013) that posed great taxonomic and evolutionary challenges. Highly variable intergenic spacers of maternally inherited, non-recombinant cpDNA have also been useful to determine relationships and evolution of closely related species (e.g., Borsch & Quandt, 2009;Consaul & al., 2010;.…”

Section: Taxonomy and Evolutionary History Of Alyssum Montanum (Brassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomy and evolutionary history of Alyssum montanum (Brassicaceae) and related taxa in southwestern Europe and Morocco: Diversification driven by polyploidy, geographic and ecological isolation

Zozomová‐Lihová¹,

Marhold²,

Španiel³

2014

The Alyssum montanum–A. repens polyploid complex is a group of related perennial taxa with a diversity centre in the European (Sub)Mediterranean, controversial taxonomic treatments, and a poorly known evolutionary history. In the present study, morphological, ploidy level and genetic (AFLPs and chloroplast DNA sequences) data were collected to address the taxonomy and evolution of a sublineage of this complex distributed in southwestern Europe and Morocco. As a result, a new taxonomic treatment, differing substantially from recent concepts, is presented, including an identification key, synonymy and typifications. The recognition of several previously described but recently not accepted endemics is favoured (A. flexicaule, A. orophilum, A. rhodanense), whereas the existence of southern Iberian endemics is not supported. Most of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by a single species for which the name A. fastigiatum is applicable. Populations from the summit areas of the Pyrenees represent a separate species, which is described here as A. cacuminum. Populations from coastal sand dunes in the Basque country (Bay of Biscay) and Galicia, recently recognised as two subspecies of A. loiseleurii, are elevated to species rank according to their genetic and morphological divergence. Alyssum atlanticum is resolved as a species confined to northern Africa and not reaching southern Spain. The distribution of A. montanum in a strict sense is much more restricted than previously reported, being delimited by the Pyrenees in the south, and the Alps in the northeast. The species complex studied here is composed of several polyploid stenoendemics confined to different mountain ranges or specific lowland habitats, and a few relatively widely distributed species. We infer that hybridisation and polyploidisation events, along with ecological and geographic isolation, have stimulated speciation in this complex. Hypotheses about the origin and evolutionary history of the species are discussed.

“…;Valdés & Scholz, 2009: 32 spp.). Several species have been described recently (e.g., S. rhodopaea Tashev & D.Dimitrov;Tashev & Dimitrov, 2012) and so far the status of only a few taxa was clarified using molecular phylogenies (e.g., Kuzmanović & al., 2013a). The genus is distributed from Spain in the west to the Caucasus and Iran in the east, and from Iceland and Scandinavia in the north to Libya and Lebanon Phylogenetic relationships in Seslerieae (Poaceae) including resurrection of Psilathera and Sesleriella, two monotypic genera endemic to the Alps and Echinaria Desf., classified in tribe Seslerieae (Quintanar & al., 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite a number of contributions carried out from the late 1930s onwards (Ujhelyi, 1938(Ujhelyi, , 1940(Ujhelyi, , 1959a(Ujhelyi, , b, 1960(Ujhelyi, , 1965Deyl, 1946;Ujhelyi & Felföldy, 1948;Strgar, 1966Strgar, , 1968Strgar, , 1973Strgar, , 1979Strgar, , 1980Strgar, , 1981Strgar, , 1982Strgar, , 1985Strgar, , 1988Strgar, , 1990Lysák & al., 1997Lysák & al., , 2000Lysák & Doležel, 1998;Foggi & al., 2001Foggi & al., , 2007Reisch & al., 2003;Di Pietro & al., 2005;Alegro, 2007;Di Pietro, 2007;Kuzmanović & al., 2013aKuzmanović & al., , b, 2015Budžakova & al., 2014), a comprehensive phylogenetic study of Sesleria is still missing. Some recent studies have focused on groups of allegedly closely related species (Di Pietro & al., 2005;Alegro, 2007;Kuzmanović & al., 2013a;Budžakova & al., 2014) or on nomenclatural issues (Di Pietro & al., 2013;. Others have explored genome size variation and patterns of polyploidisation within Sesleria (Lazarević & al., 2015;Kuzmanović & Schönswetter, 2016), but overall taxonomy and relationships among different species groups remain unclear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic relationships in Seslerieae (Poaceae) including resurrection of Psilathera and Sesleriella, two monotypic genera endemic to the Alps

Kuzmanović

Lakušić

Frajman

et al. 2017

Self Cite

Sesleria (Poaceae) is a species‐rich, taxonomically difficult genus due to high morpho‐anatomical variability and weak differentiation of many species. It is distributed throughout western Eurasia and North Africa with highest taxonomic diversity on the Balkan Peninsula. Of the more than 40 species only two are diploid, all others are tetra‐ to dodecaploid, and many species comprise several ploidy cytotypes. We sequenced the plastid trnL‐ndhF region and produced amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) from a comprehensive, ploidy‐cytotyped sampling including 292 populations, and produced nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences for a subsample. Our first aim was to determine the relationships among Sesleria and putatively closely related genera. Further, we explored whether diploid S. sphaerocephala and S. ovata should be treated as separate genera Sesleriella and Psilathera as proposed previously, or rather included in Sesleria, following most recent Floras. Finally, we tested previous hypotheses of infrageneric classifications. In the ITS phylogeny tetra‐ to dodecaploid Sesleria s.str. grouped with diploid S. ovata whereas diploid S. sphaerocephala was more distantly related. In contrast, in the plastid phylogeny Sesleria s.str. grouped with S. sphaerocephala, whereas S. ovata was sister to Echinaria. This suggests an allopolyploid origin of Sesleria s.str. with S. sphaerocephala acting as maternal and S. ovata as paternal species. The lack of monophyly of Sesleria s.l. thus supports the recognition of S. ovata and S. sphaerocephala as separate genera Psilathera and Sesleriella. Their segregation, which is also supported by morphology, increases the number of angiosperm genera endemic to the European Alps from three to five. In congruence with the plastid sequences, AFLPs resolved the traditionally recognized sections (sect. Argenteae, sect. Sesleria) as non‐overlapping clusters and identified S. vaginalis as a probably recently evolved intersectional hybrid. Within the two sections, several informal species groups could be recognized, which show limited congruence with those proposed in the most comprehensive taxonomic treatment of the genus. From an evolutionary point of view it is obvious that ancient as well as recent hybridization coupled with polyploidisation have played a crucial role in diversification within Sesleria.