B07021; Online publication date 25 February 2008; Received 2 July 2007; accepted 21 December 2007

New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2008, Vol. 46 : 65–76
0028–825X/07/4601–0065 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008

PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (1258K) | screen-quality (870K)

New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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

R. D. Smissen

I. Breitwieser

Allan Herbarium
Landcare Research
PO Box 40
Lincoln 7640, New Zealand

Abstract AFLP profiles, nuclear ITS sequences, and chloroplast psb A- trn H 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 (2 n = 2 x = 28) L. leontopodium and tetraploid (2 n = 4 x = 56) L. neglecta cluster together, consistent with a derivation of the latter from the former by autopolyploidy. However, octoploid (2 n = 8 x = 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.

Keywords Leucogenes ; Raoulia ; Gnaphalieae; Asteraceae; ITS; psb A- trn H; intraspecific polymorphism; trans-specific polymorphism; AFLP; phylogenetic incongruence; lineage sorting; introgression; polyploidy; DNA bar-coding; New Zealand flora

B07021; Online publication date 25 February 2008; Received 2 July 2007; accepted 21 December 2007

New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2008, Vol. 46 : 65–76
0028–825X/07/4601–0065 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008

PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (1258K) | screen-quality (870K)

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