Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Aug 1, 2007
Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally listed endangered species endemic to... more Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally listed endangered species endemic to coastal strand habitat of southeastern Florida. In order to identify the closest relatives of J. reclinata, a phylogenetic reconstruction was performed based on nucleotide sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA and from the trnH-psbA intergenic spacer of chloroplast DNA. The three putative relatives of J. reclinata and the majority of Jacquemontia Choicy species known to occur in the Caribbean Islands were included. The strict consensus tree concurs with previous morphological studies, indicating that J. reclinata is closely related to the Caribbean species J. cayensis Britton, J. curtisii Hallier f., and J. havanensis (Jacq.) Urb. These three species and J. reclinata form an unresolved clade. Nucleotide divergence within this clade is low, suggesting that the group is recent, perhaps diversifying after the latest glacial period. These taxa need to be studied further using population-level DNA markers. Most species endemic to the Caribbean Basin form a strongly supported clade. Our phylogeny supports Convolvulus nodiflorus Desr. as part of Jacquemontia. In addition, J. ovalifolia (West) Hallier f. ssp. sandwicensis (A. Gray) K.R. Robertson is sister to the Antillean endemic J. solanifolia (L.
Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from tr... more Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from trees is extracted to make a local drink; once they are tapped the individual usually dies. Plants are also illegally harvested for the nursery trade, and destroyed by poachers ...
Abstract Rare plant reintroductions are designed to increase the number of individuals in the wil... more Abstract Rare plant reintroductions are designed to increase the number of individuals in the wild, but can also improve genetic diversity of populations, reducing both short-term and long-term extinction risks. We used microsatellites developed for the genus Pseudophoenix H. Wendl. ex Sarg. to determine how reintroduced plants of the endangered Pseudophoenix sargentii H. Wendl. ex Sarg. planted in the Florida Keys in the early 1990s contributes to the population genetic structure of the species. We sampled 108 individuals representing wild and reintroduced populations in the Florida Keys and from the ex situ collection at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The wild stand on Elliott Key and the reintroduced individuals on Long Key displayed evidence of genetic drift, inbreeding, and decreased gene flow. In contrast, the ex situ plants and reintroduced individuals on Elliott Key displayed low inbreeding and higher heterozygosity. All populations deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. All pairwise FST and GST values were significant except comparisons between certain age classes on Elliott Key. Analysis of molecular variance partitioned 87.8% of the genetic variation within populations. Overall, reintroduced plants have contributed to greater heterozygosity of the stand on Elliot Key. Finally, our work shows that the ex situ collection includes wild offspring of individuals that are now extirpated, supporting the ongoing importance of ex situ collections in botanic gardens.
Despite a recent new classification, a stable phylogeny for the cycads has been elusive, particul... more Despite a recent new classification, a stable phylogeny for the cycads has been elusive, particularly regarding resolution of Bowenia, Stangeria and Dioon. In this study, five single-copy nuclear genes (SCNGs) are applied to the phylogeny of the order Cycadales. The specific aim is to evaluate several gene tree-species tree reconciliation approaches for developing an accurate phylogeny of the order, to contrast them with concatenated parsimony analysis and to resolve the erstwhile problematic phylogenetic position of these three genera. DNA sequences of five SCNGs were obtained for 20 cycad species representing all ten genera of Cycadales. These were analysed with parsimony, maximum likelihood (ML) and three Bayesian methods of gene tree-species tree reconciliation, using Cycas as the outgroup. A calibrated date estimation was developed with Bayesian methods, and biogeographic analysis was also conducted. Concatenated parsimony, ML and three species tree inference methods resolve ex...
Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from tr... more Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from trees is extracted to make a local drink; once they are tapped the individual usually dies. Plants are also illegally harvested for the nursery trade and destroyed by poachers hunting the endemic and threatened Hispaniolan parrot. We used 7 DNA microsatellite markers to assist land managers in developing conservation strategies for this palm. We sampled 4 populations along the known distribution range of this species (3 populations from the mainland and 1 from the small island of Isla Beata), for a total sample of n 5 104. We found strong evidence for genetic drift, inbreeding, and moderate gene flow (i.e., all populations had at least 4 loci that were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, at least 9 loci pairs were in linkage disequilibrium, the pairwise F ST values ranged from 0.069 to 0.266, and had positive F IS values). Data supported an isolation-by-distance model, and cluster analyses based on genetic distances resolved 2 groups that match a north-south split. The population from Isla Beata had the lowest levels of genetic diversity and was the only one in which we found pairs of individuals with identical shared multilocus genotypes.
