Articles
DIVERSITY AND RELATIONSHIPS OF BHUTANESE RUBUS
Article number
777_5
Pages
63 – 70
Language
English
Abstract
The Kingdom of Bhutan, located in the eastern Himalayas, represents one of the worlds hotspots for biodiversity and a largely unexplored source of Rubus germplasm. Rubus (Rosaceae) in Bhutan comprises 34 species representing five subgenera: Chamaebatus (2 spp.), Dalibarda (2 spp.), Dalibardastrum (2 spp.), Idaeobatus (15 spp.), and Malachobatus (12 spp.). The unclassified Rubus sengorensis is a narrow endemic known only from the Sengor region of Bhutan.
Bhutanese Rubus are morphologically diverse varying from creeping herbs to large, upright shrubs with simple or compound leaves and zero to many prickles.
We collected 24 Rubus species in 2004 and included 15 in this study from each of the five subgenera.
DNA sequences of two non-coding chloroplast regions (rpl16, trnL-trnF) and the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS) were used to infer the phylogenetic positions of the Bhutanese Rubus. Parsimony analysis of the three regions combined shows the Bhutanese species to be closely related to other Asian/Pacific species although they are distributed among five lineages.
Subgenus Malachobatus species, except section Lineati, form a strongly supported clade that also includes two subg. Dalibardastrum species; this clade is a sister to R. calycinus + R. pectinellus of subg. Chamaebatus. Subgenus Idaeobatus species occur in six different lineages with Bhutanese Idaeobatus in four.
Another well-supported clade comprises representatives of five subgenera plus R. sengorensis and is very diverse morphologically.
Thus, Bhutanese Rubus are diverse phylogenetically, morphologically, and environmentally and may be useful as genetic resources in breeding efforts.
Bhutanese Rubus are morphologically diverse varying from creeping herbs to large, upright shrubs with simple or compound leaves and zero to many prickles.
We collected 24 Rubus species in 2004 and included 15 in this study from each of the five subgenera.
DNA sequences of two non-coding chloroplast regions (rpl16, trnL-trnF) and the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS) were used to infer the phylogenetic positions of the Bhutanese Rubus. Parsimony analysis of the three regions combined shows the Bhutanese species to be closely related to other Asian/Pacific species although they are distributed among five lineages.
Subgenus Malachobatus species, except section Lineati, form a strongly supported clade that also includes two subg. Dalibardastrum species; this clade is a sister to R. calycinus + R. pectinellus of subg. Chamaebatus. Subgenus Idaeobatus species occur in six different lineages with Bhutanese Idaeobatus in four.
Another well-supported clade comprises representatives of five subgenera plus R. sengorensis and is very diverse morphologically.
Thus, Bhutanese Rubus are diverse phylogenetically, morphologically, and environmentally and may be useful as genetic resources in breeding efforts.
Publication
Authors
L.A. Alice, T.M. Dodson, B.L. Sutherland
Keywords
Bhutan, DNA, Himalayas, phylogeny, raspberries, systematics
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