Stephen L. Jury

Towards a definition of a crop wild relative

Crop wild relatives are an important socio-economic resource that is currently being eroded or even extinguished through careless human activities. If the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD 2010 Biodiversity Target of achieving a significant reduction in the current rate of loss is to be achieved, we must first define what crop wild relatives are and how their conservation might be prioritised. A definition of a crop wild relative is proposed and illustrated in the light of previous Gene Pool concept theory. Where crossing and genetic diversity information is unavailable, the Taxon Group concept is introduced to assist recognition of the degree of crop wild relative relatedness by using the existing taxonomic hierarchy.

RECLASSIFICATION OF ACTAEA TO INCLUDE CIMICIFUGA AND SOULIEA (RANUNCULACEAE) : PHYLOGENY INFERRED FROM MORPHOLOGY, NRDNA ITS, AND CPDNA TRNL-F SEQUENC E VARIATION

Phylogenetic analyses using parsimony were performed on three independent data sets to test generic relationships between Actaea, Cimicifuga, and Souliea. Analyses of morphology and nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS were performed on 23 species of Cimicifuga, 4 species of Actaea, and the single species of Souliea. Analysis of chloroplast DNA trnL-F was applied to the same species, less two of Cimicifuga. The outgroup taxa Eranthis and Anemonopsis both resolved outside the ingroup in all parsimony analyses, whereas Souliea resolved within it. Jukes-Cantor pairwise sequence distances confirm Eranthis and Anemonopsis to be most distant. Souliea distances are comparable with those of taxa within the Actaea-Cimicifuga assemblage. A strongly supported monophyletic clade including all studied species of Actaea, Cimicifuga, and Souliea was found in all analyses. Evidence presented here allows a broader concept of Actaea to be adopted, reverting to the circumscription of Linnaeus in 1753. Seven sections, based on clades found in the total analysis, could be defined by morphological characters: A. sect. Actaea, sect. Podocarpae, sect. Cimicifuga, sect. Dichanthera, sect. Oligocarpae, sect. Pityrosperma, and sect. Souliea. One species, A. taiwanensis, is newly described and 23 new combinations are made in the ranks of section, species, and variety. Keys are provided to identify taxa at all ranks within the revised circumscription of Actaea. Maps showing the distributions of all seven sections and their constituent species are presented. Phytogeographic patterns suggest a Tertiary origin for the newly redefined genus, with species surviving in refugia during the glacial periods of the Pleistocene.

Biogeographic patterns in Mediterranean and Macaronesian species of Saxifraga (Saxifragaceae) inferred from phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequences

A biogeographic study of Saxifraga section Saxifraga was performed based on phylogenetic analyses of ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA. ITS sequences from 21 species and 31 populations were examined to identify colonization patterns for the two species of Saxifraga occurring in Macaronesia and for S. globulifera in the west Mediterranean basin. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence data yield a single most parsimonious tree with many of the major clades well supported by bootstrap and decay values. The ITS tree provided resolution at specific and populational levels that points to two biogeographic patterns within the genus. In contrast to the molecular evidence provided by other authors for a Mediterranean origin of several Macaronesian genera of angiosperms, our results indicate that the Madeiran archipelago was colonized a single time by a species of Saxifraga originating from the Eurosiberian region. On the other hand, the molecular evidence also suggests that populations of S. globulifera from North Africa have been isolated for a long time from populations occurring in the Iberian Peninsula, and that the endemic S. reuteriana has evolved from the Iberian populations of S. globulifera. The Mediterranean Sea has probably been an effective isolating barrier for some plant groups that occur in Europe and North Africa.

Polyploid speciation inHedera (Araliaceae): Phylogenetic and biogeographic insights based on chromosome counts and ITS sequences

Variation in chromosome number and internal transcribed sequences (ITS) of nrDNA is used to infer phylogenetic relationships of a wide range ofHedera species. Polyploidy was found to be frequent inHedera, with diploid, tetraploid, hexaploid and octoploid populations being detected. Nucleotide additivity occurs in the ITS sequences of one tetraploid (H. hibernica) and two hexaploid species (H. maderensis, H. pastuchovii), suggesting that all three species originated by allopolyploidisation. ITS sequence polymorphism and nucleotide characters may indicate the presence of an ancient genome persistent only in some allopolyploid species. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequence data reveal two lineages ofHedera: one containing all sequences belonging to extant diploids plus the tetraploidH. algeriensis, and a second that includes this ancient ITS type and others exclusive to several polyploid species. The origin of the polyploids is evaluated on the basis of morphology, chromosome counts, ITS sequence polymorphism, and phylogenetic analyses. Reconstruction of reticulate evolution inHedera agrees with two allopolyploid areas on both sides of the Mediterranean basin. Morphological, molecular and cytological evidence also suggests an active dispersal ofHedera populations that may account for three independent introductions in Macaronesia.