Conservation genetics of the endangered Sargent's Cherry Palm, Pseudophoenix sargentii. Tony... more Conservation genetics of the endangered Sargent's Cherry Palm, Pseudophoenix sargentii. Tonya D. Fotinos 1 , Sandra Namoff 2 , Carl Lewis 3 , M. Patrick Griffith 4 , Javier Francisco-Ortega 1 , Joyce Maschinski 3 and Eric ...
A new species is described as Calystegia vanzuukiae (Convolvulaceae) from Placer and Eldorado Cou... more A new species is described as Calystegia vanzuukiae (Convolvulaceae) from Placer and Eldorado Counties of central California. The species occurs in the western Sierra Nevada in chaparral mixed conifer forests on serpentine and gabbro soils. Gross morphological similarity to C. occidentalis suggests that these species may be sister taxa. While leaf morphology differs, habit and ecology are similar for the new taxon and C. stebbinsii. Possible evolutionary relationships to C. stebbinsii are also considered.
Calystegia collina occurs in the Coast Ranges of California from Lake County to Santa Barbara Cou... more Calystegia collina occurs in the Coast Ranges of California from Lake County to Santa Barbara County and is considered closely related to, but specifically separable from, C. malacophylla. The northernmost taxon in the C. collina complex, subsp. tridactylosa, differs from other taxa in significant morphological characters and is geographically disjunct. Further investigation may suggest that subspecies tridactylosa should be elevated to the rank of species. The contiguous distributions of subspecies collina and oxyphylla are detailed, and subspecific rank is justified based on morphological considerations despite range overlap and the existence of some intermediates. Subspecies apicum, formerly included in subspecies venusta based on sepal similarity, is segregated based on differences in leaf margin morphology, leaf size, and overall differences in pubescence. The revised concept of subspecies venusta only includes plants with strongly sinuate leaf margins.
Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangro... more Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangrove forests in South Florida after they were planted and nurtured in botanic gardens. Two Bruguiera gymnorrhiza trees that were planted in the intertidal zone in 1940 have given rise to a population of at least 86 trees growing interspersed with native mangrove species Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa along 100 m of shoreline; the population is expanding at a rate of 5.6% year -1 .
Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangro... more Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangrove forests in South Florida after they were planted and nurtured in botanic gardens. Two Bruguiera gymnorrhiza trees that were planted in the intertidal zone in 1940 have given rise to a population of at least 86 trees growing interspersed with native mangrove species Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa along 100 m of shoreline; the population is expanding at a rate of 5.6% year−1. Molecular genetic analyses confirm very low genetic diversity, as expected from a population founded by two individuals. The maximum number of alleles at any locus was three, and we measured reduced heterozygosity compared to native-range populations. Lumnitzera racemosa was introduced multiple times during the 1960s and 1970s, it has spread rapidly into a forest composed of native R. mangle, A. germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus and now occupies 60,500 m2 of mangrove forest with stem densities of 24,735 ha−1. We estimate the population growth rate of Lumnitzera racemosa to be between 17 and 23% year−1. Populations of both species of naturalized mangroves are dominated by young individuals. Given the long life and water-dispersed nature of propagules of the two exotic species, it is likely that they have spread beyond our survey area. We argue that the species-depauperate nature of tropical Atlantic mangrove forests and close taxonomic relatives in the more species-rich Indo-Pacific region result in the susceptibility of tropical Atlantic mangrove forests to invasion by Indo-Pacific mangrove species.
Pseudophoenix sargentii is critically endangered in the USA. We have developed ten polymorphic mi... more Pseudophoenix sargentii is critically endangered in the USA. We have developed ten polymorphic microsatellite loci for this palm. A study based on populations from the Bahamas and Florida identified 3–17 alleles per locus. Values for the fixation index were positive, and eight loci deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium. Two different PCR-based methods were utilized. The first method yielded specific primer-pairs for three of the loci, and it was based on amplification, cloning and sequencing of products obtained through 5′ anchored PCR. Specific primers for the remaining seven loci were obtained by refining microsatellite regions discovered by 5′ anchored PCR using a new protocol based on inverse PCR.
Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacers and 5.8 regions... more Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacers and 5.8 regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA and of the trnH-psbA spacer of the chloroplast genome confirm that the three taxa of the Jacquemontia ovalifolia (Choicy) Hallier f. complex (Convolvulaceae) form a monophyletic group. Levels of nucleotide divergence and morphological differentiation among these taxa support the view that each should be recognized as distinct species. These three species display unique intercontinental disjunction, with one species endemic to Hawaii (Jacquemontia sandwicensis A. Gray.), another restricted to eastern Mexico and the Antilles [Jacquemontia obcordata (Millspaugh) House], and the third confined to East and West Africa (J. ovalifolia). The Caribbean and Hawaiian species are sister taxa and are another example of a biogeographical link between the Caribbean Basin and Polynesia. We provide a brief conservation review of the three taxa based on our collective field work and investigations; it is apparent that J. obcordata is highly threatened and declining in the Caribbean.
... Sandra Namoff a , Chad E. Husby b , Javier Francisco-Ortega c , a , Larry R. Noblick b , Carl... more ... Sandra Namoff a , Chad E. Husby b , Javier Francisco-Ortega c , a , Larry R. Noblick b , Carl E. Lewis a and M. Patrick Griffith b ... as endangered by the State of Florida, USA, where it occurs in geographically limited populations on the lower Florida Keys (Coile and Garland, 2003 ...
Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally-listed endangered species endemic to... more Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally-listed endangered species endemic to coastal strand habitat of southeastern Florida, from Palm Beach to Miami-Dade counties. Although J. reclinata is currently defined as a species, its taxonomic distinctness has never been analyzed using phylogenetic evidence. In order to assess the evolutionary distinctness of J. reclinata and identify its closest relatives, internal transcribed spacer
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Aug 1, 2007
Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally listed endangered species endemic to... more Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally listed endangered species endemic to coastal strand habitat of southeastern Florida. In order to identify the closest relatives of J. reclinata, a phylogenetic reconstruction was performed based on nucleotide sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA and from the trnH-psbA intergenic spacer of chloroplast DNA. The three putative relatives of J. reclinata and the majority of Jacquemontia Choicy species known to occur in the Caribbean Islands were included. The strict consensus tree concurs with previous morphological studies, indicating that J. reclinata is closely related to the Caribbean species J. cayensis Britton, J. curtisii Hallier f., and J. havanensis (Jacq.) Urb. These three species and J. reclinata form an unresolved clade. Nucleotide divergence within this clade is low, suggesting that the group is recent, perhaps diversifying after the latest glacial period. These taxa need to be studied further using population-level DNA markers. Most species endemic to the Caribbean Basin form a strongly supported clade. Our phylogeny supports Convolvulus nodiflorus Desr. as part of Jacquemontia. In addition, J. ovalifolia (West) Hallier f. ssp. sandwicensis (A. Gray) K.R. Robertson is sister to the Antillean endemic J. solanifolia (L.
Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from tr... more Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from trees is extracted to make a local drink; once they are tapped the individual usually dies. Plants are also illegally harvested for the nursery trade, and destroyed by poachers ...
Abstract Rare plant reintroductions are designed to increase the number of individuals in the wil... more Abstract Rare plant reintroductions are designed to increase the number of individuals in the wild, but can also improve genetic diversity of populations, reducing both short-term and long-term extinction risks. We used microsatellites developed for the genus Pseudophoenix H. Wendl. ex Sarg. to determine how reintroduced plants of the endangered Pseudophoenix sargentii H. Wendl. ex Sarg. planted in the Florida Keys in the early 1990s contributes to the population genetic structure of the species. We sampled 108 individuals representing wild and reintroduced populations in the Florida Keys and from the ex situ collection at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The wild stand on Elliott Key and the reintroduced individuals on Long Key displayed evidence of genetic drift, inbreeding, and decreased gene flow. In contrast, the ex situ plants and reintroduced individuals on Elliott Key displayed low inbreeding and higher heterozygosity. All populations deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. All pairwise FST and GST values were significant except comparisons between certain age classes on Elliott Key. Analysis of molecular variance partitioned 87.8% of the genetic variation within populations. Overall, reintroduced plants have contributed to greater heterozygosity of the stand on Elliot Key. Finally, our work shows that the ex situ collection includes wild offspring of individuals that are now extirpated, supporting the ongoing importance of ex situ collections in botanic gardens.
