Worldwide relationships in the fern genus Pteridium (bracken) based on nuclear genome markers.

ABSTRACT:

Premise

Spore-bearing plants are capable of dispersing very long distances. However, it is not known if gene flow can prevent genetic divergence in widely distributed taxa. Here we address this issue, and examine systematic relationships at a global geographic scale for the fern genus Pteridium.

Methods

We sampled plants from 100 localities worldwide, and generated nucleotide data from four nuclear genes and two plastid regions. We also examined 2801 single nucleotide polymorphisms detected by a restriction site-associated DNA approach.

Results

We found evidence for two distinct diploid species and two allotetraploids between them. The "northern" species (Pteridium aquilinum) has distinct groups at the continental scale (Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America). The n

SUBMITTER: Wolf PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6856829 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature