Premium
Are linear‐leaved Potamogeton hybrids really so rare? Molecular evidence for multiple hybridizations between P. acutifolius and P. compressus in central Europe
Author(s) -
ZalewskaGałosz Joanna,
Ronikier Michał
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2010.00724.x
Subject(s) - biology , hybrid , potamogetonaceae , botany , intergenic region , interspecific hybrids , evolutionary biology , potamogeton , genetics , genome , ecology , gene , aquatic plant , macrophyte
Due to insufficient morphological differentiation, hybridization among linear‐leaved species of Potamogeton is rarely observed and recognized. Here, we applied molecular tools (sequencing of nrITS and rpl 32‐ trn L cpDNA intergenic spacer) to study several natural, central European populations of morphologically intermediate forms between two closely related species, P. acutifolius and P. compressus , to examine their taxonomical status and test whether they represented the variation range of the species or are results of interspecific hybridization. Both DNA regions provided distinguishing characters between putative parental species. The ITS sequences from all the morphologically intermediate specimens displayed an additive pattern combining the variation of both parental species, providing evidence for the hybrid origin of all these plants. This case study suggests that hybrids of linear‐leaved Potamogeton species are more common than usually believed, but have been difficult to identify without molecular tools.