Despite a recent new classification, a stable phylogeny for the cycads has been elusive, particul... more Despite a recent new classification, a stable phylogeny for the cycads has been elusive, particularly regarding resolution of Bowenia, Stangeria and Dioon. In this study, five single-copy nuclear genes (SCNGs) are applied to the phylogeny of the order Cycadales. The specific aim is to evaluate several gene tree-species tree reconciliation approaches for developing an accurate phylogeny of the order, to contrast them with concatenated parsimony analysis and to resolve the erstwhile problematic phylogenetic position of these three genera. DNA sequences of five SCNGs were obtained for 20 cycad species representing all ten genera of Cycadales. These were analysed with parsimony, maximum likelihood (ML) and three Bayesian methods of gene tree-species tree reconciliation, using Cycas as the outgroup. A calibrated date estimation was developed with Bayesian methods, and biogeographic analysis was also conducted. Concatenated parsimony, ML and three species tree inference methods resolve ex...
Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from tr... more Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a threatened palm species endemic to the Dominican Republic. Sap from trees is extracted to make a local drink; once they are tapped the individual usually dies. Plants are also illegally harvested for the nursery trade and destroyed by poachers hunting the endemic and threatened Hispaniolan parrot. We used 7 DNA microsatellite markers to assist land managers in developing conservation strategies for this palm. We sampled 4 populations along the known distribution range of this species (3 populations from the mainland and 1 from the small island of Isla Beata), for a total sample of n 5 104. We found strong evidence for genetic drift, inbreeding, and moderate gene flow (i.e., all populations had at least 4 loci that were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, at least 9 loci pairs were in linkage disequilibrium, the pairwise F ST values ranged from 0.069 to 0.266, and had positive F IS values). Data supported an isolation-by-distance model, and cluster analyses based on genetic distances resolved 2 groups that match a north-south split. The population from Isla Beata had the lowest levels of genetic diversity and was the only one in which we found pairs of individuals with identical shared multilocus genotypes.
Conservation genetics of the endangered Sargent's Cherry Palm, Pseudophoenix sargentii. Tony... more Conservation genetics of the endangered Sargent's Cherry Palm, Pseudophoenix sargentii. Tonya D. Fotinos 1 , Sandra Namoff 2 , Carl Lewis 3 , M. Patrick Griffith 4 , Javier Francisco-Ortega 1 , Joyce Maschinski 3 and Eric ...
A new species is described as Calystegia vanzuukiae (Convolvulaceae) from Placer and Eldorado Cou... more A new species is described as Calystegia vanzuukiae (Convolvulaceae) from Placer and Eldorado Counties of central California. The species occurs in the western Sierra Nevada in chaparral mixed conifer forests on serpentine and gabbro soils. Gross morphological similarity to C. occidentalis suggests that these species may be sister taxa. While leaf morphology differs, habit and ecology are similar for the new taxon and C. stebbinsii. Possible evolutionary relationships to C. stebbinsii are also considered.
Calystegia collina occurs in the Coast Ranges of California from Lake County to Santa Barbara Cou... more Calystegia collina occurs in the Coast Ranges of California from Lake County to Santa Barbara County and is considered closely related to, but specifically separable from, C. malacophylla. The northernmost taxon in the C. collina complex, subsp. tridactylosa, differs from other taxa in significant morphological characters and is geographically disjunct. Further investigation may suggest that subspecies tridactylosa should be elevated to the rank of species. The contiguous distributions of subspecies collina and oxyphylla are detailed, and subspecific rank is justified based on morphological considerations despite range overlap and the existence of some intermediates. Subspecies apicum, formerly included in subspecies venusta based on sepal similarity, is segregated based on differences in leaf margin morphology, leaf size, and overall differences in pubescence. The revised concept of subspecies venusta only includes plants with strongly sinuate leaf margins.
Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangro... more Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangrove forests in South Florida after they were planted and nurtured in botanic gardens. Two Bruguiera gymnorrhiza trees that were planted in the intertidal zone in 1940 have given rise to a population of at least 86 trees growing interspersed with native mangrove species Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa along 100 m of shoreline; the population is expanding at a rate of 5.6% year -1 .
Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangro... more Two species of mangrove trees of Indo-Pacific origin have naturalized in tropical Atlantic mangrove forests in South Florida after they were planted and nurtured in botanic gardens. Two Bruguiera gymnorrhiza trees that were planted in the intertidal zone in 1940 have given rise to a population of at least 86 trees growing interspersed with native mangrove species Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa along 100 m of shoreline; the population is expanding at a rate of 5.6% year−1. Molecular genetic analyses confirm very low genetic diversity, as expected from a population founded by two individuals. The maximum number of alleles at any locus was three, and we measured reduced heterozygosity compared to native-range populations. Lumnitzera racemosa was introduced multiple times during the 1960s and 1970s, it has spread rapidly into a forest composed of native R. mangle, A. germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus and now occupies 60,500 m2 of mangrove forest with stem densities of 24,735 ha−1. We estimate the population growth rate of Lumnitzera racemosa to be between 17 and 23% year−1. Populations of both species of naturalized mangroves are dominated by young individuals. Given the long life and water-dispersed nature of propagules of the two exotic species, it is likely that they have spread beyond our survey area. We argue that the species-depauperate nature of tropical Atlantic mangrove forests and close taxonomic relatives in the more species-rich Indo-Pacific region result in the susceptibility of tropical Atlantic mangrove forests to invasion by Indo-Pacific mangrove species.
Pseudophoenix sargentii is critically endangered in the USA. We have developed ten polymorphic mi... more Pseudophoenix sargentii is critically endangered in the USA. We have developed ten polymorphic microsatellite loci for this palm. A study based on populations from the Bahamas and Florida identified 3–17 alleles per locus. Values for the fixation index were positive, and eight loci deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium. Two different PCR-based methods were utilized. The first method yielded specific primer-pairs for three of the loci, and it was based on amplification, cloning and sequencing of products obtained through 5′ anchored PCR. Specific primers for the remaining seven loci were obtained by refining microsatellite regions discovered by 5′ anchored PCR using a new protocol based on inverse PCR.
Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacers and 5.8 regions... more Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacers and 5.8 regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA and of the trnH-psbA spacer of the chloroplast genome confirm that the three taxa of the Jacquemontia ovalifolia (Choicy) Hallier f. complex (Convolvulaceae) form a monophyletic group. Levels of nucleotide divergence and morphological differentiation among these taxa support the view that each should be recognized as distinct species. These three species display unique intercontinental disjunction, with one species endemic to Hawaii (Jacquemontia sandwicensis A. Gray.), another restricted to eastern Mexico and the Antilles [Jacquemontia obcordata (Millspaugh) House], and the third confined to East and West Africa (J. ovalifolia). The Caribbean and Hawaiian species are sister taxa and are another example of a biogeographical link between the Caribbean Basin and Polynesia. We provide a brief conservation review of the three taxa based on our collective field work and investigations; it is apparent that J. obcordata is highly threatened and declining in the Caribbean.
... Sandra Namoff a , Chad E. Husby b , Javier Francisco-Ortega c , a , Larry R. Noblick b , Carl... more ... Sandra Namoff a , Chad E. Husby b , Javier Francisco-Ortega c , a , Larry R. Noblick b , Carl E. Lewis a and M. Patrick Griffith b ... as endangered by the State of Florida, USA, where it occurs in geographically limited populations on the lower Florida Keys (Coile and Garland, 2003 ...
Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally-listed endangered species endemic to... more Jacquemontia reclinata House (Convolvulaceae) is a federally-listed endangered species endemic to coastal strand habitat of southeastern Florida, from Palm Beach to Miami-Dade counties. Although J. reclinata is currently defined as a species, its taxonomic distinctness has never been analyzed using phylogenetic evidence. In order to assess the evolutionary distinctness of J. reclinata and identify its closest relatives, internal transcribed spacer
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