Phylogeny of Actaea including Cimicifuga (Ranunculaceae) inferred from nrDNA ITS sequence variation

Abstract Phylogenetic analysis of the rapidly changing nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS region in all 23 taxa of Cimicifuga and in all five taxa of Actaea was performed. The phylogenetic affinities of Souliea were investigated. Eranthis and Anemonopsis were shown to be separated from the ingroup by a similar number of steps. A monophyletic clade including all studied species of Actaea, Cimicifuga and Souliea is strongly supported and within it a group consisting of all Actaea species and Cimicifuga racemosa is identified. A large but weakly supported clade consisting of only Eurasian species is divided into two subclades; one with taxa possessing yellow staminodia, the other with taxa possessing white staminodia. Three other well supported groups are indicated: one clade consisting of two North American species with long carpel stipes: C. americana and C. laciniata , another with three North American species with short carpel stipes: C. arizonica, C. elata and C. rubifolia , and a third with three eastern Asian species with caducous bracts: C. biternata, C. japonica and C. purpurea . Cimicifuga is paraphyletic at least with respect to Actaea and possibly also with respect to Souliea .

Molecular relationships in Genista L. Sect. Spartocarpus Spach (Fabaceae)

Abstract. A molecular investigation on the species of Genista belonging to sect. Spartocarpus was undertaken with the aim of inferring phylogenetic relationships within the section. The combined cladistic analysis of ITS 1 and 2 and of the chloroplast DNA trnL(UAA) intron yielded a single most parsimonious cladogram with G. aetnensis as sister group to the rest of the section, which is in turn divided into two major clades, one of which includes G. nissana, G. aucheri, G. sessilifolia, G. spartioides and G. haenseleri, and the other the remaining species of the section. This latter group has G. holopetala and G. radiata forming a clade, which is a sister group to a not entirely resolved monophylum including the G. ephedroides species complex. The latter shows a basal collapse of G. cilentina, G. dorycnifolia and G. numidica, and then a clade including G. ephedroides and G. valsecchiae, as well as a collapsed monophylum with G. demarcoi, G. gasparrini and G. thyrrena. The clade including the G. ephedroides species group has the lowest within-group molecular variation and appears to be recent in origin, as compared to the rest of the section. The pattern of cladogeny in the section seems to be related to geographical isolation, and is broadly congruent with palynological and biogeographical evidence.

Phylogeny and divergence times inferred from rps16 sequence data analyses for Tricyrtis (Liliaceae), an endemic genus of north-east Asia

The rate of molecular evolution of Tricyrtis plant groups as a model system was estimated. The outcome further highlights the importance of conserving biodiversity in a rapidly changing Earth environment. This phylogenetic analyses of Tricyrtis with its high endemism in north-east Asia sheds light on processes of speciation processes.

A taxonomic revision of the genus Pastinaca L. (Umbelliferae)

A taxonomic revision of the genus Pastinaca L. was carried out with respect to fruitmacro- and micro-morphology, anatomy, palynology, and phytochemistry. The study covers the world distribution of the genus, confined to Europe and Asia, except for Pastinaca sativa L. subsp. sativa (parsnip) cultivated all over the world. Pollen studies showed that the pollen of the genus could be described as cerebroid. Three flavonoid compounds were detected in the genus. Pastinaca is represented with eight species and four subspecies in the world. P. latifolia DC. is regarded as a subspecies of P. sativa.

Future of Abies pindrow in Swat district, northern Pakistan

Swat district is a biodiversity hub of Pakistan. The plant species, especially trees, in the Swat District are exposed to extinction threat from global climate change. Maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modelling of species distribution, using HADCM3 A2a global climate change scenario, predicted a considerable change in the future distribution of Abies pindrow (Royle ex D.Don) Royle. AUC (area under the curve) values of 0.972 and 0.983 were significant for the present and future distribution models of the species, respectively. It is clear that bioclimatic variables such as the mean temperature of the warmest quarter (bio_10) and the annual temperature range (bio_7) contribute significantly to the model and thus affect the predicted distribution and density of the species. The future model predicts that by the year 2080 population density will have decreased significantly. The highest density of the species is recorded in the eastern and western borders of the Valley in the areas of Sulatanr and Mankial. The changes in density and distribution of the species can have considerable impact, not only on the tree species itself, but on the associated subflora as well.

Comparative fruit studies in a group of tribe Peucedaneae (Umbelliferae)

Comparative fruit studies (macro- and micro-morphology and anatomy) have been undertaken in a group of tribe Peucedaneae (Umbelliferae) (Malabaila Hoffm.,Pastinaca L., Heracleum L., Stenotaenia Boiss., Opopanax W.D.J. Koch, andGrafia Rchb.). A multivariate analysis was carried out using Simple Matching Coefficient and UPGMA (unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages)and WPGMA (weighted pair group method using arithmetic averages) clustering methods. Two types of dorsal mericarp surface and margin sufaces were detected:(1) reticulate with a smooth surface, (2) reticulate with a striate surface. On the dorsal surface of the mericarps, three hair shapes and four hair surface types were seen. These hairs are treated as having systematic significance. For instance, a very short triangular hair with a papillose surface is unique to Pastinaca. The shapes of the mericarp and mericarp apex at the base of stylopodium are significant features for generic delimitation. Malabaila is distinguished by its c...