Dataset Information

New relevant chorological and conservation data on Carex (Cyperaceae) and Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from Ecuador.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Knowledge of Carex L. (true sedges) and Hypericum L. (St. John's wort) in the Neotropics is fragmentary.

New information

As a result of a fieldwork campaign in Ecuador and revision of herbarium collections (K, QCA and QCNE), we present here relevant records of twelve Carex (Cyperaceae) and four Hypericum (Hypericaceae) species. Regarding Carex, we present the novel report for South America of C.aztecica, as well as the first Ecuadorian records for C.brehmeri, C.collumanthus, C.fecunda, C.melanocystis and C.punicola. The three later records have additional biogeographical significance, as they represent the new northern limit of these species. We also include observations for another five species included in the Ecuadorian Red List of Endemic Plants. As a result, the list of native Carex reported for Ecuador would now include 52 taxa. With regard to Hypericum, we include the new report of H.sprucei for the province of Bolívar, and the confirmation of the presence of three rare species (H.acostanum, H.matangense, H.prietoi) in their type localities, although with extremely low population sizes. We discuss their conservation status and implications.

SUBMITTER: Jimenez-Mejias P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10848657 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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New relevant chorological and conservation data on <i>Carex</i> (Cyperaceae) and <i>Hypericum</i> (Hypericaceae) from Ecuador.

Jiménez-Mejías Pedro P Morales-Alonso Ana A Oleas Nora H NH Sánchez Enmily E Martín-Bravo Santiago S Masa-Iranzo Irene I S Meseguer Andrea A

Biodiversity data journal 20230308

<h4>Background</h4>Knowledge of <i>Carex</i> L. (true sedges) and <i>Hypericum</i> L. (St. John's wort) in the Neotropics is fragmentary.<h4>New information</h4>As a result of a fieldwork campaign in Ecuador and revision of herbarium collections (K, QCA and QCNE), we present here relevant records of twelve <i>Carex</i> (Cyperaceae) and four <i>Hypericum</i> (Hypericaceae) species. Regarding <i>Carex</i>, we present the novel report for South America of <i>C.aztecica</i>, as well as the first Ecu ...[more]

PMID: 38327360

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Project description:BackgroundCarex buxbaumii and C. hartmaniorum are sister species of the clade Papilliferae within the monophyletic section Racemosae. An unambiguous identification of these species is relatively difficult due to the interspecific continuum of some morphological characters as well as the intraspecific variability. The study was aimed at determining the range of variability, both morphological and genetic, within and between these two closely related and similar species.MethodsThe sedges were collected during botanical expeditions to Armenia, Estonia, the Netherlands, and Poland. The morphological separation of the two species and their populations was tested using the Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA). The genetic variability of the 19 Carex populations was assessed in the presence of eight Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) primers.ResultsResults of the study indicate a considerable genetic affinity between the two sedge species (mean Si = 0.619). However, the populations of C. hartmaniorum are, morphologically and genetically, more homogenous than the populations of C. buxbaumii. Compared to C. hartmaniorum, C. buxbaumii usually has wider leaf blades, a shorter inflorescence, a lower number of spikes which are shorter, but wider, and longer bracts and utricles. The AMOVA showed a larger variation between the populations of C. buxbaumii, representing 25.65% of the total variation in the taxon. Two populations of C. buxbaumii (from Poland and Estonia) are separated from the remaining populations, both genetically and morphologically; their individuals show shorter utricles and glumes, compared to the typical specimens of C. buxbaumii, and correspond with the morphology of putative infraspecific taxa described by Cajander (var. brevisquamosa and var. confusa).ConclusionsThe taxonomic status of the putative infraspecific taxa within C. buxbaumii requires further studies throughout the distribution range of C. buxbaumii, addressing habitats, morphology and genetics (including a chromosome count or a combination of different genetic methods), particularly as the variability in C. buxbaumii may be associated with the species' polyploid origin.