Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species

In Salicornia, morphology does not provide reliable diagnostic characters supporting the true extent of evolutionary divergence in the genus, and species concepts have been challenged by molecular analyses. Here, we report the results of an analysis of 91 accessions of the S.?meyeriana complex from...

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Main Authors: Slenzka, A., Mucina, Ladislav, Kadereit, G.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41826
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author Slenzka, A.
Mucina, Ladislav
Kadereit, G.
author_facet Slenzka, A.
Mucina, Ladislav
Kadereit, G.
author_sort Slenzka, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description In Salicornia, morphology does not provide reliable diagnostic characters supporting the true extent of evolutionary divergence in the genus, and species concepts have been challenged by molecular analyses. Here, we report the results of an analysis of 91 accessions of the S.?meyeriana complex from South Africa and Namibia using the measurements of 38 morphological traits and external transcribed spacer (ETS) sequence data. Morphological data were analysed using discriminant analysis, principal coordinate analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Phylogenetic divergence was compared with the geographical and ecological diversity of the sampled populations. Tree topology corresponds to geography and ecology, but not to morphology. Most clades have distinct distribution areas and ecological profiles related to tidal, supratidal or inland saline habitats. Salicornia probably diversified in habitats that have experienced regular fragmentation by marine transgression/regression cycles during the Pleistocene. We suggest that this radiation produced young, but genetically, geographically and ecologically well-defined lineages. The lack of morphological signal reveals the existence of cryptic species in Salicornia and demonstrates the necessity of using molecular data to define taxa in this genus. We propose the recognition of two subspecies in the S.?meyeriana complex: S.?meyeriana subsp. meyeriana and S.?meyeriana subsp. knysnaensis. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 172, 175–186.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-418262017-09-13T14:16:25Z Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species Slenzka, A. Mucina, Ladislav Kadereit, G. - salt pans - halophyte estuary - morphometric analysis - growth form - molecular phylogenetic analysis - Salicornia meyeriana subsp. knysnaensis - salt marsh - ETS In Salicornia, morphology does not provide reliable diagnostic characters supporting the true extent of evolutionary divergence in the genus, and species concepts have been challenged by molecular analyses. Here, we report the results of an analysis of 91 accessions of the S.?meyeriana complex from South Africa and Namibia using the measurements of 38 morphological traits and external transcribed spacer (ETS) sequence data. Morphological data were analysed using discriminant analysis, principal coordinate analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Phylogenetic divergence was compared with the geographical and ecological diversity of the sampled populations. Tree topology corresponds to geography and ecology, but not to morphology. Most clades have distinct distribution areas and ecological profiles related to tidal, supratidal or inland saline habitats. Salicornia probably diversified in habitats that have experienced regular fragmentation by marine transgression/regression cycles during the Pleistocene. We suggest that this radiation produced young, but genetically, geographically and ecologically well-defined lineages. The lack of morphological signal reveals the existence of cryptic species in Salicornia and demonstrates the necessity of using molecular data to define taxa in this genus. We propose the recognition of two subspecies in the S.?meyeriana complex: S.?meyeriana subsp. meyeriana and S.?meyeriana subsp. knysnaensis. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 172, 175–186. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41826 10.1111/boj.12041 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. unknown
spellingShingle - salt pans
- halophyte
estuary
- morphometric analysis
- growth form
- molecular phylogenetic analysis
- Salicornia meyeriana subsp. knysnaensis
- salt marsh
- ETS
Slenzka, A.
Mucina, Ladislav
Kadereit, G.
Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species
title Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species
title_full Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species
title_fullStr Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species
title_full_unstemmed Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species
title_short Salicornia L. (Amaranthaceae) in South Africa and Namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species
title_sort salicornia l. (amaranthaceae) in south africa and namibia: rapid spread and ecological diversification of cryptic species
topic - salt pans
- halophyte
estuary
- morphometric analysis
- growth form
- molecular phylogenetic analysis
- Salicornia meyeriana subsp. knysnaensis
- salt marsh
- ETS
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41826