New morphological and DNA evidence supports the existence of Calligonum jeminaicum Z. M. Mao (Calligoneae, Polygonaceae) in China

By

Shi, Wei
Liu, Peiliang
Wen, Jun
Feng, Yin
Pan, Borong

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

132

Pages

53--73

Subjects

Calligonum mongolicum complex , Central Asia , desert plant , IUCN , molecular phylogenetics , morphological traits

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.132.34981

 

Abstract

Calligonum jeminaicumZ. M. Mao, a species regarded as endemic to China, was thought to be nonexistent owing to a lack of scientific records. The similarity ofC. jeminaicumtoC. mongolicumTurcz. warranted an investigation into the taxonomical relationship between these species. In this study, a naturally occurring population ofC. jeminaicumwas discovered and the taxonomical relationships of this species withC. mongolicumwere resolved. Morphological traits, including fruit and flower characteristics, as well as nuclear (ETS, ITS) and chloroplast (psbA-trnH,ycf6-psbM,rpl32-trnL,rbcL, andtrnL-F) DNA sequence data were studied to confirm the taxonomic status ofC. jeminaicum. The nrDNA data (ITS1-2 and ETS) fromC. jeminaicumreflected variability from the wholeC. mongolicumcomplex, showing distinctive haplotypes in the Calligonum sect. Medusa Sosk. & Alexandr. The cpDNA data supplied similar evidence, showing unique branching in Bayesian and ML tree analyses. The specific status ofC. jeminaicumis confirmed based on both morphological and molecular analyses. Here we present a revised description ofC. jeminaicumalong with its DNA barcode and discuss suggestions for the conservation of this species. Based on current evidence, this species was evaluated as Critically Endangered (CR) according to the IUCN criteria.