Phylogenetic relationships of Iranian Allium sect. Allium (Amaryllidaceae, Allioideae) as inferred from nrDNA ITS, cpDNA rps16 and trnL–F sequences

Abstract

Allium is a particularly species rich (more than 800 species) and economically important genus, with numerous taxonomic problems at all levels of classification. In this study, we try to uncover the phylogenetic relationships of the common leek Allium ampeloprasum based on selected samples of this species and its putative relatives in A. sect. Allium from Iran. The silica‐dried leaf samples of 56 accessions representing 23 species of Allium were sequenced; 53 sequences of nrDNA ITS, 35 sequences of plastid rps16 and 52 sequences of trnL–F were generated and additional accessions were extracted from GenBank in order to cover all recognized main lineages in the genus. Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference generated similar trees, but the placement of A. ampeloprasum and its relatives differed slightly between the nuclear and the plastid phylogenies. In the nrITS tree, A. ampeloprasum is retrieved as a highly supported clade with A. iranicum, while in the combined plastid tree A. ampeloprasum formed a highly supported clade with A. vineale. This supports the hypothesis of a possible hybrid origin of A. ampeloprasum. Allium iranicum formed a clade in the plastid tree, but was resolved as paraphyletic in the nrITS tree, probably due to presence of multiple non‐concerted copies of nrITS. Close relationships are suggested between the following species: A. aznavense and A. wendelboi with A. talyschense, A. erubescens and A. rotundum with A. scorodoprasum and A. abbasii with A. phanerantherum.

Phylogenetic relationships of IranianAlliumspecies using thematK(cpDNA gene) region

“…A similar finding was reported in an earlier study (Akhavan et al 2015;Friesen et al 2006;Fritsch and Abbasi, 2013;Fritsch et al 2010;Gurushidze et al 2010;Li et al 2010;Sýkorová et al 2006). Two accessions of A. scabriscapum were positioned in a similar clade and clustered closely with A. asarence, A. cepa, and A. fistulosum by analyzing matK, which is in agreement with a recently studied case (Friesen et al 2006;Veiskarami et al 2019). As detected in a recently published study, A. sub Akaka, A. zagricum, and A. alamutense were put together with no distance (Akhavan et al 2015;Fritsch et al 2010;Gurushidze et al 2008;Li et al 2010).…”

“…A. Akaka was placed tightly in a group with A. breviscapum and A. sub akaka was assigned to a group close to A. alamutense and A. zagricum, which have a closer relation to a recently published report (Akhavan et al 2015;Li et al 2010;Nguyen et al 2008). Similar to a latest investigation, A. pseudoampeloprasum was clustered tightly to A. atroviolaceum, A. iranicum, and A. sativum in our research ((Hirschegger et al 2010;Veiskarami et al 2019). A. umbilicatum lied in a group with A. ampeloprasum and A. atroviolaceum, which corresponds to a latest research (Friesen et al 2006;Li et al 2010).…”

“…Similarly, the present outcomes according to the matK site revealed that these species had close phylogenetic relations. To conclude on the basis of matK examination, phylogenetic associations among Allium species scrutinized here corresponded to those reported previously (Li et al 2010;Veiskarami et al 2019).…”

“…A. umbilicatum lied in a group with A. ampeloprasum and A. atroviolaceum, which corresponds to a latest research (Friesen et al 2006;Li et al 2010). A. fistulosum was in group close to A. cepa and A. asarence as reported previously (Veiskarami et al 2019;Fig. 3 Interconnectivity grid of the varieties of Allium species studied using the matK gene (popART software) Li et al 2010;Friesen et al 2006).…”

Tracking the evolutionary history of the Allium ampeloprasum L. complex (section Allium) provides evidence of the contribution of North African diploids to the formation of allopolyploid horticultural groups

“…It constitutes an interesting group of species which has led to numerous molecular studies in order to elucidate infrageneric relationships and sectional classifications (Nguyen et al 2008;Fritsch et al 2010;Gurushidze et al 2010;Wheeler et al 2013;Herden et al 2016;Li et al 2010Li et al , 2016Sinitsyna et al 2016). The origin of Allium crops and ornamental taxa were also investigated (Friesen et al 1999;Gurushidze et al 2007;Hirschegger et al 2010;Veiskarami et al 2019).…”