Open AccessA morphometric analysis of a putative hybrid between Agave marmorata Roezl and Agave kerchovei Lem.: Agave peacockii Croucher
Author(s) -
VALVERDE PEDRO LUIS,
VITE FERNANDO,
ZAVALAHURTADO JOSÉ ALEJANDRO
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
botanical journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.872
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1095-8339
pISSN - 0024-4074
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8339.1996.tb02070.x
Subject(s) - agave , biology , hybrid , botany , population , spine (molecular biology) , leaflet (botany) , demography , microbiology and biotechnology , sociology
A supposed hybrid population ( Agave peacockii ) between Agave marmorata and Agave kerchovei in a semiarid ecosystem at Zapotitlán Salinas, in the Mexican State of Puebla, was investigated, and its hybrid status corroborated in morphometric terms. A Stepwise Discriminant Analysis of the ratios: Number of leaved Rosette diameter, Leaf width/Leaf length, Number of spines/Leaf length, Distance between the upper spine and the tip of the leaf/Leaf length, and Distance between the upper spine and the tip of the leaf/Number of spines, supported our hypothesis of the existence of these naturally occurring hybrids, which are intermediate and distinct from the parental species. A null model was constructed to contrast the real case with a possible artifact, and the results also supported our hypothesis. The possible meaning of this kind of hybridization is discussed.