A Tale of Two Species: Molecular Data Reveal the Chemotypes of Lepraria normandinoides (Stereocaulaceae) to be Two Sympatric Species
Lendemer JC. 2012. A Tale of Two Species: Molecular Data Reveal the Chemotypes of Lepraria normandinoides (Stereocaulaceae) to be Two Sympatric Species. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 139(2):118-130
Lepraria normandinoides is currently circumscribed to include three chemotypes that differ in the presence/absence of two structurally similar depsidones: fumarprotocetraric acid and protocetraric acid. Populations of these chemotypes are sympatric and morphologically identical. A molecular phylogeny was inferred from ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 sequence data generated from a geographically broad sampling of populations of L. normandinoides. Two strongly-supported clades were recovered that correlate to the depsidone producing chemotypes. Consequently L. normandinoides is restricted to the protocetraric acid producing chemotype and the fumarprotocetraric acid chemotype is formally described as L. oxybapha. Acid deficient populations are tentatively retained in L. normandinoides.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Lendemer, James
- Units
- BISO , BLRI , GRSM , VOYA
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, BLRI, Blue Ridge Parkway, Caldwell Fork, Cataloochee, chemotaxonomy, Chimney Tops Trail, cryptic species, Gabes Mountain Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-00825, Lichen, Rich Mountain Gap, Rock Castle Gorge Loop Trail, semi-cryptic species, SER, Southeast Region, species concepts, Straight Fork Road, Taxonomy