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Abstract Detail



Systematics Section/ASPT

Sokolik, John [1], Tippery, Nicholas [2].

A morphological and phylogenetic study of African Nymphoides (Menyanthaceae).

Plant species diversity contributes to overall organismal diversity worldwide, and by understanding the identities and interrelationships of plant species we are better able to understand the natural environment. The aquatic plant genus Nymphoides contains approximately 50 species, which are found worldwide in a variety of habitats. Although the taxonomy of Australian and North American species is fairly well understood, Nymphoides species in other parts of the world are still in need of study. One such location is Africa, where 12 species are native. Although it is not always feasible to study live species, preserved herbarium specimens can provide traits that are useful for study. In particular, seeds from herbarium specimens tend to preserve well and can be used for identification. In a previous study, seeds from African Nymphoides were analyzed, and it was determined that five out of the 12 species native to Africa can be identified by seed morphology alone. Although morphological studies can be useful for describing species, they are not definitive indicators of relatedness. In order to gain more evidence for inferring phylogenetic relationships, we used DNA sequence data to investigate the species identifications that were made using seed morphology. Specifically, we sequenced portions of the nuclear ITS gene region and conducted phylogenetic inference. The results of the phylogenetic inference revealed that differences in seed morphology do indeed correlate with phylogenetically discernable species.


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1 - University Of Wisconsin - Whitewater, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
2 - University Of Wisconsin - Whitewater, Department Of Biological Sciences, 800 W Main St, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA

Keywords:
Menyanthaceae
Nymphoides
morphology.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PSY038
Abstract ID:515
Candidate for Awards:Genetics Section Poster Award


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