| Abstract Detail
Population Genetics Wenzel, Aaron [1], Wolfe, Andrea [2]. Examination of the genetic structure of three subspecific varieties of Penstemon caespitosus (Plantaginaceae), a species native to Utah and Colorado. Penstemon caespitosus Nutt (Plantaginaceae) is a common herbaceous plant found in subalpine pinyon-juniper communities throughout Utah and in parts of Colorado. It is characterized by its mat-forming habit and stems that are prostrate-to-ascending. Three subspecific varieties are currently recognized (var. caespitosus, var. perbrevis, and var. desertipicti), and have traditionally been classified according to morphology and geographic location. This species, along with the section to which it belongs in Penstemon (section Ericopsis) has been a source of taxonomic confusion, as species have been divided and lumped different ways by several researchers. Therefore,a population genetic study using 8 microsatellite loci was carried out in order to examine the population genetic structure of Penstemon caespitosus in Utah and compare that structure with the 3 currently recognized varieties. Preliminary results indicate some differentiation between populations and varieties; however, lower-than-expected levels of divergence between subspecific varieties may be an artifact of the relatively recent evolutionary radiation of Penstemon. Broader Impacts:
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1 - The Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12 Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
2 - Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA
Keywords:
Plantaginaceae
Penstemon
genetic diversity
population genetics
microsatellites.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 28
Location: Delaware B/Hyatt
Date: Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
Time: 10:45 AM
Number: 28009
Abstract ID:550 |
