Polyploidy can Confer Superiority to West African Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. Trees.

ABSTRACT: Polyploidy is a common phenomenon in the evolution of angiosperms. It has been suggested that polyploids manage harsh environments better than their diploid relatives but empirical data supporting this hypothesis are scarce, especially for trees. Using microsatellite markers and flow cytometry, we examine the frequency of polyploids and diploids in a progeny trial testing four different populations of Acacia senegal, a species native to sub-Saharan regions of Africa. We compare growth between cytotypes and test whether polyploid seedlings grow better than diploids. Our results show that polyploids coexist with diploids in highly variable proportions among populations in Senegal. Acacia senegal genotypes were predominantly diploid and tetraploid, but triploid, pentaploid, hexaploid, and oct

SUBMITTER: Diallo AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4906048 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature