Botany 2018 Abstract Book

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Abstracts

July 21 - 25, 2018


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TABLE OF CONTENTS • PLENARY ADDRESS........................... 3 • REGIONAL BOTANY SPECIAL LECTURE........................................... 3 • PELTON AWARD LECTURE............. 4 • DIVERSITY LUNCHEON.................. 4 • KAPLAN MEMORIAL LECTURE.... 5 • ANNALS OF BOTANY LECTURE... 5 • EMERGING LEADER LECTURE..... 6 • ADDRESS OF THE BSA PRESIDENT-ELECT........................ 6 • ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGY ORAL PAPERS................................ 89 POSTERS.......................................... 97 • BIODIVERSITY INFORMATICS & HERBARIUM DIGITIZATION • ORAL PAPERS.................................. 105 POSTERS........................................ 109 • BIOGEOGRAPHY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 115 POSTERS........................................ 121 • BOTANICAL HISTORY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 125 • BRYOLOGY AND LICHENOLOGY POSTER.......................................... 127 • COMPARATIVE GENOMICS TRANSCRIPTOMICS ORAL PAPERS.............................. 129 POSTERS........................................ 141 • CONSERVATION BIOLOGY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 147 POSTERS........................................ 153 • CROPS AND WILD RELATIVES ORAL PAPERS.............................. 159 POSTERS........................................ 163 • ECOLOGY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 167 POSTERS........................................ 189 • ETHNOBOTANY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 213 POSTERS........................................ 217 • EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY (EVO-DEVO) ORAL PAPERS.............................. 219 POSTERS........................................ 225 • FLORISTICS AND TAXONOMY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 229 POSTERS........................................ 236 • FUNCTIONAL GENETICS/GENOMICS ORAL PAPERS.............................. 239 POSTERS........................................ 245

• HYBRIDS AND HYBRIDIZATION ORAL PAPERS.............................. 249 POSTERS........................................ 254 • MACROEVOLUTION..................... 257 ORAL PAPERS.............................. 257 • MACROEVOLUTION..................... 263 ORAL PAPERS.............................. 263 POSTERS........................................ 264 • MOLECULAR ECOLOGY ORAL PAPERS ............................. 267 POSTERS........................................ 273 • MYCOLOGY POSTERS........................................ 277 • PALEOBOTANY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 279 POSTERS........................................ 288 • PHYLOGENOMICS ORAL PAPERS.............................. 293 POSTERS........................................ 306 • PHYSIOLOGY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 311 POSTERS........................................ 315 • PHYSIOLOGY & ECOPHYSIOLOGY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 317 POSTERS........................................ 323 • POPULATION GENETICS/GENOMICS ORAL PAPERS.............................. 329 POSTERS........................................ 339 • PTERIDOLOGY ORAL PAPERS.............................. 345 POSTERS........................................ 356 • REPRODUCTIVE PROCESSES ORAL PAPERS.............................. 359 POSTERS........................................ 366 • SYMBIOSES: PLANT, ANIMAL, & MICROBE INTERACTIONS ORAL PAPERS.............................. 373 POSTERS........................................ 377 • SYSTEMATICS.................................. 379 ORAL PAPERS.............................. 379 POSTERS........................................ 403 • TAXONOMY..................................... 417 POSTERS........................................ 417 • TROPICAL BIOLOGY..................... 419 POSTERS........................................ 419 • DISCUSSION SESSIONS................. 421 • WORKSHOPS .................................. 423

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Botany 2018 Conference Organizers American Fern Society

President - Eric Schuettpeltz Program Director - George Yatskievych Local Representative - Amanda Grusz

American Society of Plant Taxonomists President – Chelsea Specht Program Director – Harvey Ballard Local Rep - George Weiblen

International Association for Plant Taxonomy President – Patrick Herendeen Secretary – Karol Marhold

Society for Hebarium Curators President - Austin Mast Program Director - Andrea Weeks

Canadian Botanical Association/l’Association Botanique du Canada President – Art Davis Program Director – John Markham

Field Trip Coordinator Ya Yang

Botanical Society of America

President – Loren Reiseberg Program Director – Amy Litt Executive Director – Heather Cacanindin Director of Conferences - Johanne Stogran

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SPECIAL ADDRESSES

Plenary Address

Regional Botany Special Lecture 2

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JUDD, WALTER* 1 and JUDD, GRAHAM 2

WEIBLEN, GEORGE

Minnesota natural history: Pretty good, not bad, or just different?

Flora of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth

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orth America's three largest biomes meet in Minnesota. The north woods of the boreal zone, the prairies of the west, and the eastern deciduous forests intersect here. Our mid-continental location has a climate of extremes- hot summers bringing humidity from the gulf and legendary winters of arctic temperatures. The southern, eastern and western boundaries of Minnesota biomes reflect these extremes and are already responding to the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate. Change is perhaps more evident here than in many places. But drama isn't new to Minnesota. Glacial cycles, ancient seas, a mid-continental rift with massive lava flows, a fossil record of how early photosynthesis changed Earth's atmosphere, and the oldest rock exposures in North America. It's all right here in fly-over country. How plants responded to these events offer deep lessons from the past and hope for the future.

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any readers of The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings believe that the events of these books occur in an imaginary world and thus have no connection with the world around us. However, J. R. R. Tolkien sought to correct this misconception, stating that Middle-earth "is just the use of Middle English middle-erde (or erthe)...the name for the inhabited lands of Men 'between the seas.'" His writings should not be considered escapist, but instead are meant to reconnect us to the world in which we live - including the landscapes of our natural environment - and especially plants! In Tolkien's legendarium, plants are the primary concern of Yavanna Kement

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University Of Florida, Department Of Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2Augsburg College, 100 Richmond St. E, South St. Paul, MN, 55075

Plant & Microbial Biology, 140 Gortner Laboratory , 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States

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Pelton Award Lecture

Diversity Luncheon

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SINGHA, NEELIMA

DEWSBURY, BRYAN

Interactions between the parasitic plant Cuscuta and its tomato host

Pedagogy for a life of meaning and purpose

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N

arratives concerning the need for inclusive practices typically center on righting statistical wrongs. Inequitable academic outcomes between dominant culture students and the historically minoritized have somewhat rightly fueled transformation efforts in higher education. I argue here that truly inclusive pedagogy transcends deficit alleviation, and re-engages the Freirean concept of teaching for purposeful living. We will discuss why this revisit is necessary in our current sociopolitcal contexts, and address specific strategies for self-transformation, and the transformation of our praxis.

arasitic angiosperms directly attach to host plants using specialized organs known as haustoria, which function as physiological bridges to extract nutrients and water from their hosts. Cuscuta species (dodders) are common and agriculturally destructive flowering stem parasitic plants. Many Cuscuta species are listed in the Federal or State Noxious Weed lists, including Cuscuta pentagona (C. pentagona). Reports have shown a 50-72% reduction in tomato yield due to Cuscuta. Because of the intimate physiological connection between host plants and parasites, most traditional herbicides and control methods have not been effective or are too costly. We used transcriptomics to identify genes upregulated in Cuscuta upon attachment to host. Expression of key upregulated genes was reduced using hostinduced-gene-silencing and haustorium formation monitored. Reduction in expression of some of the identified genes attenuated parasitism. While most tomato cultivars can be parasitized by C. pentagona, we obtained some Heinz hybrid cultivars, which exhibited resistance to dodders. Local lignification in the stem cortex upon dodder attachment led to resistance to haustorium penetration in the resistant

University of Rhode Island, Biological Sciences, 120 Flagg Rd, CBLS 483, South Kingston, RHODE ISLAND, 02881, USA

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SPECIAL ADDRESSES Kaplan Memorial Lecture

Annals of Botany Lecture

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KELLOGG, ELIZABETH

KARRON, JEFFREY

A tale of two meristems, Or, Dissecting a synapomorphy

Linking plant-pollinator interactions to pollen dispersal and siring success.

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ore than 85% of flowering plants depend on foraging animals to transport pollen to compatible mates. Pollinators often move short distances between plants, potentially limiting pollen-mediated gene dispersal and influencing the genetic structure of populations. However, patterns of pollen dispersal may also be influenced by the dynamics of the pollen transport process. My talk explores how patterns of pollen placement on pollinator bodies and the extent of pollen burial or removal from sites likely to contact recipient stigmas influence patterns of paternity. I also explore how changes in pollinator composition or in the abundance and diversity of co-flowering species influence patterns of gene dispersal. I conclude by highlighting exciting opportunities for future research, and how an understanding of pollen transport dynamics can be used in the conservation and management of flowering plant populations.

n the early days of phylogenetic analysis (cladistics), the search for morphological synapomorphies was central to reconstructing phylogenies. Fast forward to the early 2000s, and we now can use the phylogeny to understand morphology by identifying structures, gene networks, or processes that are unique to particular clades. The study of morphology thus becomes many-layered and defies assignment to a particular scientific subdiscipline. In this talk I present a case study from the grass tribe Andropogoneae, the most economically and ecologically important of the grasses, including maize, sorghum, and most of the dominant species of the world's C4 grasslands. Identification keys use the presence of paired spikelets as a diagnostic character for Andropogoneae. Phylogenies show that paired spikelets are shared among members of the clade but they appear in parallel elsewhere in the family. Developmentally, the paired spikelets originate from an enlarged branch meristem that converts rapidly to spikelet meristems, one sessile and one pedicellate. In Andropogoneae this branch structure is controlled by a uniquely derived genetic network. Thus the shared derived character for the tribe is not just the morphological structure but also the network that controls it. The pair is also subtended by an abscission zone, the position of which is synapomorphic for Andropogoneae s.s. In other panicoid grasses, the abscission zone forms below the spikelet and the change in position occurred before diversification of the tribe. The entire pair is thus functions as the dispersal unit. Spikelets in other panicoid grasses are generally identical in structure and function, but in the Andropogoneae spikelets of the pair partitioned the ancestral functions, with one being dedicated to seed bearing and largely encased in a hard covering (glume) and the other staminate, sterile or missing entirely. When present, the pedicellate spikelet serves as a nurse tissue providing photosynthate to the developing seed in the sessile spikelet. Because of this function, the pedicellate spikelet can be is agronomically important in cultivated species. The diagnostic - and uniquely derived - character for Andropogoneae is thus not just the pair of spikelets, but also the position of the abscission zone, the underlying genetic network, and the functions in dispersal and photosynthesis. The morphology of a simple pair of spikelets thus offers additional layers of insight into evolutionary mechanisms and potential selective forces.

University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department Of Biological Sciences, Po Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, United States

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States

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Emerging Leader Lecture

Address of the BSA President-Elect

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BLACKMAN, BENJAMIN

Evolution, Development, and the Predictable Environment

WOLFE, ANDI

Science - It Really Does Matter

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here are many ways that information can be twisted into propaganda for pushing a particular viewpoint - just watch any social media platform to see this in action, or compare current events coverage from left- vs right-leaning news channels. One would think that this would not be done with scientific research, but history has shown us that science can be a beneficial tool to improve the human condition, or it can be a weapon for misinformation campaigns. We are in the middle of a culture war, where intellectualism is denigrated while ignorance is celebrated. When science is ignored, and policy decisions are made from a position of ignorance, the consequences are dire, with impacts to the environment, human health, and future generations. Academic scientists, in general, are busy people and have concerns about research funding, project progress, teaching, graduate students, postdocs, and their faculty duties. Given that busy schedule, there is often little time available to be active in scientific outreach, consulting, or politics. We need to make time, and we need to make our research relevant to non-scientists. Science lays the foundation for nearly every aspect of modern civilization, so we need to make sure that science is accessible

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lants live in dynamic yet often predictable environments. Many resources and challenges—including light, temperature, moisture, pollinators, and herbivores—reliably cycle in availability or intensity on a daily and/or seasonal basis. Plant species have adapted to cope with these cycles by evolving developmental mechanisms that sense and respond to these oscillating cues such that growth and reproduction occur at the most favorable times of day or year. However, because the daily or seasonal timing of these environmental cycles changes across the landscape, natural variation in these mechanisms for developmental plasticity is maintained within species as populations adapt to their local habitats. My group investigates how and why how and why these responses vary genetically across landscapes and over time in crops and wild populations. In my talk, I will first discuss how our recent studies of solar tracking by sunflowers implicate key roles for the circadian clock, light, and hormonal signaling in the regulation and evolution of this fascinating and complex plant growth behavior. Our work has also revealed the importance of these mechanisms for determining the eastward orientation and fitness of mature sunflower heads for reproductive fitness. Second, I will describe our studies exploring how photoperiodic regulation of flowering evolves along elevation gradients in the common monkeyflower such that populations across the broad geographic range of this species are best able to keep time with their local growing seasons. Our work reveals that, in contrast to many recent demonstrations of convergence at the genetic level, the genomic changes that adapt populations to cope with predictable environments are not themselves highly predictable.

Ohio State University, Department Of Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States

University Of California, Berkeley, Plant And Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall #3102, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA BSA sections, and should interest those working on phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology, physiology, development, genomics, or conservation. With the publication of a new, multi-authored volume on the world's carnivorous plants expected in 2018, the time is right for a BSA symposium to raise and discuss recent findings and need for further research.

Evolution, ecology, development, and conservation of carnivorous plants Sponsored by American Society of Plant Taxonomists, Botanical Society of America’s Developmental and Structural, Ecology, Systematics, Genetics and Tropical Biology Sections

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The Pennsylvania State University, Entomology, 514 Agricultural Sciences & Industries, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA2The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA3University of Wisconsin-Madison, 315 Birge Hall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

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RENNER, TANYA* 1, NACZI, ROBERT and GIVNISH, THOMAS J 3

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RENNER, TANYA* 1, NACZI, ROBERT and GIVNISH, THOMAS J 3 2

Evolution, ecology, development, and conservation of carnivorous plants

Evolution, ecology, development, and conservation of carnivorous plants

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ver since Darwin, carnivorous plants have attracted extraordinary interest from both scientists and broad swaths of the general public. Most plant species are consumed, in whole or part, by animals acting as herbivores, pollinators, or seed dispersers, but carnivorous plants have turned the ecological tables and consume animals as prey. They have evolved remarkable traps to attract, capture, and/or digest prey, gaining the ability to survive and compete successfully in nutrient-poor habitats, but apparently at the expense of reduced competitive ability elsewhere. Carnivorous plants thus raise many fundamental questions: How frequently have they evolved independently, when, and under what circumstances? What are the physiological and ecological tradeoffs that restrict such plants to some nutrient-poor environments but not others, like epiphytic perches, and how do the advantages of carnivory differ from those of other unusual mechanisms of capturing nutrients? What fraction of the nutrient budget do carnivorous plants obtain from prey, and how does that affect their ability to photosynthesize? How do traps develop, what shifts in trap structure have evolved within lineages, and how are they related to species ecology? What kinds of genomic changes are associated with the evolution of botanical carnivory? Speakers in this two-session symposium will provide expert reports on our current state of knowledge, recent insights, ongoing research, and gaps in knowledge about carnivorous plants, and cover a wide range of topics in phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology, physiology, development, genomics, and conservation. All speakers have contributed to the just published Carnivorous Plants: Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution (Oxford University Press, 2018), which provides the first global review of the biology of carnivorous plants in nearly thirty years. Relevance: Carnivorous plants fascinate scientists and the general public, but no symposia or colloquia have focused on them at BSA meetings in recent years. The topics cut across most

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ver since Darwin, carnivorous plants have attracted extraordinary interest from both scientists and broad swaths of the general public. Most plant species are consumed, in whole or part, by animals acting as herbivores, pollinators, or seed dispersers, but carnivorous plants have turned the ecological tables and consume animals as prey. They have evolved remarkable traps to attract, capture, and/or digest prey, gaining the ability to survive and compete successfully in nutrient-poor habitats, but apparently at the expense of reduced competitive ability elsewhere. Carnivorous plants thus raise many fundamental questions: How frequently have they evolved independently, when, and under what circumstances? What are the physiological and ecological tradeoffs that restrict such plants to some nutrient-poor environments but not others, like epiphytic perches, and how do the advantages of carnivory differ from those of other unusual mechanisms of capturing nutrients? What fraction of the nutrient budget do carnivorous plants obtain from prey, and how does that affect their ability to photosynthesize? How do traps develop, what shifts in trap structure have evolved within lineages, and how are they related to species ecology? What kinds of genomic changes are associated with the evolution of botanical carnivory? Speakers in this two-session symposium will provide expert reports on our current state of knowledge, recent insights, ongoing research, and gaps in knowledge about carnivorous plants, and cover a wide range of topics in phylogenetics, biogeography, ecology, physiology, development, genomics, and conservation. All speakers have contributed to the just published Carnivorous Plants: Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution (Oxford University Press, 2018), which provides the first global review of the biology of carnivorous plants in nearly thirty years.

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The Pennsylvania State University, Entomology, 514 Agricultural

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Sciences & Industries, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA2The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA3University of Wisconsin-Madison, 315 Birge Hall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

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BAUER, DR ULRIKE

Functional surfaces for insect trapping in Asian Nepenthes pitcher plants

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arnivorous pitcher plants use passive pitfall traps to capture their prey. To this end, they have evolved a staggering diversity of surface adaptations. All have in common that they render the trap surfaces extremely slippery for visiting insects; however, the antiadhesive properties of different surfaces are based on radically different structures and principles. Micro-rough wax crystal surfaces drastically reduce the available contact area for insects' adhesive pads. The strength of the effect depends on the geometry of the crystals which is determined by their chemical composition. This allows some species to fine-tune the slipperiness of individual trap surfaces. Maybe the most extraordinary trapping surface is found on the collar-shaped pitcher rim (peristome). A hierarchical ridge pattern combined with a smooth, moderately hydrophilic epicuticular wax layer renders this surface unusually wettable, causing water to spread and form a continuous thin film. Insects slip on this water layer, similar to a car tyre on a wet road. Overlapping epidermal cells create a series of microscopic steps leading into the pitcher. This directionality (anisotropy) not only aids the spreading of water against gravity, but also prevents insects from using their claws to climb out of the trap. Wetness-dependent slipperiness enables pitcher plants to temporally separate prey attraction and trapping, thereby promoting recruitment of ant workers to the trap and increasing their overall capture rate.

University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK

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NACZI, ROBERT

Systematics and Biogeography of the Western Hemisphere Pitcher Plants (Sarraceniaceae)

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he Sarraceniaceae include 35 species of pitcher plants native to portions of North America and northeastern South America. Three genera comprise the family: Darlingtonia (1 sp.) of southwestern Oregon and northern California, Heliamphora (23 spp.) of the Guayana Highlands of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil, and Sarracenia (11 spp.) of eastern U.S.A. and Canada. Mirroring these geographic disjunctions, the genera are sharply divergent morphologically, chromosomally, and molecularly. In contrast, species within Heliamphora and Sarracenia are incompletely resolved and their relationships are poorly understood, despite several molecular phylogenetic analyses. Divergence time estimates indicate speciation in these genera has been relatively recent. Formidable obstacles stymie efforts to resolve phy-

logenetic relationships of the species and to reconstruct the biogeographic history of the genera and species. Fossils are lacking, many of the morphologic characters (especially of pitchers) are unique to the family, few morphologic characters separate the species, interspecific hybridization is frequent, and little interspecific DNA sequence divergence exists. Ongoing exploration for new morphologic characters has yielded important discoveries for phylogenetic analysis. Though useful characters are few, these characters diagnose relationships among species in both Heliamphora and Sarracenia. For example, in Heliamphora, morphology supports a clade comprised of H. collina, H. elongata, H. folliculata, H. heterodoxa, H. nutans, and H. purpurascens. In Sarracenia, morphologic characters support S. purpurea and S. rosea as sister to the rest of Sarracenia. In addition, morphologic characters place S. flava in a clade with S. minor. Molecular phylogenies are contradictory for some of these relationships. For biogeography, important evidence comes from pitcher-dwelling symbiotic mites of the genus Sarraceniopus (Histiostomatidae). Relevant properties of the symbiosis include restriction of Sarraceniopus to Sarraceniaceae, presence of mites in all species of Darlingtonia and Sarracenia as well as all sampled species of Heliamphora, and relatively high host-specificity. Because these mites have thin exoskeletons and desiccate relatively rapidly when they are outside of pitchers, they indicate vicariance is much more likely than long-distance dispersal in accounting for disjunctions among genera of Sarraceniaceae. The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA

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FUKUSHIMA, KENJI

The limited evolutionary routes to carnivorous plants

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lthough evolutionary processes are largely stochastic, natural selection can drive recurrent adaptations leading to convergence, the repeated emergence of similar features in distantly related organisms. Prevalence of phenotypic convergence is underpinned by various examples throughout the entire tree of life, such as camera eyes of vertebrates and cephalopods, wings of birds and bats, and trap leaves of distantly related carnivorous plants. Because the multiple emergence of such complex traits by neutral evolution alone is extremely unlikely, convergence has been considered strong evidence for natural selection. Carnivorous plants are a prominent example of convergence in 200 million years of flowering plant evolution. They exploit animals as a nutritional source and have inspired long-standing


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA questions about the origin and evolution of carnivory-related traits since Charles Darwin's pioneering work. Although there are distinct types of trapping strategies, their trap leaves look critically similar in both form and function among distantly related lineages with more than 100 million years of divergence time. During the evolution to become carnivorous, each lineage has acquired a common set of novel traits such as nectar and scent for prey attraction, specialized leaf morphology for prey trapping, digestive enzymes for prey degradation, and transporters for nutrient absorption. In this talk, I will present the evidence of adaptive convergence in carnivorous plants at the molecular level, especially focusing on digestive enzymes. Analysis of digestive fluid proteins from four carnivorous plants covering three independent lineages revealed repeated co-options of stress-responsive proteins coupled with convergent amino acid substitutions to acquire digestive physiology. This result implies strong constraints on the available routes to evolve plant carnivory.

structure across the carnivorous lineages, and 2) investigate molecular evolution of plastid genes in carnivorous lineages in comparison to non-carnivorous sister lineages. Our preliminary assemblies showed that species from Nepenthaceae (Caryophyllales: e.g. Nepenthes ventricosa) and Cephalotaceae (Oxalidales; Cephalotus follicularis) had the "normal" angiosperm plastid genome synteny and no gene loss. Species from (Ericales: e.g. Sarracenia purpurea), Lentibulariaceae (Lamiales: 14 spp.) and Droseraceae (Caryophyllales: 5 spp.) had some ndh pseudogenes or have lost some ndh genes. Moreover, the plastid genome of Droseraceae is difficult to circularize because of multiple short inverted repeats. Ongoing research includes sequencing of additional carnivorous and non-carnivorous sister lineages, with the objective of molecular evolutionary comparison (substitution rate, relaxed selective constraints, etc.). 1

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China2Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China3West Virginia University, Department of Biology, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA4Department Of Biology, 101 Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA, 16802, United States

RIKEN, E618 East Research Building, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumiku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan

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YU, WEN-BIN* 1, MA, PENG-FEI 2, YANG, JUN-BO 2, JIN, JIAN-JUN 2, HONG, WANG 2, BARRETT, CRAIG 3, DEPAMPHILIS, CLAUDE 4 and LI, DE-ZHU 2

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FLEISCHMANN, ANDREAS

Evolution of carnivory in angiosperms and diversification of trap types

Comparative analyses of the plastid genome in carnivorous plants

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arnivory has evolved at least ten times in flowering plants, resulting in 19 carnivorous plant genera containing at least 800 species. Five basic trap types are found among carnivorous plants (pitfall traps, adhesive flypaper ["sticky"] traps, snap traps, eel traps, and suction traps), several of which have evolved in parallel in only distantly related groups (convergent evolution). On the other hand, some trap types - especially fast motile traps such as suction traps or snap traps - resulted from modification of passive flypaper-type traps within the same evolutionary lineage (homology). The botanical orders Lamiales (mint allies) and Nepenthales (often also referred to as 'non-core Caryophyllales') are of special interest regarding mechanisms of trap evolution, as within these two groups, different trap types have evolved from a common carnivorous ancestor. In Lamiales, eel-traps (in Genlisea) and active suction traps (in Utricularia) have evolved from sticky traps, like found in the common sister of both genera, Pinguicula. In Nepenthales, we observe a huge diversity of traps: pitcher traps in Nepenthes, snap-traps in Dionaea and Aldrovanda, passive flypaper traps in Drosophyllum and Triphyophyllum and motile flypaper traps in the majority of Drosera species - all of these can be dated back to a single common ancestor with passive, sticky traps. Within Nepenthales, we even observe loss of carnivory (in the two sisters

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arnivorous plants have remarkably similar trap morphologies and attractive features, which have evolved independently across five or six (if including Stylidiaceae of Asterales) orders in angiosperms. These plants can digest and absorb nutrients (especially nitrogen) from their prey, and retain photosynthetic function in general. Analogously, heterotrophic parasitic plants (including root parasites and mycoheterotrophs) steal nutrients from their host plants or fungi; some retain the photosynthetic ability, as in hemiparasites and partial mycoheterotrophs, while some have completely lost photosynthesis, as in holoparasites and holomycotrophs. Investigations of the whole plastid genome have documented pseudogenization or loss of NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (ndh) genes in hemiparasitic plants, as well as genome structural rearrangements, and expansion, contraction, or complete loss of the inverted repeat (IR). A similar scenario is observed in carnivorous plants, but this is based on only a single lineage that has been studied thus far (Lentibulariaceae). In this study, we sequenced 120 species of carnivorous plants, representing six families and five orders of eudicots, using a genome skimming approach. The main goals of this study were to: 1) examine variation in gene content and genome

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of Triphyophyllum in Dioncophyllaceae, and in the entire family of Ancistrocladaceae; but also partial loss of carnivory in some species of Drosera). One would expect the evolution of carnivory to thrive diversification rates, however this is not the case. Most early-branching carnivorous lineages are speciespoor (often monotypic), and those genera which are species-rich today (> 100 species: Drosera, Utricularia, Pinguicula, Nepenthes) already had their carnivorous nature long before they diversified - here it was rather modification of a given trap type in adaptation to different habitat niches (or prey spectra), but also geographic radiation, which led to the present species diversity. Botanische Staatssammlung München and GeoBio Centre-LMU, Menzinger Strasse 67, Munich, D-80638, Germany

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GIVNISH, THOMAS J* 1, SPARKS, KENNETH W 2, HUNTER, STEVE 3 and PAVLOVIČ , ANDREJ 4

Why are plants carnivorous? Cost/ benefit analysis, whole-plant growth, and the context-specific advantages of botanical carnivory

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he cost/benefit model for the rise of carnivorous plants addressed their potential energetic and ecological advantages in detail for the first time in 1984. Over the ensuing years, it has provided a conceptual framework for research on carnivore distribution, allocation to traps, variation in trap mechanism, association with growth form, low rates of photosynthesis and whole-plant growth, and ecology relative to plants with other mechanisms of nutrient capture (e.g., myrmecotrophy, N fixation). Here we re-assess this model, discuss how it can be extended, and demonstrate the degree to which its assumptions and predictions have proven correct. We review what is known about photosynthesis, respiration, relative growth rates, and resource allocation in carnivores vs. non-carnivores, and the extent to which various resources limit their growth and stoichiometry, adaptation to different kinds of prey, and optimal patterns of allocation to carnivory. We provide potential explanations for paradoxes in (i) the increased allocation to traps in aquatic carnivores growing in harder, more “fertile” waters; (ii) the increased allocation to root nutrient uptake in some carnivores after prey capture; (iii) the low absolute rates of photosyn-thesis and whole-plant growth in carnivores; (iv) the distribution of several carnivores on cation-rich substrates; (v) increased allocation to carnivory instead of roots; and (vi) general restriction of carnivory to short-statured herbaceous plants. 1

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, United States3University Of Wisconsin - Madison, Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States4PalackyÌ University, Department of Biophysics, Olomouc, Czech Republic

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SKATES, LAURA* 1, CROSS, ADAM 2, STEVENS, JASON 3, GEBAUER, GERHARD 4 and DIXON, KINGSLEY 2

How carnivorous are carnivorous plants? Applying stable isotope methodology to quantify reliance on prey

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he way in which carnivorous plants invert classical trophic ecology has long been a source of scientific curiosity. Whilst plants are typically defined by their ability to synthesise their own food (autotrophy) and are usually positioned at the base of trophic webs, many plants have developed alternative nutrient acquisition strategies in which they are fully or partially reliant upon other organisms for obtaining or supplementing their nutrition (heterotrophy). Carnivorous plants are unique amongst the heterotrophic plants in that they employ specially modified leaves, rather than roots, to obtain nutrients from other organisms. A carnivorous plant's position in a trophic web can be elucidated using natural abundance stable isotope techniques, whereby organisms are naturally enriched in heavier stable isotopes when compared to their diet. This technique was first applied to the study of carnivorous plants by Schulze et al (1991) with a variety of Drosera spp in southwest Australia. The scientific literature in this area of study has since been focused particularly on Drosera spp from the northern hemisphere, Roridula spp from the Cape of South Africa, and a variety of pitcher plants. These studies have helped to shape our current understanding of carnivorous plant ecology and evolution, however there are clearly a number of carnivorous plant species and habitats which have been largely overlooked and which could provide novel insights. My PhD research has focused particularly on the nutrition of carnivorous plants native to the Mediterranean southwest and tropical Kimberley regions of Western Australia, which together form a global centre of carnivorous plant diversity, hosting Drosera spp, Utricularia spp, Byblis spp, Cephalotus follicularis, and Aldrovanda vesiculosa. No other place on earth provides such a unique research opportunity to undertake comparative stud-


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA D. capensis, monocentric and holocentric species, respectively. Syntenic analyses revealed no postgamma polyploidies prior to their species split, after which an independent genome triplication occurred in D. regia, followed by a D. capensis-specific genome duplication. Among the tandemly duplicated Drosera genes, significantly enriched GO categories include defense response and secondary metabolism, a finding congruent with the hypothesis that defenserelated genes have been co-opted for plant carnivory (4). To make a direct connection between genomic and regulatory evidence for carnivory, we present the results of an experimental transcriptomic study used assess the molecular diversity of genes with trap-specific expression, indicative of functions in prey digestion. We are evaluating possible genomic convergences with other carnivore species (1,2) and using the chromosomal assemblies to address the evolution of holocentricity. (1) Fukushima K, et al. "Genome of the pitcher plant Cephalotus reveals genetic changes associated with carnivory. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2017. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0059. (2) Lan T, et al. "Long-read sequencing uncovers the adaptive topography of a carnivorous plant genome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017. DOI: 10.1073/ pnas.1702072114. (3) Ibarra-Laclette, et al. "Architecture and evolution of a minute plant genome. Nature, 2013. DOI: 10.1038/nature12132. (4) Renner T, Specht CD. Molecular evolution and functional evolution of class I chitinases for plant carnivory in the Caryophyllales. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2012. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1093/molbev/mss106.

ies of carnivorous plant nutrition in an evolutionary and ecological context. Utilising natural abundance stable isotope techniques, we quantify prey-derived nutrition for a variety of co-occurring carnivorous plant species, across a broad range of habitats, in two contrasting climate types. By relating in situ preyderived nutritional budgets to habitat, morphology, and evolutionary history, we explore the various factors which may have driven the evolution of the carnivorous syndrome, and examine implications for the conservation and management of wild carnivorous plant populations. Reference: Schulze, ED., Gebauer, G., Schulze, W. & Pate, JS. (1991): The utilisation of nitrogen from insect capture by different growth forms of Drosera from southwest Australia. Oecologia 87: 240-246 1

University of Western Australia, School of Biological Sciences, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia2Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia3Kings Park Science, Kattidj Close, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia4University of Bayreuth, BayCEER Laboratory, Universitätsstraße 30, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany

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RENNER, TANYA* 1, LAN, TIANYING 6, RAJARAMAN, SITARAM 3, HERRERA-ESTRELLA, LUIS 4, IBARRALACLETTE, ENRIQUE 4, ZHENG, CHUNFANG 5, SANKOFF, DAVID 5, SCHUSTER, STEPHAN 6, JARKKO, SALOJARVI 6 and ALBERT, VICTOR 6

Plant carnivory and the evolution of genomic architecture in the Caryophyllales

1

The Pennsylvania State University2Nanyang Technological University, Singapore3University of Helsinki4INECOL, Mexico5University of Ottawa, Canada6Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

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ecent studies of carnivorous plant genomes (1,2) have focused on genome-scale issues in the evolution of carnivory. The sequencing, assembly, annotation, and primary analysis of a high-quality, updated Utricularia gibba (humped bladderwort, Lamiales) nuclear genome based on PacBio SMRT third-generation sequencing technology permitted the assembly of several complete chromosomes and considerable repetitive DNA (~18 Mb) that had escaped the initial 82 Mb short-read assembly (3). Genome size in U. gibba is considerably reduced compared to its ancestors, but this shrinkage was not accompanied by an appreciable reduction in overall gene number. The principal cause of U. gibba's genome shrinkage was contraction of expendable non-coding DNA. This suggests that little non-coding DNAs and few mobile elements are sufficient to regulate and integrate all the processes required for the development and reproduction of a complex organism. More recently, we have expanded genome sequencing for an independent lineage of carnivorous plants, Drosera (sundews, Caryophyllales). Drosera are unusual in normally bearing holocentric chromosomes, where kinetochores attach throughout chromosome arms. We used Chicago and Dovetail Hi-C data to scaffold PacBio-Illumina draft assemblies for D. regia and

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GILBERT, KADEEM

Evolution and ecological consequences of diverse traits in tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes)

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he tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) contains over 140 described species spanning throughout much of tropical Asia and a few outlying regions including Madagascar and New Caledonia. This genus contains a high level of interspecific diversity, especially in the morphology of their pitcher organs, which vary widely in size and coloration. Additionally, intraspecific morphological diversity is common, with most species possesing dimorphic pitchers and color polymorphism. While the functional roles of a few morphological traits have been demonstrated in a few select species, there remains much to learn about trait evolution in the genus as a whole. Nepenthes may represent a strong example of how diverse biotic and abiotic drivers can shape trait evolution. In addition to the typical physiological challenges all plants face, pitcher plants must engage in varied biotic interactions including both carnivory and symbiosis (mutualistic and parasitic) that may all be mediated by the plants' traits. Thus dis-

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entangling the evolutionary forces that have shaped the present morphological diversity in Nepenthes is a complex problem. In this talk, I will discuss work I have done to explore the functional role of variable traits in a polymorphic species, as well as an examination of trait evolution across the genus by utilizing phylogenetic and natural history knowledge of the genus. I will demonstrate how multiple interacting ecological factors may serve as drivers of trait evolution in Nepenthes. In particular I will focus on the evolution of color polymorphism throughout the genus and the potential role of red pigmentation in herbivore defense. Harvard University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

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SCHARMANN, MATHIAS* 1 and WIDMER, ALEX 2

Evolution of carnivory genes in the recent radiation of Nepenthes

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lant evolutionary biology has learned much about unusual traits from the comparative study of independent trait origins. In carnivorous plants, such approaches focusing on the molecular level suggested that many genes adapted for carnivory are derived from the pathogen defense mechanisms of non-carnivorous plants and show remarkable cases of sequence convergence. However, it is less well explored how the carnivorous syndrome continued to evolve after becoming established. Some carnivorous plant lineages are very species-rich and morphologically diverse, provoking the question whether carnivory had a prominent adaptive role during evolutionary radiation, or alternatively, was largely conserved as a trait with little potential for functional diversification. This issue was addressed at the molecular level in Nepenthes pitcher plants, using transcriptomics and proteomics. First, novel secreted proteins were discovered in Nepenthes digestive fluid, and further genes with downstream functions in carnivory were identified as their gene expression level increased when the plants were fed with prey. Second, Nepenthes transcriptomes were tested for signatures of selection at the coding sequence and the regulatory (gene expression) levels. The results indicate that thousands of genes were targeted by positive selection during the Nepenthes radiation, and the hypothesis that carnivory genes evolved under different selection regimes than other genes was tested.

1

ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitaetstrasse 16, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland2ETH Zurich, Environmental Systems Science, Universitaetstr. 16, CHN G 21.1, Zurich, ZH, 8092, Switzerland

Evolution of Plant Chemical Diversity: Renaissance of comparative biochemistry Sponsored by American Society of Plant Taxonomists, International Association of Plant Taxonomists, and Botanical Society of America’s Ecology, Systematics, Genetics, and Tropical Biology Sections

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PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS* 1 and SMITH, STACEY D. 2

Evolution of Plant Chemical Diversity: Renaissance of comparative biochemistry

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lants produce an immense diversity of specialized metabolites, from pigments to defense compounds, which are integral to their ecology and evolution. These molecules serve many functions in plants including defense against stress, plantmicrobe communication, and pollinator attraction. These compounds are also important to humans for agriculture, medicine, and many other aspects of our culture. Understanding the biochemical diversity of metabolites has a long history of study in botany. Indeed, comparative biochemical data were an early source of information for phylogenetic inference in the early molecular era prior to DNA sequencing. Although biochemical diversity is no longer commonly used for inferring relationships, the field of comparative biochemistry is experiencing a renaissance with recent advances in functional genomics, metabolic profiling, and systems biology. New comparative biochemical studies have uncovered patterns of deep conservation of some metabolic pathways across plant lineages, and dynamic lineage-specific evolution of others. Many metabolites restricted to specific plant lineages and are referred to as "specialized" metabolites. The specialized metabolic repertoire of plants can vary even within and between closely related species, in terms of the number and classes of specialized metabolites as well as their chemical structuresal variants. Coupled with genomic data from diverse plant species, it is increasingly feasible to connect these chemical andis functional variations with the underlying genetic and evolutionary processes, such as gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer. Given that specialized metabolites play central roles in myriad aspects of plant biology, this integrative understanding of the evolution of plant specialized metabolism has broad implications for identifying the mechanisms underlying plant adaptation and diversification. Relevance: In this symposium, we have assembled a set of speakers at the forefront of the emerging synthesis of functional genomics, biochemistry, and comparative metabolomics. Importantly, this work is grounded in a phylogenetic framework, making it possible to address the polarity of evolutionary novelties and the


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA son, USA2University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, St. Paul, MN, USA3University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences, Cambridge, UK4University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA5University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Botany, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, US

extent of convergence at the molecular level. While this is a new area of research, it builds on traditions in plant biosystematics and chemical ecology where biochemical markers were used as taxonomic characters. Our speakers represent a wide range of experimental approaches, taxonomic groups, and evolutionary timescales. The group also spans speakers of diverse backgrounds and multiple career stages. Thus, this symposium provides a unique opportunity for interchange of ideas that may lead to new collaborations and synergies.

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HEYDUK, KAROLINA* 1 and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 2

University of Missouri, Biological Sciences, Columbia, MO, 652112University of Colorado, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, CO, USA

Comparative RNAseq of independent origins of Crassulacean acid metabolism in the Agavoideae

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P

1

hotosynthetic biochemistry is often considered quite stable, given its importance for life on earth. But multiple modifications to the photosynthetic machinery, particularly in the carbon reactions, have evolved in flowering plants to circumvent abiotic stress. One such modification, Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), is thought to have evolved in response to water limitation. CAM plants uptake CO2 from the atmosphere at night, when evapotranspiration rates are lower. CO2 is stored temporarily as malic acid in the vacuoles and is subsequently decarboxylated in the daytime behind closed stomata. The temporal modification of CO2 capture in CAM plants results in high concentrations of CO2 around RuBisCO, thereby reducing photorespiration and increasing water use efficiency. CAM has evolved roughly 35 independent times in flowering plants and is found in 7% of all species, implying the transition between C3 and CAM may not be uncommonly difficult. Indeed, all required CAM genes are found in C3 species, and the transition between CAM and C3 is thought to be a matter of rewiring timing of expression. To better understand how these biochemical pathways have been rewired in CAM plants, we compared gene expression collected from time course RNAseq in three independent origins of CAM in the subfamily Agavoideae (Asparagaceae): Agave sensu lato, Yucca, and Hesperaloe. Physiological data paired with RNAseq was collected across the day-night cycle in strong CAM, weak CAM, and C3 species. Expression analysis reveals that alternative copies of some genes have been independently recruited into the CAM pathway in different origins of CAM. And although the levels of expression are quite clearly different for canonical CAM genes in C3 and CAM species, a number of C3 species examined here have similar timing of expression of CAM pathway genes as their close CAM relatives, despite not using any CAM photosynthesis. Combined our results indicate that the Agavoideae may have been pre-disposed to evolve CAM both physiologically

LOPEZ-NIEVES, SAMUEL 1, YANG, YA 2, FENG, TAO 3, TIMONEDA, ALFONSO 3, OLIVEIRA, MARCOS 1, SMITH, STEPHEN 4, BROCKINGTON, SAMUEL 3 and MAEDA, HIROSHI* 5

Evolutionary tug-of-war underlies betalain vs. anthocyanin pigmentations in Caryophyllales

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he plant order Caryophyllales (e.g. beet, quinoa, cactus) uniquely produces red/yellow betalain pigments that are derived from the aromatic amino acid L-tyrosine (Tyr) and replaced the otherwise ubiquitous L-phenylalanine (Phe)-derived anthocyanins. In most plants, Tyr production is strongly feedback regulated by Tyr at arogenate dehydrogenase (ADH), the final enzyme of Tyr biosynthesis. Here we found that ADH enzymes in Caryophyllales recently duplicated into two isoforms, one of which (ADHα) exhibits relaxed sensitivity to Tyr inhibition. Notably, the de-regulated ADHα emerged before the evolution of the betalain biosynthetic pathway and was down-regulated or lost in many Caryophyllaceae species that reverted back to anthocyanin pigmentation. Metabolite profiling further revealed that other Tyr-derived compounds, such as dopamine and epinephrine derivatives, also accumulate in ADHα-containing Caryophyllales species. Phylogeny-guided structure function analysis of ADH enzymes from over one hundred of Caryophyllales transcriptome data identified key mutations responsible for the Tyr insensitivity of ADHα enzymes. Finally, heterologous expression of beet ADHα in various plants Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in hyper-accumulation of Tyr and decreased synthesis of Phe and Phederived compounds including anthocyanins. These results together suggest that de-regulation of Tyr biosynthesis redirected carbon flux from Phe to Tyr biosynthesis and facilitated the subsequent evolution of novel specialized metabolic pathways-e.g. biosynthesis of betalain pigments and other Tyr-derived metabolites. Our finding highlights the significance of upstream primary metabolic regulation for the evolutionary diversification of specialized metabolic pathways in plants. 1

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Botany, Madi-

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and genetically, although further investigations pairing RNAseq with metabolite abundance across the subfamily are needed to fully resolve the mechanism of CAM evolution in this lineage. 1

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2101 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

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ANGELOVICI, RUTHIE* 1, YOBI , ABOU , EMERY, MARIANNE 1, SHRESTHA, VIVEK 2, BAGAZA , CLEMENT 3 and FLINT-GARCIA, SHERRY 4 1

The natural variation and regulation of amino acids in maize and Arabidopsis seeds

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eeds are a major source of protein in human and livestock diets. However, the seeds of major staple crops are deficient in several essential amino acids (EAA). Failure to consume sufficient levels of EAA per day leads to severe malnutrition, even if one's calorie requirements are met. To improve the amino acid (AA) composition in staple crop seeds, we need a more fundamental understanding of the metabolic and genetic basis that underlies the regulation of both free amino acid (FAA) and protein bound amino acid (PBAA) pools which comprise ~5% and 95% of the total seed AA respectively. Nevertheless, despite the existence of high-throughput quantification (HTQ) method for FAA, there is no such method for PBAA. The latter prevents quantitative genomic enabled analysis of seeds AA levels and composition from large populations and further discovery of their genetic architecture and regulation. To overcome this hurdle, we developed an HTQ method that relies on acid hydrolysis followed by an LC-MS/MS-MRM approach that enables fast, precise and affordable quantification of the absolute levels of 17 PBAA. Utilizing this method, along with FAA HTQ, we have characterized the natural variation of both FAA and PBAA from a 360 ecotype member Arabidopsis association panel as well as a 200 line maize association panel. Our results demonstrated surprising natural variation in both PBAA and FAA. Correlation-based networks constructed from the quantification of both amino acid functional pools revealed no correlation between them in both model systems. Consistently, GWAS analysis of PBAA, FAA and the ratios between them suggests a separate genetic architecture for each. Nevertheless, our results also reveal surprising intersections in their genetic regulation and offer novel insights into the genetic basis of the seed amino acid levels, com-

position and partition. We posit that this approach can provide novel loci and strategies for future seed amino acid biofortification. 1

University of Missouri , Division of Biological Science , 1201 Rollins St, Columbia, MO 65201, Columbia, MO 65201, MO, 65211-0001, United States2University of Missouri , Division of Biological Science , 1201 Rollins st, Columbia, MO, 65211-0001, United States3University of Missouri , Division of Biological Science , 1201 Rollins st, Columbia, MO, 562114University of Missouri , USDA, 301 Curtis Hall, Columbia,, MO, 65211, United States

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WIDHALM, JOSHUA

Investigating the metabolic links between primary and specialized plant 1,4-naphthoquinones

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he 1,4-naphthoquinones (1,4-NQs) are a diverse class of redox active molecules present throughout various organisms representing all kingdoms of life. While the biosynthesis of a few 1,4-NQs is well conserved across multiple species to fulfill vital functions, most 1,4-NQs are lineage-specific metabolites that are suggested to contribute toward adaptation to ecological niches. Perhaps the greatest diversity of specialized 1,4-NQs is found amongst the hundreds that are collectively produced by some Angiosperms to mediate plant-plant (allelopathy), plant-insect, and plant-microbe interactions. To date, virtually none of the genes involved in synthesizing specialized plant 1,4-NQs have been identified, though classical labeling studies indicate that several biochemical pathways have independently evolved across discrete flowering plant lineages. In the Widhalm laboratory, we hypothesize that certain specialized 1,4-NQ pathways rely on immediate precursors shared with or derived from pathways involved in synthesizing photosynthetic or respiratory quinones. To facilitate investigating the occurrence of such connections between primary and specialized quinone metabolic pathways in non-model plants, we are combining comparative transcriptomics with targeted metabolic profiling and stable-isotopic labeling. In this talk, I will present evidence linking the biosynthesis of juglone, the specialized 1,4-NQ responsible for the allelopathic effects of black walnut (Juglans nigra) trees, with the phylloquinone pathway. Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) is a liposoluble 1,4-NQ found in plants, green algae, and some cyanobacteria where it functions as a vital one-electron carrier in photosystem I. The evolution of phylloquinone biosynthesis in plants has been marked by extraordinary events of gene fusion, duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and reorganization of pathway architecture that we propose have contributed to the potential for phylloquinone pathway intermediates to be re-routed to the production of other metabolites. By extension of knowledge of phylloquinone synthesis, this work has in effect uncovered five of the a priori seven genes needed to synthesize juglone from chorismate, the product of the shikimate pathway. Our data also indicate that juglone can be de novo synthesized in black walnut roots without the contribution of immediate precursors translocated from aerial tissues. The knowledge gained from this


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA research advances basic understanding of plant quinone metabolic networks and will inform synthetic biology approaches for harnessing juglone as a novel natural product-based herbicide. This study is also serving as a guide for the discovery of pathway genes involved in synthesizing specialized 1,4-NQs in other species being investigated by our group.

Phylogeny and evolution of angiosperms in the era of next generation sequencing 27

MA, HONG* 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS , SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 3 and LEEBENSMACK, JIM 4

Purdue University, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, 625 Agriculture Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

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2

Phylogeny and evolution of angiosperms in the era of next generation sequencing

WISECAVER, JENNIFER

Linking genes to lineage-specific metabolic pathways: Gene network analysis of glucosinolate biosynthesis in Brassicaceaes

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ngiosperms are the most diverse group of land plants with an estimated total of ~400,000 species and an immense impact on most terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, nearly all major crops as well as widely studied model plants are angiosperms. Therefore, understanding the phylogeny and evolution of angiosperms provides an essential foundation for many fields of plant biology, including biogeographic investigations, biodiversity and phylogenetic diversity studies of ecosystems, evolutionarydevelopmental biology, translational research from models to crops and other comparative studies of a wide range of plant species. With the rapid advances in next-generation sequencing technologies, not only can whole plastid genome sequences be readily obtained, but tens of thousands of nuclear gene sequences can also be generated at relatively low costs. The ever-increasing size of phylogenomic datasets has also motivated development of new analysis tools. Together, these advances have facilitated phylogenetic analyses of angiosperms and even other green plants at an unprecedented scale both in depth of gene sequencing and number of taxa. This use of "big data" reduces the chance of misleading or incorrect relationships sometimes associated with analyses using few taxa or few genes, while increasing the opportunity to detect discordance among nuclear gene histories and between nuclear and plastid data. In addition to community-driven initiatives such as 1KP (1000 land plants), 10KP and Open Green Genomes, individual labs are generating massive sequence datasets for phylogenomic analyses across evolutionary time scales. Moreover, concerted inference of gene trees and species trees is shedding new light on the evolutionary processes contributing to diversification. Improved understanding of these processes has implications for the use of species and gene phylogenies in comparative analyses aimed at elucidating the molecular basis of evolutionary innovations and the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity. Therefore, it is an excellent time to organize a symposium focusing on the phylogeny and evolution of angiosperms. The selected speakers include both junior and female scientists, will present both recent findings with their implications and new initiatives aimed at greatly expanding the scope and impact of phylogenomics/phylotranscriptomic efforts to more lineages of angiosperms and non-angiosperm groups.

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pecialized metabolites serve myriad biological functions that allow organisms to interact with and manage their environment (e.g., resist abiotic stress, combat negative ecological interactions and promote beneficial ones). As these specialized metabolites are typically fast-evolving and lineage-specific, the genes and pathways involved in their biosynthesis are often unknown, hampering our ability to understand their function and evolutionary history. Critically, this also limits the potential utility of specialized metabolites in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological applications. Brassicaceaes produce numerous specialized metabolites including glucosinolates (pungent glucosides that contribute to the family's distinctive taste), which are associated with numerous ecologically advantageous traits including resistance to pests, drought, freezing, and heavy metals. By leveraging network biology to delineate specialized metabolic pathways coupled with evolutionary genomics to untangle pathway origins and diversification, we are investigatinghow gene duplication, regulatory network/genome rearrangement, and polyploidy contribute to metabolic diversity and innovation.

Purdue University, Biochemistry, Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, IN, USA

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1

The Pennsylvania State University, Biology, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA, 16802, USA2University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL34University of Georgia, Plant Biology, Athens, GA

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LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 1 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS* 2

A Roadmap for Enabling Phylogenomics across the Green Plant Tree of Life

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hylogenomics encompasses the use of genome data to resolve species and gene family phylogenies, together with comparative investigations of genome, gene family and gene evolution. With the growing availability of reference genome assemblies and transcriptome data, phylogenomics research is yielding new insights into phylogeny and the myriad biological processes contributing to plant diversification. Increasingly precise phylogenetic placements of gene and genome duplications are elucidating their contributions to evolutionary innovations such as the origins of seeds and flowers. Gene family contractions and expansions are being identified across the tree of life and correlated with key innovations. Analyses of synteny are providing novel insights into genome evolution including the gene duplication and loss processes. However, at the same time, high quality genome assemblies are only available for a very small fraction of green plant lineages. Most of our current understanding of plant genome evolution is based on a few well-assembled and annotated genomes concentrated in just a few angiosperm families. In the last year, the Open Green Genomes and Ten Thousand Plant Genomes sequencing initiatives have been launched to generate genome assemblies across the Embryophyta and Viridiplantae phylogenies, respectively. We will discuss the scopes and objectives of each of these community-driven initiatives. Further, we will share information on data availability and dissemination for these large, openaccess genome sequencing programs.

1

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2101 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States2University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL

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BAKER, WILLIAM J.* 1, BARBER, VANESSA 1, BARKER, ABIGAIL 1, BOTIGUé, LAURA R. 2, BREWER, GRACE 1 , COWAN, ROBYN S. 1, DODSWORTH, STEPHEN 1, EPITAWALAGE, NIROSHINI 1 , EISERHARDT, WOLF L.T. 1, FOREST, FELIX 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 3, KIM, JAN 1, LEITCH, ILIA 1, MAURIN, OLIVIER 1 , POKORNY, LISA 1 and WICKETT, NORMAN 4

Completing the Plant Tree of Life

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volutionary trees are powerful tools for prediction, species discovery, monitoring and conservation. Through comparative analysis of DNA sequence data, the backbone of the plant tree of life is relatively well understood, and many subcompo-

nents have been studied in great detail. However, DNA data are still lacking for numerous plant and fungal genera and the vast majority of species, preventing their accurate placement within an evolutionary framework, in turn hindering downstream science. To better understand how the world's plants and fungi have evolved, we have initiated the Plant and Fungal Trees of Life (PAFTOL) project at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. We aim to utilise our collections and work with collaborators to generate extensive new data for at least one representative species of every genus of plant and fungi using highthroughput DNA sequencing technologies, producing a unifying framework for comparative research. In this talk, we report on progress in the plant component of PAFTOL. We have established a targeted sequence capture (HybSeq) approach and have designed a single probe (bait) kit that can isolate up to 353 nuclear genes across all angiosperm families. Data obtained with this kit effectively resolves both deep and species-level relationships and is currently being evaluated as a “next generation” barcode. The angiosperm-wide bait kit is publicly available and is being adopted by numerous researchers. A refined bioinformatic pipeline is also in preparation. Our pilot project, which included at least one representative of every angiosperm family, is complete and we now aim to generate data for 25% of the 14,000 angiosperm genera within the coming year. Focused studies on families such as orchids, palms, sedges, daisies and legumes are also underway. Securing samples to complete this project is a key challenge, requiring detailed gap analyses and the establishment of rigorous sampling standards. 57% of the samples required for PAFTOL already exist in Kew's living collection, seed bank, DNA bank and tissue bank. The remaining samples will be sourced primarily from the Kew Herbarium, in which ca. 95% of all angiosperm genera are represented. Our sequence capture protocol is highly effective with degraded herbarium DNA, with good results obtained from specimens up to ca. 200 years old. PAFTOL aspires to be highly open and collaborative, sharing data and tools at the earliest opportunity, and integrating with the broader global genomic agenda. Researchers who share an interest in our project are warmly invited to get in touch. 1

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UKCentre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, Barcelona, Spain3Texas Tech University, Biological Sciences, 2901 Main Street, Ms3131, Lubbock, TX, 79409, United States4Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States

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SOLTIS, PAMELA S.

Phylogenomics of Angiosperms: Where Do We Go From Here?

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he 1KP initiative provides transcriptome resources and phylogenetic inference across the approximately half a billion species of Viridiplantae. Angiosperms represent ~3/4 of Viridiplantae and account for ~2/3 of the transcriptomes assembled by 1KP. Phylogenomic analyses using a supermatrix comprising ~800 species of angiosperms and over 400 nuclear genes and a coalescent approach provide comprehensive views of evolutionary history from


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA the perspective of the nuclear genome. Notable phylogenetic results include: Amborella sister to all other extant angiosperms, with subsequent divergence of Nymphaeales and Austrobaileyales prior to the radiation of Mesangiospermae, within which relationships remain poorly resolved and/or supported. Ceratophyllaceae are sister to all other mesangiosperms, with monocots sister to a clade of magnoliids + (Chloranthales + eudicots), but with weak support. Within magnoliids, there is strong support for Magnoliales + Laurales sister to Piperales + Canellales. Relationships among basal eudicots are not strongly supported, but Trochodendraceae are sister to Buxaceae + core eudicots. Within core eudicots, there is general support for Superrosidae and Superasteridae, although the placement of Santalales within Superrosidae requires further attention. As found previously with nuclear data, the COM clade of Rosidae is sister to malvids, whereas nearly complete plastomes place it with fabids. Other key points of angiosperm phylogeny will be discussed and comparisons made between nuclear and plastid trees. The transcriptome resources of 1kp can be used in a variety of ways, at both deep and shallow evolutionary scales, and provide for discovery of putatively single-copy nuclear genes for use in phylogeny reconstruction of other groups. With the 1KP phylogeny as a framework, we evaluate remaining problematic areas of the angiosperm tree and suggest future approaches to integrate with other data.

Brassicaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae and others. These results will be summarized, along with recent studies from analysis of the divergence times of relevant groups, reconstruction of ancestral character of key morphological features, and shifts in rates of diversification during angiosperm evolution. The Pennsylvania State University, Biology, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

32

YANG, YA* , LINGYUN, CHEN , MORALES-BRIONES, DIEGO and MOHN, REBEKAH

A functional phylogenomic approach towards the model clade Caryophyllales: integrating phylogenetics, transcriptomes, genomics, biochemistry, and beyond

R

ecent years have witnessed rapid development in using transcriptome sequencing to not only reconstruct phylogenetic relationships but also explore molecular evolution in non-model plants. This approach has been transformative. In this presentation I first introduce our work generating and analyzing a data set of >300 transcriptomes across Caryophyllales. I highlight lingering issues such as choosing among methods of homology and orthology inference, arguing that there is no single best approach to fit all purposes. I also introduce ongoing projects in the lab on developing phylotranscriptome pipelines, evaluating differential gene expression and co-expression network construction methods, and phylotranscriptomic work focusing on particular subclades and key adaptive transitions such as betalain evolution.

Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

31

MA, HONG

Phylotranscriptomics of angiosperms among major lineages and within large families with analyses of divergence times and morphological evolution

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, St. Paul, MN, USA

A

ngiosperms are extremely important for ecosystems and human livelihoods. Phylogenetic relationships among angiosperms are a foundation for many other studies, including evolutionary biology and ecology, comparative genomics, and translational agriculture. Early investigations using chloroplast sequences and recent efforts using nuclear genes have both contributed to the understanding of angiosperm relationships. In particular, the rapid progresses in sequencing have made it possible to obtain and use large numbers of nuclear genes to address difficult phylogenetic problems of those lineages that have diverged within a relatively short periods of times. We have used transcriptome sequencing and performed phylogenetic analyses of major deep lineages and also several relatively large angiosperm families, yielding well-resolved relationships that are largely in agreement with chloroplast sequence-based phylogenies. The deep lineages include five deep lineages of the mesangiosperm clade representing nearly all angiosperms, major branches of core eudicots and those of some eudicot subgroups, whereas the analyzed families include

33

YI, TING-SHUANG* 1, YAO, GANG 2, JIN, JIAN-JUN 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 4, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 5, SMITH, STEPHEN 6, MOORE, MICHAEL J. 7 and LI, DE-ZHU 8

Plastid phylogenomic insights into the evolution of Caryophyllales

C

aryophyllales are a large, diverse angiosperm clade that includes 40 families and 12,500 species. Collectively, members of the clade grow on all continents and in all terrestrial biomes and often occupy extreme habitats (e.g. xeric, salty). The order is characterized by many taxa with unusual adaptations including carnivory, halophytism, and multiple origins of C4 photosynthesis. However, deep phylogenetic relationships within the order have long been problematic due to putative rapid divergence. To resolve the deep-level relationships of Caryophyllales,

17


we performed phylogenomic analyses of all 40 families of Caryophyllales. Molecular dating analyses were conducted, and the correlation between plastid structural changes and rates of molecular substitution was estimated. We recovered a well-resolved, well-supported tree that was largely congruent with previous estimates of Caryophyllales relationships and that provided improved support for the position of several key families. The crown age of Caryophyllales was estimated at ca. 114.4 million years ago (Ma), with periods of rapid divergence in the midCretaceous. A strong, positive correlation between nucleotide substitution rate and plastid structural changes was detected. Our study highlights the importance of broad taxon sampling in phylogenomic inference and provides a firm basis for future investigations of molecular, morphological, and ecophysiological evolution in Caryophyllales. 12

Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, No. 132, Lanhei Road,, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China3Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, 132 Lanhei Rd., Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China4University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL5Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States6University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA7Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States8Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, 132 , Kunming , Yunnan, 650201, China

The Future of Digital Projects for Research and Teaching in Botany 34

RYAN, DEIRDRE and PRZYBYLSKI, JASON*

The Future of Digital Projects for Research & Teaching in Botany

B

otany was early to recognize the potential impacts on the field of digitization and digital projects, from scanning herbarium specimens so scholars from around the world could easily access them to recovering lost archives to developing access to copious amounts of data on plant life and biodiversity more broadly. As digitization of physical materials has become more widespread and digital capabilities have increased, the expectations for digital projects in botany have similarly advanced. It is no longer enough to simply scan an item and make it available as a PDF on a website. Researchers and students now are looking for innovative digital projects that use the digital medium to present objects in new ways or bring together materials in ways that weren't possible in an analog environment, all of which allows for new avenues to pursue in research and teaching. This symposium will bring together presenters working on digital projects in botany to examine the current state of the field and its future directions. The panel will include speakers from a range of backgrounds including both academics and librarians, as well as people working for organizations developing these digital initiatives - creating a conversation that will bring together multiple viewpoints. The symposium will address questions such as: what existing projects have been successful and how did they become so; what areas of need should future projects explore; how do we define success for digital projects; how do digital projects directed at students differ from those aimed at the researcher; how can we use digital projects to reach new students and interested lay people; and how are new digital projects funded and supported for the long term. By the end of the symposium, we will aim to have identified trends in the field and areas that need further development, hopefully providing the necessary grounding for future digital developments.

Jstor, 2 Rector Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY, 10006, USA

35

RYAN, DEIRDRE* 1 and THIERS, BARBARA 2

Global Plants: A Model of International Collaboration

G

lobal Plants (http://plants.jstor.org) is a community-contributed database that features more than two million high resolution plant type specimen images and other foundational materials from the collections of more than 300 herbaria in 70 countries. Complementing the high resolution specimen images are extensive flora and other reference materials, collectors' correspondence and


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA diaries, and tens of thousands of paintings, photographs, drawings, and other images. Global Plants is the outcome of the African Plants Initiative (API), the Latin American Plants Initiative (LAPI) and the Global Plants Initiative (GPI) which was funded generously by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for over a decade. The vision of creating a digital library of type specimen images and related material available to students and researchers around the world has largely been realized. What has the impact been on herbaria? What is the status of digitization across the partner institutions such as NYBG? How can we continue to keep the network flourishing and ensure all partners can continue to contribute? How has/Has the financial model worked to achieve the correct balance between accessibility and sustainability? Looking to the future, we are interested in exploring how the foundation established by Global Plants can be built upon to explore future digital projects that both support and expand upon the existing field of researchers. Existing initiatives include “Global Plants in the Classroom: Botany 101” (http://botany101.jstor.org/), an open teaching resource that introduces botany and the plant sciences to a new audience, and “Livingstone's Zambezi Expedition (beta)”, a project built with the JSTOR Labs team that explores a different approach to bringing together specimens and historic materials around a specific botanical expedition. Other initiatives in progress include a partnership with Dumbarton Oaks and a new digital collection from JSTOR called Plants & Society, both of which seek to create a space through which scholars from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities can come together in the study of plants and their relationships to humanity.

Through a worldwide partnership of over two-dozen organizations, BHL has become the largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature. Sadly, much of these publications and archives are available in only a few select libraries in the developed world. Scientists have long considered that lack of access to biodiversity literature is a major impediment to the efficiency of scientific research. The BHL is an open access digital library for biodiversity literature. Operating as a consortium of natural history and botanical institutions and headquartered at the Smithsonian Libraries, the BHL collections contain over 54 million pages from over 224,000 volumes. Services such as taxonomic name finding tools, custom PDF downloads, and open APIs allow users to easily locate and reuse these resources. Additionally, BHL has made over 122,000 of the illustrations within its collection available in Flickr, which in turn have been viewed over 314 million times. Natural History books and archives provide information that is critical to studying biodiversity. Replete with species data, ecosystem profiles, distribution maps, behavioral and inter-dependency observations, and geological and climatic records, this literature underpins current scientific research and provides an historical perspective on species abundance, habitat alteration, and human exploration, culture, and discovery. In many cases, these publications constitute the only available knowledge for rare, endangered, and extinct species. BHL is revolutionizing the way scientific research and conservation are conducted, helping scientists to identify, describe, and conserve the world's species and the habitats that support them. Smithsonian Libraries / Biodiversity Heritage Library, 10th and Const. Ave., NW, MRC 154, Washington, DC, 20560, United States

1

Jstor, 2 Rector Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY, 10006, USA2The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, United States

36

37

HASTON, ELSPETH* , DRINKWATER, ROBYN , KING, SALLY and CUBEY, ROBERT

KALFATOVIC , MARTIN ROBERT

The Biodiversity Heritage Library: Empowering Discovery through Free Access to Biodiversity Knowledge

Digital stories: Bringing specimens and stories together

T

he ongoing global effort to digitise natural history collections has opened up millions of specimens to researchers working in every part of the world to understand and conserve biodiversity. We are now starting to see the increasing potential that these digitised specimens have for a growing number of audiences outside the traditional user communities. Natural history collections are still too often isolated from most of the population and, as curators, we constantly see wonder and amazement as we open the cabinet doors to visitors. With mass digitisation we now have opportunities to create exciting new educational resources to bring these collections to the attention of the public. This desire to tell narratives from inside our collections can closely involve different educational professionals and students to create the resources as well as to benefit from them. By collaborating with educators and students from non-biological backgrounds, we are giving them

T

he Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) has no bricks, no mortar, but rather stands as a vast online collection of biodiversity knowledge compiled from the collections of natural history and botanical libraries the world over. These collections-comprised of scientific journals, books, and archival collections--provide information critical to the study of life on our planet. Replete with species descriptions and occurrence data, ecosystem profiles, behavioral observations, and climatic records, these collections inform current research and provide historical information on species abundance, habitat alteration, and human exploration. In many cases, these publications are only physically available in one or two locations throughout the world. Formed in 2006, BHL is transforming the way scientists, researchers, and librarians around the world can access knowledge about and study life on Earth.

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opportunities to work with these unique specimens and we are gaining from their different experiences and perspectives. One of the strongest messages we have received through these projects is the overriding importance of storytelling - and this is where all our collections have so much potential. Within the cabinets of collections around the world are specimens representing exploration, discovery, danger, sacrifice, knowledge and international collaboration. At the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh we have worked with students of Information Management and Preservation at the University of Glasgow and students of Film and Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen to explore new ways to tell stories from our collections. We are now working with Global Plants and JSTOR to create a platform to tell the remarkable story of George Forrest, plant hunter, to show how we can bring the specimens together with related archives to bring his story to life for a new generation. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Herbarium, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK

38

WISNICKI, ADRIAN

Livingstone Online's Potential Value for Research on Victorian Botany

L

ivingstone Online is a peer-reviewed digital museum and library focused on the history of the British empire. The site uses the legacies of Victorian traveler David Livingstone (1813-1873) to engage ongoing critical debates about colonial archives. In a thirty-year career of exploration, Livingstone traveled over vast parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and produced an array of manuscripts on topics such as African cultures, linguistics, economics, geography, animals, and botany. Livingstone Online argues that colonial travel manuscripts (like those of Livingstone and others) should be read as part of their global and non-western local histories; the site seeks to recover and explore such histories. Livingstone Online has recently completed several concurrent phases of development (2013-2018). The site now publishes rich critical essays on the colonial archive, the history of nineteenth-century Africa, British imperial discourse, and Livingstone's manuscripts. The site also offers open access to over 15,000 images of manuscripts and historical illustrations, 5,000 pages of critically-encoded transcriptions, and 3000 metadata records. From another perspective, Livingstone Online draws on critical analysis, manuscript contextualization, and the application of advanced spectral imaging technology to develop "thick" histories of notable Livingstone manuscripts. Such manuscripts embrace every facet of his career. Through its TEIbased encoding practices, Livingstone Online also provides access to critically-edited versions of hundreds of items. In many cases, this coding - including in the area of botany - records textual information to which the project team has not yet applied advanced digital analysis. This paper will use one exemplar critical edition (1870 Field Diary) to pursue several lines of exposition. The paper will explore the development of the edition's core TIFF, XML, and MODS data. The paper will illustrate the critical analysis made possible by exploitation of encoding combined with study of spectral images and web-based representation. The paper will also outline the process of integrating this edition into Livingstone Online. Ultimately, the paper will use this edition to argue that Livingstone Online as a whole - as a collaborative, interdisciplinary digital humanities endeavor - offers the potential to: 1) illuminate the impact of broader colonial processes on Victorian-era practices of botanical documentation, collecting, and preservation; and 2) apply advanced digital humanities methodologies to existing and new site data in order to reveal previously unknown information about nineteenthcentury African botany. More broadly, the paper will use this argument to underscore the value that digital humanities projects like Livingstone Online offer for innovative botanical research.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, English, Lincoln, NE, 68502, USA


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 39

CALLAHAN, HILARY

Botanical Education: Making It Digital, Keeping It Real

A

t museums, colleges and universitiess around the country, there is pessimism about an adverse political climate for science, inadequate funding, and other strained resources. Yet there is also optimism about recent and ongoing reinvigoration of biodiversity disciplines, increasingly integrated with genomics, digital imaging, GIS, and other computing- or data-intensive approaches. I review several specific changes on my own campus and in my own botanical scholarship and teaching. First, I explain how and why a third science requirement in "digital and technological thinking" was added to Barnard's existing general education requirements (alongside existing requirements in quantitative reasoning and natural sciences). Second, I consider how attitudes about science are shifting at Barnard and possibly elsewhere. Increasingly, students are seeking multicultural or social justice perspectives, aiming to apply knowledge and data to sustainability challenges on campus and beyond. Another major concern of faculty and students is broadening inclusion in STEM and making STEM relevant to marginalized groups. Next, I consider limitations on faculty: the rise in contingent appointments, the need for mid-career retraining, and reduced funding rates. Facing this kaleidoscopic change, I pushed myself and my students to begin to learn differently about botany. We are acquiring and applying "digital skills" such as R programming for statistical and phyogenetic analysis, niche modeling, and data visualization tools. We have been delving deeply into "open-source" resources such as digital herbaria at the New York Botanical Gardens and elsewhere around the world, the enormous Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the powerful Botanical Information and Ecological Network (BIEN), the accessible i-Naturalist app, and interdisciplinary resources such as the Biodiversity Heritage Library. These are all digital enhancements rather than replacements for experiences in the herbarium, the greenhouse, the laboratory or the field. I will argue that digital and real approaches in tandem are powerful, helping to deepen understanding and strengthen traditional skills such taxonomy, reading and writing. These approaches can also be used to highlight botany's impact on the economics and politics of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In sum, such approaches help citizens to become scientists, and scientists to become more engaged citizens. Barnard College, Biology Department, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, USA

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Tools, Standards, Techniques, and Methods for Using Herbarium Specimens in Phenological Research Sponsored by American Society of Plant Taxonomists, BSA’s Systematics, the Ecology, Genetics, Phisiology and the Tropical Biology Sections 40

NELSON, GIL* 1, YOST, JENN2, ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 2 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 2

Tools, Standards, Techniques, and Methods for Using Herbarium Specimens in Phenological Research

H

erbarium specimens are among the best resources for researching and understanding long-term phenological trends and changes in local, regional, and national floras and for evaluating the ecological impact of shifting phenophase synchronicity of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates. Several major challenges exist for making digital herbarium data accessible for phenological research and for effective methods for studying phenological synchronicity: 1) tools for mass extraction of phenological characters from herbarium sheets, 2) data standards that enhance comparability and synchronization of phenological data across the botanical and zoological domains, 3) protocols for quickly, efficiently, and preferably automatically scoring phenophases represented on herbarium sheets, 4) improvements in data aggregation and novel research methodologies that promote Big Data analytics across very large datasets and multiple biodiversity domains, and 5) linking crowd-sourced data back to source records and databases. This symposium will delve in part into each of these issues. Relevance: Plant phenology and its synchronicity with other organisms as well as with changing climate is integral to botanical research.

1

Florida State University, iDigBio, 157 Leonards Dr, Thomasville, GA, 31792, United States2

41

SWEENEY, PATRICK* 1, GILBERT, EDWARD 2 and YOST, JENN 3

A workflow for scoring phenology from digitized herbarium specimens

H

erbarium specimens and associated label data are valuable sources of phenological data. They can provide information about the phenological state of the specimen and information about how phenology varies in space and time. In an effort to leverage this tremendous phenological resource, the New England Vascular Plants project (NEVP) has worked over the past few years to create a data set catered to the study of the effects of climate change in New England. This project has focused on capturing images, specimen occurrence data, and reproductive phenological condition from New England specimens housed in 17 herbaria in northeastern North America. To achieve these goals, the NEVP project adopted multiple approaches to capture reproductive phenological data. Here we report on a novel workflow that utilized the Symbiota software platform. In this approach, flowering and fruiting state was scored from images of flowering plant specimens or derived from pre-existing occurrence records. To help standardize the scoring process, a controlled vocabulary was developed with input from the botanical community. This vocabulary prioritized simplicity of use and broad applicability. This presentation will give an overview of the Symbiota-based workflow, describing the digitization products, controlled vocabulary, scoring process, and method for sharing the scorings with data users. We also discuss the challenges involved in utilizing uncontrolled phenology data in pre-existing occurrence records.

1

Yale Pebody Museum Of Natural History, Division of Botany, 170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA2Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA3California Polytechnic State University, Biological Sciences, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 42

44

MEINEKE, EMILY* 1, DAVIS, CHARLES 1, CLASSEN, AIMEE 2, SANDERS, NATE 3 and DAVIES, JONATHAN 4

STUCKY, BRIAN

Integrating and extracting phenology data from herbarium specimens with machine reasoning and learning

Herbivory through the ages: Herbarium specimens reveal effects of global change on plant-insect interactions

H

erbarium specimens are a rich source of historical information about plant phenology, but extracting and digitizing this information at large scales is extremely labor-intensive. Furthermore, such data are often heterogeneous and difficult to integrate with other sources of information about plant phenology. In this talk, I present ongoing work to address both of these challenges. First, I will discuss recent efforts to develop a machine reasoning system and knowledge base, built around the Plant Phenology Ontology, that can “understand” different kinds of phenology data, enabling automated integration of disparate herbarium phenology data with phenology data from other sources. Second, I will discuss preliminary results of experimental efforts to use computer vision and machine learning techniques to automatically extract phenology data from images of herbarium specimen sheets.

I

nsect herbivores and their host plants compose much of macroscopic diversity. Yet, our understanding of how global change affects their relationships has been limited by a lack of data. Here, we show that herbaria can provide critical data on how insect damage to plants (herbivory) responds to climate change. We find that, for four plant species in the northeastern USA, insect herbivory has increased by 23% over the past 112 years, and we provide evidence that this is a result of winter warming. Because insect herbivory is important for key ecosystem processes—such as crop production and carbon storage-our results suggest that these ecosystem functions may also be impacted by climate change. In a larger study of twenty plant species within this same region, we show that species' phenological sensitivities to warming may affect how herbivory has changed over time. There is mounting evidence that, in the short-term, plant species that can track changing temperatures have a fitness advantage over coexisting species that are less sensitive. However, we find that phenologically sensitive, spring-blooming species are more likely to have experienced increasing herbivory over the past century, and this shift in herbivory pressure may reduce plant fitness over longer timescales, with consequences for community composition and stability.

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

43

MAZER, SUSAN* and PARK, ISAAC

Climate affects the rate at which species successively flower: capturing an emergent property of regional floras using herbarium specimen data

C

1

Harvard University Herbaria, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States2University of Vermont, Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources, Burlington, VT, USA3University of Vermont, Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources, Burlington, VT4University of British Columbia, Departments of Botany, Forest & Conservation Sciences, BC, CA

limate affects the first flowering date (FFD) of many species. Little is known, however, about how climate influences the emergent properties of regional floras, including the rate at which taxa sequentially initiate flowering. Here, we evaluate the effects of local climate on the seasonal distribution of FFDs among species across North America using the electronic records for >874,000 herbarium specimens, representing >2,500 taxa. We observed that local temperature influences the rate at which species successively flower. As mean annual temperature increases over space, this rate increases among taxa that flower in mid- to late spring, but decreases among the latest-flowering taxa. We determined that these temperature-related changes in the rate at which species successively flower are due to climateinduced intraspecific changes in FFD rather than to differences in taxonomic composition among climatically distinct regions. If future warming intensifies this effect, then inter-specific competition for pollinator visitation among both sets of co-flowering species would also be expected to change.

University of California, Santa Barbara, Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, UCEN Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 931016, USA

23


45

PEARSON, KATELIN

Estimating peak flowering from specimen data calibrated by phenological observations

M

any studies of plant phenology using herbarium specimens have assessed phenophase on a simplistic binary scale (e.g., flowers present or absent); however, because phenological events may occur over protracted periods of time, estimates of phenophase timing resulting from these methods may be imprecise and unreliable. More conservative methods such as only including specimens with 50% of reproductive structures in a certain phenophase may be more precise but limit the size of the resulting dataset, which may result in insufficient statistical power to distinguish phenological trends. To overcome these limitations in my own study of the phenological sensitivity of asteraceous species to climate, I developed a novel method to estimate the peak flowering date of each of 10,000+ specimens by combining phenological assessment of specimen images and flowering duration data collected in the field. Here I describe this method, compare model performance when using my method versus other methods of phenophase determination, and assess the strengths and limitations of this new approach.

Florida State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States

46

GERST, KATHARINE

Advances in the Delivery of Observational Data and Pheno Forecast Maps from the USA National Phenology Network

T

he USA National Phenology Network (USANPN; www.usanpn.org) serves science and society by promoting a broad understanding of plant and animal phenology and the relationships among phenological patterns, climate, and environmental change. Data collected by citizen and professional scientists through Nature's Notebook -- a nationalscale, multi-taxa phenology observation program -- serve USA-NPN strategic goals of advancing science and informing decisions. Since 2009 over 9,000 Nature's Notebook participants have contributed over 13 million observation records of plants and animals across the United States to the National Phenology Database. These phenology data and resultant products are being used in a rapidly growing number of applications for science, conservation and resource management, including over 30 peer-reviewed publications to date. Here we describe recent advances in the production and delivery of phenology data products derived from in-situ organismal data. We will also share new approaches to phenology forecasting through the delivery of maps that communicate the timing of spring and invasive pest activity. In this talk we will describe the "Phenology Observation Portal" tool used by USA-NPN to deliver four types of user-customized datasets: (a) Status and Intensity Data, (b) Individual Phenometrics, (c) Site Phenometrics, and (d) Magnitude Phenometrics. We will discuss advances in the delivery and analysis of a broad range of phenological metrics derived from observational data at multiple scales including phenophase onset, peak, and end dates, as well as duration and periodicity. In addition, we will demonstrate a new functionality within the USA-NPN Visualization Tool to generate temporal activity curves that can be used to investigate the shape of phenological behavior and the intra-annual overlap in activity between interacting taxa (e.g. plants and pollinators). Using this tool, we will also show how to explore real-time phenology forecast maps as well as contemporary and historic maps that show the timing of spring across the United States. Finally, we present an overview of the framework we use to ensure data are of high quality. These data can be easily integrated with additional observational datasets, including herbaria, climate, phenocam, and land surface phenology data to create value-added phenology products. We will describe how data are being used for a variety of applications, from predictive phenological model development to validation of remote sensing products. We invite researchers and partners to explore these freely available observational and gridded data resources (www.usanpn. org/data) to address a wide range of science questions and management needs. University Of Arizona, School Of Natural Resources And The Environment, 1311 East 4th Street, Biological Sciences East, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA with an institutional history of staggering scientific significance. It is a lesson for women today about the journey to establish one's place in the world. It shines a light on how to focus and see nature around us, inspiring us to protective action. A forgotten life, full of extraordinary accomplishments, travel, tragic family entanglements - an artist's brush with life and a disappearing natural environment. Holland writes to bring the excitement of yesterday's discovery to today's generations, protecting tomorrow's resources. She wonders how could England's most prolific, award winning, and published natural history and botanical artist be a secret? Holland has discovered that Mary Emily Eaton, to survive being a “redundant” British single woman, moved to America in 1911, and there her legacy lay hidden for almost 90 years. “Too much cannot be said in praise of the 120 pages of flower paintings contributed by Miss Mary E. Eaton, of the New York Botanical Garden. Those best qualified to judge regard Miss Eaton the greatest of living wildflower painters. She has not only painted the likeness of the flowers with the highest botanical accuracy, but she has been able also to put the very soul of the plants into her paintings.” -William Joseph Showalter, Washington, D.C. 1924 in the Foreword to the National Geographic Society, The Book of Wildflowers. This presentation will share the story of challenges facing a British single woman artist at the turn of the century, and her notable achievements in Somerset, London, Worcester, Jamaica and New York. It will feature the valuable collection of watercolors, line drawings, Royal Worcester (James Hadley) floral painted china, and associated documentation of the life and art of Mary Emily Eaton, establishing her well-deserved but previously languishing legacy.

Trail Blazing Women as botanical artists in the 19th and 20th century Sponsored by Canadian Botanical Association, and Botanical Society of America’s Developmental and Structural, and Historical Sections

47

GARBER, MARILYN A.

A Painted Herbarium: The Life and Art of Emily Hitchcock Terry (1838-1921)

M

arilyn Garber, founder of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art, will tell the story of Emily Hitchcock Terry, Minnesota's first botanical artist. Her presentation will be based on the book, A Painted Herbarium-the Life and Art of Emily Hitchcock Terry (1838-1921) written by Beatrice Scheer Smith, the presenters friend and mentor. Terry was the scientifically and aesthetically gifted daughter of a highly intellectual and artistic Massachusetts family. An early graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she began her formal study of art at The Cooper Union in New York City in 1865, where her training in drawing and watercolor painting was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite movement. In 1872 Terry moved to Minnesota, where she was an avid plant collector and painted the flora she saw. Rather than creating a conventional herbarium of pressed specimens, she created instead a “painted herbarium.” Terry's passion for botany - “As long as I live I shall work in botany, if I have any eyes to see” - was communicated to others through her artistic talent. Her collection of over 140 paintings, which scientifically document the flora of several areas of America, has remained almost totally unrecognized for more than one hundred years. Her watercolor images of the Minnesota flora, painted from nature, are the earliest known botanical illustrations in the state. Emily Terry's contributions to Minnesota's botanical history is unique. Her story, however, stands alongside those of countless women throughout history whose contributions have yet to be recognized, a story not unlike many other amateur women botanists of its time.

222 West Avenue C, Bismarck, ND, 58501, United States

49

CAOMHANACH, NUALA 1, HOLLAND, SUSAN 2, JESS, ROBIN 3, WOODIN, CAROL* 4 and GARBER, MARILYN 5

Margaret Mee and the Environmental Ethic in Contemporary Botanical Art

B

Minnesota School of Botanical Art, 4800 Minnehaha Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, USA

48

HOLLAND, SUSAN

The Garden of Eaton: Botanical Adventures of Mary Emily Eaton (18731961)

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ublic historian Susan H. Holland presents The Garden of Eaton, The Botanical Adventures of Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961). This timely book is about the connection between an artist, her watercolor brush, and newly described native plants identified by botanists at the New York Botanical Garden. It is a personal, untold story of a new career pathway forged by one orphaned, spinster woman braided

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otanical artist Margaret Mee began her Amazon diaries in 1956 and made many trips upriver documenting plants, some new to science, until her death in 1988. She witnessed firsthand the changes occurring in the region during that time period and modeled a new ethic for botanical artists who followed her. This ethic included a concern about environmental change and a desire to engage the public in that concern. Her works ranged from individual specimen paintings on white ground to paintings telling a broader story about the plant's habitat. She and a handful of other artists were the beginning of a new wave of botanical artists and illustrators, now numbering in the thousands worldwide who represent a full-fledged revitalization of the field. While some focus on plants of garden origin, a significant proportion of artists working today depict wild species with a conservation/biodiversity focus. Most botanical artists are self-employed women,


some pursuing subjects independently and others working with scientists, conservationists, authors, curators, and other artists. This renaissance has culminated in Botanical Art Worldwide, a global collaboration of botanical artists, organizations, and institutions presenting simultaneous national exhibitions at major cultural/botanical institutions in twenty-five countries. Each exhibition features contemporary artwork of its country's indigenous plants, and each venue shares a selection of the participating countries' artworks through a digital slideshow. Plants depicted range from widespread to uncommon to endangered, communicating the importance of botanical diversity to new audiences. 1

New York University/AMNH, Department of History, 53 Washington Square, Manhattan, New York, NY, 10002, USA2222 West Avenue C, Bismarck, ND, 58501, United States3American Society of Botanical Artists, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx,, NY, 10458, USA4American Society of Botanical Artists, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, USA5The American Society Of Botanical Artists

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JESS, ROBIN

Anne Ophelia Todd Dowden: Botanical Artist and Author

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nne Ophelia Todd Dowden (1907 - 2007) was a botanical artist and author. This simple statement belies the extent of her influence as a popular illustrator and as a conveyor of botanical knowledge to the general public. Anne wrote, illustrated and designed nine books and five magazine articles on plant themes including the eye-opening Wild Green Things in the City: A Book of Weeds and books authored by others such as Plants of Christmas by H. Borland (1969). Anne Ophelia's artwork introduced many readers to the intricacies of plant structure and function through articles in well-read magazines such as Life and House Beautiful. Charmed by her beautiful paintings and clear, straightforward writing, those garden and plant enthusiasts learned about botany and natural relationships. This overview of her work and life, featuring Anne Ophelia's illustrations, will pay homage to an innovator in connecting people to plants through art. The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA

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CAOMHANACH, NUALA

Trail Blazing Women as botanical artists in the 19th and 20th century

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bstract: Botanical art and illustration is a centuries-old tradition of portraying plants for medical and botanical research, documenting species for the historical record, and capturing the aesthetics of the botanical world. As botany began to professionalize in the nineteenth century, the feminization of scientific botanical illustration was already underway. Women entered into this endeavor for two main reasons, on the one hand there were many wives, sisters and daughters who drew plant specimens for their fathers, brothers and husbands. These were familial favors and gentlewomanly pastimes that translated the botanical world onto paper. There were however, women artists who earned their keep as artisans in their own right. By specializing in botany, these women asserted a form of independence within a male-dominated discipline. Through a combination of dismissal and neglect these women artists contributions to science and the art of botany were undermined, and often forgotten. This symposium will share the results of these intrepid and independent women who emerge not only as accomplished botanical illustrators, but as successful marketers and educators of the science, beauty, and the increasingly critical importance of botanical knowledge. By organizing a symposium focusing on botanical illustration, we will be able to synthesize multiple relevant themes--gender, women, class, race, empire, science --and improve our understanding of the role of the visual arts in botany today. Relevance: The symposium is designed to provide an opportunity for hearing different perspectives on the role of women in botany, the concepts and practice of creating and spreading knowledge, and address the many questions that it will raise. New York University/AMNH, Department of History, 53 Washington Square, Manhattan, New York, NY, 10002, USA


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA Production at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. Bailey's early association with Edmund Sinnott led to important highly creative scholarship on paleoclimatological history (based on analyses of the environmental correlates of leaf margin morphology), as well as ground-breaking insights into the origins of herbaceousness among angiosperms. Bailey also published a number of papers on myrmecophytes, studied the pollination biology of Marcgravia, tackled the question of the "primitive" morphology of the angiosperm flower, and in the last phase of his career, examined anatomical and evolutionary patterns in the Cactaceae through a series of studies of the "leafbearing" members (Pereskia et al.). Administratively, Bailey authored a 1945 report to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard which recommended the consolidation of the botanical sciences to Cambridge - thus paving the way for the transfer of the Arnold Arboretum Herbarium and much of its renowned library from the grounds of the Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. This report, now referred to as the "Bailey Plan," led to more than 20 years of extreme controversy and litigation that ended officially with a split vote (3-2) of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 1966 that allowed the consolidation plan to stand. Throughout this period, Bailey felt the sting of the controversy. Beyond his significant scholarly achievements and influence on the course of the plant sciences at Harvard, Bailey was known for homemade beach plum jelly that he gave away to friends on special occasions.

100 years of Baileyan Trends — Wood Evolution, Function and Future 52

JONES, CYNTHIA* 1, WHEELER, ELIZABETH 2 and BAAS, PIETER 3

100 years of Baileyan Trends -Wood Evolution, Function and Future

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e propose a symposium to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the publication of Bailey and Tupper's classical paper "Size variation in tracheary cells: I. A comparison between the secondary xylems of vascular cryptograms, gymnosperms and angiosperms". Figure 6 from this paper, which illustrates evolutionary trends from tracheids to fibers on one side and from tracheids to vessels on the other, remains one of the most widely used images in botany. Bailey's insights into xylem evolution were derived primarily from comparative studies of lengths of tracheary elements across a wide range of vascular plants. In keeping with Bailey's themes, we have chosen to focus on the context of his work and on evolution of xylem. We will present current thoughts on the evolutionary trends in secondary xylem extending from fossils through the most recent APG classification, and then move to ecophysiological context driving wood evolution, the evolution of pit structure and other functional xylem traits. We will include recent work on secondary evolution of woodiness and will conclude with a perspective that focuses on possible directions for the future of wood anatomy in the Anthropocene.

Harvard University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 1300 Centre Street, Boston, MA, 02131, USA

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BAAS, PIETER* 1 and WHEELER, ELISABETH 2

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University of Connecticut, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology2North Carolina State University3Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Herbarium Division, Leiden, Netherlands

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Irving Widmer Bailey's Contributions to Wood Anatomy

FRIEDMAN, WILLIAM E

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.W. Bailey (1884-1967) is mostly remembered for his comprehensive hypothesis on the evolution of xylem attributes in angiosperms (see Wheeler & Baas in this session). However, his genius also extended to other fields in wood anatomy, most notably concerning 1) bordered pit structure and function in conifers, and their significance for the preservative treatment of timber; 2) cytology and activity of the vascular cambium; 3) ultrastructure of the woody cell wall, accurately predicting the microfibrillar organization and microfibrillary directions from X-ray diffraction and polarized light microscopy (with T.Kerr, M.R. Vestal and E.E. Berkley) long before the application of electron microscopy; 4) structure and systematic and diagnostic significance of vestured pits throughout the dicotyledons; 5) setting standards for identification of living and fossil woods, by exploring intraspecific variation in wood anatomy; 6) monographic studies of the wood anatomy and reproductive morphology of plant families that remain key to understanding the evolution and phylogeny of the angiosperms. His pioneering

Who was Irving Widmer Bailey?

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hile the symposium "100 years of Baileyan trends - wood evolution, function and future" will focus on Bailey's contributions to the study of wood anatomy, there is much more to his life and scholarly career than secondary xylem. Born in New Hampshire, much of Bailey's childhood was lived in Peru, where his father oversaw the construction of the Harvard Astronomical Observatory outside of Arequipa. This experience led to life-long passions for archeology and natural history, as well as a love of the outdoors. Harvard educated, Bailey was inspired by Gifford Pinchot to pursue a career in forestry, and subsequently earned a Master's degree from Harvard in 1909. Bailey would spend the rest of his career as a member of the faculty at Harvard, first in the Bussey Institution (adjacent to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston) and later in Cambridge. During the First World War, Bailey's knowledge of wood structural properties was put to use at the Bureau of Aircraft

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publications starting about a century ago in all these fields are still highly relevant. We will briefly review these and highlight some recent advances in wood anatomy and tree biology that are firmly rooted in Bailey's classical studies 1

Emeritus Professor Of Systematic Botany, PO Box 9514, Leiden, 2300 RA, Netherlands2DEPT OF WOOD & PAPER SCIENCE, 710 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC, 27607, United States

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WHEELER, ELISABETH* 1 and BAAS, PIETER 2

Baileyan Trends and the Fossil Record

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ailey & Tupper's classic 1918 paper on size variation in tracheary cells in vascular plants proposed a bidirectional transformation series from tracheids to vessel elements and from tracheids to libriform fibers, reflecting a "division of labor" for conductance and support. Their classic illustration (Fig. 6) summarizes their ideas for changes in 1) vessel elements, from relatively long and narrow with scalariform perforation plates and scalariform-opposite intervessel pits to shorter vessel elements with simple perforation plates and alternate intervessel pits, and 2) fibers, with a reduction in size and number of pits. Subsequently, Frost (1930) elaborated on trends in perforation plates and intervessel pitting, and Kribs (1935) proposed "lines of specialization" for rays and axial parenchyma, based on correlations with vessel element features. In 1991, we examined the fossil record of dicotyledonous wood and found general support for these Baileyan trends. Because of additional information about fossil angiosperm woods accumulated over the last 25 years, we re-examined the fossil wood record to look at incidences of wood anatomical features through geologic time. Features examined were vessel element length, perforation plates, intervessel pitting, ray type and axial parenchyma distribution, and ring-porosity, which, in 1924, Bailey described as a specialized feature "closely associated with the acquisition of a pronounced resting period and a deciduous habit." Data used come from the InsideWood web site. At temperate latitudes (Laurasia and high latitude Gondwana), an epoch by epoch time series supports the Baileyan transformation series; "primitive" features such as scalariform perforations, apotracheal diffuse parenchyma and heterocellular rays are common in the Cretaceous and become much less frequent in the Cenozoic (especially post-Eocene). In contrast, in the paleotropics, each epoch has an equally "modern" spectrum of wood anatomical features. In Laurasia (North America, Europe, temperate Asia), ring porosity occurs at low levels in the Cretaceous and Paleogene and reaches modern levels in the Miocene. In the tropics, there is a low incidence of ring porosity and helical thickenings throughout all epochs. We suggest that tropical conditions have accelerated xylem evolution towards greater hydraulic efficiency (selection for simple perforations), biological defense and hydraulic repair (elaborate paratracheal parenchyma patterns).

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N.C. State University, Forest Biomaterials, Raleigh, NC, 276958005, USA2Emeritus Professor Of Systematic Botany, PO Box 9514, Leiden, 2300 RA, Netherlands

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WIEMANN, MICHAEL* 1, KAPPELMAN, JOHN 2, JACOBS, BONNIE F. 3 and PAN, AARON 4

Fossil Woods of Chilga, Ethiopia

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hilga, in the Gondar region of Ethiopia at 2,000 m elevation, is now dominated by pasture and sparse woodland but was covered with large forest trees during the late Oligocene (27 Ma). Remnants of these trees are found today as in situ silicified stumps and logs. Identification of 35 genera among the preserved wood reveals that their nearest living relatives are today found in woodlands or rain forests across Africa, with only six genera still found in the Gondar region. Here, we analyze the wood anatomy of these fossils, and hypothesize that to support the forest physiognomy represented, the climate of the northern Ethiopian Highlands during the late Oligocene had to have been wetter with a much shorter dry season than it experiences today. However, Baileyan trends could confound the ability of wood physiognomy to predict climate, because many anatomical features have varied over time.

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Forest Products Lab, 5710 Dorsett Drive, Madison, WI, 53711, United States2University of Texas, Departments of Anthropology and Geological Sciences, Austin, TX, 787123Southern Methodist University, Roy M. Huffington Dept. Of Earth Sciences, 3225 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75275, United States4Don Harrington Discovery Center, Amarillo , TX, 79106

57 PACE , MARCELO RODRIGO* 1 and ANGYALOSSY, VERONICA 2 Using phylogenies to re-evaluate xylem and phloem evolution

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heories on xylem and phloem evolution were advanced by Bailey and subsequent researchers based on parallels between tracheary cell attributes and the ideas of plant relationships of their times. At present, numerous phylogenies have been published and we have new paradigms of biological evolution, making it timely to reassess xylem and phloem diversification and test the proposals advanced in the past. Here we use the pantropical families Bignoniaceae from the Lamiids and Malpighiaceae from the Rosids to investigate xylem and phloem diversification and their possible correlations with habit and habitat transitions, using well-supported phylogenies and a broad sampling. Our results show that different lineages evolve in seemingly opposite directions in both xylem and phloem. In Bignoniaceae, the rays evolved in the Neotropical trees from heterocellular to homocellular, while in Neotropical lianas the opposite occurred. Ray height and width also seemed to be influenced by habit transitions, with lianas evolving higher and wider rays, and perforated ray cells. Axial parenchyma decrease in the transition from trees to lianas in both Bignoniaceae and Malpighiaceae, while vascular cambial variants appeared multiple times. Apotracheal parenchyma evolved from ancestral with only paratracheal parenchyma in both families. In the phloem of Bigno-


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA niaceae, some lineages evolved toward an increase in the number of sieve areas per sieve plate and others toward a decrease. This variation seems to be involved with the evolution of fiber abundance. Using phylogenies to reconstruct ancestral character states for more groups will likely help us shed light on the patterns of evolution and increase our understanding on the processes of diversification of the plant vascular system as a whole.

important questions in the evolution of xylem, such as which xylem synapomorphies characterize the major clades of vascular plants, as well as adaptive questions such has the role that xylem plays in plant climate adaptation and as a locus of selection in plant metabolic evolution. Instituto de Biologí a, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Botánica, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico

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Smithsonian Institution, Botany Department, Constitution Avenue & 10th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA2Universidade De São Paulo, Botany, Rua Do Matao 277, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil

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FRANKIEWICZ, KAMIL* 1, OSKOLSKI, ALEXEI 2, FERNANDES, FRANCISCO 3, REDURON, JEAN-PIERRE 4, REYES BETANCORT, ALFREDO 5, BANASIAK, Å UKASZ 1 and SPALIK, KRZYSZTOF

OLSON, MARK

Shedding comparative wood anatomy of its Baileyan baggage

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Wood anatomy in secondarily woody carrots: Do paedomorphic traits result from mechanical constraints?

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. W. Bailey's Major Trends of Xylem Evolution (MTXE) are often hailed as a watershed in comparative anatomy, but in reality they have significantly retarded progress in the field. Though Bailey was working well within the modern evolutionary period, he used a pre-darwinian conceptual framework, with the MTXE being an attempt to arrange all plants along a primitive-specialized linear “phylogenetic” scheme. This anachronistic effort invoked tenets, such as phylogeny describing a linear scale of inexorable progress and Haeckelian “ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny,” that had been cogently rejected by evolutionary biologists well before 1918. Even judged by its own lights, Baileyan thinking was sloppy, with the key term “specialization” never defined and used in at least six different and often contradictory senses. Nevertheless, wood anatomists wholeheartedly followed Baileyan thinking for five decades, meaning that virtually the entire comparative anatomical literature until 1965 is of negligible scientific value beyond wood descriptions. There are no causal hypotheses to be found in the entire Baileyan canon, no cause ever postulated regarding what might drive the MTXE; only until 1966 (100 years after Darwin) was the first serious effort to interpret wood features as adaptive responses to the environment published. This, Carlquist's “ecological wood anatomy” is now the framework most anatomists use to interpret wood from a functional point of view, not the MTXE. Despite consensus that much of wood structure is an adaptive response to habit and habitat, comparative wood anatomy is largely dominated by wood identification and its associated reasoning, leading to the production of atlases and character checklists. But the important questions in wood anatomy have to do with evolution (questions of function, which implies adaptation, or systematics), and neither atlases nor checklists contribute to these evolutionary efforts. To move comparative anatomy forward, anatomists should first and foremost be trained as evolutionary biologists, and thus be equipped to address questions of adaptation and systematics, and only after as anatomists or physiologists. Such training will optimally position students of xylem to address the many outstanding

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mbellifer tribe Daucinae comprises mostly herbaceous species with the notable exception of few rosette treelets, recently transferred to the carrot genus (Daucus): Daucus decipiens (=Melanoselinum decipiens), D. edulis (=Monizia edulis), D. elegans (=Cryptotaenia elegans), and some species formerly placed in Tornabenea. Character mapping on molecular phylogenetic tree shows that all woody species of Daucinae are derived from herbaceous ancestors. According to Carlquist's theory of paedomorphosis, secondarily woody species should exhibit juvenile traits protracted into mature secondary xylem. To check this hypothesis, we studied stem structure in 19 representatives of Daucinae, both woody and herbaceous. We found that among the paedomorphic wood traits sensu Carlquist only predominately upright and square cells in ray composition are common, while D.elegans shows also a delayed ray development. Another presumed paedomorphic trait, the scalariform intervessel pitting with wide pit apertures, was found only in D.edulis. Other than that, the secondary xylem of Daucinae is non-paedomorphic. The presence of upright and square ray cells can be explained by the fact that the studied species have a narrow wood cylinder; therefore, the formation of procumbent cells is hampered due to a limited radial growth. The delayed ray development in D. elegans results in stem reinforcement, which is much needed in this rosette treelet with slender stalk branching in its upper parts. The scalariform intervessel pitting in D. edulis is probably associated with the parenchymatization of its wood, a feature related to plant life history. Monocarpic Daucinae tend to display fibrous wood, while polycarpic species exhibit pervasive axial parenchyma. Daucus edulis is a perennial polycarpic rosette treelet and its unbranched stem contains highly parenchymatized wood at vegetative stage. The onset of the flowering stage and the production of numerous lateral stems coincides with the formation of fibrous wood, hence we speculate that

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the latter process is also regulated by gibberellic acid. Concluding, the wood of secondarily woody carrots is generally non-paedomorphic while its few paedomorphic traits are most likely associated with wood parenchymatization and a limited radial growth, and with the mechanical constraints imposed by the rosette tree habit. 1

University of Warsaw, Faculty Of Biology,, Depart. Of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, University Of Warsaw Biological And Chemical Centre, Zwirki i Wigury 101, Warszawa, PL-02-089, Poland2Botanical Museum, Prof Popov Str. 2, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russian Federation3Jardim Botânico da Madeira, Eng. Rui Vieira Caminho do Maio, Bom Sucesso, Funchal, Madeira, 9064512, Portugal4VIA APIA, 10 rue de l'Arsenal, Mulhouse, 68100, France5Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotava (ICIA), C/Retama no. 2, Puerto de la Cruz, S/C de Tenerife, 38400, Spain6University Of Warsaw, Faculty Of Biology, Dept. Of Molecular Phylogenetics And Evolution, University Of Warsaw Biological And Chemical Centre, Zwirki I Wigury 101, Warszawa, PL-02-089, Poland

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DÓRIA , LARISSA CHACON* 1, PODADERA, DIEGO 2, DEL ARCO, MARCELINO 3, CHAUVIN, THIBAUD 4, SMETS, ERIK 5, DELZON, SYLVAIN 6 and LENS, FREDERIC 7

Insular woody daisies (Argyranthemum, Asteraceae) are more resistant to drought-induced hydraulic failure than their herbaceous relatives

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nsular woodiness refers to the evolutionary transition from herbaceousness towards derived woodiness on (sub)tropical islands, and leads to island floras that have a higher proportion of woody species compared to floras of nearby continents. Several hypotheses have tried to explain insular woodiness since Darwin's original observations, but experimental evidence why plants became woody on islands is scarce at best. Here, we combine experimental measurements of hydraulic failure in stems (as a proxy for drought stress resistance) with stem anatomical observations in the daisy lineage (Asteraceae), including insular woody Argyranthemum species from the Canary Islands and their herbaceous continental relatives. Our results show that stems of insular woody daisies are more resistant to droughtinduced hydraulic failure than the stems of their herbaceous counterparts. The anatomical character that best predicts variation in embolism resistance is intervessel pit membrane thickness (TPM), which can be functionally linked with air bubble dynamics throughout the 3D vessel network. There is also a strong link between TPM vs degree of woodiness and thickness of the xylem fiber wall vs embolism resistance, resulting in an indirect link between lignification and resistance to embolism formation. Thicker intervessel pit membranes in Argyranthemum functionally explain why this insular woody genus is more embolism resistant to drought-induced failure compared to the herbaceous relatives from which it has evolved, but additional data are needed to confirm that palaeoclimatic drought conditions has trig-

gered wood formation in this daisy lineage. 1

Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Botany / Understanding Evolution, Vondellaan 55, Leiden, 2332 AA, Netherlands2UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil3La Laguna University, Department of Plant Biology, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain4University of Clermont Auvergne, INRA, Clermont-Ferrand, 63100 , France5Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, Leiden, 2300 RA, Netherlands6University of Bordeaux, BIOGECO, INRA, Cestas, 33610 , France7Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, Leiden, 2300RA, Netherlands

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SPICER, RACHEL* 1, JOHNSON, DANIEL , ECKARDT, PHOEBE 2, ALSAMADISI, NOAH 2, NOBLE, HILARY 3 and MARTIN, CELIA 4 2

Vessel development and auxin transport in the model woody plant Populus

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he origin of the vessel was a critical event in plant evolution and allowed angiosperms to colonize new environments, ultimately contributing to their diversification. Despite this importance, the developmental origin of vessels from their undifferentiated meristematic precursors is poorly understood. In particular, although the later stages of vessel development - wall deposition, wall sculpting and loss of the protoplast - have been described in a handful of species, very little is known about how vessels are specified and vessel dimensions are determined. Here we present evidence in Populus that auxin transport in the cambial zone and developing xylem tissue is likely involved in regulating the spatial arrangement (and hence, specification) and dimensions of vessels. We reduced the rate of auxin transport through the cambium by applying the auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) to the epidermis in longitudinal strips and allowed plants to continue growing for 4-5 weeks. Although fibers were largely unchanged, vessels formed following this treatment appeared in wide tangential bands and were tightly clustered, small in diameter and square in cross-section. They were also short: normal vessels (i.e., vessels in control plants and in the untreated longitudinal strips of treated plants) ranged from 1 to 10 cm long whereas treated vessels rarely exceeded 2 cm. Although treated vessels took on the appearance of tracheids in cross-section, a silicone infusion method used to measure their length indicated that they were perforate, although possibly only several cells long in many cases. Although auxin has long been known to specify the location of vascular strands, a role of auxin specific to vessel formation is developmentally distinct. Given that auxin is synthesized in growing shoots and rapidly expanding leaves, its downward transport could serve to coordinate hydraulic capacity in the stem with foliar demand. Better knowledge of which auxin transport proteins are involved in this process and the extent to which NPA affects auxin transport rates are both critical to future progress in this area. 1

Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Ave, New London, CT, 06320, United States2Connecticut College, Botany Department3Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL4Connecticut College, Biology


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 62

SCHENK, H. JOCHEN* 1 and JANSEN, STEVEN 2

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Apoplastic lipids in water-conducting cells: A universal feature in land plants

Three dimensional xylem organization and its implications for water transport during drought

BRODERSEN, CRAIG* 1, WASON, JAY and HUGGETT, BRETT 3 2

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volution caused many changes in the structure and function of xylem in vascular plants, but one feature that appears to be consistent in all xylem is the presence of apoplastic lipids, which line the lumen-facing wall surfaces of vessels and tracheids. Until very recently, such lipid layers were viewed as rare occurrences, such as in resurrection plants, but new research and a reexamination of previously published work provide evidence for their existence in ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms, and even in the hydroids of bryophytes. The new evidence comes from transmission electron micrographs of specimens pretreated with osmium tetroxide, which binds mainly to carbon double bonds in unsaturated fatty acid chains of lipids, from dye injections of fluorescent lipid tracers into xylem, and from lipidomic analyses of xylem sap. Mass spectrometry of xylem sap lipids revealed the presence of phospho- and galactolipids in the sap of angiosperms. Because osmium tetroxide is a standard fixative in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), previously published images of hydroids in bryophytes, and xylem in ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms were reexamined to detect apoplastic lipid linings in water-conducting cells. They were evident in nearly every TEM image of specimens prefixed with osmium tetroxide but not in images of specimens treated with other fixatives. The presence of apoplastic lipids in the hydraulic systems of all these very different plants suggests that they play a vital function in plant water transport and are not just cytoplasmic remnants without function, as previously suggested. We hypothesize that apoplastic lipids allow water transport via the cohesion-tension mechanism by preventing embolism formation from pre-existing gas bubbles in the system. While this hypothesis remains to be tested, this presentation focusses on the evidence for apoplastic lipids in water-conducting cells across the phylogeny of land plants.

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ncreasing intensity and return frequency of drought may expose many tree species to stress levels beyond their physiological thresholds. One critical mechanism underlying tree mortality is failure of the hydraulic system. Xylem vessel networks are vulnerable to the formation and spread of gas-embolisms during drought that interrupt water transport. Xylem resistance to drought is often characterized by measuring the percent loss of conductivity (PLC) for a given degree of water stress. The shape of this PLC curve, and thus the xylem network's resistance to the spread of embolisms, is primarily driven by the air-seeding threshold of the pit membranes that separate individual vessels, and the connectivity of the xylem network. Xylem network parameters, however, are difficult to measure because of the inherent complexity of wood. To better understand how xylem networks are structured, and how the organization of xylem conduits translates to hyraulic performance under a range of conditions, we used high-resolution X-ray computed micro-tomography (microCT) imaging to study four North American hardwood tree species, and different tissue types. We digitally extracted xylem network parameters from our samples (pit field fraction, total pit area, number and frequency of intervessel connections, etc.) and then developed a custom software package to model network performance under a range of conditions. The xylem networks are extremely sensitive to the initial conditions, and increasing connectivity between vessels across the network leads to greater risk of systemic spread, and the hydraulic segmentation of different tissue types (e.g. roots and petioles) leads to significant differences in network performance. The modeled PLC curves showed good agreement with empirical methods, and represent a significant advance in our understanding of the relationships between the structure and function of plant vascular systems.

1

California State University Fullerton, Department Of Biological Science, PO Box 6850, Fullerton, CA, 92834, United States2Institute Of Systematic Botany And Ecology, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm University, Ulm, D-89081, Germany

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Yale University, School Of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 195 Prospect Street, Kroon Hall, New Haven, CT, 06511, United State2 s Yale University, School Of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, US3Bates College, Biology, 44 Campus Ave, Lewiston , ME, 04240, United States

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64

A synthesis of new paleontological and phylogenomic perspectives on gymnosperm evolution

ZIEMINSKA, KASIA

The future of wood anatomy

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rees and shrubs are the most important land carbon sink and woody species make up almost 50% of all vascular species. Therefore, explaining wood functions is a pressing task for the future. However, this task cannot be fully achieved without an understanding of the underlying anatomical structure. In this talk, I will briefly summarize current state of wood anatomical knowledge and identify its gaps. Next, I will explore future research directions and approaches. Recent data accumulation, more powerful and accessible statistical methods and collaborative efforts of scientist with various types of expertise have contributed to the progress and paved path for future research. For example, new worldwide compilation of data on parenchyma proportions has highlighted the vast diversity in this trait. However, the ecological and functional meaning of this variation is unclear pointing to potentially exciting new frontiers. Another example is a study, which combined large phylogenetic and conduit diameter datasets. That analysis has indicated that possessing small conduits and/or deciduousness were allowed woody clades to move into freezing prone climates. What evolutionary roles, could have been played by other tissues, fibers and parenchyma, remains uncovered? Wood anatomy also plays a crucial role in uncovering the meaning of commonly measured plant functional traits, for example, wood density, which is an emergent trait of wood structure. Wood density correlates with many ecological and physiological traits but in order to better explain the functional meaning of these correlations, we need to understand exactly what wood density is. This task has been underway, especially in recent years. Yet, more effort needs to be put into implementing this knowledge. Similarly, wood anatomy can be indispensable in deciphering tree physiology. It has been recently shown that many species have neither efficient nor safe water transport challenging the safety-efficiency trade-off. Detailed examination of wood anatomical features of such species may be revealing. The future of wood anatomy points to increased collaboration between scientists with different types of expertise who ultimately ask the same fundamental question: how do plants function and why they grow where they grow. Let's make wood anatomy an indispensable part of this quest.

Sponsored by the Botanical Society of America’s Developmental and Structural, & Genetics Sections 65

NAGALINGUM, NATHALIE* 1 and BURLEIGH, GORDON 2

A synthesis of new paleontological and phylogenomic perspectives on gymnosperm evolution

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ymnosperms, comprising cycads,

1 California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA2University of Florida, Department of Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

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BURLEIGH, GORDON* 1, ENDARA, LORENA 1, ICKERT-BOND, STEFANIE 2 and NAGALINGUM, NATHALIE 3

A Targeted Sequence Capture Approach to the Gymnosperm Phylogeny

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he GoFlag (Genealogy of Flagellate Plants) project developed a probe set to sequence 452 exons from low copy nuclear loci across flagellate plants, including bryophytes, lycophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms. A pilot analysis suggested that a targeted sequence capture approach using this probe set could produce an informative phylogenetic supermatrix that included members of all major flagellate plant lineages. In this study, we examine the performance of sequence data recovered from this targeted enrichment approach to resolve species-level relationships throughout the gymnosperms, focusing on relationships among conifers. We evaluate the ability of this approach to obtain nuclear sequence data across diverse lineages and the phylogenetic information in both exon and the flanking intron regions. We also evaluate issues of gene tree discordance in constructing a tree of extant gymnosperms. We finally discuss future implications for integrating data from this targeted sequence capture approach with other data to integrate extinct taxa in phylogenetic analyses and ultimately resolve a genealogy of gymnosperms.

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02131, USA

1

University of Florida, Department of Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Alaska Fairbanks, Museum Of The North , 1220 Miller Hill Ext., Fairbanks, AK, 99709, United States3 California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA P.O. Box 260 8050, 2-cho, Ikarashi, Nishi-ku, Niigata, Japan5100-1 Kanabachitama-Cyo Sekiya Cyuou-Ku, Niigata, 15, 951-8165, Japan6Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Oak Spring, Upperville, VA, 20184, USA

67

HERENDEEN, PATRICK 1, HERRERA, FABIANY* 2, SHI, GONGLE 3, ICHINNOROV, NIIDEN 4, TAKAHASHI, MASAMICHI 5 and CRANE, PETER 6

68

ICKERT-BOND, STEFANIE* 1 and BURLEIGH, GORDON 2

Diverse Gymnosperm-dominated floras from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia and China

Resolving species-level phylogenetic relationships within Gnetales using targeted-sequence capture from a probe set across all flagellate plants

F

ossils and molecular evidence suggest that all extant and crown conifer families were established by the Early Cretaceous, coeval with the early radiation of angiosperms. In addition, Bennettitales, Ginkgoales, Umkomasiales, and Gnetales were significant floristic elements across Asia during that time. However, recognition of the lineages that lead to extant conifers (e.g., Cupressaceae s. l., Pinaceae) and other gymnosperm groups remains incomplete, mostly due to a partial and inadequately understood fossil record. Exceptionally preserved fossils from the Aptian-Albian (~100-125 Mya) of central Mongolia (e.g., lignified seed and pollen cones, foliage, and wood) and newly discovered permineralized (chert) plants from Inner Mongolia (China) provide a remarkable glimpse of the gymnosperm diversity during this key time in plant evolution. The new fossils show that conifers and other gymnosperm groups dominated the central Mongolian and northern Chinese landscape, from permanently flooded to more drained environments. The floras were composed of archaic and crown conifers lineages, including the voltzian plant Krassilovia and its associated Podozamites leaves, the stem pinaceous taxon Schizolepidopsis, and also Pityostrobus and one the oldest records of Picea (spruce). Three additional taxa show affinities with the subfamilies Cunninghamioideae (Elatides, Pentakonos) and Taiwanioideae (Stutzeliastrobus) of the Cupressaceae s.l. The new fossils also reveal that the enigmatic ginkgophyte Umaltolepis has a peltate, cupulate seed-bearing organ, unlike any other ginkgoalean fossil. At least four Umkomasia species are recognized from the lignite and chert deposits and provide a better understanding of the reproductive architecture of the seed-bearing structures of the enigmatic corystosperms. At least three Bennettitales leaves and associated scales and ovulate organs provide new ecological information on this extinct group. At least four seed types of the Bennettitales, Erdtmanithecales, and Gnetales (the BEG group) are also recognized. Together, all these fossils show that gymnosperms still dominated large areas of Asia during the rise of the angiosperms. Those plants show considerable morphological diversity as well as adaptations for wind pollination and ovule protection during the Early Mesozoic. The underappreciated architectural commonalities among the reproductive structures of the major groups of gymnosperm plants present in these floras will likely add a significant understanding of seed plant evolution.

T

o date resolving species-level phylogenetic relationships within the Gnetales (Gnetum, Ephedra, and Welwitschia) has been confounded by a number of factors: 1) relatively recent evolutionary radiations, 2) extreme rate variation among clades, and 3) conflicting signal within and among a single locus. Resolving these relationships are imperative for inferring biogeographic history as well as for understanding character evolution across the major clades. Most previous work has been based on analysis of chloroplast data - it would be interesting to get a nuclear gene perspective. This project explores the performance of large-scale nuclear gene datasets for resolving species-level relationships within Gnetales using exhaustive sampling across the order. Specifically, we used a targeted-sequence capture method based on a probe set designed to amplify 452 nuclear exons across all flagellate plants. We characterize the performance of this probe set to generate useful phylogenetic datasets across the quickly evolving Gnetales, and we assess whether the amount or quality of the DNA or phylogenetic position of the taxa affect the resulting data. We also compare the usefulness of both the exon data as well as flanking intronic data to resolve relationships within Gnetales, and we compare the resulting relationships with results from previous analyses of chloroplast data. 1

University Of Alaska Fairbanks, Herbarium (ALA) And Dept. Of Biology And Wildlife, University Of Alaska Fairbanks, 907 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States2University Of Florida, Department Of Biology, P.O. Box 118526, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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NAGALINGUM, NATHALIE

Testing the effectiveness of RAD-seq in the cycads

C

ycads are the oldest living group of seed plants with the first fossils recovered from the Permian, and molecular estimates indicating that the living genera arose in the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic. Relationships among the 11 living genera have been difficult to infer with confidence, likely because of their ancient origins and the reliance on chloroplast markers. In the absence of a completed genome sequence or other genomic tools in cycads, RAD-seq (restriction site associated DNA sequencing) can provide numerous markers, especially from the nuclear region. However, for ancient divergence

1

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022.0, United States3Nanjing Institute Of Geology And Palaeontology, Chinese Academy Of Sci, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 32, 210008, China4Institute of Paleontology and Geology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar-51,

33


events RAD-seq often is thought to be ineffective because of “locus drop-out”, that is when taxa develop mutations in the restriction enzyme sites leading to the loss of homologous loci. In this study, RAD-seq was applied to the cycads to test if this approach can be used for deep-time phylogenetics. Using different assembly parameters, three matrices were generated, ranging from almost 90,000 bp and ~50% missing data to approximately 1,600 bp and ~25% missing data. The phylogenies inferred from these matrices were compared to previously inferred cycad relationships and were used to ascertain the utility of RAD-seq for resolving phylogenetic relationships across distantly related taxa. California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA

70

ENDARA, LORENA* 1, CUI, HONG and BURLEIGH, GORDON 1 2

A phenomic matrix for Gymnosperms: Lessons and challenges of using a semiautomated Natural Language Processing approach

U

nderstanding the evolution of phenotypic characters is necessary to elucidate the genealogy of life. We used the gymnosperms as a large-scale case study to evaluate the performance of a Natural Language Processing (NLP) pipeline to extract phenotypic information from across the plant tree of life. We generated a phenotypic matrix for ~1100 extant species of gymnosperms using a semi-automated NLP pipeline specifically designed to extract phenotypic traits from the text in taxonomic descriptions, which are written in an abbreviated syntax and non-standardize language. First, we uploaded the text of the taxonomic descriptions to the ETC website (http://etc.cs.umb.edu/etcsite/); the software then used an unsupervised algorithm to semantically annotate the text. These annotations were used to generate a 'taxon x character' matrix that contained characters and character states extracted from the source text. We evaluated the usefulness and homology of the data from the preliminary matrix, and discretized and coded it. Compared to other approaches for assembling phenotypic data that target the extraction of predefined traits, this novel approach analyzes the complete information from the taxonomic descriptions, thus facilitating character discovery. We describe the different strategies used to optimize our ability to obtain phenotypic data for gymnosperms and the challenges we encountered as the NLP software dealt with increasing numbers of phylogenetically distant taxa and variation in the use of language across the taxonomic literature. This large scale analysis also offers insights on how can we improve the way we use language to write descriptions.

1

University of Florida, Department of Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Arizona, School of Information, PO Box 210074, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA

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LESLIE, ANDREW

Using conifers to explore the challenges of integrating molecular and morphological data in reconstructing gymnosperm phylogeny

M

olecular data has greatly improved our understanding of relationships within major seed plant clades, but can only provide a limited understanding of the phylogeny and patterns of character evolution among higher-level groups because so many are extinct. The fossil record is therefore essential to reconstruct seed plant evolution generally, and gymnosperm evolution specifically, but integrating morphological and molecular approaches remains difficult. Conifers, which have both high extant diversity and an extensive fossil record, are a good group in which to explore some of the challenges in integrating these two types of data. Here I use an updated time-calibrated conifer phylogeny that samples around 90% of all species, and focus on the evolution of conifer reproductive characters, which form the bulk of the characters used in previous morphological conifer phylogenies. Backbone relationships among clades, as revealed by molecular data, can help clarify some long-standing questions in reproductive evolution; for example, they suggest that the highly modified “berry” of Taxaceae must be derived from a more typical ancestral cone. On the other hand, the pervasive “stemminess” of extant conifer phylogeny makes it difficult to infer specific ancestral seed cone states for many major clades and thus to identify potentially useful synapomorphies for placing fossil taxa. In general, fossil seed cones also become increasingly difficult to assign to modern groups before the Jurassic, because characters that are variable in early conifers are often either not present or are not variable in living clades; such non-overlapping variation makes it difficult to build well-resolved and well-supported morphological phylogenies. Detailed analyses of individual characters, combining insights from molecular topologies, functional studies, and the fossil record, may represent a way forward by allowing a greater understanding of the specific morphological characters that must ultimately be used to integrate fossil and molecular data sets.

Brown University, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Box G-W, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States

72

LOOY, CINDY

The evolution of Paleozoic voltzian conifers: the Majonicaceae revisited

T

he voltzian conifer family Majonicaceae (voltzian Voltziales) was originally described based on fertile and vegetative materal from the late Permian of Europe. More recent finds in north-central Texas and northern Italy from deposits of the latest early Permian and the earliest middle Permian considerably extended the temporal and spatial range of this group. Members of this family are characterized by their irregular branching patterns, bifacial ovate


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA to linear medium-sized leaves, and the morphology of the ovuliferous dwarf shoots. The dwarf shoots were organized in cones or fertile zones, had a flattened bilateral organization, lateral to adaxial ovule attachment areas, and a degree of fusion between sporophylls and sterile scales. Before the discovery of the older floras, several authors speculated about the ancestry of the Majonicaceae and it was generally inferred that they evolved from the so-called walchian conifers during the early to middle Permian. An ancestral dwarf shoot form was hypothesized having many sterile scales, a long stalk and lateral ovule attachments. Through time, transformation to more derived conditions would have included initially free dwarf shoots to become partially fused with the bract, shifts in ovule attachment positions, and a reduction of the number of sterile scales. Here I will present an overview of the known Paleozoic voltzian conifers to date, and re-evalute the evolutionairy trends in ovuliferous structures.

an infructescence of the monocot Viracarpon. Takliostrobus and Indostrobus cones have two seeds per cone-scale complex and other features suggesting affinities to Pinaceae. While these taxa show some differences, such as seed shape, the overall similarity suggests they are likely congeneric. In contrast, “Pityostrobus” crassitesta, Mohgaostrobus, and Harrisostrobus all have >5 seeds per cone-scale complex. Seeds are tightly clustered together, much more elongate than wide, and appear to have relatively thick sclerotic seed coats, two chambers, and are surrounded by a parenchymatous tissue, possibly a wing. These seeds are unlike any other gymnosperm seeds we have been able to find to date, and thus raise the possibility that these conifers may represent an extinct, possibly endemic, Indian lineage. Further work is underway to determine their affinities. The taxonomy of the cones needs to be revised and affinities re-considered, but they demonstrate there was some small diversity of conifers in India at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.

University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Bldg #3140, Berkeley, CA, 94708, US

1

Department Of Earth & Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, 2534 CC Little Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States2University Of Michigan, Earth And Environmental Sciences, 1100 N University Ave, 2534 CC Little Bldg, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

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SMITH, SELENA* 1 and MATSUNAGA, KELLY 2

Conifer diversity of the MaastrichtianDanian Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India

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GERNANDT, DAVID* 1, PELáEZ, PABLO , MONTES MONTIEL, RUBÉN 2 , ORTIZ MARTíNEZ, ALFREDO 2 and MORENO LETELIER, ALEJANDRA 3 2

T

he Deccan Intertrappean Beds (DIB) of India record the terrestrial flora of India at a time when India was geographically isolated, and during the global Cretaceous-Paleogene biotic crisis. Fossils are preserved in chert with 3D anatomical detail, and have much potential to expand our understanding of phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships among plants. The majority of species preserved here are angiosperms, however, other major plant groups are also represented and need to be considered for a holistic reconstruction of the assemblage. Conifers are known from wood, ovules, ovulate cones, and pollen cones primarily assigned to Araucariaceae or Podocarpaceae but also some to Taxaceae or incertae sedis. Wood is the most widely distributed, being found at six localities, in contrast to ovulate cones, which have only been recovered from two localities. The fossil conifer ovulate cones that have been described are being re-investigated in order to ascertain their morphology, structure, and phylogenetic affinities. Five taxa have been recognized to date: Mohgaostrobus and Harrisostrobus from the Mohgaonkalan locality, and Takliostrobus, Pityostrobus, and Indostrobus from the Takli locality. Some taxa are known only from a single specimen (e.g., Harrisostrobus, Indostrobus) while others are represented by multiple specimens (e.g., Takliostrobus). Previous investigations proposed affinities with Araucariaceae or Pinaceae. Original peels and slides were studied, complemented by X-ray micro-computed tomography that allowed non-destructive visualization of the three-dimensional structure of these specimens. One specimen of Takliostrobus was found to represent

Phylogenetics, incomplete lineage sorting, and reticulation in two clades of North American pines

I

ncomplete lineage sorting and reticulation are important forces in the evolution of long-lived wind pollinated plants. We explore these factors using target enriched low copy nuclear gene sequence data for Pinus subsections Cembroides and Australes. We used Illumina reads to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms for multiple individuals per species using a Pinus taeda draft genome as a reference, and inferred phylogenetic relationships using coalescent methods with and without permitting reticulation events. We compared resolution and branch support between methods that infer phylogenies by summarizing individual gene trees with those that treat sites as independent. We also tested hypotheses of introgression and hybrid speciation in both groups using analyses of phylogenetic networks and population structure

1

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Departamento de Botánica, Apartado Postal 70-233, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico2Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Departamento de Botanica, Apartado Postal 70-233, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico3Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Jardin Botanico, Circuito exterior S/N Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico

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75 SELENA

2

NG, MOLLY* 1 and SMITH,

Evaluating stasis in Metasequoia (Cupressaceae): linking fossil and modern leaf anatomical traits to climate

T

he gross morphology of Metasequoia (Cupressaceae) has remained unchanged since its first appearance in the fossil record and is thus considered to be in stasis. The natural distribution of modern Metasequoia is restricted to central China. In the early Cenozoic it was widespread across the Northern hemisphere, in contrast to its current restricted range, yet it is effectively cultivated in much of the Northern Hemisphere, leaving in question what are the drivers for its biogeographic range constriction and whether it was truly in stasis. Because plant physiognomy has consistently been shown to reflect climate, studying leaves that interact directly with the environment and are frequently preserved in the fossil record provide opportunities to study both stasis and evolutionary history. We use leaf anatomy to investigate links between physiognomy and climate of Metasequoia, incorporating anatomically preserved fossils. Leaves of extant Metasequoia were collected across different climate regimes in North America, Europe, and Asia (70 samples, 19 sites) for anatomical analysis and from fossil localities in North America. Eight anatomical traits were measured including entire transverse area, leaf thickness and width, area of resin canal and vascular bundle, and mesophyll thickness. WorldClim climate data from 19 variables were extracted from each location, assembled, and analyzed in principal components analysis (PCA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) with measurements of modern and fossil Metasequoia, and close relatives, Sequoia sempervirens and Taxodium distichum. The first two PCA axes explained 93.1% variance of data, with PC1 (49.7%) showing strong correlation to area of resin canal and PC2 (43.4%) showing strong correlation with area of vascular bundle. Modern samples of Metasequoia and Taxodium overlap in morphospace, while Sequoia occupies its own morphospace, and fossils overlap all three taxa. The first two CCA axes explained 97.4% variance of data, Axis 1 (90.8%) showed highest correlation with diurnal temperature range and Axis 2 (6.6%) showed highest correlation with precipitation during driest periods and temperature of the warmest period. Fossil and extant North American Metasequoia show less variance from each other than from Asian and European samples, suggesting plasticity in North American Metasequoia. Fossils occupy morphospace that is outside extant taxa suggests Metasequoia once occupied a different morphospace, and has not experienced stasis along with restriction of its natural range. Incorporating more Metasequoia fossils from North America and Eurasia will empirically show the extent of disparity of climo-morphospace over geologic time. 1

1100 N University Ave , 2534 North University Building , Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States2Department Of Earth & Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, 2534 CC Little Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

76

CRISP, MICHAEL* 1, COOK, LYN , BOWMAN, DAVID 3, PRIOR, LYNDA 3 , COSGROVE, MEREDITH 4, ISAGI, YUJI 5 and SAKAGUCHI, SHOTA 6 2

Callitris: a molecular phylogenetic chronicle of extinction, survival, dispersal and rediversification

C

allitris belongs to one of the three most diverse extant conifer families (Cupressaceae) and currently is the most species-rich conifer genus in Australia. And a 30-Myr-old fossil trove in north-west Tasmania has more conifer species (living or fossil) than found at any other site on Earth. Yet, between then and now, conifers have undergone massive extinction and re-diversification. Callitris is the only conifer genus that successfully made the transition from rainforest into dry, fire-prone communities across Australia, as climate changed through the Neogene. This presentation will relate our ongoing research on the molecular phylogeny, evolutionary history and biogeography of this fascinating group of trees. 1

The Australian National University, Research School Of Biology, 46 Sullivans Creek Rd, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia2The University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia3The University of Tasmania, School of Plant Science, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia4The Australian National University, Research School Of Biology, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia5Graduate School Of Agriculture, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-Cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, 606-8502, Japan6Kyoto University, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto, Japan

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NAGALINGUM, NATHALIE* 1 and BURLEIGH, GORDON 2

The Gymnosperm Phylogeny Group

A

t the conclusion of this colloquium, we are launching the Gymnosperm Phylogeny Group (GPG)—a community effort to generate a consensus classification of gymnosperms and highlight the areas of uncertainty in the classification. During this session we will begin the first discussion of the GPG. Our aim is to prepare a publication in the coming months. Please join us if you are interested in participating in this group, and all are welcome. 1

California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA2University of Florida, Department of Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA foods and dietary supplements would be useful and complementary to chemical methods. In the past, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been able to develop species-specific assays targeting plant species of interest by utilizing chloroplast genome sequences. Presented here are the details for FDA's whole chloroplast genome sequencing effort and database, known as GenomeTrakrCP. Targeted species include plants found in foods and dietary supplements as well as plants known as toxin producers. Additionally, contaminants or adulterants and closely related species to these targeted species were sequenced. All data are publically available through a bioproject in GenBank, e.g., PRJNA325670. These data are all derived from authenticated specimens and are fully annotated. Currently there are 60 complete chloroplast genomes in the database from authenticated specimens. These data can be used by FDA and other government agencies, industry and any other researcher as complete chloroplast genomes or to design species specific assays to target plant species of interest.

Applications of Plant Genomics 78

PUENTE-LELIEVRE, CAROLINE* and HANDY, SARA

Applications of Plant Genomics

T

he advancement of high-throughput technologies has expedited the progress of plant genomics and allowed us to address questions about the structure, function, and evolution of genomes through bioinformatics tools. Furthermore, genomics provide new opportunities and prospects to improve our understanding of plant diversity, and apply this knowledge to a broad range of fields such as phylogenetics, plant breeding and domestication, conservation, agrigenomics, biotechnology, food science, and forensic botany, among many others. This symposium will include a diversity of research that uses genomics, Next Generation Sequencing, and bioinformatics to address practical problems. We will discuss the different ways genome data are being used with a variety of emergent applications. Relevance: The proposed colloquium is centered around the practical applications of plant genomics. It is appropriate for Botany 2018 because it will appeal to a variety of BSA's sectional interests and will include a number of research topics relevant to the conference. We aim to integrate research from different areas of genomics, agriculture, medical and forensic fields to get a bigger picture of the impact and importance of botanical research for society. Moreover, we hope that this colloquium will engage researchers that otherwise would not attend the BSA meetings, and provide an avenue for bringing together researchers from academia, government agencies, and other scientific institutions, and create opportunities for future collaborations.

1

US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20740, USA2Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States3US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Dr. , College Park, MD, 20740, USA

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PUENTE-LELIEVRE, CAROLINE* , ZHANG, NING , HANDY, SARA and EISCHEID, ANNE

Using Chloroplast Genomes for Method Development in Food Safety

A

s consumers demand more transparency and accountability from the food supply and food allergies continue to rise, traceability and accurate ingredient identification and labeling have become increasing concerns. DNA-based methods for the identification and detection of labeled and unlabeled ingredients are potentially valuable tools to support the enforcement of food regulations such as the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004. We present a workflow designed to develop real-time PCR assays using a chloroplast genome reference library for botanical species of economic interest, GenomeTrakrCP. We will focus on the application of this approach to develop methods for the detection of plant-based food allergens, specifically peanuts and tree nuts. We will also briefly discuss potential uses of full chloroplast genomes (superbarcodes) as an alternative to traditional DNA barcoding for food authentication and quality control, and the advantages and limitations of this approach in processed samples.

US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20740, USA

79

HANDY, SARA* 1, ZHANG, NING 1, RAMACHANDRAN, PADMINI 1, WEN, JUN 2 , OTTESEN, ANDREA 3 and TIMME, RUTH 3

Development of a Reference Standard Library of Chloroplast Genome Sequences, GenomeTrakrCP

I

n 2015, the total sales of herbal dietary supplements in the United Stated reached $6.92 billion, a 7.5% increase from the year before, and demand for botanicals has increased for 12 consecutive years. Many different chemical techniques have been used to monitor authenticity of supplements and more recently DNA-based tools have been included. Because questions have been raised about traditional DNA barcoding especially for processed products and closely related species, developing methods targeting smaller diagnostic regions and reference libraries for rapid species identification of plants in

US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20740, USA

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81

82

Biocomplexity of Herbal Supplements and DNA-based Authentication

Target-enrichment NGS sequencing data provided full resolution for identifying medicinally important Korean Artemisia taxa

BRAUKMANN, THOMAS* , IVANOVA, NATALIA , KUZMINA, MARIA , BORISENKO, ALEX and ZAKHAROV, EVGENY

R

ecent advances in DNA-based authentication have enabled fast and sensitive detection of DNA sources in herbal supplements. This is now utilized by some manufacturers for quality assurance of raw plant materials, final products, and contamination control during production. One of the common approaches, DNA barcoding, heavily relies on Sanger sequencing. However, stochastic amplification of multiple DNA sources that are often present even in single-source supplements renders Sanger results non-interpretable or non-reproducible, hence indicating strong need for NGS-based methods. While advances in NGS technology enable rapid and sensitive detection of DNA in complex mixtures, such results should be interpreted from a biocomplexity perspective. Aside from intended or non-intended substitution, possible cross-contamination with trace plant or fungal DNA can occur at any stage during growing, harvesting, manufacturing, handling or laboratory analysis of plant material. Detection of such non-target DNA is not necessarily indicative of technological flaws or deliberate adulteration and such results should be interpreted with caution. Diversity of fungi in herbal supplements is determined by a combination of pathogenic, saprophytic, endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi naturally associated with live plant material, and strains involved in the fermentation during manufacturing of bioactive components. Although this entire spectrum can be easily detected by NGS, interpretation of test results should focus on potential mycotoxin-producing fungi and human pathogens. While embracing this biocomplexity we are developing SNP-based diagnostic systems for selected species of interest by targeting multiple variable regions in chloroplast and nuclear DNA and propose NGS-facilitated detection method as a standardized tool for authentication of herbal supplements. Because manufacturing of extracts leads to DNA degradation or loss, quality control should utilize synergetic approach targeting both bioactive components (HPLC-MS) and DNA. University of Guelph, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

LIM, CHAE EUN* 1, PARK, SUHYEON 2, LEE, BYOUNG-YOON 1 and KIM, SANGTAE 2

A

rtemisia, containing more than 500 species in world-wide, is one of the largest genus in the Asteraceae. It is well known for pharmacy and medicine in Asia since their rich accumulation of essential oils and terpenoids. Their morphological identification has been challenged in some taxa because of insufficient diagnostic characters and potential natural hybridization. Furthermore, standard plant barcoding markers such as matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, and ITS did not provide full resolution to identify them because they showed very low genetic divergence rate. Recently, massive sequencing using target-enrichment (also called Hyb-Seq) NGS has been developed to solve many taxonomic problems with comparing a large number of single-copy genes. In this study, Hyb-Seq was performed on 159 samples(105 samples identified by experts and 54 unidentified samples) in 18 taxa including medicinal plants such as A. argyi, A. indica, and A. capillaris. About 46Gbp of raw data were generated and this was about 625X coverage per a sample. After the filtering of>70% of sequence coverage regions, 207Kbp of comparable sites were recognized. A Maximumlikelihood tree provided 100% resolution including infraspecific taxa and assigned unidentified samples into relevant clades represented by each species. Synapomorphic characters of each clade were recognized by the analysis of evolutionary character reconstruction. DNA sites having high CI values were recognized and they'll be used for the development of genome-based marker sets in order to facilitate molecular identification in the future. This study will provide the technological base for the quality control of industrial use and utilization of Artemisia. 1

National Institute of Biological Resources, Plant Resource Division, Environmental Research Complex, Hwangyeong-ro 42, Seo-gu, Incheon, 22689, Korea2Sungshin University, Department of Biology, 55, Dobong-ro 76ga-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, 01133, Republic of Korea

83

WEN, JUN* 1, HARRIS, AJ 2, KALBURGI, YASH 3, ZHANG, NING 4, XU, YUAN 5, ZHENG, WEI 6, ICKERT-BOND, STEFANIE 7, JOHNSON, GABRIEL 8 and ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 9

Chloroplast phylogenomics of the New World grape species (Vitis, Vitaceae)

V

itis L. (the grape genus) is the economically most important fruit crop, as the source of grapes and wine. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus have been highly controversial. We herein employ


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA sequence data from whole plastomes to attempt to enhance Vitis phylogenetic resolution. The results support the New World Vitis subgenus Vitis as monophyletic. Within the clade, V. californica is sister to the remaining New World Vitis subgenus Vitis. Furthermore, within subgenus Vitis, a Eurasian clade is robustly supported and is sister to the New World clade. The clade of Vitis vinifera ssp. vinifera and V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris is sister to the core Asian Vitis clade. Several widespread species in North America are found to be non-monophyletic in the plastome tree, for example, the broadly defined Vitis cinerea and V. aestivalis each needs to be split into several species. The non-monophyly of some species may also be due to common occurences of hybridizations in North American Vitis. The classification of North American Vitis by Munson into nine series is discussed based on the phylogenetic results. Analyses of divergence times and lineage diversification support a rapid radiation of Vitis in North America beginning in the Neogene.

stock, focusing on native North American grape species (Vitis spp.) in nature and in cultivation for rootstocks. First, I will present a phylogenomic framework for North American grapevine diversity. Second, I will introduce an ongoing experiment designed to study how rootstock diversity affects shoot system morphology in grafted grapevines. This work is taking place in an experimental vineyard in Mount Vernon, MO, where the grapevine cultivar 'Chambourcin' is growing on its own roots and is grafted to three different rootstocks ('1103P', '3309C', 'SO4'), all of which are derived from North American Vitis species and their hybrid derivatives. This set of four combinations is replicated 72 times in a randomized block experimental design with an irrigation treatment. To study the effects of root system on above ground traits we are conducting gene expression analyses and comprehensive scion phenotyping in the grafted 'Chambourcin' including berry chemistry, leaf shape, leaf ion concentration, leaf metabolites, and vine physiology. Analyses in the 'Chambourcin' vineyard demonstrate complex interactions among rootstock and irrigation on leaf shape; variation in ion concentration is influenced by rootstock, irrigation, and leaf position. Gene expression patterns reveal effects of rootstock x irrigation x time. This comprehensive, multi-year project demonstrates the importance of root system diversity for shoot system morphology and suggests future exploration of rootstock diversity is warranted.

1

Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States2Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA3Smithsonian Institution, Botany, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA4FDA/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, USA5Chinese Academy of Science, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China6Kunming University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Architecture and City Planning, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China7University Of Alaska Fairbanks, Herbarium (ALA) And Dept. Of Biology And Wildlife, University Of Alaska Fairbanks, 907 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States83617 14th St NW, Washington, DC, 20010, United States9Smithsonian NMNH, Botany, P.O. Box 37102, Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

1

Saint Louis University, Biology, St. Louis, Biology Extension Building, Saint Louis, MO, 63108, United States2630 W North St., Geneva, NY, 14456, United States3Saint Louis University, Biology, 1008 Spring Avenue, Biology Extension Building, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA4Missouri State University, Biology, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA5Saint Louis University, Biology, Biology Extension Building, Biology Extension Building, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States6 South Dakota State University, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA7Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada8University of Missouri , Grape and Wine Institute, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

84

MILLER, ALLISON* 1, LONDO, JASON , HARRIS, ZACH 3, KOVACS, LASZLO 4, KLEIN, LAURA 5, MA, QIN 6, MCDERMAID, ADAM 6, MIGICOVSKY, ZOĂƒÂŤ 7 and KWASNIEWSKI, MISHA 8 2

85

RAJEWSKI, ALEX 1, MAHEEPALA, DINUSHA 2, HENRY, ASHLEY 3, ELKINS, KEVAN 4 and LITT, AMY* 5

North American grapevines: diversity, diversification, and rootstock domestication

Comparative transcriptome profiling of dry and fleshy fruit development

A

U

mong angiosperms, the evolutionary transition from ancestral dry fruits to derived fleshy fruits has occurred many times and often has had profound ecological and economic ramifications. In the family Solanaceae, the origin of the subfamily Solanoideae is correlated with such a fruit type transition. Previous work in this family has established that changes in pericarp cell division, expansion, and differentiation across fruit development contribute to the morphological differences between the fruit types. Following fertilization, dry fruit pericarps undergo rapid cell division in the anticlinal orientation, while in fleshy fruits this happens in both anticlinal and periclinal orientations, establishing such morphological differences early on in development. The subsequent stages for dry fruit are the lignification of cell

nderstanding mechanisms shaping phenotypic variation in plants is a fundamental goal in biology and the foundation of domestication and crop improvement. Perennial plants comprise an estimated 40% of domesticated species, 60% of seed plants, and 80% of tropical plant species, and have several key features that influence evolutionary processes in unique ways relative to annual systems, both in nature and in agriculture. Recent advances in high-throughput genomics and phenomics have enhanced current understanding of perennial plant diversity and evolution, including perennial crops. Here, I present ongoing work on the lesser-known half of the woody perennial crop equation, the root-

39


walls followed by drying. In place of a pericarp-wide lignification, fleshy fruit exhibit endoreduplicationrelated cellular expansion, leading to fruit maturation and ripening. To begin to understand the genetic basis of the transition from dry to fleshy fruit, we have performed RNA-seq on a developmental series of pericarps from dry-fruited desert tobacco (Nicotiana obtusifolia), a small, profusely flowering diploid congener of N. tabacum, as well as cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, and its closest wild relative, S. pimpinellifolium. Our analyses show an enrichment of functional categories that are correlated with the morphological and developmental similarities and differences observed between developmental stages within a species or between the corresponding developmental stages between species. For instance, following fertilization, both fruit types undergo extensive cytokinesis, resulting in a growth spurt. Later in development, other cellular processes such as ethylene biosynthesis related to ripening or lignification related to drying become dominant depending on the fruit type. The results of this study also allow us to construct gene coexpression networks and to identify suites of genes showing similar expression patterns, which might represent regulatory modules that distinguish the two fruit types. These regulatory modules will allow us to look for conservation in the genetic regulation of fruit development in other species with different histories of fruit evolution. Within Solanaceae, Datura spp. have reverted from a fleshy berry to a dry capsule, and Cestrum spp. have an independent origin of fleshy fruits, but our results can also be extended to similar fruit-type transitions in other plant groups. 1

UC Riverside, Botany And Plant Science, 900 University Ave, Batchelor Hall, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States2University Of California, Botany And Plant Sciences, 3149 Batchelor Hall, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States3University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI4University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States5University Of California, Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

86

FINCH, KRISTEN* 1 and CRONN, RICHARD 2

Using ex-situ collections to disentangle a Cedrela - Toona sandwich

H

erbaria and botanical gardens accumulate comprehensive sources of genetic material from broad taxonomic and geographic ranges that would be logistically impossible to replicate on a single botanical expedition. This is especially true for taxa that span large geographic areas, such as multiple countries, continents, or hemispheres. Over 10 nonsequential days, we collected leaf tissue from 192 Cedrela (Meliaceae) specimens ranging from Nicaragua to northern Argentina by visiting the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium (MO). Using the exsitu tropical collection at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), we obtained fresh RNA and DNA from a Cedrela odorata specimen that originated in Oaxaca, Mexico, and were able to assemble a reference transcriptome and chloroplast genome for this species. Using only these ex-situ collections, we developed hybridization capture probes that allowed us to capture, sequence, and assemble 10,000 low-copy genes, as well as sequence and assemble full chloroplast genomes from these 192 specimens. Despite our success, our study did not escape the pitfalls associated with ex-situ collections. For example, we identified 23 specimens that may be misidentified, including the NYBG specimen used for our reference transcriptome and chloroplast genome. To solve these classification mysteries, we returned to MO and re-collected leaf tissue from the remaining Central American Cedrela odorata and related Cedrela species. Targeted chloroplast genome sequencing (matK; trnH-psbA) allowed us to accurately classify our reference specimen, as well as clarify the apparently paraphyletic relationship between Cedrela and its Old-World sister genus Toona. The high-quality Cedrela reference specimens from MO provided a valuable reference dataset for molecular identification of suspect taxa, and also provide genomic resources that are transferrable across the genus Cedrela and even Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq.. Together, these resources are being used to develop genotyping arrays that can be used to identify the geographic origin of Cedrela odorata specimens, and the taxonomic identity of Cedrela species-level. These arrays will be valuable for evolutionary studies focused on Cedrela, and for the regulation of illegal logging of this historically over-exploited plant group. 1

Oregon State University, Botany And Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall 2082; 2701 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States23200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97330, United States


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 87

Biology of Isoetales, a colloquium in honor of Dr. W. Carl Taylor

HULSE-KEMP, AMANDA M.* , GOMEZ, FRANCISCO E. 2, YU, JING 3, MAIN, DOREEN 3, SCHEFFLER, JODI 4 and SCHEFFLER, BRIAN E. 5

1

88

VASCO, ALEJANDRA* 1, WATKINS, JAMES E. 2 and MORAN, ROBBIN C.

Lessons from Cotton: Research Projects Following Development of a Community-Based Genotyping Array

3

Biology of Isoëtales, a colloquium in honor of Dr. W. Carl Taylor

H

igh-throughput, cost-effective genotyping arrays provide a standardized resource for plant breeding communities that can be used for a wide range of applications at a suitable pace for integrating pertinent information into breeding programs. Traditionally, crop research communities will target development of genotyping arrays to facilitate use of genotypic information in breeding programs to accelerate development of cultivars. Array development typically occurs following large-scale efforts to identify sets of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) using various sequencing and genomics analyses. The cotton community produced the first genotyping array in 2015, after which wide-spread utilization of genotyping using the resource increased due to availability of an automated genotyping platform. To date numerous linkage maps and phenotypic associations have been completed with many ongoing efforts. As collection of the data from the CottonSNP63K array and other arrays increases, utility of the collected data can be maximized within the community by good data stewardship and a community-based standard for inclusion of both raw and processed data into the public domain. We will discuss the development of the array, downstream coordination of the community-based data, and outcomes made possible through utilization of the array.

I

soëtes, commonly known as the quillworts, is a widely distributed lycophyte genus of about 250 species occurring in diverse habitats. Extant Isoëtes are mostly small aquatic to semi-aquatic with reduced cormose stems. Isoëtes is the only extant genus of the Isoëtales. The heterosporous, ligulate lineage that it belongs to has a rich fossil record, and paleobotany studies suggest that related plants dominated the Late Carboniferous coal swamps. This colloquium will be dedicated to Dr. William Carl Taylor (Smithsonian, retired). Its main objective is to highlight recent research relating to Carl's contributions to the study of Isoëtes, and to survey past and current research on this lineage. When Carl began his studies, it was believed that Isoëtes did not hybridize and there was no polyploidy in the genus. Carl realized, however, that hybridization and polyploidy were important evolutionary mechanisms in the genus. His studies paved the way for other Isoëtologists to study these phenomena. When Carl began his career, about 50 species of Isoëtes were recognized. Today, that number stands at about 250. Much of the reason for this increase is the impetus Carl gave to the field. Carl also promoted systematic botany as a program officer at the US National Science Foundation. He has written a book of the ferns and lycophytes of Arkansas and authored many papers on Isoëtes.

1

USDA-ARS, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA2North Carolina State University, Crop and Soil Science, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA3Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA4USDA-ARS, Crop Genetics Research Unit, Stoneville, MS, USA5USDA-ARS, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Stoneville, MS, USA

1

Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas, 76107, USA2Colgate University, Department of Biology, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, New York, 13346, USA3The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10458, USA

89

MORAN, ROBBIN C.

An appreciation of Carl Taylor and his contributions to Isoëtology

C

arl Taylor has been researching ferns and quillworts for nearly all of his botanical career. This talk will review his accomplishments as a researcher and, more recently, as an administrator at the National Science Foundation. When Carl began his studies on Isoëtes, it was believed that Isoëtes species did not hybridize and there was no polyploidy in the genus. Primarily because of his studies of Isoëtes at Neva Lake in remote northern Wisconsin, Carl realized that hybridization and polyploidy were important evolutionary mechanisms in the genus. This realization showed the way for other Isoëtologists to

41


study these phenomena. Besides research on Isoëtes, Carl has published a flora on the ferns and lycophytes of Arkansas, and an update on the ferns and lycophytes of Wisconsin. Carl has been influential through his teaching and by getting younger people interested in plants. Some personal anecdotes about Carl and his career will also be included in this talk.

91

HETHERINGTON, ALEXANDER* and DOLAN, LIAM

The evolution of Isoetalean rooting structures: conservatism and disparity

T

he diversity of rooting structures of both extinct and extant Isoetales has fascinated and perplexed botanists and palaeobotanists for well over 150 years. However, this diversity has made reconstructing the character state transitions during the evolution of Isoetalean and all lycopsid rooting systems challenging. Highlighting recent discoveries made with fossils and comparative transcriptomic studies we suggest that the evolution of Isoetalean rooting structures displays two contrasting patterns - conservatism and disparity. The structures termed rootlets have remained structurally similar despite hundreds of millions of years of evolution - an example of remarkable conservatism. By contrast, and over the same time period, the organs that give rise to rootlets termed rhizomorphs have diversiï¬ ed, resulting in the evolution of numerous disparate morphologies. Comparison of Isoetalean rooting structures with those of other lycopsids reveals that these two contrasting patterns of rooting structure evolution, conservation of roots and disparity in the structures that give rise to root, are common to all lycopsids.

The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10458, USA

90 IVO

LOOY, CINDY* and DUIJNSTEE,

The ecology and physiology of Paleozoic and early Mesozoic Isoetaleans

L

ycophytes comprise an ancient clade of vascular plants and their living representatives are sister to all other extant vascular plants. The Isoetales, the lineage represented today by >250 species in the genus Isoëtes, date back to the late Devonian (~360 mya). Although separated by hundreds of million million years, cormose isoetaleans such as the late Carboniferous Chaloneria (~310 mya) and early Triassic Pleuromeia (~250 mya) - although larger had similar growth habits to modern relatives, and lived in environments characterized by high levels of abiotic stress, such as oligotrophy, acidity and periodic flooding. The occupation of such niches probably dates back to the origin of this group. Fossils of young cormose Isoetaleans show a syndrome of morphological traits associated with a suite of specialized adaptations, also found in Isoëtes and other extant (semi)aquatic plants. This so-called isoetid growth form is characterized by succulent leaves in a rosette around a reduced stem or corm, a large root system, aerenchyma or air channels in shoot and roots, and the facultative production of leaves lacking stomata (sometimes even in the terrestrial ecophenotype). The ecophysiological adaptations that required evolution of this morphological syndrome include aquatic Crassulacean Acid Metabolism and/ or Lycopsid Photosynthetic Pathway, uptake of soil CO2 via roots, and slow growth rates. These traits facilitate a life in stressed environments, such as periodically submerged environments that are depleted of nutrients and/or inorganic carbon, and where the competitive pressure is low. Simultaneously, this ecophysiological strategy places major constraints on biomass production and therefore on competitive ability. The exceptional ecophysiological traits associated with the isoetalean lineage explain how they able to flourish in these high stress, low competition environments over the last 360 million years and into the present. Despite their success, the ephemeral nature, and scarcity of such environments on the landscape causes isoetaleans to be rare elements in most paleobotanical or floristic records.

Oxford University, Plant Sciences, South Parks Road, Oxford, 0X1 3RB, UK

92

CTVRTLIKOVA, MARTINA* 1, VRBA, JAROSLAV 2, ZNACHOR, PETR 1, KOPACEK, JIRI 3, HEKERA, PETR 4, HEJZLAR, JOSEF 1, WADE, ANDREW 5 and ROY, SHOVONLAL 5

Aquatic quillworts as bioindicators of lake water and sediment acidification uillworts (Isoëtes) represent highly specialQ ised flora of softwater lakes that is sensitive to acidification. Environmental drivers of recovery of

Isoëtes echinospora and I. lacustris were studied in two acidified lakes in Bohemian Forest (Central Europe). Both populations survived a 30-year period of severe acidification, when they failed to reproduce. Unlike I. lacustris in Černé Lake, a renewal of I. echinospora in Plešné Lake has been observed during the past decade. Our in vitro experiments revealed that germination of the quillworts in situ has been controlled by lake water acidity and aluminium toxicity as well as species-specific phenology. Analyses of environmental forcing of the I. echinospora recovery showed that sporeling growth is related to lake water pH and ionic aluminium thresholds while deep rooted juveniles are responsive to water temperature. As quillworts do not grow clonally, the long-term survival of both populations relies entirely on the resistance of long living adult plants. Our study brings novel findings to widely discussed issues of long-term degradation of softwater lakes, which represent an important component of the European biodiversity.

University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Bldg #3140, Berkeley, CA, 94708, US

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA divergence among species is also sparse, but recent work has improved knowledge on evolutionary relationships. Phylogenetically Isoetes displays intriguing geographical patterns; relationships within the five major clades often reveal a most recent shared ancestry between unexpected species, i.e., a close kinship between species that do not share the same or adjacent areas of distribution. Furthermore, despite the high morphological (and genetic) similarity between species, node ages are surprisingly old and there is well supported evidence for such ancient patterns as a Gondwana clade and a corresponding Laurasia clade among the five major clades. Our current research using the genome skimming method takes knowledge of evolutionary patterns in Isoetes yet another step forward. Among other things we assess level of phylogenetic conflict between results retrieved from the different genomic compartments and settle previous uncertainties such as the deepest splits in the genus. As ever with Isoetes, there are some surprising results.

1

Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sadkach 702/7, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic2Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sadkach 702/7a, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic3Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic4Palacky University Olomouc, Department of Ecology, Křížkovského 8, Olomouc, 77147, Czech Republic5The University of Reading, School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, Whiteknights, RG6 6AB, Reading, UK

93

LI, FAY-WEI* 1, KUO, LI-YAUNG 1, POPLAWSKI, SHANE 2, LIN, TA-CHUN 3, HUANG, YAO-MOAN 4, WU, TAI-CHUNG 3, WANG, CHUN-NENG 3, KAO, WEN-YUAN 3 and MICHAEL, TODD 2

A reference genome for Isoetes and the evolution of aquatic CAM photosynthesis

S

1

Stockholm University, Department Of Ecology, Environment And Plant Sciences, Stockholm, SE-10691, Sweden2Stockholm University, Department Of Ecology, Environment And Plant Sciences, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden

ince the publication of the first plant genome Arabidopsis thaliana in 2000, reference genomes for all major green lineages have been published, except for a few orphan clades such as Isoetes (Isoetales). Isoetes is one of the three lycophyte lineages, together with Selaginellales (Selaginella) and Lycopodiales (e.g. Lycopodium). Isoetes harbors an array of unique morphological and developmental characteristics, making it an important link to understand major transitions during land plant evolution. In addition, despite having an aquatic lifestyle, some Isoetes species can carry out crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis, which is usually associated with xeric adaptation. Here we will present the genome of Isoetes taiwanensis sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore technology. We will also report on the ongoing research using I. taiwanensis as a model to study the gene regulatory network of aquatic CAM photosynthesis.

95

BERNARDINO DE SOUZA PEREIRA, JOVANI* , PINANGĒ , DIEGO S. B., CARVALHO-FILHO, NELSON , GUIMARÃES, JOSÉ T. F. , OLIVEIRA, GUILHERME and GIULIETTI-HARLEY, ANA M.

The evolutionary history of Neotropical Isoetes, relicts from South America

B

razil comprises the largest tropical area from South America and presents a huge diversity of environments, which reflects in its highly diverse flora. The country presents the greatest diversity of plants in the world. In the genus Isoetes, Brazil is one of the richest regions with 27 species. Besides the taxonomic diversity, our study revealed that the genus is also phylogenetically diverse in this region. The species are represented in two of the major clades of Isoetes (American and Gondwanan core). Climate changes along with aquatic environment degradation may have been causing the decline of the populations in its largest ecosystems such as Cerrado, Caatinga, Atlantic and Amazon rain forest. Given these factors, to study taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of the Brazilian Isoetes species and to address the conservation status of the species are key to the understanding of the evolutionary history of the genus as well as to establish policies to conservation of the populations. In this talk, I will address the progress and perspectives of the studies in the genus Isoetes from Caatinga, Cerrado and Amazon ecosystems in Brazil. Our study showed that these species are relicts more closely related to species from India, Africa and Australia (Gondwanan core clade) than species from subtropical and temperate areas from southeastern Brazil and the western coastal region from South America (Andes). Although phylogenetic studies have well supported these species in

1

Cornell University, Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2J. Craig Venter Institute, San Diego, CA, 92037, USA3National Taiwan University, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tapei, Taiwan4Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan

94 TARINA

2

LARSÉN, EVA* 1 and RYDIN, CA-

Phylogeny of Isoetes based on genome skimming data

I

soetes is a genus of lycopods that have long held a fascination, among other reasons because their Paleozoic relatives within Isoetales included some of the first trees on earth. But the extant species of the genus are equally interesting. While there are about 200 species spread over almost the whole world, some widely distributed and some endemic to restricted areas, species often have high gross morphological similarity and are typically hard to tell apart for the uninitiated. In line with this, sequence

43


the Gondwanan core clade, the relationships among them still need to be better resolved. Also, our data including chromosome countings and nuclear DNA contents indicate hybridization followed by duplication of the chromosome number as confounding factors to resolve the phylogenetic relationships among these species. Efforts to assess the diversity and conservation status of these populations in Central-Western and Northern Brazil led us to rediscover species that were known only from the type-specimens collected more than one and a half century ago. We also highlight the need not only to compare but also to statistically test the morphological differences among the species towards a better taxonomy of Isoetes from South America.

phylogenetically clustering low-copy nuclear DNA sequences from each subgenome. By comparison with sequence data from diploid species of Isoetes, inferences can be made about the parentage of allopolyploid individuals. Individuals from multiple populations of tetraploid I. acadiensis, I. appalachiana, I. hyemalis, I. louisianensis, I. riparia, and I. tuckermanii, hexaploid I. boomii, I. georgiana, and I. microvela, and octoploid I. tennesseensis were collected across their ranges and a LEAFY intron sequenced using the PacBio RS II platform. These data indicate an unrecognized level of genetic diversity in polyploid Isoetes. While some populations were consistent with their traditional taxonomy, others showed subgenomic combinations that did not match any described species. Genetically uniform populations occurred most frequently, but some showed a mixture of taxa and ongoing hybridization. The subgenomes in many polyploid individuals were confidently assigned to a known diploid taxon, but several individuals contained genetically distant LEAFY sequences that suggest the existence of extinct or undiscovered diploid progenitors.

Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, 66055090, Brazil

96

FREUND, FORREST* and ROTHFELS, CARL J.

Isoëtes of the west coast states: undescribed diversity in a biodiversity hotspot

1

Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States2Smithsonian NMNH, Botany, P.O. Box 37102, Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, United States32912 22nd St N, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States4Botany Department, 209 Cenv, 2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, NC, 28144, United States5Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, 5115 Hampton Blvd, 110 Mills Godwin Building, Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States

T

he California Floristic Province, and North America's west coast by extension, is one of the world's 33 biodiversity hotspots. While it is well established that the region is home to both wide ranging species and narrow range endemics, most of the taxonomic research in the region has focused on flowering plants. Yet, the region is also home to a variety of non-flowering taxa. These taxa, despite receiving less attention than other elements of the flora, have been subject to the same evolutionary pressures as the flowering plants, and should show the same level of diversity if those processes function across lineages. One such lineage is the cryptic lycophyte genus Isoëtes. Since the early 1920s, the taxonomy of west coast Isoëtes has been relatively stable, but has also not received as much attention as Isoëtes from other parts of the world. I have discovered that there may be greater species diversity in the region than has been previously recognized, both in the form of cryptic taxa, and undescribed polyploids. In this talk, I will present some of my preliminary evidence for this undescribed diversity in the west coast states.

98

SUISSA, JACOB* 1, TAYLOR, W CARL 2, SCHAFRAN, PETER 3 and ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 4

Allopolyploid and Autopolyploid speciation revealed through whole plastomes and nuclear homologues in northwestern North American Isoëtes (Quillworts)

T

he intractability of defining species and reconstructing a phylogeny for the genus Isoëtes has been largely attributed to a simplified morphology that yields limited characters and character states and the possible presence of multiple cytotypes. Isoëtes species are descendants of an ancient lineage dating back to the Devonian and the conserved morphology of extant Isoëtes is seen in the Triassic fossil record. This conserved morphology also creates confusion when attempting to distinguish species and determine their evolutionary history. Further complicating the resolution of Isoëtes taxa and their phylogeny is reticulate evolution that involves interspecific hybridization and whole genome duplication (WGD). Recent molecular work suggests that allopolyploidy is the main driver of this type of hybrid speciation in Isoëtes. A series of putative speciation events from a group of northwestern North American Isoëtes is used to further test this hypothesis. In this region, two basic diploid species (2n=22) I. echi-

University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

97

SCHAFRAN, PETER* 1, ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 2, TAYLOR, W CARL 3, BOLIN, JAY 4 and MUSSELMAN, LYTTON 5

Unexpected genetic diversity in eastern North American polyploid Isoetes revealed with PacBio DNA sequencing

T

axonomic boundaries between certain allopolyploid species of Isoetes of eastern North America are often muddled by their similar morphology. Next Generation DNA sequencing provides a technique for assigning individuals to species by

44


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA nospora and I. bolanderi are hypothesized to hybridize to form a sterile, diploid (2n=22) I. X herb-wagneri, which then went through a WGD to yield a fertile tetraploid (2n=44) I. maritima. IsoĂŤtes maritima then backcrossed with I. echinospora to produce a sterile triploid (2n=33) I. X pseudotruncata. This taxon then went through a WGD to produce a fertile, hexaploid (2n=66) I. occidentalis. NextGen sequencing was used to test these hypothesized series of events. Using multiple homologues of the second intron of the LFY gene and whole chloroplast genomes, we conclude that I. maritima is an allopolyploid derived from the hybridization and subsequent WGD of I. echinospora and I. bolanderi, while I. occidentalis is an autopolyploid derived directly from I. echinospora. These data suggest that in addition to allopolyploidy, autopolyploidy may play an important role in speciation within the lycophyte genus IsoĂŤtes.

2n=22). Polyploids such as the allotetraploid I. septentrionalis (2n=44=I. riparia, in part), the triploid I. X dodgei (2n=33), and the basic diploid hybrid I. X eatonii (2n=22) all contain genomes of I. echinospora and a northern subclade of I. engelmannii, whereas the allotetraploids I. tuckermanii (2n=44) and I. riparia (2n=44=in part) contain genomes of I. viridimontana and the undescribed, basic diploid from North Carolina. Other taxa like the decaploid I. macrospora (2n=110) and the heptaploids I. X harveyi, and I. X heterospora (both 2n=77) contain various combinations of these four basic diploids. Next Generation DNA sequencing has opened new approaches to define Isoetes species and is revealing a complex, reticulate phylogeny in Isoetes. 1

Smithsonian NMNH, Botany, P.O. Box 37102, Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, USA2Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States3Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, 5115 Hampton Blvd, 110 Mills Godwin Building, Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States4Botany Department, 209 Cenv, 2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, NC, 28144, United States5Smithsonian NMNH, Botany, P.O. Box 37102, Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

1

Harvard University, 1300 Centre st, Boston, MA, 02131, United States22912 22nd St N, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States3Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States4Smithsonian NMNH, Botany, P.O. Box 37102, Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

99

TAYLOR, W CARL* 1, SCHAFRAN, PETER 2, MUSSELMAN, LYTTON 3, BOLIN, JAY 4 and ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 5

Revealing Phylogenetic Relationships in Northeastern North American Isoetes

M

orphological characters and character states traditionally used for defining Isoetes species include habit, spore size, and spore texture, however these characters are of limited use in distinguishing species and reconstructing phylogenies. Isoetes taxa occur nearly worldwide and range in habit from submerged, evergreen aquatics to seasonal, ephemeral terrestrials. They appear to be opportunistic pioneers of dynamic habitats adaptable to hydrarch, xerarch, or secondary ecological succession. Homoplasy, created by taxa adapting to similar or diverse habitats through the millennia must be considered when mapping Isoetes morphological characters to phylogenetic trees. Comparison of DNA sequences shows that Isoetes species are distributed into several clades that reflect a biogeography involving vicariance and long-range dispersal. Spore size, uniformity, and texture provide clues to the evolution of some taxa. Chromosome counts yield evidence that interspecific hybridization and polyploidy occurs in Isoetes, making its phylogeny more complex. Northeastern North America is probably one of the most sampled and studied regions for Isoetes. Taxa from this area include basic diploids, hybrids and polyploids. DNA sequences from these plants reveal past interactions between at least four basic diploid species: I. echinospora, I. viridimontana, I. engelmannii (in part) and an undescribed species first collected from the Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina (all

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to be adequate to adapt to rapid anthropogenic environmental modification? Also, the annual and perennial life history have shown to be a plastic trait in plant evolutionary history, both on the population and species level, having evolved independently from one another numerous times. However, precise drivers and typical directions of this shift are not established. Better understanding environmental correlates and some common phenotypic and genotypic bases for life history strategies can aide us in understanding their fundamental nature and allometry.

Botanical foundations for perennial agriculture: Evolution and ecology of perennial herbaceous plants Sponsored by Botanical Society of America’s Economic Botany and Genetics Sections

100

HERRON, STERLING* , CIOTIR, E. CLAUDIA and MILLER, ALLISON

Saint Louis University, Biology, Biology Extension Building, 1008 S Spring Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA

Botanical foundations for perennial agriculture: Evolution and ecology of perennial herbaceous plants

101

RUBIN, MATTHEW* and FRIEDMAN, JANNICE

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erbaceous perennial plants form the foundation of the prairie and grassland biomes of the world, as well as important members of our own cultivated gardens and fields. Distinct from annual and woody perennial life histories, the herbaceous perennial habit offers a distinct suite of traits and habits found in the former: herbaceous growth, relatively swift reproductive output, but also an extensive and long-lasting root system. The herbaceous perennial growth form itself is extraordinarily diverse, with individuals living three years to centuries, as well as differing patterns of morphology, genetic load, and reproduction. Given temporal constraints on studying these long-lived species, research monitoring their growth and reproduction over multiple years is relatively rare, yet crucial to understanding this life history and its role in natural communities. This is also of economic interest as many of our established root, forage, and vegetable crops are herbaceous perennials, e.g., horseradish, potato, alfalfa, rhubarb, and cassava. Herbaceous perennials have recently been identified as potential alternative grain crop candidates, with the goal of creating an effectively closed, prairie-like agroecological system, retaining nutrients and water and requiring minimal chemical inputs. Such a system would simultaneously need high seed yield and high root allocation to be viable. However, it is unclear if selection for a large root system and enhanced reproductive output are mutually exclusive, i.e., are there inherent vegetativereproductive trade-offs that make this co-selection impracticable, and does this differ among plant families? These questions are of distinct importance as plant breeders begin to consider de novo domestication of wild perennial species. Also, how will herbaceous perennial species fare in response to climate change? As an intermediate form between woody and annual, will their generational turnover prove

Intraspecific variation in paths to fitness in plants with different life histories

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ariable environments have the capacity to produce dramatic changes in plant life-history strategies. This can be due to divergence in suites of traits through selection for alternative alleles across ecological gradients. Moreover, both spatial and temporal heterogeneity can affect fitness contributions through sexual and clonal reproduction. In the western North American wildflower, Mimulus guttatus (now Erythranthe guttata), the different ecotypic groups exhibit differences in relative allocation to sexual (flowers) and clonal reproduction (stolons). Total fitness in annuals depends on only sexual reproduction in contrast to perennials that reproduce both sexually and clonally. To investigate phenotypic and genetic changes associated with alternative strategies, we grew three F4 mapping populations in the field within the species' native range (Vancouver Island, BC, Canada). The three mapping populations shared a maternal parent, derived from a northern perennial population, with each cross using one of three genetically distinct paternal parents, derived from populations spanning the geographic and life history variation (annual, coastal, or inland perennial). We collected phenological, morphological and fitness data over multiple years to characterize allocation to alternative modes of fitness. There was considerable variation in allocation to sexual and clonal reproduction and overwinter survival within and across parents and mapping populations. Annual and annual-like plants flowered earlier and allocated less resources to clonal reproduction than perennial plants. The timing of flowering significantly affected fitness through both sexual and clonal reproduction. Notably, the number of flowers that successfully produced seed varied across years, suggesting that allocation to sexual reproduction may not always yield reproductive success. This multi-year field experiment decomposes routes to fitness in annuals and perennials and shows that environmental heterogeneity can help maintain both strategies, and that the benefit of perenniality accrues through future reproduction balanced with the risks associated with survival. Syracuse University, Department of Biology, 107 College Place, LSC Room 114, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA

102

America. Its closest cultivated relative is P. lunatus, the lima bean. Urbanization, agricultural development, and habitat destruction have caused a decline in populations, leading to widely varying estimates of conservation status across its distribution: e.g., it was once prevalent in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, but has not been seen there since the late 1800's. Crop wild relatives are a critical source of genetic diversity, often holding untapped genes for breeding of domesticated plants in agriculture for disease resistance, yield, quality, and adaptation to climate change, as well as ecologically important members of natural habitat. The Western Regional Plant Introduction Station of the National Plant Germplasm System holds over 20,000 accessions of Phaseolus from 47 species but had only 13 accessions of the wild Phaseolus polystachios, 6 of which had recently been collected in Florida. Recent collection efforts across its range have lead to a recovery rate of less than 30% of previously collected or historical sites, suggesting a steep decline in this species. Here, we detail the genetic diversity and population structure across its range for over 30 populations and hundreds of individuals in an effort to understand its conservation needs. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular analysis showed each population to be genetically distinct. Several of the populations were infested with weevils, reducing seed viability and threatening population survival. Populations are currently being regenerated for distribution for research and breeding. Plans are underway for future testing for resistance to white mold (Sclerotinia scerotiorum). Population diversity from the Eastern states from Florida to New England and the Midwest and coevolution with white mold may have resulted in new sources of resistance for interspecific breeding, especially with P. lunatus.

WAGENIUS, STUART

Environmental and genetic contributions to lifetime fitness in a long-lived herbaceous prairie perennial

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erbaceous perennials that reduce erosion, retain carbon and water, and require minimal chemical inputs are wanted for polyculture agriculture. Phenotypic and genetic trade-offs between yield and traits that contribute to these agro-ecological services may exist. Little is known about the genetic and environmental basis for variation in these traits in perennials when grown in polyculture. In this presentation I synthesize results from common garden experiments of a long-lived perennial purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia (Asteraceae) that is native to the North American great plains. Six experiments were established 1996 - 2006 using thousands of individual seedlings with known pedigrees transplanted into old fields with established vegetation. Annually we assessed survival, growth, and reproductive fitness of all plants. Key results include the following: 1. The small remnant patches within our study exhibit substantial genetic differentiation in lifetime fitness and other traits. 2. These self-incompatible plants harbor very high genetic load, which is expressed as severely depressed fitness in progeny of half-sib parents. 3. Our local population maintains considerable additive genetic variation for lifetime fitness, revealing ample capacity for adaptation to contemporary conditions in experimental plots. And 4. prescribed dormant season fires influence a) survival of juvenile plants, a life history stage that is drawn out over many years, and b) the synchrony of flowering of adult plants among years, which affects annual reproductive fitness. I interpret fitness results in the context of yield. Long-term longitudinal studies combined with modern statistical approaches (aster modeling) provide useful information about genetic and environmental drivers of variation in traits key for introducing herbaceous perennials into polyculture agriculture. I end by discussing breeding and ecological management strategies that may promote yield and agro-ecological services.

1

11114 Orleans Way, Kensington, MD, 20895, United States2USDAARS, 59 Johnson Hall, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

104

CIOTIR, CLAUDIA* 1, APPLEQUIST, WENDY 2, CREWS, TIMOTHY 3, DEHAAN, LEE 4, HERRON, STERLING 5, TOWNESMITH, ANDREW 6, SCHLAUTMAN , BRANDON 4, VAN TASSEL , DAVID 4 , ROSKOW , YURY 7, FRAWLEY, EMMA 8, VORONTSOVA, MARIA 9 and MILLER, ALLISON 10

Chicago Botanic Garden, Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

103

EGAN, ASHLEY* 1 and KISHA, THEODORE J. 2

The Perennial Agriculture Project - Global Inventory of Perennial Herbaceous Grain, Legume, and Oilseed Species for Pre-breeding

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of the North American Wild Kidney Bean (Phaseolus polystachios) in the Eastern U.S

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he Perennial Agriculture Project - Global Inventory (PAPGI) is a collaborative project between Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO), the Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, MO), and The Land Institute and Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation (Salina, KS). PAPGI is a global effort to

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orth American wild kidney bean or thicket bean (Phaseolus polystachios (L.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenb) is a perennial vine found in the eastern United States from Texas to Connecticut. It is the only Phaseolus species native to temperate North

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identify wild perennial, herbaceous species as candidates for breeding perennial grain crops. Eventually, perennial grain species will be used to develop an agriculture that mimics sustainable natural ecosystems to address challenges associated with food security, land degradation, and climate change. Compared to annual species, herbaceous perennials offer deeper rooting systems, reduced soil erosion, more complete utilization of precipitation and nutrients, and greater accumulation of soil carbon; however, few have been domesticated for human food. PAPGI aims to develop a checklist of all perennial, herbaceous members of the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae, to collect data on agronomic, ethnobotanical, and toxicological traits relevant to pre-breeding efforts. PAPGI also aims to develop long-term experiments designed to advance understanding of evolutionary processes in perennial, herbaceous plants. The checklist portion of PAPGI is organized as a special project within Tropicos, a database hosted by The Missouri Botanical Garden. Using existing biodiversity databases, we identified 6,670 perennial herbaceous/shrubby and perennial/annual herbaceous species in Fabaceae, 7,281 species in Poaceae, and 1,774 species in the Tribe Heliantheae (Asteraceae). Currently, we are amassing trait data for wild perennial, herbaceous species within the three families. The Perennial Agriculture Project - Global Inventory - (PAPGI) represents a widening of the traditional focus of crop genetic resource programs. In addition to crop wild relatives in these families (e.g., perennial Glycine, Helianthus, Zea), we contend that previously undomesticated, wild plant species, starting with these three families, might be good candidates for pre-breeding and are an important component of plant genetic resources. PAPGI represents a novel, searchable list with relevant botanical and agricultural data for breeding and domestication of perennial herbaceous grain crops, ensuring a significant number of candidates to perennial crop breeding and alternative agricultural systems.

105

CATTANI , DOUGLAS JOHN

is Intermediate wheatgrass changing as it is being developed for grain production?

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erbaceous perennial plant types are being developed for perennial grain and oilseed crops. Selection for increased grain yield in intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium (Host), Barkworth and Dewey) may be achieved in a number of manners. Aboveground biomass produced in one growing season is, in general, lost during the nongrowing season. Aboveground shoot apical meristems survive and are important to the realization of seed production the following growing season. An increase in seed yield may be achieved by increasing biomass production and maintaining percent allocation to reproductive output. An alternative method is to alter within plant dry matter allocation to increase reproductive output relative to vegetative allocation (i.e. increased harvest index). Selection for enhanced grain yield has been ongoing in the past four decades with an enhanced effort beginning less than 15 years ago. Currently there are breeding and selection programs ongoing at a number of institutions across North America. A study investigating the ability of intermediate wheatgrass germplasm to remain productive across years was carried out in the southeastern Canadian prairies. A comparison of germplasm selected for enhanced grain yield from The Land Institute (TLI) to germplasm sourced from the United States Department of Agriculture - Genetic Resource Information Network (USDAGRIN) was made. Initial adaptation issues arose resulting in the lass of approximately 60% of all materials. One hundred adapted plants were followed for three seed harvests. Adaptation to the growth environment likely resulted in similar flowering times for both populations. Selection for grain production (TLI materials) in intermediate wheatgrass has led to a greater allocation of aboveground biomass to grain production. Conversion of aboveground biomass to grain yield was approximately double for TLI as for USDA-GRIN using a linear regression model with passage through the origin. Seed yield component compensation was found in only one of three years, and only in the year with the highest seed yield. Percent ergot (Claviceps purpurea) in 5 grams of seed was related to timing of the completion of anthesis with early completion (to a lesser extent) and late completion (to a greater extent) both having a greater likelihood of ergot occurrence than intermediate anthesis completion. Pollen availability is the most likely explanation for these results. Seed production is a complex trait in herbaceous perennials with significant yield component compensation being seen under high seed yielding conditions.

1

5800 Highland Plaza Dr. Apt. 112, St. Louis, MS, 63110, United States2Missouri Botanical Garden, William L. Brown Center, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States3The Land Institute, 2440 E Water Well Rd., Salina, KS, 67401 , USA4The Land Institute, 2440 E Water Well Rd., Salina, KS, 67401, USA5Saint Louis University, Biology, Biology Extension Building, 1008 S Spring Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA6Missouri Botanical Garden, William L. Brown Center, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA7Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 South Oak Street (MC-652), Champaign, IL , 61820, USA8Saint Louis University , Department of Biology, 1008 S. Spring Ave., St. Louis, MO, 67401, USA9Royal Botanic Gardens Kew , Comparative and Plant Fungal Biology Department, Richmond, Surrey, TW 3AB, UK10Saint Louis University, Biology, St. Louis, Biology Extension Building, Saint Louis, MO, 63108, United States

University of Manitoba, 66 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 106

107

JAIKUMAR , NIKHIL S* 1, DORN, KEVIN 2 and SNAPP, SIEGLINDE 3

RAVETTA, DAMIAN 1, VILELA, ALEJANDRA 1, GONZÉLEZ PALEO, LUCIANA 1 and VAN TASSEL, DAVID* 2

Acclimation to freezing stress in Thinopyrum intermedium cohorts of varying ages: DNA damage repair and oxidative stress mitigation

Domestication of Silphium integrifolium (Asteraceae): are we inadvertently moving the phenotype from a conservative to an acquisitive strategy?

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he effect of plant age on abiotic stress tolerance is an under-studied question, although some theoretical arguments suggest that up to a point, plants should increasingly invest in stress tolerance at the cost of growth and reproduction as they age. While some data from woody perennials supports this argument, very few studies have considered interactions of age and abiotic stress in herbaceous perennials. In a series of field studies, we compared intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) plants of varying ages under both conditions of winter freezing stress (December - February) and under less stressful conditions in fall and spring. Indices of freezing tolerance included overexpression of DNA damage repair genes, and activity of antioxidative enzymes. Both large age differences (1-2 year old vs. 6-7 year old) and smaller age differences (6-7 year old vs 3 year old) were considered. Key findings were the following: 1) Older plants had greater activity of several antioxidative enzymes, under winter freezing stress, than first-year or second-year plants. 2) Three year old plants showed similar levels of antioxidative enzyme activity and similar retention of photosynthetic capacity as six- or seven-yearold plants.3) Two DNA damage repair genes (CPD photolyase and ERCC1) were overexpressed under winter freezing stress, but were equivalent or at higher levels in the three-year cohort compared to the seventh-year plants.Combining these findings, we see a clear age-related trend in which first- and second-year intermediate wheatgrass appear to prioritize growth and seed yield at the expense of winter stress tolerance. However, by the third year a 'mature' phenotype is reached and no further age-related differences in freezing stress tolerance are seen. This study contributes to a small but growing literature on effects of age on stress tolerance in herbaceous perennials. It also stands out as one of the first investigations to document overexpression of these two DNA repair genes under cold stress in a plant.

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ilphium integrifolium Michx. (silflower, wholeleaf rosinweed) is in the early stages of domestication as a perennial version of oilseed sunflower, its close relative. We evaluated changes brought about in the process of domestication as a case study to evaluate potential unwanted changes in structural and functional traits, when yield is used as the sole selection criteria. In order to check for progress in traits under direct selection (yield and its components), we established experiments in Kansas (U.S.) and Patagonia (Argentina), with wild populations and populations that underwent several cycles of selection for yield at The Land Institute. We evaluated seed-yield and yield components, and also checked for changes in early vigor, biomass allocation pattern, leaf morphology and anatomy, gas exchange, root acquisition capacity and defense compounds. We found that selection for high yield increased desirable traits of a crop, such as reproductive output, seed size, capitulum size, and harvest index. Increases in plant biomass and seed production were sustained by changes in leaf anatomy (i.e. increase of xylem vessel's diameter and increase of palisade parenchyma), changes in leaf morphology (thinner and bigger leaves) and changes in gas exchange (more CO2 uptake and transpiration), as well as reductions in carbohydrate reserves and leaf resin content. Taken altogether these changes indicate a shift in the strategy of use of resources, from conservative, typical of perennial wild plants, to an acquisitive one, typical of crops (and in particular, annual crops). Similar changes have been found in other perennial oil-seed crops when yield components were the main breeding objective. Some of these changes may be inevitable and/or acceptable but others may represent a “path of least resistance” through a rugged fitness landscape leading to losses of ecologically desirable conservative traits that are inevitable only if breeders focus exclusively on high-level traits (yield) without monitoring and considering lower-level functional and anatomical changes.

1

University of Illinois, Institute for Genomic Biology, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Room 1500, Urbana, IL, 61820, USA2 Kansas State University, Department of Agronomy, 4713 Throckmorton PSC, Manhattan, KS, 665063Michigan State University, Plant, Soil and Microbial Science, Room 490, 1066 Bogue Street , East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

1

National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), MEF, Fontana 140, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina2The Land Institute, 2440 E Water Well Rd,, Salina, KS, 67401, United States

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108

PETERSON, KELSEY* 1 and VAN TASSEL, DAVID 2

109

Exploiting phenotypic plasticity during the domestication of Silphium integrifolium (Asteraceae)

Evolution of annual and perennial herbaceous papilionoid legumes under natural and artificial selection

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HERRON, STERLING* , CIOTIR, E. CLAUDIA and MILLER, ALLISON

ife history strategies involve suites of organismal reproductive, growth, and survival decisions which govern future evolutionary trajectories and can shed light on past adaptive drivers. In plants this is often characterized as the annual, monocarpic form and the perennial, polycarpic form. Relative differences in these forms have become agronomically relevant with the novel domestication of herbaceous perennial grains in efforts for ecological intensification of agroecosystems, attributed to perennials' pervasive root systems, high resource capture, and stress-resilience. While the domestication syndrome of herbaceous annual and woody perennial species is well characterized, it is virtually unknown in herbaceous perennial grains. Major questions in this regard are whether herbaceous perennials can match or exceed conventional annual grains in reproductive output, multi-year yield stability, and if this strong selective pressure will expose unreconcilable growth allocation trade-offs between reproductive and perennating, vegetative organs. In the legume family (Fabaceae), there is a broad diversity of both annual and perennial herbaceous species, primarily within subfamily Papilionoideae. Repeated evolution of these forms presents the opportunity to test whether similar evolutionary changes have occurred with analogous selective pressures across diverse lineages. This study seeks to compare relative changes in germination patterns, growth rate, biomass allocation / tradeoff, and reproductive effort for 1) congeneric wild annual and perennial species and 2) congeneric domesticated annual and perennial species relative to their wild progenitors. We hypothesized that relative differences between annual and perennial congeners will be largely divided along the theoretical plant economics spectrum (PES), with annuals showing characteristically acquisitive growth (high relative growth rate and reproductive effort) and perennials conservative growth (low relative growth rate and reproductive effort), with both annuals and perennials becoming more acquisitive with domestication. We grew out multiple populations of three to twelve annual and perennial species from each of the economically important genera Astragalus, Glycine, Lathyrus, Lupinus, Phaseolus, and Vicia under constant conditions. Trends are idiosyncratic for each genus, with germination percentage being similar but typically higher for annuals, and seed size typically higher for annuals, except in the case of tropical Phaseolus. Germination and seed size generally decrease and increase, respectively, with domestication in both annuals and perennials, although differences may be impacted by germplasm age, geographic origin, and targets of selection. Future work will follow reproductive effort of perennial plants in a field setting over three years, as well as the population genetics of annual and perennial congeneric Strophostyles species.

uring early stages of domestication of the prairie plant Silphium integrifolium (Michx.) as a perennial, drought-tolerant oilseed grain, we focused on increasing the number of ray florets per capitulum and the average weight of achenes. These are the kind of high-heritability, low-plasticity traits preferred by breeders and we made progress. However, many other important traits are plastic, making phenotypes difficult to measure and/or reducing the apparent heritability of traits because patchy environmental variation within a breeding nursery. ilphium capitula are highly variable in diameter, even on a single stalk, yet this trait likely affects other important domestication traits (e.g., seed number, seed size) and was central to the domestication of the close relative, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. var. macrocarpus). Lacking the resources for genomic selection or genetic modification, we are looking for strategies to exploit and/or reduce this plasticity within a largely phenotypic breeding program. In one study, we compared the seed production of capitula infested with a Eucosma giganteana moth caterpillar, a native specialist herbivore capable of devastating seed yield in cultivated silphium. For several hundred heads on 9 plant genotypes, we compared the ability of variation in anthesis, capitulum diameter, receptacle diameter, seed size, and other traits, to explain Eucosma tolerance (ability to produce seeds despite infestation). We found that capitulum diameter best predicted tolerance (at the capitulum level). Capitulum plasticity, therefore, allowed us to hold genotype constant, revealing a mechanism for tolerance that would have been difficult to disentangle from many other traits in a more conventional comparison of genetic groups (e.g. inbred lines, half-sib families). However, the very plasticity that led to this insight also impedes our efforts to breed for capitulum diameter. If we could create an environment that reliably induces the maximum capitulum diameter for each genet in a population, we could subsequently look for (a) mutations that reproduce this extreme phenotype in a wider range of environments (“genetic assimilation�) and (b) additive genetic variation in maximum capitulum diameter that may normally be invisible (i.e., exposing previously cryptic variation). We have found that reducing the number of competing capitula increases the size of the largest (remaining) capitulum and are currently comparing the heritability of capitulum diameter calculated from capitulum-thinned ramets vs. control ramets, using the same set of genets.

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1

The Land Institute, 2440 E Water Well Rd, Salina, KS, 67401, United States2The Land Institute, 2440 E Water Well Rd,, Salina, KS, 67401, USA

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Miller Lab Group, 975 N Warson Road , St Louis, MO, 63132, USA

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA Ericaceae: Systematics, Ecology and Evolution

111 NETH J.

Sponsored by Botanical Society of America’s Genetics and Systematics Sections

2

ROSE, JEFF* 1 and SYTSMA, KEN-

Recent advances and future prospects in understanding the evolutionary dynamics of Ericaceae

110

PUENTE-LELIEVRE, CAROLINE* , POTTER, BENJAMIN 2 and SOZA , VALERIE LYNN 3

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1

ethodological advances in understanding the processes of historical biogeography, species diversification, and testing the association of historical events with morphological traits has greatly enhanced our understanding of plant evolution. Several recent studies have recently applied these methods to Ericaceae and to the larger order Ericales. We discuss current progress in understanding the phylogeny, historical biogeography, diversification dynamics, and trait evolution of Ericaceae in the context of the family as well as in the context of the larger Ericales. We first outline the current best hypothesis of the placement of Ericaceae in Ericales and of intra-familial relationships in Ericaceae based on phylogenetic analysis of Sanger sequence data for 1,700/4,400 species of Ericaceae and wholeplastome data for several subfamilies and point to areas in need of further study. Next, we summarize our understanding of the diversification dynamics of Ericaceae, specifically pointing to clades that have experienced increases in speciation rate -- especially as detected across multiple studies -- and suggest why these clades may show higher than normal rates of speciation, particularly in the context of morphological innovation (see also Kriebel et al. in this symposium). Lastly, we discuss our knowledge of the historical biogeography of the family as a whole (see also Puente-Lelievre et al. in this symposium), assessing the relative contribution of long-distance dispersal and vicariance and place these events in the context of fruit type.

Ericaceae: Systematics, Ecology and Evolution

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he family Ericaceae comprises c. 125 genera in 24 tribes and more than 4400 species. It is a highly diverse group of ecologically and economically important woody plants, such as Erica, Rhododendron, and Vaccinium. The family has a global distribution, and occurs from sea level to 5000m+ in elevation. Members of the family often grow in acidic, nutrient-poor and nitrogen-limiting soils, and are dominant elements in cloud forests, heathlands and boreal regions. Their ability to succeed and diversify in such conditions is partly due to their distinctive association with several types of mycorrhizae. Such association may facilitate the evolution of mycoheterotrophism, which has evolved at least twice in the family. Major evolutionary radiations within Ericaceae have occurred in montane areas of the Andes, Australasia, Malesian archipelago, South Africa, and Himalayas; these are represented by increased speciation rates in Erica, Gaultheria, Rhododendron, Richeeae, Rhodoreae, and Vaccinieae. In these species-rich groups, a variety of morphological features have evolved, such as bird pollination and/ or tubular flowers, fleshy fruits, xeromorphic leaves and epiphytic habit. This colloquium will provide an overview of current research in systematics, ecology and evolution of Ericaceae. It will review the current state of systematics in the family, and the major advances that have been made in resolving the phylogenetic relationships within and between some of the major groups. Systematics research will include historical biogeographical analyses of species-rich groups to understand colonization patterns and radiations in the family. Several talks will examine the use of different next-generation sequencing approaches for use in phylogenetics at fine and broad scales in Ericaceae. The colloquium will also showcase discoveries in evolutionary patterns using genome-scale data, such as the reduction of plastomes in nonphotosynthetic lineages. Talks will integrate morphology, anatomy and ecology within a phylogenetic framework to examine adaptation and pollination in the family. Moreover, we aim to assemble and discuss ongoing research across different aspects and taxonomic levels in Ericaceae, and explore future research directions.

1

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI2University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States

112

LARSON, DREW* 1, WALKER, JOSEPH and SMITH, STEPHEN 3 2

Resolving difficult relationships in the Ericales using phylotranscriptomics

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ricales is a highly diverse clade of flowering plants that contains an array of economically important species such as blueberry, Brazil nut, and kiwifruit. The clade is also notable for containing the charismatic American pitcher plants, and several of the world's most dominant clades of tropical trees. To date, the phylogenetic relationships within Ericales have remained difficult to resolve due to deep, rapid diversifications and insufficient taxon sampling. Using a phylotranscriptomic approach, we present novel methods of analyzing the role gene duplication and genomic conflict found at recalcitrant nodes. In addition, using recent advances in divergence time estimation we will provide the biogeographic context leading to several adaptations. Resolving rela-

1

US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20740, USA2University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, NZ3University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, USA

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tionships within the Ericales will shed light on the evolution of key characteristics such as mycorrhizal associations, latex production, and plant carnivory. Furthermore, this study provides insight into the value of phylotranscriptomic approaches for our understanding of the evolution of major plant orders.

1

University of Florida, Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

114

KRIEBEL, RICARDO* 1, ROSE, JEFF 2, BASTIDE, PAUL 3, JOLLES, DIANA 4 and SYTSMA, KENNETH J. 1

1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071 Kraus Natural Science, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, US2University Of Michigan, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 2071 Kraus Natural Science, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, 48109, United States3University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

113

Dissecting the evolution of flower shape and size and their relationships to pollination in Ericaceae at a global scale

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he incredible diversity of Angiosperms and their emblematic flowers is partly the result of pollinator-mediated natural selection. Traits influenced by pollinators in this process include floral tubes formed by the fusion of petals or sepals that restrict access to floral rewards such as nectar. A challenge in further understanding the evolution of floral shape and its relationship to pollination is treating floral tubes in a continuous fashion to avoid the problems and oversimplification of discretizing continuous variation into discrete states. Here we use the species rich family Ericaceae, which exhibits considerable variation in shape and size of tubular flowers and independently evolved bird pollination from insect pollination in most continents, to test the hypothesis that floral tube shape and size change in association with switches in pollinators. To do so, we constructed a family-wide database of floral tube outlines and measurements for morphometric analyses, and assembled pollinator records for ancestral state reconstruction. Floral tube shape and size for almost 1,400 species were quantified from outlines using elliptic Fourier analysis. Additional floral traits such as anther shape and size were included to get a more complete view of floral evolution in the Ericaceae. Partial data were available for close to 2,000 species. To find shifts in floral morphology during the evolutionary history of Ericaceae and to test the hypothesis that these shifts match switches in pollinator regimes, we matched these morphological and pollinator data to a recent molecular chronogram of the Ericaceae and the order Ericales. The final analysis included 1,200 species representing all major clades in Ericaceae. Some species in the family lack a floral tube, which can be a problem in the analysis of continuous traits. We explore several ways to include those traits in our framework, that can efficiently handle missing data. Using these morphological data, pollinator regimes, and divergence time estimation for the family, we weigh evidence in favor or against Gerald Mayr's hypothesis that some Old World Vaccinioids may have been hummingbird pollinated. This research highlights the utility of quantifying continuous variables, rather than scoring them as categorical traits, and using phylogenetic comparative methods for studying floral evolution at large taxonomic and temporal scales.

1

SMITH, MACKENZIE* and MANCHESTER, STEVEN 2

Ericalean fruits from the Cenozoic of western North America

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ricales is a large order today with 24 families and more than 11,545 species, but the fossil record is relatively sparse. Previously reported Cretaceous representatives establish the presence of this order about 90 million years ago, but the Cenozoic distribution of ericalean families remains poorly documented, with many reports based on leaf fossils providing limited systematic resolution. Here, we call attention to previously overlooked fossil representatives of the order from the Paleocene, Eocene and Miocene of western North America based on molds and impressions of capsular fruits. Some of the diagnostic features obtained from these fossils were not easily observable prior to the availability of CT scanning technology. The first fossils presented here are known from multiple molds from the Paleocene Fort Union Formation of Sand Draw, Wyoming and have unknown familial affinity. The closed capsules are found isolated and contain an apically flattened, five-pointed columella with apically cleft valves. At the center of each cleft, a piece of the valve extends inward along the septum covering the spaces in between the points of the star-shaped columella. Numerous small, elongate flattened seeds are seen in some of the locules. The second occurrence is represented by several compression/impression fossils from the middle Eocene Clarno Formation of north-central Oregon near the town of Antelope. These fruits are almost identical to those found in Sand Draw. No seeds are found with the fruits and all capsules are open. These fruits are found associated with (but not attached to) leaves serrated margins with the theoid tooth type characterized by a deciduous seta at the tip of each tooth, a condition confined to the Ericales, Asteropeiaceae, Bonnetiaceae and Caryocaraceae. The third example, known from a single specimen, is from the middle Miocene Latah Formation of Emerald Creek, Idaho. It is an infructescence borne on a raceme bearing close resemblance to the genus Oxydendrum (sourwood, Ericaceae). Today, this genus is monotypic and only found in the southeastern US. Together, these fossils expand our understanding of biodiversity through time, community structure (with association of other plant fossils from their localities) and geographic range changes.

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University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI3Rega Institute, Evolutionary and Computational Virology Section, Herestraat 49, Leuven, 3000, Belgium4Plymouth State University, Biological Sciences, 17 High Street, Msc 64, Plymouth, NH, 03264, United States

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 116

LE MAITRE, NICHOLAS* 1, PIRIE, MIKE 2 and BELLSTEDT, DIRK 3

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PIRIE, MICHAEL D. 1, KANDZIORA, MARTHA* 2, NÜRK, NICOLAI 3 , LE MAITRE, NICHOLAS 4, MUGRABI DE KUPPLER, ANA 5, GEHRKE, BERIT 1, OLIVER, E. G. H. 6 and BELLSTEDT, DIRK 7

An approach to determining anthocyanin synthesis enzyme gene expression in an evolutionary context an example from Erica

Leaps and bounds: geographical and ecological distance constrained the colonisation of the Afrotemperate by Erica

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loral colour in angiosperms can be controlled by variations in the expression of the genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. It has been shown that floral colour shifts influence pollinator specificity. Erica is most speciose genus in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) and has diversified in the CFR at a very rapid rate. Shifts in floral colour appear to have played a role in the diversification of the genus, from plesiomorphic pink to e.g. red flowers and reversions to white flowers. At least fourteen independent shifts to red flowers have occurred across the genus. We have developed the tools to investigate the anthocyanin biosynthesis enzyme genes, their regulation, expression and products using Next Generation Sequencing, Reverse Transcriptase PCR, and Real Time Reverse Transcriptase quantitative PCR and HPLC. In our investigations thus far, we have found a loss of expression of single genes in a number of populations and species leading to red to white flower reversions, which correlated with mutations in transcription factor binding sites upstream of the 5'UTR of the genes. Our progress to establish possible commonalities and differences in the expression of anthocyanin genes that may have influenced diversification in Erica species, will be presented.

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he coincidence of long distance dispersal and biome shift is assumed to be the result of a multifaceted interplay between geographical distance and ecological suitability of source and sink areas. Here, we test the influence of these factors on the dispersal history of the flowering plant genus Erica (Ericaceae) across the Afrotemperate. We quantify similarity of Erica climate niches per biogeographic area using direct observations of species, and test various colonisation scenarios while estimating ancestral areas for the Erica clade using parametric biogeographic model testing. We infer that the overall dispersal history of Erica across the Afrotemperate is the result of infrequent colonisation limited by geographic proximity and/or niche similarity. However, the Drakensberg Mountains represent a colonisation sink, rather than acting as a “stepping stone” between more distant and ecologically dissimilar Cape and Tropical African regions; and strikingly, the most dramatic examples of species radiations in Erica were the result of single unique dispersals over longer distances between ecologically dissimilar areas, contradicting the rule of phylogenetic biome conservatism. These results highlight the importance of rare biome shifts, in which a unique dispersal event fuels evolutionary radiations.

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Stellenbosch University, Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, WC, 7600, South Africa2 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Saarstr. 21 , 55122, Mainz, Germany3Stellenbosch University, Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa

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Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Institut für Organismische und Molekulare Evolutionsbiologie, Mainz, 55099, Germany2University of California, Merced, Life and Environmental Science, Merced, CA, 95340, USA3University of Bayreuth, Institute of Plant Systematics, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany4Stellenbosch University, Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, WC, 7600, South Africa5Rheinische FriedrichWilhelms-Universität Bonn, INRES Pflanzenzüchtung, Bonn, 53115, Germany6University of Stellenbosch, Department of Botany and Zoology, South Africa7University of Stellenbosch, Department of Biochemistry, South Africa

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PUENTE-LELIEVRE, CAROLINE* , POTTER, BENJAMIN 2 and SOZA , VALERIE LYNN 3

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Ericaceae: Systematics, Ecology and Evolution

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he family Ericaceae comprises c. 125 genera in 24 tribes and more than 4400 species. It is a highly diverse group of ecologically and economically important woody plants, such as Erica, Rhododendron, and Vaccinium. The family has a global distribution, and occurs from sea level to 5000m+ in elevation. Members of the family often grow in acidic, nutrient-poor and nitrogen-limiting soils, and are dominant elements in cloud forests, heathlands and boreal regions. Their ability to succeed and diversify in such conditions is partly due to their distinctive association with several types of mycorrhizae. Such association may facilitate the evolution of mycoheterotrophism, which has evolved at least twice in the family. Major evolutionary radiations within Ericaceae have occurred in montane areas of the Andes, Australasia, Malesian archipelago, South

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Africa, and Himalayas; these are represented by increased speciation rates in Erica, Gaultheria, Rhododendron, Richeeae, Rhodoreae, and Vaccinieae. In these species-rich groups, a variety of morphological features have evolved, such as bird pollination and/ or tubular flowers, fleshy fruits, xeromorphic leaves and epiphytic habit. This colloquium will provide an overview of current research in systematics, ecology and evolution of Ericaceae. It will review the current state of systematics in the family, and the major advances that have been made in resolving the phylogenetic relationships within and between some of the major groups. Systematics research will include historical biogeographical analyses of species-rich groups to understand colonization patterns and radiations in the family. Several talks will examine the use of different next-generation sequencing approaches for use in phylogenetics at fine and broad scales in Ericaceae. The colloquium will also showcase discoveries in evolutionary patterns using genome-scale data, such as the reduction of plastomes in nonphotosynthetic lineages. Talks will integrate morphology, anatomy and ecology within a phylogenetic framework to examine adaptation and pollination in the family. Moreover, we aim to assemble and discuss ongoing research across different aspects and taxonomic levels in Ericaceae, and explore future research directions.

Vaccinoideae and Ericoideae for the rps, rpl, and rpo genes. 1

University of Guelph, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Guelph, ON, Canada2University Of Toronto Mississauga, Department Of Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada

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ORTIZ, EDGARDO M.* 1 and SIMPSON, BERYL 2

Phylogenomics and Comparative genomics of organelles in the Vaccinieae

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Canceled

e novo assembly of organelles using short sequencing reads, is usually a tractable task in most Angiosperms. However, for a few taxa like the Ericaceae, the complete chloroplast sequence is particularly challenging to assemble due to the presence of long repeated motifs throughout the genome, mainly within the inverted repeats. We identified four types of repeated motifs ranging from ~300 bp to ~1200 bp that were present in 43 blueberry plastomes and provide some guidelines on how to use them in order to obtain better assemblies. The structural comparison of these plastomes revealed numerous rearrangements among the inverted repeats of several species as well as other interesting changes such as the extreme reduction of the small single copy region in two species through two different mechanisms. As for the comparison of gene content between the chloroplast and mitochondria of these species, we could only observe the loss of the ndhF gene in a single species. Finally, we performed several phylogenetic analyses, using the entire sequence of the chloroplast and mitochondrion as well as only their coding regions under several partitioning schemes. We detected contrasting phylogenetic signal among different chloroplast genes, suggesting that treating concatenated chloroplast markers as a single partition may not be the best approach for phylogenetic analysis in the tribe Vaccinieae.

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US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20740, USA2University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, NZ3University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, USA

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BRAUKMANN, THOMAS* 1 and STEFANOVIC, SASA 2

Repeats, rearrangements, and reductions: the architecture of Ericaceae plastomes

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ycoheterotrophic (MHT) plants exhibit a wide range of evolutionary degradation of photosynthetic ability and rely entirely or partially on their photosynthetic hosts to supply water and nutrients via fungal intermediaries. There are at least 10 independent origins of MHT among land plants. The transition from autotrophy to heterotrophy is associated with changes to the plastid genome (plastome) with respect to its size, gene content, and structure. The heather family (Ericaceae) is a large family containing autotrophs as well as fully and partially MHT plants. We sequenced the plastomes of four autotrophic and three mixotrophic species and included publically available plastomes in the analysis. Our results indicate that the rearrangements of the large single copy region are commonplace for Ericaceae. Associated with these extensive structural rearrangements of the plastome within the family, including fully MHT species, is an increase in forward and palindromic repeats. Additionally, most Ericaceae share the loss of the plastid ycf1, ycf2, and clpP genes, which is rare even amongst fully heterotrophic plant lineages. Mixotrophic plants retain most genes relating to photosynthesis but are variable for the plastid ndh genes. We found that the plastomes of Ericaceae species are generally under strong purifying selection but found positive selection acting on the branch leading to subfamilies

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Technical University Of Munich, Ecology & Ecosystem Management, Plant Biodiversity Research, Emil-Ramann Strasse 2, Freising, D-85354, Germany2The University Of Texas At Austin, Integrative Biology, 205 West 24th St., Mail Stop C0930, Austin, TX, 78713.0, United States

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BEELER, REESE* 1, SHARPLES, MATHEW 2 and TRIPP, ERIN 3

Introgression Among Western North American Bilberries (Vaccinium section Myrtillus)

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espite being dominant elements of understory communities in the coniferous forests of western North America, evolutionary relationships between species of bilberry (Vaccinium section Myrtillus) remain unresolved. Hypothesized to have involved extensive introgression, morphological delimitation among most western bilberries is tenuous and traditionally employed genetic markers have yielded insufficient variability. Here we used RADseq data to test whether complexity in species boundaries

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA is partially explainable by historical introgression among the species V. myrtillus, V. scoparium, and V. cespitosum. Additionally, using a species tree inferred through maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, we tested whether the disjunct North American populations of V. myrtillus are monophyletic and thus likely conspecific with those in Eurasia. Significant introgression as determined through D-statistic analyses was detected between V. myrtillus and V. cespitosum as well as between V. myrtillus and V. scoparium, but none was detected between V. scoparium and V. cespitosum. North American V. myrtillus was recovered as non-monophyletic with Eurasian material, suggesting that further taxonomic revision may be appropriate. The long-assumed sister species relationship between V. myrtillus and V. scoparium was also not recovered in our phylogeny. This study highlights considerable introgression detectable in the evolutionary history of western North American bilberries and the utility of RADseq approaches to resolve species level relationships in groups that undergo reticulate evolution, such as Vaccinium.

The plants appear to be distinct from and non-intermediate between V. cespitosum and V. ovatum in their thinner branchlets, shorter pedicels, and ciliate versus eciliate calyx lobes. Taken together, the data weigh against hybrid status for the population. Resolution within the V. section Myrtillus clade is too low for inferring the closest relative of the plants, but in their well developed calyx lobes and pubescent filaments they match only the Polynesian species of the section. They clearly differ from these species, however, by the combination of slightly articulated and shorter pedicels with caducous bracteoles, shorter flowers, consistently 5-locular ovaries, and smaller fruits. They also differ by the absence of extended bundle sheath cells in their terminal leaf veinlets, which are also generally absent in the rest of V. section Myrtillus, and larger leaf veinlet areole size. We consider the totality of the data to suggest species status for these plants. The population occupies a total of only ca. 200 m2 with the number of individuals uncertain because of clonal growth. More precise phylogenetic relationships of these plants must await the application of additional DNA sequence data.

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402 Rendezvous Dr., Lafayette, CO, 80026, United States2745 College Ave., Boulder, CO, 80302, United States3C105, Ramaley Hall, UCB350, Clare Small Building, Basement, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States

Botanical Research Institute Of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, United States2California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA3228 Alta Vista Way, Daly City, CA, 94014, USA

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FRITSCH, PETER* 1, SIMISON, W. BRIAN 2, CRUZ, BONI 2, SCHNEIDER, EDWARD 1 and ALLSHOUSE, DOUGLAS D.3

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PUENTE-LELIEVRE, CAROLINE* , CRAYN, DARREN 2, FREYMAN, WILL 3 and POTTER, BENJAMIN 4

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Historical Biogeography of the Australasian Ericaceae: Evaluating Competing Vicariance and Dispersal Scenarios

A remarkable population of Vaccinium (Ericaceae) from San Bruno Mountain, California: hybrid or new species?

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population of Vaccinium from San Bruno Mountain in San Mateo County, California has been identified as V. cespitosum since its initial collection in 1961. The morphology of the plants in this population is consistent with a placement in V. section Myrtillus, the section to which V. cespitosum belongs; however, they differ from V. cespitosum and all other species of north-temperate V. section Myrtillus in several characters, most notably their evergreen habit and well developed calyx lobes. Because many of the character states of these plants are known in either V. cespitosum or V. ovatum, the only two species of Vaccinium documented from San Bruno Mountain, we initially hypothesized that the population is a hybrid between them. To test this, we employed DNA sequence data from the nrITS region and plastid matK and ndhF regions to assess phylogenetic placement as well as patterns of sequence identity and ITS polymorphic site additivity. Results confirmed the sectional placement as based on morphology. ITS yielded no instances of polymorphism resulting from additive contributions from the putative parental sequences, and the plastid haplotype was unique relative to those of the putative parents.

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he subfamily Epacridoideae, Ericaceae (commonly known as the epacrids) comprises 37 genera and ca. 640 species. This clade includes mostly perennial woody shrubs that occur in heathlands, sandplains, and tropical forests. Their distribution is mostly restricted to Gondwanan fragments (Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and South America) with outliers in SE Asia and Hawaii. The epacrids are however most diverse in South-Western (WA) and South-Eastern Australia (EA). The Epacridoideae also typify many of the controversies in the historical biogeography of Australasia and the contributions of long distance dispersal versus Gondwanan vicariance. Such hypotheses can be tested with molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction analyses. While a vicariance scenario predicts patterns of near-simultaneous divergences in multiple lineages, long-distance dispersal predicts independent, asynchronous divergences. We present the most densely sampled phylogeny to date that includes representatives from all genera and ca. 65% of the species in the Epacridoideae. Based on a 5-gene dataset (the nuclear ribosomal ITS region, and the chloroplast regions rbcL, matK, psbA-trnH,

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atpB-rbcL) we estimated the phylogenetic relationships and tempo of evolution within the subfamily with a focus on the relationships within the Australian clades, and their relationships with the New Zealand and New Caledonian clades. Furthermore, we used the resulting phylogeny to evaluate multiple calibration schemes, molecular clock models, and speciation priors, and estimated the ages of the disjunctions between these clades. We tested hypotheses of long distance dispersal versus Gondwanan vicariance using stochastic mapping of the dispersal-extinction-cladogensis (DEC) model of biogeographic range evolution. Our results under different schemes consistently suggest that the multiple disjunctions between the Australian, New Zealand, and New Caledonian clades are independent events and not older than ca. 10 Ma. They also indicate that the WA and EA clades diverged approximately over the same period of time during the Miocene (10 - 20 Ma), after the emergence of the Nullarbor Plain. We conclude that the current distributional patterns of the epacrids can be explained by both vicariance and long-distance dispersal events.

teny. We selected R. williamsianum from subgenus Hymenanthes to compile a de novo genome assembly, from which we mapped DNA sequence scaffolds to the 13 chromosomes. Our next-generation sequencing libraries were assembled using two different methods that improved the assembly by decreasing the number of scaffolds and increasing scaffold length. We obtained chromosome-scale scaffolding by proximity-guided assembly using chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C). We then produced a linkage map from restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) of the progeny from a genetic cross between R. 'Moonstone' (R. williamsianum x R. campylocarpum) and R. campylocarpum to further refine the chromosomal map. Our final assembly of the R. williamsianum genome, totaling ~532 Mb, is estimated to be 89% complete based on Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) analyses. We were able to assign 74% of the assembled genome to chromosomes, with 69% of the assembled genome ordered along these chromosomes. We then performed structural genome annotation within the MAKER pipeline to predict coding sequences in the R. williamsianum genome to compare genomic content and organization of R. williamsianum to another member of subgenus Hymemanthes (R. delavayi). Finally, we compare chromosome structure of R. williamsianum to other members of the Ericales with available chromosomal maps using synteny analyses to understand genome evolution across Rhododendron and the Ericales.

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US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20740, USA2Australian Tropical Herbarium, Sir Robert Norman (E2) Building, Po Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, QLD, 4870, Australia3University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, 1479 Gortner Ave, Suite 140 , St Paul, MN, 55108, USA4University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, NZ

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LINDSLEY, DALE 1, WAALKES, ADAM 1, SOZA , VALERIE LYNN* 1, RAMAGE, ELIZABETH W 1, PATWARDHAN, RUPALI 2, BURTON, JOSH 2, ADEY, ANDREW 2, QIU, RUOLAN 2, SHENDURE, JAY 2 and HALL, BENJAMIN 1

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University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, USA2University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

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NILSEN, ERIK

Leaf functional traits in the context of vascular constraints and their significance to freezing and water stress tolerance in Rhododendron

Assembly, chromosomal mapping, and evolution of the Rhododendron genome

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he genus Rhododendron is a highly diverse and widely distributed genus of more than 1,000 species. An important question raised by the recent availability of Rhododendron genomic sequence is: how strictly conserved is the gross organization of the genome within and outside Rhododendron? We sought to examine this first within the subgenus Hymenanthes, a large subgenus that contains over 200 evergreen, elepidote representatives on all Northern hemisphere continents. Since rhododendrons in India and China first came to the attention of European plant explorers (ca. AD 1800), elepidote species have been widely planted and extensively hybridized with one another to produce new varieties. Therefore, knowledge of genome architecture and conservation in these rhododendrons will facilitate future plant breeding efforts. The rhododendrons of subgenus Hymenanthes studied to date have a haploid chromosome number of 13 and a mean haploid genome size of approximately 735 Mb. Within subgenus Hymenanthes, interspecies crosses are fertile; thus, we would expect species within this group to share syn-

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undamental leaf traits are important to many levels of plant ecology in a global context. Yet much variation exists across those trait gradients particularly when considering plants within one functional group. Rhododendron is a model system for understanding the significance of leaf trait variation within a functional group. This report will focus on evergreen shrubs of Rhododendron and their potential application to Ericaceae in general. I first outline vascular structure and variation among evergreen Rhododendron shrubs. Leaf functional traits of evergreen Rhododendron species are considered and related to the overall functional syndrome of Rhododendron within the context of vascular limitations. Thermonastic leaf movements occur in temperate evergreen Rhododendron. Thermonastic leaf curling (TLC) responds to water stress and reduces photodamage of light reaction systems during the winter. Thermonastic leaf rolling (TLR) responds to leaf temperature and provides additional protection against over excitation of the photosystems during the winter.

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA erance in a warming world. High variability in leaf traits at the branch level could, however, compensate for xylem constraints on leaf function in evergreens and semi-evergreens. Root carbon investment also differed according to climate of origin and across growth environments, but roots differed within- and among-species even more than leaves. Also, the deciduous clade exhibited a strong negative relationship between carbon investments in leaf surface area versus root length, while evergreen clades showed a weaker positive or no relationship. We also found evidence that investment in root foraging scale vs. precision is a fundamental trade-off defining root variation among these species. aken together, these results suggest that natural selection has shaped coordination between leaf, wood and root traits across genus Rhododendron. In addition, we show that morphological decoupling could lead to the unexpected patterns of leaf hydraulic function and microbial community diversity we have observed across Rhododendron species. Our work highlights the fact that deciduous leaves are not just short-lived versions of evergreen leaves, but rather deciduous, evergreen and semi-evergreen lineages have evolved fundamentally different approaches to the growth-stress trade-off, reflected in their different patterns of trait coordination.

Although the mechanism regulating TLC is well established, the mechanism for TLR is still obscure. Leaf epidermal appendages (trichomes) are abundant and diverse among Rhododendron species. These appendages function for water conservation due to their spatial interaction with stomata. Approximately one third of all species in Rhododendron are tropical and are found in one lineage, Vireya that diversified through Southeast Asia. All the tropical species in Vireya contain variable amounts of idioblasts, which are not found in any temperate groups of Rhododendron. Idioblasts can increase leaf capacitance for relatively thin (nonsucculent) leaves and may have their highest significance for epiphytic Rhododendron species. All the leaf traits considered in this review are successful within the context of vascular structure and function in Rhododendron. Understanding the significance of variation in multiple functional traits within one group can elucidate an overall functional syndrome that may define other similar groups within a family of plants such as the Ericaceae.

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Virginia Tech, Department Of Biology, 3002 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States

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MEDEIROS, JULIANA

Holden Forests & Gardens, Research Department, 9500 Sperry Rd, Kirtland, OH, 44094, United States

Ecological and evolutionary implications of variable trait coordination across deciduous and evergreen lineages of genus Rhododendron

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GILLESPIE, EMILY* 1 and KRON, KATHLEEN 2

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Evidence for Rapid Diversification within the Azaleas (Rhododendron section Pentanthera)

ithin the leaf economic spectrum, leaves with higher carbon investment per photosynthetic surface area are relatively slow-growing, but have higher stress resistance. Because physiological processes are often stringently coordinated, trait coordination should be highly conserved, such that species with slow-growing leaves should also have roots and wood with slow-growth attributes. Species life history, evolutionary history, or other leaf traits besides carbon investment could mediate leaf function, however, potentially resulting in variable trait coordination across growth environments, or over evolutionary time. Genus Rhododendron contains 900+ species from sub-tropical to alpine environments and representing a range of leaf economics. We explored trait-trait and trait-climate relationships for 20+ Rhododendron species with evergreen, deciduous, or semi-evergreen leaf habits. We accounted for phylogenetic relationships and within-species variation to investigate whether leaf, wood and root traits are coordinated as part of a whole-plant economics spectrum. Rhododendron exhibited expected leaf economics relationships, more carbon-rich leaves had significantly higher C:N and were associated with more stressful climates. But, all species had wood with low water transport capacity compared to most angiosperms. Thus, branch leaf area and gas exchange rates are likely constrained by wood anatomy. Clade-specific leaf-wood relationships suggest that the leaves of some acquisitive species may be hydraulically undersupplied, with implications for drought and heat tol-

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he azaleas (Rhododendron subgenus Pentanthera section Pentanthera) are a group of 17 mostly North American deciduous shrubs. Azaleas are collectively important horticultural and hybridization targets whose evolutionary history is unclear. Fourteen of these species are extremely closely related based on overall morphology, and are concentrated in the southeastern United States. Three other species appear to be slightly more distantly related and occur in the Pacific Northwest United States, the Caucasus, and in eastern Asia. Historically, groups of species were recognized on the basis of corolla color (orange, pink or white groups) or particular features such as the presence or absence of a corolla blotch. Attempts over the past decade to use molecular datasets of up to five gene regions have failed to demonstrate that those groupings are monophyletic, but many nodes exhibited low statistical support. Here, we report on progress toward estimating the phylogenetic relationships of the Pentanthera azaleas using a dataset comprised of 11 chloroplast genes ranging from coding regions to intergenic spacers and 4 nuclear genes. Every azalea species from section Pentanthera is sampled, along with 10 Rhododendron outgroup taxa representing all subgenera and four outgroup representatives from other Ericoidean tribes. All major modes of analy-


ses are employed (Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood, and Bayesian Inference) as well as specific efforts to maximize signal and minimize noise. Maximizing the phylogenetic utility of the current dataset of 15 markers permits the best estimation of the phylogeny while also potentially informing the necessary next steps using other technologies and platforms.

tion among subspecies should be requisite to their validity, though taxonomists may disagree on the level of differentiation. Beyond lack of consensus on criteria of delimitation and biological meaning, overlap among subspecies ranges and ongoing gene flow among subspecies present practical challenges, as the differences among subspecies are blurred by intermediate individuals. Recent technological advances, however, in next-generation sequencing, computational methods, and analysis, present new opportunities to revisit historically difficult groups with increased power to sort out subspecific diversity from the perspective of both morphology and genetic variation. Addressing these problem groups improves our understanding of the biological meaning of diversity below the species level and thus informs appropriate conservation decisions. Arctostaphylos glandulosa Eastw., commonly known as Eastwood's manzanita, occurs throughout most of the California Floristic Province and is currently described as a complex of ten subspecies. These are woody shrubs typically found in chaparral, adapted to fire by resprouting from a basal burl. Subspecies are distinguished using a set of trichome, fruit, and leaf morphological characters, though these show much natural variability. Additionally, numerous subspecific taxa are routinely identified in the same population, raising the question of whether the subspecies are morphotypes rather than genetic or evolutionary units. The difficulty of distinguishing these subspecies may have conservation consequences as one subspecies, A. glandulosa subsp. crassifolia, currently has protected status, and another, A. glandulosa subsp. gabrielensis, is listed by California Native Plant Society as endangered. The characteristics of the A. glandulosa subspecies complex that make its taxonomy challenging to understand make it a good system to apply modern methods to test the distinctiveness of a set of subspecies, from a morphological and genetic standpoint. We used a SNP dataset derived from ddRADseq of individuals sampled across southern California to infer population genetic structure, and applied morphometric image analysis to quantify leaf shape, trichome length and density, and stomatal density. We applied principal components analysis and linear discriminant analysis to morphometric datasets to test the morphological distinction of subspecies taxa and test the correlation between morphological variation and genetic population structure.

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Marshall University, Biological Sciences, One John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV, 25755, United States2Wake Forest University, Biology, Box 7325 Reynolda Station, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA

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JOLLES, DIANA

Biogeography and taxonomy of the North American prince's pine, genus Chimaphila (Pyroleae; Ericaceae)

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he genus Chimaphila Pursh (prince's pine) is currently recognized as five species, three of which occur in North and Central America. Past taxonomic treatments of New World Chimaphila have recognized a far greater number of species and subspecies based on a variety of morphological characters and geographic isolation. With the current preliminary study, molecular markers were used to assess the extent to which multiple disjunct species should be recognized, with special emphases on both (a) Rydberg's 1914 treatment for the North American Flora published by the New York Botanical Garden, and (b) Chimaphila maculata L., a species found in eastern North America and several areas of Mexico. With this talk, the morphological characteristics Rydberg used to circumscribe taxa, especially in Mexico, are explained and evaluated in light of new genetic evidence and well-established patterns of geographic isolation. Finally, the potential of montane regions in southern North America and Central America to harbor genetic diversity for largely North Temperate lineages is revisited. Plymouth State University, 17 High St, MSC48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, United States

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MORRISON, GLEN* 1, HUANG, YI , SAAVEDRA, NATALIE 3, STOUGHTON, THOMAS 4, BURGE, DYLAN 5, PARKER, V. T. 6, KEELEY, JON 7 and LITT, AMY 8 2

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University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States2University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Science, 900 University Ave, Batchelor Hall, Riverside, California, 92521, USA324548 Covington Way, Moreno Valley, CA, 92557, United States4Plymouth State University, Biology, 17 High Street, MSC 48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, USA513411 Bean Flat Road, Chico, CA, 95928, United States6San Francisco State University, Biology, 1600 Holloway Avenue, Department Of Biology, San Francisco, CA, 94132, United States7USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Sequoia Kings Canyon Field Station, 47050 Generals Hwy, Three Rivers, CA, 93271, USA8University Of California, Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

Testing the utility of morphological traits in delimiting a variable subspecies group, the Arctostaphylos glandulosa complex

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hile subspecies have long been understood as a level of biological organization below that of species, the criteria for delimiting subspecies vary depending on the group and taxonomist describing the subspecies. Subspecies can therefore have various biological meanings, including morphotypes, unique genetic subgroups, or suspected incipient species. However, because taxa should have evolutionary relevance, some level of genetic differentia-

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA Evolutionary History, Biogeography, and Floral Morphometrics of Salvia (Lamiaceae)

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HUANG, YI* 1, MORRISON, GLEN 2, SANDERS, ANDREW 1, SAAVEDRA, NATALIE 3, BURGE, DYLAN 4, PARKER, THOMAS 5, KEELEY, JOHN 6 and LITT, AMY 7

Sponsored by Botanical Society of America’s Developmental and Structural, Genetics abd Tropical Biology Sections

Genetic Variation and habitat differentiation in a group of taxonomically difficult plants: Arctostaphylos glandulosa (Ericaceae)

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DREW , BRYAN T* 1, SYTSMA, KENNETH J. 2 and KRIEBEL, RICARDO 2

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anzanitas (Arctostaphylos Adans., Ericaceae) are among the most outstanding chaparral species in Southern California, with distinguishing red twisting branches, simple evergreen leaves, and clusters of urn-shaped flowers. They are a group of recentlyradiated plants, diversified around 1.5 million years ago. A recent study using ITS sequence data found low levels of genetic diversity within this genus. Hybridization, polyploidy, and phenotypic plasticity make species delimitation difficult in this genus because they introduce individuals with intermediate phenotypes and/or genotypes, and incongruence in the diversification of morphology and genetics. Arctostaphylos glandulosa is one of the most problematical species in this genus. It is divided into 10 subspecies including both widely distributed and restricted ones. Morphologically, these subspecies are distinguished based on presence or absence of glandular hairs, the length and density of hairs, fusion of seeds in the fruit, and leaf color. However, individuals with intermediate phenotypes are commonly found in the field, making subspecific assignment difficult or impossible. Furthermore, herbarium records and observations in the field show more than one subspecies intermingled in some locations, which is against the expectation of geographic isolation needed for subspecies. Two subspecies, A. glandulosa subsp. gabrielensis and A. glandulosa subsp. crassifolia have narrow distributions and are considered rare in the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants. A. glandulosa subsp. crassifolia is also recognized as endangered by US government. Here, we use Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to generate SNPs and test whether these subspecies, especially these two rare ones, are genetically distinct. We also apply the MaxEnt program to identify environmental factors that define the restricted distribution of these two rare taxa. These results enhance the understanding on subspecies classification within A. glandulosa and can be used to inform conservation strategies for the two rare subspecies.

Evolutionary History, Biogeography, and Floral Morphometrics of Salvia (Lamiaceae)

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alvia (sage; Lamiaceae), with about 950 species, is one of the largest genera of angiosperms, and displays a remarkable breadth of ecological, geographical, and morphological variation. Salvia occurs on six continents, with major species radiations in East Asia, the Mediterranean region (including southwest Asia), and Mexico-Central/South America, as well as relatively minor species radiations in California and South Africa. It is differentiated from other genera in subtribe Salviinae by possessing only two fertile stamens (as opposed to four), and by most members of the genus having an elongated connective, which has been hypothesized to be responsible, at least in part, for the extraordinary success of the genus. Salvia is also among the most popular genera of horticultural plants. However, despite the widespread distribution and ecological and horticultural importance of Salvia, relationships within the genus remain unclear. This lack of phylogenetic clarity has impeded our ability to understand the evolutionary history of the genus, and resultantly, definitively elucidating the specific morphological characters responsible for the evolutionary success of Salvia has remained elusive. In this colloquium we will address potential mechanisms responsible for the success of Salvia, present updated phylogenetic results based on Next Generation Sequencing data, and explore pollination syndromes within the genus. Presenters will include experts from each of the regions where Salvia is most diverse.

1

University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA2University of WI-Madison, Botany, 132 Birge Hall, , 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

1

University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Science, 900 University Ave, Batchelor Hall, Riverside, California, 92521, USA2University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States324548 Covington Way, Moreno Valley, CA, 92557, United States413411 Bean Flat Road, Chico, CA, 95928, United States5Cal State San Fransisco, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco , CA, 94132, USA6USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Sequoia Kings Cayon Field Station, 47050 Generals Hwy, Three Rivers, California, 932717University Of California Riverside, Botany Dept, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

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strongly support the monophyly of EA Salvia. We identified eight major clades. Subclade A, comprising two limestone endemics (S. sonchifolia and S. petrophila), is sister to the remainder of EA Salvia. As a result of our analyses we propose a new classification system matching both molecular phylogenetic and morphological evidence, and recognize EA Salvia clade as a subgenus (Glutinaria) and subdivide the subgenus into eight sections.

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DREW , BRYAN T* 1, KRIEBEL, RICARDO 2, DRUMMOND, CHLOE 3, LEMMON, ALAN R. 4, LEMMON, EMILY MORIARTY 5 and SYTSMA, KENNETH J. 2

Anchored phylogenomics resolve deep relationships within Salvia (Lamiaceae)

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alvia (sage; Lamiaceae), with about 950 species, is one of the largest genera of angiosperms, and displays a remarkable breadth of ecological, geographical, and morphological variation. Salvia occurs on six continents, with major species radiations in East Asia, the Mediterranean region (including southwest Asia), and Mexico-Central/South America, as well as relatively minor species radiations in California and South Africa. It is differentiated from other genera in subtribe Salviinae by possessing only two fertile stamens (as opposed to four), and by most members of the genus having an elongated connective, which has been hypothesized to be responsible, at least in part, for the extraordinary success of the genus. Salvia is also among the most popular genera of horticultural plants. However, despite the widespread distribution and ecological and horticultural importance of Salvia, relationships within the genus remain unclear. This lack of phylogenetic clarity has impeded our ability to understand the evolutionary history of the genus, and resultantly, definitively elucidating the specific morphological characters responsible for the evolutionary success of Salvia has remained elusive. Here we explore phylogentic relationships within Salvia using Anchored Phylogenomics.

1

Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, No. 132, Heilogntan, Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, CN2Guizhou University, College of Life Sciences, Huaxi District,, Guiyang, GZ, 550025, CN3University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, 2401 11th Ave., Kearney, NE, 68849, USA4Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo. 6 Chome, Yayoigaoka, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1546, JP5Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

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FRAGOSO-MARTINEZ, ITZI* , SALAZAR, GERARDO 2, MARTíNEZGORDILLO, MARTHA 3, CLASE, TEODORO 4, MARTíNEZ-AMBRíZ, EMMANUEL 5, MAGALLON, SUSANA 6, GRANADOS MENDOZA, CAROLINA 7, FREIRE, EFRAíN 8, PEÑFIEL CEVALLOS, MARCIA 8 and TOBAR, FRANCISCO 8 1

Comparative floral morphology in a clade of Neotropical sages with contrasting pollination syndromes

1

University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA2University of WI-Madison, Botany, 132 Birge Hall, , 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA3University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany Dept, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States4Florida State University, Scientific Computing, 400 Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4120, USA5Florida State University, Biology, 319 Stadium Drive, P.O. Box 3064295, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA

T

he genus Salvia is distinguished by two monothecal stamens with elongated, fused connectives, forming a spatulate structure known as the staminal lever. This structure restricts access to the nectar to pollinators, and by pushing the lever to accede the nectar, they get loaded with pollen. Salvia subgenus Calosphace is the most diverse lineage of Salvia and is endemic to the Neotropics, with almost 600 species distributed in four main diversity centers: Mexico and Central America, the Andes, eastern Brazil, and the Antilles. Calosphace is the only clade in Salvia where bird-pollination has evolved repeatedly. Although most Calosphace species are pollinated by bees (58%), hummingbird pollination is common, especially in South America and the Antilles. The shift to ornithophily from melittophily has been linked to an increase in speciation rates in different flowering plant lineages from the Neotropics, and this relation has been also hypothesized as one of the factors responsible for the current species diversity of Calosphace. However, this hypothesis has not been formally evaluated in a phylogenetic framework. The Angulatae clade, one of the most diverse in Calosphace, encompasses species from three diversification centers and the ornithophily has evolved at least three times in it. In this work we used the Angulatae clade as a model to study the evolution of floral morphological traits that have been associated to ornithophily. Overall, these traits are: 1) exserted stamens (vs. inserted stamens); 2) the reduction of the inferior lobe of the corolla, deeming it unstable for landing of bees or other insects (vs. reflexed lobe); 3)

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XIANG, CHUNLEI* 1, HU, GUOXIONG 2, DREW, BRYAN 3, TAKANO, ATSUKO 4, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 5, SOLTIS, PAMELA 5 and PENG, HUA 1

Molecular Phylogeny and taxonomy of East Asiatic Salvia (Lamiaceae, Nepetoideae)

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alvia, consisting of about 1,000 species, is the largest genus within Lamiaceae. About 100 species of Salvia are native to East Asia (EA), making EA one of the three major biodiversity centers of the genus. Salvia is a widely used across EA both horticulturally and medicinally. Although previous studies have suggested that EA Salvia are monophyletic, relationships within this lineage remain unclear. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from two nuclear ribosomal (nrDNA; ITS and ETS) and four chloroplast (psbA-trnH, ycf1-rps15, trnL-trnF, and rbcL) markers

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA World taxa and these differences are partly explained by differences in pollinators. We also found unique areas of morphospace only explored in some biogeographical areas. Ancestral state reconstruction of pollinator suggests bird pollination evolved from bee pollination about six times (three of which are hummingbirds), and that the only large clade associated with hummingbirds is subgenus Calosphace. Within this subgenus, bee pollination then re-evolved many more times. Shifts to straight anther connectives and styles were detected near the MRCA of subg. Calosphace, providing morphological evidence of the early acquisition of hummingbird pollination in this clade. We discuss the evolutionary significance of these and other shifts in floral morphology using the chronograms and area reconstructions of both sages and hummingbirds.

a tubular corolla (vs. ventricose corolla). The evolutionary implications of the modifications observed in the studied traits are discussed. 1

National Autonomous University of Mexico, Botany, Apartado Postal 70–367 Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico City, 045110, México2Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA, Botanica, Apartado Postal 70-367, Mexico City, DIF, 04510, Mexico3National Autonomous University of Mexico, Faculty of Science, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico City, 045110, México4Jardín Botánico Nacional “Dr. Rafael Ma. Moscoso†, Herbario JBSD, Santo Domingo5Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Facultad de Ciencias, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico City, 045110, México6Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, Instituto De Biologia, 3er Circuito De Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacan, A.p. 70-233, Mexico City, Mexico D.F., DIF, 04510, Mexico7National Autonomous University Of Mexico, Departamento De Botánica, Instituto De Biologí a, U.N.A.M. Circuito Exterior S/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán A.P. 70-367, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico8Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Herbario Nacional del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

1

University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA

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HU, GUO-XIONG* 1, XIANG, CHUNLEI 2 and DREW , BRYAN T 3

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KRIEBEL, RICARDO* 1, DREW , BRYAN T 2 and SYTSMA, KENNETH J. 1

The evolution of complex shapes in the flowers of Salvia (Lamiaceae) and their relationship to geography and pollination

East Asian Salvia: New names, new species, and staminal evolution

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alvia is the largest genus in the Lamiaceae as well as the Lamiales, with approximately 1000 species. East Asia, one of three major biodiversity centers of Salvia, includes about 100 species of Salvia, mostly distributed within China. To date, 82 native species, including 72 endemics, are recognized from China. Tradionally, three distinct stamen types have been recognized described within EA Salvia, and have been regarded as the most important diagnostic character for the taxonomy of EA Salvia. As a part of an ongoing taxonomical revision of Chinese Salvia, we report a new combination, a new synonym, a new variety, a new species from China, and additional distinctive stamen types. Based on field investigation and specimen research, we upgraded S. bowleyana var. subbipinnata to a distinct species (S. subbipinnata (C. Y. Wu) G.X. Hu, C.L. Xiang & B.T. Drew), reduced S. wardii to a synonym of S. prattii, described a new variety (S. prattii var. alba G.X. Hu & X.H. Li) from the Hengduan Mountains and a new species from Central China (S. shimenensis G.X. Hu & D. Deng). Additionally, six distinct stamen types were observed within the EA Salvia. Stamen type A, with two fully fertile posterior thecae, only occurs in S. sonchifolia, and is ostensibly plesiomorphic within EA Salvia. Based on the latest phylogenetic framework and morphological results, we conclude that staminal morphology has evolved in parallel within the EA Salvia, and staminal structure alone is inadequate to delimit infrageneric categories.

S

alvia (Lamiaceae), with over 1000 species and diversity hotspots on five continents, is one of the largest genera of plants. Sages are famous for their showy flowers that have evolved a staminal lever for nototribic pollen placement several times independently. The pollination biology of many species in the genus has been studied and which has led to a key hypothesis: pollinator-mediated natural selection involving transitions from bee to bird pollination are correlated to species diversification in Salvia. Less known is the frequency of transitions between pollinators in the genus, and the effect that they have on flower morphology. To test the hypothesis that changes in flower morphology are the result of pollinator-mediated natural selection, we quantified the shape of the corolla, anther connective (which corresponds to the staminal lever in most species), style and stigma. We then evaluated these shapes by geography and pollinator using a Salvia-wide phylogenetic framework. To this end, we generated a database of outlines of these structures for morphometric analyses by mining the literature as well as scanning fresh material in botanical gardens and in the field. We extracted shape information from the structures using elliptic Fourier analysis. We also conducted ancestral state reconstruction of pollinators on a dated phylogeny of Salvia that includes more than half of the genus and used comparative methods to test for shifts in morphology possibly associated to changes in pollinators. Between 25-50% of the species in the genus were present in these analyses. We found differences in the morphology of New World versus Old

1

Guizhou University, College of Life Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China2Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, No. 132, Heilogntan, Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, CN3Biology, 2401 11th Ave, Bhs 312, Kearney, NE, 68849, United States

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KRIEBEL, RICARDO 1, DREW , BRYAN T 2, DRUMMOND, CHLOE 3, MAHDJOUB, MOHAMED MALIK 4, WALKER, JAY 5, LEMMON, EMILY 6, LEMMON, ALAN 7 and SYTSMA, KENNETH J.* 8

GONZÉLEZ-GALLEGOS, JESUS G.

Diversity and new insights towards a new classification of Salvia subgenus Calosphace (Lamiaceae)

S

Tracking the temporal shifts in area, biomes, and pollinators in the radiation of Salvia (sages, Lamiaceae) across continents: leveraging Anchored Hybrid Enrichment and targeted sequence data

alvia L. is integrated by four major clades, one of these matches the widely recognized Salvia subgenus Calosphace (Benth.) Epling, this is the richest within the genus. This group is distinctive in having only two fertile thecae disposed in the top of each anterior arm of the connective of the two stamens (except for Salvia axillaris Moc. & Sessé, which sometimes have two additional vestigial thecae in the posterior connective arms), whereas the posterior branches are connate to each other. Calosphace is an American taxon with some species behaving as alien plants worldwide (S. coccinea Buc'hoz ex Etl., S. misella Kunth, S. tiliifolia Vahl) or cultivated as ornamental (S. coccinea, S. greggii A.Gray, S. guaranitica A.St.-Hill. ex Benth., S. leucantha Cav., S. macrophylla Benth., S. microphylla Kunth. and S. vazquezii H.H.Iltis & Ramamoorthy, being the most popular). In 1939, Epling explicitly erected Calosphace to the category of a subgenus and presented the most comprehensive and recent taxonomic treatment, which he and his colleagues complemented with subsequent publications. They also presented a classification system in which they divided the group in more than 100 sections (some of them also including subsections), circumscribed based on the following main characters: persistent of ephemeral nature of floral bracts, number of veins in the upper calyx lip, length proportion between both corolla lips, entire or invaginated nature of the corolla tube, inclusion or extrusion of the stamens from the upper corolla lip, ornamentation of the connective, indument of the style, and proportion and shape of the stigmatic branches. However, several phylogenetic analyses have shown that Epling's classification is far from natural. Based on the revision of the results of these analyses and specialized literature, here are sketched the general lines for a new classification for the group and guidelines of how to proceed in future phylogenetic approaches in order to complete and make more robust the rearrangements within Calosphace. Also it is presented and updated checklist of the diversity of the clade, highlighting those species with uncertain taxonomic delimitations that should be studied in detail.

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e explore world-wide patterns of geographical and species diversification in Salvia by leveraging Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) genomic data and targeted gene sequencing for a phylogenetic framework of 528 of nearly 1,000 species in the genus. With biogeographical, fossil, biome, and pollinator data, we examine temporal correlations of shifts in area, habitat, and pollinator regime, and to five inferred branches with BAMM identified bursts of species diversification. A well-resolved, phylogenetic backbone of Salvia sensu lato, and thus subgeneric designations, are presented for the first time with the use of AHE data. Salvia originated in Southwest Asia at the end of the Oligocene and dispersed subsequently throughout the world, in some instances loosely correlated with later shifts in species diversification. Using a new method in BioGeoBEARS to model time-availability of biomes, we show that biome shifts are frequent in Salvia from a likely ancestral lineage utilizing broadleaf and/or coniferous forests and/or arid shrublands. Although clades often specialize to specific biome types, none of the five species diversification shifts are correlated to shifts in biomes. Mediterranean biome lineages only arise, recently, out of either grassland or arid biomes. Likewise, shifts in pollinator regime are not correlated to species diversification shifts, except for one hummingbird shift that precedes a major shift in diversification near the crown of subg. Calosphace. Unlike previously proposed models for Salvia, we find an early shift to hummingbird from bee pollination in New World subg. Calosphace with multiple shifts back to bee clades. We present a model of dispersal, subsequent spread, and diversification of both New World sages and hummingbirds using chronograms of both Salvia and hummingbirds. The lack of tight correlation of area, biome, or pollinator shifts to all five species diversification shifts points to other important drivers of speciation in Salvia - this explored by a subsequent presentation in this colloquium on floral morphospace (Kreibel et al.).

Cátedras CONACYT - Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Durango, Academia de ecología y sistemática, Sigma 119, 20 de Noviembre II, Durango, Durango, 34234, Mexico

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University of WI-Madison, Botany, 132 Birge Hall, , 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA3University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany Dept, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States4University A. Mira of Bejaia, Laboratory of Ecology and Environment, Bejaia, Algeria5Union High School, 6636 S. Mingo Road, Tulsa, OK, 74133, USA6Florida State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA7Florida State University, Department of Scientific Computing, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA8University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States


SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA Fossil plants at the intersection of evo-devo and phylogeny: celebrating the contributions of Gar W. Rothwell to biodiversity and evolution

Humboldt State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 Harpst Street, 1 Harpst Street HSU - Biology, Arcata, California, 95521, USA, 7078263229

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Gymnosperms of Exposure A, Oxroad Bay (Tournaisian) East Lothian, Scotland

Sponsored by Botanical Society of America’s Paleobotanical and Historical Section 138

DUNN, MICHAEL

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he Tournaisian flora from the classic Cliff Section of Oxroad Bay at East Lothian, Scotland was discovered in 1930 by Gordon and that discovery prompted a number of papers that solidified the section as an extremely important Mississippian flora. In 1984, Gar Rothwell, Richard Bateman, Andrew Scott and other collaborators began a reinvestigation of the section. The goals of the reinvestigation included interpreting the paleoecology of the site and an attempt to reconstruct whole plants from the organ-taxa in the flora. The paleoecological studies were quite successful; however, to date no whole plants have been fully reconstructed. Of the six plant bearing exposures at Oxroad Bay, Exposure A is arguably the most well studied, and this paper reports on the status of the gymnosperms from Exposure A. Currently, five or possibly six stems have been identified; Bilignea and Eristophyton are relatively large stems at up to 100mm in diameter with pycnoxylic wood. Tetrastichia, Buteoxylon and Triradioxylon are considerably smaller and produce manoxylic wood. Oxroadopteris is a single small enigmatic specimen. Several variations of the problematic petiole genus Lyginorachis are present, some of which are found in organic connection to Bilignea, Eristophyton, Tetrastichia and Oxroadopteris. A single root taxon, Amyelon is found throughout Exposure A but is only reported in organic connection to Tetrastichia. Reproductive structures include the cupules Calathospermum and Pullaritheca, the pollen organs Telangium and Melissiotheca, and five ovules; Salpingostoma, Tantallosperma Hydrasperma, Stamnostoma, and Eosperma. However, none of the reproductive structures have yet been found in connection to any of the stems.

TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU M.F.

Fossil plants at the intersection of evodevo and phylogeny: celebrating the contributions of Gar W. Rothwell to biodiversity and evolution

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he 470(or more)-million-year evolutionary history of plants has left behind a rich fossil record that we are still uncovering, with no end in sight. These plant fossils contribute crucial data relevant to studies of biodiversity and biogeography, phylogeny, and the evolution of development, as well as paleoclimate and global change. In all of these research directions, fossils provide the only access to novel information that would not be available by any other means. As a result, paleobotany offers invaluable perspectives applicable to evolutionary questions that range from the organismal level to the ecosystem and global levels. This symposium explores the contributions of fossils to three of these major research directions, in a celebration of the distinguished career and contributions of Gar W. Rothwell. In terms of biodiversity, the fossil record, thought to comprise potentially upwards of 90% of all biodiversity that ever lived on earth, produces a steady output of new taxa. These fossils provide hard calibration points for clade-dating studies. Furthermore, extinct species, often exhibiting novel combinations of characters, add resolution to phylogenetic trees and are, consequently, key to studies of deep phylogeny. Additionally, morphological and anatomical information contained in fossils includes features that can be used as fingerprints for the presence of specific regulatory mechanisms. This allows for tracing the taxonomic and stratigraphic occurrences of such regulatory mechanisms and, ultimately, refining our understanding of morphological evolution within an evo-devo framework. The six speakers are established scientists from four countries (US, UK, Japan, Argentina), who have been influential contributors in the specific fields covered by their proposed symposium topics. They will explore themes that cross disciplines and integrate the fossil record in discussions of fern and seed plant evolution and reproductive biology, broad-scale phylogenetic patterns and phylogenetic theory, and the evolution of plant development. Given the high projected number of additional papers relevant to the topic that we expect to be submitted, we expect this symposium to be complemented by a colloquium. This symposium proposal and the associated colloquium received unanimous approval at the 2017 meeting of the Paleobotanical Section (Fort Worth, TX).

Cameron University, Biological Sciences, 2800 Gore Blvd, Lawton, OK, 73505, United States

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RAYMOND, ANNE* 1, COSTANZA, S H 2 and CORREA, JULIAN 1

A bisporangiate cordaitean cone from the mid-Pennsylvanian of Iowa

A

new cordaitean cone from the mid-Pennsylvanian of Iowa consists of a primary cone axis with attached secondary fertile shoots: one apical, one lateral, each approximately 10 mm long and 4 mm in diameter. As in most cordaitean cones, sterile sclerenchymatous and transitional scales occur at the base of the secondary fertile shoot. Distal to these are approximately 25 parenchymatous, rod-

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shaped male scales with remnant pollen sacs. The uppermost male scale has a ring of 4 or 5 developing pollen sacs at the tip. Approximately 15 upper sterile scales occur distal to the male scales; these are erect, parenchymatous and crescent-shaped in cross section. The apical scale is similar in shape and bears a single, orthotropous seed, adaxially attached to the base of the scale. We identify the attached organ as a seed based on the presence of three nested membranes and portions of a fourth: 1. The exterior membrane, interpreted as the exterior cuticle of the developing seed, is visible 100 μm above the base of the fertile scale. This membrane encloses thin-walled tabular cells and tracheids of the seed's integumentary vascular system; its cuticle has inward pointing anticlinal cell-wall fragments. 2. At the apex of the developing seed, a partial membrane is interpreted as the inner epidermis of the endotesta. 3. The third membrane, interpreted as the exterior cuticle of the nucellus, has cuticle with inward pointing anticlinal wall fragments and forms a blunt tip near the seed apex, interpreted as the base of the nucellar beak. 4. The interior membrane, interpreted as the magagametophyte membrane, encloses tracheids with reticulate secondary walls, interpreted as an embryo. The new cone comes from the diverse cordaitean assemblage of North America, which contains three cordaitean seed genera: Cardiocarpus, Mitrospermum and Nucellangium. We identify the attached seed as Nucellangium based on the integumentary vasculature and nucellar cuticle. We eliminate Mitrospermum and Cardiocarpus respectively, based on pollen sac and seed attachment to the fertile scales. We have eight specimens of the new cone, including two compound cones and eight secondary fertile shoots with attached ovules, four with fertile male scales. Its morphology closely matches the pollen cone, Cordaianthus shuleri (Darrah) Fry, except that C. shuleri has multiple male scales rather than a single seed scale at the tip. The Nucellangium plant may have had andromonoecious reproduction with male only pollen cones and bisexual seed cones.

ing the early Mesozoic. The 2017-2018 University of Kansas field expedition to the Shackleton Glacier area resulted in the recovery of abundant Late Triassic plants from the “Alfie's Elbow” locality (upper Fremouw to lower Falla Formations). This locality contains one of the most diverse Triassic compression assemblages known in the central Transantarctic Mountains and has been reported to include Neocalamites, Umkomasia uniramia, Pteruchus, several types of Dicroidium, Telemachus, Heidiphyllum, Taeniopteris, and other taxa. In this reinvestigation of the “Alfie's Elbow” flora, we examined previously collected material and provide a preliminary report on the fossils recovered from the 2017-2018 field season. Thus far, an additional diversity of ferns and seed plants that had not been previously recognized at this locality or, in some cases Antarctica, have been identified. Newly recognized ferns are represented by leaves of Clathopteris and Cladophlebis. The expanded gymnosperm assemblage includes a conifer leafy stem consisting of helically arranged, needle-shaped leaves with decurrent leaf bases, ginkgophyte leaves of Baiera and ?Ginkgophyllum as well as possible Hamshawvia ovulate structures. Furthermore, an enigmatic seed bearing leaf, a cycadophyte ovulate cone, peltasperm ovulate organs, pollen organs and leaves of Matatiella and Dejerseya have been identified. In addition, silicified peat with charcoalified material was also recovered from the locality. Overall, the newly recognized taxa at this site further our understanding of the floras that existed at high polar latitudes during the Late Triassic. 1

University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Drive, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States2University Of Kansas, Division Of Paleobotany, Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States3Park University, Department Of Natural And Physical Sciences, Parkvilee, MO, 64152, United States

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ESCAPA, IGNACIO* 1, GARCÍ­A MASSINI, JUAN 2, NUNES, CRISTINA 1 and GUIDO, DIEGO 3

1

Texas A&M University, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States235 Columbia St, Malden, MA, 02148, United States

Assembling a Jurassic puzzle: anatomically preserved conifer remains in hot spring deposits from Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

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ATKINSON, BRIAN* 1, SERBET, RUDOLPH 2, RYBERG, PATRICIA E. 3 and TAYLOR, EDITH L. 1

hot-spring chert deposits in the Deseado Jforurassic Massif (Patagonia, Argentina) have been known over two decades, but the associated biota has

Late Triassic plant diversity in Antarctica: Reassessing the fossil flora of “Alfie's Elbow”

only begun to be documented recently, and thus far only from a small number of localities. Paleo-hot spring sites of the Deseado Massif include a total of 23 locations, several of which have differentially preserved biotic components of the Jurassic ecosystems in Patagonia. The chert samples contain exceptionally preserved, in-situ and transported, tri-dimensionally silicified plants, animals and microorganisms. The Jurassic flora from Santa Cruz Province is well known for two emblematic conifer taxa, Araucaria mirabilis (Araucariaceae) and Pararaucaria patagonica (Cheirolepidaceae), delimiting

D

ue to Antarctica's paleogeographic location at the center of Gondwana, fossil deposits from this continent are an essential data source for understanding the paleobiogeographic history and diversification of Mesozoic southern floras. Moreover, the Transantarctic Mountains contain some of the most extensive and continuous terrestrial Triassic sequences in the Southern Hemisphere. This provides an excellent opportunity to examine Gondwanan plant diversity, especially at high/polar latitudes dur-

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA an association with an important role in the Jurassic forests of both hemispheres. Paleobiological information on these taxa has been based primarily on anatomically preserved seed cones. Here we report the discovery of anatomically preserved leafy twigs, pollen cones and isolated seeds. Two different types of leaves were found, both of Brachyphyllum type, but with marked anatomical differences (e.g., number of vascular bundles, presence/absence of resin canals). Well preserved mycorrhizal root nodules are also present, displaying fungal arbuscules, hyphal coils, and putative vesicles. Altogether, this geothermally preserved biota provides a unique opportunity to develop more complete plant concepts for Araucaria and Pararaucaria, and to understand their biological interactions in the context of the Jurassic ecosystems in Gondwana.

Ascomycota and possibly dark septate endophytes (DSE). No host responses associated with the fungi have been observed; however, preservation quality of the host strongly suggests that the fern was alive during fungal colonization. 1

University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States2 Botanique Et Bioinformatique De L’Architecture Des Plantes, TA40/ PS2, Boulevard De La Lironde, F-34398, Montpellier, Cedex 5, France3Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz, Moritzstraße 20, Chemnitz, 09111, Germany4University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Drive, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States5Bayerische Staatssammlung Für Paläontologie Und Ge, Richard-Wagner Strasse 10, Munich, D-80333, Germany

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BIPPUS, ALEXANDER* 1, ROTHWELL, GAR 2, STOCKEY, RUTH 3 and TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU M.F. 4

1

CONICET- Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Fontana Av. 140, Trelew, Chubut, 9100, Argentina2Botanical Society of America3CONICET-UNLP, Instituto de Recursos Minerales, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Early Cretaceous bryophyte biogeography? Insights from the west coast of North America

1

HARPER, CARLA* , GALTIER, JEAN 2, RÖßLER, RONNY 3, TAYLOR, EDITH L. 4 and KRINGS, MICHAEL 5

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he Early Cretaceous (Valanginian, 136 Ma) Apple Bay flora of Vancouver Island, Canada, has emerged as a hotspot of permineralized bryophyte diversity. Recently, exploration of the Budden Canyon Formation of California (Barremian-early Aptian, 125 Ma), characterized by similar taphonomy and mode of preservation to Apple Bay, has revealed another rich bryophyte flora. The anatomically preserved material at Apple Bay has provided excellent insights for resolving the taxonomic affinities of these fossils, even for specimens represented by a single gametophyte shoot. This emphasizes the potential that permineralized bryophyte fossils have to enrich our understanding of bryophyte evolution. Thus far, a wide variety of cryptogam gametophyte fossils have been discovered at Apple Bay including acrocarpous mosses (Polytrichaceae, Grimmiaceae, Leucobryaceae), the oldest unequivocal pleurocarpous mosses (Tricostaceae), and thalloid gametophytes comparable to liverworts and filicalean fern gametophytes. Surveys of the Budden Canyon Formation have revealed a remarkably similar set of taxa including acrocarpous mosses (Polytrichaceae, Leucobryaceae), pleurocarpous mosses (Tricostaceae), and thalloid gametophytes similar to liverworts and fern gametophytes. The Budden Canyon and Apple Bay floras are similar in many ways. They are both allochthonous near-shore marine plant fossil assemblages representing coastal conifer-dominated plant communities, with significant fern and bryophyte diversity. These localities are temporally separated by only 10-15 million years and spatially by less than 1,000 miles. This parallelism allows for consideration of these fossil assemblages in terms of biogeographic patterns for bryophytes. Since the two localities represent roughly coeval and similar plant communities, with similar taphonomic histories, we can query the similarity of their bryophyte communities. Although we have yet to characterize the Budden Canyon bryoflora in detail, and work is not finished at

Spatial distribution of fungi in an enigmatic Triassic fern stem from central Europe

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he vast majority of Mesozoic ferns can be attributed to modern orders and families. A notable exception is Knorripteris/Adelophyton, an anatomically preserved Triassic fern stem that has enigmatic systematic affinities as it differs fundamentally from stem organizations seen in any other fossil or modern fern family. Documented evidence of fungi in Mesozoic ferns is exceedingly rare. In this contribution, we present a newly rediscovered specimen of Knorripteris/Adelophyton from the Franconian region of Germany that is colonized by several different morphotypes of fungal remains. The exquisite preservation of nearly all internal tissues throughout a ~10 cm long portion of the stem enables precise documentation of the spatial distribution of the fungi based on series of longitudinal and transverse sections. Two distinctive size classes of fungal hyphae, as well as various types of propagules are present: relatively small, tenuous hyphae (1-2.5 µm wide) primarily occur throughout the cortex, while large hyphae (3-7 µm wide) are most abundant in the cortical layers directly adjacent to the phloem. Wide hyphae sometimes also occur within tracheids. Spherical and pyriform propagules occur exclusively in phloem cells and in the cortex layers adjacent to the phloem. Hyphae attached to these propagules have not been found; however, the small, tenuous hyphae mentioned above correspond in diameter to the attachment point(s) visible in many of the propagules. Finally, moniliform hyphae, some with attached conidiophores, are the rarest morphotype and located exclusively in the periphery of the stele sensu lato. The precise affinities of the fungus (or fungi) cannot be determined, but some of the remains are reminiscent of certain present-day

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Apple Bay, the two localities seem to harbor broadly similar bryophyte communities. While these results are to be expected, given the close parallels between the two localities, the ability to make broad biogeographic comparisons of bryophyte floras is not something that could have been imagined outside of amber deposits such as the Baltic and Bitterfeld amber, up until now. Studies of the Apple Bay and Budden Canyon floras demonstrate that we can now start thinking in terms of broad biogeographic patterns, critical for understanding the bigger picture of bryophyte evolution, as far down in time as the Cretaceous and in other modes of preservation besides amber.

include fascicled roots, a sparse-leaved main stem, leaves with a wide hyaline margin, a ventral leaf lobe with a central chlorophyllous zone and prominent midvein, ventral leaf lobe nearly as large as or larger than the dorsal lobe, and microspore massulae with simple (hair-like) glochidia. 1

Cornell University, Plant Biology Section School of Integrative Plant Science, 410 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Avenida Fontana 140, Trelew, U, 9100, Argentina3Ohio University, Department Of Environmental And Plant Biology, Porter Hall 315, Athens, OH, 45701, United States4Cornell University, Plant Biology, 410 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

1

Humboldt State University, 112 H Street, Arcata, CALIFORNIA, 95521, United States2Oregon State University, Department Of Botany And Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States3Oregon State University, Department Of Botany And Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331.0, United States4Humboldt State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA, 95521, United States

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GANDOLFO, MARIA A* 1, NIXON, KEVIN C 2, CREPET, WILLIAM 2 and GRIMALDI, DAVID 3

A Late Cretaceous Fagalean Inflorescence preserved in amber from New Jersey, USA

145

JUD , NATHAN A* 1, DE BENEDETTI, FACUNDO 2, HERMSEN, ELIZABETH J. 3 and GANDOLFO, MARIA A 4

W

e described a pistillate inflorescence preserved in amber from the Early Upper Cretaceous (Turonian, -90-94 million years ago) of central New Jersey, USA. The inflorescence is a pedunculate, pistillate three-flowered dichasium, subtended by two toothed glabrous bracts opposite to each other; the peduncle is covered with glandular hairs. The flowers are hypogynous, zygomorphic, and syncarpous; their perianth is funnelform and composed of six free lanceolate tepals. The central flower is bicarpellate and its ovary is flattened and have lateral margins covered with hairs. The lateral flowers are tricarpellate, triangular in cross-section, and have flexuous styles and free stigmas. The flowers are subtended by four distinct cupule valves that are biseriate. Morphologically, the inflorescence has features of Nothofagaceae, but also has distinctive characters that suggest it is intermediate between Nothofagus and other Fagales. We investigate the relationships of this new fossil by mapping its characters onto a widely accepted molecular-based tree of modern basal Fagales using standard methods of character optimization. The phylogenetic position of this fossil inflorescence is determined by the presence of unique features that are only found in “basal” members of Fagales. Based on the available evidence, the fossil is best interpreted as an early stem Fagales, with features that suggest a transition from a more generalized Nothofagus-like fagalean ancestor, with some exclusive plesiomorphic features. The presence of the enlarged perianth and flexuous styles also indicates the possibility of insect pollination, which has been lost in all Fagales except for some members of subfamily Castaneoideae in Fagaceae sensu stricto (that otherwise are very different from this fossil). The poorly developed, bract-like cupule valves are interpreted as primitive (i.e., incipient) or as reduced from more developed cupules that are found in most modern Fagaceae and Nothofagaceae. The fossil is the oldest known inflorescence (flowers) and provides insight into characteristics of the early stem Fagales, the evolution of the cupule in Nothofagaceae and Fagaceae, and a reasonable biogeographic

An organismal concept for fossil Azolla from the early Paleocene (Danian) Salamanca Formation, Patagonia, Argentina

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osquito ferns (Azolla Lam.) comprise 5-7 extant species and more than 70 fossil species (based primarily on isolated mega- and microspores). Recent molecular phylogenetic studies using chloroplast sequence data have converged on a well-supported model of the systematic relationships among the living species of Azolla; however, many of the fossil species have combinations of characters not seen among the extant species. Phylogenetic analyses that include both living and fossil Azolla thus have the potential to yield important insights. Despite the rich fossil record of the genus, our understanding of its evolution is historically constrained by a paucity of sporophyte fossils from which organismal concepts of extinct species can be developed. Here, we present an organismal concept for a new fossil Azolla from the early Paleocene Salamanca Formation of Patagonia, Argentina. We compared the fossils with fully articulated extant relatives, as well as reconstructed fossil plants; fossil taxa include A. schopfii and A. stanleyi, previously described from the Paleocene of Canada, and an unnamed species from the Maastrichtian of Argentina. The Salamanca Azolla fossils share several characters with the extinct species A. schopfii and extant African species A. nilotica that are not present in other species of Azolla. These

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA hypothesis for the differentiation of Southern (e.g., Nothofagaceae) and Northern Hemisphere Fagales. It also suggests that early stem Fagales that had not yet differentiated into modern families were present in the Late Cretaceous of North America.

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The First Gondwanan Fagaceae: Early Eocene Castaneoids from Patagonia and the Paleo-Antarctic Component of Southeast Asian Tropical Rainforests

1

Cornell University, 410 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States2Cornell University, 412 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States3American Museum Of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024-5192, United States

T

he beech family (Fagaceae s.s.), with eight genera and over 900 species, is one of the most ecologically and economically important plant groups in the world. The known extant and fossil distributions of the family have been confined to the Northern Hemisphere and the tropics. In montane, aseasonal areas of SE Asia, the diverse castaneoid genera Castanopsis and Lithocarpus often form co-dominant associations with several conifer taxa that have well-known Gondwanan origins. Based on the fossil record, these living associations were classically considered as a mix of Laurasian and Gondwanan elements (castaneoids and conifers, respectively). Here, I report the first Gondwanan Fagaceae s.s., early Eocene (52.2 Ma) castaneoid fossils from Laguna del Hunco in Patagonian Argentina. Notably, this site has produced rare South American fossil records of several genera whose extant ranges include SE Asian rainforests and associations with castaneoids, such as Agathis (Araucariaceae); Dacrycarpus, Phyllocladus, and Podocarpus (Podocarpaceae); and Gymnostoma (Casuarinaceae). The new castaneoid fossils include ca. 90 leaves, a spike-like infructescence bearing dozens of immature solitary fruits, and an axis with four maturing solitary fruits. The leaves have several fagaceous features, including long petioles with expanded bases; bristle-tipped, regular teeth each associated with a single craspedodromous secondary vein; and fine, closely spaced, strongly percurrent tertiary veins. The immature fruits show early stages of cupule and scale development and bear three styles with punctiform stigmas as in Castanopsis and Lithocarpus. The maturing fruits have asymmetrical, two-cuspidate-valved cupules that fully enclose a single nut, a characteristic combination today for Castanopsis. However, the cupule ornamentation of helically arranged, imbricate, symmetrical scales without spines or tubercles is more similar to Lithocarpus. The cumulative evidence indicates the presence of castaneoid Fagaceae in Eocene Patagonia with close affinity to Castanopsis (Asia and New Guinea, ca. 140 living species). Thus, the castaneoid Fagaceae had a previously unknown Gondwanan history. Castaneoids have associated with the same conifer and other taxa for tens of millions of years, apparently tracking mesic rainforest environments together in response to climate change

147

PIGG, KATHLEEN* 1 and DEVORE, MELANIE 2

Morphological features of Eocene sumac leaves (Rhus, Anacardiaceae) linked with hybridization

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he fossil taxon Rhus malloryi Wolfe and Wehr was described in their 1987 monographic treatment of the latest early Eocene Republic, Washington flora on the basis of a small number of specimens. Today, after more than 30 years of collecting by professionals and the public at the Boot Hill site under the auspices of the Stonerose Interpretive Center, a much larger sample of a wide array of Rhus specimens are available to us. Clearly the specimens identified as "Rhus malloryi" represent multiple species of Rhus, and perhaps other taxa. Many appear to have asymmetrical leaves or leaflets, a condition that often occurs among hybrids that is the result of fluctuating asymmetry. Higher order venation patterns are also often disrupted as well. In extant hybrids, these unusual appearances associated with fluctuating asymmetry result from the disruption of coadapted gene complexes by hybridization. These patterns of changes in leaf morphology appear to be independent of standard parameters used to document leaf variation such as differences in distance between midrib and leaf margin. There appears to be a greater variation in larger-scale morphological features of the leaf, for example, variously fused leaflets and highly asymmetrical leaf venation. Interestingly, these patterns are found in extant members of one subgenus of Rhus, subgenus Lobadium. Phylogenetic and biogeographical analyses have suggested that Rhus initially diverged into an eastern Asian lineage, subgenus Rhus and second North American lineage, subgenus Lobadium, that is distributed primarily in the western US and extending into Mexico, with one species ranging from southern Mexico into Guatemala. Numerous episodes of hybridization have been linked with species within Lobadium and the subgenus includes endemics in California. From the results of our analyses of Rhus leaves from Republic, it appears that the Lobadium complex could represent a perpetual group of species which has spawned hybrids and endemic taxa for nearly 50 million years. 1

Arizona State University, School Of Life Sciences, PO Box 874501, Tempe, AZ, 85287, United States2Dept Of Biology & Env. Science, GC & SU Campus Box 81, Milledgeville, GA, 31061, United States

WILF, PETER

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and plate movements over thousands of kilometers. Other fossil occurrences of castaneoids, all from the Northern Hemisphere, do not include any of the same characteristic associations. Thus, today's SE Asian rainforests co-dominated by castaneoids and "southern" conifers appear to indicate considerably more Gondwanan historical connections than previously thought, and this surviving floral association from the paleo-Antarctic represents a significant piece of SE Asian tropical biomass and biodiversity.

living species and plant fossils. For example, the fossil record of vascular plants provides vast evidence about the ontogeny of tissues, organs, whole organisms, and the evolutionary pathways by which they evolved. This evidence can be directly related back to structural changes brought about in experimental studies of gene activity in living plants. Ohio University, Environmental And Plant Biology, 315 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, United States

Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 537 Deike Bldg., University Park, PA, 16802, United States

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149

Whence secondary growth? Outlining a research agenda

STEVENSON, DENNIS

S

Cycads Past and Present

urveying extant plant diversity, one is easily (mis)led to recognizing secondary growth with wood production as an exclusive attribute of seed plants. However, studies of the fossil record have documented secondary xylem in multiple distinct lineages: lycopsids, cladoxylopsids, sphenopsids, zygopterid ferns s.l., stenokolealeans, progymnosperms. Such paleobotanical datapoints placed the origins of secondary xylem in different lineages throughout the Middle Devonian-early Carboniferous interval and led to the traditional view that wood evolved independently multiple times. Recently, paleobotany has returned with diverse evidence for woody growth in the deeper, Early Devonian fossil record. These discoveries blur the traditional image, raising the possibility of a single common origin of secondary growth, at least within the euphyllophyte clade. Addressing this hypothesis requires a set of convergent approaches. One of these approaches involves characterizing wood production from a vascular cambium as a system of modular component processes working within a set of anatomical constraints, a view supported by observational and experimental evidence from fossil and living plants, and uncovering the molecular-genetic regulation of these processes. A short list of such processes includes assembly of a cambial layer and maintenance of meristematic identity; periclinal divisions of cambial initials - their initiation, control of the plane of cell division, and synchronization; establishment of identity of secondary tissues produced on either side of the cambium; anticlinal divisions of cambial initials - their initiation, control of cell division plane, and symmetry (or lack thereof). Although regulatory networks for these processes can only be characterized in detail in living seed plants, presence and functions of such regulators have been or can be documented in non-woody living lineages. Such information can provide hypotheses on a potential shared developmental toolkit for wood production and variations in its processual range across the breadth and depth of plant phylogeny. A second path toward understanding the origins of woody growth involves assessment of the various fossil occurrences of secondary xylem, with the aim of characterizing their anatomy in detail within a comparative developmental framework. At the convergence of these two approaches lies reciprocal illumination. Integration of their information in a phylogenetic and stratigraphic framework could lead to identification of anatomical fingerprints for the modular

T

he Cycadales have a good fossil record beginning in the early Permian with over 20 known fossil genera and 10 extant genera. There are at least ten autapomorphies defining all extant taxa. There are at least a dozen autapmorphies that occur with the extant cycads. All in all, there are 20 of these anatomical such as girdling leaf traces, omega pattern of vascular bundles in petioles, cone domes, etc. This allows for the identification of fossils as cycads and analyses that include those fossils. Although the fossils are not known as whole plants, these characters do allow the leaves and stems to be resolved on stem lineages of the extants within the order. This in turn can be used to generate hypotheses concerning whole plant reconstructions and gives us minimum ages for the clades. The fact that these structures have persisted through the Triassic and Jurassic to today leads to questions and hypotheses concerning the function and conservation of the autapomorphies. For example, the cone domes are probably the result the dichotomous branching coupled with cone formation and maturation at the apex New York Botanical Garden, Science, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

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TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU M.F.

WYATT, SARAH

Plant Evolution: genes, fossils, and molecular fingerprints

C

ombining molecular data with knowledge of evolutionary patterns determined from the fossil record brings a new depth of understanding to the evolution of plant form. Research using methods in molecular biology suggests the developmental mechanisms of evolution; paleontological studies reveal the sequence in which evolutionary changes have occurred. Paleontological approaches to plant development provide a framework for extending that understanding to the ontogeny and evolution of whole organisms through time. Some genetic, regulatory, and biochemical mechanisms give rise to specific structural features that provide developmentally diagnostic features. Evolution of those diagnostic features represents critical developmental alterations, which can be identified in the fossil record where they represent “fingerprints� for gene mediated regulatory pathways. These fingerprints can provide a record of growth regulation for both

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA processes of secondary growth and their regulatory mechanisms; documenting the phylogenetic spread of these processes and mechanisms; and reconciling these with hypotheses on the extent and evolution of the toolkit for secondary growth gleaned from developmental-molecular data on living plants. Humboldt State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 Harpst Street, 1 Harpst Street HSU - Biology, Arcata, California, 95521, USA, 7078263229

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153

CREPET, WILLIAM* 1 and NIKLAS, KARL 2

Early Tracheophyte Phylogeny: an experiment

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nly a relatively limited number of vascular plant taxa had evolved by the end of the Devonian and even fewer were well enough known to adequately describe their morphologies with anatomical details. Moreover, the resolution of organographic homologies among ancient organisms that had yet to evolve clear anatomical and reproductive differences among their body parts made the problem of documenting their phylogenetic relationships all the more concerning owing to the high probability of mosaic and convergent evolution. Optimizing the best known Devonian vascular plant taxa with as much diversity as possible, and building upon fine previous analyses, character matrices for 37 taxa were constructed to assess the phylogenetic relationships among early tracheophytes in order to evaluate the status of Equisetum and affinities of the sphenophytes, and to explore four constraints imposed on such analyses: (1) the few diagnostic phenotypic characters preserved in the fossil record of early tracheophytes, (2) ambiguous organographic distinctions among them, (3) the consequences of rapid mosaic evolution, and (4) homoplasy. Despite these constraints, parsimony based phylogenetic analyses generated trees with well-defined branching topologies that were retained regardless of whether a subset of characters was coded as additive or non-additive. In addition, Equisetum was positioned with fossil sphenophytes (e.g., Calamites) as well as with fossils described as ferns or fern-like (e.g., Calamophyton). The interpretation of the phylogenetic relationships among the taxa examined in this study suffers from difficulties associated with identifying homologous characters for poorly preserved organisms lacking well canalized phenotypes.

NIXON, KEVIN C

Character Homology Estimation (CHE)

A

s more and more molecular sequence data are captured and used for reconstruction of phylogenetic trees, certain parts of the green plant phylogeny remain problematic. With the advent of model-based approaches (e.g., maximum likelihood [ML] and Bayesian analysis [BA]), efforts to improve phylogenetic estimation have focused on gathering more genomic data and improving models. Part of this expansion of phylogenetics has also propagated the mantra that model-based methods are not susceptible to long branch attraction (LBA) artifacts. Results that are problematic or conflict with previous results or the consensus view are often attributed to specific problems such as issues with GC content bias, third position homoplasy, or other model misspecification. Rarely if ever is LBA invoked by name in discussions of ML or BA results, although the end results of model misspecification (e.g., homogeneous models where heterogeneous models are appropriate, or GC content bias) are in fact examples of LBA artifacts. Unfortunately, the actual susceptibility of ML or BA to LBA cannot be addressed by testing different models or modifying such models until acceptable results are obtained. I here propose a new method that utilizes recoding of data that results in consistent results across both parsimony and ML (and by implication, BA). The new method (Character Homology Estimation, or CHE) treats molecular sequence data as similar to morphological data, under the assumption that confidence is highest in groupings that are supported by the most complex characters. A typical CHE analysis can be viewed as a relaxed heterogeneous model with highest likelihood of homology to be found in the most complex characters. Examples of CHE analyses from the whole chloroplast genome will be presented with special emphasis on the positions of gnetopsids, the monophyly or lack thereof of the bryophytes, the lycophyte clade, and the relationships among early angiosperm clades such as Ceratophyllum. Cornell University, Plant Biology, 405 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

1

Section Of Plant Biology, 413 Mann Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States2School Of Integrative Plant Biology, Cornell University, Plant Biology Section, 412 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States

154

ROTHWELL, GAR* 1 and STOCKEY, RUTH 2

Penetrating the perplexing Upper Cretaceous Parataxodium plexus from the Price Creek Formation of north slope Alaska

A

critical reexamination of the original "compression" specimens of Upper Cretaceous organs described as Parataxodium wigginsii Arnold and Lowther from a terrestrial limestone block collected along the Colville River in northern Alaska reveals both that the assemblage includes at least four distinct taxa of conifer remains, and that the material

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is actually permineralized. Preservation quality and taphonomic alteration vary among the specimens, such that only some specimens preserve anatomy of excellent quality. Up to the present, three distinct sets of anatomical features have been recognized among the vegetative shoots. One suite of characters occurs in shoots with variable opposite-decussate/ helical phyllotaxis and taxodioid leaf morphology, and a second suite is common to specimens with cryptomerioid/taiwanioid leaves. Specimens with the former have a relatively large pith of cells with clear lumens, dense cortex, and prominent hypodermal sclerenchyma; specimens with the other have a relatively small pith of dark cells, less densely packed cortical cells with scattered stone cells, and little or no hypodermal sclerenchyma. Section views of the former reveal flattened leaves with thin laminae, a distinct midrib, and a prominent zone of sub-epidermal sclerenchyma. Leaves on the cryptomerioid/ taiwanioid shoots are characteristically much thicker in section views, and have scattered stone cells, an abaxial palisade, and much less sub-epidermal sclerenchyma. Anatomically preserved axillary pollen cones are attached to shoots with less diagnostic anatomical characters. At least four types of seed cones are preserved in the assemblage. These are 1) subspheriodal-cylindrical cones with sequoioid cone scales that are attached to slender "peduncles" with small distantly-spaced leaves, 2) ellipsoidal cones with an Athrotaxis-like appearance that are attached to slender shoots with taxodioid leaves, 3) a subspheroidal cone with toothed cone scale margins attached to closely-spaced cryptomerioid leaves, and 4) subcylindrical cones that conform to the genus Taiwania. The Taiwania seed cones are attached to short sections of vegetative leafy shoots with the suite of characters are most similar to Taiwania. 1

Ohio University/Orgon State Universtiy, Environmental and Plant Biology, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, 318 Porter Hall, Athens, Ohio, 45701, USA2Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331

Pacific Biogeography Sponsored by the Botanical Society of America’s Systematic Section 155

POTTER, BENJAMIN 1, APPELHANS, MARC 2 and WAGNER, WARREN* 3

Pacific Biogeography

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he Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on the planet and it covers an area bigger than those of all continents together. Its numerous islands amount to only a tiny percentage of the total area of the ocean. Pacific archipelagos rank among the most isolated landmasses on the planet and they are characterized by high endemicity of their flora and fauna. Dispersal events in the Pacific region are facilitated by vectors such as tropical storms, birds, floatable seeds and rafting. Successful colonizations of remote Pacific archipelagos are relatively rare events. The founder populations are likely very small, and inbreeding depression excludes many potential colonizers from establishment. Despite these difficulties, many plant lineages have successfully colonized Pacific archipelagos, with some of these successively undergoing adaptive radiations leading to high species richness. Most Pacific archipelagos are of volcanic origin and the age of most current islands is usually Pliocene or later. Phylogenetic studies of adaptive radiations in the Pacific, using only one or a few gene regions, were often hampered by these recent origins and resulted in tree topologies with low resolution and support. As such, recently developed next-generation sequencing methods offer exciting opportunities to study the biogeography, evolutionary history and ecology of Pacific plants. This proposed colloquium aims to bring together researchers interested in Pacific plant biogeography and evolution. A focus will be on results from investigations using genomelevel data, but studies using densely sampled firstgeneration sequencing data will also be presented. 1

University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, NZ2University of Göttingen, Göttingen Herbarium, Wilhelmsplatz 1 (Aula), Göttingen, 37073, Germany3 Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, West Loading Dock, 10th and Constitution Ave, Washington, DC, 20560-0166, USA

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 157

156

POTTER, BENJAMIN* 1, NEWCOMB, RICHARD 2, DRUMMOND, ALEXEI 3 and LEE, WILLIAM 4

APPELHANS, MARC* 1, PAETZOLD, CLAUDIA 2, WOOD, KENNETH R. 3 and WAGNER, WARREN 4

Retracing the colonisation history of the endemic New Zealand grass flora (Poaceae)

Phylogenetic reconstruction and identification of biogeographical patterns of Hawaiian Myrsine (Primulaceae, Myrsinoideae) based on RADseq data

I

nsular floras that contain high levels of endemism provide fascinating case studies of colonisation history. Assemblages of historically accumulated indigenous diversity (often including radiations of taxa), containing a variety of lineages with different immigration ages and richness values, offer unique insights into diversification. The grasses of New Zealand - a species-rich flora consisting of 161 endemics and 33 indigenous non-endemics - represent such a group. Native diversity is distributed across 12 of the 51 currently accepted Poaceae tribes, but taxa from two tribes comprise 84% of the species: Poeae (116 spp.) and Danthonieae (47 spp.). Here, we set out to characterise the NZ colonisation history of these grass taxa. Towards this molecular dating analyses were conducted using a combination of publicly available and newly generated DNA sequence data. Bayesian relaxed clocks were used to date the NZ vs. overseas floristic disjunctions, and place the NZ immigrations along an evolutionary timeline. Preliminary results suggest that the NZ grass flora is the product of ca. 32 colonisation events, with the majority of these occurring during the Late Miocene to Pliocene. Just three lineages were estimated to have older stem ages: Austroderia (mean age: 13 Ma), Chionochloa (24 Ma) and Ehrharta (38 Ma). These results are discussed with reference to the significant geological and climatological events that have impacted the Zealandia continental fragment over this time frame, and contrasted with a similar colonisation history that was recently constructed for NZ's tree flora.

M

yrsine ranks among the largest genera of the primrose family (Primulaceae s.l.) and its +/200 species are distributed in subtropical and tropical areas worldwide except Europe. A particularly high number of species are found in the Pacific area. The largest of these pacific radiations is that of the Hawaiian Archipelago which consists of 19 endemic species. Myrsine has colonized all major Hawaiian Islands except Kahoʻolawe and Niʻihau and is most diverse on Kauaʻi (14 species, 10 of them endemic) and Oʻahu (8 species, 2 endemic). While many species have a very narrow distribution and show little morphological variability, M. lessertiana is extremely variable. Several subspecies and varieties have been described for this species, and populations that show intermediate characters with other species have been observed. The genus Myrsine and especially the Hawaiian taxa have been largely neglected by systematists and virtually nothing is known about their relationships among each other. Not a single DNA sequence of the Hawaiian species has been deposited at Genbank so far. Our study aims at resolving the phylogenetic history and the inter-island colonization pattern of Hawaiian Myrsine. Since other examples of radiations from the Hawaiian Islands have shown that Sanger sequencing does in most cases not deliver enough information to untangle phylogenetic relationships at the species level, we decided to use next-generation sequencing (RADseq; restriction-site associated DNA sequencing). Our taxon sampling includes all but one species of Hawaiian Myrsine as well as M. africana and two species of Ardisia as outgroups. Seven specimens of the variable M. lessertiana were sampled from all major islands. Our results show completely resolved and fully supported phylogenetic trees, providing evidence that the method is very well suited to study recent and rapid island radiations. Hawaiian Myrsine consist of four main clades of with three contain mainly widespread taxa and one clade that included all Kauaian endemics. Myrsine lessertiana is resolved as polyphyletic which reflects the highly variable morphology and overlapping characters with other species.

1

University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, NZ2New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand3University of Auckland, Centre for Computational Evolution, Auckland, New Zealand4Landcare Research, Dunedin, New Zealand

1

University Of Goettingen, Untere Karspuele 2, Goettingen, 37073.0, Germany2Albrecht-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Untere Karspüle 2, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, 37073, Germany3National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI, 96741, USA4Smithsonian Institution, Department Of Botany, MRC-166, P. O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

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for several nuclear and chloroplast markers have yielded insufficient phylogenetic signal, suggest the radiation may be fairly young and so necessitates a genomic approach. To better resolve the evolutionary relationships of Pacific taxa, we sequence full plastomes for over 80 Pacific taxa using a genome skimming next-generation sequencing approach. Using this phylogeny, we inferred patterns of dispersal and diversification in this group across the Pacific and within the Hawaiian archipelago using probabilistic historical biogeographic models. We find a fairly complex history of colonization across the Pacific by two main lineages, one of which has diversified greatly, while the other has not. Interestingly, the endemic taxa (23 species) of the Hawaiian archipelago may be derived from a single colonization event, similar to that of other diverse lineages on the archipelago such as the silverswords and lobeliads. Our results shed light on the evolutionary history and extraordinary radiation of this diverse group across the Pacific, and provide insight into the evolutionary assembly of island floras.

158

PAETZOLD, CLAUDIA* 1, WOOD, KENNETH R. 2, WAGNER, WARREN 3 and APPELHANS, MARC 1

Navigating the assembly parameter maze: RADseq resolves phylogeny of Hawaiian Melicope (Rutaceae)

T

he Hawaiian Islands are one of the most remote places on earth with > 2500 miles distance from the nearest continental landmass. Each island goes through a specific life cycle of growth and submission, providing a continuously fluctuating amount of available ecological niches. As such the Islands are traditionally considered to be a laboratory for evolution. Melicope (Rutaceae) is the largest radiation of woody plants on the islands comprising 54 species. Sanger Sequencing revealed the lineage to be monophyletic, originating from one colonization event in the Middle to Late Miocene. However, species level relationships are largely unresolved. We used RADseq to investigate relationships within the Hawaiian radiation of Melicope resulting in the first completely resolved phylogeny of the lineage. We highlight implications for taxonomy, conservation biology and historical biogeography. In addition, we emphasize potential advantages and pitfalls when applying RADseq to a lineage of that age. We highlight the necessity of thorough and structured testing of parameter space during RADseq assembly for phylogenetic inference. This especially concerns parameters governing the identification and clustering of loci in order to avoid both overand undermerging of loci and thus obtaining datasets of truly homologous regions.

1

University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA2Smithsonian NMNH, Botany, P.O. Box 37102, Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, United States3Smithsonian Institution, Department Of Botany, MRC-166, P. O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

160

POTTER, BENJAMIN* 1, LOWRY, PORTER , MUNZINGER , JéRôME 3 and GEMMILL, CHRISSEN 4 2

Biogeography of insular Pacific Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) revisited

1

Albrecht-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Untere Karspüle 2, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, 37073, Germany2National Tropical botanical Garden, Science & Conservation, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI, 96741, USA3Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, West Loading Dock, 10th and Constitution Ave, Washington, DC, 20560-0166, USA

T

he genus Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae, Apiales) consists of ca. 150 species of trees, shrubs and lianas. Distribution is throughout the Old World, with centres of species richness in Australia, Hawaii, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Here, we investigated the phylogeny and biogeography of the group using a combination of nuclear ribosomal and chloroplast DNA markers. A nrITS dataset was first assembled sampling ca. 100 species, and based on a preliminary phylogeny of this data a subset of 60 species was selected for additional chloroplast sequencing. This multigene matrix was then used for Bayesian molecular dating and ancestral area analyses. The results suggest the genus has radiated relatively recently, with crown group Pittosporum diversification beginning in the Late Miocene. In congruence with previous studies this was estimated to have occurred in Australia, with subsequent dispersal events taking place to the Pacific and Southeast Asia (Gemmill et al., 2002; Chandler et al., 2007). Our analyses estimate that extant Pittosporum in both New Caledonia and Hawaii are the result of a single colonisation event, but interestingly the 24 species in New Zealand appear to be the result of at least two (but possibly three) independent colonisation events. These results will be discussed and contrasted with those produced using alternative calibration schemes, molecular clock models and sampling densities.

159

LIM, JUNYING* 1, ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 2 and WAGNER, WARREN 3

Genome skimming reveals the evolutionary and biogeographic history of Pacific Peperomia (Piperaceae)

P

eperomia are one of the most species-rich genera globally (ca. 1600 species). Though primarily distributed across the world's continental tropics, Peperomia have also colonized and diversified across the islands of the Pacific, which collectively harbor about a tenth of its global diversity. Nevertheless, despite their evolutionary success in the Pacific, the evolutionary relationships and patterns of dispersal among Pacific taxa are unclear. In addition, larger island archipelagos such as Hawaii and Fiji have been hypothesized to play host to independent radiations derived from single colonization events, but the monophyly of endemic taxa on these archipelagoes remain to be tested. Lastly, preliminary data

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA Plants at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary

1

University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, NZ2Missouri Botanical Garden, Africa and Madagascar Department, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 631660299, USA3Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR Botanique et Bioinformatique de l’Architecture des Plantes (AMAP), Laboratoire de Botanique et d’Ecologie Végétale Appliquées, Nouméa, New Caledonia, New Caledonia4Dept Of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand

Sponsored by the Botanical Society of America’s Paleobotanical Section

161

JUD , NATHAN A

Plants at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary

T

he end-Cretaceous extinction event had profound and lasting influence on the evolution of life on earth. The evidence that the asteroid impact was the primary driver of extinction worldwide is clear, but climate change and the Deccan volcanism may have had important effects on vegetation during the latest Cretaceous and early Paleocene as well. This critical interval is best documented for land plants in Western North America, but evidence for geographic variation in the severity of extinction and the dynamics of recovery is emerging, especially from the southern continents. The main goal of this colloquium is to share results of research related to the diversity of land plants during the Maastrichtian and Paleocene. Contributions may focus on ecological and/or systematic perspectives and investigate the identity of K-Pg boundary taxa, global or regional vegetation patterns during the latest Cretaceous, or how survivorship varied with geography, phylogeny, or functional traits. By organizing a colloquium with diverse approaches to understand similar age floras from around the world, we aim to significantly improve our comprehension of the effects of major ecosystem perturbation events on land plants. Cornell University, Plant Biology Section School of Integrative Plant Science, 410 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

162

WILF, PETER* 1 and BRALOWER, TIMOTHY J. 2

Geographic Variation in Marine and Terrestrial Primary-Producer Response to the Terminal Cretaceous Event

A

tmospheric modeling indicates that the 66.0 Ma end-Cretaceous (K-Pg) impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, caused nearly uniform, globally devastating effects on life. However, K-Pg event strata show decreasing sediment disturbance with distance from ground zero, and first principles suggest that environmental destruction would decrease as well. We review published evidence in light of hypothesized geographic variation in extinction and recovery among calcareous nannoplankton (haptophyte algae) and land plants. Testing this hypothesis is critical for understanding the extinction legacy seen in evolutionary patterns reaching to the present day. Nannoplankton consist of globally distributed species that occur in deep-sea cores at massive abundances and fine stratigraphic resolution. Nannofossil data dem-

73


onstrate significantly higher extinction and slower recovery in the northern vs. southern hemispheres; recovery was eventually led by novel lineages in the northern hemisphere, whereas southern hemisphere recovery stemmed from diversification of incumbent survivors. Interpretation of the land-plant record is restricted by the general lack of well-dated, well-sampled stratigraphic sections that contain latest Maastrichtian and early Danian floras outside of Western Interior North America (WINA). However, the emerging pattern seems to align with the nannofossils in favoring greater survivorship and faster recovery for primary producers at southern latitudes far from Chicxulub. The Hell Creek-Fort Union formation floras of southwestern North Dakota remain the best understood in WINA (and the world) for the K-Pg interval, providing a benchmark of ca. 60% macrofloral and 30% microfloral extinction. Lowdiversity floras continued to dominate in WINA throughout the Paleocene, although the unusually rich ca. 64 Ma Castle Rock flora of Colorado reveals a potentially widespread, rainforest-like biome. In contrast, palynological data from New Zealand, Antarctic Peninsula, and Patagonia show a muted extinction and rapid rebound; Patagonian data also record a striking, Danian final pulse of pollen from the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae, otherwise confined to the Mesozoic. Early Danian leaf floras from Patagonia are notably diverse compared to WINA, and terminal Maastrichtian macrofloras of Patagonia include earliest occurrences of extant conifer genera, showing distinctive lineages that survived the K-Pg. The Australian record includes noteworthy examples of 'Mesozoic' plants surviving into the Cenozoic such as corystosperms and bennettitaleans. It appears that biotic effects of the K-Pg event were not globally uniform for primary producers and that Gondwanan land plants, like southern phytoplankton, fared better than their northern counterparts closer to ground zero. Incumbent survivors appear to have seeded a 'Mesozoic legacy' with significant evolutionary influence on living southern biotas.

163

JUD , NATHAN A* 1, GANDOLFO, MARIA A 2, WILF, PETER 3 and IGLESIAS, ARI 4

Remarkable diversity of fossil flowers from the early Paleocene (Danian) Salamanca Formation, Chubut, Argentina

G

ondwanan plant communities from the early Paleocene are poorly known, and this limits our understanding of geographic variation in the recovery of plant communities following the endCretaceous extinction event. Recent work on wellpreserved angiosperm reproductive structures from the Salamanca Formation in Chubut Province, Argentina is providing important new data on the composition for Patagonian floras. Over the last two years, we have described an extinct member of the Rhamnaceae and two extinct members of Cunoniaceae based on fossil flowers. In parallel, we have described a new species of Menispermaceae based on a fossil fruit and identified a new species of Azolla based on fertile sporophytes. There are at least 11 remaining flower morphotypes of uncertain affinity from two fossil localities, Palacio del los Loros (PL2) and Rancho Grande (RG). Flowers from PL2 have pollen preserved in the anthers or on the perianth parts. All the flowers are less than 1 cm across and most of the undescribed types have reduced petals or lack petals. Nine of the 11 flower morphotypes have characters typical of core-eudicot angiosperms (one or two whorls of 5 perianth parts, sepals with three veins, and tricol(por)ate pollen). Two have characters typical of monocots (perianth parts in 3 and numerous veins supplying the sepals). The description and identification of these flowers contributes to a more complete understanding of the early Paleocene floras of southern South America and permits inferences about biogeographic connection and recovery dynamics in the southern hemisphere following the end-Cretaceous extinction event.

1

Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 537 Deike Bldg., University Park, PA, 16802, United States2Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 535 Deike Bldg., University Park, PA, 16802, USA

1

Cornell University, Plant Biology Section School of Integrative Plant Science, 410 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2Cornell University, L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Section Of Plant Biology, 410 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853.0, United States3Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 537 Deike Bldg., University Park, PA, 16802, United States4Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 165

STILES, ELENA* 1, WILF, PETER , IGLESIAS, ARI 3, GANDOLFO, MARIA A 4 and CUNEO, NESTOR 5

164

ESCAPA, IGNACIO* 1, IGLESIAS, ARI , WILF, PETER 3, CATALANO, SANTIAGO 4, CARABALLO-ORTIZ, MARCOS 5 and CUNEO, NESTOR 6

2

2

Quantifying macrofloral extinction and morphological diversity across the K-Pg boundary in Argentine Patagonia

Agathis fossils from the CretaceousPaleogene boundary interval of Patagonia and the dilemma of Araucariaceae

T

he response of Southern Hemisphere floras to the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) meteorite impact and mass extinction 66 million years ago is poorly understood compared to the Northern Hemisphere. The catastrophic atmospheric and environmental consequences of this worldwide major event resulted in extinction rates of 30% for microfloras and 57% for macrofloras in the western interior of North America where the vast majority of K-Pg Northern Hemisphere localities is reported. Leaf collections including over 4,000 specimens from well-dated strata of the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Lefipán Fm. (66-67 Ma) and earliest Paleogene (Danian) Salamanca and Peñas Coloradas fms. (65.7-62.2 Ma) in Argentine Patagonia offer a unique opportunity to quantify macrofloral K-Pg turnover for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere. Morphospace analysis is used to search for possible survivor pairs and track changes in morphological diversity across the K-Pg boundary. Each morphotype in the MaastrichtianDanian collection is described by a set of discrete leaf architectural characters summarizing its shape, size, and venation patterns. This dataset is plotted into a multivariate morphospace where the pairwise dissimilarity between morphotypes can be observed as the graphical distance between them. The ordination distances between morphotypes in the space are used not only to narrow down the possible survivor pairs but to track changes in morphological diversity across the K-Pg boundary. Morphospace analysis indicates that age is a strong factor, with Maastrichtian and Danian leaves occupying distinct morphological spaces and higher morphological diversity in the Danian following the K-Pg. Further inspection of this pattern reveals that untoothed and unlobed leaves dominate in the Maastrichtian, whereas toothed and lobed leaves dominate in the Danian. The increased proportion of lobed and toothed leaves in the early Danian indicates cooler temperatures than in the terminal Maastrichtian. These results suggest a relative net cooling occurring between late Cretaceous and early Paleogene of Argentine Patagonia.

T

he fossil record of Agathis has been classically restricted to Australasia and to strata no younger than late Paleocene. Recently described fossils from the early Eocene of Patagonia (Agathis zamunerae) support a broader distribution in the past, which is reinforced here with a new early Paleocene (early Danian, ca. 64 Ma) Agathis species. This taxon represents the oldest definite occurrence of Agathis and perhaps the most complete preservation of Agathis in the fossil record. The material includes leafy twigs, isolated leaves, ovuliferous complexes (OCs), seeds, and pollen cones with in situ Dilwynites pollen grains; it differs from living Agathis in having very large OCs that lack basal scallops and nearly equal-sized seed wings. Also from Patagonia, we report leaves with Agathis affinities from the latest Maastrichtian, suggesting that the Agathis lineage survived the endCretaceous (K-Pg) extinction. A total evidence phylogenetic analysis was performed, including the new Paleocene species and A. zamunerae together with other fossil taxa of agathioid affinities. Eocene A. zamunerae resolved in the Agathis crown group; however, the Danian Agathis species occupied a stem position, showing the first evidence for early evolution in the Agathis clade and a transformation series for OC and seed features. Thus, Patagonian fossils now provide the first direct timeline for Agathis evolution from stem to crown. Further, the combined presence of stem Agathis less than 2 m.y. after the K-Pg and probable Agathis leaves below the K-Pg are strong evidence for Mesozoic history in the genus. Molecular divergence estimates have challenged the generally accepted Mesozoic age for the crown group of Araucariaceae, re-interpreting the fossil record of the family and suggesting that Mesozoic records of Araucaria most likely correspond to the plesiomorphic configuration for Araucariaceae. The molecular hypothesis of a Cenozoic age for the crown of Araucariaceae is here refuted based on the presence of both araucariaceous clades (i.e., Araucaria and Agathis + Wollemia) in the Mesozoic.

1

Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 335 Deike, University Park, PA, 16802, USA2Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 537 Deike Bldg., University Park, PA, 16802, United States3Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Geosciences, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina4Cornell University, L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Section Of Plant Biology, 410 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853.0, United States5MEF, Mef Av. Fontana 140, Trelew-Chubut, U, 9100, Argentina

1 Fontana 140, Trelew Chubut, 9100, Argentina2División Paleontología, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Instituto 3Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 537 Deike Bldg., University Park, PA, 16802, United States4Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Universidad N51815 JFK Blvd Apt 834, Apt 834, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States6MEF, Mef Av. Fontana 140, Trelew-Chubut, U, 9100, Argentina

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166

167

JONES, HEATHER* 1, BRALOWER, TIMOTHY J. 1 and LOWERY, CHRISTOPER 2

SMITH, SELENA* 1, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 2, KAPGATE, DASHRATH 3 , SRIVASTAVA, RASHMI 4, MATSUNAGA, KELLY 5, SAMANT, BANDANA 6 and WHEELER, ELISABETH 7

Delayed calcareous nannoplankton recovery at “ground zero� following the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction event

Progress and challenges in understanding vascular plant diversity in the Maastrichtian-Danian Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India

T

he mass extinction event at the CretaceousPaleogene boundary (~66 Ma) is now almost universally accepted to have been caused by a bolide impact at Chicxulub, Mexico. Calcareous nannoplankton, a group of golden-brown marine algae which produce calcite plates, were decimated during the event. These organisms lie near the base of the marine food web, are globally distributed, and are very abundant in deep-sea sediments, making them ideal for studying survival and recovery patterns during the aftermath of the event. Although the responses of these organisms have been well documented in many of the world's ocean basins, recovery assemblages at "ground zero" have not yet been assessed. New cores recovered during IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 (Site M0077A), offer us an exciting opportunity to examine the recovery of life in the Chicxulub impact crater itself. Using this new stratigraphically complete K/Pg boundary section from "ground zero", it will be possible to determine which environmental and ecological variables facilitated recovery in what was presumably an extremely stressed marine ecosystem. The Danian at Site M0077A is represented by indurated limestones with 1-5 mm thick wispy styolites. These sediments reveal that the earliest nannoplankton recovery assemblages contain only two taxa: Thoracosphaera spp. (calcareous dinoflagellate cysts) and Braarudosphaera spp., which suggests stressed environmental conditions in the crater for over a million years after the impact. Later recovery assemblages consist of low diversity, high dominance bloom taxa similar to those observed at other Northern Hemisphere sites. By ~2 Ma after the impact, nannoplankton assemblages at "ground zero" are indistinguishable from those at other K/Pg sites, regardless of hemisphere or distance from the crater. This suggests homogenization of the world's oceans and complete recovery of the marine ecosystem. Interestedly, compared to nannoplankton, the early recovery assemblages of planktic foraminifera are very diverse. Because planktic forams are heterotrophic and therefore occupy a higher trophic level than nannoplankton, these observations suggest that recovery did not occur from the bottom of the food web up as might be expected. Despite this, increased abundances of spinose foraminifera which can catch prey and are associated with oligotrophic (low nutrient) conditions, are strongly correlated to the Prinsius tenuiculus nannoplankton acme. This suggests that the final recovery of nannoplankton and planktic foraminifera were controlled by the same environmental and/or ecological variables such as the restoration of the marine biological pump.

T

he Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India preserve a diverse biota that spanned the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary and was paleogeographically isolated, providing data on the response of a unique ecosystem to environmental changes and the role of India in the evolutionary and biogeographic history of many groups. Plants are primarily preserved in cherts, in three dimensions with anatomical structure and are represented by wood, leaves, stems, fruits, flowers, seeds, strobili, and pollen and spores. Paleobotanical localities are found primarily in the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province and Mandla subprovince. Data on species occurrences from 34 localities, representing a subset of the total number of known localities for which we have some confidence of age, was compiled. Across all localities, the fraction of taxa represented by wood, non-wood megafossils, and palynological samples is about even. The most diverse locality is Mohgaonkalan, with >280 species described; the next highest is Mahurzari, with ~45 species, and most are <20 species. It is not clear to what extent this is real vs. an artifact of incomplete sampling; Mohgaonkalan is the classic Deccan Chert locality and has received the most attention, while many of the others are more recently discovered. In NMDS analyses, sites considered to be Maastrichtian in age are more diverse and more different from each other than Paleocene sites, with Paleocene sites showing more similarity to each other and occupying a subset of the Maastrichtian space. ~30 taxa, including many palms, do not appear to be affected by the boundary event. Both ferns and gymnosperms decrease in species diversity in Paleocene sites, with monocots seeming to form a greater fraction of the species diversity and nonmonocot angiosperms remaining about the same at almost 50% of species composition. There are still numerous taxa in need of reinvestigation to fully appreciate the extent of ecosystem disturbance at different taxonomic levels, as a large number of taxa remain incertae sedis, and new specimens and localities are still being collected. We highlight the need for combining data from palynology, reproductive material, and woods, as some taxa are much more strongly represented in one record than the others. Further scrutiny to distinguish the effects of differential investigator bias from features of ecological, environmental, and/or stratigraphic significance is necessary. However, the general pattern of decline of ferns and gymnosperms - which form a small component of the flora - and replacement by the more diverse angiosperms is likely to hold.

1

Penn State University , Geosciences, Deike Building , University Park, PA, 16801, USA2The University of Texas Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences, 2305 Speedway Stop C1160, Austin, TX, 78712-1692, USA

1

Department Of Earth & Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, 2534 CC Little Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109,

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA portant implications for understanding the historical biogeography of Borasseae, the timing of evolutionary events within palms, and help us better understand how the K-Pg extinctions played out in India.

United States2Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3J.M. Patel College, Botany, Bhandara, M.S., 441904, India4Birbal Sahni Institute for Paleobotany, Lucknow, India5University Of Michigan, Earth And Environmental Sciences, 1100 N University Ave, 2534 CC Little Bldg, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States6Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Postgraduate Department of Geology, Nagpur, 440001, India7N.C. State University, Forest Biomaterials, Raleigh, NC, 276958005, USA

1

University Of Michigan, Earth And Environmental Sciences, 1100 N University Ave, 2534 CC Little Bldg, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States2Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Department Of Earth & Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, 2534 CC Little Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States4Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow, India

168

MATSUNAGA, KELLY* 1, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 2, SMITH, SELENA 3 and SRIVASTAVA, RASHMI 4

169

MANCHESTER, STEVEN* 1, SMITH, SELENA 2, KAPGATE, DASHRATH 3 , MATSUNAGA, KELLY 4 and SAMANT, BANDANA 5

Fossil fruits from the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India suggest a Late Cretaceous origin of borassoid palms and survival across the K-Pg boundary

P

lant fossils from the late Maastrichtian-early Danian Deccan Intertrappean Beds (DIB) of India provide valuable data for elucidating the evolutionary history of plant groups, testing biogeographic hypotheses, and understanding Indian biodiversity during the end-Cretaceous biotic crisis. Palms (Arecaceae) are particularly common within the Deccan plant fossil assemblages. These fossils, especially those of fruits, often preserve important characters necessary for placement below the family level and are therefore important for understanding the evolutionary history of palms. One species, represented by permineralized fruits, is known from at least six different localities of the DIB. These occurrences include localities that are late Maastrichtian in age, as well as those that are considered Danian, indicating that this palm species persisted through the K-Pg boundary in India. The fruits possess many taxonomically informative characters indicating affinities with the tribe Borasseae in subfamily Coryphoideae, including pericarp anatomy, embryo position, germination pores, carpel number, and position of stigmatic remains. However, modern palms comprise over 180 genera and are highly morphologically diverse, and thus determining precise systematic relationships of palm fossils is notoriously difficult using direct morphological comparisons. To augment our morphological observations and determine the precise relationships of the fossil, we performed genus-level phylogenetic analyses incorporating both DNA and morphological data using the software RAxML and MrBayes. All analyses strongly support placement of the fossils in the subtribe Hyphaeninae of tribe Borasseae (subfamily Coryphoideae). Members of tribe Borasseae are today found throughout the Indian Ocean region, including Madagascar, the Seychelles and Mascarene Islands, Africa, Arabia, India, and Southeast Asia. Our results indicate that borassoid palms evolved during the Late Cretaceous, much earlier than previously inferred from molecular clocks, have been present in the Indian Ocean region since at least the late Maastrichtian, and persisted through the end-Cretaceous extinction. These fossils have im-

Hypotheses of floristic change in fruits and seeds across the K-Pg boundary in India

M

ost of the paleobotanically rich chert exposures of the Deccan Intertrappean beds of central India are situated so close to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary that it has been a challenge to obtain sufficiently precise radiometric data to ascertain which side of the boundary is represented. Most of the sites with well preserved fruits and seeds occur in two main regions: 1) along the eastern side of the main Deccan Volcanic Province in and around the city of Nagpur (and extending 150 km northwest and 100 km south-southeast), and 2) the Mandla lobe traps, with localities scattered over a distance of approximately 200 km from Chhindwara to Shapura. A relatively uniform megafossil flora, with several shared taxa, is represented among most chert sites of region 1 (Shibla, Takli, Ambabagholi, Murai Patan, Bada Bhendalya), and some in the western part of region 2 (Singpur, Mohgaonkalan and Keria). Palynological data are interpreted to indicate a late Maastrichtian age for these sites. On the other hand, paleobotanical sites to the north and east of Mohgaonkalan in region 2 (e.g., Dhangaon, Ghughua, Parapani, Palasunder, Umaria), occur among traps that appear to be Paleocene based on radiometric dates presented by J.P. Shrivastava, Duncan and Kashyap. The presumed Maastrichtian flora includes the following key taxa: Arecoidocarpon, Baccatocarpon, Enigmocarpon, Sahnipushpam, Graminocarpon, “Musa�cardiospermum, Pantocarpon, Viracarpon. The presumed Paleocene flora, although rich in silicified woods, includes fewer fruit-bearing cherts. Nevertheless, these floras are noteworthy in the presence of palm friuts, including Arecoidocarpon (shared with the older floras), and the apparent new arrivals, Cocos and Palmocarpon drypetioides. Current work is focused on improved characterization of the Maastrichtian carpoflora, including rarer locally restricted, as well as more widespread taxa, with combined information from nano-CT scan imagery and serial peels.

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Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2Department Of Earth & Environmental


Revolutionizing systematics: Herbaria in the Genomics Age

Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, 2534 CC Little Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States3JM Patel College, Bhandara, MS, India4University Of Michigan, Earth And Environmental Sciences, 1100 N University Ave, 2534 CC Little Bldg, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States5Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Postgraduate Department of Geology, Nagpur, 440001, India

Sponsored by Botanical Society of America’s Genetics and Historical Section 170

MCKAIN, MICHAEL* 1 and LAGOMARSINO, LAURA 2

Revolutionizing systematics: Herbaria in the Genomics Age

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erbaria are crucial documentation of the botanical world, marking species' presence through space and time. While herbarium specimens were traditionally used in taxonomic and floristic studies, the last two decades have seen the integration of natural history collections into broader arenas of biology. Even more recent advances in sequencing technology have allowed herbarium specimens, with their typically degraded DNA, to play a growing role in modern evolutionary biology. Now more than ever before, investigations into fundamental principles of plant biology are not limited to a small number of model organisms, and new genomes of non-model species are coming online seemingly every day. This colloquium will explore the synergy of herbaria and genomic-scale data within the field of plant evolutionary biology, with a focus on systematics, a field that increasingly expands upon the simple delimitation of evolutionary relationships. We aim to highlight botanical research, particularly by early career scientists, that derives genomic data from herbarium specimens. The colloquium will be broken down into four parts. In the first, recent advances in computational methods that are robust to the typically low quality-low quantity DNA extracted from herbarium specimens will be highlighted. In the second, we will feature a series of empirical phylogenetic systematic studies that use herbarium specimens as a primary source of DNA, including those that incorporate recently extinct taxa into molecular phylogenies of extant taxa. The third focus will be on studies that incorporate multiple data types (including, at a minimum, genomic data, but extending to include locality information, morphological data, or chemical components) from herbarium specimens to address both micro- and macroevolutionary hypotheses. Finally, we will end with a series of talks that focus on what both organizers believe represents the future of plant systematics, complementing phylogenetic studies: evolutionary genomics from herbarium specimens. The organizers are committed to attracting a diverse set of speakers. Invitations will be made to maximize representation across gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, and other personal identities. The majority of presenters will be early career (defined as pre-tenure, and including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and new faculty and curators), though we have included three tenured researchers who have contributed substantially to the field.

1

The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States2Louisiana State University, Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 171

173

LISTON, AARON

A decade of herbarium genomics

Dynamic monographs: gateways to herbarium data for the future

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ince its commercial release in 2007, massively parallel short-read sequencing has opened the door to herbarium genomics. Exponential increase in sequencing yield over the past decade has generated a progression from targeted and reduced representation approaches to routine whole genome sequencing. Likewise, phylogenetic analyses are moving from the compact plastid genome to the vast nuclear genome. I will briefly review examples from my lab and collaborators illustrating the use of herbarium specimens in genomic research and present my perspective on future promise and challenges. In particular, how do we empower the next generation of plant systematists, who will need to be fluent in both herbarium and genomic approaches?

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erbaria are the nucleus of plant systematics research. The essence of a herbarium is that, like other museum collections, it provides the physical vouchers of living organisms, a knowledge of which is essential for our understanding, conservation, and use of plant diversity. Herbaria hold the raw data underpinning our knowledge of what kinds of plants exist, what their diagnostic features are, what range of variation exists within each, where they occur, and how they have diversified. The fundamental question is: how we (systematists) and consumers of our work (other biologists, general public, funding agencies) can access this critical information? Historically, monographs have been the main outlets of such information, yet many monographs are inaccessible to most of our peers and consumers, are difficult to navigate, get out of date quickly, and, for the most part, are impossible to query. In this talk, I will present my work on dynamic monographs, a framework to unlock herbarium data in a reproducible automated way using continuous integration. Under this framework monographs become the interface to a queryable specimen-based database of phenotypic, geographic, and molecular data linked to herbarium specimens and other repositories. These monographs are perpetually current because whenever there is an update in the database (e.g., new specimens or updates to the metadata), automated analyses and a build process are triggered, and the monograph is sent to remote servers so that users worldwide can access it. Dynamic monographs thus help increase the accessibility of data that underlie taxonomic decisions, and foster transparency, consistency, and reproducibility in taxonomy. Monographs are the most important output of systematics research, although other biologists and the general public might have gained the impression that phylogenetic trees based on molecular data are the main goal and product.

Oregon State Univ, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States

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ZAPATA, FELIPE

JOHNSON, MATTHEW

Including herbarium specimens in targeted sequencing projects for phylogenies and population genetics: data analysis challenges and solutions

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he use of sub-genome datasets has greatly improved our ability to reconstruct phylogeneies and calcualte population genetics statistcs using a large amount of nuclear data. The application of one method, targeted sequencing (i.e. HybSeq), also promises to revolutionize the importance of herbarium specimens. DNA extracted from herbarium specimens may be degraded and prove ineffective in traditional PCR-based sequencing, but the same extract may be used effectively in targeted sequencing. This allows for the increased availability of rare taxa and accessions from inaccessible locations for analysis. However, the nature of degraded DNA in herbarium specimens leads to unique challenges in the analysis of datasets tha include both herbarium and fresh specimens. Strategies to overcome these challenges include the use of higher-depth sequencing platforms with shorter read length, post-sequencing error correction using read mapping, and aggressively trimming alignments to remove regions of poor depth. These steps will ensure that sub-genome scale datasets that include herbarium specimens are free of systemic bias.

University Of California, Los Angeles, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 621 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States

174

BECK, JAMES* 1, JORDONTHADEN, INGRID 2, RUSHWORTH, CATHERINE 3, WINDHAM, MICHAEL 4, DIAZ, NICOLAS 5, CANTLEY, JASON 6, MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 7 and ROTHFELS, CARL 3

Texas Tech University, Biological Sciences, 2901 Main Street, Ms3131, Lubbock, TX, 79409, United States

I fall to pieces: RADseq techniques can be applied to herbarium-derived DNAs of varying quality

A

lthough herbarium genomics studies are beginning to include restriction site-associated DNA (RADseq) techniques, concerns remain regarding the link between herbarium DNA degradation and

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data recovery. This is particularly true for RADseq, since highly-sheared DNAs could include relatively few intact fragments flanked by appropriate cut sites. Here we apply a basic double-digest restriction-site associated DNA Sequencing (ddRADseq) protocol to multiplexed samples from four genera (Boechera, Draba, Ilex, and Solidago). Herbarium-derived DNAs comprised 60% of the sample set, spanning collection dates from 1883-2014. We demonstrate that RADseq is effective for generating large phylogenetically informative datasets from herbarium specimens, and the relationship between specimen age, DNA degradation, and locus recovery is presented. The potential for a cost-effective RADseq protocol for sample sets comprising multiple lineages and tissue types is discussed.

using herbarium samples was significantly lower than is typically found for silica-dried material, we were able to produce a data set containing nearly 600,000 characters from >100 accessions. Based on this data set, we reconstructed the phylogeny using parsimony and Bayesian approaches and recovered a predominantly well-supported and well-resolved tree in which relationships strongly corresponded to geography. One clade contained taxa from central America, one contained taxa from lowland South America, and one contained Andean species, which was further divided into two geographically structured clades containing taxa from Northern Ecuador/Northern Andes or southern Ecuador/southern Andes. Relationships recovered in the 2b-RAD-seq phylogeny were also supported by morphological features, such as the length-to-width ratios of leaves. To our knowledge, this study is one of only a few to reconstruct a phylogeny of a large clade using only herbarium samples and a RAD-seq approach. This study shows that that it is possible to use herbarium material and next-generation DNA sequencing approaches to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of groups for which field collections are unfeasible.

1

Wichita State University, Biology, 1845 Fairmount, Box 26, Wichita, KS, 67260, United States2University of Wisconsin, Department of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 537063University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria and Department of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA4Duke University, Department Of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States5Portland State University, Department of Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, Portland, OR, 97201, USA6San Francisco State University, Department of Biology, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA7Bucknell University, Department of Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA

1

University of Missouri St. Louis, Biology, One University Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA2Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden , 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA3Harris–Stowe State University, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, 3026 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63103 , USA

175

ACHA MACIAS , SERENA I* 1, EDWARDS, CHRISTINE 2 and MACDOUGAL, JOHN 3

176

MOORE, ABIGAIL* 1 and KADEREIT, JOACHIM 2

Phylogenomics of Passiflora sect. Decaloba reveals strong biographic structuring of clades

Substrate specialization and genetic bottlenecks in Alpine Cherleria (Caryophyllaceae)

B

ecause of their extraordinary flower morphology and highly variable leaf shape, Passion flowers (Passifloraceae) have been of interest to naturalists since their discovery. The genus Passiflora is the largest in the family, and with 600 species grouped in subgenera, super sections and sections, it represents a major challenge to scientists interested in understanding their evolutionary history and relationships. One of the most enigmatic and species-rich (130 spp.) groups in Passiflora is section Decaloba, which occurs in the Neotropics and is particularly diverse in Andean montaine forests. A recent study of the phylogeny of Passifloraceae recovered the monophyly of section Decaloba; however, despite the use of multiple DNA regions, the evolutionary relationships and biogeography of species within the clade remained unresolved. The goal of this study was to elucidate the phylogeny and biogeography of Section Decaloba. We sampled leaf tissue from herbarium specimens collected between 1943-2013 in the Missouri Botanical Garden herbarium, including several accessions of most species, and recovered high-quality DNA from samples collected as long ago as 1974. We used a high-throughput DNA sequencing technique called 2b-RAD-seq to sequence a large number of DNA characters from throughout the genome of each accession and processed the resulting data using ipyrad. Although the success rate

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herleria encompasses a group of 19 species that were formerly classified in Minuartia (Caryophyllaceae). Although Cherleria as a whole is circumboreal, we focus here on a clade of 11 species that occur primarily in the Alps and on the Balkan Peninsula of Europe. Of these 11 species, two are substrate generalists, while nine specialize on various types of substrates, including calcareous, siliceous, and serpentine substrates. We use genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data to examine the relationships of the species and their history of colonization of the Alps. In addition, we look for evidence of bottlenecks associated with long-distance dispersal and substrate switching. 1

University Of Oklahoma, Department Of Microbiology And Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Rm. 208, Norman, OK, 73019, United States2Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Institut Für Organismische Und Molekulare Evolutionsbiolgie, Bentzelweg 9a, Mainz, D-55099, Germany

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 177

LAGOMARSINO, LAURA* 1, URIBE-CONVERS, SIMON 2, CARLSEN, MONICA 3, ANTONELLI, ALEXANDRE 4 and MUCHHALA, NATHAN 5

MO, 63121, United States3Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, Saint Louis, MO, 63166, United States4University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Sweden5University of Missouri-St. Louis, Department of Biology, St Louis, MO, 63110

The promises and pitfalls of herbarium phylogenomics: A case study in a Neotropical plant radiation

178

KATES, HEATHER* 1, FOLK, RYAN 2, CONDE, DANIEL 3, RUBEN, BELLA 4, DERVINIS, CHRIS 5, LAFRANCE, RAFE 6, KIRST, MATIAS 5, GURALNICK, ROB 6, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 7 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 8

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he field of phylogenetics has undergone a data revolution in the last decade as high-throughput sequencing datasets have become, increasingly, the norm. This methodological improvement is also associated with the increasing utility of DNA from herbarium and other museum specimens. In particular, target enrichment sequence capture, a reduced representation genome sequencing method that is robust to low quality, low quantity DNA typical of herbarium specimens, allows the inclusion of historical specimens in genomic-scale analyses. Moreover, this approach requires minimal destructive sampling of the physical specimens. Here, we apply sequence capture to the centropogonid clade of Neotropical bellflowers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), a recent, rapid plant radiation with a primarily Andean distribution, to infer phylogenetic relationships. Sequences for RNA baits to capture putatively low copy nuclear loci were designed using a combination of transcriptome and low-coverage genome sequencing data. Herbarium specimens and field-collected tissue were both important sources of DNA for sequence capture in our study. Comparisons of sequence capture efficiency of field-collected and herbarium specimens suggest that phylogenetic distance from taxa on which probes were designed is a more important predictor of efficiency than degraded input DNA. Phylogenomic analyses that incorporate gene tree-species tree incongruence due to incomplete lineage sorting greatly improved our knowledge of relationships in this group, particularly at deeper nodes in the phylogeny, and confirmed that concatenation analyses are perhaps overly simplistic for this clade. Using the inferred species tree, we performed a biogeographic analysis incorporating a key biological trait, fruit type, to explore the role of bird dispersal in structuring geographical patterns in this large clade. By incorporating herbarium specimens into our analyses, we were able to expand our sampling to include taxa that would otherwise be absent, either due to prohibitively expensive fieldwork, occurrence in difficult to access localities, or logistical issues. In other studies, this can be expanded to include endangered species, small populations where sampling would be ecologically detrimental, and even recently extinct lineages. Sequence capture effectively "opens the treasure chest," allowing even the oldest, most degraded herbarium specimens from remote parts of the world to be included in genome-scale phylogenetic and/or evolutionary analyses.

Rapid workflows from specimens to sequences: Global-scale phylogenomics from collections

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odern massively parallel sequencing strategies can facilitate the construction of large and robust phylogenies. Such large phylogeny projects require thousands of samples, which often present a bottleneck: relying solely on field collections may not be possible or appropriate to answer questions that require broad phylogenetic diversity. Herbaria are sources of almost limitless material for large-scale biodiversity studies, but collections usually remain untapped because of limitations in tissue sampling efficiency and DNA quality. We present a multi-part workflow to efficiently sample herbarium material and extract high yield DNA samples from tens of thousands of herbarium specimens. Our rapid tissue sampling protocol automatically captures in a linked database metadata from every specimen, including photographs. Our high throughput DNA extraction protocol is specifically suited to herbarium tissue and extracted DNA is suitable yield and quality for genomic library building and targeted enrichment sequencing. Combined, these accessible strategies dramatically decrease the time required to generate large phylogenetic trees based on phylogenomic sequence data from herbarium collections.

1

University of Florida, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, United States2Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3University of Florida, 2033 Mowry Road, Room 320, Gainesville, FL, 326114University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 326115University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, 2033 Mowry Road, Room 320, Gainesville, FL, 326116University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States7Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States8Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

1

Louisiana State University, Dept Of Biological Sciences, 103 Life Sciences Building, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, United States2University Of Missouri - St. Louis, Biology Department, One University Blvd, R323 Research Hall, St. Louis,

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these data provide excellent information on species distributions, changes in distributions over time, and traits such as morphological characters, phenology, and functional traits. Digitized herbarium data, in conjunction with phylogenies, provide particularly powerful information, enabling analyses of phylogenetic diversity in a spatio-temporal context, the evolution of niche space, and more. Such datadriven synthetic analyses may generate unexpected patterns, yielding new hypotheses for further study. However, a major challenge is the heterogeneous nature of complex data, and new methods are needed to link these divergent data types. Ongoing efforts to link and analyze diverse data are yielding new perspectives on a range of ecological problems. We will present case studies that address different aspects of ecology and evolutionary biology that have been addressed using digitized specimen data and related heterogeneous data sources. Integration of plant phylogeny, distributions, traits, genetic variation, genome size, and genomics is permitting new perspectives on landscape-level patterns of biodiversity, with implications for conservation and management of natural resources. Although many specific hypotheses may be addressed through integrated analyses of biodiversity and environmental data, perhaps the greatest value of such data-enabled science will lie in the unanticipated patterns that emerge.

179

MCALLISTER, CHRISSY* 1, MCKAIN, MICHAEL 2, LI, MAO 3 and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH 4

Harnessing the power of the herbarium: a specimen-based analysis of morphology and environment in ecologically dominant grasses

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erbaria contain a cumulative sample of the world's flora, assembled by thousands of people over several hundred years. In recent decades, advances in computation, DNA sequencing, and image manipulation have allowed us to more fully capitalize on this resource. Using herbarium material from the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, we conducted a species-level analysis of a major clade in the grass tribe Andropogoneae, which includes dominant species of the grasslands of Africa, south Asia, Australia, and the Americas, from the genera Andropogon, Schizachyrium, Hyparrhenia, and several other groups. We imaged 188 of the 250 available species, representing approximately 75% of the clade. Specimens were georeferenced and climatic variables were extracted for each. Using a combination of semi- and fully automated image analysis methods, we extracted morphological characters of the spikelets and correlated these with environmental variables. We are currently generating chloroplast genome sequences to correct for phylogenetic covariance and here present an analysis of a subset of 81 species, representing the power of this approach. In addition to taxonomic/ phylogenetic observations, we find all morphological and ecological characters homoplasious but variable among clades. For example, sessile spikelet length is positively correlated with awn length when all accessions are considered, but when separated by clade, the relationship is positive for five sub-clades and negative for three others. We found that macrohair density and pedicel length were negatively correlated with precipitation.

Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

181

FOLK, RYAN* 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 3, CELLINESE, NICO 4, MORT, MARK 5, ALLEN, JULIE 6 , STUBBS, REBECCA 7 and GURALNICK, ROB 6

Large-scale integration of specimens, literature, and database infrastructure in Saxifragales

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ollections have played a central role in enabling the use of comprehensive phylogenetic approaches to test macroevolutionary approaches at global scales. As a complement to field-based work and aggregation of existing data, collections place into reach scales of biodiversity analysis previously inaccessible in evolution and ecology. Efficient informatics approaches to mobilizing available and generated data to build such comprehensive datasets are needed to build global biodiversity assessments. We use the Saxifragales (2400 species) as a case study in integrating newly generated collections-based data with floristic literature and online data repositories for a comprehensively sampled approach to biodiversity assessment. We show the use of these data for phylogenetic reconstruction, name reconciliation, phenotype assembly, and niche modeling. We also report patterns of sequencing success from a large set of global collections spanning a century. Using an integrative approach, we show the assembly of a hybrid phylogenomic-sanger supermatrix (72% species-level coverage), a matrix of functional traits derivable from species descriptions (60% matrix completion, 100% of phyogenetic tips represented),

1

1 Maybeck Place, Principia College, Elsah, IL, 62028, United StatesThe University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States3Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA4Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States 2

180

SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S.

Integrated Research Using Digitized Herbarium Resources

E

merging cyberinfrastructure and new data sources provide unparalleled opportunities for mobilizing and integrating massive amounts of information from organismal biology, ecology, genetics, climatology, and other disciplines. Key among these data sources is the rapidly growing volume of digitized specimen records from natural history collections, especially herbaria. With over 50 million herbarium records currently available online, and nearly 20 million images of herbarium specimens,

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA and assembled occurrence records (84% tip coverage). We conclude by showcasing comparative applications of these data.

States6Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA

1

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Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States4University Of Florida, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NAT. HISTORY, 1659 Museum Rd., 354 Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States5University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 2041 Haworth Hall, 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States6Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States7University Of Florida, 1659 Museum Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

EDWARDS, ERIKA* 1, GOOLSBY, ERIC , MOORE, ABIGAIL 3, HANCOCK, LILLIAN 4 and DE VOS, JURRIAAN 5 2

Targeted bait enrichment with herbarium specimens reveals the molecular evolution of key genes during transitions to C4 and CAM photosynthesis

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ext-generation sequencing facilitates rapid production of well-sampled phylogenies built from very large genetic data sets, which can then be subsequently exploited to examine the molecular evolution of the genes themselves. We present an evolutionary analysis of 83 gene families in the portullugo clade (Caryophyllales), a diverse lineage of mostly arid-adapted plants that contains multiple evolutionary origins of all known photosynthesis types in land plants (C3 and the carbon-concentrating mechanisms (CCM): CAM, C4, C4-CAM, and various intermediates). Contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences in the levels of positive selection detected in CCM versus non-CCM genes. However, we documented a significantly higher level of convergent amino acid substitutions in CCM genes, especially in C4 taxa. We discuss both the advantages and challenges of using targeted enrichment sequence data for exploratory studies of molecular evolution.

182

LIVSHULTZ, TATYANA* 1, TASCA, 2 JULIA , MINBIOLE, KEVIN 3, SMITH, CHELSEA 4, TEISHER, JORDAN 5 and STRAUB, SHANNON 6

Using herbarium specimens to study plant metabolism: the state of the science and an example from pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Apocynaceae

T

he DNA preserved in herbarium specimens is an invaluable resource for reconstructing plant phylogenies. Other plant metabolites, both primary and secondary, are also preserved, making herbaria a trove of chemical traits that can be used to study plant diversity, ecology, evolution, and responses to anthropogenic change. However, before using herbarium specimens as a source of chemical traits, researchers must identify and control for potential artifacts created by the processes of preservation and storage, as well as the limits to detection imposed by the small amount of material that may be removed from herbarium specimens. We highlight recent research that has used herbarium specimens to investigate plant metabolism and describe ongoing research to reconstruct the evolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Apocynaceae (ca. 5000 species concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world) based on both genotypic and phenotypic evidence derived in part from herbarium specimens. We emphasize the experiments and controls used to validate the chemical profiles of herbarium specimens as representative of the living plants from which they are derived, strategies to optimize metabolite detection, and the kinds of artifacts that may be expected.

1

Yale University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology2Yale University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 165 Prospect St, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA3University Of Oklahoma, Department Of Microbiology And Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Rm. 208, Norman, OK, 73019, United States4EEB, 80 Waterman Street, Box G-W, Providence, RI, 02912, United States5

184

MCKAIN, MICHAEL* 1, PIENAAR, JASON 2, SAEIDI, SAMAN 3, AUBUCHON, TAYLOR 3, LEWIS, MICHELLE 2, MCALLISTER, CHRISSY 4 and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH 5

More than a phylogeny: Evolutionary genomics in the herbarium

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1

Drexel University, Biodiversity Earth and Environmental Sciences, Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States2Villanova University, Chemistry, Mendel Hall Room 300A, 800 E. Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA3Villanova University, Chemistry, Mendel Hall Room 300A, 800 E. Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, United States4Drexel University, Biodiversity Earth and Environmental Sciences, Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA5The Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, Botany, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United

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igh-throughput sequencing has allowed for unprecedented use of herbaria in molecular phylogenetic studies. The often denatured and fragmented DNA of herbarium specimens, which has historically been problematic for PCR-based studies, is no longer a hurdle to the incorporation of these historic specimens in molecular systematics. The opening of the “treasure trove� of biodiversity in herbaria to molecular studies allows for the inclusion of species that would otherwise require expensive expeditions to acquire. Our understanding of species relationships will greatly improve through the use of extinct and


The flora of Madagascar: uncovering mechanisms for diversification

endangered species, unique populations, and even type specimens all sampled from herbaria. A phylogeny, however, is only the beginning of the genomic information we can obtain from herbarium specimens. Here, we demonstrate how genome skimming, as one possible method for obtaining genomic information from herbaria, can not only provide whole chloroplast sequences for phylogenetics but can help us understand the dynamics of transposable element diversity and abundance across species and landscapes as well as through time. The unique opportunity of herbaria to provide a temporal history of populations and species, and their genomic composition, allows us to see how aspects of the genome can change over short periods of time and in relationship to shifts in climate and human interference. We focus on the grass tribe Andropogoneae (Poaceae), which includes agricultural species such as maize, sorghum, and sugarcane; a number of ecologically important species like Andropogon gerardi, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans; and multiple invasive species such as Sorghum halepense, Imperata cylindrica, and Rottboellia cochinchinensis. Using genome skimming data from over 100 herbarium specimens and dozens of freshly collected specimens, we are able to identify trends in the relative abundance of transposon superfamilies in the genomes of different Andropogoneae species. We caution that there are limitations to what these data can tell us and identify potential problems with using herbarium-derived genomic data.

Sponsored by Botanical Society of America’s Systematic Section 185

HANES , MARGARET MAE

The flora of Madagascar: uncovering mechanisms for diversification

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ne of the most important aims of evolutionary biology is to understand the processes responsible for speciation, and one of the most exciting places to study species is on Madagascar. The island is renowned for its diverse and highly endemic flora and fauna and has been identified as a model region to investigate the processes of species diversification. Though many biotic, abiotic, and historical drivers have been suggested as mechanisms for diversification on Madagascar, the evolutionary processes responsible for the island's biodiversity remain poorly understood, particularly in plants. The integration of genomic data, evolutionary history, niche modeling, biotic interactions and temporal studies will allow us to identify and quantify mechanisms driving speciation. Madagascar is also one of the highest priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the world. Identifying the role and importance of biogeographic features and biotic interactions (where isolation may have led to diversification and endemism) will guide conservation decisions and help limit further losses of biodiversity in the face of climate change. We hope to assess and synthesize existing data and to strategize ways to inspire the future execution of studies in order to infer more comprehensive patterns of Madagascar's remarkable floristic diversification. Relevance: For decades scientists have worked to inventory the vascular flora of Madagascar. The Catalogue of Vascular Plants of Madagascar Project effectively documents these plants and has produced reliable taxonomic treatments. We also now have many phylogenies of particular plant groups. Few studies, however, have investigated the flora for broad phylogenetic patterns and evolutionary processes across the island and no studies have explicitly tested speciation models in Malagasy plants. This exciting frontier will synthesize existing data, taking advantage of powerful sequencing technologies and new innovative approaches to fill these gaps in knowledge. We hope that this colloquium will catalyze communication and collaborations between those botanists with a focus and interest in the flora of Madagascar. This colloquium will be widely appealing to botanists with interests in speciation, tropical diversification and the evolution of highly endemic floras.

1

The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States2The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States3Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N Warson, St Louis, MO, 63132, United States41 Maybeck Place, Principia College, Elsah, IL, 62028, United States5 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States

Eastern Michigan University, Biology, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA 186

187

Evolutionary relationships of ebonies (Diospyros L.) across Western Indian Ocean islands

Croton (Euphorbiaceae) in the Old World: using the widespread distribution of a group to calibrate a molecular clock in the absence of fossils

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LINAN, ALEXANDER* 1, SCHATZ, GEORGE 2, LOWRY, PORTER 2, MILLER, ALLISON 3 and EDWARDS, CHRISTINE 4

VAN EE , BENJAMIN* 1, BERRY, PAUL 2 and KAINULAINEN, KENT 3

n the Western Indian Ocean, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands are home to nearly a third of the estimated 860 species in the genus Diospyros. However, the evolutionary relationships among taxa inhabiting these islands and the wider region remain largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to use phylogenetic methods to understand 1) broad-scale biogeographic patterns of Diospyros in the Western Indian Ocean in relation to other geographic regions, and 2) the composition, evolutionary relationships, and morphological features of clades of Diospyros in the region, with a particular focus on the relationship between Malagasy Diospyros and taxa in section Forbesia, a group thought to contain taxa from the Mascarenes and Africa. To address these objectives, we conducted Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses as well as divergence time estimation using a sample of 147 Diospyros taxa, 51 of which occur in either Madagascar or the Mascarenes, based on four chloroplast regions (rbcL, atpB, trnS-G, matK-trnK intron). Phylogeny reconstruction grouped most Diospyros from Madagascar into a large clade, with taxa from other islands/areas as far away as New Caledonia nested within subclades that were predominantly Malagasy. All these clades diverged long after the breakup of Gondwana, suggesting that long-distance dispersal rather than vicariance was responsible for the observed patterns of diversity. Although one instance of colonization from Africa to Madagascar was revealed, our results show that multiple dispersal events from Madagascar likely gave rise to lineages in the Mascarenes, New Caledonia, and other areas, indicating that this biodiversity hotspot may have acted as an important source area for the genus. Diospyros from Madagascar were grouped into eight clades, one of which contained a single Mascarene species D. tesselaria. All other Mascarene species belong to a clade that also includes species from Africa, which together have been assigned to section Forbesia, along with Malagasy species not previously identified as being part of the section; these results therefore, suggest that the section should be expanded. Our initial phylogenetic results for Indian Ocean Diospyros revealed several novel relationships among taxa from the region that are consistent with distinctive morphological features.

ith over 150 species, Madagascar may contain approximately 10% of the worldwide diversity of Croton (Euphorbiaceae). While numerous undescribed species of Croton from Madagascar await description, the number of synonymous names from the region is also approximating the number of accepted names. All phylogenetic evidence to date points to a single dispersal event of the genus to the island, which further highlights the explosive diversification that it has undergone there. There have been subsequent dispersal events from Madagascar to the Mascarenes, the Comoros, and mainland Africa. The lack of any known Croton fossils has limited the ability to calibrate a molecular clock for the genus, but its widespread distribution across oceanic islands, putatively once-connected landmasses, and other features that can serve as age constraints has made it possible to generate a time-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis. The inferred historical ocean currents provide further evidence for why Croton's arrival on Madagascar was a rarer event compared to its subsequent dispersal from Madagascar.

1

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Call Box 9000, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, 00680, Puerto Rico2University Michigan Herbarium, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, United States3University of Michigan Herbarium, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108,

188 VICKI 2

GOSTEL, MORGAN* 1 and FUNK,

Where did you come from? Where did you go? A survey of the diversity of Compositae (Asteraceae) in Madagascar

A

ccording to the Catalog of the Plants of Madagascar among the estimated 243 families of vascular plants in Madagascar, Compositae (Asteraceae) is one of the most diverse and highly endemic with approximately 540 species (88% of which are endemic) and 19 endemic genera. It is clear that Madagascar has played an important role in the evolutionary diversification of this family both locally and regionally. Despite the significant contribution of the family to the overall flora of Madagascar, with the exception of an excellent three-part treatment of Compositae (Asteraceae) by Humbert in the Flore de Madagascar et des Comores (1963), few studies have focused on this highly diverse and endemic component of the Malagasy flora. Here we present the Compositae (Asteraceae) as a model for understanding evolutionary mechanisms driving diversification in Madagascar. We highlight examples from case studies at the infratribal and infrageneric scales that reveal biogeographic connections between Madagascar and continental Africa and help identify drivers of diversity and endemism of this remarkable

1

426 S. Kirkwood rd apt D, St. Louis, MO, 63122, USA2Missouri Botanical Garden, Africa and Madagascar Department, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA3Saint Louis University, Biology, St. Louis, Biology Extension Building, Saint Louis, MO, 63108, United States4Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development (CCSD), P.O. box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA

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island flora.

191

1

Smithsonian Institution, Botany, PO Box 37012, David King Hall, MSN 5F2, Washington, DC, 20013, United States2DEPT OF BOTANY-NHB 166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013,

Dombeya as a case study for the diversification of the flora of Madagascar: Dombeya section Hilsenbergia (Malvaceae)

189

DREWS, NICHOLAS* and HANES , MARGARET MAE

O

Exploring Diversification in / Megistohibiscus (Hibisceae: Malvaceae) on Madagascar

f the roughly 206 species in the paleotropical genus Dombeya, around 173 are endemic to Madagascar and they occur throughout the island, making Dombeya an ideal case study for understanding diversification processes of the flora of Madagascar. Characterized by long staminal tubes and pendulous inflorescences, Dombeya section Hilsenbergia presents a morphologically cohesive group in which to begin this study. The five species in this section occur primarily in the (sub)humid forest along the length of Madagascar and in the Comoros. Molecular data, as of yet, provide no information about the monophyly, or lack thereof, of the section due to a lack of resolution. A nuclear ribosomal marker (ITS) presents evidence for two species pairs (D. hilsenbergii + D. hafotsy; D. baronii + D. wallichii), relationships which are supported by morphology. Plastid markers provide evidence of widespread plastid introgression, with clades reflecting gross geographic provenance of individuals rather than species designations. A series of field collections from Vohiparara (Fianarantsoa Province) suggest the possibility of hybrid zones in the section, which may account for gene flow between the overlapping species (D. baronii, D. cannabina, D. hilsenbergii). Analysis of multiple physical and biological factors (e.g., elevation, aspect, phenology, bioclimatic variables) revealed some interspecific differentiation, but also overlap among some species within the section.

M

adagascar is home to a substantial radiation within the Hibiscus tribe (Malvaceae) encompassing 86 species, 75% of which are endemic. A well-resolved plastid phylogeny of the morphologically diverse group supports two distinct clades. The endemic Malagasy clade /Megistohibiscus is sister to the rest of the tribe, is derived from a single introduction in the mid-Miocene and now comprises three endemic genera and at least 38 species. /Megistohibiscus represents an extraordinary group to explore the mechanisms responsible for diversification in Malagasy plants as taxa are distributed throughout many of the distinct biogeographic regions on the island. To reconstruct a species level phylogeny for /Megistohibiscus we sequenced 35 species using RADSeq methodologies. We integrate information across space and time to identify the major processes responsible for diversification in /Megistohibiscus.

Eastern Michigan University, Biology, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA

190

SKEMA, CYNTHIA

HONG-WA, CYNTHIA

Diversification of the speciose Noronhia: what's behind it?

Morris Arboretum Of The University Of Pennsylvania, 100 E. Northwestern Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19119, United States

N

oronhia is the largest and most ubiquitous genus of Oleaceae in Madagascar. It is found in diverse habitats and represents a common element of different vegetation types on the island. Its highest diversity is in the northern part where mountainous regions seem to have played a role in generating species. However, no single mechanism can explain by itself the diversification of Noronhia, which likely happened rapidly in the last 10-15 million years. The spatial heterogeneity created by intricate landscapes also accounts for the pattern of microendemism found in this genus. While the percentage of microendemics is relatively high, a pattern of sympatry is also common among species of Noronhia and may be underlain by both biological and physical factors.

Delaware State University, Department Of Agriculture & Natural Resources, 1200 N. Dupont Hwy, Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, Dover, DE, 19901, United States

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SYMPOSIA AND COLLOQUIA

192

SHIMU, TAHSINA 1, MACHKOUR M'RABET, SALIMA 2 and HANES , MARGARET MAE* 1

193

Investigating mechanisms of population differentiation and speciation in Megistostegium (Hibisceae: Malvaceae) in Southern Madagascar

Geographic variation and floral evolution of Madagascar's endemic baobabs (Adansonia, Malvaceae)

KARIMI, NISA* 1, GROVER, CORRINNE , GALLAGHER, JOSEPH 3, WENDEL, JONATHAN 4 and BAUM, DAVID 5 2

U

sing species tree and explicit network methods we aim to clarify the genealogical history and trait evolution of the six traditionally recognized species of baobab (Adansonia) that are endemic to Madagascar. The six species are divided into two sections based primarily on floral morphology and previous molecular analyses. Brevitubae comprises two species with short, white primarily mammal-pollinated flowers, whereas the four species of Section Longitubae have elongated, hawkmoth-pollinated flowers with yellow to red floral organs. While Section Brevitubae is well supported as monophyletic, recent phylogenetic analyses have contradicted the monophyly of Longitubae. Species of Longitubae occur in regional or even local sympatry and introgressive hybridization has been suggested, raising questions of species limits and patterns of gene flow within and between species. We aimed to use genome-scale data for accessions representing the full geographic ranges of each putative species, and including a few individuals that have been interpreted to be possible hybrids, to investigate these questions. Using a targeted sequence capture approach, we have obtained alignments for hundreds of nuclear loci and have also assembled almost complete plastomes. To explore causes of conflict between nuclear genes and between these and the plastid genome we estimate the optimal population tree and test whether additional sources of genealogical discordance (e.g., introgression) need to be invoked. Explicit networks, which incorporate both incomplete lineage sorting and introgression, are estimated allowing us to test prior hypotheses and evaluate the role of geographic proximity in gene flow. Our study models new methods that can be used to explore discordance in many non-model systems and illustrates the capacity for phylogenomic methods to shed light on species delimitation and phylogeographic problems.

T

he dynamic evolution of the Malagasy endemic genus Megistostegium (Malvaceae) has likely been influenced by a complex combination of biological processes. Two, or even all three, of the recognized species, can co-occur at a single site, yet they remain morphologically distinct despite flowering synchronously. SNPs throughout the genome of 80 individual plants encompassing the three species were collected via RADseq. We estimate a number of historical parameters for the data and identify the subset that represents the most important biological processes in the evolution of the genus. We assess population divergence, gene flow, population size, and changes in population size among individuals from sampled populations of each focal species. Species distribution models were also used to predict bioclimate and soil parameters for each population in order to uncover the potential abiotic factors that led to the divergence within and between species. The most widely distributed species have high values of niche overlap and we predict a model of niche conservatism for diversification of the genus. We hope this framework will inspire further inquiries into the general and recurring patterns of diversification throughout xeric southern Madagascar. 1

Eastern Michigan University, Biology, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA2El Colegio de la Frontera Sud, Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular y Conservación, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, MX

1

University Of Wisconsin - Madison, Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA3University Of Massachusetts, Biology Dept, 221 Morrill Science Center III, Amherst, MA, 01003, United States4Iowa State Univ, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, United States5University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706

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ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGY ORAL PAPERS

great system to understand C4 evolution, since it encompasses a variety of photosynthetic types among relatively few taxa. In the current work, the leaf anatomical characteristics of multiple accessions per species representing different photosynthetic types were decomposed into their constituents, and each anatomical trait was mapped on the phylogeny to reconstruct past transitions in leaf anatomy. Our findings showed that some anatomical modifications predate the origins of the C4 physiology, while others happened concomitantly with the physiological innovation. However, variation within C4 species suggests that adaptation of the leaf phenotype continued after the emergence of a C4 trait in isolated populations, contributing to the diversity of realized C4 phenotypes. These findings offer insights into the evolutionary history of leaf characteristics underlying physiological diversification within this family.

199

FUNMILOLA MABEL, OJO* 1, TAIWO AYOMIPO, ADENEGAN-ALAKINDE 2 and OLANIYI EZEKIEL, OJO 3

Comparative Anatomical Studies of Two Species of Talinum occurring in South West, Nigeria

A

natomical studies was carried out on Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd and Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn. Talinum triangulare was collected at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo city, Ondo State, Nigeria with coordinates 7.07 07ºN, 4.81 84ºE while Talinum paniculatum was collected at Joseph Ayodele Babalola University, Ikeja Arakeji, Ilesa in Osun State, Nigeria with coordinates 7.30 00ºN, 4. 49 00ºE. Widens of T. paniculatum were collected and established in buckets in Ondo city, Ondo State, Nigeria. At flowering, the leaves were collected for anatomical studies. Epidermal studies of the leaves of two species of Talinum was carried out in a bid to exploit the characters that would be of diagnostic values. Free hand peeling was done for leaf portions that were used for epidermal studies. Leaves were cleared for venation using standard methods and observations were made with compound light microscope. Anatomical observations made from this study revealed diagnostic characters that can be used for the identification of each of these species. The study revealed that the leaves are amphistomatic, stomata is more abundant on the abaxial surface, laterocyclic. Sclereids and druses were observed. The two species can be distinguished based on the anticlinal walls on the adaxial surface which is straight to slightly undulating and presence of unicellular non-glandular trichomes associated with the abaxial surface of T. paniculatum.

1

University of Sheffield, Animal and plant science, Alfred Denny Building, Sheffield2University of Sheffield, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, Sheffield, UK

201 THIA

RAY, DUSTIN* 1 and JONES, CYN-

Mechanical and physiological traits do not trade off in petioles

P

etioles bridge the stem and leaf lamina, so they are essential for the conduction of photoassimilates and water within plant vascular tissues. Since petioles must be flexible enough to bend and twist in the wind without breaking, petiole cross-sectional area could be limited, resulting in a tradeoff between vascular tissues and supporting tissues within the cross-section. Our previous anatomical research suggests however, that in the South African genus Pelargonium L'Hér, there is ample space for both vascular tissue and supporting tissue within the petiole cross-section. To better understand the relationships between mechanics, physiology and anatomy within the petiole, we measured petiole mechanical traits, anatomical traits, and whole leaf physiological traits (maximum photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, petiole sap flow velocities). From this data, we created piecewise structural equation models to determine the possible relationships of structural predictors with mechanical and physiological traits as response variables. Our models suggest that there is little overlap in the traits that predict mechanical and physiological traits. Mechanical traits were generally predicted by petiole size or lamina mass and related traits, while physiological traits were predicted by traits related to lamina area and petiole hydraulics (xylem area, hydraulic mean diameter). We propose that the absence of overlapping predictors for physiological and mechanical response variables provides further evidence that mechanical requirements are not constraining the petiole hydraulic traits within Pelargonium petioles.

1

Assistant Lecturer , Biological Sciences , Ondo State University Of Science And Technology, Okitipupa, P.M.B. 353, Okitipupa, ON, 234, Nigeria2Adeyemi College of Education, Biology, Adeyemi College of Education, P.M.B.520, Ondo, ON 234, 234, NIG3Adeyemi College of Education, Biology, Adeyemi College of Education, P.M.B. 520, Ondo, ON, 234, NIG

200

MUNSHI, LAMIA* 1 and CHRISTIN, PASCAL-ANTOINE 2

History of leaf anatomical transitions in Molluginaceae

C

4 photosynthesis is a complex trait, which is composed of multiple anatomical, physiological and biochemical modifications that work together to decrease photorespiration and thereby boost productivity in tropical conditions. Because the effects of C4 emerge when all components are present, its evolutionary origins are intriguing, and the order in which these components were acquired remains uncertain. The Molluginaceae family provides a

2

1

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University of Connecticut, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville Road Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolu-


Despite its significant role in growth and development, the physiological processes by which it functions are not yet fully characterized. This study aims to generate basic quantitative data on how the structure of the sieve cells contributes to its functional state. Specifically, we investigated the major contributors to flow resistance including the sieve plate, the constituents in the cell lumen, and sieve plate pores blocked by callose. We utilized scanning electron microscope (SEM) images to build computational fluid models which enable the exploration of function under these various conditions. We found that the sieve plate accounted for the majority of resistance to flow, giving a fractional resistance of 87% on average across our models, and conversely that the cell lumen provides minimal contribution to resistance. One of the reasons the phloem remains so elusive is its sensitivity to manipulation. The blockage of pores by callose may be an effect of disruption to the phloem in order to analyze it, or the blockage mechanism may exist as a form of fast regulation of phloem flow in response to environmental stimuli. In either scenario, it is helpful to know how much these pore blockage effects can influence overall flow rates. The modeled difference between pores obstructed by rings of callose compared to the same plate that had been digitally cleared of callose build-up showed that the flow rate would increase by 3.6 - 5.5 fold if the pores were unobstructed. We concluded from this study that resistances generated from sieve plate pores are so substantial that obstructions not related to the sieve plate, such as plastids in the cell lumen, are not likely to make a significant impact to flow.

tionary Biology, Unit 3043, 75 N. Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT, 06269, United States

202

SAHEED, SEFIU ADEKILEKUN* , AJAO, ABDULWAKEEL 1, JIMOH, MAHBOOB A. 2, FANIYAN, MM 3, OLATUNDE, DO 4, AYENI, OB 3, AMUSAN, OC 3, BABSOGUNGBEMI , AA 3 and AASA-SADIQUE, AD 3 1

Critical Leaf Anatomical Characters Indicating C3 and C4 Photosynthetic Metabolism in Selected Dicotyledonous Genera in Nigeria

D

elimitation of plant species into different photosynthetic groups using leaf anatomical characters has been long established. However, most of these established characters are mostly documented for monocotyledons while that of dicotyledons especially from Africa flora is rare or scarce. This paper reports on critical leaf anatomical characters in three dicotyledonous plant genera known to exhibit C3 and C4 photosynthetic metabolism - Euphorbia L., Boerhavia L., and Cleome L. - this is in order to create a possible grouping of the species in these genera along their respective photosynthetic pathways, in addition to establishing characters which are peculiar to dicotyledons. Standard anatomical procedures were followed to investigate characters such as stomata index, stomata size, inter-stomatal distance, stomatal density, interveinal distance, intercellular air spaces, leaf thickness, mesophyll thickness, Kranz tissue, one cell distant count, maximum lateral cell count, vein density and vein distance. Our results revealed that interveinal distance that is less than 166Îźm indicate C4 dicotyledonous species while any higher values indicate C3 species. In addition, this study shows that the 'maximum lateral cell count' criterion of cells ranging from 2 to 6 indicates C4 dicotyledonous species while numbers higher than this indicate C3 species. The physiological implications of the identified characters are also discussed. This study is probably the first known to report on anatomical characters that are delimiting for dicotyledonous species.

1

University Of Nevada, School Of Life Sciences, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, United States2University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada3University Of Alberta, Department Of Renewable Resources, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada

204

HORNER, HARRY (JACK)

The 'origin enigma' of leaf calcium oxalate druses and crystal sand crystals in environmentally-separated taxa of Peperomia (Piperales; Piperaceae)

S

everal recent studies that have identified druses (D) in low-land, mostly-shaded species and crystal sand (CS) in high-altitude, sun-exposed species of the genus Peperomia, provide a conundrum of sorts. The former species all contain only D in their palisade parenchyma (PP) photosynthetic tissue and infrequently either raphides or prisms in their spongy parenchyma (SP); whereas the latter high-altitude so-called 'Window Peperomia' (WPs) species contain mostly D and some CS in their PP, and almost exclusively and consistently CS in their SP. Both types of crystals have been suggested to serve as light gathering/reflecting units for either enhancing light gathering and concentration under low-light intensities for photosynthesis or dispersing visible and infrared light under high-light intensities to reduce photoinhibition and heat buildup. Initially, only D were described in Peperomia species (before studying the WPs) but CS is very common among species

1

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, Department Of Botany, Department Of Botany, OAU, Ile-Ife, OS, 220005, Nigeria2Osun State University, Plant Biology, Osogbo, Osun, 230212, Nigeria3Obafemi Awolowo University, Botany, Ile-Ife, Osun, 220005, Nigeria4Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun, 220005, Nigeria

203

RANDOLPH, KATIE* 1, SCHULTE, PAUL 1, STANFIELD, RC 2 and HACKE, UWE 3

Phloem sieve plates and the impact of sieve pore obstructions on flow

T

he phloem, a tissue in vascular plants which distributes sugars and molecular signals throughout the plant, is functionally dependent on its structure.

90


in the sister genus Piper, as well as other members of the Piperales (both Peperomia and Piper represent the majority of the family). The phylogenetic question for the entire Order Piperales (Piperaceae) with regard to crystal type is which type arose first, D or CS? Unfortunately, no molecular marker(s) have been identified to answer this question. However, some members of an unrelated group, the Naucleeae (Rubiaceae), may shed light on this question. Several genera of this group have species whose leaves contain crystal idioblasts in which both D and CS exist together. This condition of two types of crystals in one cell, only found so far in these few taxa, and in a handful of other taxa, suggests it is possible both types could have formed simultaneously early in the evolution of the Piperales, and developmentally and environmentally separated once new species evolved. In addition, ultrastructural data from other unrelated taxa (Capsicum annuum; Solanaceae) show that each D consists of a central para-crystalline nucleation site binding together the membrane-bounded individual crystal chambers into a spherical crystal aggregate; whereas individual CS crystals (Beta vulgaris; Amaranthaceae) have individual nucleation sites associated with each separate crystal. These data indicate unidentified control(s) orchestrating a 'nucleation site' may occur allowing for either D or CS, or both, to form in one cell, and may, in some way, be altered by a photosynthetic or some other signal. These diverse results address a complex scenario for a specific crystal type and its function within the tissue in which it occurs.

mucilaginous cells in A. plumbea. Quantitatively, A. macrorrhiza has the highest stomata index. Collenchyma cell types of the leaf and petiole, the adaxial petiole outline and the presence of tannins can also be used in separating the species. 1

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 234, Nigeria2Obafemi Awolowo University, Botany, Department of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun

206

HUGGETT, BRETT* 1, MICKLEWHITE, NIAMH 2, ALISON , RICCIARDI 3 and TOMLINSON, P. 4

Hydraulic architecture of the leaf axis in cycads

T

he leaf axis of members of the order Cycadales (“cycads”) have arrangements of vascular bundles that in transverse section resemble the inverted Greek letter omega (hence the “omega pattern”). This arrangement provides useful diagnostic characteristics for the order, especially when applied to fossils. Using sequential serial images translated into cine format, we have provided a three-dimensional analysis of the vascular architecture of the pinnately compound leaf in Cycas revoluta. The omega pattern in the axis can be subdivided into three vascular components, an abaxial “circle”, a central “column” and two adaxial “wings”, the last being the only direct source of vascular supply to the leaflets. In this representative species, each leaflet is supplied by a single vascular bundle. There is neither multiplication nor anastomoses of vascular bundles in the other two components. Thus, as one proceeds from base to apex along the leaf axis, the number of vascular bundles in circle and column components is progressively reduced distally by their uniform migration throughout all components. Consequently, distal leaflets are irrigated by the more abaxial bundles, guaranteeing uniform water supply along the length of the axis. Hence the hydraulic architecture can be seen to be efficient. This very objective method has now being applied to examples from other genera, all of which differ from the very uniform arrangement in Cycas, in that each leaflet is now supplied by a series of vascular bundles, all still diverging from the wing bundles, but now with some anastomosing among column and circle bundles. This seems increasingly to obscure the omega pattern, but may introduce a more plastic and adaptive hydraulic architecture. Our goal is to complete a thorough analysis of the three-dimensional arrangement of the vascular networks in the entire order Cycadales, which then can be used to explore evolutionary trends and the possible links between hydraulic limitations and geographic distribution of particular taxa.

Iowa State Universsity, Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, 0106 Molecular Biology Building, 2437 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA, 500111079, USA

205 1

AROGUNDADE, OLUWABUNMI* and ADEDEJI, OLUBUKOLA 2

Leaf Anatomy Of Three Species Of Alocasia (Schott) G. Don In South Western Nigeria

T

he anatomy of the epidermis, transverse section of the leaves and the petioles of three species of Alocasia (Schott) G. Don in South Western part of Nigeria were examined in order to discover anatomical characters of taxonomic importance among them. The species are Alocasia cucullata (Lour.) Schott, Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) G. Don and Alocasia plumbea (Schott) G. Don. Standard procedures were followed in preparing the epidermal peels and the transverse sections of the leaves and the three regions of the petiole: proximal, median and distal regions. Generic characters among the species include polygonal to irregular epidermal cell shape, straight anticlinal wall pattern, elliptic and circular shaped stomata, brachyparacytic stomatal complex type, round abaxial petiole outline and the presence of druses, raphides and starch grains in the petiole. Specific epidermal characters that can be employed in the taxonomy and delimitation of the species include presence of scales on the adaxial surface of A. cucullata, druses on the abaxial surfaces of A. macrorrhiza and A. plumbea and

1

Bates College, Biology, 44 Campus Ave, Lewiston , ME, 04240, United States2Bates College, Biology, 44 Campus Ave., Lewiston, ME, 04240, USA3Bates College, Biology, 44 Campus Ave., Lewiston, ME, 04240, United States4Montgomery Botanical Center, 11901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL, 33156, USA

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207

LOSADA, JUAN* 1, BLANCOMOURE, NURIA 2 and LESLIE, ANDREW 3

208

Anatomical changes and the evolution of dispersal mechanisms in the seed cones of the pine family

Anemophily in Poaceae: Towards A Model of the System

LYNN

2

KLAHS, PHILLIP* 1 and CLARK,

I

magine the remarkable journey a pollen grain must travel to accomplish pollination. For anemophilous plants the chaotic nature of that biological endeavor is shaped by pollen mass and morphology, the specifics of anther dehiscence, wind speed and climatic conditions, the 'actualized' stigma surface area, the aerodynamics of the plant, and the fluid dynamics of air around the spikelet. Utilizing principles of mechanical engineering and virtual simulations we explore these components of reproductive biology in the wind pollinated grasses. The virtual models of spikelets we create are subjected to computational fluid dynamic simulations in order to predict air movement. The spikelets of a woodland grass (Festuca subverticillata) and a prairie grass (Festuca paradoxa), both classified within Festuca sect. Obtusae, are being modeled to investigate correlations between spikelet morphology and ecological niche. Both species have laterally compressed spikelets with multiple florets, but the spikelets of F. paradoxa are more ovate and more crowded in the synflorescence. Tests emulating open prairie and woodland habitats are conducted by using a gradient of wind speeds and particle tracking as a proxy for pollen movement. Both species will experience each wind speed and the results of the simulations will be compared and analyzed. We predict that the frequency of pollen collisions with exserted stigmas is a function of wind speed and spikelet morphology, and that prairie and woodland grasses will have peak pollen collision frequencies at different wind speeds.

T

he final fate of the complex seed cones of conifers is to disperse seeds, and this process is ultimately mediated by the morphology and anatomy of the cone scales. Although the same set of organs facilitates dispersal, specific dispersal mechanisms can vary widely among genera. In the family Pinaceae, two major mechanisms of scale-mediated seed release evolved during the approximately 150 million year evolutionary history of the crown group: cone scale flexure and cone scale shedding. The biomechanics of scale flexure are well understood, but the anatomical mechanisms of scale shedding and the underlying causes of its evolution have been understudied so far. In order to answer these questions, we studied approximately fifty species from the Pinaceae family, including representatives of all living genera. To assess whether the seed dispersal mechanisms were related to different reproductive biology or ecology, we asked whether there were any differences in the relative size of seeds and cones in scale flexers and scale shedders. To understand the specific mechanisms of scale shedding, analyzed the anatomy of the xylem in the scale bases, which ultimately controls whether scales flex or are shed. Finally, we compared these data with previously published fossils from the family to evaluate the ancestry of dispersal mechanisms in the family. We find broad differences in reproductive tissue allocation within Pinaceae, which are likely correlated with the evolution of the two seed dispersal mechanisms. Members of the abietoid clade exhibit a higher relative amount of seed tissue compared to members of the pinoid clade, and their cones have proportionally more seeds. Scale shedding appears to have evolved multiple times in abietoids with larger cones and larger seeds, suggesting that shedding is a more effective mechanism than flexing when dispersing large and tightly packed propagules. Pinoids have relatively less seed tissue even at large seed sizes and never evolve scale shedding. Anatomically, the abietoid genera that shed scales share a suite of traits: they all have relatively small cross sectional xylem area at the base of the scales and have thinner tracheid cell walls than do Pinaceae that use scale flexion. Xylem area in fossil Pinaceae from the Cretaceous, including likely early abietoids, largely matches that of modern-day scale flexers, suggesting that shedding has evolved multiple times. The evolution of dispersal mechanisms then appears to be related to relative tissue allocation in seed cones, and mediated by variation in tracheid and xylem anatomy.

1

Iowa State University, Ecology, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Drive, Ames, Iowa, 50011, United States2Iowa State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Dr., Ames, IA, 50011, United States

209

GALLAHER, TIMOTHY 1, KLAHS, PHILLIP , COX, MONICA 3, MOSS, KIMBERLY 4, CRAINE, JOSEPH 5 and CLARK, LYNN* 6 2

Evolutionary and functional aspects of three-dimensional chlorenchyma cell shape in the grasses (Poaceae) and other monocots

T

he great utility of leaf anatomy for grass systematics has long been recognized, and leaf anatomical characters are critical to understanding C4 evolution and functionality as well as adaptations to the varied habitats the grasses occupy. However, virtually all leaf anatomical data for the family is derived from leaf cross sections, despite a few hints in the literature of interesting shape variation in the proximo-distal and lateral planes. We therefore conduct-

1

Brown University/ Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States2No, No, No , No, Boston, MA, 02131, United States3Brown University, Box G-W, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States

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ed a survey of the three-dimensional chlorenchyma cell shape in about 270 grass species representing all subfamilies and most of the tribes, and about 30 non-grass monocots, including the Joinvilleaceae and Flagellariaceae, the leaf-blade producing families closest to the grasses. Adaxial chlorenchyma cells associated with first order vascular bundles were measured for 15 variables. Digital 3D cell models were created using Cinema 4D to estimate cell surface area and volume. Ancestral state reconstruction revealed that most monocots, including Flagellariaceae, have more or less spherical or elongated, large, unlobed adaxial chlorenchyma cells. Chlorenchyma cells of Joinvilleaceae and Poaceae are reduced in size relative to most non-grass monocots, and elongation in the proximo-distal plane is plesiomorphic within the Poaceae although a number of reversals are observed; lobing of adaxial chlorenchyma cells in at least one plane, often the proximo-distal or lateral plane, is also a general feature in the family. Various cell shapes, including some more or less spherical or cylindrical shapes, were inferred. All C4 lineages with the exception of Digitaria (Paniceae, Panicoideae) and a few others converged on a “radiator” cell shape, with lobing visible only in longitudinal and paradermal sections. Digitaria exhibits an “H”shaped adaxial chlorenchyma cell. Some C3 taxa also exhibit the radiator cell shape, but members of the Pooideae (bluegrasses) with this cell shape have reverted to a larger size. The functional significance of the extensive lobing of grass leaf chlorenchyma cells remains unknown, but it does not appear to be related to C3-C4 anatomical transitions. However, chlorenchyma cells of C3 taxa have greater variability in cell shape than either CAM (among the nongrass monocots) or C4 taxa, indicating a functional constraint on the latter two. ANOVA and pairwise Tukey tests indicate significant differences (p-values <0.01) among surface area to volume ratios for C3, C4, and CAM chlorenchyma cells. Potential correlations of these shapes with climatic variables will also be discussed.

Barro Colorado Island, Panama is explored, using an expansion of the character set used in the seminal work by G. L. Stebbins. Characters coded for in this analyses were: perianth state (calyx and corolla present, one-whorled, or perianth absent), nature of corolla (polypetalous or sympetalous), flower symmetry (actinomorphic, zygomorphic or asymmetrical), merism of flower, number of stamens, nature of gynoecium (apocarpous, syncarpous or monocarpous), number of ovules per locule, placentation of ovules, position of ovary (hypo-, hyper- or perigynous), petal length and stamen length. Occupied morphospace is compared to unoccupied morphospace, groups that exhibit high variability of form are compared to those that do not, and the relationship between flower morphology and ecological function is explored. The merits and limitations of this approach in exploring hyper-diverse tropical systems are discussed. 1

The Open University, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystems, Gass Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UKThe Open University, Gass Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

2

211

ZHANG, XIN 1, ZHANG, ZHIXIANG* and ZHAO, ZHONG 1 2

Floral Ontogeny Of Illicium Lanceolatum (Schisandraceae), With Emphasis On Carpel, Ovule And Floral Apex Development

T

here are two competing hypotheses for the origin of flowers. The traditional hypothesis is phyllosporous origin which regards a conduplicate carpel as an ancestral form that is the result of longitudinally folded leaf-bearing ovules along its margins. Alternatively, the carpel formation is the result of a fusion between an ovule-bearing branch and its subtending leaf-like structure; if true, the ovule would appear in the middle of the leaf-like structure. For the majority of the angiosperms, the carpel is a single leaf-like structure with the ovule developing later on the lamina. Illicium, often included in Schisandraceae, is a member of the ANA grade that is known as one of the earliest diverging lineages among extant angiosperms. This genus with apocarpous gynoecium has various ancestral morphological characteristics in terms of the carpel, ovule, and floral apex. Although various aspects of Illicium morphology have been previously investigated, many evolutionary characteristics remain unclear. A more detailed examination of the carpel, ovule, and floral apex of Illicium is needed. In this study, the development of carpel, ovule, and the floral apex of I. lanceolatum was studied using LM and SEM. The results showed that the ovule primordium originates at the point where the carpel touches the floral axis. Based on the comparison with other taxa, the evolutionary implication of a persistent floral apex is an apical meristem remnant of a shoot. So the carpel of Illicium is a leaf-like structure that encircles the ovule. This kind of carpel fits the hypothesis that the carpel is a fusion of two parts, ovule-bearing branch, and its subtending leaf-

1

University Of Washington, Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States2Iowa State University, Ecology, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Drive, Ames, Iowa, 50011, United States3William Penn University, Career Services, 220 Penn Hall, Oskaloosa, IA, 52577, USA4Iowa State University, Art and Visual Culture, 378 College of Design, Ames, IA, 50011, USA5Jonah Ventures, Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA6Iowa State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Dr., Ames, IA, 50011, United States

210

JULIER, ADELE CM* 1 and MANDER, LUKE 2

The morphology and ecology of Neotropical angiosperm flowers: an analysis using discrete characters

T

ropical rainforests are some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, both in the present day and in geological time. Here, the morphospace occupied by flowers produced by the angiosperms of

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like structure. Norwest A & F University, Key Laboratory of Silviculture on the Loess Plateau State Forestry Administration, College of Forestry, Tai Cheng Road NO.3, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China2Beijing Forestry University, Lab of Systematic Evolution and Bio-geography of Woody Plants, College of Nature Conservation, No. 35 Qing Hua Dong Lu, Haidian Distrite, Beijing, 100083, China

initial event of vasculature differentiation was seen to influence downstream events in the developmentally regulated pathway, such as low anthocyanin abundance, low ROS accumulation and no release of cyt-c, thus inhibiting PCD in NPA-treated plants. Results obtained from these experiments indicate that vein patterning and auxin-transport are crucial for the induction of developmentally regulated PCD in the lace plant.

212

1

1

DENBIGH , GEORGIA LEE* , DAUPHINEE, ADRIAN N. 2, FRASER, MEREDITH S. 1, LACROIX, CHRISTIAN R. 3 and GUNAWARDENA, ARUNIKA 1 1

Investigating the origin of the induction signal(s) involved in developmentally regulated programmed cell death in the lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis)

P

rogrammed cell death (PCD) is a genetically encoded method for the targeted deletion of unwanted cells. One fascinating example of developmentally regulated PCD is perforation formation in lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) leaves, which produces holes positioned equidistantly between longitudinal and transverse veins at a precise time and location. The intracellular dynamics and time course of perforation formation have been well documented in the lace plant, including the disappearance of anthocyanin, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caspase-like activity. However, the induction signal(s) involved in perforation formation is not known. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the induction signal(s) and their origin in developmentally regulated PCD in the lace plant. We hypothesized that leaf vasculature plays an important role in the induction of lace plant PCD. We tested our hypothesis by treating sterile cultures of lace plants with polar auxin-transport inhibitor, NPA, to alter vein pattern and determine the effect on the PCD process. If our hypothesis holds, typical events that occur during lace plant PCD would deviate with the addition of the NPA. Whole plants with a minimum of two to three perforated mature leaves were treated with an optimized concentration of NPA and grown simultaneously with control plants. Following seven days of growth, leaves from each plant were excised and ordered chronologically in order to record leaf lengths and widths of leaves that developed before and after treatment application. Micrographs of early-stage leaves were taken to analyze anthocyanin presence, vein patterning and perforation formation. A spectrophotometric assay was performed to determine anthocyanin levels and superoxide (a ROS molecule) accumulation was detected using nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) stain. The release of cytochrome c (cyt-c) from the mitochondria into the cytosol is a well-established event during PCD in several plant systems, thus, the investigation of cytosolic cyt-c in lace plant leaf tissues was performed through a cytosolic fractionation and subsequent western-bolt analysis. Plants treated with NPA displayed reduced perforations, abnormal vein patterning and atypical areoles compared to control plants. Altering the

Dalhousie University, Department of Biology, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS , B3H 4R2, Canada2Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Molecular Sciences, Almas AllĂƒŠ 8, Uppsala, Uppsala County, SE-750 07, Sweden3University of Prince Edward Island, Department of Biology, 550 University Ave, Charlottetown, PE , C1A 4P3, Canada

213 ARTHUR

JOHNSTON, DYLAN* and DAVIS,

Growth and nectar production dynamics of the bifurcated floral spur of Impatiens hybrida (Balsaminaceae)

F

loral nectar spurs are narrow and hollow outgrowths of either the sepal or petal whorls that most often serve to hold pollinator-attracting nectar. Although nectar is the most common reward a flower will produce to attract pollinators, it is exceptional for nectar to be held in a spur. Floral spurs are normally oriented in such a way to ensure that when a pollinator withdraws nectar from the spur, it's body will contact the stigma, anthers, or both. These structures of varying length are hypothesized to have a strong influence in the evolution of floral diversity and plant-pollinator coadaptation and are considered key innovations. Floral nectar spurs are present in at least 21 families (19 dicot, 2 monocot) of angiosperms; in some families it is a universal feature, whereas in others only certain genera possess spurs. Even more interesting and less understood are subgroups of spur-producing species that generate multiple spurs, such as double or bifurcated spurs. Accordingly, growth and nectar production dynamics of the bifurcated floral nectar spur of Impatiens hybrida was followed throughout nine stages, based on bud size and morphological changes. Morphological and anatomical characteristics of the spur were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. Ultrastructural features of the spur, particularly the nectary within, were observed using transmission electron microscopy. The nectar of I. hybrida is produced by discrete nectaries within each bifurcated spur tip. These nectaries are characterized by dense nectary parenchyma and a smooth epidermal surface devoid of stomata or trichomes whereby nectar is suspected to pass through cuticular microchannels to enter the lumen of the spur. Patterns in nectar secretion were determined by nectar volume and solute concentration followed throughout flowering phenology in ten I. hybrida plants. Nectar volume and solute concentration initially increased, followed by an eventual decline until flower abscission. As the flowers were grown in a greenhouse lacking insects to consume nectar, any losses in nectar solute

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concentration are suggested to be due to nectar reabsorption. This research provides key insight into the growth and nectar production dynamics of rare and previously uninvestigated bifurcated nectar spurs.

time. Therefore, we studied the influence of spilled oil on root aerenchyma, root respiration, and leaf level physiology in wetland plants. Some physiological effects of oil and flooding are similar, as both induce anoxic conditions in the soil. Knowing this, four wetland species were chosen for greenhouse experiments based on their relative flooding tolerance and, therefore, hypothesized oil tolerance: Phalaris arundinacea (oil-sensitive species), Spartina pectinata (moderately oil-tolerant species), and Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora (both oil-tolerant species). Physiological data supported anatomical results in this study. The most oil-tolerant species Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora had extensive root aerenchyma, which could ventilate oilcoated roots and support aerobic respiration under oil treatments. There was no significant effect of oil on gas exchange as well as no increase in alcohol dehydrogenase activity in roots, indicating little to no effect of oil on these hypothesized oil-tolerant species. Moderate oil tolerance was observed in Spartina pectinata, which was supported by root aerenchyma development, but with minor damage in structure under oil saturated conditions. In addition, only minor decreases in photosynthesis were observed with oil treatments as well as slight increases in alcohol dehydrogenase activity in roots. The most sensitive species to oil, Phalaris arundinacea, had significantly less aerenchyma in roots and extensive root damage from oil exposure. Complete degradation of the root cortex was observed in Phalaris arundinacea and, therefore, a significant reduction in aerenchyma. Alcohol dehydrogenase activities doubled in roots of Phalaris arundinacea as well as significant decreases in photosynthesis with spilled oil. These results indicate that some of the mechanisms that confer flooding tolerance in plants also increase tolerance to spilled oil. Maintaining aerobic respiration in submerged tissues is needed to survive conditions of oil spills.

University Of Saskatchewan, Department Of Biology, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada

214

AHL, LOUISE* 1, LODBERG PEDERSEN, HENRIETTE 2, JØRGENSEN, BODIL 2, WILLATS, WILLIAM 3, GRACE, OLWEN 4 and RØNSTED, NINA 1

Analyses of Aloe polysaccharides using carbohydrate microarray profiling

A

s the popularity of Aloe vera extracts continues to rise, a desire to fully understand the individual polymer components of the leaf mesophyll, their relation to one another and the effects they have on the human body are increasing. Polysaccharides present in the leaf mesophyll have been identified as the components responsible for the biological activities of Aloe vera, and they have been widely studied in the past decades. However, the commonly used methods do not provide the desired platform to conduct large comparative studies of polysaccharide compositions as most of them require a complete or near-complete fractionation of the polymers. The objective for this study was to assess whether carbohydrate microarrays could be used for the high-throughput analysis of cell wall polysaccharides in Aloe leaf mesophyll. We used Comprehensive Microarray Polymer Profiling (CoMPP) to investigate the polysaccharide compositions. This method combines the highthroughput capacity of microarray technology with the specificity of molecular probes. Our findings showed that CoMPP can successfully be used for high-throughput screening of Aloe leaf mesophyll tissue. Nearly 100 species of Aloe and closely related genera were analysed and a clear difference in the polysaccharide compositions of the mesophyll tissues was seen. These data show that the polysaccharides vary between species, and that true species of Aloe differ from segregate genera.

1

Thomas More Prep-Marian, 1701 Hall Street, Hays, KS, 67601, United States2Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States

216

GLADISH, DANIEL K.* 1, SAITO, SUSUMU 2 and NIKI, TERUO 2

1

University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen, Denmark2University of Copenhagen3University of Newcastle4Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

215 BRIAN 2

Comparison of the root apex anatomy of maize and teosinte and reassessment of their promeristem structure and its role in metaxylem histogenesis

MARICLE, KERI* 1 and MARICLE,

Zea mays primary root apical meristems have specified "closed organization", and it has been proposed that it conforms to predictable rules in the differentiation of metaxylem vessels. Despite being conspecifics, we speculated that root apical meristem organization of a wild subspecies of Z. mays (ssp. mexicana, a teosinte) would differ from a domestic sweetcorn cultivar ('Honey Bantam') and may deviate from the previously proposed rules. An understanding of such differences could contribute to our understanding how evolutionary processes and domestication of maize have affected root development in this species.

Influence of spilled oil on root aerenchyma and leaf level physiology in wetland species

M

ost oil spills in the United States are localized to coastlines; however, the occurrence of terrestrial oil spills has become more common. Studying how wetland plant anatomy and physiology may be influenced by spilled oil could give insight into species tolerance and implications of how diversity within inland wetland systems might change over

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Root tips of seedlings were prepared and sectioned for light microscopy. Many of the sections were treated with RNase before staining with toluidine blue to increase contrast between walls and cytoplasm to facilitate measurements and analysis. Longitudinal and serial transverse sections were cut at 1.5 micrometers, photographed with a digital camera, and analyzed using computer imaging to precisely determine the position and timing of key developmental events. Metaxylem development in this teosinte differed from the 'Honey Bantam' sweetcorn only in that the numbers of late metaxylem in the latter are typically two-fold greater and the number of cells in transverse sections of procambium were greater in the latter, but cell sizes were the same. Promeristems of both were nearly identical in size and organization, but did not operate quite as previously described. We observed that the promeristems of both subjects had four histogen layers rather than three as typically interpreted in the past. Mitotic activity was rare in the quiescent centers, but occasionally a synchronized pulse of mitoses was observed there, contrary to previous reports. Neither the wild subspecies nor the cultivar in our study conformed to the previously proposed rules well. Our reinterpretation of histogen theory and procambium development should be useful for future detailed studies of regulation of development, and its evolution, in Zea mays.

disagreement over the position of the axis and bract that together define the median plane of the flower. Here, we report the 3-dimensional (3-D) structures of inflorescences for Browallia speciosa Hook., Capsicum sp., Cestrum sp., and Schizanthus grahamii Gill. representing phylogenetically divergent lineages of Solanaceae using 3-D modeling. This helps to clarify the underlying structure of the inflorescences, particularly the precise arrangement of organs on the branch. Most importantly, we propose a new model for the development of floral symmetry in Solanaceae which will guide ongoing molecular genetic work on the topic. 1

Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States2Missouri Botanical Garden, Po Box 299, St Louis, MO, 63166, United States3Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

1

Miami University, Department of Biology, 1601 University Blvd., Hamilton, OH, 45011, USA2Takushoku University, Department of Biotechnology/Faculty of Engineering, Tatemachi 815-1, Hachiojishi, Tokyo, 193-0985, Japan

217

ZHANG, JINGBO 1, STEVENS, PETER and ZHANG, WENHENG* 3 2

3-D modeling the inflorescence structures helps understanding floral zygomorphy development in Solanaceae

I

n 1866, Wydler was the first to report that zygomorphic flowers of Schizanthus Ruiz & Pav. in the Solanaceae family possess a type of zygomorphy in which the gynoecium and zygomorphic corolla and androecium are along an oblique plane of symmetry. Later, Eichler (1869) and Robyns (1931) separately examined other genera of Solanaceae and found that oblique symmetry with a 36 degrees tilt exists in all genera in the family except for Nicandra Schreb.. The trait, therefore, has been considered as a synapomorphy for Solanaceae. However, other models were proposed to explain how floral symmetry developed here. For example, Gran and Gronbach (1984) thought that the flowers of Schizanthus developed upside down and rotated 180 degrees before anthesis; Cocucci (1989) agreed with the 36 degrees model for Schizanthus but proposed that the flowers rotated 72 degrees before anthesis; Ampornpan and Amstrong (1988-1991, 2002) claimed that Solanaceae did not have oblique floral symmetry at all. Here, we suggest that one way to advance our understanding of the development of floral zygomorphy in Solanaceae is to study the complicated structure of their sympodial inflorescences. We found that arguments about floral symmetry were largely due to

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tion and tourism especially for mountaineers and trekkers. Our research involved laboratory studies on the effect of pine needles on wild grasses that have undergone induced thigmomorphogenesis (similar, to the effect of trekking and mountaineering on wild species) versus the effect of pine needles on undisturbed/minimally disturbed grasses. The plants that have undergone morphogenesis are more robust and resilient to the soil pH changes

POSTERS 218

SPIEGELER, MCKAYLA 1, KLAHS, PHILLIP* 1 and CLARK, LYNN 2

The isolation of lobed chlorenchyma cells from grass (Poaceae) leaves using a soft tissue maceration technique

1

Harris-Stowe State University, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, 3026 Laclede Ave, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63103-2136, United States2 Womens College AS campus, Environmental Sciences, Gogji Bagh, Sringar, J&K, India3Parkway West, High School, 14653 Clayton Road, Chesterfield, MO, 63011

T

he complexity of cell form in the chlorenchyma of grasses is easily missed with conventional cross sectional light microscopy. A recent survey of chlorenchyma cell shapes within the family Poaceae using 3-dimensional reconstruction of images from longitudinal, paradermal, and cross sections exposed a range of shape modification with various degrees of cellular lobing among the taxa studied. The significance of the specialized chlorenchyma cells is not fully understood and attempting to quantify their shape, while the cells remain compacted in the mesophyll, often proves difficult. In order to verify previous measurements and further the research on these cells a maceration technique was refined to isolate mesophyll cells from grass leaves. Leaves of Triticum aestivum (wheat), which have highly lobed mesophyll cells designated as “radiator” cells, were removed from plants growing in a greenhouse and then fixed in gFAA. The fixed plant material was transferred through a series of ethanol solutions starting at 50% ethanol and ending in distilled water, then placed on a microscope slide, and covered in an aqueous pectinase solution. Careful dissection with a razor blade was used to mechanically separate mesophyll from vascular bundles and epidermis. The pectinase solution dissolves the middle lamella and with additional agitation the mesophyll breaks into individual cells. The isolated cells may be subjected to biological stains and dyes to improve imaging or explore cellular composition.

220

AHL, LOUISE* 1, GRACE, OLWEN , LODBERG PEDERSEN, HENRIETTE 3, JØRGENSEN, BODIL 3, WILLATS, WILLIAM 4 and RØNSTED, NINA 1

2

Analyses of Aloe polysaccharides using carbohydrate microarray profiling

A

s the popularity of Aloe vera extracts continues to rise, a desire to fully understand the individual polymer components of the leaf mesophyll, their relation to one another and the effects they have on the human body are increasing. Polysaccharides present in the leaf mesophyll have been identified as the components responsible for the biological activities of Aloe vera, and they have been widely studied in the past decades. However, the commonly used methods do not provide the desired platform to conduct large comparative studies of polysaccharide compositions as most of them require a complete or near-complete fractionation of the polymers. The objective for this study was to assess whether carbohydrate microarrays could be used for the high-throughput analysis of cell wall polysaccharides in Aloe leaf mesophyll. We used Comprehensive Microarray Polymer Profiling (CoMPP) to investigate the polysaccharide compositions. This method combines the highthroughput capacity of microarray technology with the specificity of molecular probes. Our findings showed that CoMPP can successfully be used for high-throughput screening of Aloe leaf mesophyll tissue. A small selection of Aloe and closely related genera were analysed and a clear difference in the polysaccharide compositions of the mesophyll tissues was seen. These data show that the polysaccharides vary between species, and that true species of Aloe differ from segregate genera.

1

Iowa State University, Ecology, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Drive, Ames, Iowa, 50011, United States2Iowa State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Dr., Ames, IA, 50011, United States

219

BASHIR, ANBREEN* 1, NISAR, MANSHA 2 and ALI , AYRA 3

Thigmomorphogenesis and the effect of pine needles on wild grasses

K

ashmir valley is surrounded by the Himalayan mountain range. The Himalayan mountain range is the best-suited habitat for conifers like pines especially Pinus roxburghii. The pine forests are mostly devoid of a whole lot of understory vegetation especially in the immediate vicinity of pine trees. This is due to the change in soil pH as a result, of shedding of acidic pine needles containing shikimic acid. These changes in soil pH make it unfit for the growth of multiple florae except for plants that love acidic soils. Besides being a house of pines these coniferous forests of Himalayas are also, a great source of attrac-

1

University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen, Denmark2Royal Botanic Gardens Kew3University of Copenhagen4University of Newcastle

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221

HUMPHREY, REBECCA* 1 and OSSIP-DRAHOS, ALISON 2

Selection imposed by pollination mode minimally influences evolution of pollen morphology in Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae)

T

he evolutionary implications of interactions between pollen grains and their environment are not fully resolved. Pollen grain morphology varies widely among angiosperms, and both pollination and fertilization success vary with aperture number and pollen grain size. As such, pollen transmission conditions may exert specific selective pressures on pollen morphology. This study examines the hypothesis that evolutionary shifts in pollen grain size and aperture number are correlated with transitions from insect to wind pollination systems. Within the genus Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae), we use phylogenetic comparative methods to examine correlated evolution between pollen morphology (grain size and aperture number), the selective context of pollination mode, and the species-level traits of sexual system and geographic origin. Additionally, we calculate phylogenetic heritabilities of pollen traits and test phylogenetic correlations between them. The selective context of pollination mode explained only a small amount of the variation in pollen grain size and aperture number. Pollen grain size shows high phylogenetic heritability and marginally lower variation within wind-pollinated species relative to insect-pollinated species. The calculated optimum aperture number was greater for insect-pollinated species than wind-pollinated species. Consistent with previous work, we find a high phylogenetic heritability for pollination mode, sexual system, and geographic origin in a pruned phylogeny. Differences in calculated optima for aperture-number and coefficient of variation in size between pollination modes correspond to predictions related to pollencompetition intensity and the constraints of pollen transmission. However, the effect of pollination mode on evolution of aperture number and grain size within Thalictrum is small. Additional study is required to fully understand these selective pressures and outcomes. 1

Aquinas College, Biology, 1700 Fulton St. E, Grand Rapids, MI, 49506, United States2Middle Georgia State University, Department of Natural Sciences, 100 College Station Drive, Macon, GA, 31206, USA

222

HUGGETT, BRETT* 1, WASON, JAY 2 and BRODERSEN, CRAIG 3

The functional implications of the presence or absence of intervessel connections across growth rings of four northern hardwood trees

I

n many trees, water transport is restricted to the current-year growth ring, however, additional transport in older growth-rings could increase the total size of the xylem network, thus increasing hy-

draulic redundancy but also may expose the current growth ring xylem to persistent embolisms in prior growth-rings. Efficient flow between multiple annual rings, however, would require the presence of connections between xylem conduits across the growth ring boundary, and our understanding of the frequency of cross-ring connections within a species and between species is limited, as well as potential impact water transport and drought resistance. Here we studied the annual ring boundaries in two diffuseporous and two ring-porous trees from the eastern United States for the presence and frequency of cross ring connections using dye-staining and X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT). We also performed hydraulic conductivity measurements to test the influence of increased connectivity resulting from cross-ring connections on water transport. Acer rubrum had multiple growth-rings of functional xylem via cross-ring intervessel connections, whereas Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus americana, and Quercus rubra did not. For species without cross-ring connections, inclusion of multiple growth-rings in hydraulic conductivity measurements resulted in inflated maximum conductivity (Fraxinus americana, Q. rubra) or native conductivity (Fagus grandifolia). However, including multiple growth-rings did not impact hydraulic measurements for A. rubrum. In a previous study, A. rubrum was the only species of these four exhibiting vulnerability segmentation from rootsto-shoots, which may be correlated with cross-ring intervessel connections and multiple growth-rings of functional xylem. The presence of cross-ring intervessel connections, therefore, may be an important trait that can help explain aspects of whole-tree water transport and should be carefully considered when conducting plant hydraulic studies. 1

Bates College, Biology, 44 Campus Ave., Lewiston, ME, 04240, United States2Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 370 Prospect St., New Haven , CT, 06511, USA3Yale University, School Of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 195 Prospect Street, Kroon Hall, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

223

KLUCK, JOHANNA 1, JONES, TEYLOR 1, SCHMITZ, HAILEY 1 and GERKEN GOLAY, MICHAELEEN* 2

Seasonal Variation of Leaf Morphology in Hydrophyllum virginianum

T

he herbaceous layer of a deciduous forest varies throughout the growing season, with certain plants photosynthetically active in different months. Hydrophyllum virginianum (Virginia waterleaf) flowers in spring but also produces new leaves later in the season, remaining active long after tree leaf drop. In early spring, H. virginianum produces a set of leaves that are often highly variegated (white spots resembling drops of water). Later leaves do not show the same variegation. This pilot study was designed to characterize leaf morphology throughout the growing season, and determine whether chlorophyll a/b content and stomatal density likewise vary in spring, summer, and fall. Additionally, we calculated the proportion of each leaf that was variegated each

98


month from May through October in a population of H. virginianum in a hardwood forest in northeast Iowa. Forty individual plants were monitored biweekly to track leaf emergence and senescence. Monthly, one proxy leaf for each plant was harvested from the surrounding population for lab analyses of chlorophyll a/b ratios, stomatal density, and quantification of proportion variegated. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey post hoc. Results indicate that as expected, variegation was higher in spring. Stomatal density was highest in early leaves, intermediate in mid-season leaves, and lowest in late season leaves (p<0.0001). Average chlorophyll a/b ratio did not differ between early and mid-season leaves (p=0.1091) but analyses by month revealed that chlorophyll a/b ratio is variable throughout the growing season (p<0.0001). Month-to-month fluctuation in leaf metrics did not follow the seasonal arc of tree canopy closure and senescence, which suggests that there may be a more complex interaction of environmental variables. As this was a pilot study, methods have been refined and monitoring and analyses are ongoing to further elucidate patterns.

225

OLSZEWSKI, MAGDALENA* 1, ADEL EL MIARI, HIBA 2, BEHDARVANDI, BEHRANG 3 and COSTEA, MIHAI 1

Diversity and evolution of seeds in Cuscuta (dodders, Convolvulaceae): morphology and structure

C

uscuta is a genus of nearly 200 obligate stem parasites with subcosmopolitan distribution and considerable agricultural and ecological significance. Dodder seeds are considered unspecialized, with no morphological adaptations towards particular dispersal vectors; however, the seed coat anatomy has recently suggested structural features that enable endozoochory. Historically, dodder seeds attracted attention mostly for identification purposes but these few studies were limited to a reduced number of species and had only a regional nature. This is the first attempt to provide a genus-wide overview of the seed diversity in Cuscuta together with an assessment of the usefulness of seed characters for the systematics of the genus. We conducted a preliminary morphometric study using two closely related and difficult to separate North American species of sect. Oxycarpae, C. gronovii and C. umbrosa, which indicated that in most cases seed features can be used to distinguish species. Subsequently, we surveyed the seed morphology and anatomy of 140 species belonging to all the four Cuscuta subgenera. Species of the first infrageneric dodder lineage diverged, subg. Monogynella, have the seed coat cells elongated and puzzle-like, morphologically uninfluenced by dryness/wetness. In contrast, seeds of the other subgenera, Cuscuta, Pachystigma and Grammica are more or less isodiametric and have evolved the ability to alternate their morphology and physiology between two states: with deeply pitted epidermal surface when dry, and papillose through hydration. Seeds with a globose radicular end, likely having a storage function, have evolved only in sect. Denticulatae. Other characters, such as the seed size, hilar region morphology, seed coat micromorphology, the number of palisade layers and their size can be used to distinguish species within various clades of subg. Grammica.

1

Wartburg College, 100 Wartburg Blvd, Waverly, Iowa, 50677, United States2Wartburg College, Biology, 100 Wartburg Blvd, Waverly, IA, 50677, United States

224

ARMOUR, ISABELLA* 1, CAVENDER-BARES, JEANNINE 2 and FALLON, BETH 1

Oak Xylem Anatomy and Pathogen Response

T

he oaks (genus Quercus) are the most diverse group of woody trees in the US, making them critical to ecosystem services. Oaks are generally more drought tolerant/resistant than co-occurring trees from other genera, but are nevertheless susceptible to several devastating fungal pathogens. Altered infection and transmission rates of pathogens and increased rainfall variability caused by climate change can cause increased tree mortality; it is thus important to quantify oak vulnerability and response to both drought and pathogens. Understanding the vascular anatomy of oak trees is a good first step toward understanding oak resilience. This research focuses on vascular analyses of Q. macrocarpa (white) and Q. ellipsoidalis (red). We analyzed xylem traits (number of vessels, vessel diameter, intervessel wall thickness, implosion resistance) in saplings to determine whether previously described, genus level vascular trait trends are true for these two species. This research is a preliminary description of anatomical traits which could be useful in predicting species level drought/pathogen vulnerability.

1

Wilfrid Laurier University, Biology, 75 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L3C5, CAN2Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L3C5, Canada3University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East , Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, CAN

226

WILLIAMS, DORESSA 1, RYAN, GILLIAN 2, RUANE, LAUREN 3 and COHEN, JIM* 4

Comparative floral morphology of Phlox hirsuta and Phlox speciosa

1

University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, Falcon Heights, MN, 55108, USA2University Of Minnesota, 100 ECOLOGY BLDG, 1479 Gortner Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States

T

he Yreka Phlox, Phlox hirsuta, is a threatened species known from five populations around Yreka, CA, and the species grows on serpentine soil. While P. hirsuta has a very restricted geographic range, it co-occurs with a widespread congeneric species, P.

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speciosa. Both species bear salverform corollas, are primarily allogamous, and are pollinated by species of Diptera and Lepidoptera; furthermore, the two species may be able to interbreed. In order to gain insight into the potential for gene flow between the two species, floral morphology was examined for individuals of both species in populations in which they co-occur. Flowers of both species from three populations were dissected, and the heights and lengths of various aspects of the corolla, androecium, and gynoecium were measured and subsequently compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test and principal components analysis (PCA). Both species exhibit reverse herkogamy and have their five anthers attached at three different points along the corolla tube. While most floral features vary between species, anther and filament lengths were similar. Anther height of P. speciosa overlaps with stigma height of P. hirsuta, but this is not the case for anther height of P. hirsuta and stigma height of P. speciosa, suggesting that gene flow between species, if it were to occur, would be unidirectional, from P. speciosa to P. hirsuta.

228

SCHULTE, PAUL* 1, RANDOLPH, KATIE 2, STANFIELD, RC 3 and HACKE, UWE 4

Fluid flow through phloem sieve plates: a computational model showing the effects of sieve pore geometry

T

he sieve plates in sieve tube members are thought to account for a significant resistance to flow in the phloem. Our studies considered the role of sieve cell structures on flow through the use of an approach from computational fluid dynamics. Models were constructed from SEM images of sieve cells and their sieve plates. Numerical solutions to the classical Navier-Stokes equations gave fluid pressures and velocities throughout the modeled cells. The overall placement of the sieve plate in terms of its angle with respect to the axis of the modeled cell allowed us to consider plate tilt effects. The observed sieve plate pores were often quite different from circular and so we considered the effect of sieve pore shape as well. Models showed overall that the sieve plates account for about 80 - 95% of the total sieve cell resistance. Our treatment of sieve plate pores with their observed shapes led to flow rates through those pores that were as much as 50% lower than treating them as circular with equivalent areas. Therefore sieve plate pore shape is an important feature in the resistance to flow through these dominant structures. Sieve plates with large tilt angles such as 70 degrees did not lead to a large reduction in flow resistance (less than 2%). However if the tilted plates were to take advantage of the greater plate area with more pores, a large effect on flow resistance would result.

1

The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #7269, Hattiesburg, MS, 394062Kettering University, Department of Physics, 1700 University Ave., Flint, MI, 485043Christopher Newport University, Organismal And Environmntal Biology, 1 Avenue Of The Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, United States4Kettering University, 1700 University Ave., Flint, MI, 48503.0, United States

227

CHUANROMANEE, TYA 1, COHEN, JIM* 2 and RYAN, GILLIAN 3

MASS: a tool for Morphological Analysis of Size and Shape of leaves

1

University Of Nevada, School Of Life Sciences, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, United States26361 Greyhawk Ave, Las Vegas, NV, 89108, United States3University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada4University Of Alberta, Department Of Renewable Resources, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada

M

orphometrics is the practice of identifying shape variation and shared features in and among groups. In botany, morphometrics is used to quantify the effects of mutation, environment, climate, and other characteristics on plant morphology, such as in leaf shape. Various software programs have been developed to assist in morphometrics, but these programs tend to be single-purpose (e.g., only for image capture, measurements, or analyses), which means that a full morphometric analysis can require as many as five different tools. We propose and develop a comprehensive and flexible software program to streamline the morphometric analysis process without relying on multiple different programs. In addition to collecting basic morphological characteristics, such as length and width, the program supports common morphometric methods and statistical analyses, allowing the user to select desired features separately. The program has been employed to analyze variation in both apple and sugar maple leaves. The modular design and robustness of the software gives the software sufficient flexibility to be potentially useful in analyzing other plant components, such as flower petals.

229 GARY*

2

PAULINA, MATIAS 1 and COTE,

Isolation and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Calcium Oxalate Crystals from Tissues of Dieffenbachia seguine (Araceae)

M

icroscopic calcium oxalate crystals are found widely throughout the plant kingdom. They are generally assumed to discourage herbivores, although roles in calcium regulation, cell wall modification, and structural support have also been proposed. Spherical aggregates called druses and long, double-pointed needles called raphides are the most common crystal forms. We earlier reported a diversity of crystal forms and arrangements in all vegetative and floral tissues of the aroid Dieffenbachia seguine based on a survey by light microscopy (CotĂŠ, 2009, Am. J. Botany 96:1245-1254). In followup work we have examined the ultrastructure of the crystals using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Samples for SEM were prepared either by grinding

1

Kettering University, Computer Science, 1700 University Ave., Flint, MI, 485042Kettering University, 1700 University Ave., Flint, MI, 48503.0, United States3Kettering University, Department of Physics, 1700 University Ave., Flint, MI, 48504

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tissues by hand and washing out the debris, or by pressing dried tissue between SEM stubs and then pulling the stubs apart to fracture the tissue parallel to the surface. Using these methods, we were able to visualize all the crystals known from light microscopy, except very long thin raphides from the leaf edge, which perhaps were too fragile to survive these methods. We have now developed a new isolation method in which cell walls are enzymatically digested, and the crystals are isolated by centrifugation and washing. This procedure produces large numbers of crystals with little contamination by tissue debris. We have used this procedure to recover the long raphides from leaves. By isolating crystals separately from leaf edges and inner blades, we verified that crystals were more common at the edges. In the crystal preparations from this method we have discovered very small (ca. 1 - 5 Îźm) crystal prisms in leaves. These prisms are rare compared to raphides and druses. We subsequently found evidence for them in cleared leaves by light microscopy, but they are hard to distinguish because of their small size. They have the shape of two pyramids with square bases connected by a rectangular hexahedron of variable length, and resemble much larger crystals of similar geometry that were previously reported in pollen. We are currently attempting to replicate the finding that all previously known crystals are calcium oxalate, and to test the chemical composition of the newly discovered tiny prisms. 1

Radford University, Chemistry, P.O. Box 6949, Radford, VA, 24142, USA2Radford University, Biology, P.O. Box 6931, Radford, VA, 24142, USA

230 LOLL, JESSICA* , GARCIA, ANTONIO and GARDNER, ANDREW Applying geometric morphometrics to explore floral shape evolution in Downingia

T

he 15 species of calicoflowers (Downingia) are found primarily in California. Many of the species are endemic to vernal pools, which display a field of color as their waters recede each year. Downingia flowers encompass a wide range of shapes and color patterns that may reflect diverse pollinator preferences. Recently described cryptic species and prior evidence of complex evolutionary processes has inspired us to to characterize flower shape via geometric morphometrics as a way to further study their evolution. We are developing 2D floral shape models from both head-on and side-view floral images from publicly available repositories and our own field images. Whereas head-on view images are biologically relevant and widely available, we are also using sideviews to better characterize the depths of the floral structures such as the anther tubes and staminal columns. For each view, we selected a series of landmarks that can be unambiguously positioned on every image. After a transformation that removes scale and rotation, we use principal component analysis to describe variation among the images' landmarks. In both of these initial datasets, Downingia species are relatively cohesive in terms of floral shape. The highly variable dorsal petals account for a large portion of the overall variation, and their exclusion has a major

impact on the interpretability of the models generated. Taken together, the models largely reinforce the suite of co-varying characteristics that distinguish the previously described floral shape categories. We will continue to improve our models as we incorporate more images. Well-developed shape models will help us to better interpret evolutionary processes that may influence floral shape, such as pollination shifts and hybridization. CSU Stanislaus, One University Circle, Turlock, CA, 95382, United States

231

ERDOGAN, EYUP

Comparative micromorphology and anatomy on three subspecies of Trgionella coerulescens (Bieb.) Hal. in Turkey

G

enus Trigonella is represented with 34 taxa (32 species) in Turkey. Eleven taxa are endemic to the country. Trigonella coerulescens is only one species which has three subspecies in Turkey; T. coerulescens subsp. coerulescens, T. coerulescens subsp. kemerensis, and T. coeruslescens subsp. ayvalikensis. In this study, these there subpscies' anatomic and micromorphologic characters are compared and discussed for a dichotomous key. Balikesir University, Department of Biology, TURKEY

232

WHITE, ELIZABETH* 1, GANDY, ELIZABETH 2, HOLST, BRUCE 2, OBERLE, BRAD 3 and SIDOTI, BRIAN 1

Morphological and trichome characters distinguish seedlings of two threatened Florida bromeliads

T

illandsia utriculata and Tillandsia fasciculata are two species of large epiphytic bromeliads native to South Florida. Both are threatened by the spread of the invasive herbivorous weevil, Metamasius callizona. Assessing beetle impacts on species' population dynamics requires distinguishing T. utriculata and T. fasciculata apart in the field as seedlings. Doing so is difficult because from germination until around 3 years in age, these two species grow to only a few millimeters in diameter and have superficially similar morphology and anatomy. To develop a way to distinguish between these two species in the field, we measured seedlings ranging from 4 months old to 36 months old that had been grown under common greenhouse conditions. Morphological measurements included longest leaf lengths, angles of leaves, blade width, sheath width and height of the entire plant. Scanning Electron Microscope images of the seedlings' leaves were also taken to analyze how trichome density/morphology influence seedling coloration. The lighter green color of T. fasciculata seedlings is associated with trichomes that have a significantly longer wing diameter than trichomes of T. utriculata seedlings, and is a feature that is vis-

101


ible with a hand lens. Tillandsia utriculata seedlings have a significantly smaller longest leaf length/blade width ratio, implying that T. utriculata seedlings have thinner leaves in this age range in comparison to T. fasciculata. Determining the identity of the Tillandsia seedlings in the field will facilitate future research into the population dynamics and dispersal of Tillandsia utriculata and Tillandsia fasciculata. 1

New College of Florida, Natural Sciences, 5800 Bay Shore Blvd, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, 34243, United States2Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Botany, 900 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL, 342363New College Of Florida, Natural Sciences, 5800 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, FL, 34243, United States

233

KHOJAYORI, FARAHNOZ* 1, ZHANG, JINGBO 2 and ZHANG, WENHENG 3

Floral ontogeny of Krameria lanceolata Torrey (Krameriaceae)

F

loral zygomorphy is thought to be an adaptive trait, associated with highly specialized pollination strategies. In Krameria Loefl., the only genus of Krameriaceae, the showy zygomorphic floral display is mainly established by the petaloid sepals, a flag comprised of fused dorsal and lateral petals, and the ventral petals—modified oil-glands that associate with the oil-bee pollinators of the New World. Floral zygomorphy is also observed in the androecium and gynoecium in Krameria flowers. The zygomorphic androecium is established by four stamens that are fused basally—with the two dorsal anthers shorter than the two lateral anthers; the single ventral stamen is absent from mature flowers. In the zygomorphic gynoecium, the dorsal carpel of the bicarpellate gynoecium is aborted. The ontogeny of Krameria flowers to illustrate the early floral development, however, is largely lacking, particularly in regard to the fusion within the androecium and corolla whorls, and the abortion of the ventral stamen. Here, we utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to elucidate on the floral development of K. lanceolata. Our preliminary results showed that the five petal primordia emerge separately, followed by the four separate stamens and the two fused carpels. This suggests that the fusion of the dorsal and adjacent lateral petals occurred later during development. Additionally, the two dorsal and two lateral stamens initiate simultaneously, but the ventral stamen never arises, suggesting it is fully suppressed in early development. Our results help provide a better understanding of the development of floral zygomorphy in Krameria, which will be the foundational work to start shedding light on the developmental and genetic mechanisms responsible for their unique floral morphologies.

234

CZANDER, AUTUMN* 1, FOULKES, M. RAINE 1 and IONTA, GRETCHEN

2

Variation in pollen size in four species of meadow beauties (Rhexia; Melastomataceae) collected in North Florida and Georgia

R

hexia comprises 13 species of facultative and obligate wetland plants inhabiting a variety of damp and wet habitats in Eastern North America, ranging from Nova Scotia to the West Indies, and west to eastern Texas. The evolutionary history of the meadow beauties is confounded by extensive hybridization and polyploidization, with several species putatively of hybrid origin and others appearing in polyploid series (e.g. in R. cubensis n=11, 22, or 33). We examined inter- and intraspecific variation in pollen size in four species of Rhexia collected from 13 locations within the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (Hawthorne, Florida), and from 3 additional sites in North Florida and Georgia. Rhexia mariana, the widest-ranging, morphologically most variable species in the genus, was best represented, with 39 specimens; R. nashii, R. cubensis, and R. petiolata were also included in this study. Field-collected plants were cultivated and stamens were harvested on the morning of anthesis; for each sample, ten pollen grains from a single anther were measured. Mean diameters showed a significant difference between species (p<0.001), and R. nashii & R. cubensis (mean pollen dia. 28.4 & 28.9µm) were each statistically different from both R. mariana & R. petiolata (mean dia. 24.5 & 22.1µm); interestingly, the larger mean pollen size reported here in R. nashii & R. cubensis is mirrored in the much larger petals and longer hypanthia typical for these species, as compared to the smaller floral features commonly found in R. mariana & R. petiolata, which were found to have more diminutive pollen on average in this study. Rhexia mariana samples analyzed alone showed significant differences between certain populations, but we were unable to identify environmental or other factors that might account for this pattern.

1

Georgia College & State University, Department Of Biological And Environmental Sciences, Campus box 081, Milledgeville, GA, 31061, USA2Georgia College And State University, Department Of Biological And Environmental Sciences, Campus Box 81, Milledgeville, GA, 31061, United States

1

Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States2Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States3Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

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235

DIETRICK, ALEXANDER* 1 and STACY, ELIZABETH 2

Floral characters vary in the landscapedominant tree, Metrosideros polymorpha: data from a Hawaii Island common garden

M

etrosideros polymorpha, Hawaii's most abundant and variable tree species, is famous for its ecological amplitude and vegetative character variation, and is emerging as a model for studies of adaptive radiation in trees. In contrast to the species' exceptional variation in vegetative characters, however, variation in floral characters has not been examined. Metrosideros has typically red, "shaving-brush" flowers that occur in inflorescences of variable size. We examined floral character variation across 93 adult individuals of M. polymorpha in an established East Hawaii Island common garden. Common garden trees were derived from open-pollinated seeds collected in 1994 from pubescent and glabrous maternal trees ranging across two substrate ages and five elevations on East Hawaii Island; all maternal trees occurred within a continuous population that spans 0 to ~2,500 m above sea level and comprises three varieties of M. polymorpha. In the garden, the number of flowers per inflorescence decreased steadily and significantly with elevation. Trees from the two lower elevations had both significantly shorter styles and stamens and a greater number of stamens per flower than trees from the three higher elevations. The longer, narrower flowers characteristic of the high-elevation variety, M. polymorpha var. polymorpha, may reflect stronger adaptation to bird pollination at high elevations. Across all three lower elevations, stigma-anther separation was significantly greater for trees derived from glabrous maternal trees than from those derived from pubescent maternal trees. This finding may be consistent with weaker selection against self-pollination in early-successional (pubescent) M. polymorpha var. incana in low-density stands on young lava flows. Nectar cup diameter did not vary consistently with elevation or maternal tree type, but varied significantly in response to an interaction between elevation and maternal tree type. These results indicate that in addition to divergence in vegetative traits associated with adaptation to contrasting abiotic conditions, the varieties of M. polymorpha on Hawaii Island show heritable differences in floral characters that may be associated with biotic factors (pollinators and population density). 1

University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N Virginia St, Reno, NV 89557, Reno, NV, 895572University of Nevada Las Vegas, School of Life Sciences; Mail Stop 4004, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA

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BIODIVERSITY INFORMATICS & HERBARIUM DIGITIZATION 237

KING, MEGAN* 1, ARONSON, MYLA , IRELAN, SEAN 2 and STRUWE, LENA 3

ORAL PAPERS

2

236

THIERS, BARBARA* 1, RIVAS, ROSLYN and KIERNAN, ELIZABETH 3

The MAM project at Rutgers University - Digitization of the Mid-Atlantic Flora to investigate urban floristic changes

2

Using Data From Index Herbariorum to Assess Threats to the World's Herbaria

D

uring the past few years, natural disasters, political or social unrest and institutional actions have imperiled herbaria. The question has been raised multiple times whether or not the data gathered about herbaria in Index Herbariorum could be used to predict which herbaria are at the greatest risk. Armed with such knowledge curators and the greater collections community might be in a better position to safeguard those herbaria. To explore the feasibility of using Index Herbariorum data in this way, we have identified a set of specific threats and then scored herbaria according to their susceptibility to those threats. These threats fall into two categories: Physical and Administrative. Physical threats are those that could lead to loss of collections through outright destruction due to catastrophic events (e.g., earthquake, flood) or loss of the protective controls (e.g., air conditioning, building security) that ensure a safe collections environment. Determination of these threats is based location. Administrative threats involve decisions made by the governing body to remove staff support, appropriate space or climate control measures for the collection. Physical threats were determined using GIS to plot the location of all herbaria, and then overlaying these with map layers indicating current earthquakes, floods, cyclones and landslides and potential future threats (sea level rise and civil unrest). We deduced Administrative threats from Index Herbariorum data elements. These include the status of the herbarium (active or inactive), whether or not the Index Herbariorum entry for an institution has been updated in the past 10 years, whether or not the herbarium has a designated curator, the ratio of staff to specimens, and whether or not the collection has been digitized. Each threat was assessed as absent or present, and assigned a value of 0 or 1 accordingly. Using this method, less than 4% face no identified threats; 65% face one to three threats and 35% face five or more threats. The criteria used in this study cannot alone predict the future security of a collection, or the lack thereof. The reasons for the loss of a collection are usually more complicated than Index Herbariorum data can convey. However, the large proportion of herbaria that face multiple threats suggests that herbaria all should be aware of the risk factors for their collection, perhaps conducting a self-evaluation using the criteria presented here or others, and where possible should incorporate responses to those threats into their strategic and disaster preparedness plans. 1

The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, United States2New York Botanical Garden, Herbarium, 2900 Southern Blvd., Herbarium, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States3The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Herbarium, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States

T

he Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis project (funded as a NSF-ADBC grant) is a combined effort of 12 institutions to digitize approximately 700,000 specimens from Northeastern USA. The focus is to primarily to provide herbarium collection data to better understand the influence of urbanization of this coastal corridor from New York City to Washington D.C. This region has a long botanical as well as colonial and urban history. By making herbarium specimen data available for big data analysis of combined temporal, spatial, and land use variables, scientists will be able to look at both species and ecosystem changes through time. Urban floras are constantly changing and to help us understand these living systems in historical and climate change perspectives, we need to investigate the flora that existed in the past, today, and what it might look like tomorrow. We present here two aspects of this project at Rutgers University. The first is the large involvement and commitment of undergraduate students to this effort, and how it helps them in their careers, both when it comes to specific biological collections skills, and also in general life skills building of life-long importance. The second is the early stages of collecting specimen and location data from the digitized specimens. A large project such as this requires dedicated effort from staff, students, and volunteers. At Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, we have a student-driven Herbarium Army of for-credit undergraduates working their way through specimen preparation, barcoding, and imaging. Once the images are processed they are uploaded online where they are transcribed and geo-referenced for further analysis. With this process, we are "bringing out the beauty (and data) within!" the steel herbarium cabinets and make the data searchable and available online on a global scale. Additionally, we will present a method we have developed to measuring detailed morphological characteristics from digitized images of herbarium sheets. These methods will allow us to collect species- and collection specific morphometric quantitative data for further analysis related to urbanization or other ecosystem influences. The long-term data beneficiaries of the MAM project will be a wide array of people, from the citizen scientist and the professional or amateur botanist to urban developers and restoration ecologists. We expect that the release of up to 200 years of botanical collection data for this region will help research and conservation efforts for another 200 years. 1

Chrysler Herbarium, Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, US2Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, US3Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution And Natural Resources, 59 Dudley Road, Foran Hall Rm 237, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901,

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238

MAST, AUSTIN* 1, RICCARDI, GREG 2, BRUHN, ROBERT 2, ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 3 and GOODWIN, JILLIAN 2

WeDigFLPlants—Innovative, placebased citizen science engagement to build the most complete historical baseline possible for Florida's plants

W

eDigFLPlants is a collaboration between herbaria, enthusiast groups (such as the Florida Native Plant Society), classrooms, and others to transcribe herbarium specimen labels from all remaining non-databased, Florida-collected specimens no matter where in the world the specimens are curated. Since its start in 2016, WeDigFLPlants has produced about 50,000 transcriptions by combining the infrastructure and other resources of Biospex.org, NotesfromNature.org, WeDigBio.org, iDigBio.org, and the Libraries of Life Augmented Reality Mobile App to create an engaging and educational experience for participants. We will provide an overview of how the cyberinfrastructure pieces fit together and how new developments in Biospex.org, such as new visualizations to support events (e.g., classroom exercises, Earth Day celebrations, etc.), will benefit the WeDigFLPlants community and others like it. WeDigFLPlants is easy to replicate in your region!

1

Florida State University, Department Of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States2Florida State University, College of Communication & Information , Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA3La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90036, USA

239

SKEMA, CYNTHIA* , BARBER, ANNE , MANCINI, MICHELLE and BLOCK, TIMOTHY

FineFocus: A tool for the objective evaluation of focus quality in herbarium specimen imaging

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he use of autofocus alone in herbarium specimen imaging with a digital single-lens reflex camera does not yield consistently sharp images, even with relatively two-dimensional specimens and a proper selection of focus point. These disparities in focus quality may have a negative impact on downstream use of specimen images in research, e.g., in morphometric work. Employing contrast as a proxy for focus quality, the FineFocus technique provides a numeric value reflective of focus quality through the analysis of an image of a standard text target, using two freeware programs run through a batch script. The resulting values are both specimen- and conditiondependent, and therefore only comparable for images of a single sheet taken with a specific imaging rig with identical settings (e.g., aperture, lighting levels). FineFocus can be used as a tool to objectively evaluate focus quality in developing imaging protocols for a digitization workflow, and can also be used as a step within an imaging protocol to "lock in" a high level of focus quality before proceeding with imaging specimens. This work was developed through the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project, a digitization project funded by the National Science Foundation's

Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections program. Morris Arboretum Of The University Of Pennsylvania, 100 E. Northwestern Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19119, United States

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ESERMAN, LAUREN* 1, BRINKMAN, BECKY 2, WHITEHURST, LAUREN 3, DETERMANN, RON 2, BURGESS, KEVIN 4 and COFFEY, EMILY 1

Curation and DNA barcoding of the orchid collection at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

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he permanent living plant collection at the Atlanta Botanical Garden currently houses approximately 2,000 orchid species, which have been under active development for over 25 years. This Orchid Collection is one of the signature plant groups permanently maintained by skilled full-time orchid center staff at ABG. These species span the vast orchid diversity with representatives from nineteen of the thirty-two orchid tribes. Especially well represented are the euglossine bee pollinated orchids (subtribe Stanhopeinae). Through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, we have begun curation and DNA barcoding of the ABG orchid collection. As a result of this project, DNA barcodes, species images, and collections information are being submitted to the open access database BOLD (the Barcode of Life Database), and herbarium vouchers of the living collection are being deposited at Columbus State University. Furthermore, a DNA library is being created from orchid species and will be housed at ABG. These activities will result in an improved understanding of the diversity housed in the permanent living orchid collection as well as a starting point for more focused studies of orchid biodiversity. Additionally, this project allows us to identify taxonomic gaps in the collection that can be filled in future collection expansion. Finally, we are developing a training program for high school and undergraduate students as well workshops for teachers and professionals at ABG. This project will facilitate open access to plant biodiversity information and natural history resources for future orchid conservation. 1

Atlanta Botanical Garden, Conservation & Research, 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309, United States2Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309, United States3 Columbus State University, 242 GA Hwy 26, 242 GA Hwy 26, Cusseta, GA, 31805, United States4Columbus State University, Biology, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, GA, 31907, United States

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BRAUKMANN, THOMAS* , KUZMINA, MARIA , STEINKE, DIRK , ZAKHAROV, EVGENY and HEBERT, PAUL

Building the DNA barcode library for the flora of Canada using herbarium specimens

B

ecause herbaria are a valuable source of voucher specimens, they are often used to construct the DNA barcode libraries that are essential for plant identifications and metabarcoding studies. We sequenced at least one of the barcode regions (rbcL, matK, or ITS) for 20,816 specimens representing 5,076 of the 5,190 vascular plant species in Canada (98%). We used beta regression to evaluate the effects of age, type of preservation, and taxonomic affiliation (family) on sequence recovery. We also tested the ability of these DNA barcodes to discriminate the species in local floras across Canada using simulated assemblages from the plant lists of 27 national parks. The capacity of each barcode region to determine the correct species assignment was estimated using BLAST and mothur. Mean pairwise distance and mean nearest taxon distance were strong predictors of barcode performance for different plant families and genera. All three markers delivered correct generic assignments with high accuracy (91-98%), but species discrimination ranged from 81% (matK) to 44% (rbcL). Despite the low number of plant taxa in the arctic, DNA barcodes had the least success in this biogeographic region with species resolution ranging from 36% withrbcL to 69% with matK. By contrast, species resolution peaked in the Woodland region at 87% for matK. Specimen age and method of preservation had significant effects on sequence recovery for all markers with differential impacts among vascular plant families. In addition to the standard DNA barcodes, high-throughput sequencing approaches can recover long amplicons with high fidelity. To improve taxonomic resolution, we sequenced the full ITS region from diverse species of angiosperms on the SEQUEL platform. This approach reduces the cost and improves the quality of DNA barcode reference libraries using herbarium specimens. Our results indicate that DNA barcoding is very effective in identifying plants to genus and that it performs well in discriminating species in regions where floristic diversity is highest. The DNA barcode library for the vascular plants of Canada represents a key resource for metabarcoding and ecological genetic research.

University of Guelph, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada

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BERG, COLETTE

Phenological Advancement in Triodanis perfoliata (Campanulaceae) across North America

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henological advancement driven by climate warming has been widely documented for numerous species across the world. In particular, the digitization of herbarium records has increased the viability of long-term spatial and temporal metaanalyses of flowering time shifts. T. perfoliata is a common annual herb with a native range stretching from Canada to the Caribbean, making it an ideal species to investigate wide-ranging phenological responses to climate change. Using data from 125 herbaria across hundreds of localities, we found that flowering time in T. perfoliata has advanced across latitudes and elevations in North America from 1880 to 2017. Mean fruiting time has advanced with greater magnitude, implying that the total reproductive window for T. perfoliata may be shrinking temporally. This may have implications for the breeding system as T. perfoliata has a mixed cleistogamous mating system. T. perfoliata produces cleistogamous selfing flowers and open flowers with the potential for outcrossing. It primarily produces cleistogamous flowers at the beginning and end of its reproductive window, and produces open flowers in the middle of its reproductive window. Several studies have examined species at discrete points over time, however our work examines how phenological patterns vary temporally across a large geographic range.

Southeast Missouri State, Biology, 1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO, MO, 67301, USA

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JACOBS, ROB

Beyond Digitisation

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any natural history institutes are facing a challenge of 'opening up' their collections, focused on education & research. In the era of internet, the times to exchange ex. herbarium specimen sheet by mail feel like history. For that reason Naturalis was one of the first institutes facing the challenge of getting the collection digital, accessible & more easy exchangeable. Looking back at early 2013 the Dutch biodiversity center Naturalis issued an request for the mass digitization and transcription of herbarium sheets, 'only' 3,5 million sheets needed to get digitised. Picturae stepped in and proposed a solution with a challenging industrial approach consisting of a conveyor belt construction. Instead of digitising 500 sheets per day using traditional capturing means, we now achieved digitising 5000 sheets daily. The software to operate the digitization system, do the post-processing and the delivery of the digital files to the data-entry department and delivery to the client's servers was custom built for this project but has since involved into a multi-purpose tool which can be used for all our digitization equipment and post-processing workflows. Outsourcing of digitisation and transcription like Naturalis did has proven its value. Jointly with our customers we were able

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to digitise high volume collections within months instead of years. Since 2013 the conveyor belt system was improved and deployed at several locations around the globe: the US, Switzerland, France and Belgium and over 12 million herbarium specimens have been converted to digital and this is actually were a specimens (re)discovery happens as it now can be fairly easily exchanged with other researchers. ithin a relatively short time frame large numbers of herbarium sheets can be digitised and transcribed. A task that is normally done by the institutions staff next to their normal taks. Now they can focus on their main tasks like research or informing the public. It also saves costs as a high resolution infrastructure needs to be acquired, a support organisation must be in place and the numbers per day must be met to remain cost effective. Finally the main benefit that data will become quickly available for the staff, education and research. New Initiatives like crowdsourcing (Notes for Nature, Digivol) to enrich data can be developed. Deep Learning to provide new possibilities to do research on the specimens are examples of further innovative solution that arise after having digital files at hand.

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Picturae Inc., 888 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ, 07306, USA

244

RAHUL, JITIN

Assessment of Biodiversity and Identification of Least Concern (LC) Plant Species

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he Dhanbad district is spread over an area of 23.39 sq. kms. Dhanbad is the only district in the Jharkhand state where participation in the non-agricultural sector is more than that in the agricultural sector but rich in natural resources. Dhanbad city is the coal capital of India. It is obviously due to availability of the coal resources has prompted extensive mining activity. The investigation concerns the floral diversity in the district of Dhanbad, Jharkhand state, India and the identification of LC (Least Concern) plant species with the help of floristic anaysis. Which possess highly valuable vegetation; these areas are covered with different habits types of vegetation like Tree, Small tree, Cactus tree, Fern, Shrub, Small shrub, Cactus shrub, Climber, Herb, Bulb, Grass, and Stem parasite. The assessment has resulted in the recording of total 142 plant species, 138 plant species belonging to angiosperms plant group, 2 plants to pteridophytes plant group and 2 plants to gymnosperms plant group. Among under 53 families and 121 genera during 2014 to 2016. For each plant species scientific name, family name and habit are provided. A total identified 16 LC (Least Concern) plant species with the help of floristic assessment belonging 13 families and 16 genera were recorded in which family Fabaceae was represented by 4 species followed by Asteraceae, Apocynaceae, Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, Pteridaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Cupressaceae, Cyperaceae, Arecaceae, Acanthaceae, Pontederiaceae and Convolvulaceae only single species. IIT (ISM), Dhanbad, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, IIT (ISM), Dhanbad-826004, , Jharkhand, India, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 826004

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DURAND, AMBER* 1, BURKE, JANELLE 2 and SKEMA, CYNTHIA 3

Videos as Outreach Tools to Build Community in Natural History Collections Research: Examples from Howard University

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he Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis (MAM) Project at Howard University was launched in the Spring of 2017. The Howard University Herbarium is one of twelve institutions across the Mid-Atlantic digitizing approximately 800,000 herbarium specimens. The objective of this project is to understand the vascular plant distribution in the urban corridor from Washington, D.C. to New York City. Presently, the Howard Herbarium has uploaded over 85% of our mid-Atlantic specimen images onto the online data portal (midatlanticherbaria.org), and is in the process of transcribing specimen labels online. In an effort to demonstrate the significance of this project, we present two different videos we have produced to highlight the MAM Project both to students at Howard University, and to students at other institutions interested in natural history collections more broadly. The first is a transcription training video that will provide a hands-on approach to developing awareness of ecological studies to high school and introductory college students. The second is an outreach video including short interviews of the Burke Laboratory members, in which they elaborate on their initial interest in working with natural history collections. These videos will provide a practical tool to provide transcription training, advertise the data available through online portal of the MAM Project at Howard University, and also to promote student interest in the upkeep of natural history collections. 1

Howard University, Biology, 415 College St NW, Washington, DC, 20059, USA2Howard University, Biology, 415 College St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001, USA3Morris Arboretum Of The University Of Pennsylvania, 100 E. Northwestern Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19119, United States

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VAN EE , BENJAMIN* and SIRITUNGA, DIMUTH

Expanding Research Opportunities for Hispanic Students through DNA Barcoding of Three Agriculturally Important Plant Families in Puerto Rico

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ver the past two years we have conducted DNA barcoding workshops with University of Puerto Rico-MayagĂźez undergraduate students. The intent of the workshops is to expose the students to molecular laboratory methods and bioinformatic processes. The demand for participation in the workshops has been high, making it possible to be selective of the participants. Nearly all of the participants have been upper-level Biology and Agriculture students. Extensive pre-and post-workshop assessments of the participants have revealed numerous misconceptions about species concepts, phylogenetics, and what can be done by sequencing DNA.

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University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Call Box 9000, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, 00680, Puerto Rico

POSTERS

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Progress on using herbarium specimens for tree species distribution mapping in Ontario, Canada

Big Data Revolution in Plant Science: Affordable Remote Sensing using Raspberry Pi's

METSGER, DEBORAH* 1, DICKINSON, TIMOTHY A 1, SEED, EVAN 2 and DICKINSON, ADAM 3

P

roduction of robust distribution mapping of Ontario tree species has required us to supplement herbarium specimen data in several different ways. Data mining techniques were used to extract site records from habitat descriptions on herbarium specimens and from Ecological Land Classification and Forest Ecosystem Classification datasets so to fill in data gaps. Online data sources including Canadensys, Michigan Flora, the CNH Symbiota portal, and more enabled us to use data from surrounding political jurisdictions to eliminate edge effects. Overlapping data points were identified and removed. Preliminary dot maps created in ArcGIS were compared with the online "Digital Representations of Tree Species Range Maps from Atlas of United States Trees by Elbert L. Little, Jr. (and other publications)" to identify gaps in coverage and to assess differences between the datasets. Maximum entropy modeling (MAXENT) is being used to generate final species distribution maps. Comparison of the resulting maps with other abiotic factors including topography, bedrock and soils is being used to account for environmental heterogeneity within the province and to help infer biogeographic regions. Future comparisons with disturbance data will shed light on changes in distribution. As there is presently no published account of the flora of Ontario, this effort is a first step towards an atlas of the Ontario flora.

1

Royal Ontario Museum, Natural History, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6, Canada2University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health,, 155 College St, Toronto, , Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada3University of Toronto, Department of Geography, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada

GRINDSTAFF , BRANDIN ALEXANDER, GAGE* 1, MABRY, MAKENZIE 2 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 3

U

sing the Raspberry Pi as a platform, we have been developing affordable ways to remotely monitor plants in growth chambers and greenhouses. The primary data being collected has been photographs, short videos, temperature, and humidity. The small, credit card sized computer, paired with a mobile phone sized camera, a DHT temperature/ humidity sensor, and access to the internet allows for precise monitoring of experiments for around 100 dollars. The programming of cameras, sensors, and other components that would have required an advanced understanding of computer science a decade ago, can now be done with ease using free, open source Python function libraries such as “ADAfruit_ Python_DHT” from GitHub, or “python-picamera”, a python library from raspberrypi.org. The camera will be set up to collect live video and photos in a multitude of configurations and be able to log that data onboard or remotely as backup. Most of these functions can be utilized through Putty, a secure Shell program, which is essentially a remote command prompt. These devices are revolutionizing the affordable acquisition of “Big Data” by collecting data at any time of the day, autonomously, that can be viewed from anywhere with internet access.

1

University of Missouri, Biological Science, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA2University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins St., Columbia, MO, 65201, United States3University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

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MESSICK, JENNA* 1 and HOAGLAND, BRUCE 2

Flowering and synchronicity utilizing herbarium specimens

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erbaria serve as important potential sources of long-term data for biogeographical and climate change studies. Climate and phenology are intrinsically linked and changes in climate have the potential to alter phenological responses. We investigated potential changes in flowering for select members of the Brassicaceae and Lamiaceae across Oklahoma using herbarium specimens (ten species for each family). The specimens selected represented over 100 years of plant collecting in the state. The influence of climatic variables on flowering across the state and within provisional seed zones was tested using generalized additive models. Models were tested for each species first across the entire state then subset by Provisional Seed Zone to assess whether or not smaller scale climatic influences were at play. Changes in flowering

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were found for ten species, five in each family, at the state level. The seed zone-scale analyses produced more variable results. These changes were most often delays in flowering, rather than the anticipated advancement in flowering. The models found varying climatic variables influential in flowering; temperatures and precipitation three months prior to specimen collection were the significant variables for most of the species. Given that herbarium specimens typically represent a spatially biased sample, we tested the directional spatial autocorrelation as a measure of flowering synchronicity across the region using the Mantel bearing correlogram. Several species showed directionality in spatial autocorrelation for flowering across the state but then had no apparent directional autocorrelation when subset into seed zone. No directional autocorrelation meant individuals were synchronized with one another while the presence of directional autocorrelation showed individuals were not synchronized with one another. The directional autocorrelation from the seed zones best represented the direction and relative synchronicity of flowering for these species. This study showed that herbarium specimens are valid sources of information in phenology studies and, even though the data may have spatial bias, this can be used to show synchronicity or asynchronicity of within species flowering across a region. 1

University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Biological Survey/Dept of Microbiology & Plant Biology, 111 E. Chesapeake St, Norman, OK, 73019, USA2University Of Oklahoma, 111 East Chesapeake Street, Norman, OK, 73019, United States

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GARRETT, STEPHEN* 1, AHRENDS, ANTJE 2 and HARRIS, DAVID 3

mark2Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Conservation and Genetics, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK3Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Herbarium, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK

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METZGAR, JORDAN

Curation, research, and outreach at Virginia Tech's Massey Herbarium

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he Massey Herbarium is the largest herbarium collection in Virginia with 115,000 catalogued specimens. These holdings are dominated by vascular plants (108,000 specimens) and are also comprised of fungal, bryophytes, lichen, and algal specimens. We are a regional herbarium with over 60% of our material collected in Virginia. The southeastern and mid-Atlantic USA regions account for most of our remaining collections. We possess numerous new county and state records for the Virginian flora and our material has been cited in over 600 peerreviewed publications that have received in excess of 12,000 citations. We are actively participating in digitization programs such as the SERNEC (Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections) Portal. We are developing a robust outreach program based on virtual and physical interactions with the community. Our website (masseyherbarium.org) and social media presence (@MasseyHerbarium) allow us to interact with the public and advance botanical knowledge. We have also begun working with school groups, undergraduate organizations, and amateur naturalist societies in the collection, field, and classroom. We are especially active with both our campus and national chapters of the Natural History Collections Club.

Herbs vs trees - species richness and sample completeness in a tropical African forest

Virginia Tech, Biological Sciences, 926 W. Campus Dr, MC 0406, Derring Hall 2119, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States

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TREANOR, MATT* and STOUGHTON, THOMAS

his study aimed to assess collecting completeness, measure species diversity, and explore collecting bias between different habit-types within the flora of a forested area extending across Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Central African Republic. Rarefied and extrapolated species accumulation curves, as well as asymptotic species diversity models were used. The study benefited from an unusually complete dataset representing all plant collections from a hyper-diverse tropical forest site. The results indicated that herbarium specimen data are a robust tool for exploring species diversity for well-collected areas when appropriate methods are applied. The bias-corrected form of the Chao1 model was seen to adequately account for different sampling intensities across and under-collecting within habit groups. This study reached the conclusion that collecting completeness has not been reached for the entire flora of the study area, but for trees it is already >96%. Herbs have the lowest proportion of species already collected, and yet they were estimated to have the highest level of species richness. Shrubs appeared to be the least species rich group. 1

Natural History Museum Denmark, EvoGenomics, ĂƒËœster Farimagsgade 5, Building 7, 1 floor right., Copenhagen, 1353, Den-

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Cataloguing and data collection for Plymouth State University Herbarium (PSH)

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n today's world of technology and instant information, some may argue that physical information centers (i.e., libraries, museums, archives) are now obsolete. The Plymouth State University Herbarium (PSH) is one such information center that was actively utilized from the 1960's to 1980's, but was forgotten after a previous curator retired, until it was rediscovered in the summer of 2016. The immediate task at hand was to assess the value of PSH, first in terms of its possible utilization for teaching botanyrelated courses, and second in terms of its representation of the flora of New England. We hypothesized that there would be close to 4000 specimens in total based on coarse visual analysis. We also predicted that at least 50 percent of the New England angiosperm flora would be represented in our collection. We began this study by first organizing all specimens alphabetically by family, genus, species, and intra-

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specific taxon if applicable. Next, we checked the taxonomy to verify and update the specimen names and validity. We found that a total of 5,631 angiosperm specimens were present, almost half of which are historic (> 50 years old). We also found that 70 percent of New England's angiosperm flora is represented. As student collections are incorporated, PSH collections will not only increase in size and diversity, but can also help to increase the notability of the herbarium as well as the plant sciences program at Plymouth State University. The existence and utilization of PSH can emphasize to current and future students the importance of physical information centers to education and research.

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The Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis (MAM) Project at the Claude E. Phillips Herbarium (DOV): new opportunities through collections digitization

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he relatively recent advent of specimen digitization has increased access to the wealth of biodiversity information housed in herbaria and revolutionized the use and value of collections data. Small herbaria, in particular, where collections are often regional in scope as well as focused and unduplicated in content, are greatly benefiting from this digitization process in various ways. Not only has it provided such institutions with opportunities to contribute data to current knowledge of North American flora, but it has also increased their visibility and relevance in the 21st century. At the Claude E. Phillips Herbarium (DOV) in Delaware, one of such small herbaria, the impacts of specimen digitization through the on-going Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis (MAM) project have already been observed in areas of collections curation and capacity building while the newly available resources open doors to various research, teaching and outreach possibilities.

Plymouth State University, Biology, 17 High Street, MSC 48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, USA

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BARKWORTH, MARY* 1, ALAM, FAWAD and SHAH, ALI 3 2

Mobilizing Biodiversity Data where Connectivity is Poor

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Canceled

here are still many countries where internet connectivity is slow, intermittent, or expensive. Efforts to maximize engagement in the provision and use of high quality biodiversity data must address this issue as well as the other challenges faced by systematic biologists in such areas. Symbiota, open source software that is widely used by herbaria in North America, has many excellent features but it is designed primarily for those with reliable and high speed internet connectivity or the capability of installing and maintaining a complex data base system, either their own or one with a significant subscription fee. We are designing an open source self-installing desktop database system that includes tools for checking data quality. Our initial goal is to provide botanists and herbaria with effective tools for managing and mobilizing their biodiversity data via a Symbiota-based network. The new system will have tools for label generation and integrating new and updated records for scientific names and geographic places. The offline database system will not be able to offer all the features included in Symbiota (nor those being developed for Symbiota2) but it will be of significant assistance to the many botanists and herbaria contending with poor internet access and limited resources.

HONG-WA, CYNTHIA

Delaware State University, Department Of Agriculture & Natural Resources, 1200 N. Dupont Hwy, Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, Dover, DE, 19901, United States

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JACKSON-GAIN , ABIGAIL C* 1, TRIBBLE, CARRIE 2 and ROTHFELS, CARL J. 3

Species distribution modeling in the order Liliales

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pecies distribution models are useful tools that can predict the range of a species and give insight into evolutionary and ecological trends within clades. As species occurrence data becomes more prevalent and accessible due to the increasing digitization of museum collections, more methods are needed to streamline data cleaning, processing, and analysis. In this project, we created a workflow for generating species distribution models for hundreds of species. Implemented entirely in the R language and freely available on GitHub, this workflow cleans and combines species occurrence data from BIEN and GBIF data repositories and subsequently uses climate data from WorldClim to model the climatic niche of hundreds of species. We implemented a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to estimate climatic niche. Here, we describe our workflow and present preliminary results. This workflow will be used as part of a larger study into use for future studies looking at the relationship between morphological characters and climate niche evolutionpatterns in Liliales. By examining the distributions of species with certain morphological traits, relationships between structure and environment can be revealed. Further studies will use phylogenetic techniques to map these relationships across the order Liliales in order to examine climatic niche evolution and elu-

1

Department Of Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, United States2University of Peshawar, Biotechnology and Microbiology , Village Azakhel Bala Distt., Nowshera, KPK, 2500, Pakistan3Islamia College, Computer Science Department, 25120 Jamrud Road, Peshawar, KP, Pakistan

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cidate the relationship between climatic niche and morphological change. 1

University of California Berkeley, Integrative Biology and UC Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building , UC Berkeley , Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA2University Of California, Berkeley, Rothfels Lab, UC Jepson Herbarium, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States3University of California Berkeley, Integrative Biology and UC Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States

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SHIMANSKY, TIERNEY* 1, MELTON, ANTHONY 2, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 4

The effects of climate change on species living in wet prairies in Florida

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et prairies in northern Florida are some of the most diverse communities in the United States and average over 20 species per square meter, in some locations. Thirty rare and endemic plant species reside in these communities and the diversity of these species is dependent on differences in moisture conditions across the prairie, as well as differences in annual fire and flooding regimes. Ecological niche modeling was used to predict the response of these species with different ranges to changes in climate by 2070. A species list containing 60 species gathered from the FNAI guide to natural communities for wet prairies was used to examine the changes in endemic species, federally listed species, and species that have broad ranges while also occurring in the wet prairie community. Locality points for the 60 species and bioclimatic layers were used to generate ecological niche models, which were projected into the predicted climate of 2070. For the rare endemics, both Pinguicula ionantha and Scutellaria floridana had a percent increase in the amount of predicted area of suitable climate, while Polygala lewtonii had a decrease in predicted area of suitable climate. All the other endemic species had an increase in predicted area of suitable climate. Schoener's D was calculated for present and future projections to assess the overlap of current and predicted future distributions. There was a broad range in the D values both for the rare and endemic species, and the endemic species, suggesting that the reaction to climate change can be highly variable and species-dependent. While there was a general trend of increasing suitable habitat, the suitable climate shifted away from the wetland area. This shift is notable since the species in these areas are highly dependent on the specific attributes of the wet prairie environment. Different factors will also have influence on the probability of the species establishing in the predicted area ranges and conservation efforts will be needed in order to achieve expansion into new habitat ranges.

1

University of South Carolina, School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment , 701 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA2University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 326113Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States4Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

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MAHER, MADELINE

A simple software tool for generating print-ready specimen labels

E

No Show

fficiently generating specimen labels can be challenging for those without access to existing software infrastructure, or for newcomers to the field. Several software tools exist for automatic herbarium specimen label generation, but many are not maintained, have system incompatibility issues, or rely on proprietary software. A Python program was developed to generate formatted, print-ready labels from CSV files. The labels are generated in HTML, and are formatted for print using CSS and the Mustache template system. The program does not rely on any proprietary software, is compatible with all operating systems, and is easily customizable. The minimal nature of the tool makes it easy to use. The tool will be especially useful to students learning to navigate the world of software tools for botanists. As such, it could be a convenient resource for plant taxonomy courses or related courses in which students make collections.

Colorado State University, Biology, 251 W Pitkin Street, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA

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O'BRIEN , ELIZABETH [LIBBY]* , EDWARDS, ROBERT D. 2, RADOSAVLJEVIC, ALEKSANDAR 3 and FUNK, VICKI

1

4

Patterns of Plant Endemism and Diversity in the Guiana Shield

T

he Guiana Shield is a vast region of mostly undisturbed forests and ancient geological formations covering nearly 2.3 million km2in northeast South America. It contains many varied ecosystems and has long been regarded as a region with high biodiversity. Yet, it has remained relatively unexplored and the spatial patterns of diversity and endemism are only broadly understood. Following 30 years of intensive collection and curation as part of the Biodiversity of the Guiana Shield (BDG) program, we use 77,973 plant occurrence records to investigate patterns of species diversity and endemism across the shield. Measures of species richness appear to be correlated such that areas of low diversity also have low endemism and vice versa, with regions in western Venezuela and eastern Guyana being highest for both. However, many areas in the study region have low or no species counts, likely an artifact of sampling effort. To better understand the spatial patterns in data-deficient areas, we use Generalized Dissimilarity Models (GDM) to predict plant diversity based on environmental variables. 1

Villanova University , Environmental Science, 800 Lancaster, Ave, Villanova , PA, 19085, USA2Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA34DEPT OF BOTANY-NHB 166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

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PARADISO, LYDIA* 1 and HAS-


TON, ELSPETH 2

DNA Barcoding for Identification of Unknown Herbarium Specimens

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raditionally, specimens are identified based primarily on morphological characters. However, the increasing affordability and ease of genetic sequencing, paired with a increasing amounts of available molecular sequences, makes it possible to include molecular data in the process of identification. Comparison of a short "barcode" sequence for a completely unknown specimen to a database of knowns can provide high levels of taxonomic information to aid in de novo identification of a specimen. In this study, we identify 71 previously unknown herbarium specimens of varying ages based on a ca500bp fragment of the chloroplast gene rbcL. Barcode sequences were compared to the GenBank database using BLAST. Top identity matches were analyzed in conjunction with local floras, published monographs, local experts, and additional herbarium specimens. Using the rbcL barcode as a starting point, specimens were identified to family, genus, or species in 100%, 83%, and 45% of cases, respectively. The method presented provides an accessible framework to aid both experts and non-experts in the fundamental task of identification of specimens. 1

The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States2Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Herbarium, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK

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BIOGEOGRAPHY ORAL PAPERS 260

KNOX, ERIC* 1, CASE, ANDREA , APPIAH-MADSON, HANNAH 3 and CARUSO, CHRISTINA 4

2

Post-glacial colonization of the Midwest by Lobelia siphilitica

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lastid genomes are typically inherited uniparentally (usually maternally) and do not recombine, which makes plastid DNA-based phylogenetic estimates essentially matrilineal gene genealogies. DNA sequencing of Lobelia siphilitica collected near Yellowwood State Forest (Brown County, IN) revealed an unusual situation in which seed collected from a single plant (which are minimally maternal half-siblings) grew into plants that possessed two markedly different plastid haplotypes that were equally divergent from the inferred ancestral DNA sequence. Genome sequencing demonstrates that the western variety ludoviciana is sister to the eastern var. siphilitica, and a sample of the named hybrid L. × speciosa has var. siphilitica as the maternal parent and L. cardinalis as the paternal parent. The most rapidly evolving region is in and around a foreign gene of unknown function (ORF262) inserted between trnQ and rps16, and 580 plants from 86 Midwestern populations have been genotyped for this region. A 49-bp minisatellite repeat array upstream of ORF262 is hypervariable and 121 haplotypes have been discovered. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that multiple lineages survived the glacial maxima, and biogeographic analysis indicates that most terminal variation is associated with post-glacial colonization. Long-distance seed dispersal has been common during the past 10,000 years, but individual populations tend to be inbred with one or a few haplotypes that can be quite different from nearby populations.

1

rived from multiple ancestral long-distance dispersal events to yield the incredible morphological and species habitat diversity there, and 3) that migrations from Asia across Beringia can explain the diversity of Stellaria found in the New World. To test these hypotheses, we first reconstructed a best estimate phylogenetic history of Stellaria, including over 80% of species in the genus, using RADseq data; we furthermore inferred divergence timing of lineages using both a primary fossil calibration and secondary calibration approaches. We then compared ancestral area reconstruction models using BioGeoBEARS and found that the common ancestor of core Stellaria likely evolved in the late Tertiary somewhere between Maritime Asia and Eastern North America, suggesting that this genus represents a hitherto unrecognized element in the well-studied pattern of Tertiary flowering plant disjunctions between Eastern North America and Eastern Asia. These results also suggest amphi-Beringian Tertiary vicariance to explain the distribution of early-diverging New World taxa in Stellaria. Contrary to dogma on predicted correlations between high species diversity and centers of origins, our analyses suggest that high Stellaria diversity in Greater Himalaya can be explained largely through one relatively recent diversification event. Our results also demonstrate that the incredible diversity present in Oceania is likely likewise explained through a single ancestral long-distance dispersal event, potentially from Eurasia, with subsequent expansion and diversification in the region. We additionally find that both “paleo” and “neo” movements across Beringia from Asia can explain the breadth of diversity of Stellaria in the New World. Our study thus elucidates the biogeographical history of a cosmopolitan and diverse lineage of flowering plants, one for which we have near complete sampling of extant taxa. These results will be a useful future reference for comparative biogeographical work in Caryophyllaceae and other lineages. 1

745 College Ave., Boulder, CO, 80302, United States2C105, Ramaley Hall, UCB350, Clare Small Building, Basement, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States

Indiana University, Department Of Biology, Bloomington, IN, 47405.0, United States2Box 5190, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, United States3Northeastern University, Marine Science Center, Nahant, MA, 01908, USA4University Of Guelph, Department Of Integrative Biology, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

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SHARPLES, MATHEW* 1 and TRIPP, ERIN 2

Inferring the biogeographical history of the cosmopolitan Angiosperm genus Stellaria L

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he genus Stellaria L. (the “starworts”, Caryophyllaceae) is a diverse lineage (~100 spp.) with a cosmopolitan natural distribution spanning six continents. Given this extant diversity across such a wide spatial scale, we aimed to infer the biogeographical history of the starworts. We explicitly set out to test the hypotheses that: 1) Stellaria originated in the Greater Himalaya, which also represents its center of diversity, 2) the endemic diversity in Oceania de-

VARGAS, OSCAR M* 1 and DICK, CHRISTOPHER 2

Biogeography and diversification of the Brazil Nut family, Lecythidaceae, in the Neotropics

ecythidaceae is an Amazon-centered family of trees whose species contribute disproportionately to stem abundance, alpha diversity, and biomass in South American rain forests. Fossil records indicate that Lecythidaceae diversification began in the Cretaceous and therefore spans the Cenozoic history of Andean uplift and Amazon basin development. We inferred a phylogeny of the family and addressed the following questions 1) What are the phylogenetic relationships within and among Lecythidaceae genera? 2) Are there major geographic centers of diversification (areas of clade endemism)? 1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, USA2Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 830 N University, 2019 Natural Science, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

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263 SHAO 2

LU, PEI-LUEN* 1 and LIANG, YI-

Biogeography of Plant genus Dracaena (Asparagaceae) in Soloman Islands

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o investigate the origin and dispersal pathways between Pacific Islands for plants has long been an important issue in island biogeography. In recent years, with the progress of traffic progress and the relatively stable regime of Pacific island countries, coupled with the development of molecular phylogenetics and comparative analysis methods, the problem has made great progress. The plant genus Dracaena is called dragon tree about 120 species in the world and mostly distributed in tropics. Many of Dracaena species are used in traditional medicine and called Dragon's blood. Dracaena's sister genus Chrysodracon are located on Hawaii archipelago. The new discovery of several samples of Dracaena in the plant specimens collected from the Solomon Islands Resource Plant Survey program became the key to understand the origin and dispersal of the entire dragon tree group. Prior to this, the indigenous species of the genus Dracaena were not recorded in other islands of the deep Pacific Ocean, and Taiwan was the northern margin of Dracaena in the Pacific region. Study of Taiwan, Hawaii and Solomon Islands, the so-called Pacific Dragon Tree Triangle area of the dragon tree plants help to solve the island plant evolution and biogeographic questions. This study was constructed molecular phylogenetic tree and biogeographic data. Then, the Dracaena species collected from the world in the past few years were combined with the experimental data of the Pacific to construct the more complete phylogenetic tree. The results indicate the dispersal pathway is from Hawaii Islands to Solomans Islands to Taiwan. Among the Soloman Islands, those Dracaena species first arrived at older islands and then dispersal into younger islands. This study depicts the origin and dispersal routes of Dracaena in Solomon Islands. These results will be a useful future reference for comparative biogeographical work in other lineages in this region. 1

National Taitung University, Life Sciences, No 369, Sec. 2, University Rd., Taitung, 95092, Taiwan2Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Science, No.20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, , Beijing, 10093, China

264

LI, PAN* 1, CAI, MINQI 1, LIU, LUXIAN 2, LI, ZHENG 1, QI, ZHECHEN 3, QIU, YINGXIONG 1, CAMERON, KENNETH 4 and FU, CHENGXIN 1

An overlooked route to the east via South China: the phylogeny and biogeography of the East Asian genus Atractylodes (Asteraceae) revealed by RAD-seq

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tractylodes DC. (tribe Cardueae, Asteraceae) is a small genus endemic to temperate East Asia. Previous studies showed a complex and unresolved phylogeny in this genus. To revisit the molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of Atractylodes with RAD-seq, we sampled all the extant species, including 78 samples from 37 localities across their entire geographical ranges. We fully resolved the phylogeny of Atractylodes, with a topology of (A. carlinoides + (A. macrocephala + (A. japonica + (A. koreana + (A. chinensis + A. lancea))))). Atractylodes originated in South China during the Late Miocene. This region acted as the source area for dispersals to other areas of East Asia, and thus we argue that South China is an underappreciated route from Middle Asia to Northeast Asia. Extensive introgressions were detected between A. chinensis and A. lancea, as well as between A. chinensis and A. koreana. Frequent introgression among them may account for the difficulty in resolving the phylogeny within the so-called 'A. lancea complex'. However, the large number of SNPs from RAD-seq overwhelms the discordant phylogenetic signals in the data and allowed us to generate a fully resolved phylogeny for the genus. In brief, this study depicts the origin and dispersal routes of Atractylodes, and the role of South China as an overlooked dispersal route from Middle Asia to Northeast Asia. 1

Zhejiang University, College Of Life Sciences, 866 Yuhangtang Rd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China2Henan University, College of Life Sciences, 85 Minglun St., Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China3Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, College of Life Sciences, 928 Second Avenue, Xiasha Higher Education Zone, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China4University of Wisconsin, Department of Botany, 154 Birge Hall, 450 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

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HAVRAN, J* 1, SWENSON, ULF 2, MUNZINGER , JEROME 3, MCLOUGHLIN , STEPHEN 4 and NYLINDER , STEPHAN 5

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Origins and interisland biogeography of endemic Hawaiian Planchonella (Sapotaceae)

The Caesalpinia group as a model for understanding biogeographical patterns of evolution

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lanchonella (Sapotaceae) is a Australasian-Pacific centered genus of 110 species, represented in Hawaii by the morphologically-confusing taxon P. sandwicensis. To evaluate the biogeographic history of Planchonella in the Pacific and Hawaii, we conducted a time calibrated phylogeny of 80 species of Planchonella, including over 20 accessions from Hawaii, using ITS, ETS, and RPB2 markers. A split in the tree in the vicinity of Fiji about 19.5 Ma led to an establishment of Planchonella in the Hawaiian Islands about 10.6 Ma. This age of the Hawaiian Planchonella supports a pre-Kauai origin, possibly on Necker Island. Two distinct Hawaiian subclades are evident in the phylogeny, each confers to a different fruit color: purple and yellow. The yellow-fruited clade confers in part to the progression rule with a potential origin in Kauai and a progressive colonization to younger islands. The purple-fruited clade shows an origin on Maui or Oahu followed by back-dispersal to older islands. The two clades likely correspond to two endemic species in Hawaii, P. sandwicensis with purple fruit and the yellow-fruited P. spathulata (currently in synonymy with P. sandwicensis).

GAGNON, EDELINE* 1, RINGELBERG, JENS 2, BRUNEAU, ANNE 3, LEWIS, GWILYM 4 and HUGHES, COLIN 5

o investigate the origins and global diversification patterns in arid habitats, we used the Caesalpinia Group (Leguminosae) as a case study. This group of c. 225 species principally occurs in the Succulent Biome, but a subset also occurs in the Savannah Biome, as well as in warm Temperate areas (deserts and prairies), and are found as shrubs, trees, lianas or herbaceous plants. In addition to reconstructing the biogeographic history of this group, we investigate whether diversification rates vary as a function of long-distance dispersal, evolution towards new biomes or changes in plant habits. A molecular dataset with all 27 genera and 84% of species of the group was used to reconstruct a timecalibrated phylogeny, using two fossil calibrations. Ancestral areas occupied by this group were reconstructed, as well as the ancestral states for plant habit and biomes. Diversification rates were estimated and tested for shifts in macro-evolutionary processes, and we also examined issues related to biome/habit co-evolution, and carried out various tests of niche conservatism (including simmap permutation and testing for phylogenetic signal). Our results suggest that the Caesalpinia Group most likely appeared in the Paleocene period, and was most likely a tree/ shrub species in the Succulent Biome, either from South America or Africa. Subsequent intercontinental dispersals events were estimated to occur most frequently in the Succulent Biome. Diversification analyses demonstrated a lack of any significant rate shifts, with speciation rates slightly decelerating through time. The age and the persistence of the Caesalpinia Group, in combination with the single evolutionary rates regime, suggests long-term stability and ecological resilience of the Succulent Biome. The frequent intercontinental dispersals within this biome points to niche conservatism acting to shape diversification of this clade on a global scale.

1

Campbell University, Dept Biological Sciences, 205 Day Dorm Rd, Buies Creek, NC, 27506, United States2Swedish Museum Of Natural History, Botany Department, Svante Arrhenius Väg 3, Stockholm, C, SE-114 18, Sweden3Institute of Research for Development (IRD), Plant Architecture, Functioning and Evolution (AMAP), Montpellier, France4Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Palaeobiology, Box 50007, S-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden5Gothenburg University, Department of Psychology, Box 500, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

1

Université de Moncton, Biologie, 18. Avenue Antonine Maillet, Pav. LT (RR C115-3), Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, Canada2Institute of Plant Systematics and Evolution , Switzerland3Insti De Recherche Bio Vegetal, 4101 Rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal, H1X 2B2, Canada4Herbarium Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, Richmond, SRY, TW9 3AE, UK5University Of Zurich, Institute Of Systematic Botany, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zürich, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland

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RITTER, MATT* 1, JOHNS, JASON 2, YOST, JENN 3, NICOLLE, DEAN 4 and IGIC, BORIS 5

Worldwide hemisphere-dependent lean in Cook pines

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tree's form is determined by the complex interactions of genetics and environmental stimuli (Braam 2005). Under most conditions, trees grow vertically in response to the opposing influences of light and gravity (Loehle 1986). In challenging environments, where competition for light or mechanical stress is intense, trees may grow in a non-vertical fashion (Braam 2005, Telewski 2006). Although the growth responses contributing to vertical growth have been studied for over 100 years, the mechanisms driving them remain only partly elucidated (Darwin and Darwin 1880, Sinnott 1952, Wyatt and Kiss 2013). We described a novel leaning growth habit in Araucaria columnaris (Cook pine), a conifer endemic to New Caledonia and cultivated throughout the world (Johns et al. 2017). Specifically, in a large sample of individuals from around the world, we demonstrate that the Cook pines' lean is nonrandom: trees in the northern hemisphere lean south, and those in the southern hemisphere lean north. Additionally, the magnitude of the lean is more pronounced at higher latitudes in both hemispheres. Our data and the pattern that we described elucidate the fact that plants are responding to their global environment in a way not yet fully understood. Braam, J. 2005. In touch: plant responses to mechanical stimuli. New Phytologist 165:373-389. Darwin, C., and F. Darwin. 1880. The power of movement in plants. Appleton, London, UK. Loehle, C. 1986. Phototropism of whole trees: effects of habitat and growth form. American Midland Naturalist 116:190-196. Sinnott, E. W. 1952. Reaction wood and the regulation of tree form. American Journal of Botany 39:69-78. Telewski, F. W. 2006. A unified hypothesis of mechanoperception in plants. American Journal of Botany 93:1466-1476. Wyatt, S. E., and J. Z. Kiss. 2013. Plant tropisms: From Darwin to the international space station. American Journal of Botany 100:1-3. Johns et al. 2017. Worldwide hemisphere-dependent lean in Cook pines. Ecology 98: 2482-2484. 1

Cal Poly, SLO, Biology Department, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, United States24426 La Paloma Ave., Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, United States3Cal Poly, SLO, Biology Department, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401, USA4Currency Creek Arboretum, PO Box 808, Melrose Park, SA, 5039, Australia5University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biological Sciences, 840 West Taylor Street MC067, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

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ALLEN, GERALDINE

Origin, diversification and geographic spread of the genus Erythronium (Tulipeae, Liliaceae)

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rythronium (the fawn-lilies, glacier lilies and trout-lilies) is the only genus of the tribe Tulipeae that has diversified extensively in the New World. Current evidence indicates that Erythronium diverged from its sister genus Amana in eastern Asia. Soon thereafter, Erythronium separated into three distinct lineages that now have separate geographic distributions in Eurasia, eastern North America and western North America. The eastern and western North American clades of Erythronium are weakly supported as sister groups, consistent with either one or two migrations of the genus from eastern Asia into North America. Erythronium has undergone its greatest diversification in western North America, where approximately 2/3 of the species occur. Although several of these are widespread in the montane west, the highest diversity of Erythronium (15+ species) is found in California. The western North American clade comprises four subclades. Two of these, one primarily subalpine and the other occurring at lower elevations, are restricted to California and adjacent Oregon. Several species in these two groups are highly localized endemics of conservation concern. Both molecular and morphological evidence support a close relationship between the subalpine and low-elevation California subclades. Nuclear (ITS) and plastid phylogenies show some discordance, suggesting that hybridization has played a considerable role in their diversification. In comparison with these two subclades, the other two western subclades are both more widespread and more distinct. The Pacific Northwest subclade (4 species) occurs at low elevations from northwestern California to southwestern British Columbia; two of the species are endemic polyploids of recent origin. The subalpine continental subclade (2 species) extends to the Rocky Mountains and central British Columbia, and includes E. grandiflorum, which has a larger geographic range than any other western species. Intraspecific genetic variation in species of both subclades is highest in southern populations, suggesting a pattern of relatively recent northward spread. Geographic origins in Asia but evidence of subsequent recent northward expansion is a pattern that has been observed in many cool-temperate to arctic-alpine taxa, reflecting the extensive effects of Pleistocene glaciation on plant geographic ranges in North America.

University Of Victoria, Department Of Biology, PO Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada

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269 JAMES 2

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TRIPP, ERIN* 1 and LENDEMER,

WESTERGAARD, KRISTINE BAKKE 1, FIOR, SIMONE 2, BRUEDERLE, LEO P. * 3, STENØIEN, HANS K. 4, ZEMP, NIKLAUS 5 and WIDMER, ALEX 6

Nearly 6,000 species of North American Lichens: Distributions, Traits, Ecologies, and New Syndromes

I

t is the 21st century, and synthetic understanding of species diversity and species distributions is still limited primarily to large, macroscopic, charismatic organisms such as birds, mammals, and flowering plants. Much less understood is whether patterns of diversity and distributions, as delimited by these 'macrobes', apply to other forms of life. We explore species diversity, species endemism, and patterns of trait distributions of the entire North American lichen biota (north of Mexico). This unique dataset is one of a kind in ecology given it is composed of all ~6,000 species of North American lichens. We use these data to test whether hotspots of diversity, as delimited by macrobes, hold in the case of all North American lichens. Additionally, we explore the notion of lichen “syndromes”, much in the way that pollination syndromes have come to characterize the repeated evolution of floral traits as a function of plant-pollinator interactions through time.

Population genomic evidence reveals multiple North American Pleistocene refugia for Carex scirpoidea (Cyperaceae)

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arex scirpoidea (Cyperaceae) is widely distributed across northern North America, largely within the limits of the Cordilleran and Laurentide ice sheets. As such, Quaternary glaciations have played a major role in shaping distribution and genetic diversity in this species. Dunlop (1990) postulated three Pleistocene refugia for C. scirpoidea; these are: 1) Beringia, 2) unglaciated areas of the Middle and Southern Rockies, and 3) south of the LGM as a periglacial element in eastern North America. Here, we use genomic analyses to examine the phylogeography of Carex scirpoidea in North America, with a goal of shedding light on the Pleistocene refugia for this taxon. Range-wide population sampling and variation at ca. 6000 SNPs provide evidence revealed two divergent evolutionary lineages. In the eastern lineage, populations from East Greenland form one well-defined group, while populations from the Northern Lakes and Forest Ecoregion of Minnesota and Michigan form another. High levels of genetic diversity coupled with few private alleles suggest survival in separate refugia, with postglacial gene flow into eastern North America and western Greenland. A second lineage comprises populations associated with the Boreal and Western Cordillera, extending from Alaska to the Southern Rockies. Within this lineage, populations from Alaska and Yukon form a well-defined group, with moderately high genetic diversity, low population differentiation, and many private alleles, consistent with glacial survival in a large Beringian refugium. These data suggest limited expansion following glaciation into British Columbia, where populations are admixed with a large element of another group consistent with persistence in a cryptic LGM refugium in British Columbia. A highly divergent population from the Southern Rockies of Colorado has low genetic diversity, but over twice as many private alleles as any other population included in this study, consistent with highelevation refugia in the Southern Rocky Mountains. Collectively, these data reveal a complex recent evolutionary history for C. scirpoidea, involving varying levels of expansion from at least four Pleistocene refugia.

1

C105, Ramaley Hall, UCB350, Clare Small Building, Basement, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States2The New York Botanical Garden, Institute Of Systematic Botany, 200th Street And Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States

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PUZEY, JOSHUA

Long-term (100 year) trends in monarch butterfly and milkweed (Asclepias) abundance estimated from natural history collections

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ver the past 25 years, the monarch butterfly has experienced a drastic decline (80-90% by some estimates). Research into this decline indicates that eradiation of the common milkweed plant, monarchs primary food source and egg nursery, is a likely culprit. Specifically, genetically modified crops have been identified as the major cause of milkweed decline. Several observations cause us to suspect that the story of the monarch/milkweed decline might be much more complex. Natural history collections offer a window into long-term historical trends in species abundances. Using natural history collections, both herbaria and entomological collections, we explore long-term (100 year) monarch butterfly and milkweed abundances trends. Next, we test for relationships of species abundance with large-scale agricultural data (farm size, amount of land in agriculture, fertilizer use, etc.). We uncover patterns that strongly indicate that the recent (last 25 year) monarch butterfly decline may have started much earlier and may predate the use of genetically modified crops.

1

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5585 Torgarden, Trondheim, NO-7485 , NO2ETH Zurich, Environmental Systems Science, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, 8092, CH3University Of Colorado Denver, Integrative Biology, CB 171, Pob 173364, Denver, CO, 80217, United States4NTNU University Museum, Department of Natural History, Erling Skakkes gate 47A, Trondheim, N-7491, NO5ETH Zürich, Genetic Diversity Centre, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, 8092, CH6ETH Zurich, Environmental Systems Science, Universitaetstr. 16, CHN G 21.1, Zurich, ZH, 8092, Switzerland

College Of William And Mary, Biology Dept., PO Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA, 23061, United States

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SPALINK, DANIEL* 1, PENDER, JOCELYN 2, ESCUDERO LIRIO, ANTONIO MARCIAL 3, HIPP, ANDREW 4, ROALSON, ERIC 5, STARR, JULIAN 6, WATERWAY, MARCIA 7, BOHS, LYNN ALLISON 8 and SYTSMA, KENNETH J. 9

273

The spatial structure of phylogenetic and functional diversity in the United States and Canada: an example using sedges (Cyperaceae)

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ystematically quantifying diversity across landscapes is necessary to understand how clade history and ecological heterogeneity contribute to the origin, distribution, and maintenance of biodiversity. Here, we chart the spatial structure of sedge (Cyperaceae) diversity throughout the USA and Canada. We first identify areas of remarkable species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and functional trait diversity, and highlight regions of conservation priority. We then test predictions about the spatial structure of this diversity based on the historical biogeography of the family. Incorporating a phylogeny, over 400,000 herbarium records, and a database of functional traits, we find that species richness and functional trait diversity peak in the Northeastern USA, while phylogenetic diversity peaks along the Gulf of Mexico. Floristic turnover among assemblages increases significantly with distance, but phylogenetic turnover is twice as rapid along latitudinal gradients as longitudinal gradients. These patterns reflect the expected distribution of Cyperaceae, which originated in the tropics but radiated in temperate regions. We identify assemblages with an abundance of rare, range-restricted lineages, and assemblages composed of species generally lacking from diverse regions. We argue that both of these metrics are useful for developing targeted conservation strategies. We use the data generated here to establish future research priorities, including a series of hypotheses regarding the distribution of chromosome numbers, photosynthetic pathways, and resource partitioning in sedges.

MANDER, LUKE

The Latitudinal Distribution of Morphological Diversity among Holocene Angiosperm Pollen Grains from eastern North America and Colombia urrent knowledge about the biogeographic patterns of biodiversity is based mostly on taxonomic diversity, which is typically measured as the number of species or higher taxa. In this exploratory study I analyse 24 previously published Holocene lake core pollen records in order to assess how the morphological diversity of angiosperm pollen grains varies with latitude on a transect that includes eastern North America and a single site in Colombia. I employ a system of eight discrete characters to describe first-order features of angiosperm pollen morphology and use algorithms written in the Python programming language to assess their morphological diversity. There is evidence of high levels of pollen morphotype endemism in the tropical biome, but there is no substantial latitudinal variation in the morphological diversity of Holocene pollen assemblages either at the site or biome-level. In the sites investigated there is no clear relationship between a sample's taxonomic diversity and its morphological diversity and the implications of this decoupling are discussed.

The Open University, Gass Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

1

University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa R&D Centre3University Of Seville, Plant Biology And Ecology, Almaden De La Plata 12 3izq, Nยบ Q-4118001-I, Sevilla, SE, 41008, Spain4The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, United States5Washington State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Abelson Hall 339, Pullman, WA, 99164, United States6University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, Gendron Hall, Room 160, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada7McGill University, Plant Science Department, Macdonald Campus, 21,111 Lakeshore, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada8University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, 201 South Biology, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States9University of Wisconsin-Madison

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POSTERS 274

JARA, ORLANDO* 1, RICHARDSON, JAMES 2 and MADRIÑÁN, SANTIAGO 3

Systematic and Biogeography of the section Casparya (Begonia, Begoniaceae)

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ection Casparya include around 41 species, being one of the most species rich groups of Begonia in the North Andean region. This is a monophyletic and morphologically well defined section, characterized by a unique type of fruit among the American begonias. The mostly North Andean distribution of Casparya make to this section an appropriate system to study the patterns and process of diversification in this region. We generate a multilocus and well sampled phylogeny of Casparya, dated through Bayesian inference to infer the ancestral ranges of distribution and reconstruct his historical biogeography using the model DEC (dispesal-extinction-cladogenesis). In order to understand the dominant modes of speciation and the changes in climatic niche, we performed niche modeling and polygons of distribution for each species and then we measure the agerange and age-niche correlation using independent comparisons. We show that allopatric speciation has been the dominant mode of speciation in Casparya, and that climatic niche overlap has not varied from the null expectation, suggesting niche conservatism. The ancestral area reconstructions shows that Casparya originated in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia and colonized during the Pliocene all the major montane systems of the northern Andes, but was during the Pleistocene when most of the extant species were originated. We concluded that Casparya have responded to the climatic variation mostly moving around the optimum conditions in the mesic cloud forest, generating species allopatrically, but also have been able to cross occasionally the climatic tolerance adapting to extreme habitats as the páramo.

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Jardín Botánico De Bogotá, Herbarium, Cra. 22 No. 52-52 Ap. 102, No. 52-52, Bogota D.C., DC, 111311, Colombia2Royal Botanic Garden, Inverlfith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK3

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HENZLER-LHASAWA, JAMPA* 1, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 2, FLORES OLVERA, HILDA 3, OCHOTERENA, HELGA 4 and MOORE, MICHAEL J. 5

Are gypsum plant communities stable during periods of climate change? A phylogeographic case study in Acleisanthes (Nyctaginaceae)

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cleisanthes (Nyctaginaceae) is a small genus of arid-adapted annual to perennial herbs and shrubs, pollinated by crepuscular or nocturnal insects. A clade of six species in the genus are endemic

to gypsum outcrops throughout the Chihuahuan Desert region. During full glacial periods of the Late Pleistocene, the climate in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts became colder and wetter, reducing population sizes within most desert plant species. However, we hypothesize that geographically widespread gypsum endemic species may have experienced less reduction in population size during glacial periods of the Pleistocene, because most plant species do not thrive on gypsum soils under most climate conditions. Hence gypsum endemics may not have experienced increased competition during wetter periods when grassland and savanna invaded the modern region of the Chihuahuan Desert. If true, we would not observe evidence of genetic bottlenecks in widespread gypsum endemic taxa. The gypsum clade of Acleisanthes represents an excellent opportunity to test this hypothesis because it is one of dominant gypsum endemic groups in the Chihuahuan Desert. Specifically, we investigated plastid genetic diversity in populations of three species of gypsum endemic Acleisanthes that occur in the southern half of the Chihuahuan Desert: A. purpusiana, A. palmeri, and A. acatitensis. We sequenced two plastid spacer regions (ndhF/rpl32 and psbD/trnT-GGU) for 120 individuals, and created haplotype networks for all individuals. We found relatively high plastid haplotype diversity and geographic structure, and found no evidence of a range-wide bottleneck. These results are consistent with other recent studies of dominant gypsum endemics in the same region (Fouquieria shrevei, Petalonyx crenatus), suggesting that gypsum environments may experienced little plant community turnover during the Pleistocene. 1

Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2University Of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Departamento de Botánica, Apartado Postal 70-367, Mexico, DF, a, UNAM, Apartado Postal 04510, Mexico4Instituto de Biologí 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico5Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States

276

EVERBACH, SOPHIE* 1, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 2, FLORES OLVERA, HILDA 3, OCHOTERENA, HELGA 3 and MOORE, MICHAEL J. 4

Phylogeography of Petalonyx crenatus (Loasaceae): genetic structure across a gypsum archipelago

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he Chihuahuan Desert region in Mexico contains isolated “island-like” deposits of exposed gypsum, a sulfur and calcium-rich soil that hosts a diverse endemic flora. Because most plant species do poorly on gypsum, these deposits tend to have lower overall plant cover and presumably lower overall competition. We hypothesize that adaption of gypsum endemics to gypsum has protected these taxa from community turnover during the Pleistocene. We also hypothesize that, based on paleoclimate evidence, central and western Coahuila have experienced the least amount of climate change in the

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Chihuahuan Desert region. To test these hypotheses, we undertook a preliminary phylogeographic study of the gypsum endemic taxon Petalonyx crenatus (Loasaceae). These shrubs are endemic to gypsum exposures of central and southwestern Coahuila. Samples from 4-6 individuals of the gypsum endemic Petalonyx crenatus were collected at 14 geographically isolated populations, and the ndhF-rpl32 and rpl32trnL spacer regions were sequenced for all individuals. A maximum parsimony phylogeny and a haplotype network were estimated from the sequences. We found that 13 of the 14 populations were fixed for one plastid haplotype, and that haplotypes were not broadly shared among populations. This suggests that seed-mediated gene flow is limited and populations may have persisted in place through time. One population (Sierra del Yeso, southwestern Coahuila) had a highly distinctive haplotype in P. crenatus and may represent a cryptic taxon. Increased sample sizes among and within all populations are required to increase the statistical power of the results. However, our results for P. crenatus are very similar to phylogeographic studies of gypsum endemic Fouquieria shrevei and Acleisanthes, which share similar distributions in Coahuila and similar habits, suggesting that gypsum plant communities may have been relatively stable throughout the Pleistocene in Coahuila. Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2University Of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Instituto de BiologĂƒ­a, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico4Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States

lationships of Lobelioideae. Our results show that the ancestor of African giant lobelias arrived from Asia. Additionally, we found that giant lobelias from Asia, Africa and South America show convergent evolution of gigantism. We also explored the molecular mechanisms of adaptation to different altitudes in Lobelia. We used RNA-seq data of a middle-altitude species, L. aberdarica, and the high-altitude species L. telekii. We identified several genes that are potentially involved in DNA repair, response to DNA damage and temperature stimulus, and regulation of gene expression. These finding could suggest how giant lobelias adapt to high altitudinal environment that characterized by cold, low oxygen, and strong ultraviolet radiation. Next, we will study phylogeogaphy of the other major alpine groups such as Dendrosenecio and Lobelia to investigate effects of major geographic factors such as East Rift Valley and possible migration corridor(s) on alpine plants. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Jiufeng No. 1 Road, Wuhan, 430074, China

278

YAN, YUJING* 1, DAVIS, CHARLES 2, WANG, ZHIHENG 3, RAHBEK, CARSTEN 4 and BORREGAARD, MICHAEL

5

1

277

LINGYUN, CHEN* , GUANGWAN, HU and QINGFENG, WANG

Phytogeography of major alpine plants in East Africa

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ast Africa is a crucial biodiversity hotspot on earth. The area is characterized by elevated plateaus and isolated mountains in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Although dozens of studies have investigated plant phylogeography patterns in East Africa, only a few studies have investigated the phylogeography of Afro-alpine plants. During past eight years, we have carried out fieldwork in East Africa mountains, in order to get preliminary data and samples to explore diversity and phytogeography of alpine plants. Here we studied the phylogeography of Haplocarpha rueppelii (Asteraceae) in East Africa. Our results show that this species consists of two major groups, one includes the populations from Mts. Elgon, Aberdare and Bale, while the other includes Mts. Kenya and Kilimanjaro. Also, we show that H. rueppellii colonized Mts. Kenya and Aberdare during the Pleistocene. However, migration rate for individuals between the two mountains was low as showed by gene flow analysis, suggesting a barrier for plant dispersal and gene flow between Mts. Aberdare and Kenya since the Pleistocene. Furthermore, in order to study biogeographic origin of the famous African giant lobelias, we reconstructed the phylogenetic re-

Amphi-Pacific Tropical Disjunction of Theaceae: Multiple Intercontinental Dispersals Corresponding to Changing Climate

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wo alternative hypotheses explaining the tropical intercontinental disjunctions are that plants dispersed between Old and New Worlds through the boreotropical forest during the early Cenozoic, or that the dispersal was mainly a function of the area of the source and sink biomes (long-distance dispersal). However, it remains difficult to distinguish between these hypotheses as more informative fossil records are lacking and the tropical taxa were removed from high latitude region. Here, we used tea plants (Theaceae family) as a model group and integrated phylogenetic, paleontological and climatic data to understand the ecological and evolutionary process underlying such unique distribution pattern. e sampled 58% of the currently accepted Theaceae species across the world. A time-calibrated phylogeny was generated based on plastid and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data to infer the evolutionary history of the family. We reconstructed ancestral range and habitat at node using DEC model and stochastic character mapping method, and inferred the dispersal, preservation and extinction rate for different regions using time-stratified DES model based on fossil records. e found that the New World species do not form monophyletic lineages, indicating that there are multiple dispersal events between Old World and New World across the phylogeny. Both boreotropical migration and long-distance dispersal contribute to the current distribution pattern of Theaceae. The dispersal correlates with changing temperature and the range size of ancestral habitat.

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Theaceae probably originated in Eurasia, and was part of the Boreotropical vegetation. 1

345 Franklin St, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States2Harvard University Herbaria, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States3Peking University, Beijing, CHN4University of Copenhagen, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate Change, , Copenhagen, Denmark5Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate Change, Copenhagen, Denmark

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RUIZ VARGAS, NATALIA

Predicting new populations of Pitcairnia domingensis L.B. Sm. in Hispaniola

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itcairnia domingensis is a bromeliad endemic to the island of Hispaniola with terrestrial habit that grows on limestone. It has a disjunct distribution between the Northeast coast of the island and the Sierra de Neiba Mountains in the Southwest of the Dominican Republic. The populations grow in two very different environments; in the North, they grow on cliffs facing the ocean and the populations in the mountains grow in tropical montane humid forests. However, maps from the United States Geological Survey shows that both locations correspond to rocks from the Post-Eocene Marine Strata. Using environmental data from BioClim, QGIS and MaxEnt softwares, I modelled the distribution of the species in search for possible new populations. The MaxEnt analysis shows three regions for which there are no recorded collections: 1) To the East of Duarte and MarĂ­a Trinidad SĂĄnchez Province in the Dominican Republic, 2) North coast of the Nord and Nord-Est Departments, and 3) Sud Department in the Tiburon Peninsula in Haiti. Of these three, the areas in northern Haiti correspond to the same rock formation as the currently known populations. The jackknife analysis indicates that the bioclimatic variables with the highest predictive powers are: precipitation of driest month, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of driest quarter, and precipitation of coldest quarter. University of Illinois at Chicago, Biological Sciences, 845 West Taylor Street, SEL1016, Chicago, Illinois, 60607, USA

280

LAMBERT, JOSHUA* 1, SINN, BRANDON 2 and BARRETT, CRAIG 1

Genetic variation and hybridization in southwestern Rhus ovata and R. integrifolia (Anacardiaceae) using plastid and nuclear markers

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hus integrifolia and R. ovata are sister species native to Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula comprising major structural components of coastal sage scrub and chaparral communities, respectively. Rhus ovata is also found in a similar, disjunct community (interior chaparral) in Arizona with the Sonoran and Mojave deserts separating them from Californian populations. Both have been shown in earlier studies to hybridize, often display-

ing intermediate morphological characteristics. This goals of this study are to answer questions of: 1) basic evolution regarding how natural selection and gene flow interact to determine species boundaries and; 2) how genetic variation is distributed over the geographic range of this species complex; and 3) how ecological niches influence morpho-genetic distinctness and hybridization. We sampled approximately 70 individuals from 13 localities in AZ and CA for R. integrifolia and R. ovata. PCR primers for the plastid spacer regions ndhC-trnV and rpl16-rps3, and nuclear regions ITS and RPB2 amplify consistently among accessions. Preliminary results based on plastid markers suggest that populations are polymorphic for plastid haplotypes. There is support for a western R. ovata clade (all AZ accessions and one accession from Orange Co., CA), but a basal polytomy is observed among accessions of R. integrifolia and individuals of R. ovata and putative hybrids from a population in Ventura Co., CA, suggesting some detectable level of gene flow. Additional plastid and nuclear data, along with population genetic analyses, will help resolve patterns of variation across the geographic range of this complex. 1

West Virginia University, Biology, 53 campus dr, Morgantown, WV, 26506, US2West Virginia University, Biology, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States

281

KANNE, RANDE* 1 and ALLEN, GERALDINE 2

Phylogeographic patterns and migrational history of Garry oak (Quercus garryana)

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arry oak (Quercus garryana) is a white oak (Quercus sect. Quercus) with a geographic distribution extending from southwestern British Columbia to south-central California. It is the northernmost species of the California-Pacific Northwest white oak clade, and the only native white oak in British Columbia and Washington. We hypothesize that Garry oak migrated northward into its current geographic range following the Last Glacial Maximum. We used chloroplast and nuclear sequence data to address the following questions. 1) What are the patterns of genetic variation within Garry oak? 2) How do these patterns vary geographically, and how did Garry oak come to occupy its current geographical range? 3) Does Garry oak show evidence of genetic interaction with other white oak species in western North America? We collected samples of Garry oak from 117 localities over its geographic range. We also sampled two other California white oaks (Q. lobata and Q. douglasii) and a Rocky Mt. species (Q. gambelii). Analyses from four cpDNA regions revealed 28 plastid haplotypes. These show a strong southto-north decrease in genetic diversity, consistent

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with northward spread. Haplotypes present in the northern part of the range provide evidence of two separate northward migrations, only one of which reached the northern range limit of Garry oak. Our results also suggest that Garry oak hybridizes with at least two other white oak species in the southern part of its range. We are in the process of collecting and analyzing nuclear (ribosomal ITS) sequence data and comparing genetic variation among varieties of Garry oak. Our preliminary findings suggest that the three currently recognized varieties of Garry oak (var. garryana, var. breweri and var. semota) are not genetically well differentiated. 1

University of Victoria, Department of Biology, PO Box 1700, Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada2University Of Victoria, Department Of Biology, PO Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada

282

GOMES, SHAIANY SABRINA LOPES 1, VIDAL, JOÃO 2, KOEHLER, SAMANTHA 3 and VICCINI, LYDERSON* 4

Genome size, polyploid origin and geographical distribution of Zygopetalum cytotypes from Neotropical high altitude rochy complexes

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nowledge on the geographic distribution of cytotypes is crucial to understand the role of polyploidy in diversification. However, most of cytogeographical studies are concentrated in temperate regions. High altitude rocky complexes (HARCs) are heterogeneous formations found mainly in elevated areas of eastern Brazil. They harbour one of the most endemic floras within the Neotropical region and little is known about the occurrence and distribution of plant cytotypes in this region. Here, we investigate the distribution of Zygopetalum mackayi orchid cytotypes and propose a hypothesis for the polyploid origin in this species. We also investigate the association of environmental variables and the cytotypes. We describe chromosome counts, genomes size estimates, karyotypic traits and meiotic behaviour of representative individuals from 21 localities. The average of DNA content revealed three 2C values, 7.36 pg, 10.52 pg and 14.09 pg of DNA, which were associated to 2n = 48; 2n = 72 and 2n = 96 chromosomes, respectively. The variation of genome size was observed within and among populations. Karyotypic data (morphometry, 5S and 45S rDNA) is similar among all ploidy levels. Meiosis behavior is irregular as we observed chromosome delay and loss, bridges, micronuclei, chromosomal

stickiness and asynchrony. We described three cytotypes for Z. mackayi. Cytotypes 2n = 48 and 2n = 96 are geographically structured and meet in a contact zone where an intermediate cytotype (2n = 72) is also found. The proportionality of DNA content and the chromosome number as well as the number of RNA sites, in addition to the similarity of the karyotypes and meiotic abnormalities suggest a possible autopolyploidy origin for the cytotypes. We provide a hypothesis for the independent expansion of cytotypes through distinct ecological habitats and discuss the implications of our results for chromosome evolution in Zygopetalum. Financial support: Fapemig, Fapesp, Capes. 1

UFJF, Biology, UFJF Campus, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil2UNESP, Instituto de Biociências de Botacatu, UNESP Campus, Botucatu, SP, 18618-6893UNICAMP, IB/Biologia Vegetal, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil4Biologia, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Campus Da UFJF, Bairro Martelos, Juiz De Fora, 36036-900, Brazil

283

ANGHEL, IOANA

Mapping phenotypes: Modeling the distribution of a polymorphic species

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he morphologically diverse genus Linanthus is a great system to study mechanisms that generate diversity and speciation. Linanthus parryae, in specific, has a variable distribution of white and blue flowered individuals, with many populations that are polymorphic. Earlier studies aimed to understand the forces that give rise to and maintain the flower color polymorphism and showed that there is a higher occurrence of blue morphs in lower rainfall years and of white morphs in higher rainfall years. This result suggests that variable rainfall maintains the flower color polymorphism, where seeds preadapted to either condition emerge under different precipitation regimes. It has been proposed that the white morph is generally more common due to a higher seedbank contribution in wetter years. Although these studies were focused on populations of Linanthus parryae only in the Southern Mojave, they make specific predictions as to the distribution of white and blue morphs across the species geographic range. Specifically, one should expect higher relative proportion of the blue morph in consistently drier areas, and vice versa for the white morph. To test this hypothesis, I am using herbarium and iNaturalist locality data to model the climatic niche and distribution of the species using MaxEnt niche modeling. Then, I am examining the connection between precipitation variation and occurrence of each morph by testing whether the lower precipitations areas of the range have a higher prevalence of blue morphs, and vice versa. The predicted distribution models will be used to inform a populations genetics study informing how flower color variation maps onto the genetic structure of the species. The ultimate goal is to understand whether the populations with more consistent rainfall might be differentiating into monomorphic groups. UCLA, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 612 Charles E Young Drive S, Los Angeles , CA, 90095, USA

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BOTANICAL HISTORY ORAL PAPERS

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284

Barton's College Botany at the University of Pennsylvania, 1805

FLANNERY, MAURA

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James Petiver (1665-1718): The Carolina Perspective

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his year marks the 300th anniversary of James Petiver's death. He is notable botanically because of his large herbarium, purchased by Hans Sloane and now in the Natural History Museum, London. Petiver trained as an apothecary and had a thriving practice in London, but his passion was for natural history. He collected zoological as well as botanical material, and while he didn't travel widely, he developed a collection in which specimens from around the globe were represented. Linnaeus studied Petiver's publications and parts of his collection, so there are many types among his specimens. Unfortunately, he was not terribly methodical, so some of his specimens are in poor condition and in some cases lack labels. When Petiver received plants that represented new species, he named them and included them in what he called Centuries, published lists of a hundred species descriptions of both plants and animals, though more of the former. Petiver was not a rich man, so he had to depend on subscriptions to produce these publications. He used them as a way to attract collectors by promising to mention them when they sent interesting finds. He also supplied them with instructions, paper, and other supplies. He did expect results, and one collector refused to send any more material because Petiver had hounded him so much for results. From the time of its founding in 1689 until his death, Petiver was a member of the Temple Coffee House botanic club in London. Sloane and another notable collector, Leonard Plukenet, were members as was Henry Compton, bishop of London. These four were involved in sponsoring travelers to North America, including Mark Catesby. I will focus on those among Petiver's collectors who, like Catesby, worked in the Carolinas. At that time Charleston was becoming an important port and a center of learning in the South. Petiver had a total of ten collectors who visited or lived in the area. I will discuss his communication with them, what they sent him from the region, and how the specimens were used botanically. Among those discussed will be not only Mark Catesby, the author of Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, but Robert Ellis and Hannah Williams who were both long-term South Carolina correspondents, and John Lawson, Surveyor General of North Carolina who wrote A New Voyage to Carolina.

204 Bellewood Drive, Aiken, SC, 29803, United States

SUNDBERG, MARSHALL

uring the spring semester, 1805, William Darlington was an undergraduate student in Professor Benjamin Smith Barton's Botany course at the University of Pennsylvania. Darlington, who completed his M.D. that semester, continued to botanize in the Philadelphia area for the rest of his life. His professor, Dr. Barton, was now in his 15th year as Professor of Natural History and Botany at the College of Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania, and had recently published (1803, 1804) the first botany textbook in the United States. In this presentation I will describe the course content and pedagogies employed by Barton, based primarily on Darlington's class notebook, supplemented by fragments of Barton's lecture notes, his textbook, other publications, and comments by his fellow botanists, John and William Bartram of Bartram's Garden, a common fieldtrip destination for the course. Words used by critics to describe Barton's text, “much ingenious speculation and curious learning intermixed” and “though diffuse in style, is full of entertaining anecdotes” seem also to be an apt description of his lectures. Emporia State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 1 Kellogg Circle, Emporia, KS, 66801, United States

286

SILVEIRA , FERNANDA SCHMIDT* 1 and MIOTTO, SILVIA TERESINHA SFOGGIA 2

Sellow contributions to Mimosa genus in South America

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Canceled

lthough plant collecting is one aspect of the discovery process that has been much written about, especially concerning the role of the great botanical explorers, data about Sellow collections are scarce including distribution data of species collected by him. The Mimosa genus seems to be a good proxy of Sellow's contribution in South America owing to its high species richness and endemism. Furthermore, Mimosa is the third genus in number of endemic species in Brazil, the largest country in territorial extension of South America. Regarding this, our goals were: (1) to compare Sellow's contribution to Mimosa knowledge in Brazil in regard to other collectors; (2) to estimate the number of new Mimosa taxa described for South America that Sellow had collected the Type. Furthermore, we determined among these taxa the percentage of endemic and threatened species, discussing the implications of a lack of precise geographic data. Lastly, we showed a case study of Mimosa collected by Sellow without distribution data, solving it. Our data pointed out Sellow to be one of the ten biggest collectors of new Mimosa taxa in Brazil. From Sellow's collections, 64 new taxa of Mimosa genus were described, being 55% of the taxa endemic to Brazil. Concerning data about conservation status, just 36% of Sellow

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taxa have been evaluated according to IUCN criteria, with most of them exclusive to South of South America (66%). Although Sellow's contributions to description of Mimosa diversity in South America is a priceless legacy, we found some problems with the geographic data provided, which is most often inaccurate. This was exactly the case for M. lasiocephala and M. diffusa. However, from the taxonomic revision of Mimosa diversity in South Brazil, their occurrence was ascertained, showing the relevance of taxonomic studies to obtaining basic data as distribution and the relevance of this data to evaluation of conservation status. 1

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Botânica, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, BRAZIL2Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, BRAZIL

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MCCOURT , RICHARD MATTHEW* 1, TEISHER, JORDAN 2 and SPAMER, EARLE E. 3

The Kew Connection: The Lewis and Clark Herbarium and the fate of Pursh's Purloined Plants

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he expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark returned with a number of scientific collections following the 1804-1806, 3,000-mile journey to the Pacific Ocean and back. Specimens and artifacts included bird skins, a fossil fish jaw, minerals, and Native American art and cultural items, but the most numerous and enduring of these were more than two hundred pressed plant specimens. Much like the explorers themselves, who split up to take different overland routes before their joint return to the East Coast and an eager President Thomas Jefferson who sent them on their collecting journey, the herbarium of Lewis and Clark was subdivided, studied on two continents, and eventually re-united at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia (ANSP) nearly a century after the expedition ended. Or almost re-united. ANSP houses 226 specimens attributed to Lewis and Clark, of which 47 were taken by Frederick Traugott Pursh to London, where most ended up in the herbarium of Aylmer Bourke Lambert. After Lambert's death and the auction of his herbarium, some of the Lewis and Clark/Pursh specimens were, fortuitously, returned to the United States around the middle of the 19th century. However, ten specimens remained in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, where they are today. This talk reports on the specimens that went to London, how they got there, how most of them came back, what remains in England, and the role of the colorful and enterprising collector Frederick Pursh in the Lewis and Clark plant-collecting saga. 1

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Botany, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, USA2The Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, Botany, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States3American Philosophical Society, 104 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, USA

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BRYOLOGY AND LICHENOLOGY POSTERS 288

TOBI, CHUKS

Bryoflora of Obudu Cattle Ranch in Nigeria

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No Show

budu cattle ranch in Cross river state, Nigeria has a diversity of bryophytes species. The ranch stretches between an altitude of 751m (at the bottom) and 1595m at the peak. A survey and assessment of the bryoflora of Obudu cattle ranch was made. A total of 140 samples were collected by the use of a scalpel and identification was made by the use of an Olympus microscope. In all, 35 families were identified. 27 families were mosses, 7 families of liverworts and 1 hornwort species. 8 samples were unidentified. High species richness was recorded at 1581m which corresponded to the Becheve Nature Reserve. The newly discovered species which are not in the check list of bryophyte species previously recorded for Nigerian include: Bryum alpinum var. alpinum; Hypnum lacunosum var. lacunosum; Hypnum cupressiforme var. filiforme ; Hypnum cupressiforme var. cupressiforme ; Hypnum cupressiforme var. tectorum; Isopterygium sericifolium; Campylopus jamesonii; Campylopus hildebrandtii; Lindbergia patentifolia; Sematophyllum subbrachytheciiforme; Funaria perlaxa; Pilotrichella cuspidata; Papillaria africanum; Pilotrichella ampullaceae; Rhizofabronia perpilosa; Fabronia abyssinica; Fabronia pilifera; Lopidium struthiopteris; Racopilum africanum; Prionodon ciliates; Cyclodictyon dixonianum; Cyclodictyon brevifolium; Porothamnium stipitatum; Porotrichum usagarum; Trachyphyllum inflexum; Fissidens androgynus; Philonotis fontana; Hedwigidium integrifolium; Racomitrium lamprocarpum; Leucobryum madagassum; Cryphaea robusta; Daltonia latolimbata; Leptodontiopsis fragilifolia; Hennediella stanfordensis; Hylocomnium splendens; Plagiomnium rhynchophorum; Ceratolejeunea calabariensis; Ceratolejeunea diversicornua; Lejeunea cantabrigiensis; Haplolejeunea cucullata; Cheilolejeunea trifaria; Plagiochilla pectinata; Plagiochilla terebrans; Plagiochilla moenkemeyeri; Plagiothecium nitens; Frullania serrate; Mastigophora diclados; Marchantia polymorpha; and Phaeoceros carolianus. In all, there are 37 mosses, 12 liverworts and 1 hornwort. The discovery of the hornwort in Nigeria is reported for the first time in literature in these studies. The altitudinal variation has an effect on the species diversity of bryophytes in the study site with more species present at higher altitudes. The research work on this location will add to the dearth of information on Nigerian bryophytes.

University of Lagos, Botany, Lagos, Nigeria

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COMPARATIVE GENOMICS/TRANSCRIPTOMICS ORAL PAPERS 289

290

BANERJEE, ARJAN* 1 and STEFANOVIC, SASA 2

SPALINK, DANIEL* 1, STOFFEL, KEVIN , GENEVIEVE, WALDEN 3, AMANDA, HULSE-KEMP 4, THERESA, HILL 2, ALLEN, VAN DEYNZE 2 and BOHS, LYNN ALLISON 5

Caught in action: Fine-scale plastome evolution in the parasitic plants of Cuscuta sect. Ceratophorae (Convolvulaceae)

Comparative Transcriptomics and Genomic Patterns of Discordance in Capsiceae

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2

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he integration of genomics and phylogenetics allows new insight into the structure of gene discordance, the relationships among gene position, gene history, and rate of evolution, and the correspondence across lineages of gene function, positive selection, and gene ontology enrichment. We explore these issues using the tribe Capsiceae (Solanaceae), which is comprised of the genera Lycianthes and Capsicum (peppers). In combining the annotated genomes of Capsicum with newly sequenced transcriptomes of four species of Lycianthes and Capsicum, we develop phylogenies for 6,747 genes, and construct a backbone species tree using both concordance and explicit phylogenetic network approaches. We quantify phylogenetic discordance among individual gene trees, measure their rates of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution, and test whether they were positively selected along any branch of the phylogeny. We then map these genes onto the annotated Capsicum genome and test whether rates of evolution, gene history, and gene ontology vary significantly with gene position. We observed substantial discordance among gene trees, and a bifurcating species tree placing Capsicum within a paraphyletic Lycianthes was supported over all phylogenetic networks. Rates of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution varied 41-fold and 130-fold among genes, respectively, and were significantly lower in pericentromeric regions. We found that results of concordance tree analyses vary depending on the subset of genes used, and that genes within the pericentromeric regions only capture a portion of the observed discordance. We identified 787 genes that have been positively selected throughout the diversification of Capsiceae. 1

University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States2University of CaliforniaDavis3California Department of Food and Agriculture4USDA-ARS5University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, 201 South Biology, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States

arasitic plants have reduced to completely absent reliance on photosynthesis, and are usually characterized by sweeping morphological, physiological and genomic changes. The plastid genome (or plastome) is highly conserved in autotrophic plants, and houses many such genes. This genome is thus a useful system for documenting the genomic effects of a loss of photosynthesis. Cuscuta (dodders) represents one of 13 independent transitions to a parasitic lifestyle within angiosperms. This near-cosmopolitan genus contains more than 200 obligate hemi- and holoparasitic species. Because plastomes in this group have been reported to show a substantial degree of diversification in terms of length and gene composition, they present an opportunity for fine-scale comparisons of evolution among closely related species of heterotrophic plants. In particular, a complex of eight or nine closely related species in Cuscuta sect. Ceratophoprae was identified by a recently conducted slot-blot hybridization survey as being of special interest because it exhibited even more rapid evolution than the rest of the genus. This species complex was near-exhaustively sampled, and their total DNA sequenced via a high-throughput approach. Complete plastid genomes were assembled and annotated for eight species in the complex. They were found to be between 61-85 kbp in length, representing a 50-60% reduction relative to plastomes from photosynthetic Convolvulaceae. Three species have a more reduced plastome than the others due to the loss of the bulk of photosynthetic genes. The plastome variation observed in our fine-scale analysis of these eight very closely-related parasitic plant species suggests a phylogenetically progressive loss of plastid genes and offers an excellent opportunity to study the reduction of plastid genomes in parasitic plants 'caught in action'.

1

University of Toronto Mississauga, Biology, 3359 Mississauga Road N, Dept. of Biology, Rm DV4090A/4078, Mississauga, ON, L5L1C6, Canada2University Of Toronto Mississauga, Department Of Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada

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SCHNEIDER, ADAM* , BESIK, ARIANA , ENSMINGER, INGO and STEFANOVIC, SASA

Variation in photosynthetic function and gene expression in parasitic dodder

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eterotrophy has evolved among flowering plants numerous times, and with it often comes the loss of photosynthesis. Studies in many independent

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lineages of parasitic plants have observed substantial reductions in chloroplast genome (plastome) size and gene content. Dodders (Cuscuta, Convolvulaceae) are a diverse clade of leafless, obligate parasites that still appear to be in relatively early stages of plastome and photosynethesis loss based on plastome and slot-blot hybridization approaches. However, it remains unclear to the extent these genes are or are not actually expressed, and what the functional consequences are in terms of photosynthesis physiology. o address these questions we are taking a twopronged approach. First, we have sequenced the transcriptomes from six different organs or developmental stages of a single species, Cuscuta cephalanthii, that shows tissue-specific variation in photosynthesis. Do areas with higher energetic demands such meristematic regions or developing seeds show higher expression of photosynthesis genes? Second, we are measuring photosynthetic function using Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) Fluorometry and chlorophyl and carotenoid pigment concentrations using HPLC in the same plant organs but across a wide range of species, to assess functional variation across plant species and organs, which will then be compared to the transcriptomic and genomic findings.

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University Of Toronto Mississauga, Department Of Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada

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CAREY, SHANE* 1 and HALL, JOCELYN 2

Elucidating Floral Nectary Development in Cleomaceae Using Histology and Transcriptomics

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ollinator interactions may greatly influence floral evolution, especially traits relevant to those interactions. Whereas the genetic bases of many floral features are well understood, e.g., symmetry and organ identity, the underlying variation of other pollinator-mediated traits is an untapped area of research. For example, nectaries provide essential pollinator reward and serve in pollinator attraction, but relatively little is known about the genetic pathways controlling their development. Cleomaceae is an ideal group for investigating evolution and development in flower morphology, because it is home to a diverse range of flower colors, sizes, and variations in gland shape and structure. Further, a strong phylogenetic hypothesis for the family complements growing omics and comparative developmental data across clades. Finally, the sister relationship to Brassicaceae provides an opportunity to leverage a wealth of knowledge from Arabidopsis. Here, we focus on the basis of nectary development in Cleome violacea, as this species has a prominent adaxial nectary that likely serves in pollinator attraction. Moreover, it is amenable to reverse genetic techniques, and has a fast generation time and small size which facilitates its study in the lab. We present a detailed developmental series of nectary develop-

ment in Cleome violacea. These data are critical to the interpretation of the RNA-seq transcriptomic library we have assembled, because it will elucidate potential key genes in nectary development. 1

University of Alberta, Biological Sciences, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G2E9, Canada2University Of Alberta, CW405 Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

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CHANDERBALI, ANDRE* 1, BERGER, BRENT 2, ALBERT, VICTOR 3, HOWARTH, DIANELLA 4, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 5 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 1

Genes, Genomes, and Gamma

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he most species-rich lineage of flowering plants, the Pentapetalae, exhibit enormous floral diversity. Yet, they share a highly conserved ground plan of “whorled-pentamery” - five-parted floral organs arranged in whorled phyllotaxis. By contrast, flowers of the earlier-diverging basal eudicot lineages exhibit marked fluidity in floral organ number and arrangement. Evolutionary changes in gene content and gene expression regulation also coincide with the origin of Pentapetalae. Importantly, an ancient whole-genome triplication - “gamma” - has enriched the genomes of Pentapetalae species with duplicate or triplicate copies of transcription factors regulating floral development. The molecular evolutionary consequences of “gamma” are therefore perhaps pivotal to Pentapetalae success, but its phylogenetic timing and mechanistic details are as yet not fully resolved. Our work provides the first insights into the genomes of representatives of the Buxales and Trochodendrales, which we identify as collective sisters to the core eudicots (Gunnerales plus Pentapetalae). These two new genomes are therefore pivotal to evolutionary inferences about the ancestral genomic context and evolutionary changes associated with the origin of the Pentapetalae. We also present phylogenomic analyses of gene and/or genomic duplications among all the major earlier-diverging basal eudicot lineages. Our comparative phylogenetic, phylogenomic, and genomic analyses provide new insights into the specific evolutionary changes that precede and coincide with the origin of the Pentapetalae - arguably one of the most important events during terrestrial plant evolution. 1

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, US2St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, United States3Nanyang Technological University, Singapore4St. John's University, Department Of Biological Sciences, St. Albert Hall Rm 257, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamiaca, NY, 11439, United States5Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

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294

KINSER, TALIESIN* 1, GODDEN, GRANT 2, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 4 and CONSORTIUM, MINT EVOLUTIONARY GENOMICS 5

Ancient whole genome duplications as drivers of chemical diversification in Lamiaceae

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he prevalence of polyploidy in angiosperms and its role as a key driver in the diversification of angiosperm species and traits is well documented. It is now known, for example, that all angiosperms have polyploidy in their ancestry. These whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have led to a variety of evolutionary innovations and have sometimes been associated with rapid radiations. Paleopolyploidy (ancient WGDs) has been associated with the proliferation of novel genes and gene interactions in Brassicales, vastly increasing their secondary metabolite diversity. The ability to place past WGDs onto a phylogeny is key to understanding how polyploidy has contributed to species and chemical diversification. Lamiaceae are one of the most species-rich and chemically diverse angiosperm families with a high diversity of iridoids and monoterpenes. Recent work has revealed the importance of gene duplications in the origin and expansion of monoterpenes and iridoids within this clade. As a large and economically important family, Lamiaceae offer an ideal opportunity to investigate how polyploidy contributes to chemical (and species) diversification. Here we use transcriptomes of 48 mint species (and 4 outgroups in Lamiales) to estimate synonymous gene duplicate divergence in each species and to produce gene trees across the phylogeny to test for and place WGDs. We utilize and compare multiple approaches in one of the largest datasets for phylogenomic paleoploid analyses to date. We then apply the placements of ancient WGDs to examine diversification events of monoterpenes and iridoids within the mint phylogeny. This study allows us not only to investigate the prevalence of WGDs within a highly diverse family but also to link them to widespread chemical diversification. 1

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Dickinson Hall, University Of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States5Michigan State University, Plant Biology, East Lansing, MI, USA

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BUELL, C. ROBIN 1, CRISOVAN, EMILY 2, DUDAREVA, NATALIA 3, GARCIA, NICOLAS 4, GODDEN, GRANT* 5, HENRY, LAURA 6, KAMILEEN, MOHAMED O. 7, KATES, HEATHER 8, KILGORE, MATTHEW B. 6, LICHMAN, BENJAMIN R. 7 , MAVRODIEV, EVGENY 9, NEWTON, LINSEY 2, RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ, CARLOS 7, O'CONNOR, SARAH E. 7, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 10, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 11, VAILLANCOURT, BRIEANNE 12, WIEGERT-RININGER, KRYSTLE 12 and ZHAO, DONGYAN 12

Transcriptomics, phylogeny, and biochemistry elucidate evolution of chemical diversity and complexity in Lamiaceae

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lants synthesize an astonishing array of structurally and functionally diverse chemical compounds, which can enhance plant fitness or confer adaptations to specific ecological niches. These specialized metabolites serve as attractants of beneficial organisms and defend plants against biotic or abiotic agents that hinder their growth, survival, or reproduction. Given their important biological functions, chemical complexity can play a major role in the diversification of many plant lineages, with novel compounds serving as key innovations. Specialized metabolites often originate from a small group of precursors from primary metabolism, which are modified via multistep metabolic pathways to yield a multitude of distinct end-products. Terpenes [e.g. monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and iridoids (non-canonical monoterpenes)] are an outstanding example of this process. All are derived from the same precursors, but through an initial scaffold formation and subsequent modifications, a wide variety of chemical structures and properties are produced. This plant metabolite diversity may evolve via gene or genome duplication, followed by sub- or neo-functionalization, an increase of enzyme promiscuity, and/or utilization of scaffold-decorating enzymes. However, the selective pressures responsible for generating specialized metabolite diversity, as well as the biochemical, molecular, and genetic mechanisms by which this metabolite diversity evolves within (or across) plant lineages, remain largely unknown. We formed the Mint Evolutionary Genomics Consortium—a multi-institutional collaboration combining expertise in genomics, evolutionary biology, and biochemistry—and investigated the evolution of specialized metabolites in the mint family (Lamiaceae), a clade of ca. 7200 species that is renowned for its terpenoid diversity. For Phase I of our project, we combined analyses of leaf transcriptome data from 48 Lamiaceae and four outgroup species with a robust phylogeny and chemical analyses of three terpenoid classes (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and iridoids) that share and compete for precursors. Our integrated chemical-genomic-phylogenetic approach

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revealed several mechanisms controlling chemical presence/absence and diversity in leaf tissue. We will provide an overview of important Phase I results and discuss our plans and progress on future project phases designed to elucidate patterns and processes of chemical evolution in the mint family. 1

Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Road, Rm 166, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA2Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Road, Rm 166, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States3Purdue University, Department of Biochemistry, WSLR, room B030, 175 S. University Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2063, USA4Universidad De Chile, Herbario EIF, Av. Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago, 8820808, Chile5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States6Purdue University, WSLR, room B030, 175 S. University Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2063, United States7The John Innes Centre, Department of Biological Chemistry, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK8University of Florida, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 326117800, United States9Florida Natural History Museum, Florida Museum Of Natural History PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States10Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States11University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States12Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, Rm 166, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States

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ROBERTS, WADE* 1 and ROALSON, ERIC 2

Gene co-expression network connectivity is an important determinant of selective constraint during flower diversification in the magic flowers (Achimenes)

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ene networks provide a systematic understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying biological processes. To date, very few studies have attempted to examine how network connectivity and selection interact to shape natural variation in gene expression and influence the evolution of adaptive phenotypes. Most studies have explored these patterns within populations of a single species. Here, we explore how variation in gene expression and network connectivity influences floral diversification among multiple species in the same genus. We tested the hypothesis that conserved sets of genes are involved in the convergent evolution of floral forms in the magic flowers (Achimenes). Using RNA-seq to assay gene expression across two stages of flower development in 12 closely related gesneriad species, we inferred co-expression networks that clustered genes into 28 modules. Most modules were strongly correlated with floral phenotypic differentiation associated with bee-, butterfly-, and hummingbirdpollination. Within the co-expression networks, differentially expressed genes were underrepresented in module cores and overrepresented in network peripheries. We found that highly connected genes have experienced stronger selective constraint on coding sequence, with both gene connectivity and centrality associated with signatures of selection.

Additionally, transcription factors were neither more nor less connected than other genes and were under stronger selective constraint than other genes. Our integrated results suggest that conserved, functionally important genetic modules underlie the development and diversification of floral form and that connectivity within the co-expression network is linked to the strength of purifying selection. 1

Washington State University, School Of Biological Sciences, P.O Box 644236, Pullman, WA, 99164, United States2Washington State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Abelson Hall 339, Pullman, WA, 99164, United States

297

SONG, MICHAEL* 1, POTTER, BARNEY 2, DOYLE, JEFF 3 and COATE, JEREMY 4

Quantifying transcriptome size variation and dosage responses immediately following ploidy change in Arabidopsis thaliana

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t is now widely considered that all vascular plants have experienced ancient whole genome duplications (WGDs) and subsequent genome reductions. There are biases in the patterns of gene retention and loss based on the types of duplications experienced and the types of genes involved. The Dosage Balance Hypothesis (DBH) has been proposed to account for the observation that classes of genes which retain duplicates originating from WGDs will often have proportionately fewer genes that derive from small-scale duplications. Although dosage responses have been measured for allopolyploids in young natural populations, very little is known about the effects of WGD on transcriptome size (the number of transcripts per cell) and therefore on individual gene dosage responses. We sequenced the transcriptomes of two synthetic autopolyploid accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana and their diploid progenitors to estimate transcriptome size and gene dosage responses immediately following ploidy change. Our preliminary results are consistent with the DBH and illustrate that there are immediate transcriptional responses to polyploidy—induced gene dosage increase that are consistent across genotypes at the level of gene ontology and metabolic networks, but vary among the individual genes expressed.

1

University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States2 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 981093Cornell University, School Of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, 240 Emerson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States4Reed College, Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR, 97202, United States

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298 KENNY, CECILE 1, DOYLE, JEFF 2 and COATE, JEREMY* 3 Exploring genetic mechanisms of polyploidy-induced salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

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olyploidy is correlated with enhanced salinity tolerance as evidenced by smaller reductions in biomass and seed yield under moderate salt stress and prolonged survival under severe salt stress. Reciprocal grafting experiments in Arabidopsis thaliana have shown that this tolerance is a root-specific phenotype, but the molecular mechanisms for this phenotype remain unresolved. To address this question, we are using RNA-Seq to compare transcriptional responses to salt stress in isogenic diploid/synthetic tetraploid pairs of Arabidopsis. These include diploid/tetraploid pairs in accessions that vary in level of salt tolerance at the diploid level, as well as in mutant lines of Columbia-0 (Col-0) defective for known salt-tolerance loci. Preliminary studies confirm that polyploidy improves survival and seed yield under salt stress across natural accessions. Here, equivalent data for diploid/tetraploid pairs in mutant backgrounds, as well as transcript profiling data, will be presented and their implications for the mechanisms of polypoid-induced salt tolerance will be discussed.

1

Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, Oregon, 97202, United States2Cornell University, School Of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, 240 Emerson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States3Reed College, Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR, 97202, United States

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PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS* 1, EMERY, MARIANNE 2, WILLIS, MADELINE 3, HAO, YUE 4, BARRY, KERRIE 5, SCHMUTZ, JEREMY 6, LYONS, ERIC 7, EDGER, PATRICK 8 and CONANT, GAVIN 9

Preferential retention of genes from one parental genome after polyploidy illustrates the nature and scope of the genomic conflict induced by hybridization

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olyploidy is increasingly seen as a driver of both evolutionary innovation and ecologicalsuccess. One source of polyploid organisms' successes may be their origins in the mergingand mixing of genomes from two different species (e.g., allopolyploidy). Using POInT (thePolyploid Orthology Inference Tool), we model the resolution of three allopolyploidy events,one from the bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), one from the thale cress (Arabidopsisthaliana) and one from grasses (including Sorghum bicolor). Analyzing a total of 21genomes, we assign to every gene a probability for having come from each parental subgenome(i.e., derived from the diploid progenitor species), yielding orthologous segmentsacross all genomes. Our model detects statistically robust evidence for the existence ofbiased fractionation in all three lineages, whereby genes

from one of the two subgenomeswere more likely to be lost than those from the other subgenome. We further find that adriver of this pattern of biased losses is the co-retention of genes from the same parentalgenome that share functional interactions. The pattern of biased fractionation after the Arabidopsisand grass allopolyploid events was surprisingly constant in time, with the sameparental genome favored throughout the lineages' history. In strong contrast, the yeast allopolyploidevent shows evidence of biased fractionation only immediately after the event,with balanced gene losses more recently. The rapid loss of functionally associated genesfrom a single subgenome is difficult to reconcile with the action of genetic drift and suggeststhat selection may favor the removal of specific duplicates. Coupled to the evidence forcontinuing, functionally-associated biased fractionation after the Arabidopsis thaliana At-alpha polyploid event, wesuggest that, after allopolyploidy, there are functional conflicts between interacting genesencoded in different subgenomes that are ultimately resolved through preferential duplicateloss. 1

University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States2University of Missouri, Biological Sciences, Columbia, MO, USA3University of Missouri, Biochemistry, MO, USA4North Carolina State University, Biological Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA5Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA6HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA7University of Arizona, Plant Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA8Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA9North Carolina State University, Biological Sciences, NC, USA

300

GARZA, ELYSSA* 1, HAWKINS, ANGELA 2 and PEPPER, ALAN 3

Exploring serpentine tolerance in Caulanthus amplexicaulis through the integration of multiple genomic datasets

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wild relative of Arabidopsis, Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (Cab) is endemic to harsh serpentine soils; characterized by low calcium, toxic heavy metals such as nickel, limiting nutrients (e.g. N, P, K), and low water retention. Its sister variety, Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. amplexicaulis (Caa), inhabits adequate-nutrient granite soils. The distinct contrast between the natural habitats of these two plant varieties allows exploration into plant selective adaptations to serpentine. We have assembled, analyzed, and annotated the Cab and Caa genomes. The estimated genome size for C. amplexicaulis is 372 Mb, with 14 chromosomes. We compared whole-genome resequencing data, from a large set of recombinant inbred lines, against Cab and Caa parents to obtain a high-resolution linkage map of the Caulanthus genome. These data were integrated with phenotypic information to identify genomic intervals that underlie QTL for tolerance to low-calcium and toxic levels of Ni. Genome sequence scaffolds were anchored to the linkage map to provide a set of 14 annotated pseudo-chromosomes. Combining this genomic information with RNA-Seq expression data and other datasets will allow the identification of the

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specific genes underlying tolerance to low-calcium and Ni. 1

Texas A&M University , 100 Butler hall, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, US2Texas A&M University, Department Of Biology, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, United States3Texas A&M University, Department Of Biology, Texas A&M University, TAMU 3258, 214 Bsbe, College Station, TX, 77843, United States

301

VISGER, CLAYTON* 1, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 2 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3

Differential drought response and transcriptome size plasticity between aiploid and autotetraploid Tolmiea

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e investigated the transcriptomic basis of the ecophysiolgical divergence in drought response between diploid and polyploid Tolmiea. Using polyethylene glycol treated hydroponic cultures, we subjected T. diplomenziesii and T. menziesii to negative osmotic potential, inducing extreme drought stress. We then compared gene expression over time in response to our treatment and determined the gene functions most likely to contribute to the physiological differences between T. diplomenziesii and T. menziesii. Using recently developed methods, we accounted for variation in transcriptome size and cell size/density, enabling our comparisons of gene expression to take place in the context of change per cell, per biomass, and per transcriptome.We found that in response to drought, tetraploid Tolmiea exhibits an extreme degree of transcriptome size plasticity, both between individuals and within individual drought responses. Additionally, we found that between the diploid and tetraploid, 9.2% of all loci investigated were differentially responsive to drought. Based on the integration of a functional enrichment analysis and prior physiological investigations, our results suggest that the tetraploids may reduce their photosynthetic machinery in response to drought.

1

California State University Sacramento, 600 j st, sacramento, ca, 95819, United States2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States3University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL

302

RAMSEY, ADAM* 1, PHAN, VINTHUY 2, PHAM, DIEM-TRANG 2, MELTON, CAROLINE 3, DAIGLE, BERNIE 4 and MANDEL, JENNIFER 4

Identifying sequence heteroplasmy across entire organellar genomes of Daucus carota using whole genome sequence data

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eteroplasmy, a state in which cells or individuals contain multiple, but distinguishable, mitochondrial or plastid genomes, is increasingly recognized as a common state of organellar genomes. Heteroplasmy has been found in numerous and diverse taxa including bed bugs, Drosophila, humans, Saccharomyces, Arabidopsis, maize, and carrot. In plants, the genomes of mitochondria and plastids may each be found in the heteroplasmic state, although the structural complexity found within mitochondrial genomes tends to make it more prone to heteroplasmy. As the development of molecular techniques have improved over the last several decades, the detection of structural and sequence heteroplasmy has increased. Sanger sequencing, quantitative-PCR, and fragment length analysis, among others, allow for the detection of heteroplasmy as single nucleotide variants, indels, and structural rearrangements, limited to small regions of the genome. Yet with the explosion of whole genome sequencing, interest has turned towards discovering sequence heteroplasmy across entire genomes. Bioinformatic pipelines have been developed to do so (e.g., MitoBamAnnotator, MitoChip, MitoRS, and MToolBox), but such programs have limitations (e.g., species-specific and sequence data format requirements), and they do not allow for detection of plastid heteroplasmy. Our interest in genome-wide heteroplasmy extends to the maintenance of heteroplasmy across generations and the evolutionary outcomes of heteroplasmy in the context of cyto-nuclear interactions. Here, we report the results of a new bioinformatic pipeline with the ability to 1) detect heteroplasmy in mitochondrial and plastid genomes of any species and 2) visualize heteroplasmic sites from multiple individuals aligned to a reference genome. Such a pipeline enables us to discover regions of organellar genomes commonly found in the heteroplasmic state and test hypotheses relating to those regions. Further, once identified, heteroplasmic regions can be analyzed for signatures of selection and analyzed for geographic structuring of heteroplasmy. In this study, we carried out whole genome sequencing on 48 carrot individuals from North America, Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. After being processed through our pipeline, we find heteroplasmy common in both organellar genomes, and it is present in coding and non-coding regions. Moreover, coding regions contain heteroplasmic variants which alter the amino acid sequences of proteins.

1

University Of Memphis, Department Of Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Avenue, 104 Ellington Hall, Memphis, TN, 38111, United States2University of Memphis, Department of Computer Science, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States3University of Memphis, De-

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partment of Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States4University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States

303 2

OU, SHUJUN* 1, CHEN, JINFENG and JIANG, NING 3

Assessing genome assembly quality using the LTR Assembly Index (LAI)

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ssembling a plant genome is challenging due to the abundance of repetitive sequences. While many quality metrics have been developed, there is a lack of measures for assessing the assembly continuity of intergenic and repetitive sequence space. LTR retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) is the major intersperse repeat in plants and one of the poorest assembled contents due to its long length (up to 20 Kb) and high identity (nearly 100%) nature. In practice, we found more LTR-RTs were assembled in genomes with higher quality. Based on this idea, we propose a new genome metric called LTR Assembly Index (LAI) that evaluates the continuity of a de novo assembly based on LTR-RTs. After correcting for the dynamic of LTR-RTs using the identity of LTR sequences, LAI becomes robust between genomes with varying backgrounds of LTR-RTs. Moreover, LAI could be used for assembler selection and identifying low-quality genomic regions. We also reveal the limitation of short-read-based genome sequencing in decoding repetitive sequences and the significant gain of sequence continuity by using long-read sequencing methods.

States4Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States5 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

305

BARKER, MICHAEL* 1, JORGENSEN, STACY 2 and QI, XINSHUAI 3

Ancient polyploidy is associated with higher genetic diversity in vascular plants

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304

olyploidy is considered to be a major contributor to plant diversity. Nearly 30% of plant species are estimated to be recent polyploids, and almost all vascular plants have a polyploid ancestry. Polyploidy also influences other dimensions of diversity. Changes in genome organization following whole genome duplications (WGDs) may increase genetic variation in polyploid relative to diploid species. Ancient WGDs may have a significant impact on genetic diversity that lasts for millions of years. To test for evidence of higher genetic diversity in plants following ancient polyploidy, we analyzed data from a large collection of plant genomes and transcriptomes. Across 48 diploid species of vascular plants, we found a significant negative correlation between the age of their most recent ancient WGD and the expected heterozygosity of each species. The time since an ancient WGD explained approximately 25% of the difference in genetic diversity among species. To further explore this correlation, we evaluated patterns of genetic diversity in Brassica rapa, a paleohexaploid species. Consistent with our broader correlation, we found that genes derived from ancient WGDs contained significantly more genetic diversity than the non-WGD derived genes. Given the distribution of polyploidy throughout the history of vascular plants, our results suggest that ancient WGDs may significantly contribute to their genetic diversity and adaptation even after millions of years.

1

1

1

Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St, Room A326, East Lansing, MI, 48823, United States2University of California, Riverside, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Riverside, CA, 92507, USA3Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St, Room A330, East Lansing, MI, 48823, United States

MARCHANT, DANIEL BLAINE* , SESSA, EMILY 2, WOLF, PAUL 3, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 4 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 5

Incorporating a fern genome into land plant evolutionary genomics

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erns are infamous for large genomes, numerous chromosomes, and rampant polyploidy. As a result, they have been largely avoided for large-scale plant genomics projects, however, much can be learned from the sister group to seed plants. Here we present our findings from the draft genome of Ceratopteris richardii, or C-Fern. We compare the repeat composition and transposable element evolution of this 11.25 Gb genome to those of other land plants and find evidence for a relatively low rate of polyploidy despite a haploid chromosome number of 39. In addition, we find life phase specificity in both the genes and isoforms of this species.

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U Florida, Biology, 605 NE 8th Ter, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States2University Of Florida, Biology, Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Utah State University, Department Of Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, United

University of Arizona, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, US2University Of Arizona, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1041 E Lowell St, PO Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States3University of Arizona, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1041 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

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MARX, HANNAH* 1, MAITNER, BRIAN 1, WISELY, ELDRIDGE 2, JORGENSEN, STACY 3, DLUGOSCH, KATRINA 4 and BARKER, MICHAEL 5

Gene Expression Plasticity and the Persistence of Plant Species across Environmental Variation

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he ability to produce different phenotypes in different environments—phenotypic plasticity— can be essential for responding to environmental change. There is recent evidence from experimental studies that plasticity at the level of gene expression can be adaptive under changing environments, but

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little is known about how genomic plasticity relates to ecological success in nature. To address how genomic plasticity can be used to monitor community-wide responses to environmental change, we sampled RNA from 26 plant species at the Harvard Forest National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) site at two points during the growing season. For each species, transcriptomes were assembled de novo from RNA-seq data, and reads from each time point were mapped back to the reference. Variation in gene expression (log 2-fold change) over time was used to quantify genomic plasticity. Comparisons across these diverse plant lineages showed that species exhibit a tradeoff between large changes in gene expression at a small number of loci, or many modest changes in the magnitude of expression across the genome. Additionally, species with a larger niche breadth (quantified by the n-dimensional hypervolume of climatic variables over the current range) differentially express fewer loci at large magnitudes, revealing that the degree to which species employ expression strategies predicts the extent of their climatic niche. By establishing a foundation to use genomic plasticity to track responses to climate change, this approach has far-reaching applications for understanding how ecological and evolutionary processes drive the diversity that we observe in nature. Importantly, the relationship between genomic plasticity strategies and niche breadth suggests potential to use variation in gene expression to predict the success of species across environments. 1

University of Arizona, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA2University of Arizona, Genetics, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA3University Of Arizona, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1041 E Lowell St, PO Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States4University Of Arizona, ECOL AND EVOL BIOLOGY/ EMS, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States5Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States

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GRUSZ, AMANDA* 1, FEHRENBACH, PATRICK 2 and SIGEL, ERIN 3

From deep phylogeny to species complexes: The evolution of genomic repetitive elements in ferns

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he use of genome-scale data for phylogenetic inferences and comparative genomics has revolutionized evolutionary studies of ferns, a lineage previously sidelined because of their large genome sizes and high chromosome numbers. While published fern genomes remain forthcoming, low-coverage genome skimming has permitted first glimpses into the broad-scale genomic composition of ferns, particularly with respect to the abundance of repetitive elements relative to spermatophytes. Ferns generally have higher percentages of repetitive sequences compared to seed plants, but the abundance and evolution of transposable elements and other repeat types within major fern lineages are mostly unknown. Here, we present the results of a comparative genomic study of repeat content and composition among members of the Myriopteris yavapensis complex—a well-studied reticulate group that is

notorious for frequent hybridization, polyploidy, and apomixis. We interpret our findings in a phylogenetic context, leveraging previously generated repeat data from across the family (Pteridaceae). We further assess whether the abundance of various repetitive elements correlate with life history characteristics (e.g. genome size, chromosome number, and reproductive mode) in the group. This study lays the groundwork for future exploration of repetitive elements and their role in shaping genome structure, content, and size across ferns, and illuminates variation in mobile element composition among closely related members of this reticulate species complex. 1

University Of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, SSB 207, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States2University of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, SSB 207, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA3University of Louisiana Lafayette, Biology, 410 E. St. Mary Blvd, Billeaud Hall, Lafayette, LA, 70503, USA

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CAREY, SARAH* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, PAYTON, ADAM 1, CONRAD, ROTH 1, LANDIS, JACOB 3, OLSSON, SANNA 4, HUTTUNEN, SANNA 5, BURLEIGH, GORDON 1 and MCDANIEL, STUART 1

Ancient sex chromosome systems in plants

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ex chromosomes have evolved several times across the tree of life. The bryophytes, whose ancestor is thought to have been dioecious, provide novel systems for understanding the evolution of ancient sex chromosomes. Given their haploid dominant nature, sex in dioecious bryophytes is determined by a UV sex chromosomal system. In this system, each sex has a non-recombining chromosome (U for females and V for males) that pair at meiosis in the monomorphic sporophyte and segregate to the male and female, haploid gametophytes. Because the sex chromosomes are transcriptionally active in the haploid stage and therefore subject to purifying selection we expect many orthologous genes will be retained between the U and V chromosomes. Here we use known sex-linked genes in bryophytes to determine the age of their sex chromosomes. We accomplish this by building gene trees, which allow us to determine not only the age of the genes on the sex chromosomes but also whether multiple capture events have occurred. Genes that are sex-linked show clear, monophyletic clusters with the known U and V-linked genes. We find that bryophyte sex chromosomes are ancient with multiple capture events of genes throughout their evolution. We additionally use these gene trees to test the of accuracy of ancestral state reconstructions of dioecy in the bryophytes.

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University of Florida, Department of Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Texas Tech University, Biological Sciences, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA3University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 3401 Watkins Drive, Boyce Hall, Room 4412, Riverside, CA, 92507, United States4University of Helsinki, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Helsinki, Finland5University of Turku, Department of Biology, Turku, Finland

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HARKESS, ALEX* 1, LEEBENSMACK, JIM 2, MEYERS, BLAKE 1, HUANG, KUN 3 and BATISH, MONA 3

Testing a "two gene" model for sex chromosome evolution in asparagus

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n elegant model for the conversion of an autosomal pair in a hermaphroditic species to a sex chromosome in a dioecious species was formalized by Deborah and Brian Charlesworth in 1978. Briefly, the conversion from autosome to sex chromosome could require just two loci linked perfectly in nonrecombination on a young Y chromosome: one locus must dominantly suppress female (pistil) organogenesis, while another locus must promote the formation of male (anther) organogenesis, but this model has never had strong genic support in any dioecious species. Garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is an ideal system to test this question, given that the X and Y sex chromosomes are evolutionarily young and cytologically homomorphic. Leveraging a doubled haploid YY individual and a doubled haploid mapping population, we generated a chromosome-level genome assembly using Illumina, PacBio, and Bionano optical maps and identified a 1Mb region of non-recombination on the Y chromosome that is largely missing from the X. Several independent male-to-hermaphrodite mutants (gamma irradiation, spontaneous SNP) implicate a single gene SOFF (Suppressor of Female Function) on the Y chromosome as being responsible for female suppression. While only 12 gene annotations are in this non-recombining region, there exists Tapetum Development and Function 1, a gene with an Arabidopsis knockout phenotype very similar to Asparagus females. EMS mutagenesis confirms that tdf1 knockouts are neuters. With an additional PacBio and optical map genome assembly for a sibling XX female, we have compared the structure of the X and Y chromosomes and identified ~130kb of X-specific sequence, including several X-specific genes. Further, single molecule FISH (sm-FISH) was used to quantify individual mRNAs and visualize the precise developmental expression patterns of both SOFF and TDF1 along a spear tip gradient. Additionally, an in-progress Oxford Nanopore genome for a hermaphroditic individual is being generated to determine the ancestral autosome sequence. This is the strongest evidence to date for the Charlesworth's "two gene" model.

1 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center2University of Georgia, Plant Biology, Athens, GA3University of Delaware, Neward, DE

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OU, SHUJUN* 1 and JIANG, NING 2

The genomic composition and domestication of Asian rice revealed by 3,400 rice genomes

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ice is a model species for studying monocot plants and understanding the mechanisms of crop domestication. Since the publication of the rice genome in 2002, many efforts have focused on understanding its genetic variations in the population level. In 2012, a research group from China published a study about resequencing of 1,543 rice varieties and wild rice accessions. Two years later, an international consortium released the sequencing of 3,024 rice varieties with an average sequencing depth of 14X. These studies have identified genomic regions undergone selective sweeps; however, the sequential order of rice domestication events remains largely unknown. To understand the dynamic of genomic landscape shift during rice domestication, we combined these public "big data" for a better understanding of rice domestication history. In this study, a total of 26,000 sequencing files (SRA format) with the total size of 17.6 TB were trimmed, mapped, and PCR duplicate-removed and InDel-realigned using Cutadapt, BWA, and Picard tools, respectively, at the MSU High-Performance Computation Center (HPCC). To accurately call variants in these mapping files, a joint variant-calling procedure was carried out using GATK. Genomic Variant Call Format (GVCF) files were first produced for each sample to accelerate the whole procedure, then joint genotyping was performed on all samples. To filter out unreliable variants, the machine learning-guided Variant Quality Score Recalibration (VQSR) from the GATK package was carried out using the rice SNP database (dbSNP) from NCBI. With further hard filtering, finally, a total of 23.8 million high-confident variants were retained which was equivalent to only 3% of the original data size. With this high-quality and highdensity variant dataset for the largest sequenced plant population, phylogenetic analysis, genomic admixture analysis, and principal component clustering were performed to understand the genomic composition of Asian rice. The ultimate goal of this project is to recover the temporal model of how rice being domesticated. 1

Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St, Room A326, East Lansing, MI, 48823, United States2Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St, Room A330, East Lansing, MI, 48823, United States

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STRAUB, SHANNON* 1, BOUTTE, JULIEN 1, WALTER, LAUREN 2, LUNDERMAN, ELIZABETH 3, BAILEY, DONOVAN 4, LIVSHULTZ, TATYANA 5, SIMOES, ANDRÉ 6 and FISHBEIN, MARK 7

Plastome Evolution in Apocynaceae

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o Abstract Submitted

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Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA2Broad Institute, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA3Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, United States4New Mexico State University, Department of Biology, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA5Drexel University, Biodiversity Earth and Environmental Sciences, Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States6Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Department of Plant Biology, Campinas, SP, Brazil7Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

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BOUTTE, JULIEN* , FISHBEIN, MARK 2, CORITON, OLIVIER 3, ROUSSEAU-GUEUTIN, MATHIEU 4 and STRAUB, SHANNON 1

Gene Family Expansion in the Sonoran Desert Clade of Asclepias

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three different probes in two species: A. syriaca and Asclepias subulata, a member of the SDC. Characterization at the sequence level showed that several exons and introns are highly conserved, while others are divergent. Analyses are ongoing to compare gene expression between species with one and many copies and to explore the function and consequences of this duplication for the species of the SDC.

ene and genome duplications play an important role in the diversification of eukaryotic functions and the formation of new species. Several sources of gene duplication are known including retrotransposition, unequal crossing over, and polyploidy. After gene duplication, several scenarios can occur: one copy can become non-functional (pseudogenization), the new copy can retain the original function, acquire a new function (neofunctionalization), or the ancestral function can be partitioned among copies (subfunctionalization). We explored gene duplication in Asclepias (Apocynaceae, 2n=22), an ecological and evolutionary model for the study of reproductive biology, plant defenses and plantanimal interactions (e.g. coevolution with the monarch butterfly). We focus on a CW-type Zinc finger protein, present in single copy in the majority Asclepias species and shown to be expressed in Asclepias syriaca and Asclepias curassavica. We estimated the copy number of this gene using genomic shotgun data and Hyb-Seq data sets (a combination of target enrichment and genome skimming). This gene has between 10 and 40 copies in species of the Sonoran Desert Clade (SDC) of Asclepias (and up to 105 copies in a hybrid). Some species from the Temperate North American clade have an intermediate copy number (2-6), but outgroup species, like the majority of the Asclepias species have only one copy, indicating probable independent duplications events in the two clades. Gene duplication was validated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using

Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA2Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA3INRA, IGEPP, Agrocampus Ouest, Université de Rennes 1, BP35327, Le Rheu Cedex, 35653, France4INRA, IGEPP, Agrocampus Ouest, Université de Rennes 1, BP35327, Le Rheu, 35653, FRANCE

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VALENCIA, JANICE * 1, NEUBIG, KURT 2 and WHITTEN, WILLIAM 3

Variation in evolutionary rates across genomes in orchids

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nderstanding evolution at the molecular level is one of the main goals in systematic biology today. Rates of nucleotide substitutions hold the key to the evolutionary history that gave rise to the organisms that survive today. Relatively few studies have addressed differences in the evolutionary rates in plants using plastid and mitochondrial genomes. Orchidaceae, with 110 million years of divergence as a lineage, a variety of life history traits, and a foundational phylogenetic framework, constitute a useful study group to analyze the patterns of the molecular evolution and their possible causes. Here, we compare nucleotide substitution rates for genes representing both plastomes and chondriomes in orchids. We also evaluate the substitution rate of repeated and single regions, coding and non-coding regions, and dN/dS (substitutional rates). Sequences were gathered by genome skimming 75 taxa on an Illumina HiSeqX that provided ca. 10 million, 150 bp paired-end reads per sample. Genes were targeted by a combination of reference and de novo assemblies in Geneious -R10 package, and comparisons were made using the relative likelihood ratio test. We show that sequences differ in their rates within and between each genome, likely due to the different types of evolutionary pressures to which they were subjected. Our phylogenetic results will provide a context to understand the fundamental processes that drive the generation and fixation of molecular changes.

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Southern Illinois University , Plant Biology Department, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States2Southern Illinois University, Dept Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Life Science II, Room 420, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States3Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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SINN, BRANDON* 1, RANJBARAN, ALI 2 and BARRETT, CRAIG 2

Transcription Factor Family Evolution in Fully Mycoheterotrophic Orchids

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ll orchids have a unique life history among plants in that they are obligate parasites of fungi in the initial stages of their lifecycle, termed 'initial mycoheterotrophy.' Some orchids are non-photosynthetic and obtain all of their nutrients from mycorrhizal symbionts (full mycoheterotrophy), while others retain photosynthetic capacity (partial mycoheterotrophy). Full mycoheterotrophy has evolved independently throughout the orchids an estimated minimum of 30 times, making this group an ideal system in which to study the molecular mechanisms underlying shifts from partial to full mycoheterotrophy. Nuclear-encoded transcription factors have been implicated in plant defense response and the maintenance of genome stability, and transcription factor family expansions are thought to have positively influenced major cladogenic events. But what roles have transcription factors played in the evolution of fully mycoheterotrophic lineages whose species tolerate both fungal growth within their tissues and reduced genome stability? Here we test hypotheses involving transcription factors associated with responses to fungi. We use genome skimming and RNA-seq in closely related partially and fully mycoheterotrophic orchids to study transcription factor expression, gene family expansion and contraction, and substitution rates across the three plant genomes, to evaluate the role of transcription factors in the evolution of full mycoheterotrophy. 1

West Virginia University, Biology, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States2West Virginia University, Biology, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

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DACOSTA, JEFFREY 1, YANT, LEVI 2, POTTER, DANIEL 3 and MATHEWS, SARAH* 4

Comparative genomics of a species radiation: sequencing the apple tribe

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nderstanding the evolution of species radiations and how genome evolution progresses in this context remains a central problem in biology. An intriguing and important radiation within Rosaceae produced a clade of about 750 woody species distributed in 35 genera with a base chromosome number of x = 17 (tribe Maleae) that includes the apple, pear, and quince genera. The sister group of this clade is the genus Gillenia, which has just two species, both herbaceous perennials with a base chromosome number of x = 9. The Maleae are particularly attractive for the study of genome evolution in the context of a species radiation because of their generally small genome sizes and their origin following a single whole genome duplication (WGD) that postdates their divergence from Gillenia. Early diverging Maleae are similar to Gillenia in having dry fruits and

few species. But after the evolution of the pome, they diversified into 32 genera, sorting into lineages with distinctive phenotypic, life history, and ecological traits, including lineages in which repeated hybridization and polyploidy events have contributed to their species-richness. We have produced draft genome assemblies for representative Maleae and outgroups in order to explore the potential impacts of WGD and post-WGD genome evolution on diversification of the Maleae. Specifically, we are reconstructing patterns of lineage-specific gene loss and retention, characterising the expansion and contraction of gene families, and testing for evidence of variable selective pressures. Preliminary results so far suggest that for genes that were single copy before WGD and were subsequently retained as no more than two copies (13,499), about half have reverted to single copy in Maleae. Of the genes that are retained as two-copy, about half are retained in both dry- and pome-fruited taxa and the other half in pome-fruited Maleae only, while a very small proportion of the two-copy genes are retained in dry-fruited taxa only. From these data, we will reconstruct patterns of loss and discuss the results in the context of the potential contribution of reciprocal gene loss to reproductive isolation. We also will discuss findings on rates of gene loss and gain across the Maleae phylogeny, and on specific gene families characterised by expansions and contractions in copy number. 1

Boston College, Biology Department, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA2John Innes Centre, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK3University Of California, Plant Sciences Mail Stop 2, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616.0, United States4CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Australian National Herbarium, Clunies Ross Street, GPO 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

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MCKAIN, MICHAEL* 1, PIENAAR, JASON 2, ZUDOCK, KRISTINA 3, AUBUCHON, TAYLOR 4, SAEIDI, SAMAN 4 , PASQUET, REMY 5, LAYTON, DANIEL 6, WELKER, CASSIANO 7, ART-HAN, WATCHARA 8, TRAIPERM, PAWEENA 9, MCALLISTER, CHRISSY 10 and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH 11

Transposon diversity and abundance variation as a consequence of climatic variables in Andropogoneae (Poaceae)

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ransposable elements (TEs) are a major component of angiosperm genomes. Variation of transposon diversity and abundance are well documented in a number of sequenced genomes and across lineages in a few, well studied taxa. Multiple adaptive hypotheses exist to describe TE variation in genomes, but there is a need to test these hypotheses in a phylogenetic context across a lineage anchored by well-characterized genomes. Here we assembled a data set of 47, low coverage shotgun sequenced Andropogoneae accessions, where we estimated genome size and transposable element abundance for each individual. As part of this study, we demonstrate a bootstrapping method that uses subsets

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of reads and the software Transposome to quickly and accurately depict the transposon landscape of low-coverage sequenced genomes. Using voucher information, we gathered data on the sampling location (altitude, longitude, latitude) and bioclimatic variables for each accession, which we combined with ploidy estimation and duration (annual vs. herbaceous perennial). Using a well-resolved plastome phylogeny and a suite of phylogenetic comparative methods with an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, we tested all combinations of variables as alternative hypotheses for factors that influence the adaptive landscape for the abundance of each transposable element superfamily. We used Aikake Information Criteria to select amongst the various adaptive and neutral evolution hypotheses (modeled as a Brownian motion on the phylogeny). We find that only microsatellites evolve neutrally, whereas the larger satellites are constrained by stabilizing selection around a single, global optimum. Adaptive landscapes of the remaining transposable elements are all affected by residual genome size (genome size minus all transposable elements) in combination with either bioclimatic variable 3 (isothermality) for Copia and Gypsy retroelements, helitrons and MuDR, or life history for MuDR and retroelements (where perennials have higher TE abundance). Most bioclimatic variables that affect TEs involve some aspect of temperature. For Andropogoneae, evidence supports the hypothesis that temperature stability is the main environmental determinant of TE abundance, where abundance is higher in more stable temperature environments. 1

The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States2The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States3Washington University in St. Louis, Biology, Campus Box 1137, St. Louis, MO, 631304Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N Warson, St Louis, MO, 63132, United States5Unité de Recherche Institut de Recherche pour le Développement , Laboratoire Évolution, Génomes et Spéciation, Orsay, France67Rua Sete De Setembro, 243, Esteio, RS, 93285280, Brazil8Kew Gardens, Comparative Plant & Fungal Biology, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, UK9Mahidol University, Department of Plant Science, Bangkok, Thailand101 Maybeck Place, Principia College, Elsah, IL, 62028, United States11 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States

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CATLIN, NATHAN* 1, WING, ROD A. 2, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 4 and BARBAZUK, W. BRAD 1

The interplay of alternative splicing and gene duplication in Oryza

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arge, clade-wide sequencing projects allow for genomic and transcriptomic-level comparisons across taxa, which provide an evolutionary context for various genetic mechanisms. Two such mechanisms are alternative splicing (AS) and gene duplication. AS is a pre-mRNA processing mechanism resulting in the production of multiple mRNA transcripts from a single gene. Gene duplication, alternatively, is a genomic structural change resulting in an immediate increase in genetic material. Therefore, gene duplication is often seen as a possible mode of functional divergence and diversification. These processes are known to play crucial roles in many important plant life functions, including floral development, grain quality, and stress responses. Although it is known that AS and gene duplication are ubiquitous across plant taxa, the evolution and relationship between the two are a not clearly understood. The rice genus (Oryza) provides an ideal system for tandemly investigating AS and gene duplication in an evolutionary framework due to the enormous amount of sequencing data available for domesticated rice and its wild relatives. By leveraging public RNA-Seq data and genomes for 9 species of Oryza, I have characterized the variation of AS across the rice genus, Oryza. Additionally, AS can be linked to each generated orthogroup phylogeny within Oryza, allowing for the first direct comparison of AS events and gene duplication on clade by clade basis within a rapidly diverging genus. 1

University of Florida, Biology, 220 Bartram Hall , P.O. Box 118525 , Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, USA2Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA3University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL4University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, US

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PARKS, MATTHEW* 1, WICKETT, NORMAN 2 and ALVERSON, ANDREW 3

POSTERS

Characterizing persistent bacterial cohabitants and their genetic contribution to an araphid pennate diatom

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iatoms (Bacillariophyta) are photosynthetic microbial eukaryotes with critical global roles in carbon and nutrient cycling. Diatoms also interact with bacterial taxa inhabiting the diatom phycosphere, including for iron and nitrogen uptake, cell division, and biofilm formation, and a significant portion of diatom genes originate from bacterialto-diatom horizontal gene transfer events. We assembled the first genome of an araphid pennate diatom, Psammoneis japonica Shin.Sato, Kooistra & Medlin, from a combination of Illumina and Pacific BioSciences sequencing data to an estimated genome size of 91.4Mbp (N50=380Kbp). Assembly of four distinct and complete bacterial genomes from putatively axenic Psammoneis culture supports a requisite relationship between this species and bacterial phycosphere residents. We did not detect unique primary or secondary metabolic pathways in these bacteria compared to closely related taxa. However, at least one Psammoneis gene with strong parametric-based support for horizontal gene transfer, and at least seven orthologous genes in the Psammoneis genome, were supported as originating in one of the co-habiting bacterial lineages. This suggests specific diatom-bacterial relationships are stable over potentially millions of years. Structural modeling of these proteins and related proteins in the putative HGT donor bacterial genome supports extracellular and membrane-surface localization. This suggests possible roles in bacterial adhesion or bacterial-diatom signaling, although we were unable to explicitly identify 'partner' proteins in any of our assembled bacterial genomes. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States3University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 University of Arkansas, SCEN 601, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA

WEBSTER, REBECCA

Detecting Differential Gene Expression Linked to Foraging Behavior in Cuscuta harperi

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uscuta, common name Dodder, are leafless, rootless, flowering holoparasitic vines related to Morning Glories. Upon germination, Dodder seedlings forage for potential hosts by circling as they lengthen and only have a few days to locate and attach to a suitable photosynthetic plant. Once attached to a suitable host the parasite extracts nutrients from the host's vascular system and grows rapidly. Seedlings are able to detect gradients of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by potential hosts to either grow away from unsuitable hosts or towards a preferred host while foraging (Runyon et al. 2006). The genetic mechanisms responsible for VOC recognition, foraging behavior, and growth response are currently unknown. Harper's Dodder (Cuscuta harperi) is a rare species endemic to sandstone and granite outcrops in Georgia and Alabama that shows a high degree of selectivity for preferred hosts (Rogers 2017) and possesses a relatively small, fully sequenced genome, making it an ideal species for investigating genetics of foraging behavior.Our overarching goal for this research is to identify the genetic mechanisms involved in volatile organic compound (VOC) recognition and foraging behavior in Harper's Dodder by comparing gene expression between Cuscuta harperi seedlings exposed to differing experimental conditions. 36 Cuscuta harperi seedlings were exposed to either a preferred host (Liatris microcephala), a non-preferred host (Danthonia sericea), or a control, and tissue samples were flash frozen to preserve transcriptome activity during uniform times of either 0.5hrs, 2 hrs, or 6hrs after seedling exposure to VOCs. A sufficient quantity of high-quality RNA was successfully isolated from the collected samples, and the messenger RNA (mRNA) was converted into a complementary DNA (cDNA) library suitable for high-throughput sequencing Illumina DNA sequencing. Resulting sequence data will then be used to compare changes in seedling gene expression across different time intervals of VOC exposure and changes in gene expression between seedlings exposed to unsuitable versus preferred host VOCs. Results of these trials will help elucidate the genetic mechanisms involved in VOC recognition, foraging behavior, and host selection in C. harperi and closely related Cuscuta species, some of which are known to cause extensive agricultural damage. Kennesaw State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, Ga, 30144, USA

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SCHWEITZER, SARAH* 2, NEUPANE, SURENDRA 2, ANDERSEN, ETHAN 2 , ZHOU, RUANBAO 2, FENELL, ANNE 1 and NEPAL, MADHAV 2

Genome-wide Identification of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAP Kinase) Cascade Genes in Sunflower

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lants are constantly exposed to both biotic and abiotic stresses; as a result, they have evolved mechanisms to cope with the changing environment. At the molecular level, Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP Kinase) cascade, a gene family with many genes, acts as a resistance response against environmental stresses. The MAP Kinase gene family is classified into three major subfamilies: MAP Kinase (MAPK), MAPK Kinase (MAPKK), and MAPKK Kinase (MAPKKK). The MAPKKK family is subdivided into Zik, Raf, MEKK. The objectives of this project were to conduct genome-wide identification of the MAP Kinase genes in Sunflower, and to assess diversity and evolution of these genes across 11 species. These species, at various taxonomic levels, included Amborella tricopoda, Aquilegia coerula, Arabidopsis thaliana, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Daucus carota, Glycine max, Oryza sativa, Solanum lycopersicum, Sphagnum fallax and Vitis vinifera. Using Arabidopsis thaliana reference sequences, the genomes of aforementioned species were acquired from various databases such as phytozome.org and sunflower.org. Hidden Markov Model (HMM) profiling was used to identify potential MAP Kinase genes in respective proteins sequences of the species.The sequences were examined for the presence of MAPK specific serine/ threonine domains using various bioinformatics tools. Our results show that H. annuus genome contains 28 MAPK genes, 10 MAPKK genes, 167 MAPKKK genes (with 28 MEKKs, 127 Rafs, and 12 Ziks). Sunflower genome contains highest diversity of MAPK cascade genes among the species included in this study. It also contains the highest number of Raf genes compared to the other eight species. Evolutionary analyses of MAPK cascades show unique patterns of divergence in species at various taxonomic levels, perhaps due to increased encounter of environmental challenges plants faced while transitioning to land or later continual exposure to more intense environmental challenges ton land.

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South Dakota State University, Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Sciences, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA2South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA

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NEUPANE, SURENDRA* and NEPAL, MADHAV

Genome-wide Identification of Disease Resistance Genes in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

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ucleotide-binding site Leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR or NBS in short) genes in plants encode disease resistance proteins (R) involved in plant defense against pathogens. Sunflower crop is affected by many diseases and little is known about the molecular pathogenesis and resistance mechanism against them. Recent availability of sunflower complete genome-sequences allowed us to perform a genome-wide identification of both Toll interleukin-1 receptor-like Nucleotide-binding site Leucinerich repeat (TNL) and Coiled Coil (CC)-NBS-LRR (CNL) group of proteins in sunflower. We used Arabidopsis thaliana reference sequences to carry out Hidden Markov Model (HMM) profiling of 52,232 sunflower proteins in order to identify NBS-genes in sunflower genome. We identified 352 NBS genes including 100 CNLs (with 64 RX_CC like domains), 77 TNLs and 13 RNLs (resistance to powdery mildew8). We also identified signal peptides and nuclear localization signals present in these NBS proteins including their potential homologs. NBS genes are located on each chromosome forming seventy-five clusters, one-third of which was observed in chromosome 13. Phylogenetic analyses between sunflower and Arabidopsis NBS genes revealed clade-specific nesting pattern in CNL group with RNLs in the CNL-A clade, and species-specific nesting pattern in TNL group. Arabidopsis and sunflower genome showed 87 synteny blocks with 1049 synteny hits with high synteny between chromosomes 5 of Arabidopsis with chromosome 6 of sunflower. Analyses of the available transcriptomic data revealed functional divergence of NBS-genes indicating tissue specific differential expression. This study represents first genome-wide identification of NBS genes in sunflower which could help elucidate the role of these genes in disease resistance pathwayswith potential implication in crop improvement. South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA

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ANDERSEN, ETHAN* 1, ALI, SHAUKAT 2, BYAMUKAMA, EMMANUEL 3, YEN, YANG 1, NEUPANE, SURENDRA 4 and NEPAL, MADHAV 4

Evolutionary Conservation of PBS1 Homologs in Family Poaceae

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lant pathogens produce effectors to interfere with host resistance responses as a way to facilitate infection. Many targets of these effectors regulate the expression of genes associated with defense system. Plants initiate responses when pathogen effectors cleave critical target proteins. Pseudomonas syringae cysteine protease effector Pseudomonas syringae

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pv. phaseolicola B (AvrPphB) cleaves the Arabidopsis thaliana cytoplasmic kinase protein AVRPPHB SUSCEPTIBLE1 (PBS1) and other PBS1-like (PBL) kinases to interfere with immune signaling. The resistance protein RESISTANCE TO PSEUDOMONAS SYRINGAE5 (RPS5) recognizes the cleavage of PBS1 and initiates a response to the bacterial pathogen. While elucidated in Arabidopsis thaliana, recent literature suggests that grasses, such as wheat, also possess PBS1 homologs that share the cleavage domain utilized by AvrPphB. The objectives of this study were to sequence and compare the cleavage sites of PBS1 homolog genes of both cultivated and wild grass family members. PCR was used to amplify PBS1 homologs, which were then sequenced and analyzed. We found that PBS1 has been evolutionarily conserved throughout Poaceae lineages, specifically the region coding for the cleavage site utilized by AvrPphB effectors. While the role of PBS1 as a regulator of resistance response may not have been retained among these species, a selective advantage was likely present to preserve the function of PBS1 as a target for bacterial effectors. 1

South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, United States2South Dakota State University, Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Sciences, Seed Technology Lab 113D, Brookings, SD, 57006, United States3 South Dakota State University, Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Sciences, Plant Science Building 107, Brookings, SD, 57006, United States4South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA

323 IVIA

ALLASI CANALES , NATALY OL-

Genome-wide identification of resistant genes in domesticated and wild rice varieties (Oryza spp; Poaceae)

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ackground: Rice is the staple food for a large part of human population in the world. Rice plants are threatened by pathogens, however they have developed two defense mechanisms to resist pathogens. In this study, we focused on the resistant (R) proteins in different rice varieties that are encoded by NBS-LRR genes. It has been found that some motifs in the LRR domain are under strong positive selection in cultivated rice and other grass species. In this study we aimed to find out if this feature was also present in wild rice varieties and to what extent. Material and Methods: The genome data of nine rice varieties were used as materials, including Oryza sativa japonica, Oryza sativa indica as cultivated rice and Oryza barthii, Oryza brachyantha, Oryza glumaepatula, Oryza meridionalis, Oryza nivara, Oryza punctata and Oryza rufipogon as wild rice varieties. R gene identification was performed with BLAST searches and HMM approaches through PRGDB, then annotated with InterProScan, HMMPam and Pepcoil. Ortholog analysis was done by two approaches, phylogeny and sequences based (Orthofinder). The phylogenetic analysis was performed through Fasttree using the CC-MHD region. Finally, positive selection

analysis was performed with PAML's yn00. Results: We identified the number of R genes ranging from 204 (O. meridionalis) to 551 (O. sativa indica). A common distribution trend of NBS-LRR encoding genes on chromosomes in all varieties was found; chromosome 11 and 12 held from 26% to 40% of the total R gene amount. Additionally, we obtained 405 clades of ortholog R genes, spanning the CC-MHD region, in all varieties, suggesting a rapid conserved evolution and a window to improve resistance in cultivated varieties from wild ones. The results in the phylogenomic analysis confirmed previous results, showing that O. rufipogon and O. nivara are highly related to O. sativa cultivars. Oryza barthii was closely related to O. glumaepatula, while O. brachyantha was more divergent from the others. Selection pressure analyses in LRR domains among the R gene ortholog groups showed that an ortholog R gene group, related to signal transduction, was also found to be under positive selection (Ka/Ks=1.22). Additionally, its core region (xxLxLxx) was under strong positive selection (Ka/Ks=2.11) showing that R genes evolve rapidly not only in domesticated Oryza but also in wild varieties and might also be the key sites under selection in the process of rice domestication. Fujian Agriculture and Forestry U., Natural History Museum of Denmark

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AUBER, ROBERT* 1, CROOK, JOSEPH 2, WIDHALM, JOSHUA 2 and WISECAVER, JENNIFER 1

Identifying Gene Candidates of the Shikonin Biosynthesis Pathway in the Chinese Medicinal Plant Lithospermum erythrorhizon

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pecialized metabolites (SMs) are products of metabolism that are not directly involved in growth or development but aid in the survival of the producer. As such, SMs display a variety of ecologically important properties such as antibiotic activity or color pigmentation, which also makes SMs of high interest for their medicinal and biotechnological applications. SM compounds are intricate and assembled by biological pathways that can be equally complex. Due to the high level of evolutionary divergence seen in these pathways, characterizing the genes responsible for SM production can pose a significant challenge. One SM, shikonin, is produced by the Chinese medicinal plant Lithospermum erythrorhizon. Shikonin is known for its use in dyes, cosmetics and in traditional medicine, and has more recently been demonstrated to exhibit antiviral and anticancer activities. Only one enzymatic gene has been elucidated in this SM pathway: PGT, which encodes a prenyltransferase involved in the committing step of shikonin synthesis from 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4HBA). In this study, we performed a differential expression analysis to construct a list of gene candidates potentially involved in shikonin biosynthesis. Leveraging the exclusivity of shikonin production in the root periderm, we compared gene

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expression between periderm and vascular regions of L. erythrorhizon root as well as whole root and leaf tissue. We identified a 56-gene module, which contained the known shikonin gene PGT. This module was highly expressed in root periderm and lowly expressed in leaves and root vascular tissue. GO enrichment analysis suggests this module may function in hydroquinone oxygen oxidoreductase activity and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone activity, which is in agreement with the proposed biosynthetic pathway of shikonin. In future work, we will perform additional RNAseq experiments taking advantage of other conditions known to modulate shikonin production to refine our list of candidates. Lastly, the gene candidates obtained in this study will be functionally tested by molecular cloning in L. erythrorhizon hairy root cultures. 1

Purdue University, 175 South University street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States2Purdue University, 625 Agriculture Mall drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States

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SPEAR, MARISSA M.* 1, ETTERSON, JULIE 2 and GROSS, BRIANA 1

Assessing Contemporary Evolution in Helianthus annuus using RNA-Seq

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esurrection experiments, in which ancestral populations are collected, stored, and grown alongside contemporary populations, allow us to compare functional traits of a temporally separated population. Combining this approach with modern genomic tools allows us to evaluate the genetic basis of evolution in a population as well as identify potentially adaptive plastic responses in variable environments. We accessed historical collections of wild common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System gathered in Minneapolis, MN in 1980, and returned to the same areas in 2016 to collect the contemporary descendants of this population. By analyzing RNASeq data from this resurrected ancestral population and the contemporary population of H. annuus we identified genetic changes and differential expression of transcribed genes. RNA-Seq data show the 2016 populations are closely related to one another while the 1980 populations are closely related to one another. Out of 56261 transcribed genes, 921 were differentially expressed between the contemporary and ancestral groups, with 358 genes up-regulated in the ancestral group and 563 up-regulated in the contemporary group. Exploring the transcriptome of these temporally separated populations will help us understand the evolution of functional traits over the past 36 years. 1

University Of Minnesota Duluth, Department Of Biology, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States2University Of Minnesota Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1110 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

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LAWRENCE , AMELIA H* 1, KINSER, TALIESIN 2 and PUZEY, JOSHUA 3

Methylation repatterning in the endosperm and embryo of interploid Mimulus hybrids

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lant hybridization offers a unique window to explore genomic interactions between divergent genomes. One potential manifestation of interactions between genomes in hybrid individuals is methylation repatterning. To understand the impact the interploid hybridization has on methylation repatterning we utilized Mimulus as a model system. Mimulus is useful because it has species of varying ploidies and its genome is fully sequenced. Because the endosperm and embryo are the first areas where these genomes interact, we examine methylation repatterning in the context of these tissues. Using Mimulus we examined endosperm and embryo methylation in reciprocal crosses between M. guttatus (2n) and M.luteus (4n) (2n x 4n and 4n x 2n) as well as parental crosses (2n x 2n and 4n x 4n). Overall, we find that all types of methylation (CG, CHH, CHG) are significantly repatterned in the hybrid endosperm and embryo. These results have broad implications for understanding genomic imprinting, seed development, and hybrid incompatibility.

1

College of William & Mary, Biology, 540 Landrum Dr., 110 Sadler Center, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185, United States2College of William & Mary, 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185, United States3College Of William And Mary, Biology Dept., 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States

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CHAE, TAYLOR* 1, HARKESS, ALEX 2 and MOORE, RICH 3

Differential gene expression linked to a reversion from dioecy to gynodioecy in Carica papaya

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ioecy is thought to have evolved from hermaphroditism and was established in flowering plants through two types of mutations, a male sterility mutation and a female sterility mutation. However, reversions to gynodioecious populations of females and hermaphrodites can occur in some plants, including the tropical fruit crop, Carica papaya (papaya). Papaya has young sex chromosomes, with homogametic females (XX), heterogametic males (XY) and hermaphrodites with a slightly different Y chromosome (XYh). Approximately 4,000 years ago, the male Y chromosome diverged, resulting in the hermaphroditic Yh chromosome. The Y and Yh chromosomes are only 0.4% divergent in nucleotide sequence, and gene content and exon structure are conserved across both chromosomes. However, major morphological differences exist in males and hermaphrodites. Specifically, the male flowers contain a nonfunctional pistil that is aborted early in development called the pistillode while hermaphroditic flowers contain a functional and fully developed pistil. I hypothesize that these differences between

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males and hermaphrodites as well as the cause of the reverse sexual transition in papaya is due to differentially expressed Y and Yh-linked genes. Specifically, I expect a masculinization gene(s) in the sex determining region that suppresses carpel formation to be on in males but off in females during development. RNA extraction and RNA-seq of early and late developmental buds of males, females and hermaphrodites was completed and all samples were sequenced. HISAT2, StringTie and DESeq2 were used to analyze transcript abundance and identify differentially expressed genes. Continuing work includes identifying these differentially expressed genes and comparing them to homologs in other flowering plants. Studying differences in expression could lead to the identification of sex-determining genes in the sexdetermining regions of the Y and Yh chromosomes. This could eventually allow for the development of a true-breeding papaya plant that only produces hermaphrodites. 1

Miami University, Botany Dept., 700 E. High Street, Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States2Donald Danforth Plant Center, St.Louis3Miami University, Biology, 316 Pearson, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States

328

WIGGINS, RAEGAN* 1, DEVITT, JESSICA 1 and SCHENK, JOHN 2

Comparative transcriptomics and Selection of Differentially Expressed Genes in Drought-Shocked Mentzelia (Loasaceae)

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hen exposed to acute drought, a plant's physiological responses play a substantial role in its ability to survive. Physiological responses are controlled by the expression of genes, and it is likely that natural selection has acted on the responses of drought-associated genes, especially in xerophytes. To understand the role of selection on genetic responses to drought, we tested the hypothesis that individuals from species that evolved in arid environments would have greater drought-associated genes under directional selection compared to temperate species. Experiments were conducted on Mentzelia filifolia, M. speciosa, and M. reverchonii, which occur across an environmental gradient throughout western North America. Four individuals from each species were subjected to a drought-shock treatment, in which cDNA libraries were built from extracted RNA and sequenced, and the gene expression levels were measured from transcriptomic data. We applied the expression-variation-and-evolution model to the data to determine whether selection was acting on genes that respond to the drought treatment. We discuss our results as they pertain to the selection of expression levels in genes associated with drought adaptation and whether selection has been important in the evolution of xerophytes.

1

Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA2Georgia Southern University, Department Of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Biological Sciences Building, Statesboro, GA, 30458, United States

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TROSTLE, ALEX* 1, GOYAL, ANSHU 1, GALUSKA, SALLY 1, REARDON, CHRIS 1, TILEY, GEORGE 2, ELLIS, JAKE 1, LI, ZHENG 3, SUTHERLAND, BRITTANY 4 and BARKER, MICHAEL 3

Machine learning approaches for the inference of WGDs from gene age distributions

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he inference of whole genome duplications (WGDs) from gene age distributions or Ks plots is frequently more of an art than exact science. Ancient WGDs leave characteristic peaks of gene duplication in Ks plots that are often relatively easy to identify by eye. However, depending on the data source, Ks estimation method, variation in gene birth and death rates, gene retention rates, and other variables, these peaks may not always appear to be prominent. Most of the statistical approaches applied to this problem often search for a peak of duplication that is statistically significant relative to a null background or fit normal distributions to a range of Ks values. Diagnosing WGDs in these cases can often be a fraught exercise because many peaks, frequently spurious, may be identified in Ks plots. Here, we present new machine learning approaches for the inference of ancient WGDs. We simulated millions of gene trees to generate hundreds of thousands of example distributions with and without WGDs of varying ages. Using a variety of classifiers, we achieved greater than 90% accuracy of WGD inference in a large collection of manually curated empirical data. This is a significant improvement over current approaches that can not achieve the same level of accuracy without human intervention. Combined with other recommended improvements in the analysis of gene age distributions, these new classifiers provide a rapid, automated, and accurate approach to infer WGDs. 1

University of Arizona, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA2Duke University, Department of Biology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA3University of Arizona, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, US4University Of Arizona, Biology, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, University Of Arizona, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States

330 2

OU, SHUJUN* 1 and JIANG, NING

LTR_retriever: a highly accurate and sensitive program for identification of LTR retrotransposons

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ong terminal-repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) are prevalent in plant genomes. Identification of LTR-RTs is critical for achieving high-quality gene annotation. Based on the well-conserved structure, multiple programs were developed for de novo identification of LTR-RTs; however, these programs are associated with low specificity and high false discovery rate (FDR). Here we report LTR_retriever, a multithreading empowered Perl program that identifies

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CONSERVATION BIOLOGY ORAL PAPERS 332

ROMINGER, KODY* 1 and MEYER, SUSAN 2

Vegetation Mapping with UAVs for Use in Habitat Suitability Modeling

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stragalus holmgreniorum is a rare plant species endemic to a 60 km2 area extending from extreme southern Washington County, Utah to northern Mojave County, Arizona. It was listed as endangered in 2001 due to habitat loss from the encroachment of St. George, Utah, which is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the U.S., and the associated anthropogenic impacts from that growth. In 2015, a habitat suitability model (Maxent) was developed for A. holmgreniorum using presence/absence of the plant, geology, relative elevation, landforms, slope, and several satellite-derived characters as variables. A major limitation of this model is that it did not include a vegetation variable. We know that A. holmgreniorum does not occupy habitat dominated by the shrub Larrea tridentata (Creosote bush), which is widespread throughout its range. Therefore, some areas predicated as having a high probability of presence were not habitat due to creosote occupancy. For the model to more accurately predict suitable habitat, vegetation must be considered. We decided to try a novel approach to vegetation mapping—drones. The use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, for examining the landscape on a relatively fine-scale is an emerging technology in plant conservation. UAVs can quickly survey moderately large areas and acquire massive amounts of data with minimal on-the-ground impact. We used a consumer grade quadcopter to make 21 flights across roughly 600 acres of designated critical habitat for A. holmgreniorum. Flights were conducted over two four-hour days with the drone flying at 35-meter altitude which resulted in over 5,000 images at 1.3-cm resolution. Automated imagery processing software was used to generate orthomosaics and digital surface models (DSMs). We used ArcGIS maximum likelihood analysis to detect individual creosote plants using color as training data. The resulting raster was then converted to vector data and a buffer applied to outline each individual or group of creosote plants. The vegetation layer was then overlaid across the habitat suitability model, effectively masking areas previously identified as suitable. Additional results are forthcoming; however, initial results have shown that UAVs have the potential to drastically reduce the cost and onthe-ground effort for fine-scale vegetation mapping.

1

Utah Valley University, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT, 84058, United States2USFS SHRUB SCIENCES LABORATORY, 735 North 500 East, Provo, UT, 84606, United States

333

GUILLIAMS, C. MATT* 1, HERNANDEZ, ADRIANA I. 2, HASENSTABLEHMAN, KRISTEN 1, WALLACE, LISA 3 and HELENURM, KAIUS 4

Population genetic analyses reveal island-based differentiation in the California Channel Islands endemic plant, Malva assurgentiflora (Malvaceae)

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alva assurgentiflora (Kellogg) M.F. Ray (Malvaceae) is a charismatic, perennial shrub endemic to four of the eight California Channel Islands, with plants of unknown provenance occurring on San Nicolas Island. Due in large part to introduced herbivores, the species is now rare and highly localized. Philbrick hypothesized that the plants on the southern islands are morphologically distinct from those on the northern islands. The northern populations are characterized by a pubescent upper leaf surface, a subentire petal apex, and a pubescent filament tube, while the southern populations have a glabrous to subglabrous upper leaf surface, an erose petal apex, and a glabrous to subglabrous filament tube. Philbrick created a new name L. assurgentiflora ssp. glabra for the southern plants. However, an early phylogenetic analysis by Ray failed to find evidence for two evolutionary lineages in M. assurgentiflora corresponding to Philbrick's taxonomic concept based on morphology. As a result, the current state-wide flora does not adopt Philbrick's concept despite apparent differences in morphology. Here we use allele size data from five microsatellite loci to examine genetic variation and structure among populations across the natural range of the species. Our sampling includes 206 individuals, 23 of which are from the potentially naturally-occurring population on San Nicolas Island. Due to polyploidy in M. assurgentiflora, we are unable to use frequency-based methods. We therefore recoded our data as presence/absence and performed principal coordinate analysis, a neighborjoining tree building analysis, and a STRUCTURE analysis. Each of these analyses show that the northern and southern populations are genetically distinct. These results support Philbrick's hypothesis on the basis of morphology that plants from the northern and southern Channel Islands may be distinct evolutionary lineages worthy of taxonomic recognition. Plants from San Nicolas Island, including those from horticultural settings in Nicktown, are all genetically similar to northern form genotypes, suggesting that they are introduced to the island. Finally, all analyses show that populations from the southern islands of San Clemente and Santa Catalina are genetically distinct. Future work will evaluate if plants from these islands are morphologically distinct, a finding that would bolster the argument to recognize the plants from San Clemente as a new, single-island endemic taxon. 1

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, United States2Cornell University, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, 502 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA3Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, Mills Godwin Building Rm. 110, Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States4Department Of Biology, Vermillion, SD, 57069, United States

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334

LIU, LI 1, WANG , ZHEN 2, HUANG, LIJIE 1, WANG, TING 3 and SU, YINGJUAN* 4

MCGLAUGHLIN, MITCHELL* 1, SCHWABE, ANNA 2, HUBBARD, ASHLEY 3 and NEALE, JENNIFER 4

Chloroplast Population Genetics Reveals Low Genetic Variation and Conformation to the Central-Marginal Hypothesis in Taxus wallichiana var. mairei, an Endangered Conifer Endemic to China

Genetic circumscription of threatened Sclerocactus (Cactaceae); what does it mean to be a species?

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axus wallichiana var. mairei is an evergreen, outbreeding, long-lived, and wind-dispersed conifer. Its distributions are very extensive and almost cover the whole China. To survey its genetic variation patterns in chloroplast genome, we first employed eight cpSSRs to assess variation among 22 populations encompassing nearly the entire distribution range in China located along central-marginal gradients. The results showed that low genetic variation and genetic differentiation occurred in T. wallichiana var. mairei populations, which was ascribed to low rate of nucleotide mutations in chloroplast genome, and effective pollen or seed dispersal distances and its cloning reproduction, respectively. Hunan and Hubei were identified as main refugia based on high cpSSR private haplotype numbers. Variation trend of genetic diversity and genetic differentiation from core to peripheral populations of T. wallichiana var. mairei supported the prediction of the central-marginal hypothesis in chloroplast genome. In the context of climate change, conservation of peripheral populations is the focus of attention. Our MAXENT results indicated that some peripheral populations would disappear, and peripheral areas (Fujian) even core areas (Jiangxi) would not become significantly favorable in the future. Precipitation of driest month (Bio14), annual precipitation (Bio12), and temperature annual range (Bio7) were identified as most important decisive factors for its distribution. This study will provide solid theoretical basis for conservation of T. wallichiana var. mairei. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31370364, 31570652, 31670200, and 31770587) and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (2016A030313320 and 2017A030313122). *Correspondence: Ting Wang, Yingjuan Su tingwang@scau.edu.cn (Ting Wang), suyj@ mail.sysu.edu.cn (Yingjuan Su) 1

Sun Yat-Sen University, Xingang Xi Lu 135, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China2Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China3South China Agricultural University, Wushan, Guangzh, Guangdong, 510275, China4Sun Yat-Sen University

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D

iagnosing accurate taxonomic groups is key to successful management and recovery efforts for threatened and endangered species because it enables managers to understand if a taxon is rare and needs management, and it identifies where to manage for a species. Sclerocactus (Cactaceae) is composed of cylindric cacti that tend to be exceptionally cold and drought tolerant. Taxonomic uncertainty at species and varietal levels can be traced to a lack of clear discontinuity in often plastic morphological characters, yet most agree that numerous rare and endemic forms in the group warrant taxonomic recognition, and in many cases protection. We examined genetic structure within and among three threatened (S. brevispinus, S. glaucus, and S. wetlandicus) and one common (S. parviflorus) species of Sclerocactus in Colorado and Utah to enhance management. Samples were analyzed using 10 shared microsatellite loci which allows for broad comparisons of the genetic circumscription of Sclerocactus members. Sclercocactus brevispinus and S. wetlandicus were not found to be genetically distinct, with the location of the Green River leading to more significant genetic structure than traditional morphology based taxonomic boundaries. Sclerocactus glaucus contained two distinctive genetic groups that were also structured based on geography, but lack obvious morphological differences. In contrast, all samples of S. parviflorus were genetically cohesive despite wide geographic sampling. These results demonstrate that landscape features can lead to significant to genetic structure in the threatened taxa, but genetic cohesion across large distances is possible. Genetic data will continue to be an important tool to direct effective management in taxonomically difficult groups such as Sclerocactus. 1

University Of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Box 92, Greeley, CO, 80639, United States2122 53rd Ave, Greeley, CO, 80634, United States3802 E.21st Street, Greeley, CO, 80631, United States4Denver Botanic Gardens, Research & Conservation, 909 York Street, Denver, CO, 80206, United States

336

GULICK, TERRI 1 and KELLAR, PAMELA* 2

Phylogenetic diversity across the latitudinal diversity gradient of the North American mixed-grass prairie

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volution across time and space has resulted in biologically diverse communities whose species richness typically decreases as distance from the equator increases. Ecologists describe assembly of regional species through colonization, speciation, extinction, and evolution, which are influenced by

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environmental filtering and niche conservatism. It is hypothesized that many species originated near the equator and radiated to higher latitudes resulting in the increase in species number known as the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG). Biologists typically quantify the biodiversity in a community with metrics such as species richness (S), abundance, and functional traits, but development of phylogenetic diversity (PD) metrics presents new tools to characterize diversity in a community and test diversity over the LDG incorporating evolutionary history. In this investigation, we combined lists of angiosperms occurring in nine mixed-grass prairies across North America, downloaded or sequenced three DNA regions (matK, rbcL, and ITS1 & ITS2) for 2583 plant species, and estimated a maximum likelihood phylogeny. We calculated four PD metrics and two traditional diversity indices for each community and used the results to examine the relationship between S and PD and to define community assembly (clustering or overdispersion) over latitude. PD was correlated with S and did not decrease with increasing latitude. These results and others like them will broaden our understanding of the distribution of diversity across the globe, aiding ecologists with investigations and conservation biologists in decision-making. 1

University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182, United States2University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Biology, 6001 Dodge St. - AH 521C, Omaha, NE, 68182, United States

337

JOLLS, CLAUDIA* 1, HAVENS, KAYRI , KNIGHT, TIFFANY 3 and VITT, PATI 2 2

Is biological control of weedy plants by insects effective and safe?

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ore than 500 taxa have been released globally for biological control, largely of invasive plants. Recent reviews promote biocontrol as relatively safe and efficient. We, however, draw different conclusions based on our review of more than 400 pieces of the same literature, and of highlighted and randomly selected examples of biocontrol successes. We also asked whether studies to date can reliably conclude "non-target impacts" (NTI), the so called 'Achilles heel' of biological control, are minimal in impact. We found that studies often are data-deficient or lack appropriate designs to assess impact of biocontrol insects on targeted weeds or on non-targeted plant taxa. Of specific concern is the relative lack of 1) field-based studies that can translate measured fitness components to population-level effects, 2) appropriate BACI design for effect sizes, 3) long-term study, 4) objective, quantifiable search for non-target impacts, and 5) ecological and evolutionary perspectives on potential impacts. Our work on the demography, ecology, and genetics of a Great Lakes endemic, Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri), illustrates some of the challenges of documenting NTI. Non target impacts require time to appear and lag phases complicate detection. Lack of records also prevents critical evaluation of NTI. Given the relative rewards and risks of biological control, we support increasing

rigor, i.e., less frequent release, more careful testing, and more extensive regulation of biocontrol agents. Stronger collaborations of the conservation and biocontrol researchers and involvement of citizen science hold promise to help obtain data for informed decisions about the relative rewards and risks of biocontrol. 1

East Carolina University, Biology, Howell Science Complex MS 551, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858-4353, US2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States3German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany

338

KLING, MATTHEW , MISHLER, BRENT , THORNHILL, ANDREW , BALDWIN, BRUCE* and ACKERLY, DAVID

Priorities for conserving the endemic phylodiversity of the California flora

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electing future land conservation priorities to maximize biodiversity protection is a key challenge that requires weighing both the relative value of protecting different species with varying levels of evolutionary uniqueness and of deciding how much of a species's range is sufficient to protect. We evaluated conceptual and methodological considerations in each of these areas while performing a conservation gap analysis for California, a world biodiversity hotspot, using herbarium data on the biogeography and evolutionary relationships of more than 5000 native vascular plant species. A comparison of phylogenetic diversity metrics found that quantifying biodiversity in terms of genetic divergence, evolutionary time, speciation events, or basic species richness yielded conservation priorities that agreed in many places but differed in others. A novel framework for weighing how much of a species's range to protect also found differences in conservation priorities. Most methods agreed on three priority regions of the state with high levels of unprotected endemic biodiversity.

University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria / Department of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, California, 94720, United States

339

MANAGE GOODALE, UROMI* 1, PRADHAN, NAMRATA 2, WANG, XIAOYIN 3 and YANG, MEI 4

Challenges and opportunities for the development of a comprehensive orchid seed conservation program through cryopreservation 1

Guangxi University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Forestry College, 100, Daxuedonglu, Nanning, GX, 530004, China2Guangxi University, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, Forestry College, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, GX, 530004, China3Guangxi University, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College,

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Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, GX, 530004, China4Guangxi Yachang Orchid National Nature Reserve Administration, Scientific Research Section, 46, Jinanlu, Nanning, GX, 530011, China

340

CHAU, MARIAN* 1, KROESSIG, TIMOTHY 2 and YAMAMOTO, CINDY 2

Effects of fruit maturity and postharvest conditions on seeds of endemic Hawaiian lobeliads (Campanulaceae)

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awaiian lobeliads (Campanulaceae) are a spectacular example of adaptive radiation, comprised of at least 164 taxa in 6 genera, all of which are found only in the Hawaiian Islands. Due to their endemism and isolation, at least half of the taxa have been assessed as threatened on the IUCN Red List. Seeds of species in the genera Brighamia, Clermontia, Cyanea, Delissea, and Lobelia have intermediate storage behavior, being sensitive to freezing. Many species can still be seed banked for 10 years or more refrigerated (5°C), but the combination of rarity and having intermediate seeds makes it critical to use best practices for collecting and handling fruits for ex situ storage. We tested the effects of fruit maturity and post-harvest conditions on two locally common species, Clermontia parviflora and Cyanea angustifolia, to inform conservation practices. Experimental harvest treatments for each species included immature (premature harvest timing), mature (ideal harvest timing), decayed on sphagnum moss (approximating natural decomposition in the field), and fermented in plastic bags (mimicking poor handling, anaerobic conditions). Effects of seed mass differed by species, with C. parviflora having significantly lower mass for immature seeds (P=0.0001), while C. angustifolia had significantly lower mass for bagged seeds (P<0.0001). Germination % was high and not significantly different for any treatment of C. parviflora, but was significantly lower than other treatments for bagged seeds of C. angustifolia (P<0.0001). Seeds initiated into tissue culture showed similar results in C. angustifolia. Results suggest that the Cyanea species was much more sensitive to poor post-harvest handling conditions than the Clermontia species. Seeds from all treatments were also desiccated and stored at three different temperatures to test future effects of harvest conditions on long-term storage. Results of this study will inform conservation practices for many rare and endangered species of Hawaiian lobeliads, and potentially other radiations of Campanulaceae, including threatened species with similar fruit types, in other parts of the world.

1

Lyon Arboretum, University Of Hawai'i At Manoa, Hawaiian Rare Plant Program, 3860 Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, United States2Lyon Arboretum, University Of Hawai'i At Manoa, Hawaiian Rare Plant Program, 3860 Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

341

RAMIREZ, PAMELA 1 and SCHERSON, ROSA* 2

Evolutionary distinctness of endemic species in the vascular flora of Mediterranean Chile: use of distribution range as a surrogate for conservation status

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hile has a highly endemic vascular flora, mainly concentrated in the center of the country and in the Juan Fernandez archipelago. The central zone of Chile also hosts most of the population, industries and agricultural land. As a consequence, currently 36% of the continental and 75% of the insular endemic genera have species under some level of threat. However, as is common in plant species, many taxa have not even been evaluated, so these numbers are in fact underestimating a larger conservation problem for the endemic vascular plants in the country. Using a phylogeny of the species of the endemic genera of Chile and an extensive data base of geographic localities, this study evaluates the use of the Evolutionary Distinct Globally Endangered (EDGE) index and related measures for species of the endemic vascular plant genera of Chile, which integrate the evolutionary history that is unique to a taxon (ED), and a measure of conservation status, equivalent to the taxon's extinction probability (GE). EDGE and other measures derived from it have worked very well in other groups such as mammals, birds and amphibians. However, it has not been widely used in plants because of the lack of conservation status available for many taxa. We evaluated EDGE for taxa that had assigned conservation status and then studied the performance of a new index, Relative Evolutionary Distinctness (R-ED). R-ED calculates ED using a phylogeny in which branch lengths have been weighted according to the range of distribution of each taxon. EDGE and R-ED correlated very well, with high statistical support for the species that have been assigned a conservation status. R-ED was also able to highlight other species that have not yet been evaluated but should be priorities for conservation due to their unique evolutionary history and restricted range. One of the main criticisms of EDGE is that it does not consider shared branches in the phylogeny, omitting information of the probabilities of extinction of other taxa. We evaluated the performance of other indices such as HEDGE and studied how R-ED can be used in the context of complementarity. Funded by Fondecyt 1171586 and Conicyt PCI 223323

1

Universidad de Playa Ancha , Herbario VALP, Av. Carvallo 270. Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, Chile2Universidad De Chile, Silviculture And Nature Conservation, Santa Rosa 11315 La Pintana, Santiago, 8820808, Chile

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342 SEANA* 2

WOLKIS, DUSTIN 1 and WALSH,

343

MEYER, SUSAN* 1, ROMINGER, KODY 2 and SCHULTZ, BETTINA 3

Seed conservation physiology of four Hawaiian endemic taxa

Establishment of Holmgren's Milkvetch (Astragalus holmgreniorum) from Seed

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H

eed banking is the most efficient method to conserve plant species ex situ. However, not all species' seeds can be stored under the same conditions or indefinitely. Although cryogenically stored seeds may result in a 20,000-fold increase in longevity, no conditions render seeds immortal. In addition, seeds of some species are dormant at seed maturity, and may require a dormancy breaking treatment for use in restoration and conservation projects. Thus, predicting longevity and determining regeneration intervals of stored seeds, and knowing the class of seed dormancy a species exhibits, is of direct relevance for conservation managers. Different aspects of seed conservation physiology were investigated among four Hawaiian endemic taxa in order to optimize storage conditions and attain highest germination success for seeds of those taxa. Brighamia insignis and B. rockii are Critically Endangered with possibly one and less than 50 individuals remaining in the wild, respectively. Although seeds are desiccation tolerant, viability declines more rapidly in subfreezing compared to cool temperatures (intermediate - freeze sensitive). Using the Ellis and Roberts improved equations for the prediction of seed longevity, regeneration intervals at a 50% decline from maximum germination (usually initial viability; P50) were identified for seeds stored under constant conditions for over two decades. P50 for B. insignis and B. rockii was 8 and 11 years, respectively. Seeds of Malvaceae species have been reported to exhibit physical dormancy (PY). Hibiscus waimeae subsp. hannerae and H. waimeae subsp. waimeae are two KauaĂŠÂťi singleisland endemic taxa of conservation importance. With respect to these two taxa we asked; 1) are seed coats water-impermeable, 2) do these taxa exhibit the syndrome of germination requirements typical of those with PY, and if so, 3) how can PY be alleviated with highest germination success? Seed coats were water-permeable and imbibition was fastest in seeds that had been mechanically scarified. Percent germination was highest in the control and soak treatment. A seed dormancy breaking pre-treatment is not necessary for uniform and successful germination for these taxa. Our results have direct relevance for managers working to conserve and propagate these taxa of conservation importance. 1

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Science & Conservation, 3530 Papalina Rd, Kalaheo, HI, 96741, United States2National Tropical Botanical Garden, Science And Conservation, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI, 96741, United States

olmgren's milkvetch (Astragalus holmgreniorum) is a federally listed endangered plant with a restricted edaphic and geographic range at the northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert. It is a short-lived perennial spring ephemeral that relies on high seed production, a long-lived seed bank, and regular recruitment from seed for population persistence in the highly stochastic desert environment. The seeds are physically dormant and can persist in the soil for at least 10 years, but scarified seeds germinate quickly after short chilling. Seedling emergence in natural populations takes place after adequate winter-spring rainfall from mid-January through March. Survival of emerged seedlings through the end of spring in a 2-year field observational study averaged 72%. In a long-term demographic study, recruited seedling density varied from 0 in dry-winter years to 0.31recruits-m-2 in a favorable rainfall year. Successful second-year return from dormancy in this long-term study averaged 16% and ranged from 0 to 44.6%, mostly as a function of second-year winter precipitation. We planted scarified seeds in a small plot study in mid-December 2016. Seeding emergence started in mid-January and was generally high but differed between sites (67% at Bob's Garden vs. 31% at the TNC Preserve). Supplemental watering treatments had no effect in this year of high precipitation (2016-2017). End-of-spring survival was similarly high at both sites (66-67%), but successful return from dormancy the following spring was higher at the TNC Preserve (28%) than at Bob's Garden (17%) in this average winter-spring precipitation year (2017-2018). Experimental results largely mirrored results in years with similar precipitation patterns in observational studies. Among-block differences in demographic parameters were highly significant at both sites. Variation in demographic parameters showed spatial pattern related to underlying microsite variation, emphasizing the critical importance of microsite attributes on establishment in this species in addition to year to year variation in precipitation patterns. These studies have given us the tools to augment populations of this rare species and possibly to create new populations through direct seeding. 1

USFS SHRUB SCIENCES LABORATORY, 735 North 500 East, Provo, UT, 84606, United States2Utah Valley University, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT, 84058, United States3USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, 735 North 500 East, Provo, UT, 84651-9528, United States

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344

AMOROSO, VICTOR* 1, ACMA, FLORFE 2, CORITICO, FULGENT 3, LAGUNDAY, NOEL 2, SALOLOG, MARY COR 2 and COLONG, RUEL 4

Floral diversity assessment of the buffer zones and vicinity of the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS), Davao Oriental, Philippines: basis for inclusion to protected area zone

A

municipal ordinance to expand the protected area of the MHRWS was issued in 2016 with the aim of protecting and preserving the remaining biodiversity of the buffer zones and to fortify the core zone. However, the municipal ordinance has limitations and does not guarantee legal promulgation. Hence, this study is on the gathering of complete and concrete floral data so that these expansion sites will become part of the protected area and encompassed in legal promulgations. Botanical fieldworks were carried out in the MHRWS expansion sites, which disclosed 235 species of plants. Of these, 132 species were trees and shrubs, 29 other flowering plants and 74 ferns and lycophytes. There were three new records of ferns and lycophytes increasing the number of species from 152 to 155. There are 13 (5.5%) threatened species, 25 (10.5%) endemic species and 66 (28%) economically important species. The proposed expansion sites harbor diverse threatened, endemic and economically important species of plants deserving protection and conservation efforts. Results of this study support the contention that the expansion sites, which are included in the municipal ordinances, be part of the official protected area. 1

Central Mindanao University, Biology, University Town, Musuan, Bukidnon, 8710, Philippines2Central Mindanao University, Biology, Musuan, Bukidnon, Philippines3Central Mindanao University, Center For Biodiversity Research And Extension In Mindanao (CEBREM), University Town, Musuan, BUK, 8710, Philippines4Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Davao Oriental Province, Philippines

345

HAY, NIKOLAI* 1, ALLPHIN, LOREEN 2, BECK, JAMES 3, LI, FAY-WEI 4 and WINDHAM, MICHAEL 5

Relationships and conservation status of the Fremont County rockcress (Brassicaceae)

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oechera pusilla (Rollins) Dorn, the Fremont County rockcress, is an extremely rare mustard species known from a single population on a large metamorphic rock outcrop in Fremont County, Wyoming, USA. It is currently a candidate for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. The species was first described (as an Arabis) in 1982 by Reed Rollins, who commented that it most closely resembled the Colorado endemic A. oxylobula. To investigate the relationships and evolutionary history of B. pusilla, we conducted cytogenetic analysis of the species, as well as morphological and microsatellite studies of nearly all available collections. The cytogenetic analyses reveal additional differences between B. pusilla and the superficially similar B. oxylobula; the former is an apomictic triploid taxon (n = 2n = 21) whereas the latter is a sexual diploid (n = 7). Microsatellite analyses indicate that the three genomes of B. pusilla were each contributed by a different species. Not surprisingly, one genome is derived from B. oxylobula, a species restricted to west-central Colorado at elevations of 2000-3200 m. Another was contributed by B. lemmonii, a widespread alpine species generally occurring above 3000 m in the southern Rocky Mountains. The source of the third genome is B. “wyomingensis”, a previously undescribed sexual diploid largely confined to southern Wyoming at elevations ranging from 1600-2800 m. Given the current geographic distributions of these taxa, the most parsimonious explanation for the origin of B. pusilla involves 1) an initial hybridization event between B. oxylobula and B. lemmonii in western Colorado, forming an unnamed, apomictic diploid bridge taxon, 2) migration of this apomictic diploid north into Wyoming, followed by 3) a second hybridization between this apomict and B. “wyomingensis” to produce the Fremont County rockcress. Our data suggest that the rarity of B. pusilla is likely due to recency of origin rather than inherent genetic limitations. There are scores of such apomictic hybrids in Boechera and, in a world with limited conservation resources, the future may be better served by using these funds to protect the rarer sexual diploid taxa.

1

Duke University, Biology, Campus Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States2Brigham Young University, Department Of Plant And Wildlife Sciences, Byu,dept Plant And Wildlife Sciences, 4105 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, United States3Wichita State University, Biology, 1845 Fairmount, Box 26, Wichita, KS, 67260, United States4Cornell University, Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA5Duke University, Department Of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States

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346

PISCHL, PHYLLIS* 1, BURKE, SEAN 2, JAEGER, COLLIN 3 and DUVALL, M4

Endangered plants persist in metropolitan (urban) Illinois landscapes

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he loss of biodiversity is a global problem. The decrease in biodiversity can be attributed to a loss of species and a loss of habitats. The state of Illinois has little of its natural habitats remaining due to anthropogenic changes caused by agriculture, industry, and urbanization. The negative effects of urbanization on habitat quality, continuity, and the ability to support native plant communities are particularly well documented. In contrast the remaining forests, shrublands, and grasslands would be expected to maintain the native plant species. This study investigates the seed plants at the greatest risk of extirpation in Illinois, the state-listed endangered and threatened species. The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board and the Illinois Natural History Survey chronicle the occurrence and distribution of state-listed endangered and threatened species. The reason the majority of these plant species are listed is due to “restricted habitats or low populations.� These restricted habitats generally contain unique natural features such as sand dunes or dolomite outcrops not common in the state. In this research, we extracted the frequency of endangered/threatened species per county from these records. We also calculated the proportion of land cover per county for anthropogenic, non-anthropogenic, and protected areas. Using these data, we modeled the distribution of state-listed endangered and threatened seed plants as a function of land cover and human population density. Unexpectedly, our study revealed that many endangered plant species are located in counties with high levels of human development and population densities. Note that a high degree of agricultural land cover was negatively associated with the presence of endangered/threatened seed plant species. The explanation for this could be that unlike agricultural areas, urban areas also contain large proportions of protected land, such as state parks and nature preserves. We provide statistical evidence that endangered/threatened species are persistent in highly populated areas, given that there are protected lands with adequate habitat for them to grow. These results underscore the importance of protecting vulnerable habitats essential for maintaining biodiversity. The role that protected lands play in the conservation of biodiversity is crucial to prevent extirpation of endangered/threatened seed plant species in the state and clearly indicate the value of the continued operation of protected lands in Illinois to maintain biodiversity.

POSTERS 347

BALLOU, STEVEN* 1 and MANDEL, JENNIFER 2

Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Nabalus serpentarius and its Common Congener, N. trifoliolatus (Asteraceae)

N

abalus serpentarius is a species within Asteraceae that is native to the Eastern portion of the United States. In Massachusetts, N. serpentarius is listed as an endangered species. On the island of Nantucket, there are known populations of N. serpentarius and a strong conservation effort making the island a great location to conduct a population genetic study to better understand the species in this range and build a conservation plan. To better understand the expected genetic diversity within N. serpentarius populations, a common (non-endangered) related species, Nabalus trifoliolatus, was also studied. To conduct this study, leaf tissue samples were collected from individuals from four populations of N. serpentarius and individuals from five populations of N. trifoliolatus. DNA was extracted from all samples and PCR was performed on a test set of samples from each species using primers for ten microsatellite loci developed for a species in the same tribe, Taraxacum kok-saghyz (Russian dandelion). Four of the primers (TK3, TK 97, TK 105, and TK 111) successfully produced an amplicon of similar size to the dandelion sample. The six primers that failed were attempted again using a modified PCR recipe and a different thermocycler program. This resulted in the successful amplification of the TK25 primer. Future steps include testing at least seven more dandelion loci and plastid loci from other related species and developing Nabalus specific primers. Data from these markers will be used to understand levels of population genetic diversity and structure within and among the island's Nabalus populations with special emphasis on developing a conservation genetic management plan for the endangered Nabalus serpentarius.

1

6237 Memphis Arlington Rd, Bartlett, TN, 38135, United States2University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States

1

Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States2Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States3Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA4Northern Illinois University, Plant Molecular And Bioinformatics Center And Department Of Biology, 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL, 60115, United States

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348

JANSSEN, ERIC* , ZAYA, DAVID and MOLANO-FLORES, BRENDA

The Impacts of Habit Quality and Seed Age on Seed Vitality of the Rare Plant, Synthyris bullii

H

abitat loss and degradation is one of the biggest issues leading to species loss. In the Midwestern US the remaining prairies and savannas are highly fragmented and degraded due to human disturbance. Habitat degradation can result in decreased seed vitality by reducing maternal fitness. Understanding how habitat quality at seed development and length of seed storage affect seedling development is important to the conservation and reintroduction of a species. We examined how these variables impacted seed germination, time to germination, and seedling survival of Synthyris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare plant endemic to the Midwestern US under greenhouse conditions. Seed germination was higher for seeds of plants from open and semishaded sites (5.6±0.7% and 4.7±0.8%, respectively) compared to shaded sites (0.9±0.2%). Seed germination was highest for seeds from 2011 (5.7±0.8%), lower for seeds from 2009 and 2010 (3.6±0.8% and 2.5±0.4%, respectively), and lowest for seeds from 2008 (<0.1%). Seeds germinated faster from open and semi-shaded sites (28.8±0.7 and 28.1±1.2 days, respectively) compared to shaded sites (33.4±1.8). Younger seeds germinated faster than older seeds (2011-2009: 26.9±0.4, 30.2±1.1, and 33.0±1.8 days). Only one seed germinated for 2008 (56 days). Seedling survival was higher for seed from open sites (39.0±4.8%) compared to semi-shaded and shaded sites (32.7±6.1% and 31.9±8.6%, respectively). Seedling survival decreased with seed age (2011-2009: 41.8±4.8%, 30.4±6.5%, and 29.1±7.1%). In general, younger seeds from open habitats were the most likely to germinate and survive. Woody species encroachment should be removed and seeds should be planted within 8 years of collection to maximize the persistence and recruitment potential of Synthyris bullii.

Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA

349

SCHULTZ, BETTINA* 1, MEYER, SUSAN 2, DENITTIS, ALYSON 3 and ROMINGER, KODY 4

Growing an endangered species, Astragalus holmgreniorum, for seed

A

stragalus holmgreniorum is an edaphically restricted rare endemic perennial of the Mojave Desert. The species is a spring ephemeral that enters dormancy after seed production and re-emerges the following spring. It occurs only in an area around St. George, Utah, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Listed in 2001, it is a USFWS “spotlight species” because its habitat faces so many

threats. Many years of previous research have shown that the persistent seed bank is the key to survival of this species. Since 2015, we have been learning how to propagate this plant ex situ to produce seed. The process involves scarifying and chilling the seeds, planting germinated seeds in a well-drained potting mix, and potting tubelings up into deep pots to accommodate the taproot. After vernalization, the plants flowered but had to be hand pollinated because the native bees in central Utah emerge later than the flowering period of this southern Utah species. After several attempts, we were able to harvest over 27,000 seeds from 71 plants. Those plants were kept through their dormant period; 45 of them returned from dormancy the following spring. A new, larger cohort is in the process of producing seed as well this year. The ultimate goal is to augment existing populations as well as to establish new populations in suitable habitat farther from human disturbance. 1

USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, 735 North 500 East, Provo, UT, 84651-9528, United States2USFS SHRUB SCIENCES LABORATORY, 735 North 500 East, Provo, UT, 84606, United States3Utah Valley University, Department of Biology, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT, 84058, USA4Utah Valley University, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT, 84058, United States

350

MOORE, CHEYENNE* and LOEFFLER, CAROL

Plant communities in eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) stands impacted by hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae)

T

he eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr) occupies several important niches within northeastern forest ecosystems. As an evergreen, it is the primary species providing shade at all seasons in riparian areas and provides important winter shelter as well as summer nesting sites for birds and other wildlife. Throughout much of its distribution the hemlock is being impacted by the invasive pest hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand). Woolly adelgid feeds on xylem at the base of hemlock needles, affecting tree health and mortality. This research builds on adelgid and tree health survey data collected yearly starting in 2014, in eight pairs of high and low elevation sites in south-central Pennsylvania. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, high elevation sites have seen significantly greater numbers of adelgid, while in 2017 adelgid abundance did not significantly differ. Historically more new growth has also been found in valley sites, as well as greater crown density and crown ratio. These data were also collected for 2018 from January to March, and those data will be discussed. In fall 2017 a new herbaceous component was added to surveys of the 16 sites. In September and October 2017, herbaceous and low woody vegetation was surveyed at all 16 sites, using transects and 1m x 1m quadrats to assess understory plant diversity and composition. This data may be able to indicate if early successional species are mov-

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ing into areas where there are high populations of adelgids and new light gaps are being created. Key Words: eastern hemlock, Tsugae canadensis, hemlock woolly adelgid, elevation, understory Dickinson College, Biology, 28 North College Street, Carlisle, PA, 17013, United States

351

PIZZA, RILEY* 1, ETTERSON, JULIE and ESPELAND, ERIN 3 2

Are Restoration Seed Pools Evolving Under Commercial Propagation?

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limate change and anthropogenic activity have resulted in large-scale ecosystem degradation, necessitating an increase in restoration efforts. While previous restoration efforts have utilized seeds collected from wild populations, the demand for restoration material exceeds what can be sustainably harvested from these populations. To remedy this, large-scale propagation farms are used to produce bulk-seed. Despite the increased use of farmraised native seed for restoration, few studies have considered the evolutionary impacts of industrial production on these gene pools. While it has been hypothesized that mechanical planting and harvesting may reduce genetic variation and drive unconscious selection, few have tested these ideas. Using the Montana-native plant Clarkia pulchella (deerhorn clarkia) we will determine if genetic variation is lost and plant traits evolve during commercial propagation, and whether these traits decrease the plants survival under stressful environmental conditions. The results of this research will test the impacts of current propagation methods, inform any necessary production changes, and increase the efficacy of restoration efforts.

1

University of Minnesota Duluth, Integrative biosciences, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55801, United States2University Of Minnesota Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1110 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States3USDA, Sidney, MT, 59270, USA

352

MITINE, CHRISTINA* 1, LEHMAN, KRISTEN 1, THORNHILL, ANDREW 2 , FREYMAN, WILL 3, WRIGHT, CHELSEA 1 , HERNANDEZ, ADRIANA I. 1, BALDWIN, BRUCE 2, MISHLER, BRENT 2 and GUILLIAMS, C. MATT 1

Using Spatial Phylogenetics to Inform Conservation at the Archipelago-Scale: An Introduction to the Channel Islands Phylodiversity Project

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onservation and land management actions are often prioritized in part using ahistorical measures of biodiversity, such as taxonomic richness. Although familiar, these measures also have shortcomings, which include: 1) the treatment of all taxa as biologically equivalent, when it has long been recognized that taxa at a given rank differ greatly in the depth and extent of evolutionary divergence

and, therefore, taxa at given rank are non-comparable; 2) the inability to detect spatial phylogenetic patterns in the area of interest with a specific focus on centers of neo- and paleo-endemism. An alternative approach involves incorporating phylogenetic history in biodiversity estimates. Phylogenetic diversity assessments overcome some of the shortcomings of ahistorical biodiversity metrics, but they have been difficult to implement until recently. An ever-increasing volume of DNA sequence data and fine-scale geo-referenced specimen data, coupled with new phylogenetic methods and phylodiversity metrics, now permit the estimation of phylodiversity at fine phylogenetic and spatial scales. Here, we discuss the Channel Islands Phylodiversity Project (CIPP), a collaborative effort to understand the fine-scale distribution of plant phylodiversity on the California Channel Islands (ChI). The CIPP seeks to estimate plant phylodiversity across the ChI, including all 1,000+ plant minimum-rank taxa (MRTs), being one of the first of its kind to examine spatial phylodiversity across all plants in a well-defined region. Here, we outline the general goals of the CIPP, with an emphasis on spatial phylogenetic methods and metrics. We highlight our progress toward a phylogeny of the ChI flora, a tree that now includes over 800 of the ~1,000 ChI MRTs, and we conclude with a discussion of the novel perspective that spatial phylogenetics can provide toward the conservation of the remarkable ChI flora. 1

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Department of Conservation and Research, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA2University Of California, Berkeley, University And Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States3University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, 1479 Gortner Ave, Suite 140 , St Paul, MN, 55108, USA

353

FAMA, NICOLE* 1, SINN, BRANDON and BARRETT, CRAIG 1 2

Conservation genetics and host specificity in a vulnerable WV native orchid, Corallorhiza bentleyi

C

orallorhiza bentleyi is a rare orchid endemic to five counties along the West Virginia/Virginia border. Described in the 1990s, it is known from only about 10 populations, and is both geographically restricted and locally rare. Patterns of genetic diversity and fungal host specificity for this fully mycoheterotrophic orchid are poorly understood; such knowledge is crucial to help maintain long term stability of this species. We took a three-fold approach to quantify diversity among populations of Corallorhiza bentleyi. First, nuclear microsatellite and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were developed to quantify genetic variation within C. bentleyi. The fungal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) was sequenced to assess the degree of specificity between the orchids and their ectomycorrhizal fungal hosts. Finally, we used floral morphometrics to analyze variation among all individuals sampled. Due to small population sizes, reliance on self-pollination, and potentially narrow specificity towards its fungal host, we hypothesize genetic diversity to be low among populations. Morphological data show some distinct structuring between popu-

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lations at the county level, and dominant ISSR markers indicate some degree of polymorphism both within and among populations. Corallorhiza bentleyi appears to associate with a single species of fungus, T. fuscocinerea, meaning that its survival is linked to that of this poorly known fungus. The ultimate goal of this research is to obtain more information concerning genetic diversity, relationships with fungal hosts, and environmental requirements in order to influence management of C. bentleyi populations and their habitats in southern Appalachia. 1

West Virginia University, Biology, 53 campus dr, Morgantown, WV, 26506, US2West Virginia University, Biology, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States

354

WALKER, HAYLEY* 1, MERIWETHER, MEGAN 1, ZAPATA, MONTANA 1 and TWANABASU, BISHNU 2

Land use and mycorrhizal fungi in Cross Timbers Ecoregion of Texas

A

No Show

rbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbioses with plant roots and aid in nutrient absorption. While the overall importance of AMF is well established, the effect of land use in The Cross Timbers Ecoregion (CTE) on AMF is not. CTE, also known as ecoregion 29, covers approximately 4.8 million ha from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma to Central Texas. It is home to 200-to 400-year-old post oaks and rare pre-settlement vegetation, making it a living natural history museum. This ecoregion is most threatened by habitat destruction, overexploitation, fire suppression, habitat fragmentation, overgrazing, and urban development in Texas. In order to understand mycorrhizal fungi to conserve the CTE of Texas we decided to compare the difference in AMF levels in Remnant Plot (RP) versus Open Grassland Plot (OP) and Agriculture Plot (AP). We collected random soil samples from the wooded RP, OP formerly used as agriculture land but not plowed in 10 years, and AP used to grow winter wheat and hay at Weatherford College Carter Farm and compared the spore density and AMF colonization in the roots collected from samples. Our data comparing spore counts extracted from the RP, OP and AP shows significantly (p<0.0001) higher spore density at the AP (30.82±4.17 spores per gram dry soil) which is plowed every year to grow hay and winter wheat compared to RP (5.80±3.02 spores per gram dry soil) which is wooded and never plowed and OP (2.88±0.75 spores per gram dry soil) which has not been plowed in the last 10 years. Significantly higher spore density on the AP indicates that the plot has higher AMF production compared to the other two plots. It further indicates that the plants growing at the AP may be more highly dependent on the AMF. Lower spore density at the RP and OP might also be because of the fire suppression and other factors. Studies on the roots from these soil samples is currently still taking place, as we hypothesize that AMF colonization will be higher in the roots of the AP, as indicated by the spore density findings. Further study should focus on the application of controlled fire and grazing at the plots to mimic natural processes of maintaining the CTE. It is concluded from

these results that frequent disturbances increase the spore density. 1

Weatherford College, Biology, 225 College Park Dr, Weatherford, TX, 76086, USA2Biology, 109 Oakmont Dr, Argyle, TX, 76226, United States

355

DI SANTO, LIONEL N* 1 and HAMILTON, JILL 2

The relationship between environmental and genetic variation: Can environmental differences among populations be used as a proxy for populations genetic differentiation?

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lant species often evolve genetic differences due to varying selective pressures across their range. Where species are locally adapted, environmental variation may explain a substantial portion of the genetic differences observed among populations. Thus, environmental variance may provide insights on the distribution of adaptive genetic diversity across a species' range. In this study, we use previously published rangewide population genetic datasets alongside environmental data associated with provenance of origin to correlate pairwise population genetic differences with pairwise population environmental differences. The goal is to ask whether environmental differences among populations can be used as a reliable proxy for populations genetic differentiation and test the prediction that there is a positive relationship between environmental and genetic differences. To assess this relationship, we have selected a number of plant species distributed worldwide whose rangewide genetic variability has been evaluated using a number of different techniques; including SSRs, SNPs, EST-SSRs or EST-SNPs. Within each species, among populations genetic differences are calculated using pairwise linearized Fst. To calculate within species pairwise environmental distances, we extracted more than 95 climatic variables for every population and filtered them to reduce redundancy in the data by removing the ones that were highly correlated. These variables were then scaled and centred to account for differences in magnitude among variables. Environmental differences between populations pairs were calculated using a Euclidian distance formula. To assess the relationship between populations genetic differences and pairwise environmental distances, we examined the relationship between Fst values and Euclidian environmental distances for each pair of populations across the different species. We predict the relationship could take two different shapes: (1) positive (the higher the genetic difference, the higher the environmental distance), and (2) constant (environmental distances do not correlate with genetic differences). Insights into the relationship between pairwise environmental and genetic differences may be in guiding conservation priorities for the preservation of rare plants, especially for the design of ex situ collections. Particularly where species lack genetic data, environmental variability may be a useful proxy to establish ex situ conservation priorities.

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1

North Dakota State University, Biological Sciences, Dept. 2715, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND, 58102, United States2North Dakota State University, Biological Sciences, PO Box 6050, Dept. 2715, Fargo, ND, 58102, United States

356

SCHUMACHER, EMILY* 1, FRANKLIN, SCOTT 2 and MCGLAUGHLIN, MITCHELL 3

Zoned Out: An Analysis of the Genetic Diversity and Structure of Seeds of Success Accessions

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eed zones are a commonly used guideline for sourcing plant material for restoration projects, which rely on the assumption that seeds sourced from specific areas will be locally adapted to regional environmental conditions. This assumption has been supported by various genetic and common garden experiments, but the relevance to the success of restoration projects has not been tested in the field. Seeds of Success (SOS) is a program implemented by the Bureau of Land Management to collects seeds from species native to the western United States for use in restoration projects utilizing the logic of seed zones. However, the genetic variability within and between seed accessions is largely unknown. If seeds from the same species demonstrate a low amount of genetic structure or diversity throughout their range, there is no evidence for local genotypes and seed zone collecting is not necessary. If seeds are equally genetically diverse and demonstrate a high amount of structure throughout their range, there is evidence for local genotypes, which could impact restoration project success. Therefore, this project aims to determine how genetically distinct and diverse individuals are within and between accessions of SOS seeds common to the sagebrush steppe community of the western United States. Using microsatellite analysis, genetic structure and genetic diversity measurements (including phi-st and Fst values) will be used to examine these common members of sagebrush communities. This data will indicate if there is genetic evidence for using exclusively locally sourced seed material in restoration projects and will contribute to ongoing field restoration trials.

1

University of Northern Colorado, Biological Sciences, 501 20th St, Box 92, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA2University Of Northern Colorado, School Of Biological Sciences, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO, 80639, United States3University Of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Box 92, Greeley, CO, 80639, United States

357

NEGRON-ORTIZ, VIVIAN

Performance of ramets in a clonal Lamiaceae species, threatened Scutellaria floridana Chapman, in Florida: a preliminary assessment

UCanceled

nderstanding the population dynamics and the life history characteristics of clonal plants that produce both vegetative and sexual offspring requires demographic study of both ramets and genets. One such clonal species is Scutellaria floridana (Lamiaceae ), a perennial herb that is restricted to

four counties of the Florida Panhandle and is Federally listed as 'threatened.' Vegetative growth, flowering and survival of shoots are being monitored to provide baseline data for a study that will investigate the effect of thinning (pre- and post- timber harvest) and prescribed fires. Quadrats were located within three sites at the Apalachicola National Forest, Florida, representing two restoration treatments [intermediate thinning of slash and longleaf pine stands to a basal area (BA) of an average of 50 square feet per acre, and a savanna restoration that reduces BA to 10-40 square feet per acre], and the control. All sites were burned in January 2017, and 15 randomly selected 1 x 1 m permanent quadrats were established April 2017 and monitored three times a year. During the initial census, 91 clusters of ramets were recorded and mapped. During the first-year census, newly emerged ramets (not previously recorded) produced by clonal growth were found in almost all the plots, with more in the control plots. In addition, the proportion of unemerged ramets (marked ramets that failed to produce aerial shoots) was < 40 % in all study plots. The proportion of ramets that bore flowers was higher for the savanna (14%) and intermediate (21%) plots than the controls (9%). A total of 108 clusters were detected 15 month post-fire, i.e., the second-year census, but it is unknown whether this 20% increase in the number of clusters resulted from ramet fragmentation or seedling recruitment. No fertile ramets were recorded in all study plots a year after the first census. Preliminary results revealed that reproduction is immediately stimulated by fire. Thinning has not yet started, therefore multiple years of data are necessary to understand the effect of thinning and prescribed fires on the demography of this clonal plant. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 1601 Balboa Ave. , Panama City, FL, 32405, USA

358

OLIPHANT, SIMONE* 1 and KOPTUR, SUZANNE 2

Seed Dispersal of Apocynaceae Family of Pine Rocklands

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he South Florida ecosystem is comprised of several tropical and subtropical biomes, including Rockland hammocks and Pine Rockland which are unique to the area. Florida's Pine Rocklands is composed of limestone rock outcroppings, with an overstory of slash pine and an understory of various tropical and temperate shrubs, vines, palms and wildflowers. With little soil substrate and a dependence on fire, pine rocklands are especially at risk due to construction and development, along with fire suppression. The ecosystem is now considered critically imperiled, with only 2% being found outside of the Everglades National Park. One species of wildflower native to this ecosystem is Echites umbellatus, commonly known as the Devil's Potato. The flower is at risk from habitat loss and fragmentation, which hinders pollination as plants may be far from each other. The Echites flower is unusual, however, as it utilizes wind dispersal to spread its seeds. The main question of this study is to see how far the seeds of the flower disperse. Using an experimental set-up with a fan in a tunnel chamber, I will measure the

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distance traveled by the seeds. My objective is to ascertain how seed size, seed weight, plume dimensions, and "plume loading" (the weight or size vs. plume length) affect dispersal distance. The results of this study will be helpful in analysing the effects of fragmentation on the ability of the Echites flower to disperse within and between fragments of its rapidly diminishing habitat. 1

Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 2838 Madison Street Apt. 26, Hollywood, FL, 33020, USA2Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, United States

359

HANSEL, NICOLE* 1, PENCE, VALERIE 2 and TEPE, ERIC 3

Comparison of post cryopreservation survival of hyperhydric and more normal phenotypes of Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii, and Crotalaria avonensis

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he physiological disorder in in vitro plants known as hyperhydricity is characterized by an excess of water in the plant tissues. It is thought that this condition is suboptimal for cryopreservation, because the water could crystallize during exposure to liquid nitrogen (LN) and kill the tissues. In this study, two species, Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii (threatened) and Crotalaria avonensis (endangered), were investigated for post-cryopreservation survival of both a more normal (MN) and a hyperhydric (HH) phenotype. Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii was grown on Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut (DKW) medium with 0.5 mg/L of the cytokinin, benzylaminopurine (BAP). The HH phenotype was maintained in tubes with closed caps and the MN phenotype was maintained in tubes with vented caps. The Cr. avonensis HH phenotype was grown on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 1 mg/L BAP in tubes with closed caps, while the MN phenotype was grown on an MS medium with lower nitrogen (3 mM NO3, 1.5 mM NH4) and 0.1 mg/L BAP and vented caps. Shoot tips were isolated and, after 1-2 days on preculture medium with 10 uM of the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and 0.3 M mannitol, shoot tips were exposed to LN using droplet vitrification. Data on survival were taken at two and four weeks measuring both callus and shoot formation. There was no significant difference in post LN exposure survival between the two phenotypes for either species (Tukey-Kramer ANOVA, p >0.05, for all at both 2 and 4 weeks), but there were developmental differences. In both species, the HH form had significantly more callus at 2 weeks than the MN (p<0.05), but shoots did not develop until 4 weeks. In contrast, MN shoot tips for Cy. humilis var. jonesii began developing at 2 weeks, but many were dead by 4 weeks. Thus, while there was no significant difference in survival through cryopreservation between these two phenotypes, there were differences in the development of these two forms during recovery growth.

360

EMRY, DAVID* , BERGERON, PAUL , QUIETT, KYLE , DENNIS, DAVID and GERETY, BRITANNY

Survey of an Oak-Hickory Community After One Year of Intensive Honeysuckle Removal

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nvasive species are recognized as one the primary threats to biodiversity in native landscapes. Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is an aggressive shrub that has been placed on the noxious weed list or pest watch list of several states. Early leaf emergence, late leaf senescence, and the prolific production of birddispersed seeds have allowed this species to outcompete the native understory species in the oak-hickory forest in northeastern Kansas. Karlyle Woods is a ca. 12 ha tract of forest in Shawnee County, Kansas. The site is owned by Washburn University and is utilized by the Department of Biology as well as several community groups for education and research. Despite early efforts to control the spread of Honeysuckle, it has come to dominate the understory throughout the site. In June 2016, we began a long-term study to determine if intensive removal of honeysuckle in a modest number of plots would allow for the local regeneration of the native species and create pockets of diversity that could provide a competitive foothold for canopy species to re-establish throughout the site. The work presented here represents a survey of the density, richness, and diversity of native trees present in the first year of the study. There are currently twenty 113 m2 diameter plots scattered in the lowland and upland areas of the site. Our efforts focused on documenting size and identity of trees in the immediate areas in and around the study plots. Trees and shrubs with a dbh >5 cm that were growing within 12 meters of the center of the plots were identified to species and their dbh measured. The low dbh value was used to insure that honeysuckle stems would be included in the survey. Honeysuckle dominated the stem count comprising >20% of the 461 recorded stems. Celtis occidentalis and Ulmus rubra were the most common native plants comprising 20% and 13% of the total stem count respectively. C. occidentalis an U. rubra also combined to make up the largest proportion of the total stem area (ca. 30%) and 90% of the total stem area was accounted for by adding the various species of Quercus, Carya, Juglans, and Populus. These data, combined with the observation that honeysuckle has not created any differences in evenness, richness, or diversity of native woody species are promising signs that re-establishment of a native forest stand is possible. Washburn University, Biology, 1700 SW College Ave, Topeka, KS, 66621, USA

1

University of Cincinnati, Department of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45221, USA2Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, CREW, 3400 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH, 45220, USA3University Of Cincinnati, Department Of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, United States

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CROPS AND WILD RELATIVES ORAL PAPERS 361

DOWELL, JORDAN* 1, CLARK, ERIN , MANDEL, JENNIFER 3, DONOVAN, LISA 4, BURKE, JOHN 5 and MASON, CHASE 6 2

Genome wide association mapping of floral traits in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

F

loral morphology and pigmentation are both charismatic and economically relevant traits associated with the crop plant Helianthus annuus(cultivated sunflower). Recent work has linked a variety of aspects of floral morphology and pigmentation to pollinator efficiency and seed yield across diverse cultivars. Therefore, the characterization of germplasm for these traits is essential for crop improvement. In this study, we carried out a genome-wide association mapping of floral traits across 5788 SNP markers on a diversity panel of 288 sunflower genotypes, representing nearly 90% of the allelic diversity present in cultivated sunflower germplasm repositories. Using a mixed linear model approach, we identified 39 loci significantly associated with morphological and color trait variation. Loci related to tissue pigmentation consistently mapped across both field and greenhouse phenotyping, while loci related to flower size and shape were less consistent, indicating the likelihood that morphology exhibits a higher degree of plasticity than color. Further research is necessary to confirm marker associations identified and to evaluate appropriateness for marker assisted breeding programs for both agricultural and horticultural purposes.

1

University of Central Florida, Biology, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL, 32826, USA2University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2052 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA3University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States4University Of Georgia, DEPT PLANT BIOLOGY , 2052 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States5University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2052 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 306026University Of Central Florida, Department Of Biology, 4110 Libra Dr, Orlando, FL, 32816, United States

362

WATSON, RAY* 1 and BLACKMAN, BENJAMIN 2

Gene expression evolution during sunflower domestication

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haracterizing the developmental and historical context of the genetic changes underlying phenotypic evolution is a key facet in studying the process of adaptation. Domestication offers an ideal case study for adaptive evolution by providing a circumscribed timeline over which many traits dramatically evolve under selection. During the last 5000 years of domestication, the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus, underwent selection for dramatic pheno-

typic evolution including the loss of seed shattering, seed dormancy and selfincompatibility; an increase in size and weight of fruits and inflorescences; and reduced branching. To reveal changes in transcription potentially contributing to this morphological divergence, we tested for differential gene and isoform expression between wild and domesticated sunflowers by RNAsequencing. Wild and domesticated plants were grown in controlled conditions, and we sampled 9 tissues across five developmental stages relevant to domestication traits. Paired end reads were assembled with a splice aware aligner and significant differential expression was determined by consensus of several statistical packages. To link expression divergence with signatures of selection during domestication, we examined the intersection of differentially expressed genes with loci highlighted by selective sweep analyses comparing sequence divergence between wild and domesticated sunflowers. By connecting sweeps to developmental stage or tissue specific expression patterns, we advance inferences about which loci contributed to the morphological evolution of specific sunflower domestication traits. Our candidate domestication genes will be targeted for ancient DNA sequencing from archeological samples to build a timeline of adaptive evolution during domestication and study the rate and scope of sunflower evolution. 1

University of California, Berkeley, Biology, 54 Mulford, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA2University Of California, Berkeley, Plant And Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall #3102, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States

363

KATES, HEATHER* 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2 and SOLTIS, PALMEA S. 3

Comparative characterization of the domestication process in two independently domesticated pumpkin species

S

tudies of domestication in an increasingly diverse group of crops enrich our understanding of the consequences of domestication. Our comparison of how different wild origins and breeding practices produce current crop diversity of two independently domesticated pumpkin species challenge our expectation that domestication is reliably accompanied by a genetic bottleneck. We performed targeted genomic sequencing of 48 unrelated accessions for each species including wild, landrace, and improved lines and identifed over 15,000 SNPs for each species. Population analysis of allelic diversity of SNP data shows a single domestication event in each species and suggests specific geographic regions where wild relatives are most similar to the respective domesticate. Results of these analyses also reveal that the locally important Mexican domesticate Cucurbita argyrosperma experienced a domestication bottleneck consistent with our expectations of the genetic consequences of domestication. In contrast, the phenotypically diverse and economically important C. maxima ssp. maxima does not exhibit a reduction in genetic di-

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versity relative to its wild ancestor. These results improve our knowledge about the domestication of two Cucurbita species and add to our understanding of how the reduction of genetic diversity during the processes of domestication and trait improvement impacts the breeding potential and utility of current crops. 1

University of Florida, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, United States2Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

364

MABRY, MAKENZIE* 1, GALLAGHER, EVAN Y. 2, TURNER, SARAH 3, KATZ, ELLA 4, ZIEGLER, GREG 5, BAXTER, IVAN 5, KLIEBENSTEIN, DANIEL 4, GORE, MICHAEL 6, JOANNE, LABATE 7 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 8

Brassica oleracea: The Dog of the Plant World

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he horticultural crop Brassica oleracea L. plays an important role in global food systems. Brassica oleracea is unique in that it has been domesticated into several morphotypes (cultivars), including broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and several lesser well known morphotypes, such as walking stick kale and marrow cabbage. These crops are widely used as leaf and root vegetables, as well as for animal feed. There are several hypotheses on the origin of these crops. However, cultivation likely originated in the Mediterranean region with additional domestications occurring around the world. One uniting characteristic of these vegetable crops is the presence of glucosinolates, bitter tasting compounds that are useful for their herbivory defense, and potentially have anti-carcinogenic properties. Using this system of diversity within Brassica oleracea, we aim to examine patterns of relationships among morphotypes and wild relatives, including signals of hybridization and introgression. We also plan to elucidate the wild progenitor of B. oleracea to determine its origin of domestication. Lastly, using association mapping techniques, we hope to possibly identify genes underlying quantitative phenotypic traits of economic importance. 1

University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins St., Columbia, MO, 65201, United States2University of Missouri-Columbia, Biological Sciences , Columbia, MO, 65201, USA3University of Missouri4University of California, Davis5Donald Danforth Plant Science Center6Cornell University7USDA-ARS, Plant Genetic Resources Unit8University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

365

MCALVAY, ALEX* 1, RAGSDALE, AARON 2, QI, XINSHUAI 3, BIRD, KEVIN 4 , VELASCO, PABLO 5, PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 6 and EMSHWILLER, EVE 7

Domestication and ferality of Brassica rapa (pak choi, napa cabbage, oilseeds, and turnips) clarified through Genotyping-By-Sequencing

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he study of domestication and wild forms of crop species enhances our knowledge of artificial selection and crop genetic resources. Crops in the genus Brassica present a powerful model to understand domestication due to dramatic morphological differentiation of crops and availability of extensive genomic tools. Human selection has shaped Brassica rapa into diverse leafy (e.g., pak choi, napa cabbage, rapini), oilseed (e.g., sarsons, turnip rape), and turnip crops. Despite the global economic importance of B. rapa crops, the nature of weedy forms, center(s) of domestication, and origins of morphotypes are unclear, jeopardizing the ongoing resilience of B. rapa crops. To address this knowledge gap, we used genomic data from genotyping-by-sequencing to investigate genetic diversity, structure, and demography in the largest diversity panel of B. rapa crops and weeds to date. We also constructed a species distribution model for wild B. rapa during the midHolocene, when domestication is thought to have occurred. Weedy samples from the Caucasus had the highest nucleotide diversity and emerged as sister to all other B. rapa samples in our tree-based analyses, suggesting that spontaneously occurring B. rapa in the Caucasus are truly wild. Weedy samples from Europe and the Americas had lower diversity and were affiliated with European turnip crops suggesting a feral origin. Clustering and tree-based analyses suggested that turnips were the first crop type domesticated, with subsequent parallel selection for leafy and oilseed types in East Asia and Europe. These findings clarify the domestication history of B. rapa and the nature of spontaneous populations, which will help conserve crop wild relatives and support future studies of the complex process of domestication. 1

20 N Franklin St., Madison, WI, 53703, United States2McGill University, 3640 rue University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada3University Of Arizona, 2929 E 6th Street Apt 210, Tucson, AZ, 85716.0, United States4Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St., 1066 Bogue St., East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States5Misión Biológica de Galicia, Carballeira, 8. Salcedo, Pontevedra, Galicia, 36143, Spain6371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States7UW-Madison, Botany Dept, 321 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States

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366

MARQUES, EDWARD* 1, AHMED, IRSHAD 2, ROUF, REYAZ 2, GUAR, POORAN 7, VADEZ, VINCENT 7, VON WETTBERG, ERIC J 5, PENMETSA, R. VARMA 6 and KHOLOVA, JANA 7

367

Development of Stay-Green Chickpea Technology to Benefit Small-holder Farmers in the Semi-Arid Tropics

Y

C

hickpea is the second most grown pulse legume worldwide and is a primary source of plant protein for 15% of the world's population living in semi-arid tropical (SAT) regions. In these regions, fluctuations in chickpea production and consumption threaten the nutritional and economic status of the subsistent farming communities. In many of these SAT regions, chickpea crops are typically raised during the low-income post-rainy season in variable rain-fed conditions which largely affects its production. Thus, finding and introducing chickpea adapted to these conditions is a practical strategy to enhance chickpea production value chains of the semi-arid tropics. One viable option to overcome this post-rain season and limited irrigation environment is “cosmetic� stay-green chickpea technology. This stay-green chickpea type carries a deleterious mutation of the StGR1 gene that inhibits enzymes of the chlorophyll catabolism pathway, which leads to extended chlorophyll retention in seeds and leaves. Consequently, elevated levels of chlorophyll may extend the lifespan of light harvesting antennae (and increases production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) in plant tissues, which in turn, requires additional maintenance in the form of higher carotenoid levels, the ROS scavengers. Higher levels of carotenoids involved in photo-oxidative protection are very likely to enhance the nutritional value of the crop since these are also precursors of vitamin A. Therefore, the goal of this study is to investigate the effect of this trait on key agronomic parameters and response to growth in SAT (drought-prone) regions. With the use of the introgressed StGR1 gene (from donor parent ICC16340) on the background of two cultivars (KAK2, JGK1) fixed for phenology and harvest index. We assessed the StGR1 mutation effect on basic agronomy traits, plant water use-related traits, responsiveness to soil and atmospheric drought, chlorophyll contents, and carotenoid concentrations. The current status of the study will be presented, but ultimately the data gathered will allow us to determine the potential of stay-green technology to enhance crop production and nutrition for small-hold farmers in the semi-arid tropics.

1

University of Vermont, Plant and Soil Science, 143 Howard St Apt 3, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA2Sher-E-Kashmir University of Science and Technology3International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRIS4International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRIS563 Carrigan Drive, 205 Jeffords Hall, University Of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States6University of California Davis7International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRIS

OMOSOWON , SINA MORUFU* , PAUL, WILKIN 1, TIMOTHY, BARRACLOUGH 2 and FOREST, FELIX 3

1

Phylogenetics of Guinea yams and their wild relatives ams belong to the Dioscorea L. which is by far the largest genus in Dioscoreaceae with over 600 species and the fourth most important tuber crop in economic terms after potatoes, cassava and sweet potatoes. Yams are important food plants in many parts of the world, especially in West Africa, which produces about 93% of the World production. Dioscorea cayennensis and D. rotundata, which are collectively referred to as Guinea yams, are the most important cultivated yams native to Africa. Guinea yams belong to the Enantiophyllum clade which contains species with stems twining to the right. Despite the importance of Guinea yams, their relationship within the clade is poorly understood. In order trace the wild ancestors of the Guinea yams, a phylogenetic analysis based on sequence data from six plastid genes using 46 accessions of Dioscorea containing 12 of the 21 species of Enantiophyllum in Africa was carried out. Results showed that D. baya, D. praehensilis and D. abyssinica are the closest wild relatives of the Guinea yams. I also reconstructed ancestral morphological characters states for the African Dioscorea in the Enantiophyllum clade to understand how characters have evolved over time. It was revealed that morphological character diversity is a product of evolutionary changes. The current and potential impacts of climate change on the habitat distribution of Dioscorea in Africa were also evaluated to establish the actual and potential areas of occurrence for proper conservation planning. Dioscorea cotinifolia, D. praehensilis and D. schimperiana are shown to likely be affected by climate change. An IUCN Red List assessment was also performed to know the threat status and population trend of the wild African Enantiophyllum species of Dioscorea to identify species that needs immediate conservation management. All assessed species are classified as Least Concern (LC). 1

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, Richmond, TW9 3AB, UK2Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, Ascot, Berkshire, UK3Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK

368 MAR

MALLICK, DHARMENDRA KU-

Phylogenetic relationships among the genus Lens in the era of genomics

L

ens culinaris ssp culinaris is a principal pulse crops in the semi-arid regions of the world, being an important dietary protein for the millions of people of the Mediterranean region. Archeologicaly lentil was established as one of the primary domesticants that founded the Neolithic agricultural revolution in the near East Arch. Tracing Lens phylogeny has

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been problematic since the publication of a classic monograph as guide to lentils in 1930. Attempts to resolve Lens phylogeny in the last three decades have employed a variety of markers including morphological, seed surface architecture, molecular markers such as isozymes, seed storage proteins, nuclear DNA, RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, Chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA, ITS sequence analysis and recently Genotyping by Sequencing(GBS). Almost all earlier markers identified only five lentil taxon i.e. Lens culinaris ssp culinaris, Lens culinaris ssp orientalis, Lens nigricans, Lens ervoides and Lens odomensis in which Lens culinaris ssp orientalis was established as progenitor of cultivated lentils. However the recent genomics based markers like EST sequences and Genotyping by Sequencing have identified seven Lentil taxa. Lens tomentosus which was earlier not considered as a lentil taxa has been included along with Lens lamottei. This review throws light not only on the origin of lentils but also on how the phylogenetic relationships amongst wild and cultivated lentils keep on changing with advances in molecular markers. Better understanding of the relationships amongst wild germplasm will assist introgression of favourable genes into lentils breeding program. Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Botany, Kalkaji, New Delhi, Delhi, Delhi, 110019, India

370

KHADIA, SATISH

Conservation and Sustainable use of Crop Wild Relatives for Food Security

T

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he population of the world is expected to be 9.6 billion by 2050 indicating a huge pressure to affect the food for all. It is worth mentioning that more than 80 percent of the food comes from plants and of 50,000 edible plants, only 12 crop plants provide 90 percent of the world food energy uptake. Presently, the agriculture and biodiversity are experiencing climate change impacts, change in pest population dynamics and sustainability issues. To meet the demand and making the crop more environmentally robust, scientists have started focusing on genes from the wild relatives of crop plants. Crop wild relatives (CWR) have a collection of many desirable genes and alleles which can be tapped to improvise the existing varieties which are resistant to biotic and abiotic stress including climate change. Though their significance for food security has been recognized now, yet the National conservation and management efforts need to be more structured and in synchronization with global efforts. S. D. Agricultural Univerisity, Genetics and Plant Breeding, S.D.A.U., S. K. Nagar, Gujarat, 385506, India

369

ILYAS, NOSHIN* 1 and ANWAR, TAUSEEF 2

Bio-herbicidal potential of Lantana camara l. on the growth and physiological parameters of Triticum aestivum l. and associated weeds

W

eed infestation is accounting for 50% lowering the yield of Wheat (staple food) in Pakistan. The present study was conducted to screen Lantana camara for its allelopathic activity against major weeds (Phalaris minor, Avena fatua, Chenopodium album, Euphorbia helioscopia, Rumex dentatus) of wheat crop. Preliminary screening of selected species was carried out in laboratory on filter paper and soil by extraction method (aqueous, hexane and methanolic). Plant sandwich method was carried out on agar, soil and filter paper. L. camara leaf methanol extract was shown to be most inhibitory to test weeds while wheat crop was unaffected. Activity guided isolation of three fractions from L. camara leaf extract obtained by combiflash showed fraction 2 most active. Assessment of physiological effects on weed species by fraction 2 indicated suppressed chlorophyll, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase and protein contents in all weeds as compared to control. The GC-MS and NMR (Proton and Carbon) analysis of combiflash fraction 2 of L. camara showed four active compounds (Methyl linoleate, Methyl palmitate, Methyl stearate and Methyl oleate). Allelopathic effect of these four active compounds is being reported for the first time.

1

PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpinidi, Department of Botany, Rawalpinidi, Punjab, 46300, PAK2PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpinidi, Department of Botany, Rawalpinidi, Punjab, 46300

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POSTERS 371

ONUMINYA, TEMITOPE* 1, OGUNDIPE, OLUWATOYIN 2 and LAWAL, OYEWOLE 1

Morphological Characterization and Genetic Diversity Studies on Accessions on Cowpea from Ten African Countries

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olecular and morphological characterisations are critical tools in assessing the level of genetic diversity and the presence of variations in some traits. In this study, ten genotypes of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) originating from different countries in Africa were obtained from IITA. The genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Morphological characters of seedlings were assessed following the International Board for Plant and Genetic Resource cowpea descriptor list, both quantitative and qualitative characters were evaluated. Days to first flowering range between 54-95days while the days to first ripe pod range between 67-113days. Peduncle length measurement ranges between 1.87-15.5cm while the pod length range between 8.63-18.83. Morphological relationship among the genotypes showed a dendogram with four clusters. DNA samples were successfully extracted from ten genotypes with concentration ranging from 339-923ng/Âľl and optical density of 1.20-1.87. All the samples were amplified by PCR using six SSR markers (SSR27BY, SSR19BY, SSR10BY, SSR9BY, SSR8BY and SSR21BY) however, only three SSR markers showed amplification. A total of 7 alleles were observed while the PIC ranges from 0.868 to 0.992. Molecular relationship among the genotypes showed a dendogram with two clusters and one outgroup. This study revealed low genetic diversity among the accessions and a relatively high variation based on morphological characters.

1

University Of Lagos, Department Of Botany, Akoka Yaba, Lagos, 23401, Nigeria2University of Lagos, Department of Botany, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, 23401, Nigeria

372

BLAIN, NATALIE* 1 and EVENSEN, ARTHUR 2

Impact of locular gel on the formation of callus in tomato tissue cultures

L

ocular gel encapsulates seeds in developing fruit. It is composed of water, sugars, carotenoids, vitamin C, lectins, and growth regulating hormones such as Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins. In mature seeds, cell expansion causes the locule capsule to burst and release the locular gel. Previous studies have shown locular gel to inhibit seed germination. We hypothesized that the presence of locular gel on tomato explants would have an inhibitory effect on callus formation. In our study, two tomato fruits were sterilized and segmented into sixty explants that were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS media) with 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)

and kinetin. Thirty explants were taken from areas in direct contact with locular gel in the tomato fruit and were cultured with locular gel residue intact. The remaining thirty explants served as a control, having no locular gel contact. All explants were incubated and evaluated biweekly for callus formation. After the eighth week of the incubation period, we found no difference in callus formation between explants with locular gel contact and the control group. Our findings led us to conclude that the presence of locular gel has no discernable impact on callus formation in tomato fruit tissue culture. 1

445 E 500 S Apt. B8, American Fork, UT, 84003, United States237 east 600 south, Orem, UT, 84058, USA

373 EJOKE

BADERINWA-ADEJUMO, AD-

Genetic Diversity in Pumpkins (Cucurbita sp.) Accessions from Southwest Nigeria Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Marker

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he taxonomy of the members of the family Cucurbitaceae had been a challenge to botanist in Nigeria, which had resulted into confusion in proper identification of the members. There are many overlaps in the group. The diversity among some Nigeria accessions of Cucurbita was investigated using RAPD makers to determine the genetic relationships. DNA extracts were made from the leaves of 13 Cucurbita accessions. PCR- RAPD analysis revealed a more realistic relationship by grouping the accessions into distinct clusters that appeared to have some link with agro-ecology from which the accessions were collected. Variations observed in the fruit qualitative traits depicted higher discrimination with some implications on the genetic diversity and relationship among the accessions. The study demonstrated that RAPD makers could be considered the purest way to establish the genetic diversity among the members. Adeyemi College Of Education, Department Of Biology, Senior Staff Quarters 023B Adeyemi College Education , Ondo, 340001, Nigeria

374

GALLAGHER, EVAN Y.* 1, GRINDSTAFF , BRANDIN ALEXANDER, GAGE 1, DEVI, RUMA 2, MABRY, MAKENZIE 3 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 4

Breeding the Dog of the Plant World: Development of Doubled Haploid Brassica oleracea for their tremendous diJustversitylikeindogssizeareandknown shape, Brassica oleracea is one

plant species that has been domesticated into many familiar crops. These include vegetables such as Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, and Kohlrabi. The challenge with improving these vegetables is that there are not publicly available inbred lines that can be used to develop elite

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germplasm, as has been done in corn (maize) and other crops. One way to make inbred lines of diploid organisms is to instantaneously double the genome of male or female gametes. We are developing and optimizing the process of making doubled haploids (DH) lines in our lab to reduce the time spent selfing plants into homozygosity from many generations to one. At present, there are only a few DH lines publicly available for each of these important crops, with most of them being kales. Improving upon previous techniques and producing doubled haploids for each of these six major morphotypes allows for studies to assess the genotype to phenotype relationship on completely homozygous lines within a single species. 1

University of Missouri-Columbia, Biological Sciences , Columbia, MO, 65201, USA2Punjab Agricultural University, Department of Vegetable Science, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India3University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins St., Columbia, MO, 65201, United States4371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

375

ROBERTSON, MARISA M.* 1, BOHN, CHINA H. 1 and HILDEBRAND, TERRI 2

Wheat and Native Grass Development and Reproduction When Grown in Prairie, Organically Farmed, and Longterm Glyphosate Treated Agricultural Soils

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he herbicide glyphosate (Round-upŠ), often with 2, 4-D, is widely used to control weeds in agricultural fields, particularly under chemical fallow management practices. We sought to determine growth and reproductive effects on wheat and two native grasses, Bouteloua gracilis and Pascopyrum smithii, when grown in prairie, as well as organic and herbicide treated field soils. Agricultural soil sampling occurred from fields in which organic management or glyphosate treatments occurred for a period of five or more years. Individual plants (n=405) grown in a greenhouse during 2017 produced data at three season intervals in addition to harvest. Stem number and height, above- and below-ground biomass, and leaf production yielded information on plant development. Inflorescence number and length, as well as glume number (surrogate measure for seed production) generated reproduction data. Analysis of a subset of soil samples (n=108) further investigated plant-soil relationships. Our results showed only ca. 60% of wheat seeds geminated in chemically managed soils compared to 82% and 85% in organically farmed and native soils. Wheat out-performed native grass germination only in organically farmed soils. Wheat stems grown in glyphosate treated soils were 75% shorter, but B. gracilis stems showed little variation in plant height, and P. smithii did not vary significantly in height among soil types. Mean wheat and P. smithii mass was 5.6- and 1.7-fold greater in native than chemically treated soils, respectively, and 3.1- and 1.2-fold greater in organic than chemically treated soils, respectively. Reproduction varied significantly by soil as well. Wheat and B. gracilis pro-

duced significantly more inflorescences when grown in organically farmed soils and glume number for each structure was greater as well. Lowest reproduction for both species occurred in soils collected from chemically fallowed fields. P. smithii did not produce reproductive structures at the time of harvest for this study. Organic fields contained significantly more organic matter than soils receiving herbicides (mean 1.33% and 1.03%, respectively), but both had less than the 1.50% observed in native prairie soils; organically farmed soils had the greatest cation exchange. Despite having no fertilization treatment, nitrate, phosphorus, and potassium levels were highest in organically farmed soils. Results from our study contribute to a growing body of research on the negative effects of repeated herbicide application and chemical fallow management practices. In addition, results suggest organic methods as a viable alternative to chemically managed farming. 1

Montana State University Northern, Biology, 300 13th Street West, Havre, MT, 59501, United States2Montana State University Northern, Biology, 300 13th Street West, Hagener Science Center 205, Havre, MT, 59501, United States

376

SCHORI, MELANIE

Updating Citrus Nomenclature and Classification

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ecent phylogenetic and genomic studies have substantially changed current understanding of relationships among cultivated Citrus. Several species are now recognized as the ancestral parents of economically important hybrid taxa including oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, and mandarins. Although whole-genome sequencing is verifying the parentage of an increasing number of cultivars, Citrus nomenclature and classification have not kept pace. Two competing classifications from the 1960s, Tanaka and Swingle & Reece, are still widely used and include many names that should be synonymized. An ad hoc committee was formed in 2017 to explore classification options and make recommendations for nomenclatural changes that will best serve the scientific and horticultural communities. Items under consideration include the circumscription of Citrus, the treatment of nothotaxa, and the use of cultivar and Group names to reflect morphological differences while complying with provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants and the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. Updates on the committee's progress are presented. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Bldg. 003 Rm. 123, Beltsville, MD, 20740, USA

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377

WEDGER, MARSHALL* 1, TOPP, CHRISTOPHER 2 and OLSEN, KENNETH M. 3

The Hidden half of weedy rice - 3D imaging to identify weediness-associated root traits

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gricultural weeds that have evolved from dedomesticated (feral) crop plants cause millions of dollars in annual yield loss worldwide and are one of the primary barriers to increasing global crop productivity. Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) is a de-domesticated form of rice that has evolved multiple times independently from different cultivated rice varieties. In the US, two weedy rice ecotypes coexist in rice fields and heavily outcompete the crop. The below-ground root system architecture has been relatively unstudied in these populations despite its presumed importance for nutrient uptake and competitive success. Using two previously published US weed Ă— crop mapping populations we performed 3D root image analysis and show that the weeds differ consistently from the crop in predictable ways. Furthermore, by mapping root traits to the weedy rice genome, we show that there is little evidence for convergent evolution on the genetic level despite clear convergent phenotypic evolution. 1

Washington University In St. Louis, Biology, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, United States2Donald Danforth Plant Science Center3Washington University, Biology Dept., Campus Box 1137, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, United States

378

BROCK, JORDAN* 1, BEILSTEIN, MARK and OLSEN, KENNETH 1 2

Phylogenetics of gold-of-pleasure (Camelina sativa L.) and its wild relatives

G

old-of-pleasure (Camelina sativa) was once widely used in Europe as an oilseed crop, and has been cultivated for thousands of years for vegetable oil, lamp fuel, and animal feed. During the past 100 years, cultivation of this crop fell out of favor, resulting in the loss of cultivars and genetic diversity. The newfound application of C. sativa oil as an aviation biofuel has spurred interest in the crop once again. However, little is known about the origin of this allohexaploid species or its relationship to its diploid and polyploid congeners. We collected and analyzed wild Camelina germplasm from the region of highest diversity in Turkey and the Caucasus. These collections represent the largest and most diverse collection of Camelina germplasm known to-date. Using a subset of 54 accessions across five known species groups, we performed genome size, phylogenetic, and genetic diversity analyses to better characterize species relatedness. A double-digest restriction-siteassociated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) approach was used to generate genome-wide markers from across 44 individuals for use in downstream analyses. Results from the phylogenetic analyses show well-supported species clades. C. sativa accessions are nested within the C. microcarpa clade, suggesting

that C. sativa is a domesticated form of the hexaploid species C. microcarpa. Further evidence for this inference includes similar genome size to C. microcarpa and a reduction in genetic diversity that is consistent with a domestication bottleneck. We also find one accession representing a putatively new diploid species that is sister to the tetraploid species C. rumelica, which may represent the diploid ancestor. 1

Washington University in St. Louis, Biology, 1 Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA2University of Arizona, School of Plant Sciences, 1140 E. South Campus Drive, P.O. Box 210036, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

379

MOORE, RICH* 1, ARLINGHAUS, KEL 2, MARDONOVICH, MARDONS@ MIAMIOH.EDU 3, CHAE, TAYLOR 4, VOSSLER, HARLEY 5 and ROCHA, OSCAR 6

Crop wild relative gene flow across a fragmented Central American landscape

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rop wild relatives serve as an important genetic reservoir for their domestic counterparts. Unfortunately, crop wild relatives can be threatened by the fragmentation of human dominated landscapes and crop-to-wild gene flow. The tropical fruit crop, papaya (Carica papaya L.), grows naturally in the fragmented Mesoamerican landscape, sometimes alongside cultivated fields. We assessed the conservation risk to wild papaya populations using morphological and population genetic analyses of naturally occurring papaya in Southern Central America, from Nicaragua to Panama, which represents the southernmost extent of papaya's natural geographic range. Across wild papaya populations, genetic diversity is moderately high, though most populations exhibit moderate levels of bi-parental inbreeding. Regional populations are genetically structured, with populations in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama showing evidence of regional differentiation. Connectivity analysis in populations of Costa Rica and Nicaragua show limited landscape connectivity due to landscape fragmentation. However, we did identify regions of high landscape connectivity corridors associated with lower population differentiation. Thus, while there is evidence of mild genetic erosion in wild papaya in PanamĂĄ, genetic diversity is still moderately high and gene flow is healthiest across natural landscape corridors.

1

Miami University, Biology, 316 Pearson, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States2Miami University, 700 E High St, Oxford, OH, 45056.0, United States3Miami University, 700 E. High St, 316 PSN, Oxford, OH, 45056.0, United States4Miami University, Botany Dept., 700 E. High Street, Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States5Miami University, Biology, 316 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States6Kent State Univerity, Department Of Biological Sciences, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, United States

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166


ECOLOGY ORAL PAPERS 380

ODIWE, ANTHONY* 1, SIKIRU, DAUDA K 2 and RAIMI , IDRIS 3

Determination of the level of trace metals using tree barks in automobile mechanic workshops at Ile-Ife, Nigeria

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he level of trace metals in automobile mechanic workshops using different tree species barks at different sampling heights were examined with the aim of providing information on the level of air pollution as well as determining the suitability of using trees barks in assessing the level of air pollution. Tree barks samples were collected at 2 m and 4 m height from eight different automobile mechanic workshop sites around Ile-Ife metropolis and control sites. The samples were transported to the laboratory, ovendried at 60 ˚C to a constant weight; ground and concentration of Pb, Cu, Cd, Fe, Zn, and S determined were determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Results showed that the concentration of Fe, Cu, Pb and S at the mechanic sites were significantly (p < 0.001) higher at 2 m than 4 m depth in all the species. The concentration of Zn was significantly (p < 0.001) higher at the 2 m depth in all the sites except for Gliricidia sepium. The concentration of Cd was, however, significantly (p < 0.05) higher at the control site compared to other sites at the two heights in the species except for Gliricidia and Terminalia catapa that showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the sites. The positive correlation value of 0.99 was observed between Fe and S; 0.94 between Zn and Cd; 0.76 between Pb and Cd, and 0.50 between Zn and Pb. This study showed that different tree species have different affinity for air pollutants, the level of the pollutants differ at the two heights above the ground and that soil particles also acted as a source of heavy metals in our environment. 1

Obafemi Awolowo University, Department Of Botany, Ibadan Road, Ile-Ife, OS, BC220005, Nigeria2Obafemi Awolowo University, Department of Bptany, Ile-Ife, BC220005, Nigeria3Obafemi Awolowo University, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Ile-Ife, BC220005, Nigeria

381

VANVOLKENBURG, HEATHER* 1, VASSEUR, LIETTE 1 and GUINEL, FREDERIQUE 2

Understanding the influences of cover crops and agrominerals as soil management alternatives in vineyard's diversity

H

ow can our understanding of ecosystem ecology help us implement sustainable management strategies in agriculture? Heavy reliance on agrochemicals and other intensive agricultural practices have led to changes in soil quality and ecosystem interactions. Alternative agroecosystem techniques should attempt to model naturally occurring processes whereby maintaining a diverse array of plants, beneficial invertebrates and microorganisms would

support ecosystem functions and services. This research aims to examine how vineyards respond to different soil management alternatives that aim to enhance soil health and promote pest and weed control. The strategies under study include the addition of cover crops and the use of Spanish River Carbonatite (SRC) as an agromineral that helps promote soil fertility. More specifically, we examine how combinations of cover crops and SRC influence functional diversity, soil properties and grape production. In the first growing season, the results showed that plant species diversity can be influenced by which cover crop species are present. Compared to rye grass monoculture between rows, cover crops tended to increase diversity and possibly enemies of pests detrimental to vineyards. Grape composition did not vary among treatments in the first year but, considering changes found in soil microbial community, it is expected that variation will be detected over time. 1

Brock University, Biological Sciences, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way , St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S3A1, Canada2Wilfrid Laurier University, Biology, 75 University Avenue W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada

382

OLOWOYO, JOSHUA* 1, AINA, OLAWOLE EMMANUEL 2, AMOO, STEPHEN 3 and MUGIVHISA, LIZIWE 3

Effect of organic (animal manures) and inorganic (NPK chemical fertilizer) soil amendments on the phytochemical contents of Lycopersicon esculentum

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he study was a greenhouse experiment conducted to compare the level of phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activities of Lycopersicon esculentum fruits cultivated on different soil amendments (cow dung, chicken droppings and NPK). Seedlings of L. esculentum were transplanted into pre-treated soils (two plants per pot) and watered daily in the afternoon for a period of five months. The Lycopersicon esculentum fruits were harvested at maturity (red-ripened stage) and subjected to both phytochemical and antioxidant activity analyses using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV) Spectrophotometer respectively. The level of beta-carotene was significantly different (p<0.05) in the fruits cultivated in the soil amended with NPK fertilizer. However, the concentrations of other phytochemical compounds were in the order of cow dung > control > NPK > chicken droppings and the differences obtained were significant (p < 0.05). The antioxidant activities evaluated showed the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhyrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity in fruits cultivated in a cow dung amended soil. The general pattern of the results showed that L. esculentum cultivated in the soils with amendments with low level of nitrogen produced higher levels of phytochemical contents and potential antioxidant activity. Keywords: Antioxidants; extract; phytochemicals; soil amendment; tomato fruit 1

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa, P.O. BOX 139, Medunsa, South Africa, Gauteng, 0204, South Africa2Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Biology, Medunsa Campus, SMU, Natural Sciences Building, Ground Floor, Office 00,

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Pretoria, GT, 0204, South Africa3Sefako Magatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa, P.O. Box 139, Medunsa, Pretoria, Gauteng, 0204, South Africa

383

SUPER, LAURA* , YE, TONG , LOW, CAITLIN , TSAI, KYNE and SIMARD, SUZANNE

The impact of anthropogenic nitrogen and warming on plants and their associated organisms

I

n spite of the importance of understanding multiple factors on plants, less is known about the impact of multiple anthropogenic drivers on plants and associated organisms. This growth chamber study involved simulating nitrogen deposition (10 kg N per hectare per year) and climate change warming (three degrees Celsius increase) on tree seedlings to assess impacts on the plants above- and belowground as well as associated organisms. Each tree seedling received one of the following treatments: control (C), warming (W), nitrogen (N), or nitrogen and warming (NW). This research focused on coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga mensiezii) for most subsequent analyses given large enough sample sizes (pilot data was still collected for the other species, with at least 3 replicates per treatment). For change in height data, there was enough to report on western red cedar (Thuja plicata, N=119, n=29 to 30 per treatment) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla, N=120, n=29 to 31 per treatment) as well as Douglas-fir (N=340, n=83 to 86 per treatment). Preliminary analyses show that above-ground plant growth for shoot height change (week eight minus week one height) was the most for T. plicata on average, with T. plicata at the control temperature having the largest change in height. The P. mensiezii height change under NW was similar to that of T. plicata and was greater than the other treatments (C, N, W) for these species. T. heterophylla did not seem to show this response. With respect to above- and below-ground measures, analyses with Douglas-fir (N=48, n=12 per treatment) were conducted to assess shoot and root biomass, shoot height, root collar diameter, rooting depth, specific leaf area (SLA) and specific root length (SRL). In general, these did not differ between the treatments, but results suggest that average rooting depth was greater for N; root and shoot biomass and root collar diameter were greater for NW; and SRL was lower for NW. Preliminary pilot study analyses on the other species showed high variability given sample size (n= 3 per treatment). Additional trees are currently being assessed for soil food webs and above-ground organisms, and this data is forthcoming and hopefully will be ready by the conference. This research is part of Laura Super's PhD project examining the impact of anthropogenic change on plant-microbe-invertebrate interactions, and has significance for applied and basic scientific research.

The University of British Columbia (Vancouver Campus) , Forest and Conservation Sciences, Main Office (Room 3041), 2424 Main Mall , Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

384

RICHARDSON, LEA* 1 and WAGENIUS, STUART 2

Fire influences flowering phenology and reproduction in two tallgrass prairie forbs

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lowering phenology is well-linked to climate, but much less is known about how disturbances, such as fire, influence flowering phenology. Fire is a common disturbance that promotes native species diversity in tallgrass prairie ecosystems. Although increases in flowering have been observed for many native plant species following fire, little is known about the magnitude of phenological change following fire or resulting reproductive outcomes for plant species. To investigate the relationship between fire, flowering, and reproduction, I studied two common prairie forbs, Solidago speciosa and Liatris aspera. I randomly selected approximately 90 individuals of each species to monitor along a transect in a prairie preserve that is divided in half and burned every other year. I measured flowering phenology, flowering effort, spatial location, and seedset over two years. During the first year, half of the plants were in the burned half of the prairie preserve, and during the second year neither side burned. I hypothesize that fire synchronizes flowering phenology among individuals, which in turn influences seedset. To understand the impacts of phenology and fire on reproductive success, I generated maximum generalized linear models with seedset as the response and used backwards elimination to select the best model for each species. n the year with burning (2016), both species' total reproductive output was higher in the burned unit compared with the unburned unit. Flowering density of conspecifics in the burned unit was double for Solidago, and more than twenty times higher for Liatris. In the year with no burn (2017), the flowering density of both species differed between the sides of the preserve, but the difference was less extreme than during the burn year. These results suggest fire stimulates flowering in Liatris and Solidago. In both years and for both species, seedset was best modeled as a function of burn unit interacting with individual flowering synchrony. Flowering synchronously with the population is associated with higher seedset when flowering density is low, such as on the unburned side of the preserve. However, increased flowering synchrony is associated with lower seedset when flowering density is very high. At low densities, plants may benefit from flowering synchronously with the population because plants that are extremely isolated are less likely to receive pollen. In very dense patches of flowering plants, however, high synchrony could be a disadvantage because of high intraspecific or interspecific competition for pollination.

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1

Northwestern University/Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Biology and Conservation, 777 Hinman #37, Evanston, IL, 60202, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, CONS SCI DEPT, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States

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385

PITTENGER, MADISON* 1, MARICLE, KERI 2, BAER, SARA 3, JOHNSON, LORETTA 4 and MARICLE, BRIAN 5

386 CAROL*

TATE, EMILY and GOODWILLIE,

Herbivory Preferences Among Ecotypes of Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Functional trait analysis of a plant community response to long-term fertilization

B

F

ig bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), a dominant prairie grass, exhibits a wide distribution with several genetically distinct ecotypes. Each ecotype adapts to abiotic and biotic factors within its environment. These adaptations may prove more or less desirable to herbivores in the area. For instance, plants adapted to areas with greater rainfall tend to grow larger than those adapted to drier conditions. However, wetter conditions might result in greater herbivore pressure, so ecotypes adapted to wetter conditions might have evolved greater herbivore defense mechanisms; therefore, a trade-off may exist between drought resistance and herbivore resistance. We hypothesized herbivores would display a preference for plants adapted to drier conditions. We tested this with feeding preference trials involving grasshoppers and leaves from five ecotypes of A. gerardii that represented plants adapted to wet and dry conditions. Scans of leaves before and after herbivory trials indicated 56 to 74 percent of leaf area remained, with the more mesic ecotypes being favored by herbivores. We also hypothesized that leaves with more tannins would be less preferable to herbivores. This was tested with measures of leaf tannin concentration from five ecotypes of A. gerardii from four common gardens across a precipitation gradient. Leaf tannin concentrations ranged from 0.0 to 5.5% of leaf dry mass, and were different among both sites and ecotypes, indicating environmental and genetic influences on leaf tannin concentration. More mesic ecotypes had lower tannin concentrations and were preferred by herbivores, indicating ecotypes of A. gerardii are responsive to environmental factors involving herbivory.

1

Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, USA2Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park Street, Hays, KS, 67601, United States3Southern Illinois University, Plant Biology, 1263 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA4Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan , KS, 66506-4901, United States5 Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States

unctional trait analysis can provide insight into the biological mechanisms underlying the effects of nutrient availability on plant communities. Functional traits are often treated as fixed species properties, but phenotypic responses to environmental conditions can contribute substantially to trait variation, and these effects are less often considered. Traits associated with an exploitative resource use strategy have been shown to be common in high nutrient environments. Relative to species with more conservative resource use strategies, exploitative species tend to grow rapidly, producing cheap, short-lived structures. In an analysis that included phenotypic response to nutrients, we studied plant functional traits in a long-term fertilization study of a wetland habitat in the coastal plain of North Carolina. At year 15 of the experiment, plant community composition differs significantly between fertilized and unfertilized plots. To provide insight into the factors driving these differences in species abundance, we analyzed six leaf and whole plant traits associated with resource use strategy, measuring trait values in both fertilized and unfertilized plots. Analysis of weighted trait means (species traits weighted by abundance) revealed significant differences between fertilized and unfertilized plots for most traits, with trait values associated with exploitative strategies generally found in fertilized plots. Variation in trait means was also associated with spatial variation in soil moisture, with drier sites dominated by species exhibiting more exploitative strategies. The magnitude of phenotypic responses to fertilization in trait values varied among species and contributed greatly to differences between treatments in weighted trait means. Our results underscore the importance of considering phenotypic plasticity in the analysis and interpretation of functional trait variation.

East Carolina University, Biology, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA

387

GILLARD, MORGANE* 1, GREWELL, BRENDA 2, FUTRELL, CARYN J. 2, DELEU, CAROLE 3 and THIEBAUT, GABRIELLE 4

Climate warming stimulates germination and initial biomass production by seedlings of two invasive Ludwigia congeners

I

nvasive plants represent a serious threat to the native biodiversity of inland aquatic ecosystems throughout the world. Projected global climate changes, including temperature increase, are expected to strongly impact these ecosystems, and to magnify the negative impacts of invasive species. Understanding the colonization dynamics of aquatic invasive plant species is of high importance

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for preservation of native biodiversity, yet they are poorly understood in the context of global climate change. Many aquatic invasive plants rely on clonal reproduction to spread, but mixed reproductive modes are common. Under future climate changes, these species may favor a sexual reproductive mode. The aim of this work was to evaluate the germination capacity and the seedling growth of two water primrose species, Ludwigia hexapetala and Ludwigia peploides subsp. montevidensis (Onagraceae), both invasive in Europe and the US. For each taxa, seeds of two populations were collected in northwestern France as well as in California, two invasive ranges characterized by Oceanic and Mediterranean-type climates respectively. We performed a reciprocal transplant of the seeds into outdoor experimental gardens in each location. The experiments took place at the same time from May through June for 6 weeks during which seeds and seedlings experienced an average air temperature warming of 5.6°C. Our results showed that higher air temperatures increased or maintained germination percentages and velocity, decreased survivorship of germinants, but increased their production of biomass in the seedling life stage by 6.7 times. The provenance of the seeds had low impact on L. hexapetala responses to temperature, but greatly influenced those of L. peploides. Our results suggest that the invasiveness of water primroses in habitat with Oceanic climates might increase with temperature rise. The recruitment from seed banks by these taxa should be considered by managers to improve the conservation of native aquatic and wetland plant species.

This case study examines the usefulness of such a long-term dataset in evaluating local plant responses to climate change. The goal of this study was to determine if early spring-flowering species first bloom dates had shifted to earlier dates in a localized area. Kruskal-Wallis analyses of variance tests were used to determine significance of change in first bloom date for each selected species. Species chosen for observation included spring ephemerals (Anemone americana, Anemone quinquefolia, Erythronium americanum, Panax trifolius, Sanguinaria canadensis, Trillium erectum, Tussilago farfara) and flowering trees (Acer rubrum, Amelanchier arborea, Prunus serotina). Although DSRC phenology observations have been recorded for over 300 flora species, the subset examined here are among the most continuously observed. As expected, spring ephemerals experienced the greatest change in first bloom dates. These preliminary analyses show promise that our dataset can be valuable at determining local phenology changes, however more robust analyses with other variables are necessary to fully understand complete impacts on regional phenology events. Next steps include analyzing potential correlations with monthly average temperatures from the Mohonk Lake Cooperative Weather Station, which has maintained continuous daily weather readings since 1896, examining if wetland species are experiencing similar shifts in first bloom dates, and comparing our local data to those collected on a broader geographical scale, such as that of the National Phenology Network.

1

University of California, Davis, Department of Plant Sciences, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA2USDA-ARS Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit, Department of Plant Sciences, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA3University of Rennes 1, IGEPP, UMR 1349 Inra, Campus de Beaulieu, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Rennes, 35042, France4University of Rennes 1, Ecobio, UMR 6553 CNRS, Campus de Beaulieu, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Rennes, 35042, France

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388

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FELDSINE, NATALIE

Potential phenological shifts of first bloom dates in southern New York: using long-term phenology data to understand local effects of climate change

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s spring temperatures are increasing progressively early in the season, environmentally sensitive events such as songbird migration and emergence of spring flora have been shifting to occur at earlier dates than historically observed. As these spring events are important for many other migrating and emerging species, it is important to study phenology events so as to better understand ecological relationships. Mohonk Preserve's Daniel Smiley Research Center (DSRC) maintains a unique long-term and strongly place-based dataset of phenology events including first bloom dates and songbird first arrival dates. These data were collected at specific locations and along established routes starting in 1913 and continuing through present day.

Mohonk Preserve, Conservation Science, PO Box 715, New Paltz, NY, 12561, United States

JOHNSON, LORETTA* 1, REICHELT, RORY 1, NAGEL, ANNA 2 and GALLIART, MATT 1

Niche divergence in big bluestem grass ecotypes in response to experimental drought: Mechanisms of local adaptation nterspecific variation in plant communities is known to affect ecosystem productivity, stability, and resilience. Yet, recent work has shown that intraspecific variation can have an even greater effect than interspecific variation. Intraspecific variation is often due to local selective pressures, leading to local adaptation. From reciprocal gardens, we showed that Andropogon gerardii, the dominant grass species in tallgrass prairie, exhibits local adaptation to precipitation and occurs as wet and dry ecotypes in their home sites of southern Illinois (SIL ecotype) and central Kansas (CKS ecotype), respectively. Here, we characterize mechanisms of intraspecific competition between ecotypes of A. gerardii in watered and drought treatments in a greenhouse experiment. We hypothesize that: 1) because ecotypes are under strong heterogenous selection pressure to rainfall, we expect functional traits differences in wet and dry ecotypes in response to precipitation differences, 2) wet and dry ecotypes should respond differentially to drought, with dry ecotypes better able to tolerate drought, and 3) if differences between ecotypes are strong, then plants of the same ecotype should compete more with each other than with plants of

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a different ecotype. To test these, CKS and SIL ecotypes were grown in pots (4 plants/pot, 4 replicates, total 80 pots, 320 plants in total) in mixed ecotype and single ecotype combinations for 16 weeks, under drought conditions (watered at 1/3 frequency compared to controls). Metrics of plant performance included height, number of tillers, blade width, flower timing, SPAD, and photosynthesis. Flower timing and height showed significant ecotype and drought effects. CKS flowered significantly earlier compared to SIL. Drought slowed flowering regardless of ecotype. Drought reduced height, disproportionately in SIL, suggesting the wet ecotype is more sensitive to drought. Several trait responses (blade width, flowering stalk diameter, and number of tillers) showed a significant ecotype effect, but no drought effect. SIL had wider leaves, greater stalk diameter and fewer tillers compared to CKS. CKS showed enhanced photosynthesis and SPAD under drought compared to SIL. For the ecotype neighbor effect, for most response variables, no effect of identity of neighboring ecotype (same or different ecotype) was evident, at least after 4 months, although longer timescales may be needed to elucidate responses. Combined, these results suggest that ecotypes of Andropogon gerardii have functionally different growth strategy tradeoffs. This work provides additional evidence that local selection pressures have resulted in local adaptation and ecotypic differences in big bluestem. 1

Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan , KS, 66506-4901, United States2University of Minnesota, Ecology, Minneapolis-St Paul, MN, US

390

BARNES, CHRISTOPHER

Spatial-temporal variation in the defence compounds of Thapsia garganica, and their inhibition to fungi

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nderstanding the composition and concentrations of plant chemical defences have been a source of great interest for ecologists and evolutionary biologists alike, with many models developed to understand the inter- and intra-specific variation in them. One such model, the optimum defence model states that vegetative tissue is easier to replace than reproductive tissue, and therefore is better protected. It also states that under increasing risk of attack (i.e. herbivory), there will be an increase chemical defences, and that chemical defences are greatest in the mid-season. Thapsia garganica is a slow growing plant restricted to the Mediterranean from Portugal and Morocco to Turkey and Greece, which contains potent anti-herbivory compounds, thapsigargins. These compounds have long been used as medicinal compounds, but their regulation is almost entirely unknown. In this study we sampled populations of T. garganica from 6 sites across the island of Ibiza, which spanned a herbivory gradient (ranging from an active farm to sites that have not been grazed for over 10 years). Sampling was performed three times over a 12-week period, where thapsigargins in the root and root bark were quantified, and where present, the leaves, bracts, flowers and fruits. The evolutionary processes regulating thapsigargins were subsequently investigated by analyzing differences in thapsigargin concentrations between different tis-

sue types, under the herbivory gradient and temporally, and results compared to the optimum defence model. We additionally investigated the role of the abiotic (soil and climate) and biotic (soil fungi) factors in regulating thapsigargins. Results here suggest that the optimum defence model fits well for T. garganica. There were significant differences between tissue types, with fruits and flowers better protected than the leaves, whilst there were limited effects of herbivory and no significant temporal variation. We therefore suggest that tissue type is the best predictor of chemical defences in T. garganica, followed by herbivory and then temporal variation. Finally, we found that increasing soil nitrogen increased belowground thapsigargin concentrations, and that the roots of T. garganica had very low rates of fungal colonisation, with thapsigargins shown to powerfully inhibit soil fungal growth in the laboratory. Thapsigargins may therefore have previously uncharacterised functions in the belowground defence of T. garganica. University of Copenhagen, Natural History Musuem of Denmark, Oester Voldgade 5-7, København K, Copenhagen, 1350, Denmark

391

COCOLETZI , ELIEZER* 1, CONTRERAS-VARELA, XIMENA 2, GARCÍ­ A-CHAVEZ, JUAN 3, FERNANDES, GERALDO 4 and AGUIRRE, ARMANDO 5

The structure, physiology and consequences of galls in Parkinsonia praecox in a semi-arid region

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alls are atypical plant growths that provide nourishment, shelter, and protection to the inducer or its progeny. Galls can be induced on any vegetative structures (leaves, stems, branches and roots) or reproductive organ. Fruit and flowers are poorly represented as host organs for galling insects. The impact of galling insects on their host plants is variable therefore the effects of fruit galls become particularly important in order to understand how the presence of galls affects the reproductive input and fitness of the plant. Our main question was: Does morphological traits, anatomical features and physiological characteristics differ between galled and healthy fruits of Parkinsonia praecox distributed in a Mexican semi-arid region? Galled and healthy fruits of P. praecox were characterized in terms of 1) morphological traits (length, diameter, thickness, and biomass); 2) anatomical features (trichomes, stomatal and pavement cells) and 3) physiological characteristics (stomatal conductance, gs). Generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate the relationship between galled and healthy fruits in each of the morphological traits, anatomical features and physiological characteristics. We found that galled fruits were induced by Asphondylia sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Approximately 20% of the fruits per branch had galls. Thickness, diameter and water content values of galled fruits were higher compared to healthy fruits. Length, biomass and pavement cells density of healthy fruits were higher. Each galled fruit was composed of parenchymatous tissue, this tissue surrounds a larval chamber that

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holds only one galling insect larva. Therefore, the normal structure of the fruit is modified thus producing galls with a spherical shape, mostly without seeds. The density of trichomes on galled fruits was higher, while the stomatal density and pavement cell size were not statistically different between galled and healthy fruits. The high density of trichomes in galled fruits could prevent excessive moisture loss in the larval chamber and may maintain the internal temperature. Furthermore, the gs rates of galled fruits were almost 3 times higher than in healthy fruits but the highest values were recorded after the sunrise. Galls on fruits of P. praecox modify negatively the morphology and anatomy of fruits, with consequences on plant fitness. Galling insects may stimulate physiological mechanisms in fruits in order to increase the water continuum from the host plant to the gall. 1

Universidad Veracruzana, Centro de EcoAlfabetización y Diálogo de Saberes, Av. de las Culturas Veracruzanas, Xalapa, VE, 91060, MX2Instituto de Ecología A. C., Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Carretera Antigua A Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, VE, 91070, MX3Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Facultad de Biología, Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla, Puebla, PU, 72570, MX4Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Biologia Geral, 486, Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, BH, BR5Instituto de Ecología A. C., Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Carretera Antigua A Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, VE, 91070, Mexico

392

OLOWOYO, JOSHUA* 1 and MUGIVHISA, LIZIWE 2

How safe is organic farming in the face of persistent organic and inorganic pollutants in the environment

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rganic farming products are fast gaining acceptance from consumers all over the world due to the perceived belief that they are safe for human consumption. However in recent years, there has been an increase in the levels of persistent organic and inorganic pollutants in the environment. These pollutants are found in farming materials such as sewage sludge, treated wastewater, farmyard manure (human and animal feaces and urine) that are used for organic farming. The present review examined through literature the presence of these emerging pollutants in crops that are cultivated from farming activities practicing organic farming. The review highlighted and documented various pollutants that may be found in crops due to non-compliance with legislation establishing organic farming. The need to develop a robust method for identifying safe products from organic farming was highlighted. The impact of non-compliance and lack of proper education on the peasant farmers practicing backyard farming was also enumerated.

1

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa, P.O. BOX 139, Medunsa, South Africa, Gauteng, 0204, South Africa2Sefako Magatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa, Biology, P.O. Box 139, Medunsa, Pretoria, Gauteng, 0204, South Africa

393

CHAPMAN, JULIA* 1, BUSKEY, TAYLOR , KUKLA, MITCHELL 2, KUMINECZ, COREY 2 and MCEWAN, RYAN 3 2

Tree regeneration and herbaceous community responses to emerald ash borer-induced Fraxinus mortality and altered Alliaria petiolata abundance in an old-growth forest remnant

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astern North American deciduous forests are among the most diverse temperate ecosystems and are, unfortunately, threatened by the introduction of invasive species. In many places, it is common for multiple invading species to establish and impact native communities both directly via competition and indirectly by altering local environmental conditions. Drew Woods State Nature Preserve (DWSNP) is a 6-ha old-growth forest fragment in Darke County, Ohio that has been subjected to two major invasive species in the past decade. The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive insect species in North America that has devastated Fraxinus (ash) populations in the Great Lakes region and has impacted the forest community in DWSNP. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an invasive herbaceous species that can reach high population densities and outcompete native plant species. As of 2012, Alliaria petiolata had attained high density in DWSNP; however, removal efforts have drastically reduced its density over the last 5 years. Our goal was to understand how all forest strata, from herbs to trees, have been changing through time in response to EAB-related tree mortality and the removal of A. petiolata. Thirty-two nested plots were established in DWSNP in 2011 to sample the overstory layer (314 m2; stems ≥ 2.5 cm diameter at breast height), sapling layer (10 m2; stems < 2.5 cm dbh and > 50 cm in height), seedling layer (1 m2; stems <50 cm in height), and herbaceous layer (1 m2; non-woody species). Woody strata were sampled in 2011 and 2017, and the herbaceous layer was sampled annually from 2012 to 2017. Overstory basal area of live Fraxinus decreased from 151.4 m2 ha-1 in 2011 to 1.68 m2 ha-1 in 2017 while dead Fraxinus increased from 33.5 m2 ha-1 to 132.3 m2 ha-1. Herbaceous species richness and cover were higher in more recent sampling years, likely due to increasing light availability via canopy gap formation, which is a driver of herbaceous diversity. Temporal beta diversity of the herbaceous layer was highest in plots with the highest reduction of A. petiolata densities. Further analyses will investigate how the abundances of tree species other than Fraxinus have changed during this time period. Simultaneous invasion of North American deciduous forests by exotic insects and plants is likely to continue as a pervasive phenomenon, and understanding long-term effects of both invasion and management activities will require a focus on interactive effects. 1

1519 Tabor Ave. Apt. C, Kettering, OH, 45420, United States2University of Dayton, Department of Biology, 300 College Park, SC 211, Dayton, OH, 45469-2320, USA3Biology, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH, 45469, United States

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394

MORGAN, ERIC

Influence of a non-native orchid, Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz, upon the distribution, life cycle and feeding patterns of a native weevil, Stethobaris ovata (LeConte) (Curculionidae) and evidence of apparent

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ith the introduction of non-native species to new environments the impact of a particular species introduction can often go unrecognized for extended periods of time. Throughout the northeastern North America, Epipactis helleborine, a nonnative terrestrial orchid introduced over a century ago, has begun to disrupt the regular feeding pattern of a native Baridinae weevil, Stethobaris ovata (Curculionidae). We present evidence that S. ovata, a specialist feeder upon members of the Orchidaceae will preferentially feed upon Epipactis helleborine when available. Furthermore, we show that populations of S. ovata are showing phenological shifts in the presence of E. helleborine. Additionally, populations of S. ovata are under disruptive selection pressure, with populations around E. helleborine showing a decreased response to native Orchidaceae as a food source, and decreased feeding when compared to feeding upon E. helleborine. These results are suggestive of the evolution of incipient species within S. ovata as currently circumscribed. To demonstrate the potential impacts upon the native orchid flora, we present data from a metapopulation analysis of variable patch sizes of both native orchids as well as E. helleborine, showing that the presence of E. helleborine increases patch suitability for colonization by S. ovata.

2350 Broadhollow Rd, Department Of Biology - Hale Hall, Farmingdale , NY, 11375, United States

395

MARTINI, FRANCESCO* 1, XIA, SHANGWEN 2 and MANAGE GOODALE, UROMI 1

Forest regeneration in a subtropical forest: factors shaping seedling community along elevation

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nderstanding the mechanisms that govern forest regeneration is important to predict future scenarios under climate change and for developing better conservation strategies. Elevation plays a significant effect on plants recruitment and their range shifts under climate. Microsite conditions and seed production also change with elevation, influencing species changes in distribution and seed persistence in the soil. Most studies that assess elevation effects on recruitment are located in the northern temperate zone, some in the tropics, but only few the subtropics. Moreover, rarely more than two factors affecting recruitment are investigated together. The

aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of elevation, microsite conditions and herbivory on the seedling community in a subtropical forests of Guangxi, southern China. A total of 5 one-ha plots, covering an elevation gradient of ca. 500 meters (1400, 1500, 1550, 1750, 1850 m asl), were used. Each plot included 24, 1m2 seedling quadrats, where all woody seedlings were measured and monitored for one year. Eight additional 1 m2 seedling quadrats were surrounded with a net to exclude browsing from bigger animals. Edaphic, topographic, soil nutrients and water content, and canopy openness data were also measured. A total of 1150 seedlings were monitored, for a mean density of 7.19 seedlings per square meter. The highest abundance was found at 1550 m, and the lowest at 1850 m. The maximum number of seedlings per quadrat was 112, while 8% of the quadrats didn't show any seedling at any time. Seedling density and species diversity showed large variation within elevations between the seedling plots. The highest total recruitment was found between June and August, while the highest mortality was registered between November and January. Seedling growth rate was higher during May-June period. In terms of browsing herbivory, no evidence of browsing animals was found through the enclosed vs. open seedling quadrats, suggesting that the wildlife browsing community might be scarce. In terms of insect herbivory instead, leaves presented an average damage of 14% across two seasons, with significant differences between the two. This result is higher than what found in other studies, which indicate that the insect community, contrarily to the browsing one, is rich. However, the intensity of foliar damage didn't show any effect on seedling growth. 1

Guangxi University, Forestry College, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, 100, DaXueDongLu, Nanning, GX, 530000, China2Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Soil Ecology Group, Menglun, YU, 666303, China

396

JANSSEN, ERIC* , ZAYA, DAVID and MOLANO-FLORES, BRENDA

Do Colonization/Extinction Probabilities of Understory Plants Differ Between Forest Types?

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tudies have shown that alpha-diversity of understory herbaceous vegetation is declining in Midwestern upland forests and increasing in floodplain forests. Differences in colonization and extinction probabilities of species between the two forest types may be driving the differences in this trend. We expected colonization probabilities to be higher in floodplain forests due to increased dispersal ability via rivers and extinction probabilities to be higher for upland forests due to population isolation and competition with invasive species. We used robustdesign occupancy models to estimate colonization and extinction probabilities of 55 and 58 understory species from upland and floodplain forests, respectively. T-tests were used to compare colonization and extinction probabilities between and within forest types. Overall colonization (Upland: 0.137Âą0.012,

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Floodplain: 0.148±0.015) and extinction (Upland: 0.257±0.017, Floodplain: 0.297±0.025) probabilities did not differ between forest types. Extinction probabilities were higher than colonization probabilities for both forest types. Most species in both forest types had extinction probabilities higher than colonization probabilities (Upland: 38, Floodplain: 39) with only a few species with higher colonization probabilities (Upland: 9, Floodplain: 6). These results suggest that alpha-diversity is likely to decrease into the future for both of these forest types. Species with extinction probabilities much larger than colonization probabilities are the most at risk of extirpation and should be the target of management actions to preserve diversity. In the case of floodplain and upland forests control of invasive species and species re-introductions will be needed to maintain vulnerable species populations. Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA

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it is preferred. The hypothesis that deer consume L. maackii when more preferred foods are depleted was not supported, as there was no negative relationship among sites between L. maackii browse and the density of twigs of more preferred species. A negative relationship between the proportion of L. maackii twigs browsed and L. maackii density among sites supported the third hypothesis, that this invasive shrub is a unique food resource for deer. The greater proportional deer browse on L. maackii where this shrub was less abundant, combined with the previous finding that leafy L. maackii twigs provide a high protein food in early spring before native woody plant leaf expansion, indicates this shrub provides a valuable food resource in early spring. We infer that deer seek out even sparse L. maackii in early spring, but this short-term browse is of negligible impact in stands where this shrub is abundant. 1

Miami University, Department of Biology, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States2Miami University, Department Of Biology, Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States

WRIGHT, GABRIELLE 1 and GORCHOV, DAVID* 2

398

Frequency of white-tailed deer browse on an invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii, is inversely related to this invasive shrub's abundance: evidence it serves as a unique food resource

Changes in tree species composition, abundance, and diversity in a remnant historic prairie grove in central, Illinois USA over a thirty-four year period (1977-2011)

TCanceled

he preference for invasive plant species by native generalist herbivores depends on the plant species. We explored how preference by whitetailed deer for one invasive species depends on site conditions and community composition. In some southwest Ohio forest stands, the non-native shrub, Lonicera maackii (Caprifoliaceae, Amur honeysuckle) is very abundant and a major component of deer diets. We tested three hypotheses for this high browse rate: (1) deer prefer L. maackii versus other woody plants, (2) L. maackii is not a preferred, but consumed where alternative foods were depleted (due to high deer browse pressure), and (3) L. maackii is a unique (relatively non-substitutable) food resource for deer. This third hypothesis was motivated by the extended leaf phenology of L. maackii and earlier research showing that deer consumption of L. maackii twigs is high in early spring, when its leafedout twigs provide a higher protein food source than the still leafless twigs of native woody plants. We assessed preference for L. maackii and co-occurring woody plants across eight sites in southwest Ohio by counting first-year twigs of each woody species that were browsed by deer and unbrowsed in summer 2016, and calculating an electivity index for each of these species. Species were classified as more or less preferred than L. maackii based on electivity values. Neither the proportion of L. maackii twigs browsed, nor its electivity, was correlated with characteristics of the stand or landscape (land cover composition). Lonicera maackii electivity was negative at most sites, refuting the hypothesis that

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ANDERSON, ROGER

istorically, fire was an important factor in maintaining oak savannas and open oak woodlands in the Midwest. However, fire suppression during the past two centuries resulted in Midwest woodlands on mesic upland sites transitioning from dominance by fire-resistant, shade-intolerant oak and hickory species to dominance by fire-sensitive, shade-tolerant mesophytes. I studied changes in tree species composition and diversity in one of these upland forests, Funks Grove in McLean County, Illinois, over a period of 35 years (1977-2011). The 13 ha study site currently supports a closed canopy forest dominated by sugar maple (Acer saccharum). However, in 1977 scattered large (120-180 cm dbh) living and dead open-grown burr oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) provided evidence of a historic open forest. Government Land Office (GLO) records (1823) indicate oaks dominated the historic vegetation with a combined Importance Value (IV) of 43.2, (for all species combined IV = 100). Historic tree density was 28 trees/ha compared to current densities of 318 trees/ha. On my study site in 1977, the dominant tree species was American elm (Ulmus americana) (IV = 29), which experienced a rapid decline (IV = 1.6) by 1984 due to Dutch elm disease, and sugar maple (IV = 46) dominated the forest. From 1823 to 2011, tree species richness varied from 11 to 8 trees, diversity (Shannon-Wiener Index) declined from 2.30 to 1.37, and evenness decreased from 0.96 to 0.57. In the past 10-15 years, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing diminished seedlings of most tree species, except paw paw, which deer rarely browse. Aerial deer counts made during the 2007-2008 win-

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ter yielded a density of 75 deer km-2 (194 deer/square mile). Current trajectory of canopy tree recruitment suggests that development of a dense paw paw (Asimina triloba) understory will restrict canopy tree recruitment and diversity. Deer do not browse paw paw, but they browse sugar maples and other hardwood tree species. Returning vegetation to historic conditions requires: (1) sugar maple thinning, (2) reducing paw paw and white-tailed deer abundance, and (3) fire management. Unfortunately, it might be too late to implement this management in Funks Grove effectively.

and a decrease in the mean weighted conservatism for all species. Five species or genera increased under grazing, while four species were indicated as grazing decreasers. A far greater number of plant species, 43 in total, exhibited no effect of grazing. Drake University, Biology Dept, Olin Hall, 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, USA

400 PASICHE-LISBOA, CARLOS J. 1 and PIERCEY-NORMORE, MICHELE D.* 2

Illinois State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 315 West College Ave, School Of Biological Sciences, Normal, IL, 61790, United States

Dispersal of lichen and moss asexual propagules by wind may influence community structure in boreal forests

399

B

ROSBURG, THOMAS

Effects of cattle grazing on the species composition of prairie communities in northwest Iowa

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irchner Prairie is a 158-acre site in northwest Iowa near Spencer owned and managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Grazing is considered to be an important environmental factor in grassland and prairie management, and interest in using cattle as a surrogate for native mammalian grazers is increasing. This 4-year study investigated the role that low intensity cattle grazing could have in prairie management. Eight blocks, each containing a control (within an exclosure) and grazed plot, were established at Kircher Prairie in July 2012. The blocks were balanced between the east and west halves of the prairie, which reflects a difference in land use history when it was privately owned. The blocks were also distributed among 3 burn units for the site. Baseline data on the species composition of the prairie communities was collected in July and August 2012. Cattle grazing commenced in May 2013 and continued in 2014 and 2015 from May to September. The plots were resampled in 2014 and at the end of the study in 2016. Species composition was measured in 10x30 m plots, each with 3 2x30 m belt transects (for shrubs) and 15 1x1 m quadrats as well as 60 25x25 cm subquadrats for herbaceous layer species. Plant species abundance was measured with absolute frequency and ramet density. Statistical analyses with two-way repeated measures ANOVA and paired two sample tests were used to compare 2012 baseline vegetation with 2016 vegetation. DECORANA ordinations were used to evaluate the variation in community composition over the 4-year study. Variables analyzed included over 30 variables reflecting prairie diversity, structure and quality, the density of 57 plant species and genera, and several variables that measured the dissimilarity in species composition among samples from the ordination. There were 180 plant species observed on the plots. Many of the variables demonstrated either land use history effects, treatment effects, or treatment by history interactions. Significant outcomes attributed to grazing included an increase in the density and frequency of non-native grasses, a decrease in the conservatism of native graminoids, an increase in the richness of high conservative native herb species,

ryophyte and lichen communities produce asexual propagules in different quantities, sizes, and morphological types (here called propagule load) that are dispersed mainly by wind. Habitat and geographic location of the lichen and bryophyte community, the asexual propagule load, dispersal vector (wind), and propagule establishment may influence the population structure within the community. However, little is known about the dispersal of asexual propagules produced by boreal moss and lichen communities. The goal of this study was to better understand the wind dispersal of asexual propagules produced by boreal mosses and lichens. Moss gametophore and lichen thallus material of nine species from tree and forest floor substrata were collected from a boreal forest in Manitoba. In the laboratory, the material was crushed to form varied-sized propagules, which were exposed to a wind tunnel experiment. Horizontal winds from a fan blew the material at wind speeds of 9.05 Âą 0.06 km/hr allowing the propagules to deposit on a onemeter tape extending away from the fan. Dispersal of these species was studied by assessing if there were significant associations (Pearson's r) of number and sizes of asexual propagules with distance traveled (cm) away from the wind source. Asexual propagule sizes were compared (ANOVA) between substrata, and mosses and lichens. Results showed that small fragments (204.10 Âą 5.83 Îźm) of the moss gametophore and thallus fragments of lichens were mostly dispersed within 10 cm from the source. Pearson's r indicates that the size and quantity of propagules decreased with an increase in dispersal distance. However, the ground rather than epiphytic communities, and mosses rather than lichens had a stronger negative association between numbers of propagules or sizes and distance suggesting a limited dispersal in boreal forests. Furthermore, ANOVA showed that significantly larger sizes of asexual propagules were deposited from ground communities rather than epiphytic communities, and mosses rather than lichens. Our study suggests that the community structure in boreal forests may result from dispersal limitations (dispersal close to the source) of mosses and lichens from the ground and trees. Dispersal limitations may affect community structure by the high deposition and establishment of asexual propagules of select species limiting the occupancy of other species on a substratum, but aiding with the population maintenance of the resident species. The contribution of each species on community structure can be elucidated if experiments on the dispersal, deposition, and establishment of the propagule load are

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further explored. 1

Pasichcj@myumanitoba.ca, Biological Science, General Office 212B Bio-Sci Bldg., 50 Sifton Road, University Of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada2Memorial University of Newfoundland (Grenfell Campus), School of Science and the Environment, 20 University Drive, Corner Brook, NL, A2H 5G4, CA

401

JOOSTE, MICHELLE* 1, OBERLANDER, KENNETH 2, MIDGLEY, GUY 1 and DREYER, LEANNE 1

Understanding an un-described symbiosis; implications for resilience, evolution and conservation of Oxalis in the Cape flora biodiversity hotspot

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he unique biogeographic region located at the southwestern tip of the African continent, the Cape Floristic Region (Cape), is globally renowned for its extremely species-rich and diverse flora. Current models of climate change predict shorter, drier winters for the Cape, which may directly affect the future success of many species. Research on the important role of endophytic microbes in generating and maintaining plant species diversity has largely been neglected in this hyper-diverse region and to date there is very little known about micro-organismal community composition within and between Cape plant species, and we run the risk of losing complex interactions before they have even been documented. Our research is focused on the indigenous plant genus Oxalis, which is the largest eudicot geophytic lineage in the Cape (ca. 230 species). Our initial work to explore this interesting research question, by implementing isolation and culture methods together with metabarcoding, has revealed that Oxalis species possess an extraordinary diversity of endophytic associations with fungi and bacteria (119 bacterial morphotypes and 29 fungal genotypes isolated from only five plants each of six Oxalis species; metabarcoding results pending) distributed across different storage, vegetative and reproductive plant organs. Thus far we have identified an average of 20 bacterial and 7 fungal endophytes per plant, which is an order of magnitude higher than the number commonly encountered in angiosperms. Interestingly, 11 of these endophytic species occur in the seeds, which suggest that the endophytes are vertically transmitted from one generation to the next. More than 80% of the endophytes found in Oxalis seeds are microbes with known beneficial effects for plant hosts, for example microbes capable of nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilisation. Oxalis appears to host a rich and diverse endobiota, which may play critical roles in plant germination, survival and evolutionary success that allows this genus (and possibly other plant lineages) to tolerate, persist and thrive in such a wide range of environments across the Cape.

402

YOST, JENN* and NELSON, GIL

Is allelopathy ecologically relevant? A review and case study in Eucalyptus globulus

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llelopathy is the chemical inhibition of one plant on another. It is often evoked as the mechanism to explain patterns attributed to plant interactions. However, even for the most allelopathic species you can think of, the evidence supporting it is likely scant. Here we review the ecological relevance of allelopathy as a phenomenon operating between plants in nature. Most studies showing allelopathy do not use ecologically meaningful controls nor do not test compounds against appropriate species. We show that for Eucalyptus globulus in California plantations, the lack of understory cannot be attributed to allelopathy. We tested the effect of blue gum soil, volatile leaf extracts, and water-soluble leaf extracts on germination and early seedling growth of five California native speciesthat are common components of the native habitats typically found adjacent to blue gum plantations. We conducted greenhouse and laboratory experiments to compare the effect of blue gum extracts to ecologically-relevant controls including water, a non-allelopathic native plant control (Quercus agrifolia[Fagaceae]), and a native allelopathic plant control (Salvia apiana[Lamiaceae]). In these experiments, we found that germination and seedling growth of the species tested were not inhibited by chemical extracts of blue gum foliage, either at naturally-occurring or artificially concentrated levels. These results are significant because they are the first to test an allelopathic effect of blue gums against ecologically-relevant species. These results may have significant implications for management and restoration of land historically occupied by blue gum plantations. California Polytechnic State University, Biological Sciences, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA

1

Stellenbosch University, Botany and Zoology, Natural Sciences Building, Merriman avenue, Stellenbosch, WC, 7600, South Africa2Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, PrĂ…ÂŻhonice, CZ , 252 43, Czech Republic

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403

SIANTA, SHELLEY* 1 and KAY, KATHLEEN 2

404

The evolution of serpentine endemism is associated with adaptation to less competitive, but not chemically harsher, serpentine habitats

The role of functional traits on seed germination niche hypothesis

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peciation driven by edaphic divergence is common in biodiversity hotspots like the California Floristic Province, but adaptation to edaphic habitats does not always lead to speciation. The serpentine flora of California is ideal to understand the process of speciation because in replicate instances adaptation to serpentine has either led to speciation (i.e., resulting in an endemic species restricted to serpentine) or hasn't led to speciation (i.e., resulting in a tolerator species with populations on and off serpentine). Here, we hypothesize that adaptation to serpentine soils facilitates speciation when high costs are associated with adaptation, because selection against serpentine individuals in nonserpentine habitats will prevent gene flow between edaphic ecotypes. We predict that a trade-off in serpentine soil tolerance and competitive ability is associated with speciation of serpentine endemics. We compared soil chemistry and percent cover of bare ground (as a proxy for competitive ability) in serpentine habitats of 8 endemic species and 8 tolerator species to test the predictions that endemics adapt to more toxic serpentine soils and that endemics occur in less competitive habitats. Our results show that endemics occur in barer serpentine habitats than tolerators, suggesting that endemics are poorer competitors than tolerators, but we find no difference in the chemical harshness of serpentine soil in which endemics and tolerators occur. We then compared each of the 16 serpentine taxa with a nonserpentine sister taxon to ask whether adaptation to serpentine is accompanied by greater divergence in soil chemistry and/or a greater loss in competitive ability in endemic lineages than in tolerator lineages. In the majority of the sister taxa pairs the serpentine population occurred in barer habitats, suggesting that, in general, adaptation to serpentine is associated with occupying less competitive habitats. There is a marginally significant trend that endemic sister taxa have undergone more divergence in bare ground than tolerator sister taxa, indicating that the evolution of endemism may be associated with higher costs in competitive ability. However, we do not find any difference in the amount of soil divergence in endemic and tolerator pairs. The costs of serpentine adaptation in competitive ability may drive stronger habitat isolation, promoting speciation, in endemic lineages than in tolerator lineages.

1

UC - Santa Cruz, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Kay Lab, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, United States2UC-Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA

LONDONO, VIVIANA* 1, MADRIÑÁN, SANTIAGO 1 and TORRES, ALBA 2

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any hypothesis have been made to understand the patterns of diversity and dominance of tropical dry forests, one of the most important lowland ecosystems and with the highest risk of loss in the Neotropics. One of the most interesting of these hypothesis is the germination niche hypothesis proposed by Vargas et al. 2015, in which the success of Legumes in the tropical dry forest is proposed to be due to its fastest germination compared with other families. To test this hypothesis and to know the role of the functional characters of the seeds of the tropical dry forest species in this hypothesis, seeds of 60 species of trees and lianas native of the tropical dry forest of the Colombian Caribbean were collected. The germination of the seeds was tested in field and laboratory under different light qualities comparing Legumes and non-Legumes species. In addition, the volume, mass and moisture content of the seed was measured as functional traits. A PCA corrected by the phylogeny was made. The main characteristics of tropical dry forest seeds are described. The germination niche hypothesis was corroborated and the grouping of the species were corroborated by their taxonomy rather than by their traits. The main characteristics of the ecology of tropical dry forest seeds of the Colombian Caribbean are described.

1

Universidad de los Andes, Ciencias Biológicas, Cra. 1 # 18a-12, Calle 5A#25A-67 Apto. 402, Bogotá, Bogotá DC., 111711, Colombia2Universidad del Valle, Ciencias Biología, Calle 13 # 100-00, Cali, VAC, 76001, Colombia

405

HOUGHTON, SYDNEY* 1, MEYER, SUSAN 2 and STEVENS, MICHAEL T. 1

Seed Pod Wind Dispersal of Holmgren's Milk-vetch Astragalus holmgreniorum

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stragalus holmgreniorum is an endemic perennial herb of the northern Mojave Desert near St. George, Utah. Populations occur at elevations between 750-900 meters in areas that are gently sloping, with gravelly sandy loam soils. Soil surface is composed of small stone and gravel deposits with low amounts of living cover. The plants are generally found on the skirt edges of washes and individuals are widely dispersed, suggesting wind as a mechanism of dispersal. The fruits start out as fully bilocular, trigonously-compressed legumes with the ventral side of the fruit wall folded inward to form a double walled partition between the valves. Once ripe seeds are produced, the pod becomes coriaceous and partially dehisces from both ends. The ventral side sulcus separates, exposing the inner partition and allowing the ends of the pod to curve dorsally. The morphological characteristics of the pods at this stage exhibit aerodynamic qualities. This study was

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performed to determine if wind dispersal is possible and if seeds are dispersed individually from the pods as a consequence. A runway was designed with different substrates: sand, small gravel, and medium gravel. Three degrees of slope were tested: no slope, upslope and downslope. Three speeds of wind velocity (4.3 m/s, 7.1 m/s, 10.7 m/s) were provided by a fan to mimic environmental conditions in a controlled laboratory setting. For each treatment combination a new group of pods was tested. In total, 324 individual seed pods were trialed at two orientations to the wind. Pod mass was recorded before and after running trials to quantify any seed loss. Results showed that the pods have significant ability to move in the wind. On average, it took 3.73 seconds for pods to reach a distance of 152.4 cm. The percentage of pods that reached this distance varied according to surface attributes: on sand 50%reached this distance, while only 27%of seed pods reached this distance on small gravel. Seed loss averaged 24.5% across all substrates. This investigation fills knowledge gaps in dispersal processes and shows how environmental conditions affect such processes. This information is valuable for conservation efforts of this federally listed endangered species. 1

Utah Valley University, Biology, 800 West University Parkway, Orem, UT, 84058, USA2USFS SHRUB SCIENCES LABORATORY, 735 North 500 East, Provo, UT, 84606, United States

406

SEGLIAS, ALEXANDRA* 1 and KRAMER, ANDREA 2

The effects of frozen storage on seed dormancy and germination patterns of native southwestern forb species

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lant biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate. In order to conserve plant species, many institutions are turning towards ex situ conservation when in situ conservation is not feasible or sufficient for the long-term. Frozen seed banks have become a primary method of ex situ conservation of many plant species worldwide, and are increasingly used to restore or reintroduce native plant populations. However, frozen storage conditions may alter dormancy and germination patterns, which could change how they should be utilized in restoration or reintroduction settings. While extensive research exists on the subject of seed viability in frozen storage, significantly less is known about the impacts of frozen storage on dormancy and germination. For example, frozen storage may alter the depth of dormancy and affect germination timing. To examine the influence of frozen storage on dormancy and germination, we used frozen and non-frozen seeds from populations of six native, restoration-relevant forb species from the Southwest U.S. Seeds were dried to 15% rH and stored in the seed bank freezer (-20°C) at Chicago Botanic Garden for at least 3 months. Frozen and fresh seeds were subjected to three stratification temperatures, six stratification lengths, and two incubation temperatures to closely examine dormancy break and germination under many conditions. We analyzed germination during stratification and final germination proportion us-

ing generalized linear models, and germination rate using survival analysis. We found that storage significantly explained final germination for two species and significantly explained germination during stratification for four species. Results differed among species and treatments, and in some instances we found that frozen seeds germinated to higher proportions than non-frozen seeds. Furthermore, storage alone did not significantly predict germination rate for any species, but did significantly interact with stratification length to explain germination in four of the six species. Implications of these results, and potential applications to restoration and ex situ conservation will be discussed. 1

Denver Botanic Gardens, 909 York Street, Denver, CO, 80206, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States

407

SIMPSON, ANDREW

Fleshy propagules do not necessarily mean animal-dispersed seeds: experimental data from Ginkgo biloba

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nimal seed dispersal is a widespread trait in angiosperms, and has been implicated as important in the diversification and survivorship of plant taxa over geologic time. This difference between the common, “classic� dispersal mode in angiosperms versus that of the non-animal-dispersed gymnosperms has been suggested to partially explain how angiosperms have succeeded gymnosperms both in diversity and in ecological prominence. Not all gymnosperms lack animal dispersal; for example, the Pinaceae are cached by rodents and birds. These lineages of gymnosperms possessing animal dispersal are also often still diversifying, alongside angiosperms. In this experiment, I test this assertion using Ginkgo biloba. Perhaps the most iconic gymnosperm lineage that is in decline, the genus Ginkgo has experienced massive range collapse since its appearance in the lower Jurassic, and many other related ginkgophytes once existed, but have all become extinct. Living G. biloba has large, aromatic, fleshy seeds that suggest animal dispersal, but these seeds contain chemicals unpalatable to some ordinarily fruit-loving mammals. Instead, Ginkgo is suggested to have once been dispersed by now-extinct dinosaurs, and that the extinction of its dispersal agents is responsible for its decline. Although today the native range of living G. biloba is in western China, the genus is widespread in the North American fossil record, especially in floras that resemble today's eastern deciduous forest. I set out thirty seeds of G. biloba along a transect, each attached by a 1m length of sewing thread to electric flagging tape, intending to track their movement by animal dispersers (if any) using the flagging tape. I conduct two experiments, one in the fall with the fleshy sarcotestas in place and the second in the spring with the sarcotestas removed over one month. The fall experiment did not see a single seed removed by frugivores or granivores. The spring experiment has been delayed by cold weather, but full results will be ready in time for the meeting. Preliminary

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data suggest that living Ginkgo lacks animal dispersal despite its large, fleshy seeds. Macroecologists and paleobotanists should be cautious inferring animal dispersal from size of seeds. Department Of Paleobiology, National Museum Of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, United States

408

DEVALL, MARGARET

A Lindera melissifolia seed viability study at the Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi

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ondberry (Lindera melissifolia) is an endangered shrub that grows in seasonally flooded wetlands, and on the edges of sinks and ponds. Approximately 54 populations are known in Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The species has been affected by habitat destruction and alteration, especially timber cutting, clearing of land, and local drainage or flooding of wetlands. Pondberry is a rhizomatous, clonal shrub that grows to a maximum of 2 meters in height. It is a dioecious species with small yellow flowers that bloom in spring. Seed production is erratic, and as in many other clonal species, few seedlings occur even when seed production is high. The objective of this study was to investigate the outcome of pondberry seeds buried 2.5 cm or 5 cm deep to learn how long seeds remain viable in a seed bank. Because few pondberry seedlings are found in the wild, it is helpful to know more about a pondberry seed bank and about the germination of planted seeds, and this knowledge will be important to the conservation and recovery of pondberry.

602 Arabella St., New Orleans, LA, 70115, United States

409

BRAUM, ANNA* 1, STEGER, LAURA 2 and FANT, JEREMIE 3

Maintenance of color polymorphism in the scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea)

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nowledge of the factors that contribute to the maintenance of polymorphism is key to our understanding of speciation processes. Castilleja coccinea demonstrates polymorphism in floral bract color throughout its range, though little is known about how this variation is maintained. In this study, we sought to correlate distribution patterns of C. coccinea morphs with potential drivers of polymorphic variation in this species. We characterized the spatial distribution of morphs in relation to habitat characteristics across the range of the species, compared fitness and morphology between morphs in regional populations, and established a common garden to examine heritability of floral bract color. Morphs were non-randomly distributed throughout the range of the species, and most populations were comprised of a single morph. Yellow morphs were most common in the upper Midwest, and most frequently associated with open wetlands and high

soil organic content. Red morphs were more common at drier sites with greater canopy cover. Shifts in floral color were associated with differences in floral morphology, as well as with higher fitness for the yellow morph under common garden conditions. The distribution of morphs across the range of the species is consistent with selection as the primary driver of polymorphism in this species. Differences in habitat type for each of the morphs are indicative of diversification associated with a shift in ecological niche, while variation in floral structures and fitness between morphs may be associated with adaptation to the pollinator environment. 1

The Wetlands Initiative, 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL, 60604, USA2Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, 427 E. Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA3Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Biology and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

410

GOODRICH, KATHERINE* 1, SENSKI, REBECCA 2 and ELLIS, INESHA 2

Floral mimicry and fruit scents: Flowers of Asimina triloba and potential models

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ollination strategies involving floral mimicry of non-floral resources are scattered across many angiosperm families. Floral mimicry of carrion and insect pheromones are classic examples of this type of pollination strategy, with flowers mimicking color, morphology, and elaborate scent chemistry to yield convincing mimics. Floral mimicry of ripe or fermenting fruit is less documented in the literature, yet it may represent a common form of floral mimicry in some plant groups. We are interested in the sapromyophilous pollination system of Asimina triloba. The small, dark-maroon flowers bloom in early spring and emit a heavy, yeasty floral odor primarily composed of ethanol, ethyl acetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, acetoin, and 2,3-butanediol. The floral odor is easily perceived by independent human observers to be yeasty and fermented, and flowers at our field site are observed to attract several species of Diptera, including species of Drosophila. However, it is unclear whether the pollination system represents floral mimicry of an ecologically relevant model or more generalized food deception. To begin to address this question, we sampled odors from any potential models in the surrounding environment and from commercial fruits at several stages of fermentation. We compare these odor blends to the floral scent chemistry of Asimina triloba using non-metric multidimensional scaling to visualize similarities between fruit/floral/fermentation chemistry. We compare not only presence/absence of volatile compounds, but also relative percentage scent composition of volatiles within samples. Results indicate that although certain fermentation volatiles are found in most decomposing fruit samples, the ratio of these volatiles varies widely (between fruit species and over time), as does the fruit-derived volatile chemistry. The ratio of fermentation volatiles and their context in association with species-specific fruit volatiles may yield important information for insects seeking to feed or oviposit on fermenting fruits. Furthermore, in flow-

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ers emitting fermentation volatiles and attracting flies as pollinators, the quantity and quality of volatiles within these unusual floral scents may indicate a more specialized mimicry pollination system if floral signals attract fruit-seeking pollinators in search of fruit from a particular species or stage of decay. 1

Widener University, Department Of Biology, 1 University Place., Chester, PA, 19013, United States2Widener University, Department of Biology, 1 University Place, Chester, PA, 19013, USA

411

KOPTUR, SUZANNE* 1, SALAS, ANDREA 6, VALDES, IMENA 6, NUSRAT, MAHA 6, VILLAVICENCIO, WENDY 6 and ZENGIN, DERYA 6

Nectar quantity and quality in Echites umbellatus (Apocynaceae)

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chites umbellatus (Apocynaceae) is a woody vine native to pine rocklands of South Florida and the Caribbean. Its white tubular flowers are visited by hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) who come for the nectar and inadvertently pollinate them. We have grown families of plants from fruits from different populations, and measured flowers, nectar volumes, and nectar sugar concentrations to see how flower size and shape may correspond to nectar characteristics. Measuring five flowers from 15 plants from each family/site, we recorded the following variables: largest flower face diameter, total tube length, tube length below reproductive structures, narrowest upper tube, nectar volume, and nectar concentration. We used analysis of variance to see which, if any, of these parameters contributed significantly to nectar concentration and volume. We also compared the extent of variation within and among families/sites. Our results will also inform how floral variation among individuals and sites may explain differences in breeding system and pollinator activity. In studying these less specialized members of the milkweed family, we also hope to gain insight into how pollen transfer efficiency has evolved in the Apocynaceae.

1

Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, United States2Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 13Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 14Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 15Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 16Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 1

412

KATSUHARA, KOKI* 1 and USHIMARU, ATUSHI 2

Prior autonomous selfing can promote the coexistence of related Commelina species under the competition via interspecific pollen transfer

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hen two flowering plants share the pollination niche, interspecific pollen transfer caused reproductive interference and make the coexistence difficult. Especially between the related species, heterospecific pollen deposition (HPD) via interspecific pollen transfer greatly decrease seed production by pollen tube growth competition in the style and/ or ovule discounting. Then, HPD was thought to strongly promotes competitive exclusion and niche partitioning (e.g. floral trait replacement and spatiotemporal flowering segregation). For the last decade, however, a few studies have found that sympatric distribution of two native close-relatives in the presence of reproductive interference via HPD. Here, we report the field study of HPD by using native and closely related plant species Commelina communis (Cc) and C. communis f. ciliata (Ccfc), which have very large pollination niche overlap (sympatric and simultaneously flowering and use same pollinator) but seldom produce hybrid. We examined: (1) the frequency (relative abundance) dependencies of HPD negative effect on a natural seed set (2) the extent to which autonomous self-pollination mitigates HPD negative effects by combing hand-pollination experiments and field surveys, and (3) how the reproductive interference via HPD influences the micro- and local-scale distribution of the two species. We then considered the mechanisms promoting the coexistence of species sharing pollination without niche-partitioning. We revealed the negative effect of HPD between Cc and Ccfc is bidirectional but asymmetric. The potential opportunity (i.e. interspecific pollinator transition) occurred dependent on relative floral frequency equally, but Cc flower produced more seeds than Ccfc flower when intraspecific flower is relative minority. This advantage of Cc flower is explainable by higher rate of prior autonomously selfing of Cc. In addition, we found that Cc dominates in macro scale distribution and this fact is also consistent to these results. However, it does not mean Cc competitive exclude Ccfc in the macroscale completely because competitive superior species can interchange reflected local-scale relative floral frequency. We conclude that prior autonomously self-pollination function as reproductive assurance to HPD and promote the coexistence. This is the one of few studies to examine the HPD effect in natural condition and our results give the new and important insight for coexistence of plant species without pollination niche partitioning.

1

Kobe University, Graduate School Of Human Development And Environment, 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe, 28, 657-8501, Japan2Kobe University, Graduate School Of Human Development And Environment, 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan

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413

DOBSON, HEIDI* 1, AUSTIN, JESSIE 2, BARTON, CATHERINE 2 and BRODECK, LINDSEY 2

Do adult bees use the same flowers for pollen feeding as for pollen collecting?

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ecent studies show that adult solitary bees consume pollen for their own sustenance in addition to collecting it to provision their nests, but comparisons of the floral sources used in these two different pollen foraging activities are lacking. To determine 1) if oligolectic bees display similar specialization in pollen consumption as they do in pollen collection and 2) to what extent individual females of polylectic species vary in the pollen that they consume and collect, floral identities of foraged pollen were examined in females of three oligolectic and one polylectic species. Pollen samples removed from the gut and scraped from scopal hairs were mounted in glycerine jelly and identified by comparison with reference pollen gathered in the field. The oligolectic bee species (Megachilidae) all consumed the same pollen that they collect for their nests, suggesting that the term oligolecty be extended to include specialization in pollen consumed by adults. Female bees of the polylectic species (Halictidae) varied widely in the composition of pollen consumed and collected, both within and between individuals, suggesting that each female establishes her own assemblage of plants visited for one or both activities. Differences in pollen sources used by a single female for her own feeding as opposed to nest provisioning raises questions of how females select pollen plants for each purpose. 1

Whitman College, Department Of Biology, 345 Boyer Ave., Walla Walla, WA, 99362, United States2Whitman College, Biology, 345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla, WA, 99362, USA

414

VALDES, IMENA* 1, FINCH, JESSAMINE 2 and HAVENS, KAYRI 2

Ecotypic variation in flowering phenology: Investigating pollinator response to altered flowering times

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limate change is expected to alter many natural processes. One way in which plants will respond is through changes in the timing of seasonal events, also known as phenology. Studies have found that as temperatures increase, some plants have begun flowering earlier, with the potential to disrupt plantpollinator interactions. Mismatched timing between flowering and pollinator emergence (i.e. pollinator mismatch) could cause a reduction in fitness in both plant and pollinator. Investigating the relationship between flowering time and pollination is important to understanding how not just individual species, but plant-pollinator relationships, will respond to changes in climate. In 2013, common milkweed seed was sourced from northern, local, and southern populations in the Midwest, and planted in a common garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden to study ecotypic variation. During summer 2017, we used phenology surveys and pollinator observations to answer the following questions: 1) Do local and non-

local populations differ in flowering phenology? 2) Does variation in flowering time affect pollination? Variation in flowering schedule adhered to expectations based on source climate. As source latitude increased, flowering time occurred earlier. However, flowering period lengthened as source latitude decreased. Flowering periods for local and southern populations were largely overlapping. Average insect visitation length was slightly longer in the local population (+24-37%), although this trend was marginally significant (p=0.07). Increased sampling may provide greater evidence supporting the relationship between population, flowering phenology, and length of visit. The highest proportion of visitors seen among all three populations were bees, with declining abundance throughout the summer. Given the later flowering period of the local and southern ecotypes, decreased bee abundance may result in reduced reproductive fitness for these populations. Fruit and seed set were collected and compared for a preliminary analysis of reproductive fitness. 1

Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States

415

ANDERSON , STEVEN RICHARD* 1, FORD, BRUCE 2 and WORLEY, ANNE 3

Changes in the floral community contribute to increased fruiting success in southern populations of a rewardless orchid, Cypripedium candidum

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lants that do not offer a food reward for pollinators rely on co-flowering rewarding species to sustain pollinator populations and maintain insect foraging in an area. However, rewarding flowers may compete with rewardless species for insect visits. Extended growing seasons at equatorial latitudes may allow rewardless plants to avoid co-flowering competitors by flowering earlier than most species. The resulting decrease in early-season diversity and abundance of rewarding taxa may increase reproductive success of rewardless species in regions with long growing seasons. In addition to changes in the plant community, insect diversity and body size may also vary with latitude. Therefore, reproductive success in plants with restrictive flowers may also depend on latitudinal variation in the abundance and size of pollinators. Cypripedium candidum is a globally threatened rewardless orchid that is endemic to tall grass prairies in North America. The flowers in this species have restrictive openings, creating a one-way semi-trap for pollinators. We conducted a survey of 21 populations in four study regions (northern Iowa, southern and northern Minnesota and southern Manitoba) in the western part of this species range. In each region, we quantified the composition of the coflowering and insect communities, and recorded the fruiting success of up to 50 orchid plants per site. Consistent with predictions, insect and co-flowering species diversity was highest in Manitoba and lowest in southern regions. Regression analyses of site variation determined that increased fruiting success

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in C. candidum was associated with more southern latitudes. This increase in fruiting success was most closely associated with a decrease in the diversity of the co-flowering community, as well as an increase in the abundance of the potential facilitators, Packera and Zizia. Large-bodied insects, which were too large to fit the restrictive openings in C. candidum, were most abundant at higher latitudes whereas appropriately sized pollinators were most abundant in southern study regions. To our knowledge, this study was the first to survey reproductive success across the latitudinal range of a rewardless species. Our research provides evidence that extended growing seasons benefit reproduction in rewardless taxa, as predicted in the literature. 1

University of Manitoba, Biological Sciences, 50 Sifton Road, 212B Biological Sciences Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T2N2, Canada2University Of Manitoba, Department Of Biological Sciences, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada3University of Manitoba, Biological Sciences, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T2N2, Canada

416

BRUNET, JOHANNE* 1 and VAN ETTEN , MEGAN 2

The impact of temperature and water availability on floral traits influencing pollinator attraction and plant mating system

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emperature and spring and early summer rainfall are expected to increase in high-altitude habitats in response to global warming. Such environmental changes could influence floral traits with consequences for pollinator attraction and plant mating system. To mimic environmental changes associated with global warming in high-altitude habitats, we grew A. coerulea plants from 17 families from each of three natural populations at two temperatures and two water regimes. We measured a variety of floral traits with potential impact on pollinator attraction and/or plant mating system. Temperature and/ or water affected most floral traits except for flower chroma, hue and nectar concentration. We observed phenotypic plasticity for various floral traits in response to changes in environmental factors associated with global warming. We detected a genetic basis for many floral traits. We discuss the implications of these results for the evolution of floral traits in response to global warming and the potential impact on pollinator attraction and plant mating system. 1

USDA-ARS VCRU, Dept. Of Entomology, 1630 Linden Drive, University Of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2Penn State, Penn State Worthington Scranton, 120 Ridge View Dr, Dunmore, Pennsylvania, 18512, United States

417

RODRIGUEZ, ROSA* 1 and WOLFE, ANDI 2

Morphological divergence in Penstemon and the role pollinator-mediated natural selection

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enstemon is primarily insect-pollinated, and that syndrome is thought to be ancestral. Most pollinator studies have focused on the differences in flower morphology between species pollinated by birds and those pollinated by insects. Very few studies have characterized morphological variations within a species, and those that have, are restricted to only a few sites. Consequently, although there are many studies on the pollination of Penstemon, little is known about floral trait evolution across large distribution ranges both within species and between species that show the same pollination syndrome. The main goal of this study is to determine whether flower morphology changes across a wide distribution range because of pollinator-mediated natural selection in four species of Penstemon (P. albidus, P. glandulosus, P. fruticosus, and P. speciosus). We sampled in 42 sites and in each we measured 22 morphological trails indicative of pollinator syndrome, recorded coordinates from each individual and survey pollinators in each site. Additionally, 19 bioclimatic variables were extracted from worldclim.org/bioclim. We also collected leaves' tissue for future DNA studies. To address our questions we used geometric morphometric, multiple matrix regression and generalized least squares. Penstemon albidus sample sites from New Mexico have significantly smaller corolla than the rest of the site study y for that species. Corolla length was significantly negatively correlated with annual precipitation, the percentage of small pollen-collecting bees and the longitude, and positively correlated with the latitude. Corolla length was positively correlated with longitude in P. fruticosus. Morphological variables were not significantly correlated with environmental variables. Nevertheless, larger and wider corolla was associated with a high percentage of medium size nectar-collecting bees. Penstemon glandulosus varieties are morphologically distinct and our results suggest that the separation of these two varieties is mostly due to environmental difference than pollinator difference. Bees from the genus Bombus and Hoplitis were observed sonicating P. speciosus flowers. Larger and narrower corollas are pollinated by Pseudomasaris wasps, and sites were anther sonication was observed corollas were wider than. In conclusion, flower variation in P. albidus and P. speciosus were more correlated functional groups of pollinators than with bioclimatic or geographic variables. In contrast, flower differentiation between sites in P. glandulosus and P. fruticosus is more correlated with geographic distribution and environmental differences. 1

The Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology, 318 W 12th Ave, Building 131, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States2Ohio State University, Department Of Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH,

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43210, United States

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HOVICK, STEVE* and WHITNEY, KENNETH 2

Roles of propagule number and genetic diversity in colonization success and subsequent evolution of a ruderal species

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olonization is a critical filter for most species, setting the stage for both short-term and long-term success. Increased propagule pressure (i.e., more founding individuals) usually enhances colonization success; however, this pattern may be driven by purely numeric effects, by population genetic diversity effects, or both. To determine the independent and interactive effects of propagule size and genetic diversity, we conducted a factorial seed addition experiment in the field in Texas, USA, using the ruderal mustard Arabidopsis thaliana. Our propagule size treatments spanned five levels, from 32 to 960 seeds per 0.25 m2 plot. These propagules were composed of one, four or eight genotypes, randomly selected from a pool of 25. All populations were exposed to ambient or reduced levels of interspecific competition, and monocultures of each genotype were included to quantify additive versus non-additive genetic diversity effects. Colonization success was assessed through three generations post-introduction. Evolutionary change in response to our treatments was determined by using genetic markers to quantify genotypic richness and the relative abundances of individual genotypes in our experimental populations over time. ncreasing propagule pressure enhanced realized genetic diversity over time and in both competitive environments. Increasing propagule pressure also had a strong positive influence on abundance immediately following introduction, particularly in plots where nutrient availability was the greatest and competition reduced. Lastly, greater propagule pressure increased the likelihood of population persistence through three generations. However, many of the largest populations initially experienced rapid declines over time, resulting in no relationship between seed inputs and third-generation abundance in populations that had not gone extinct. In low competition conditions, increased population genetic diversity enhanced the probability of persistence through the third generation, but genotypic mixture populations nevertheless fell significantly short of expectations based on performance of the component genotypes in monoculture (negative non-additive effects). In these low competition populations that persisted through the third generation, abundances fell with increased diversity, and negative non-additivity was apparent in our highest diversity treatment. Negative effects of genetic diversity, and perhaps the predominance of negative non-additive effects of genetic diversity, likely reflect the relative over-representation of poorly performing genotypes in our source pool. Our data show that genetic diversity effects can have offsetting positive and negative effects on colonization and help to clarify factors that can either enhance or buffer the positive effects of propagule pressure on colonization and subsequent evolution.

I

The Ohio State University, Dept. Of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States2University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Blvd NE, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131

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FINCH, JESSAMINE* 1, SEGLIAS, ALEXANDRA 2, KRAMER, ANDREA 3 and HAVENS, KAYRI 4

Effects of seed source vary among species, early life stages, and field sites for two milkweeds (Asclepias sp.)

A

key consideration in ecological restoration is the sourcing of plant material. Ideal sourcing maximizes the likelihood that material is ecologically appropriate, while minimizing any negative genetic effects (e.g. swamping, outbreeding). In seed-based restoration, the first test of ecological suitability is germination and seedling emergence. A mismatch between seed traits and the conditions at the restoration site can serve as a major bottleneck to recruitment, ultimately reducing restoration quality and/ or increasing costs. Despite their importance to restoration outcomes, empirically based seed transfer guidelines are not available for most species. Instead, practitioners rely on provisional seed transfer zones, derived from ecological and climatic data, which are intended as a generalized framework to guide seed sourcing for any species. To assess the utility of seed transfer zones, we investigated the effect of population and collection zone on field recruitment for two native congeners (Asclepias incarnata, A. syriaca). Populations (n=18) were sourced from three collection zones and sown at two field sites in the Midwest U.S. We used germination bags and grid-seeded plots to assess variation in germination, emergence, establishment, and performance. Magnitude and direction of source effects varied among species, life stages, and field sites. For A. incarnata, germination rates and aboveground biomass were greater for southern populations, while seedling emergence was greater for northern populations (P < 0.001). Interestingly, germination, emergence, and biomass of A. syriaca displayed no significant difference among seed sources. Emergence timing, seed source, and field site significantly affected survival for both species (P < 0.001). Overall, survival increased with latitude of population origin at the northern site, but slightly decreased with latitude at the southern site. Variation in early life stages among collection zones was considerably more pronounced for A. incarnata than A. syriaca, suggesting that restoration establishment of A. incarnata is more sensitive to seed sourcing. However, seed sourced from within a single collection zone did perform similarly, indicating that current zones appropriately delineate some degree of intraspecific variation. Implications of these results will be discussed in the context of the ongoing monarch habitat restoration effort and seed sourcing guidelines. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science And Conservation, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022,

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United States2Denver Botanic Gardens, 909 York Street, Denver, CO, 80206, United States3Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States4Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States

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HIPP, ANDREW* 1, GLASENHARDT, MARY-CLAIRE 2, BOWLES, MARLIN L. 3, GARNER, MIRA 2, SCHARENBROCH, BRYANT C. 4, WILLIAMS, EVELYN 5, BARAK, REBECCA 6, ERNST, ADRIENNE 7, MIDGLEY, MEGHAN G. 2 and LARKIN , DANIEL J 8

Effects of phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic identity in a restoration ecology experiment

O

ur understanding of the effects of plant biodiversity on ecosystem function rests in large part on experiments that have disentangled environmental variables from local diversity. Yet phylogenetic diversity (PD) effects can be confounded by phylogenetic identity effects in such experiments if assemblages with low PD tend to be dominated by a single clade. We illustrate this problem in a 127-species experiment designed to test the effects of angiosperm PD and trait diversity on tallgrass prairie restoration outcomes. In this experiment, the taxon pool exhibits a phylogenetic bias: if species were randomly assigned to experimental assemblages, low PD plots would frequently be dominated by a single clade (the sunflower or daisy family, Asteraceae). We present a visualization tool for examining phylogenetic experiments for this bias and propose a taxonomically constrained experimental design to reduce the most egregious causes of bias. We then present the experimental design we developed using the constrained approach and summarize initial findings from this large-scale restoration experiment. Entanglement of phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic identity is an underappreciated and likely widespread challenge for PD experiments, particularly those that draw upon a large number of candidate species. By recognizing, quantifying, and counteracting this bias, researchers can better differentiate the effects of PD per se from phylogenetic identity effects.

1

The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, United States2The Morton Arboretum, The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, United States3The Morton Arboretum, The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, USA4University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI, 54481, USA5Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States6Plant Biology And Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States7Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL, 600228University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

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WILLIAMS, EVELYN* 1, WENDY, SEMSKI , ZELDIN, JACOB 3, HIPP, ANDREW 4 and LARKIN , DANIEL J 5 2

Phylogenetic distance impacts strength of competition in stressful environments

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ompetition and facilitation are important components of community assembly and species coexistence. We test if competition is affected by species relatedness using a greenhouse experiment between species pairs commonly used in prairie restoration. We hypothesize that the strength of competition between plants is correlated with phylogenetic relatedness. Closely related species should compete more strongly than distantly related species due to similar traits and niches. In addition, stressful environmental conditions may alter or intensify interactions. We hypothesized that the strength of competition would be stronger in a water-limited environment compared to a benign environment. We tested a total of 79 species pairs for 8 weeks in benign soil and waterlimited sand pots, measuring traits every two weeks and harvesting above- and below-ground biomass. We calculated the relative intensity of interaction which measures the strength competition and facilitation. Using mixed models, we found that distantly related species facilitate growth and closely related species compete more strongly in harsh conditions. However, relatedness did not have an impact in benign conditions. These findings show that phylogenetic relatedness can impact competition, with possible implications for assembling communities for tallgrass prairie restorations.

1

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Biological Sciences, 3209 N. Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA3Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA4The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532-1293, US5University of Minnesota, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, 1980 Folwell Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

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JANTZEN, JOHANNA* 1, WHITTEN, WILLIAM 2, NEUBIG, KURT 3, MAJURE, LUCAS 4, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 5 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 6

Alternative taxonomic sampling and tree reconstruction strategies can affect patterns of phylogenetic diversity: Evidence from a case study in Florida

T

he phylogenetic diversity in a community is often used to draw inferences about the local and historical factors affecting community assembly and can be used to prioritize communities for conservation. Because measures of phylogenetic diversity (PD) are based on the topology and branch lengths of phylogenetic trees, which are affected by the number and diversity of taxa that are included in the tree, these analyses may be sensitive to changes in taxo-

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nomic sampling and tree reconstruction methods. To investigate the effects of taxonomic sampling on measures of phylogenetic diversity, we investigated the community phylogenetics of the OrdwaySwisher Biological Station (OSBS) at the University of Florida. We used barcoding sequences (rbcL and matK) from 572 vascular plant species, each assigned to one or more communities within the OSBS site, and maximum likelihood methods to reconstruct community-level phylogenies for the OSBS. These phylogenies were used to compute measures of PD and to test a number of hypotheses related to the effect of alternative taxonomic sampling and tree reconstruction methods on patterns of phylogenetic diversity. We studied the effects of: 1) changing the number of taxa included in the phylogeny, 2) using trees reconstructed from molecular data compared to trees pruned from a larger reconstructed tree; 3) using phylograms compared to chronograms; 4) selecting taxa either randomly or by targeting taxa based on proportional representation at the family level; and 5) including only species from certain clades (e.g., Asteraceae, Poaceae). These analyses revealed that using pruned and reconstructed phylogenies results in similar patterns of phylodiversity, while chronograms can lead to significantly different results from phylograms. Additionally, the inclusion of more taxa in a study increases the likelihood of observing significantly non-random phylogenetic patterns. However, there were no consistent phylogenetic patterns with random taxon sampling compared to proportional sampling, or within individual clades in these communities. By identifying potential biases that taxonomic sampling and tree reconstruction methods can introduce into the analysis of phylogenetic diversity, this study will inform taxon sampling for future community phylogenetic studies and will allow for more accurate interpretation of results from these types of studies. 1

University Of Florida, Biology, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Southern Illinois University, Dept Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Life Science II, Room 420, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States4Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, United States5University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL6University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of

Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States

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MELTON, ANTHONY* 1, CLINTON, MATTHEW 1, WASOFF, DONALD 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 3

Niche Evolution in Eastern Asia Eastern North America Disjunct Lineages

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he Eastern Asia - Eastern North America (EAENA) floristic disjunction has been of great interest to evolutionary biologists and biogeographers for over 250 years. Dozens of genera of seed plants have been identified as having this disjunction. Congeneric species across this disjunction often exhibit conservation in habitat, although Eastern Asia tends to be higher in species richness (known as the EAENA Species Anomaly). Although the two regions share similar climates, the environment of eastern Asia is more heterogeneous and has greater topological and climatic variation, leading to greater potential niche space, and hence may promote greater species richness. Our study aimed to test the hypotheses that disjunct sister lineages will exhibit ecological niche conservatism and that EA species will have a narrower niche breadth due to greater ecological heterogeneity and higher net diversification within the region. Presence points and climate data were downloaded from public databases for Ecological Niche Models (ENMs and Species Distribution Models (SDM) development using Maxent. ENMs were assessed for niche breadth (per hypervolume and the niche.breadth tool of ENMtools), and SDMs were used to estimate the geographic area occupied by each species. The symmetric background test of ENMtools was used to test for niche divergence between sister lineages. Results show that the niches of sister species across the disjunction have diverged and that there is a trend for ENA species to occupy a larger portion of their available niche space than their EA congeners. These results support the hypothesis that the EA taxa will occupy less of the overall available niche space, potentially as an effect of the EA-ENA Species Anomaly, and do not support the hypothesis of niche conservation between sister lineages. 1

University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 326112Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

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424

KOONTZ, STEPHANIE* and MENGES, ERIC

425

Demography of Chrysopsis highlandsensis: 16 years of data, trends, experiments, and discoveries

Regional Responses to Drought on the Growth and Fitness of Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus (Japanese Stiltgrass)

B

ackground/Questions/Methods Described in 2002, Chrysopsis highlandsensis (Asteraceae) is a state-listed herb endemic to the Lake Wales Ridge in central Florida. Data collected from 1999 - 2015 provide information on individual vital rates but also larger population trends. We collected demographic data on marked individuals at three protected sites and across two habitat types (Florida scrub and human-made sandy roads). Survival and recruitment data were collected quarterly in permanent transects in March, June and September, with more detailed measures of growth and fecundity collected in December when plants were reproductive. We counted the number of reproductive individuals in rangewide surveys in 2005, 2010 and 2015 on public and private lands across multiple habitat types, with various land management practices and histories. Our goal was to describe demographic trends of C. highlandsensis across multiple spatial scales, various habitat types and in response to land management. Results/Conclusion Seedlings recruit year-round, with most recruits found in March (59.2% of all recruits) and along sandy roadsides (84.4%). Most seedlings do not survive their first year (46.5% survival) and 8.5% reach reproductive maturity. Mean age at first flowering is 4 years (range 2-12) with most plants dying immediately post-flowering (95.4% mortality). Of reproductive plants, 88% flowered once, 10% twice and 2% three or more times, indicating C. highlandsensis is not strictly semelparous. Significantly more plants flowered in scrub habitats (30.8%) compared to sandy roadsides (14.8%; Χ = 108.5, df =1, p < 0.001). Reproductive plants had a median of 35 flowering heads (range 5-525), with 78 achenes (range 3 - 119) per flowering head, with 67.0% intact achenes. Germination trials of intact achenes reached 26.5%. Rangewide censuses showed some populations in decline while others remained stable or increased. Plants were predominantly found in scrubby flatwoods (72.1%), especially within the vicinity of old trails and sandy roads (93.6%), suggesting this species prefers open microsites maintained by disturbance. Unlike other scrub endemics, however, the post-fire environment does not favor this species, with few plants resprouting and low seedling recruitment. The combination of fine scale demographic data and larger rangewide census data provide vital information on the life history strategy of this short-lived, perennial herb and population trends within its range. Management practices must include maintaining open scrub habitat at intervals that allow plants to complete their lifecycle. Disturbance from patchy fires may spare some individuals from burning while opening microsites for seedling recruitment. Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Fl, 33960, United States

HUEBNER, CYNTHIA* 1 and WATERLAND, NICOLE 2

M

icrostegium vimineum is a C4, shade-tolerant, annual grass which has invaded disturbed and forested areas throughout the northeastern US. There are regional patterns of genetic variation detected between populations located in the Ridge and Valley province (RV, lower annual precipitation) and the Appalachian Plateau province (AP, higher annual precipitation) of West Virginia. This grass has demonstrated rapid evolution of phenology during invasive range expansion, suggesting sufficient genetic diversity to drive adaptively significant evolution leading to expansion into drier environments. We evaluated the effects of drought on the growth and reproduction of M. vimineum under light conditions of typical disturbances within the RV and AP provinces. eed were collected from three populations in each province and grown in two greenhouse rooms in which light levels were set for conditions similar to (1) a first-year shelterwood harvest (HL) and (2) a thinned forest (LL). Drought levels included (1) field capacity or 35% volumetric water-content (VWC) or C, (2) half field capacity at 18% VWC or M, and (3) one-fourth field capacity at 8% VWC or D. After 30 days of growth under C-level drought, the drought treatments were applied and maintained for two weeks. The D-level plants were allowed to wilt for 24 hours after which watering was resumed and plants recovered over three days. Plants were kept at the same drought levels with occasional short-term wilting in the D-level drought treatment for another three weeks until the plants formed seed. L plants produced more shoot and root biomass, tillers, flowers, and seed than LL plants, but the seed number did not differ significantly. The LL and RV plants had significantly higher seed-toempty-floret ratios than the HL and AP plants. The D-level drought treatment had nearly twice as large seed-to-empty-floret ratios, but were only marginally significant. There was a trend for the RV, LL, and D-level plants to have the most viable and largest seed. Percent germination was higher for LL, D-level, and RV plants, but was not significant for province. LL, RV, and D-level drought plants appear to produce fewer flowers that do not go to seed and more viable seed that are ready to germinate under optimal conditions than HL, AP, and C or M-level drought plants. This strategy of using high seed production and seed germination to combat stressful environmental conditions (low light and drought) once conditions improve appears more likely to occur with RV province plants.

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1514 Westbrook Dr, Morgantown, WV, 26508, United States2West Virginia Univesity, Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, Morgantown, WV, 26501, USA

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426 LINDA 2

GRAY, JESSE* 1 and SMITH, ME-

Climate change impacts on population dynamics in tallgrass prairie: Implications for species codominance

T

wo C4 grass species, Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans, together account for the large majority of individuals, biomass, and possibly genetic diversity in plant communities of the tallgrass prairies of the Central US. As co-existing species with similar functional traits and what appears to be overlapping niches, it is not clear what mechanisms facilitate their co-dominance, but it may partly rely on the high variability of environmental conditions that characterize grassland ecosystems. We found asynchrony in population dynamics in which A. gerardii begins each growing season at higher tiller densities, with attrition of tillers starting mid-season. Concurrent gains of S. nutans tillers results in A. gerardii becoming less dominant by the end of most growing seasons. We hypothesized that this differentiation in tillering strategies causes each species to be most vulnerable to unfavorable environmental conditions during different parts of the growing season, thus enabling their coexistence by preventing an inter-annually consistent competitive advantage of either species. A greenhouse experiment confirmed that the timing of water availability has different effects on each species. Monitoring intra- and interannual dynamics of the species in the field over eight growing seasons, we found that greater plot-level tiller density asynchrony was associated with higher population densities of S. nutans and aggregate tiller densities of both species. Experimental increases in temperature and rainfall variability were associated with decreased population-level asynchrony, as well as greater declines in population density and overall community productivity, suggesting this mechanism of co-dominance may rely on current and historic levels of environmental variability, and may be vulnerable to projected increases in that variability with climate change.

habitats are discontinuous or fragmented, decreased dispersal ability may be favored. This may be particularly true for wind-dispersed species isolated in a matrix of unfavorable habitats as dispersal beyond favorable habitat boundaries may reduce opportunities for growth and reproduction. Thus, historical colonization and contemporary fragmentation have likely played a strong role in the evolution of dispersal and population connectivity. In this study, we use Geum triflorum (Pursh.) as a model to determine how dispersal traits vary across a species' range that includes both continuous and isolated populations. G. triflorum, an herbaceous perennial characteristic of midwestern prairies, has a distinctive trio of flowers that develop multiple achenes, each with a densely wooly style that remain intact during dispersal. These styles are presumed to promote wind dispersal, by increasing the time-aloft for seeds after release from the maternal plant. Over multiple years we sampled individual maternal plants from across the range of G. triflorum. This included once continuous, but contemporarily fragmented midwestern prairies and historically isolated, disjunct populations found across Great Lakes alvar habitats. We ask how does population isolation alter morphological variation in seed mass, shape, and terminal velocity of this winddispersed species. Both dispersule (seed plus style) and seed mass differed significantly between regions, with individuals in prairies having heavier mass than those in the alvars (p = 0.01, p < 0.0001 respectively). Additionally, style length tended to be significantly longer in the alvar regions as compared to the prairie (p < 0.0001). Taken together, this indicates that populations of G. triflorum from the historically isolated alvar habitats are likely to disperse farther given their seeds are smaller and have longer dispersal structures which can increase the time aloft. These results suggest that the dispersal ability of alvar populations may still exhibit evidence of patterns driven by initial long-distance dispersal and colonization, rather than contemporary geographic isolation. This research will not only inform conservation efforts of G. triflorum, but will also apply to species of conservation interest in other fragmented or isolated environments. 1

Colorado State University, Biology, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, United States2Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, United States

University of Minnesota, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA2North Dakota State University, Biological Sciences, PO Box 6050, Dept 2715, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA3North Dakota State University, Biological Sciences, PO Box 6050, Dept. 2715, Fargo, ND, 58102, United States

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428

1

SULLIVAN, LAUREN 1, PORTLAS, ZOE and HAMILTON, JILL* 3 2

Evolution of dispersal across a discontinuous landscape

T

he evolution of dispersal has major implications to the maintenance of landscape connectivity and gene flow across a species' range. In continuous landscapes, selection for increased dispersal may be favored, promoting movement of individuals to unoccupied habitats, thus decreasing the degree of local competition. With increased dispersal ability individuals may reach favorable habitats during range expansion and colonization. In contrast, when

ROSBURG, THOMAS

Spring fire effects on the forb community of a degraded sand prairie

B

ig Sand Mound is a unique geological landscape located in southeast Iowa, near the confluence of the Iowa and Mississippi Rivers. The 510-acre site is characterized by sands deposited about 20,00017,000 years ago. These deposits are associated with the Savanna Terrace, a glaciofluvial landform bordering both sides of the Mississippi River valley from Red Wing, Minnesota south to the confluence with the Ohio River. A cap of aeolian sand accumulated between 17,000-11,500 years ago giving the mound

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its current form. The site protects diverse ecosystems, including rolling sand prairie, sand barrens, upland and floodplain forests, shallow ponds and marshes. The objectives of this research were: 1) Determine the forb diversity and abundance in a grassland ecosystem at Big Sand Mound. 2) Compare the effect of spring fire on the diversity, abundance and flowering of forbs. 3) Examine the phenology of forb species present in a Big Sand Mound grassland ecosystem. A prescribed burn was conducted on April 7, 2017 in an area that had not been burned for 9 years. The burn was designed to allow for an area to remained unburned. Burn and control plots, each 25x100 m, were established adjacent to one another in May 2017. Eleven 25 m transects were established at 10 m intervals in each plot. Measurements of forb abundance were made along each transect with ten 0.5x2 m quadrats placed at 2.5 m intervals. The data collected from a single transect represented a community sample and a single replicate. Species abundance was measured with absolute frequency in May, July and September. Two sample statistical tests were used to compare species abundance, species reproductive activity, and species richness between control and burn plots. DECORANA ordination was used to examine the variation in species composition among the 6 community samples obtained (3 on each plot). There were 66 plant species observed in the experimental plots. A group of spring-blooming annual species exhibited a clear decrease in abundance due to the fire. The response to fire among other sand prairie forbs was mixed and depended on the species and date. Six species exhibited a decrease, 3 species an increase and 8 species no difference. Reproductive activity of forbs was either compromised or not affected by the spring burn. Drake University, Biology Dept, Olin Hall, 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, USA

429

WILLIAMS, TANISHA* 1, HOLSINGER, KENT 1 and SCHLICHTING, CARL 2

Using common gardens to understand local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of Pelargonium species within an environmental gradient in South Africa

K

nowing how phenotypic differences are influenced by plasticity and genetic differences are important for understanding how plants respond to environmental changes. Common garden studies are often used to control for environmental variation and identify the contribution of genetic differences to trait variation. From 2016-2017, two common garden experiments were carried out in the Western Cape (winter rainfall) and Eastern Cape (summer rainfall) of South Africa. The genus Pelargonium was used as a model system because of its known geographic, morphological, and genetic diversity. The aims of this study were: (i) to understand how Pelargonium species would respond to novel environmental conditions they are projected to face in the future, (ii) to determine if species perform better in

environments typical of where they occur, and (iii) to identify growth and leaf traits that were related to performance across the two rainfall regimes. We found significant differences among traits and in growth rates among species across the two gardens. Some traits (e.g., height) showed strong phylogenetic and environmental associations, while other traits (e.g., leaf mass per area (LMA)) had less consistent associations. Some trait differences were consistent with local adaptation (e.g., length-width ratio). Leaf thickness and stem diameter were strongly associated with the probability of survival at the winter rainfall site. While length-width ratio and leaf thickness were strongly associated with the probability of survival at the summer rainfall site. Plasticity may have a significant role in aiding species persistence throughout environmentally and ecologically diverse habitats in South Africa. 1

University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States2Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 43, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States

430

LITTLE, AMANDA

Ephemeral Pond Plant Communities in Northwestern Wisconsin: A Comparison with Permanent Wetlands

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phemeral ponds (EPs) are small wetlands that typically dry annually. The vegetation of these wetlands in eastern and central North America is understudied. We compared permanent wetland (PW) vegetation to that of EPs in order to describe 1) important organizing environmental gradients, 2) functional group structure and 3) diversity patterns including shared species. We studied the vegetation and environment of 57 wetlands (32 EP, 25 PW) in the Chippewa Moraine region. Wetlands fell into three groups: EPs (n = 32), sedge meadows (SM, n =11), and lacustrine fringe wetlands (LF, n = 14). EPs had high nutrient levels, small area, and lower water temperatures compared to PWs. Both EPs and PWs were variable in water depth, pH, peat depth, and tree basal area. EPs had a higher proportion of woody indicator species (50%) compared to PWs (9.1%). Both PW types had a large proportion of graminoid cover, while EPs had higher proportions of annual, fern, and woody vegetation. Species richness guild structure was similar between the PWs but EPs had a significantly higher proportion of woody plants species. Both EPs and LFs had significantly lower site-level diversity than SMs. EPs had significantly higher among-wetland diversity than LFs or SMs. A large proportion of the dissimilarity was due to species turnover and not simply loss of species. The mean proportion of EP species that were also found in permanent wetlands was relatively low (~30%). EPs shared roughly the same proportion of species with SMs as they did with LFs. Although EP species in the glaciated Upper Midwest are not highly specialized or endemic, the EP plant community is relatively distinct from PW types and therefore worthy of conservation.

University of Wisconsin-Stout, Biology, 410, 10th Ave E, Meno-

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monie, Wisconsin, 54751, United States

431

FRAGA, NAOMI* 1, BLANCO, SUMMER 2 and MCCARTHY, MATTHEW 3

Flower color polymorphism in western North American monkeyflowers: investigating flower color variation across geographic space

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lower color varies widely across angiosperms but intraspecific flower color variation (polymorphism) is relatively uncommon. Polymorphic traits such as flower color offer a special opportunity to investigate evolutionary patterns, yet the underlying factors that maintain polymorphic traits remain poorly understood in most cases. Several species of western North American monkeyflowers (Phrymaceae) exhibit flower color polymorphism. We have investigated species in two sections of monkeyflowers that are polymorphic for flower color. Both sections are composed entirely of winter annuals: Erythranthe section Paradantha (about 25% of species polymorphic) and Diplacus section Eunanus (about 21% of species polymorphic). Species of monkeyflowers that are polymorphic for flower color have co-occurring pink and yellow morphs, or co-occurring white and yellow morphs. The frequency of each color morph varies across geographic space and can also vary temporally. In this study, we examined abiotic factors that covary with flower color including elevation, latitude, and total annual precipitation. Our results suggest that abiotic factors have an influence on the frequency of color morphs within a population. As a result, we hypothesize that abiotic factors may play a role in the maintenance of flower color polymorphism. The impact of selection by pollinators remains to be assessed in future work.

1

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA, 91711, United States2California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 3801 W Temple Ave, Pomona, CA, 91768, United States3Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, CA, 91711-3157, United States

POSTERS 432 KYRA

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CZAPLA, GRANT* 1 and KRAKOS,

A five year study of the stability of the pollination system of Monarda fistulosa

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nnual variation in abiotic factors can impact the primary pollinator and the proportion of pollen movement. Morphological variation is common across years in flowering plants. In this study, we found that there was a significant difference in the stigma length and height of M. fistulosa from the years 2012 and 2016. We compared detailed pollination data from the years of 2012-2017, and we found that the pollination system is stable, and the main pollinator groups remain consistent year to year. M. fistulosa potentially have night moth pollination in addition to bees, however in 2017 M. fistulosa does not have a dual pollination system. Further study is needed to determine the role of moths in the pollination system. 1

Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63131, USA2Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63131, US

433

LIU, JIAJIA 1, LIU, JUAN 2, BURGESS, KEVIN 3 and GE, XUEJUN* 4

Estimates of phylogenetic diversity based on DNA barcoding vary across an elevational gradient in Southern China

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umerous metrics of phylogenetic diversity have been used to elucidate ecological, environmental and evolutionary processes associated with plant community composition and assemblage. Although DNA barcoding is becoming widely incorporated into the molecular toolbox for community phylogenetic reconstruction such as Bayesian inference, few studies evaluate how the evolutionary rate of various barcodes, and their combinations, can influence estimates of phylogenetic diversity across varying environmental conditions. Using two tropical forest plots located at high and low elevations in Guangdong, China, we examine four core DNA barcodes (rbcL, matK, ITS and ITS2), phylogenetic tree reconstruction method and their potential interactions with elevation, as a proxy for species composition, using linear mixed-effects models for a series of community phylogenetic diversity estimates (PD, PAE, IAC, MPD, MPDed, MNTD, MNTDed). For the majority of the phylogenetic diversity metrics considered, rbcL, matK, ITS and a family-level backbone represented the most parsimonious combination. In addition, there was a significant interaction between elevation and each of these sources of variation: top-rank models attributed > 68% of this source of variation except for one of the seven phylogenetic diversity estimates evaluated in this study. Our study underscores the importance of incorporating a diverse community composition across multiple habi-

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tats to infer the variation of phylogenetic structure caused by ecological processes and evolutionary dynamics. Future studies should consider the type of DNA barcodes, phylogenetic reconstruction methods and elevation gradients as potential sources of variation. 1

South China Botanical Garden, CAS, 723 Xingke Rd., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, CN2Jiangxi Agriculture University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, Nanchang, CN3Columbus State University, Biology, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, GA, 31907, United States4 South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, 723 Xingke Rd., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China

the soil moisture vectors. This gradient in NTI values indicates phylogenetic clustering differences that result often from variations in environmental filtering. Mircostegium vimineum was central in NMDS, confirming its presence in all acid seeps. Microstegium dominance does not explain acid seep community compositional differences. Species associated with shady, dry springs were Boehmeria cylindrica and Polystichum acrostichoides. while ones associated with open wet springs included Osmunda cimmamomea and Apios Americana. Species associated with high NTI values were Rubus allegheniensis and Osmunda regalis.

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7672 Giant City Rd., Carbondale, IL, 62902, United States2Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1263 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

Species composition, diversity, and environmental differences in acid seeps

435

BARFKNECHT, DAVID* 1 and GIBSON, DAVID 2

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cid seeps are valued ecosystems within southern Illinois and harbor unique floral communities. Since 2008, Microstegium vimineum (an exotic grass) has invaded several acid seeps of Pope County, IL. These acid seeps have experienced steam down-cutting. The objective of this research was to collect species abundance and environmental data that would allow us to suggest restoration protocols for land managers. Plots were randomly established along transects within ten acid seeps in southern IL. Vascular plant species abundance was recorded in July 2017. Soil samples were collected to assess soil acidity and conductivity. Overhead tree canopy cover was measured for each seep, along with slope and aspect. Photosynthetically active radiation was recorded above the herbaceous layer within each acid seep. Soil moisture was recorded in summer months. Environmental variables and 12 indices diversity and evenness were calculated for each seep including Shannon-Weiner diversity, Pielou's J, Hill's numbers, and nearest taxonomic index (NTI). A non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination (NMDS) was conducted based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarities. Vector analysis allowed fitting of environmental data and diversity indices to the NMDS. A permutational test of homogeneity of dispersion (PERMDISP) was used to investigate differences in dispersion of plots between acid seeps. A permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) was used to investigate differences among individual seeps. The two-dimensional NMDS displayed that only NTI had a significant relationship with species composition among seeps as a diversity index (r2=0.6611; p=0.026). Soil moisture in June (r2=0.8074; p=0.005), July (r2=0.759; p=0.01), and August (r2=0.7008; p=0.018) and canopy cover (r2=0.5847; p=0.049) were environmental variables significant as vectors. There was significantly different dispersion of plots within seeps (F9=2.0244, p=0.39) and among individual seeps (F9=4.8465, p=0.01). Acid seeps with more shade had lower soil moisture. NTI values separated species composition of acid seeps along a vector nearly perpendicular to canopy cover and

PEARL , CARSON HOWARD* , ABRAHAMS, RICHARD 2, VELASCO, PABLO 3 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 4

1

Glucosinolate Diversity in Kale: Implications in a Missouri Environment

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ustard oils (glucosinolates) are a diverse group of natural plant compounds that are present in many important crop species. We are familiar with these compounds from the taste and smell of mustard, wasabi, arugula, Brussels sprouts, kale, and a variety of vegetables and spices. However, glucosinolates affect not just human palatability, but also human health, plant defense, and how plants interact with their environment. However, breeding efforts for one trait may have a negative trade-off with other important traits; e.g., selecting for better tasting Brussel sprouts may reduce the plants ability to fend off insect pests. Thus, elucidating the specific function(s) that each glucosinolate plays in the context of a local environment is important to understand both crop development and improvement. In this study, we used four accessions of kale (Brassica oleracea), which were selectively bred for high and low levels of two glucosinolates: sinigrin and glucobrassicin. Plants were grown for one month in laboratory conditions and then transplanted into field mesocosms. Over a one month period, the plants were measured for insect recruitment, growth speed, and other conditions. The plants then were harvested to assess percent leaf herbivory and for metabolomic analyses. We hypothesize that plants with high levels of glucosinolates will be correlated with decreased overall insect recruitment rate, but with a higher ratio of specialist to generalist herbivores. The inverse is expected in the low sinigrin and glucobrassicin lines. Results will highlight the impact of glucosinolate profile diversity in Brassica oleracea grown in a mid-Missouri environment.

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University of Missouri, Columbia, Biological/ Plant Sciences, Columbia, MO - Missouri, 65211, USA2University of Missouri, Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA3Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Group of Genetics, Breeding and Biochemistry of Brassicas, Pontevedra, 36080, Spain4University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

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ELKIN , LUCY CLAIRE* and KILGORE, JASON SCOTT

437

Soil near decaying logs inhibits seedling growth...but not for garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Survey of nutrients and invasive Butomus umbellatus (Flowering Rush) in Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge diked wetlands

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arlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an invasive biennial plant to eastern North America that produces allelopathic secondary metabolites which kill mycorrhizae and reduce seed germination of native plant species, thus altering the composition of many forest plant communities. In addition, soil invaded by garlic mustard, which is itself non-mycorrhizal, has higher nutrient availability (N, P, Ca, Mg) and soil pH. In some but not all sites, garlic mustard populations will persist for extended periods of time. Even within a local habitat, plant size and abundance can vary, possibly from some microheterogeneity in resources. In this study, we investigated the effects of coarse woody debris (CWD, Prunus serotina) and soil collected from close (<30 cm) to and far (>100 cm) from a decaying log on the growth of seedlings of garlic mustard and other species in a controlled greenhouse experiment. We also tested the effect of pre-soaking the CWD, which we only found to increase the abundance of non-garlic mustard plants (p=0.02). Furthermore, the physical presence of CWD had no effect on the growth of garlic mustard (p>0.7) or on the abundance (p=0.09) or growth (p>0.12) of non-garlic mustard plants. Soil that came from close to a log had no effect on garlic mustard biomass (p=0.98), number of open leaves (p=0.15), or number of emerging leaves (p=0.52) but did result in longer leaf lengths (p=0.01). On the other hand, non-garlic mustard plants in soil far from CWD had greater biomass (p<0.001) and greater abundance (p<0.001) but no significant difference in height (p=0.09). While the species, decay state, and thus nutrient availability of the CWD may also be important, the growth of other plants was clearly inhibited in the soil close to the CWD. This suggests that residual secondary metabolites from garlic mustard in the soil near the CWD, where larger plants were observed in the field, may prevent growth of nongarlic mustard species, yet not affect the growth of garlic mustard.

FORSTATER, ERICA* and MICHAELS, HELEN

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ntroduced to the Great Lakes Region from Europe before 1900, invasive Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus, FR) forms monotypic stands that crowd native species and cover open water systems. Factors contributing to invasion persistence and impacts on ecosystem function by this species are poorly understood. This study characterizes vegetation and environmental factors at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, which borders Lake Erie, to understand how sediment nutrient levels in watersheds affect FR invasion. It was hypothesized that increased sediment nutrient levels are important drivers of the invasion success of FR. Sediment nutrient levels and vegetation were sampled within 82 1m2 random plots throughout the marsh complex. Vegetation of FR and the 18 other species present were harvested, or canopy characteristics were measured, to estimate biomass. Flowering rush was the most abundant of all identified emergent invasive species found, and was found at 55% of the surveyed plots. Average FR rhizome bud count per plot was 509, with a range of 0-2760. Flowering rush was found both with and without native species and other invasive species. Sediment nutrient analysis of phosphorus, nitrate-nitrite, and ammonia showed heterogeneity within and across management units, which may indicate the presence of nutrient hotspots across the landscape. Average water depth across all plots was 38.15cm, whereas average water depth at locations with FR present was 31.58cm. These data will inform future experiments testing FR and native species response to non-point-source nutrient additions, which will help to manage coastal wetland biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by them. Bowling Green State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 217 Life Sciences Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

Washington & Jefferson College, Biology Department, 60 S Lincoln St, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301, United States

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438 HELEN 2

MEEK, HALEY* 1 and MICHAELS,

Seed Coat Pigment Variation and UV Stress Tolerance in Lupinus perennis.

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upinus perennis is a perennial, herbaceous plant whose Ohio populations are polymorphic for seed coat color thought to be the result of the relative amounts of anthocyanin pigments, which have been associated with UV stress tolerance, present in the seed coat. This study aimed to classify seed coat phenotypes and assess the UV stress tolerances of phenotypes based on the hypothesis that phenotypes with higher anthocyanin levels have better UV stress tolerance than phenotypes with lower anthocyanin levels. Seeds were collected from 20 wild plants and imaged, then image analysis software and chemical analysis were used to determine seed color phenotypes. Seedlings grown from each seed phenotype were subjected to UV absence or presence treatments in order to determine UV stress tolerance. Based on image and chemical analyses, two main phenotypes were determined to be prevalent in the sampled population: “white” seeds with 0-5% pigmentation and “dark” seeds with 40-65% pigmentation. Differences in seedling growth characteristics were observed between seed phenotypes when exposed to UV stress. It is evident in this study that distinct seed color phenotypes exist in Ohio L. perennis populations based on the amount of anthocyanin pigments present in the seed coat and that these phenotypes have differences in UV stress tolerance.

1

Bowling Green State University, Biological Sciences, 331 Life Sciences Building, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43402, USA2Bowling Green State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 217 Life Sciences Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

439 HELEN 2

DAY, MEIGAN * 1 and MICHAELS,

Nectar resource quality for oak savanna pollinator habitat restoration

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ederally endangered since 1992, Karner blue butterfly (Plebejus melissa samuelis, KBB) populations have been limited by landscape fragmentation, natural succession, and fire suppression in oak savanna habitats. Several studies document flowers visited by Karner blue butterflies, while others found that nectar resource abundance is a strong predictor of overall butterfly richness. However, these studies did not consider the nutritional quality of nectar resources. Research reveals that butterfly population size has a stronger association to detailed course estimates of native nectar quantity than coarse estimates of flowering stem density. Therefore, the improvement of nectar quality available in rare butterfly habitat appears to be an important factor for conservation. Butterflies in captivity with rich sugar and amino acid diets often experience improved fecundity, longevity, and increased fitness over the female's lifetime. To characterize nectar resources available in KBB habitats, the nutritional quality and

quantity of nectar will be compared between sites occupied and unoccupied by KBB. This will provide insight on factors that limit the success of both spring and summer broods of KBB metapopulations. Understanding the characteristics and temporal variations in nectar resources will aid habitat restoration planning and benefit conservation efforts for KBB and other rare butterflies. o better evaluate the nutritional quality of previously surveyed habitats occupied and unoccupied by KBB, we will measure nectar volume, sugar and amino acid concentrations. Flowers utilized by KBB often have inflorescences of small florets and produce small nectar volumes, therefore, the entire inflorescence will be collected, and nectar will be extracted using a modified centrifugation technique. The centrifugate at the bottom of the tube will then be measured for total volume with a micropipette and used to calculate nectar produced per inflorescence. Nectar sugar concentration will be estimated using a handheld refractometer and total amino acid concentration will be measured with a chromatography paper ninhydrin test. The volume and nutritional quality of nectar produced by sampled species will be averaged from each survey site to create a generalized nectar profile. At each plant sampled one stem in each cardinal direction will be counted for the total number of flowers produced. The average number of flowers produced per stem will be applied to data of the species density of flowering stems per m2. The volume and nutritional quality of nectar will be applied to this data, species density of flowers per stem per m2, for sites occupied and unoccupied by Karner blue butterflies.

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Bowling Green State University , Biology, Bowling Green State University , Bowling Green , OH, 43403, USA2Bowling Green State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 217 Life Sciences Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

440

STANLEY, AMBER* 1 and ARCEOGOMEZ, GERARDO 2

The effects of urbanization on avian seed dispersal success of Toxicodendron radicans (Anacardiaceae)

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he rate of global urbanization is increasing at an alarming pace, as the human population has grown to over 7 billion people—from 1.6 billion people in the 1900s—, half of which reside in urban areas. This increase has necessitated the expansion of urban habitat and increased consumption of natural resources. While the effects of urbanization on species diversity is well-documented (increasing urbanization decreases species diversity), its effects on species interactions have been less studied. Plantanimal interactions, such as seed dispersal, may be especially sensitive to urbanization. For plants, animal-based seed dispersal depends on several aspects, including 1) the rate of interactions with seed dispersers, 2) the probability of seed dispersal from an interaction event, 3) the identity and the number of seed disperser species, and 4) the probability of germination after seed dispersal. Urbanization may affect seed dispersal by altering the frequency of

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interactions and/or the diversity of seed dispersers. Consequently, the probability of seed dispersal and the ability of seeds to germinate after being dispersed may be negatively affected by urbanization. In this study we ask specifically: 1) Will birds visit T. radicans at a greater rate in urban or natural habitats? 2) Will the diversity of dispersers be higher in urban or natural habitats? 3) Do seeds from urban or natural sites have a greater probability of dispersal? 4) Will seeds from urban or natural habitat be more likely to germinate? To compare differences in rate of visitation and disperser diversity between urban and natural habitats, individual T. radicans plants in two urban and two natural sites were observed for interactions by birds. Dispersal probability was estimated by marking fruits with a UV fluorescent dye and estimating a proportion of dispersed seeds at the end of the season. Seeds dispersed = total fruits marked - number of recovered fruits. Germination success will be estimated by collecting defecated— thus scarified—seeds in natural and urban sites as well as collecting non-dispersed seeds (that will be treated with either water or sulfuric acid). Seeds will be cold stratified 90 days before planting in constant 28 degrees Celsius and 16:8 L:D conditions. Preliminary results indicate that the rate of visitation, species diversity, and probability of seed dispersal are all significantly higher in urban sites. This trend suggests that T. radicans in urban habitat may be more successful than in natural habitat, however further research is necessary to confirm this.

the 170 weevils that we observed, 44% (75) reached the target host. Four weevils died while struggling on the hot sand, and the remaining weevils flew out of sight (long-distance dispersal event). Of the weevils that reached the target thistle, 85% of them utilized grass neighbors in their dispersal (either climbing onto the thistle directly from the grass, or by flying from grass to thistle). The remaining weevils walked or flew onto the thistle from the sand. Weevils spent significantly more time on grass neighbors than on the sand or other types of substrate. In addition, surface temperature was significantly cooler near grasssurrounded thistles than near sand-surrounded thistles. There was a significant positive relationship between temperature and the likelihood of weevil dispersal away from the target thistle. Results from our study suggest that grasses may benefit weevil dispersal and influence host plant selection, resulting in grass-surrounded thistles experiencing greater levels of damage. Our experiment has implications for C. pitcheri conservation and we have identified locations within the dunes with greater risk to weevil damage. Lawrence University, Biology, 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WI, 54911, USA

442

ADESALU, TAOFIKAT* 1 and NWANKWO, DIKE IKEGWU 2

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SEM images of some planktonic diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) of Lekki lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria

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1002 E Market St, Johnson City, TN, 37601, United States21807 Triangle Rd, Johnson City, TN, 37604, United States

HAKES, ALYSSA* , PANIAGUAMONTOYA, MONICA and CZAPLINSKA, TINA

Bad neighbors and evil weevils: why the surrounding neighborhood of Picther's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) may influence its damage levels

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itcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri), is a federallythreatened native plant that is endemic to western Great Lakes dune habitats. The invasion of a seed-eating Larinus weevil poses an emrging threat to the rare thistle's continued persistence. Our previous research on this system shows that the presence of marram grass (Ammophila breviligulata) neighbors increases the likelihood of weevil damage to Pitcher's thistle, but it is unclear why weevils prefer to be near grasses, especially since it is not a suitable host. We conducted mark-and-recapture experiments to test the hypothesis that grasses were aiding weevil dispersal (dispersal-mediated effects). In addition, we examined whether grass neighbors may be altering the abiotic conditions surrounding thistles in a way that is preferrable to them (refuge-mediated effects). We collected weevils on site, marked them, and released each individual 0.5 m away from a C. pitcheri target plant. We noted the time weevils spent resting, walking, or flying and whether these behaviors were taking place on the sand, on debris, or on grass. Of

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he first comprehensive notes on the diatoms from Lekki lagoon, comprises 239 (205 pennates and 34 centric forms) species belonging to 51genera was reported earlier. In this report, emphasis was given to the scanning electron micrographs of some notable genera observed using JEOL 840A SEM operating at accelerating ranges of 10-20v with working distance between 8-10. Nineteen genera, Acanthoceros, Achnanthes, Aulacoseira, Cocconeis, Cyclotella, Diploneis, Navicula, Neidium, Nitzschia, Pinnularia, Sellaphora, Staurosira,, Stephanocyclus, Stephanodiscus, Surirella, Tabellaria, Terpsinoe, Tryblionella and Ulnaria were documented to further assist in diatoms from Nigeria, West Africa. 1

University Of Lagos, Nigeria , Department Of Botany , Lagos, Lagos, 100000, Nigeria2University of Lagos, Faculty of Science, Department of Marine Sciences, Yaba, Lagos, Lagos, LA, 100000

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DRENOVSKY, REBECCA* 1, REICHOLF, REBECCA 2, FUTRELL, CARYN J. 3 and GREWELL, BRENDA 3

444

Functional trait responses of invasive Ludwigia species to contrasting hydrologic conditions

Leaf trait variation in a Quercus lobata common garden experiment is not explained by climatic conditions of maternal seed source

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ater regime is a major determinant of plant species occurrence and growth in wetlands. Extreme weather events, climatic flood and drought cycles, and anthropogenic management of water levels for water supply and recreational purposes subject aquatic macrophyte populations to a broad range of hydrologic regimes during their life cycles. Plant responses to these hydrological stressors may be influenced by ploidy level, as polyploids are predicted to be more stress tolerant than diploids. In riverine wetlands of California, two emergent floating-leaved Ludwigia cytotypes (L. peploides, diploid; L. hexapetala, decaploid) have become increasingly invasive. We studied two cytotypes of Ludwigia established from apical shoot fragments in outdoor mesocosms under different inundation treatments (deep-flooded, shallow-flooded, gradual drawdown) and measured functional trait responses. Based on field observations, we predicted that the decaploid would be more tolerant of drying soils, and that both taxa would experience the greatest growth under shallow inundation. In contrast to previous studies, the decaploid sustained higher relative growth rates under all treatment conditions, but produced less biomass overall. However, the decaploid maintained longer shoot growth under all conditions, suggesting greater foraging potential for limiting resources and greater potential for shoot fragmentation supporting vegetative reproduction. Under progressive soil water deficit, having less biomass to support combined with a higher RGR and shoot length could help the decaploid find soil moisture more rapidly than the diploid. In contrast, by rapidly transitioning to reproductive life stages in all treatments, alternating wet and dry soil in drawdown zones may ultimately favor seed bank recruitment and diploid persistence.

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Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, United States2John Carroll University, Biology, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA3USDA-ARS Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit, Department of Plant Sciences, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

RAMIREZ, HE-LO* 1, IVEY, CHRISTOPHER 2, SORK, VICTORIA 3 and WRIGHT, JESSICA 4

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aks (genus Quercus) are known for harboring substantial intraspecific variation in leaf morphology. Previous studies have shown that specific leaf area and leaf shape of some oak species covary with climatic variables, including temperature and precipitation. Such patterns may reflect local adaptation of genotypes to prevailing climate or plastic responses to variation in climate. We tested the hypothesis that variation in leaf dissection (perimeter:area ratio) and specific leaf area (area:biomass) in California's native Q. lobata was genetically based, reflecting adaptation to climatic regime. The study was conducted in a large provenance test involving over 670 maternal families collected from 97 locations throughout the range of the species and replicated across two experimental sites. We subsampled leaves from 54 trees grown from 27 maternal families (9 locations) representing the extremes and median of multivariate climate phenospace, and used digital image analysis to characterize their shape. In addition, we weighed leaves to calculate specific leaf area. If variation in leaf traits is due to adaptation to local climatic conditions, we predicted that leaves sampled from trees originating from contrasting climates would contrast significantly in traits measured, even when grown in this common garden. Although we observed substantial variation, we found no significant differences in leaf traits among the climate categories sampled, suggesting that the phenotypic variation observed across natural populations is largely shaped by local environmental conditions rather than underlying genetic differences.

1

California State University, Chico, Biological Sciences, 400 W. First St., Chico, CA, 95929, USA2California State University, Chico, Biological Sciences, 400 W 1st St., Chico, CA, 95929, United States3UCLA, ECOL & EVOL BIOL, Box 957239 , Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States4U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 1731 Research Park Dr., Davis, CA, 95618, USA

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445

IVEY, CHRISTOPHER* 1, WRIGHT, JESSICA 2, MACDONALD, BRANDON 3 and SORK, VICTORIA 4

Negative relationships between galling insect abundance and relative growth rates in a large provenance test of valley oak (Quercus lobata) fail to support the Plant Vigor Hypothesis

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ecause of their ability to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates, plants endure an unyielding siege from diverse natural enemies. The “Plant Vigor Hypothesis” proposes that robust or vigorously growing individuals are preferred hosts of herbivorous insects and therefore more likely to experience attack. We tested this hypothesis in a recently established provenance trial of the iconic keystone species of California's central valley, Quercus lobata, involving 672 maternal families collected throughout its range and fully replicated in two field sites. On each of over 6,500 trees the abundance of leaf- and stem-galls induced by insects was scored as a measure of vulnerability to herbivore attack. In each of two years, tree height was measured at the end of the growing season, from which relative growth rate was calculated as a measure of plant vigor. We predicted that a positive relationship between gall abundance and relative growth rate would indicate support for the Plant Vigor Hypothesis. Instead, at both sites, we found negative relationships between abundance of the most common gall species and relative growth rate. In addition, we found a negative relationship between gall species richness and relative growth rate at the site where diversity of galls was highest. These results fail to support the Plant Vigor Hypothesis, and may indicate a negative effect of galling insects on oak growth rates or an inability of plants with high growth rates to defend against galling insects. We will discuss the extent to which gall abundance can be explained by tree maternal genotype as well as the climate and geography of the maternal seed source.

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California State University, Chico, Biological Sciences, 400 W 1st St., Chico, CA, 95929, United States2U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 1731 Research Park Dr., Davis, CA, 95618, USA3University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 610 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA4UCLA, ECOL & EVOL BIOL, Box 957239 , Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States

446

MELTON, ANTHONY* 1, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 2 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3

Niche Evolution in Rapid Radiations: Do Hybridization and Polyploidization Drive Niche Divergence?

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ow organisms diversify across heterogeneous environments remains an important question in evolutionary biology. Niche divergence can play a vital role in this process, as lineages diverge and partition themselves in the niche space of their environments. The flowering plant genus Liatris (Asteraceae) is an ideal clade to use as a model for investigating niche evolution following recent, rapid radiation. The genus represents a rapid radiation that comprises 37 species, including numerous putative hybrids and several known polyploids, that occur in a diverse array of habitats. However, despite the wealth of research opportunities, the clade has not been thoroughly investigated. We used ecological data and digitized herbaria records to develop ecological niche models (ENMs) for Liatris species and putative hybrids. We conducted flow cytometry to identify diploid and polyploid lineages within Liatris. Phyloclim and ENMtools were used to assess niche overlap and niche divergence between polyploids, hybrids, and their progenitor species. Preliminary results suggest that aspects of the niches of putative sister lineages have differentiated since their most recent common ancestor. This research will increase our understanding of how these integrated aspects of biology can affect speciation and niche evolution patterns within a rapid radiation, inform views on niche conservatism, and help elucidate how the diversity we see today may have arisen.

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University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 326112University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States3University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL

447

SANDACZ, DANIEL* 1, CALKWOOD, JOHN 2 and HAKES, ALYSSA 3

Does the early bud escape the weevil? Examining the effects of microclimate and Pitcher's thistle phenology on weevil oviposition

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isconsin populations of the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) in Lake Michigan dune habitats are facing severe seed predation from an invasive weevil, Larinus planus. This weevil was originally implemented as a biocontrol agent for weedy thistles, however, it readily oviposits eggs into immature C. pitcheri flower heads where larvae will consume the developing seeds. Preliminary data from our experiments at Whitefish Dunes State Park (WDSP) show that C. pitcheri are more vulnerable to weevil damage at low dune elevations and when surrounded by marram grass neighbors. Another important factor to weevil oviposition choice is plant size (crown diameter); smaller C. pitcheri are more

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vulnerable to weevil infestation. Moreover, surface temperatures at grassy or sandy microsites near C. pitcheri stems at low and high elevations significantly differ from each other. In determining the maturity of flower heads, a greater proportion of flower heads are open at higher elevations, and larger plants are the first to open their flowers. Collectively, these data suggest that a plant's size and spatial location may influence its phenology. We are currently collecting additional data to determine 1) if microclimate differences cause variation in C. pitcheri flowering time, and 2) if flowering time affects weevil oviposition. We predict that a greater proportion of C. pictheri flowers will open earlier in microsites with a higher surface temperature, and that C. pictheri individuals that flower earlier will have fewer oviposition holes (i.e. escape weevils in time). This finding would suggest that variation in microclimate and phenology across the dune landscape may contrinute to the variation in weevil damage observed. Understanding the factors that predict weevil damage intensity is key to developing conservation strategies for this rare plant. 1

Lawrence University, Biology, 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WI, 54911, United States2Lawrence University, 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WI, 54911, United States3Lawrence University, Biology, 711 E. Boldt Way, Appleton, WI, 54911, USA

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BOEHM, EMMA* 1, PESCHEL, ANNA 2 and SHAW, RUTH 3

Investigating maternal effects in Chamaecrista fasciculata

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xpression of plant phenotypes may differ due to perturbations in environment, and could contribute to persistence during rapid climate changes. Phenotypic plasticity may explain these phenotypic changes as environmental variation acts on the genotype to cause differential trait expression. A specific mode of plasticity is the effect of maternal environment on offspring traits. Maternal effects are genetic contributions of the maternal plant beyond chromosomal inheritance and the environmental influence prevailing over the maternal plant to the phenotype of the offspring, which may confer greater offspring fitness in similar and heterogeneous environments. Native prairies are often subject to spatial obstacles causing habitat fragmentation and impeding dispersal to more favorable conditions. As survival depends on response within their environment, detecting the presence of adaptive maternal effects in prairie plants such as the annual prairie legume, Chamaecrista fasciculata (partridge pea) may elucidate population persistence and inform conservation strategies. We hypothesized that individuals planted in conditions that matched their maternal plant would have higher fitness than offspring from maternal plants in the other plot. Seed from two pedigreed maternal C. fasciculata populations in experimental field plots, one subject to drought through rainout shelters and the other to ambient watering, were planted in both watering treatments in the greenhouse. Drought treatments were imposed via watering on every third day whereas ambient plants were watered every other day. Preliminary results show that maternal effects influence time to germination (p = 0.024) and may confer slight advantages

to height (p = 0.048) in drought. Biomass data is forthcoming to more fully evaluate fitness. 1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, 1987 Upper Buford Cir, Falcon Heights, MN, 55108, USA2University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 1987 Upper Buford Cir, Falcon Heights, MN, 55108, United States3University Of Minnesota, Department Of Ecology, Evolution And Behavior, 1479 Gortner Ave, 140 Gortner, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States

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MULHOLLAND, SAMANTHA* 1, COSTEA, MIHAI 2 and STEVENS, KEVIN 1

Examination of interactions between Sida hermaphrodita and Phragmites australis: Seedling growth and mycorrhizal colonization

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irginia Mallow (Sida hermaphrodita) is a perennial herb of the Malvaceae family that is native to riparian habitats in northeastern North America. Throughout most of its distribution, however, it is considered threatened and only two populations are known from Canada. Canadian federal assessments of the conservation status have outlined several threats including loss of habitat due to invasive species including Common reed (Phragmites australis). The biology and ecology of S. hermaphrodita are still poorly understood and few studies have been performed to determine the factors that contribute to the species rarity. We conducted studies to quantify interactions between S. hermaphrodita and P. australis in both greenhouse and field conditions. In 2016/17 a series of vegetation surveys were conducted to assess the capacity of P. australis to affect the establishment of S. hermaphrodita seedlings and test the hypothesis that S. hermaphrodita seedlings will be negatively impacted by soil modifications effected by P. australis. This study took place at one of the two known locations where S. hermaphrodita has been documented (Taquanyah Conservation Area, Ontario Canada). Twenty-eight 1 x 1 m plots were established at the periphery of S. hermaphrodita stands in areas proximal and distal to large stands of P. australis. Results from the field vegetation surveys suggested that proximity to P. australis has no significant effect on the emergence or mortality of S. hermaphrodita seedlings. S. hermaphrodita seedlings were colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at all sites with hyphal, arbuscular and vesicular colonization levels exceeding 65, 31 and 5% respectively. There were no significant reductions in colonization associated with proximity to P. australis stands. A greenhouse study was conducted to quantify seedling growth and mycorrhizal colonization of both species in soils that correspond to a gradient of vegetation ranging from pure stands of P. australis to pure stands of S. hermaphrodita. This study tested the hypotheses that S. hermaphrodita will perform poorly in soils proximal to established stands of P. australis whereas P. australis will perform best in soils from near its own stands. Initial results failed to support either hypothesis. Additionally, results obtained from the greenhouse study indicated that the seedlings of both species perform best in the soils obtained from pure stands of their competitor. 1

Wilfrid Laurier University, Biology, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L3C5, Canada2Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, ON, N2L3C5, Canada

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Influences of drought and disturbance regimes on subalpine forest in the Rocky Mountain National Park: Comparisons between 2001 and 2017-2018

Isolating bacteria that potentially support giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) nutrient absorption

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HANSON, CHELSEA* 1 and MARICLE, BRIAN 2

ubalpine forests are impacted by three major disturbance regimes: fire, beetles, and blow down. Understanding the relative importance of disturbance and climate change on subalpine forest succession is important for conservation and to help develop management techniques in the future. The objective of this study is to analyze changes in subalpine forests during disturbances in Rocky Mountain National Park following years of prolonged drought and increasing temperatures. I compared subalpine forest composition in 2001 to current composition in Rocky Mountain National Park and used TERRA satellite data to compare forest health (in monitoring beetle damage) from 2014 to current data. I measured stand age, stand structure, and stand composition, as well as monitored each plot for visible beetle damage. Past data will be collected from the National Park Service Vegetation Inventory Database, USGS, and NASA. For this objective, I measured aspects of stand age and disturbances in Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer of 2017 and am continuing my research into 2018. I plan to gather stand age through correlations of stem circumference with known age measures, verified with cores in the present study. I will also use the cores to determine the disturbances that may have affected the stand being studied. I also plan to use National Park Service Vegetation Inventory Database to determine placement of some of the stands I will study, and then compare the stand's composition and structure between past and present. I will monitor each plot for beetle damage to correlate with satellite defoliation research. These data will help determine the reaction to disturbances and compare that reaction between historically studied plots through past research and new plots that I sample. Preliminary findings using satellite imagery suggest that forest health has declined in some areas and improved in others. The areas that have declined are correlated with beetle damage. Five plots have shown improvement, one plot is full of saplings, and the other four plots are in areas that have no obvious beetle damage.

1

Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, Kansas, 67601, United States2Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States

LOPEZ, SARAH M.* , CHAMES, NICHOLAS M. , MIMS, MITCHELL A. and BAKER, STOKES S.

he goal of the research is to determine what bacteria allows aquatic plants to absorb nutrients such as organic phosphates. Thus, bacteria that grow on giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) were plated out on modified Schenk and Hildebrandt media that contained DNA as the sole phosphorus source. To obtain a broader collection of organisms, duckweed bacteria were also plated out onto tryptic soy agar plates. To identify the isolated strains, the bacteria were DNA barcoded. PCR primers that span Variable Regions three, four and five of the 16S rRNA genes were used to produce amplicons that were Sanger sequenced. The resulting sequences were queried to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 16S ribosomal gene database via Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Results showed that members of the genus Pseudomonas were prevalent. Members of this genus commonly synthesis antibiotics. Some have been shown to aid the growth of agricultural plants. Members of the Flavobacterium were also isolated. Some of the stains isolated have high homology to fish pathogens. A colony with high homology to Rhizobium radiobacter (formally referred to as Agrobacterium tumefaciens) was also isolated. Barcodes from additional isolates are being sequenced. To determine if these bacteria help duckweed with nutrient absorption, sterile cultures of duckweed will be inoculated with the pure bacteria stains and grown on defined media containing DNA, phytate, or tricalcium phosphate as the sole phosphorous source. University of Detroit Mercy, Biology Dept., 4001 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI, 48221, USA

452

WAANANEN, AMY* 1 and WAGENIUS, STUART 2

Synchrony, Proximity, and Compatibility Influence Pollination Success in Fragmented Populations of Echinacea angustifolia

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uccessful pollination limits reproduction in many plants, especially in fragmented environments. Reproduction is a critical component of demographic rates and determines mating patterns, which influence evolutionary processes such as inbreeding. Together, these demographic and evolutionary mechanisms may determine the fate of native species in fragmented environments. While the timing of mating, the spatial isolation of individuals, and their genetic compatibility each limit the likelihood of mating between individuals, these reproductive constraints of are rarely studied together. We characterized flowering phenology, spatial isolation, and

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mating incompatibility in 10 remnant populations of the perennial plant, Echinacea angustifolia, over three years and evaluated the influence of flowering synchrony, proximity to conspecifics, and genetic compatibility on pollination success. The degree of spatial and temporal isolation varied widely among individuals, as did the degree of compatibility in populations (ranging from 60% to 100%). Both flowering phenology and spatial isolation exerted a strong, interactive effect on seed set, independent of population size. By identifying the degree to which temporal, spatial, and compatibility constraints influence pollination in natural populations of Echinacea angustifolia, our research provides a basis for making demographic and evolutionary predictions about our study organism and insight to the fate of native prairie flora in fragmented environments. 1

University of Minnesota, 1987 Upper Buford Cir, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

453

GOODRICH, KATHERINE 1, ELLIS, INESHA* 2 and SENSKI, REBECCA 2

Insect attraction to fermenting fruits and flowers of Asimina triloba (Annonaceae)

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lowers of Asimina triloba (pawpaw) are small, cup-shaped, deep maroon, and have a yeasty, fermented scent. Earlier authors have described the floral scent as fetid and similar to rotting meat; however, the floral aroma contains fermentation volatiles characteristic of yeast and not the sulfurous or nitrogenous compounds associated with protein degradation. Pollination data are limited for pawpaw, but existing work has documented flies and some beetles as floral visitors. We are currently working to document floral visitors at field sites near Chester, PA. We plan to compare our visitor data with data collected by collaborators at field sites in Illinois, South Carolina, and New York. In addition, we are conducting field bioassays to compare insect visitors attracted to pawpaw flowers, lures baited with yeast + sugar, and lures baited with fermenting fruit pulp. Initial observations at our field site indicate that several species of Diptera, including species of Drosophila, visit flowers of pawpaw, supporting earlier documentation of fly pollination. The outcomes of this work are twofold. First, we wish to document potential differences in pollination ecology across the wide geographic range of pawpaw (much of eastern North America) by comparing floral visitor observations from four geographically distant field locations within the same field seasons. Second, by comparing insect taxa attracted to flowers vs. lures containing yeast & sugar or fermenting fruits, we can establish how the context of fermentation volatiles (fermentation-only vs. fermentation volatiles in the context of flower-specific or fruit-specific volatiles) may alter insect attraction in an ecological setting.

454

BORER, CATHERINE* 1, DUNN, MICHAEL 2, CHRISTENSEN, MAGDALEN 2 and HARNAGE, KATHERINE 2

Calcium availability and cycling in understory shrubs

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lowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.) is a charismatic understory species that can enhance soil calcium availability through its comparatively high foliar Ca content and rapid rate of leaf litter decomposition. In previous work, using sequential extractions of tree foliage, we demonstrated that this ecological Ca pumping by flowering dogwood is related to the very high proportion of labile Ca maintained in the leaves of this species. This is in contrast to many other tree species, which sequester and crystalize a substantial proportion of their foliar Ca in a physiologically unavailable form. Ecological Ca availability is important because Ca is an essential macronutrient in plants and is a key component of many cellular structures and physiological processes. It acts as an essential intracellular second messenger that helps plants sense and respond to a wide array of environmental signals. lowering dogwood is being threatened by the fungal disease dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructiva), which is spreading through the range of this species. Because of its key role in Ca cycling, the decline of flowering dogwood may alter ecosystemlevel Ca dynamics. In order to evaluate the possible effect of the decline of flowering dogwood on forest Ca cycling, we have assessed Ca partitioning in the foliage of a range of common understory species to determine whether they may retain Ca in a labile form and enhance calcium cycling in forests, in a similar way to flowering dogwood. We used sequential extractions to evaluate the chemical partitioning of calcium in leaves from six individuals of seven species (four native and three invasive) that are commonly found on the campus of Berry College, in northwest Georgia, USA. Species included flowering dogwood, Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), American holly (Ilex opaca), Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), Chinese holly (Ilex cornuta), and Leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei). Although flowering dogwood retains significantly more labile calcium in its foliage than other species, we found a wide range of labile calcium in the foliage of the species that we evaluated in this study. This suggests that forest Ca cycling may be slowed as dogwoods decline. Seasonally deciduous species, such as Eastern redbud and Chinese privet retained significantly more labile foliar calcium, in comparison with evergreen species, such as the hollies and mahonia.

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1

Berry College, Biology, P.O. Box 490430, Mount Berry, GA, 30149, United States2Berry College, Biology, Mount Berry, GA, 30149, USA

1

Widener University, Department Of Biology, 1 University Place., Chester, PA, 19013, United States2Widener University, Department of Biology, 1 University Place, Chester, PA, 19013, USA

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GOLZ, HALEY* 1, ETTERSON, JULIE 2, HAINES, DUSTIN 3 and DYMOND, SALLI 4

Response of Forest Understory Species to Experimental Treatments that Mimic Climate Change

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he climate of northeast Minnesota has already warmed by 0.6-1.7 C and this, in combination with other environmental stressors, has led to mass tree die offs in the coastal forests of Lake Superior, especially of paper birch. Tree mortality affects water quality by increasing streamflow and nutrient influx into streams and lakes. In contrast, forest habitat restoration, including both trees and understory species, can ameliorate these problems by restoring hydrological function. This research asks: What is the best source material to use for habitat restoration? A collaboration between the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) and the Nature Conservancy showed that trees sourced from more southern locations have higher survival and exhibit traits that make them more adapted to warmer and drier climate conditions, such as thicker leaves and a protracted growing season. Forest understory species are less well studied than trees, despite the fact that they also play a vital role in water dynamics and can account for >15% of annual evapotranspiration in forested systems. Our hypothesis is that herbaceous understory species sampled from more southern climates will also be better adapted to warmer and drier growing seasons and will lead to better restoration success and hydrological outcomes. To test this hypothesis, a graduate student, Haley Golz, will work with a plant geneticist (Dr. Julie Etterson), a plant ecologist (Dr. Dustin Haines) and a forest ecohydrologist (Dr. Salli Dymond) to study two herbaceous forest understory species sampled from a local and a more southern site that are grown out-of-doors in experimental conditions with manipulated temperature and water treatments at the UMD Research and Field Studies Center. If our hypothesis is correct, restoration efforts may be more effective if southern seed sources of herbaceous plant species are also planted into coastal environments during habitat restoration, ultimately enhancing forest health and restoring hydrological patterns in Lake Superior watersheds after climate-driven tree die-offs. 1

University of Minnesota Duluth, Integrated Biosciences, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA2University Of Minnesota Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1110 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States3University Of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA4University of Minnesota Duluth, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 229 Heller Hall, 1114 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA

456

HOCH, JESSICA* 1, PALMER, MATTHEW 2 and MCGUIRE, KRISTA 3

Soil fungal assemblages, plant-microbial mechanisms, and ecosystem services on New York City green roofs

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reen roofs are a way for cities to mitigate environmental stressors, such as heatwaves and droughts. However, these environmental stressors subject green roof vegetation to challenging conditions for growth and survival, affecting the ability of green roof systems to deliver critical ecosystem services. For this reason, many green roofs in the northeastern United States are planted with nonnative Sedum species. Much of green roof research has focused on engineering and infrastructure; however, recent studies have highlighted the link between green roof vegetation selection and ecosystem service delivery. Despite their crucial role in plant growth and survival, especially in harsh conditions, there has been little research on plant-associated soil fungi in green roof systems. Furthermore, the response of green roof plants to heat and drought is not well-documented and the effect of soil microbial communities on these plants is entirely unknown. This project seeks to characterize soil fungal community composition on green roofs across New York City and to assess how different combinations of green roof plant species (Panicum virgatum, Solidago nemoralis, Sedum tetractinum) and root-associated microbial assemblages respond to isolated and simultaneous heat and drought treatments. To characterize soil fungal community composition, we surveyed 30 green roof systems planted with either Sedum species or with a mixed-vegetation palette (i.e. wildflowers, grasses, and succulents). Concurrently, we conducted a greenhouse experiment in which plants were grown from seed in green roof media inoculated with different microbial communities. We established soil microbial communities in the greenhouse pots with field-collected soil from Sedum and mixed-vegetation green roofs, and with commerical green roof media autoclaved as a control. Using Illumina sequencing of the fungal ITS region, we found that mixed-vegetation and Sedum green roofs had distinct soil fungal communities (ANOSIM; p<0.0001). Survivorship of P. virgatum and S. nemoralis differed significantly among each treatment (p<0.001) in contrast to S. tetractinum, which displayed high survivorship across all treatments. Stomatal conductance (gs) for P. virgatum was significantly higher compared to S. nemoralis and S. tetractinum at peak stress. gs for S. nemoralis was significantly higher when grown in mixed-vegetation green roof soil (p<0.0001). These results suggest that soil microbial communities as they relate to plant survivorship and ecophysiology are critical components of green roof ecosystem function. 1

Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology , 1190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA2Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, And Environmental Biology, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., Mc 5557, New York, NY, 10027, United States3University of Oregon, Institute of Ecology and Evolution , 5289 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA

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FETTERS, ANDREA* 1, STEPHENS, JESSICA 2, TERESA SAENZ ROBLES, MARIA 1, CANTALUPO, PAUL 1, PIPAS, JAMES 1 and ASHMAN, TIA-LYNN 1

The pollen virome: viral diversity and novel viral discovery across diverse plant families

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lant viruses represent serious threats to food security and native biodiversity. The globalization of flora and the co-invasion of pathogens and their hosts amplifies the potential for the emergence of novel viruses and host switching. Traditional wisdom maintains that viruses are transferred by herbivorous insects, but some viruses can exploit the plant's own reproductive process for transmission, i.e., they hijack the pollen grains and are transported from one plant to another by pollinators. Yet our knowledge of pollen-associated viral taxa is limited to a handful of known viruses infecting a small set of symptomatic agricultural plants, leaving us entirely blind to the potential viral diversity that exists within asymptomatic hosts, wild native plant species, and hidden amongst the world of undescribed viruses. Here, we broadly characterize known and novel RNA viruses associated with pollen by using our viral detection pipeline based upon the percentage identity of assembled viral contigs to complete NCBI viral reference genomes. Our goals were to 1) describe viral pollen diversity across various plant families; 2) identify novel viruses in wild plant communities; and 3) determine whether pollen viruses are unique from viruses detected in vegetative tissue (i.e. leaves). Results from this research furthers our understanding of pollen as a novel viral niche and lays the foundation for greater consideration of plant-pathogen spread through pollinator-mediated transmission.

1

University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA2University of Pittsburgh

458

MILLER , JOHN (TONY)

Modeling Sex Ratio Variation in Lobelia siphilitica L. (Campanulaceae)

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n cytonuclear gynodioecious plants, population sex ratios vary substantially among populations, providing an opportunity to study the maintenance of polymorphism (in this case, maintenance of females and hermaphrodites in a population). Populations of one gynodioecious species, Lobelia siphilitica L., span from 0% to near 100% females. Furthermore, the populations with higher percentages of females are geographically structured toward the south-central part of the species range. One potential mechanism explaining this geographical structuring of sex ratio variation is the variability of abiotic factors across the species range. In this study, we constructed environmental models to explain the variation of sex ratios across the species range of L. siphilitica. We used a dataset of sex ratios, climatic variables (from WorldClim), and soil variables (from US Geological

Survey) for 166 populations spanning the Midwest to the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada. We used a forward selecting redundancy analysis to determine which variables would be used for model construction. Of the 19 climate variables and 12 soil variables, 10 variables were selected for model construction. Among the 10 variables were mean annual temperature (populations in warmer areas tend to have more females), annual precipitation (populations in areas with more precipitation tend to have more females), and clay content (populations in areas with more clay tend to have more females). We used the 10 variables to develop a model based on the abiotic factors, termed BioClim model. Additionally, we developed 3 additional models: Maximum Entropy model (MaxEnt), Generalized Linear Model (GLM), and a Geospatial model. Here, we present the evaluation of these constructed models. The BioClim model performed best when evaluating goodness of fit. We will be using the results of these models to investigate potential abiotic factors and how they affect relative fitness of females and hermaphrodites. Kent State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, USA

459

CORREA, JUAN* 1, FAYETTE, ALICIA 2, JOHNSON, ZACHARY 2, CANGIANO, MICHAEL 3 and MORGAN, ERIC 4

Analysis of physical chemical control methods for two non-native species of Viburnum

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n recent years, two non native species of Viburnum, V. dilatatum (linden viburnum) and V. setigerum (tea viburnum) have been rapidly expanding into the woodlands and forests of Long Island, New York. To better manage these invaders we examined the effectiveness of three separate control methods: the cutting of shrubs to near ground level, cutting plus treatment with glyphosate, and cutting plus treatment with triclopyr. Here we present preliminary data showing significant differences in the effectiveness of these three treatments, which will provide a much needed first step towards the creation of an eradication program for the two species.

1

Farmingdale State College, Biology, 2350 Broadhollow Rd, Farmingdale , NY, 11375, USA2Farmingdale State College, Biology, 2350 Broadhollow Rd, Farmingdale , NY, 11735, USA3Farmingdale State College, 2350 Broadhollow Rd, Farmingdale, NY, 11735, USA42350 Broadhollow Rd, Department Of Biology - Hale Hall, Farmingdale , NY, 11375, United States

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JOHNSON, ZACHARY 1, RASMUSSEN, MEGAN 2 and MORGAN, ERIC* 3

Late season photosynthetic activity of three species of Asclepias and its impact on the selection of oviposition sites and survival of Danaus plexippus caterpillars

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hotosynthetic rates act as good indicators of the physiological activity of different plant species under variable conditions. Here we present data on the photosynthetic rates of three species of milkweed, Asclepias currassavica, A. physocarpa, and A. syriaca, and how those rates differ from each other based upon factors such as photoperiod and temperature. In search of suitable host plants, the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), will encounter only A. currassavica and A. physocarpa in a physiologically “active� state during much of their fall migration through Long Island, New York. This activity may be disrupting the normal migratory pattern of the monarch, with the species ovipositing solely on A. physocarpa at a time when it is too late in the season for individuals to properly develop to adulthood. Only one of the species (A. syriaca), is native to the northeastern United States and shows little to no physiological activity for much of the migration period. With this data we propose that planting of the non-native species of Asclepias may in fact be harming populations of the monarch butterfly.

fects of flower density on pollen deposition and number of germinated grains for increasing neighborhood areas using multiple regression models. Pivotal Results: We found that pollen deposition on stigmas decreased with flower density within a 3 to 20 meter radius neighborhood area. Pollen germination frequency increased with the density of flowers within an individual patch, but decreased with total flower density within a 0.5 to 1 meter radius around the patch. Conclusions: Our results imply that increasing flower density can have negative consequences for pollination services, which could result in reduced seed set when pollinators are scarce. Although pollen deposition appears to increase in dense patches, as neighborhood density around the focal patch increases, pollen deposition rates decline, which indicates a lower pollinator visitation rate. When neighboring flower patch density is higher, pollinators probably fly shorter distances, and consequently deposit higher proportions of incompatible pollen on stigmas. Pollen deposition and germination patterns demonstrates patch and neighborhood size and density dependent effects on plant reproductive success. 1

Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC Rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, United States2Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC Rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, USA

1

168 Dickie Avenue, Staten Island, NY, 10314, United States2110 Juniper Street, Islip, NY, 11751, United States32350 Broadhollow Rd, Department Of Biology - Hale Hall, Farmingdale , NY, 11375, United States

461

HENDRICKSON, ELIZABETH* , THOMPSON, PAMELA 2 and CRUZAN, MITCHELL 2

1

Density dependent pollination and germination in the patchy vernal pool species Lasthenia californica

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remise of Research: The response of animal pollinators to visual characteristics of plants is crucial to understanding how plant-pollinator interactions contribute to plant reproductive processes. For plant species that aggregate in patches, the spatial distribution and density of flowering plants in and around patches may affect pollinator visitation to a greater degree than characteristics of individual flowers. We examine how patch characteristics of the self-incompatible, vernal pool species Lasthenia californica (California goldfields) impact pollinator visitation using pollen load size and pollen germination rates to infer visitation patterns. Methodology: Flower density and the size and distribution of patches were estimated from aerial images captured during drone surveys of an upland prairie ecosystem in Southern Oregon. Pollen load sizes and number of germinated grains were quantified using Alexander's Stain. We assessed the ef-

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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ORAL PAPERS 462 NEPAL, MADHAV* 1, ANDERSEN, ETHAN 2, BOWNING , LARRY B. 3, EDWARDS, LAURA 4, MILLER, MATTHEW L. 5 and WHITE, P. TROY 6

Immersive Learning Experiences And Rural Networking at South Dakota State University (iLEARN@SDSTATE): A Professional Development Program for Science/Agriculture Teachers

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mmersive Learning Experiences And Rural Networking (I-LEARN) is an immersive professional development program for secondary science/agriculture educators. The main objectives of the workshop were to 1) identify teachers' content and pedagogical challenges for teaching lessons related to climate science and 2) provide immersive collaborative opportunities for teachers to work with scientists to develop instructional modules aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) so that teachers are comfortable delivering the content to their students. We organized two three-day workshops in 2017 and in 2018 that provided 35 teachers an immersion experiences exploring the greenhouse effect and evidences of responses of plants, animals, microbes, landscapes, soil and water sources to climate change.Teachers were engaged in hands-on activities based on NGSS, in forums with higher education research scientists and experts; and mentored to prepare lessons, implement and assess lessons effectiveness, and share their findings through online forums. During the daytime, teachers were engaged in hands-on activities framed within teaching modules. Evening sessions included a keynote speech followed by a "scientist to teachers" speed dating model of interactions. Thirty-five faculty researchers and experts including climatologists, meteorologists from local TV station and scientists from USGS-EROS (United States Geological Survey: Earth Resources Observation and Science Center) participated in mentoring activities and/or contributed in the evening scientist-teacher interactions. Many of these interactions resulted into facultyteacher collaboration and networking. The iLEARN workshops deliberately blended South Dakota Secondary Science and Agriculture Education teachers to apply best practices related to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).This workshop has also immersed participants into SDSU's agricultural science laboratories to explore first-hand current best practices relevant to scientific agricultural content. At the presentation, successes of our model of the professional develpment, teaching modules developed and implemented by our participant teachers and scientist-teachers collaboration at South Dakota State Univeristy will be discussed.

1South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, 57007, United States2South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA3South Dakota State University, Physics, Daktronics Eng Hall 267, Brookings , SD, 57006, USA4South Dakota State University,

Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering , Box 2120, SAE 107 , 1400 N Campus Drive, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA5South Dakota State University, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Avera Health & Science 351, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA6South Dakota State University, Teaching Learning and Leadership, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA

463 STEPHENS, JESSICA* 1, BATTLE , DAVID 2, GORMALLY, CARA 3 and BRICKMAN, PEGGY 4

Show me the way: Future faculty prefer directive feedback when trying active learning approaches

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arly training opportunities for future faculty, namely graduate students and postdoctoral researchers can better prepare them to use active learning approaches. We know that instructional feedback supports sustained change and motivates instructors to improve teaching practices. Here, we incorporated feedback as a key component of a pedagogical course for future faculty who had never taught or were currently novice teaching assistants. We studied (1) how future faculty's teaching beliefs changed over the course of the semester, (2) whether feedback varied between future faculty (peers) and facilitators (faculty and upper level graduate students), (3) future faculty's feedback preferences (i.e., written versus oral, peer versus facilitator), and (4) how to use those preferences to tailor feedback that encourages future faculty at all levels to adopt more active learning approaches. We found that future faculty made greater shifts in their teaching beliefs than more experienced facilitators, responding more favorably to direct feedback that informed them how to improve rather than simple encouragement.

1University of Pittsburgh2Georgia Gwinnett College3Gallaudet University4University of Georgia, Plant Biology

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NEPAL, MADHAV

What is working and what isn't while teaching high enrollment botany course to American students

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uthor Nepal has been involved in teaching since 1990, and has taught students at different levels (school, college and then university). He has taught in Nepal (1990-2001) and in the United States (2002-current), with different educational systems. In addition to introductory biology, plant physiology and plant taxonomy courses, he has been teaching high enrollment General Botany course, where students' enrollment has recently more than doubled. He has been very dynamic to engage diverse but unique cohorts of students from a semester to the next. His pedagogical skills have grown over time and evolved in response to students' needs, his teaching experience, professional growth and rapidly evolving instructional technologies. His teaching styles have also been influenced by the approaches used by his colleagues, teachers and graduate advisors. He views teaching as a dynamic field and claims to be one of

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the first few adopters of new instructional technology. Adding international perspectives to his teaching has been supplementary. He has been successful teaching millennials, generation X, and generations Z equally. In this presentation, author Nepal plans to share his faculty accomplishments and impacts to his university communities and beyond. South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA

465

MONTGOMERY, BENJAMIN

A Hands-on Approach to Teaching Online/Distance Education Non-Majors Botany Laboratory

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raditional face-to-face botany laboratories emphasize interactions with living or preserved specimen as well as field experiences, which are difficult to replicate in an online learning environment. Nonetheless, adapting botany curricula for distanceeducation environments provides opportunities to engage additional students. Additionally, teaching in an online environment encourages incorporation of digital tools, further enriching the curriculum. I have developed an online/distance education non-majors botany survey course that includes a mix of handson and digital-botany activities. Topics include anatomy, physiology, diversity, identification, life cycles, reproduction, genetics, evolution, ecology, and biogeography. I distribute Coleus, which students use for cuttings and grafts and to perform apical dominance studies. I distribute living liverworts, mosses and spikemosses to build experimental terrariums and observe key traits. Students study plant chemistry by testing for starch in foods, extracting DNA and separating plant pigments. To learn use of dichotomous keys, students identify physical specimen of woody twigs and digital specimen of gymnosperms, as well as plants they collect. Students explore natural areas and photograph examples of monocots and dicots. A kit-based experiment is used to allow students to investigate patterns of inheritance in three generations of Brassica. The relationships among plants and climate is examined: students measure carbon sequestration and the cooling power of shade trees around their home; they use a citizen-science database to test hypotheses about changes in phenology; and they use online biogeography software to predict changes in plant distributions according to different climate-change scenarios. These exercises variously require students to observe specimen, use botanical vocabulary, create and test hypotheses and share results. Course supplies, including plants, are distributed to students by pick-up or shipping when necessary. Students are assessed using quizzes and journals, but most results are shared on Padlet, an online collaborative tool that allows students to post photographs of experimental results alongside those of classmates. This feature creates community among distributed students and promotes accountability. Students responded positively to most exercises, and those who satisfied lecture requirements completed most or all laboratory activities. They most preferred exercises involving outdoor activities and least preferred digital exercises. Future goals

include adding more field-based plant identification using INaturalist, an online social networking plant identification app, to allow students to network with peers, the instructor and the broader botanical community. Additionally, a stronger pre-lab and post-lab structure is needed to identify and correct misconceptions. This model is transferable to other institutions.

University Of South Carolina Upstate, 800 University Way, Spartanburg, SC, 29306.0, United States 466

WASELKOV, KATHERINE

"Wait, plants have insides?" Leading an undergraduate plant anatomy class from basics to independent research in one semester

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umerous science education studies have shown the value of incorporating research into college curriculum, for a multitude of reasons. Experimental research is often emphasized; however, descriptive research is more practical for some disciplines and can be equally valuable. In Fall 2017, undergraduate students in Biol 140 Plant Anatomy at California State University, Fresno, completed 8-week long independent projects focused on the anatomy of California native plants. Because all undergraduates were initially unfamiliar with plant anatomy, the first half of the semester was spent learning how to recognize basic anatomical structures. The first eight guided labs used a combination of prepared slides and fresh material obtained from the grocery store or commercial gardening center. Students learned how to prepare thin sections from fresh material by hand, using double-edged razor blades and various easy-to-use stains such as toluidine blue O and cresyl violet acetate. They mounted these sections in water and observed them under standard light microscopes, following procedures outlined in Peterson et al. (2008) and Keating (2014). Students in Biol 140 used the technical skills and anatomical expertise they gained the first half of the class to conduct original anatomical research projects on a native California species of their choice. They took a field trip to a nearby ecological reserve to collect their own material and observe the species in nature; then they made freehand sections and anatomical observations of the roots, stems, and leaves, and interpreted their results using primary literature on the anatomy of related species. Finally, the students synthesized their findings in 10-minute oral presentations to the class, where they were charged with relating the anatomy of the species to its ecology. Results varied depending on student effort and also choice of species: future iterations of the course will be revised to provide a more effective, but still genuine, research experience. California State University, Fresno, Biology Department, M/S SB73, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave., Science 1, Fresno, CA, 93740, United States

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467

BOOM, BRIAN

The New York City EcoFlora Project: Connecting Urban People and Nature

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n 2016, The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) created and began prototyping the New York City (NYC) EcoFlora project. An EcoFlora (“Ecological Flora”) is a database of naturally occurring plant species and their relationships with other organisms and physical conditions that allow the plants to exist. An EcoFlora combines established knowledge from herbarium specimens and the scientific literature with real-time observation of plants, and thus contributes not only to our body of scientific data, but also provides opportunities for education and informs conservation. The project addresses two interrelated needs. First, as people increasingly live in urban habitats, there is the need to better understand the effects of urbanization on biodiversity; particularly, what organisms persist through the urbanization process, and how they adapt to the changes urbanization brings - fragmented habitats, changes in soil moisture and microbes, and disappearance of commensal organisms and replacement by others. Second, there is the need to alleviate a societal ailment known as “plant blindness,” which is defined as people's inability to fully appreciate plants and their multiplicity of beneficial roles in the ecosystem and in society. The NYC EcoFlora, led by NYBG, in partnership with governmental and private stakeholders, is designed to address these problems through its innovative design of integrating original observations of NYC plants and their biotic interactions by citizen scientists with legacy biodiversity data from herbarium specimens and published scientific literature. The NYC EcoFlora will increase environmental literacy, by reducing plant blindness, for the City's residents, and increased natural history knowledge will provide a stronger scientific basis for sound, sustainable stewardship of NYC's biodiversity. The NYC EcoFlora is designed to be a model project for replication in other urban areas; excellent progress has been made to date towards achieving this goal. Recruitment and retention of citizen scientists is principally fostered by monthly EcoQuest Challenges, which encourage residents and visitors to document the wild flora and fauna of New York City by taking and sharing photos via iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile App. Since the first EcoQuest Challenge in August 2017, more than 300 observers have recorded approximately 3,000 observations of more than 80 species.

New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, United States

468 MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER* 1, FREDERICK, PAUL 2 and KRAMER, TIM 3

Lights, camera, botany: The "Plants are Cool, Too!" YouTube series

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he “Plants are Cool, Too!” video series has been in production since 2011. With the goal of highlighting fascinating plants and the dynamic botanists who study them, we have so far featured the work of 18 scientists. The videos are now approaching 200,000 standard views on YouTube, but are also used around the world in K-12 and university classrooms. This talk will summarize how the videos get made, assess past successes and challenges, suggest ways to incorporate episodes of the series into classroom teaching, and discuss this outreach effort (and things like it) within the broader context of science communication. 1Bucknell University, Biological Sciences, 203 Biology Building, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States2Paul Frederick Productions, West Chazy, NY3Northway Productions, Monmouth, IL

469 SOLTIS, DOUGLAS* 1, SOLTIS, PALMEA S. 2 and GURALNICK, ROB 3

Teaching the Tree of Life I: Using animated movie and projection to teach the tree

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he fundamental importance of the Tree of Life to the scientific community is clear, both in terms of the importance of biodiversity, as well as having a firm knowledge of phylogenetic relationships among all species. The Tree of Life is essential to human well-being and survival. Given the fundamental importance of the Tree of Life, how best to teach the tree—that is how best to convey this importance to students and the public. Tree thinking (thinking about organismal relationships in the context of a family tree of relationships) is now commonly taught in schools, but getting this critical concept across must continue to be emphasized. We also need to convey to the public the central importance of the connectivity of all life as depicted in the Tree of Life—our future as a species depends on the public gaining this strong appreciation of connectivity. We highlight here novel innovative ways in which this can be achieved that employ story telling that include: 1) large scale interactive projections of the tree (One Tree, One Planet); 2) an animated movie (TreeTender) In the first talk we provide background and show segments of One Tree, One Planet; in the second talk we show our 15 minute animated movie, TreeTender. 1Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville,2Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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470 SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 1, SOLTIS, PALMEA S.* 2 and GURALNICK, ROB 3

Teaching the Tree of Life II: Viewing an animated movie on the tree of life, TreeTender

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n this session we show our 15 minute animated movie, TreeTender (see treetender.org). The animated movie uses the tree of life as a metaphor to teach viewers about the importance as well as threats to the species on our planet. The animated movie was done as a collaboration involving scientists at the Florida Museum and a group of artists at Digital Worlds, University of Florida; these workers specialize in making Pixar-like animated movies. By bringing science and art together we hope we are able to teach the importance of the tree of life more effectively than via standard lecture formats and grab viewers emotionally through two lovable characters. The movie has also been divided into shorter teaching segments for specific topics (e.g., symbiosis).

1Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States2Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

471 KILGORE, JASON SCOTT* 1, JORDAN, CARLY 2, KRUMM, JANICE 3, DOAN, TIFFANY 4, KAISER, HINRICH 5, KIM, YUNGKUL 6, LINTON, DEBRA 7, PHILLIPS, MOLLY 8, MONFILS , ANNA K 9 and ELLWOOD, LIBBY 10

How many critters can an island hold? Using digitized natural history collections to test real hypotheses about island biogeography uantitative and data literacy skills are vital to Q the advancement of biological theory as the use of large data sets and quantitative modeling has

become common in answering critical questions in ecology. Infusion of quantitative biology skills training into the undergraduate curriculum can produce measurable increases in students' mathematical reasoning skills. Increased availability of educational modules that teach quantitative and data literacy skills in ecological contexts may encourage faculty to incorporate more of these skills into their courses. To help meet this need, we customized and extended a teaching module on Island Biodiversity, as part of an iDigBio Workshop on Resources for CollectionsBased Undergraduate Research. By combining quantitative reasoning and data literacy skills training with the teaching of island biodiversity concepts, this module allows a seamless incorporation of the skills training into the ecological curriculum.

The Island Biodiversity Module is an educational exercise that requires the students to

create and test hypotheses about diversity. Students search for and download information on mammals collected on the islands of the Alexander Archipelago of Alaska from the Arctos database, an online repository for natural history collections data. Students evaluate and analyze the downloaded data, testing their original hypotheses about island biodiversity and drawing conclusions from their results. The learning outcomes for this module include applying quantitative skills to biological questions and understanding the applications of natural history collections to biodiversity patterns in biological systems. These learning outcomes are assessed as differences scored on a pre-/post-test. Implementation of this module is ongoing through Spring semester at several institutions. Additional exercises (“extensions�) can easily be added to the module, with ideas discussed at the end of the talk. 1Washington & Jefferson College, Biology Department, 60 S Lincoln St, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301, United States2The George Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences, Bell Hall, 2029 G Street NW, Washington, DC, 20052, USA3Widener University, Department of Biology, One University Place, Chester, PA, 19013, USA4New College of Florida, Division of Natural Sciences, 5800 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA5Victor Valley College, Biology Department, 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA, 92395, USA6Bethune-Cookman University, Department of Integrated Environmental Science, 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, USA7Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Biosciences 2100, Mt Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA8Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA9Central Michigan University, Biology, 2401 Biosciences, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA10Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA

472 LINK-PEREZ, MELANIE* 1, MARSHALL, CHRISTOPHER 2, KONSTANTINIDIS, PETER 3, BADEN, EVAN 4 and PFLUGFELDER, EHREN 5

Natural Collaborations: Natural History Collections and Interdisciplinary Learning Opportunities

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regon State University (OSU) is home to numerous natural history collections, including the largest herbarium in the state, the largest entomological collection in the Pacific Northwest, and an important vertebrate collection, among others. However, despite the value of these collections and their reputations within the research community, large portions of the campus population and general public are unaware of the collections and their importance. The curators of the three largest natural history collections decided to change that. We collaborated with instructors from across the university

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to create a book about the natural history collections at OSU and their importance to the life and mission of the university. The text was generated by undergraduate students in a scientific writing course offered by the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, with contributions from the curators. Photography and book design was done by undergraduate students in an advanced course from the School of Art and Communication. This presentation will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the “natural collaboration� between natural history collections and classes from outside the sciences, and follow the journey from idea to publication. The presentation will end with a discussion of potential avenues for future collaborations to involve natural history collections with interdisciplinary learning opportunities and a challenge to imagine where these collaborations may take us. 1Oregon State University, Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97330, United States2Oregon State University, Integrative Biology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97330, United States3Oregon State University, Fisheries and Wildlife, Nash Hall 104, Corvallis, Oregon, 97330, United States4Oregon State University, Arts and Communication, Fairbanks Hall 209, Corvallis, Oregon, 97330, United States5Oregon State University, Writing, Literature, and Film, Moreland Hall 212, Corvallis, Oregon, 97330, United States

473 BARKWORTH, MARY* 1, AWALE, AHMED IBRAHIM 2, GELLE, FAISAL JAMA 3, PICKERING, HELEN 4 and WARSAME, MOHAMUD AHMED 5

Progress in Building a Biodiversity Program in Somaliland

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he Somaliland Biodiversity Foundation was started in 2016 to build a biodiversity program in Somaliland based at the University of Hargeisa. The first step taken was creation of a herbarium at the university. The herbarium is growing slowly, partly because of the expense of traveling around the country, partly because the droughts of the last few years have led to poor growth and severe overgrazing. Nevertheless, it is growing, largely through the efforts of Helen Pickering who will be publishing a pictorial Guide to the Wild Flowers of Central Somaliland which will be available, in both English and Somali, through various outlets in late July 2018. Helen's work has led, with the help of botanists at Kew and Lucas Majure of the Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona, to the discovery of several additions to the known flora of Somaliland as reflected in the Flora of Somalia, a result that came as no surprise to Mats Thulin, the Flora's editor. In addition, information on a new species, the Somali Red Aloe, first noticed by Ahmed Awale, President of SBF, has been submitted for formal publication. Other milestones include establishment of a semi-annual newsletter; hiring of a museum assistant, Faisal Gelle; initiation of an insect collection; expansion of the online checklist of campus plants; and development of an ex-situ conservation site for succulents on the University of Hargeisa campus. Faisal is helping make the museum and SBF more widely known in So-

maliland by representing the association at conferences and translating the newsletters and Helen's book into Somali. He is now helping develop instructional materials that will be made available in both English and Somali. 1397 Lauralin Drive, Logan, UT, 84321, United States2Candlelight for Environment, Education, and Health, Maamuus Street, New Hargeisa, Hargeisa, Somaliland3Somaliland Biodiversity Foundation, Biodiversity Museum, University of Hargeisa, Hargeisa, Somaliland4Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK5University of Hargeisa, Research and Community Service, Hargeisa, Somaliland

474 MONFILS , ANNA K* 1, ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 2, HOGUE, GABRIELA 3, NAZAIRE, MARE 4, PHILLIPS, MOLLY 3 and NELSON, GIL 5

Towards a Diverse 21st Century Workforce in Biodiversity Science: A Series of Workshops

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cross a broad range of scientific disciplines, diversity in research scientists has provided new perspectives and ideas leading to novel solutions and increased productivity. The National Science Foundation has funded a series of four workshops designed to recruit, retain, and sustain a larger, more inclusive, and diverse, undergraduate population of students interested in, and equipped to engage in, creative solutions for emerging biodiversity related questions (inclusive of botany, zoology, ecology, conservation, etc.). The workshop activities introduce students to organismal biology related fields through experiences in natural history museums, as a means to inspire and educate them in career opportunities and data rich resources in biodiversity science. Students attending the workshops are exposed to emerging careers and research opportunities by: (1) shadowing museum and herbarium professionals to get hands-on experience in collections science; (2) learning about research and career opportunities from a diverse cohort of graduate students and early career professionals pursuing careers in biodiversity science; and (3) getting practical advice and individualized mentoring to navigate their undergraduate experience and optimize their potential for graduate school and careers related to biological sciences, museum studies, and biodiversity collections. A pre- and post-workshop questionnaire is administered to assess workshop outcomes relates to student interests and engagement. We will present an overview and preliminary results from the initial workshop held at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles County, introduce the upcoming workshops and opportunities to be involved, and discuss lessons learned in the delivery of this and prior similar programs. 1Central Michigan University, Biology, 2401 Biosciences, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA2La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90036, USA3Unknown4Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 771 East Alvarado St., Pomona, CA, 91711, United States5IDigBio/Florida State University, 157 Leonards Dr., Thomasville, GA, 31792, United States

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475

STRUWE, LENA

BotanyDepot - a new depository for free teaching resources for informal and formal botanical education

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recently started the Botany Depot (botanydepot. com) as part of an effort of making more ideas and materials available to everybody and anybody teaching botanical subjects in formal or informal settings at all education and age levels. This website offers free links and downloads of materials that have been developed by a diverse set of educators. It is open to anyone who wants to share their educational products freely (and still keep copyright of their own products). Materials include lesson plans, labs, book links or book reviews, video links, slides and handouts, and much more - all in an easy to download interactive web format. Posts are tagged with keywords (morphology, ecology, reproductive biology, deserts, childrens' activities…) and types of materials (books, videos, manuals…), and keyword tags provide easy searches. Additional materials will continuously be added, and contributors of more materials are welcome. BotanyDepot is a complementary depository of education material already present in PlantEd and other teaching websites for more formal education roles. BotanyDepot materials are available to anybody that is interested in learning more about plants, on their own, or in a teaching role to others.

Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution And Natural Resources, 59 Dudley Road, Foran Hall Rm 237, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States

476 MONFILS , ANNA K* 1, ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 2, DOUGLAS, NATALIE 3, LINTON, DEBRA 3, PHILLIPS, MOLLY 3 and WHITE, LISA 3

Building Standards and Developing Resources to Promote Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education (BLUE)

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apid advances in data research and technology are transforming science methodologies. The volume and variety of data being generated, the increased accessibility of data for aggregation, the improved discoverability of data, and the increasingly collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of scientific research are driving the need for new skill sets to address scientific issues of critical national and global importance. Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education: BLUE Data (biodiversityliteracy.com) is a recently funded National Science Foundation Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education. BLUE aims to bring together communities of biodiversity, data, and education specialists to identify core biodiversity data competencies for undergraduates, develop strategies for integrating these competencies into the introductory biology curriculum, and build capacity for sustained development and implementation of bio-

diversity and data literacy education. BLUE Data has four goals: 1) cultivate a diverse and inclusive network of biodiversity researchers, data scientists, and biology educators focused on undergraduate datacentric biodiversity education, 2) build community consensus on core biodiversity data literacy competencies, 3) develop strategies and exemplar materials to guide the integration of biodiversity data literacy competencies into introductory undergraduate biology curricula, and 4) extend the network to engage a broader community of undergraduate educators in biodiversity data literacy efforts. We will present on current and ongoing initiatives and opportunities with the BLUE Data Network. The BLUE Data Network hopes to engage the researchers and educators in the botanical community through open access educational materials, workshops, round table discussions, and professional development opportunities. We will provide details on how the botanical community can engage in the growing BLUE network, participate in BLUE activities, and share and disseminate resources through the growing BLUE community. 1Central Michigan University, Biology, 2401 Biosciences, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA2La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90036, USA3Unknown

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477 WENDLAND, AMY 1 and MCCAULEY, ROSS* 2

Drawing on a scientific legacy: repurposing discarded herbarium specimens as art

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erbaria and the specimens they contain provide a wealth of information for research and teaching of plant biodiversity. But what does a curator do when faced with piles of scientifically useless specimens? A Sambucus with nothing but the name “purslane” scribbled on the sheet? Cirsium vulgare haphazardly taped above a label with no collection data? During a recent reorganization and move of the herbarium at Fort Lewis College, we uncovered numerous such mounted specimens. Some could easily be used for teaching and dissection and were added to the teaching collection. But realistically how many shriveled dandelion specimens will students use? And how much space should you commit to these? Reluctantly a number were bound for the garbage. But one person's scientifically invalid trash is another person's treasure, and thus began a unique collaboration between botany and art. Repurposed herbarium samples form the substrate for a series of contemporary artworks that investigate tensions between seemingly contradictory realms: technical representation and creative interpretation, scientific accuracy and cultural symbolism. Using a mixture of techniques and materials including watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, ink, acrylic paint, cut paper, gold leaf and pyrography, this art series creates works illustrating a botanical marriage of the objective and subjective, the fanciful and the factual and shows how herbaria can be a source of inspiration to not only the scientist but also the artist.

1Fort Lewis College, Department of Art & Design, 1000 Rim Dr., Durango, CO, 81301, USA2Fort Lewis College, Department Of Biology, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO, 81301, United States

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478 SCHENK, JOHN* 1, MOWBRAY, RACHEL 3, EVANS, COLLEEN 3 and GLAZE, AMANDA 4

Actively Engaging Student Visitors to Herbaria

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ot only are herbaria the foundation of botanical science, they are often the first, or even the only, access point students and visitors have to plant sciences. Maximizing learning outcomes is therefore consequential to providing our visitors with an understanding of what herbaria do, their importance in society, and how they will continue to play a critical role in answering scientific questions in the future. Given the vast set of collections that they hold, herbaria are rich in materials that can be used to engage visitors. We took advantage of herbarium collections and combined them with current pedagogical approaches to design a teaching module that achieved a set of goals and learning outcomes to actively engaged our visitors. The teaching module applied an inquiry-based method to answer scientific questions for visitors from K10 to sophomores in college. The module provided visitors with a firsthand experience investigating what herbaria are, why they are useful, what a herbarium sheet is and what data it contains, what the structures of a flower are, and the relationship of plants and animals in a plant's life cycle. Visitors, therefore, self-discovered exactly why herbaria are important. We present the teaching module and provide resources for other herbaria to implement to engage their visitors, including a Power Point presentation, the student handout, take-home questions for teachers that follow Bloom's taxonomy, student learning outcomes and module goals, and additional resources for teachers to conduct follow-up exercises and further engage their students. 1Georgia Southern University, Department Of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Biological Sciences Building, Statesboro, GA, 30458, United States2Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Road, Department of Biology, Biological Sciences Buildin, Statesboro, GA, 30458, United States3Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Road, Department of Biology, Biological Sciences Buildin, Statesboro, GA, 30458, United States4Georgia Southern Universityn, College of Education, 4126 College of Education Building, Statesboro, GA, 30458, United States

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MARICLE, KERI

Student led research in the Botanical Society of America Planting Science program

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he Botanical Society of America Planting Science program aims to engage middle and high school (as well as college) students from across the country in plant research projects. High school sophomore students from Thomas More Prep-Marian in Hays, KS conducted independent research experiments measuring photosynthetic rates in spinach leaves under varying environmental conditions. Students performed test trials, measuring photosynthesis in spinach leaves with the floating-leaf disk method to practice techniques before conducting their own

experiments. Following this, students designed an experiment, starting with a testable hypothesis on what independent variables could influence the dependent variable of photosynthesis in spinach leaves. Independent variables tested included CO2 concentrations, light availability, wavelengths available for photosynthesis, and pH levels. Furthermore, some students chose to vary plant species, using the floating-leaf disk method to compare photosynthetic rates. Results from their experiments were then written up in a form of a scientific lab report, which was constructed by each individual student and submitted for a grade. Some students also went a step further in their research and constructed posters, which were then presented at a regional science fair. Participating in the BSA Planting Science program helped students gain a deeper understanding of what factors can influence photosynthetic rates in plants, strengthened their lab techniques, helped them practice scientific writing skills, and provided a clear understanding of the scientific method. Thomas More Prep-Marian, 1701 Hall Street, Hays, KS, 67601, United States

480

IVEY, CHRISTOPHER

A test of the effectiveness of new laboratory exercises targeting understanding of phylogenetic analysis and trophic interactions

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challenge of teaching is to identify methods that improve student comprehension of difficult concepts. A recent collaboration between the Botanical Society of America and the online QUBES (Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis) network aimed to test the effectiveness of selected exercises as instructional tools for general biology. Each exercise used botanical examples and emphasized quantitative skills. Based on historical assessment data, I chose two laboratory exercises to integrate into my course, which was an introductory majors' course focused on ecology, evolution, and organismal diversity. One exercise focused on reconstructing and interpreting phylogenetic trees, and a second focused on trophic interactions and population dynamics, in the context of a simple two-species microcosm. Gains in learning during the course were assessed using a pre- vs. post-comparison of performance on validated, peer-reviewed questions drawn from published concept inventories focused on phylogenetics and ecology. A greater semester (post pre) gain in performance following the intervention as compared with historical performance was considered to indicate that the exercises increased learning with respect to the assessed concepts. Historical assessments indicated 20-40% increase in correct responses on phylogenetic assessment questions, and a 5-30% increase in correct responses on assessment questions concerning trophic interactions and population dynamics. Comparisons of gains following the intervention with these historical patterns will be discussed, as well as the implications for effectiveness of the teaching modules included in the course. California State University, Chico, Biological Sciences, 400 W 1st St., Chico, CA, 95929, United States

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481 NEPAL, MADHAV* 1 and YORK, DAKOTA 2

Medicinal Plants for College Freshmen's CUREs

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ncorporating course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in a biology curriculum is one of popular instructional strategies suggested by "Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education". After a successful incorporation of the first CUREs focusing on noxious weeds in our Honors' Section of General Biology in 2017, we have recently implemented CUREs focusing on medicinal plants in 2018. As the majority of students enrolled in the course were pre-professional majors, research projects based on medicinal plants were predicted to be better-perceived by the students. We implemented the CUREs in three laboratory sections, where each lab section was divided into three groups each investigating plants used in treating one of the 10 common diseases in the United States. Pre-/Postproject surveys showed that students appreciated research opportunity, and claimed to have the CUREs project enhanced their understanding of how science works. As opposed to the 2017 cohort who expressed a disconnect between the CUREs project on noxious weeds and the students' future career goals, the 2018 cohort found that their CUREs project on medicinal plants was relevant and interesting, as predicted. CUREs implementation, learning enhancement and students' perception will be discussed at our presentation.

1South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA2South Dakota State University, McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57006, United States

482 GILLAND, KEITH* and LITTLE, AMANDA

“Growing� student mindsets and study strategies in teaching upper-division plant science classes

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lant-related courses can be especially challenging for students in biology and related majors who struggle with copious, new, unfamiliar terminology as well as presumed ideas of content relevance. A lack of self-efficacy in these subjects can influence student success and ultimately, program retention. As part of a program-wide faculty community, we are exploring the effects of implementing mindset-based study strategies on self-efficacy, perceived motivation, and assessment performance in upper-level Plant Taxonomy and Wetland Ecology courses. Our overall objectives included: 1) aiding students in recognizing their mindsets and how individual mindsets may positively or negatively affect their own learning, 2) helping students develop a "growth mindset", 3) exploring the relationship between mindset, student motivation, and assessment/course grades, and 4) determining what specific mindset-centered study tools students led to the greatest increases in self-efficacy and success in the courses. In Plant Taxonomy,

students with higher self-efficacy employed a larger number of different study strategies and performed significantly better. Strategies that students found most helpful included studying specimens outside of class, re-writing notes, flashcards, and self-quizzing. Students with a higher "growth mindset" did not perform significantly better, although they did pursue more extra credit than those with more of a fixed mindset. In Wetland Ecology, students completed an initial mindset description survey, developed a study plan for each examination (three examinations were given in the course), and completed a mindset survey and reflection after each examination. At the close of the semester, regression analyses will be performed to examine the effects of study strategy types and adherence on student mindsets and learning outcomes over the course of the semester. These initial results suggest that integrating mindset-centered strategies into plant-related courses may help build student self-efficacy, which should improve student performance in plant-related courses. University of Wisconsin-Stout, Biology, 331 Jarvis Hall, Menomonie, WI, 54751, USA

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BAKER, STOKES S.

Integrating Plant Sciences into ReBUILD Detroit Program

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he National Institutes of Health's Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative is designed to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups entering careers in biomedical research. Though healthcare is the main focus of the program, BUILD does provide opportunities to exposed a broad spectrum of undergraduates to the plant sciences. The mentorship component of the University of Detroit Mercy's ReBUILD Detroit program is being leveraged to expose undergraduates to basic research in plant ecology. Additionally, the BUILD program is supporting the development a course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) course in metagenomics. The research will involve students investigating the microbiota of ponds in community parks, as part of an effort of the City of Detroit to establish community park restoration strategies. University of Detroit Mercy, Biology Dept., 4001 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI, 48221, USA

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484 FINCH, KRISTEN* 1 and LUTES, LAURI 2

phytes with the goals that students: 1) demonstrate working knowledge of SEM techniques, 2) understand the role of trichomes in plant evolution, and 3) use ImageJ to conduct analyses. We divided the lab into two parts. In Part 1, students were given fixed, sputter coated samples in three genera of Bromeliaceae (Brocchinia, Catopsis and Tillandsia). Then they used SEM to recognize features of trichomes including density, shape, and area in the context of the evolutionary history of the group. In Part 2, students were provided SEM images of Dodecatheon (Primulaceae). They were asked to assess the usefulness of seed morphology as a taxonomic character for delimiting species and identifying putative hybrids. After these experiences, students were able to calculate and compare area, perimeter, and Feret's diameter of Brocchinia, Catopsis and Tillandsia trichomes, and students with more advanced statistical backgrounds conducted more in depth analyses. For Part 2, students were able to delimit D. frenchii and D. meadia based on differences in seed shape, and their morphologically intermediate hybrids. Student lab reports demonstrated that they could satisfactorily develop hypotheses, capture SEM images and analyze data. This lab provided students with a foundation of skills necessary for success with related independent research, including senior theses.

Science outreach through college radio: Inspiration Dissemination, a case study

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ood evening listeners! You're tuned into 88.7 KBVR Corvallis. It is currently just after 7 PM, and on a Sunday that can mean only one thing: It's time for another episode of Inspiration Dissemination‌ Inspiration Dissemination is a radio talk show and Apple podcast broadcasting from the main campus of Oregon State University (OSU) on the college radio station KBVR Corvallis. Each week an OSU graduate student is interviewed about their research and personal journey to graduate school. Beyond providing a 'highlight reel' of the student and research at OSU, Inspiration Dissemination is a resource for the local and external community. We provide a big-picture view of research at OSU, and our listeners hear unique perspectives on graduate student research and life: the good and the challenging. We end the show by asking for general life advice or advice for someone interested in the guest's field. Frequently, graduate students provide advice to undergraduate students and promote undergraduate involvement in research opportunities. Our listeners learn about new topics each week, and gain insight into what motivates graduate students to pursue their science; hence the name Inspiration Dissemination. Inspiration Dissemination was founded in 2012 by two alumni of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology making it the longest running and most prolific KBVR radio talk show and podcast at OSU. Here, we provide a blueprint of the work and time commitment involved in running a weekly college radio talk show and blog. We also feature a few of the many Botany and Plant Pathology graduate student guests to share their stories and reveal what drives them as plant science advocates. 1Oregon State University, Botany And Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall 2082; 2701 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States2Oregon State University, 2082 Cordley Hall, 2701 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States

1New College of Florida, Natural Sciences, 5800 Bay Shore Blvd, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, 34243, United States2New College Of Florida, Natural Sciences, 5800 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, FL, 34243, United States

486 BUDSBERG, ERIK 1, O'QUINN, ROBIN* 2, BASTOW, JUSTIN 3 and MERG, KURT 4

Eastern Washington University Palouse Prairie Region Restoration

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astern Washington University (EWU), a regional, comprehensive institution with a total enrollment of ~13,000 students, located in Cheney, WA, has embarked upon a project to restore 155 acres of campus farmland to native Palouse Prairie with the goals of 1) restoring an endangered natural ecosystem, 2) sequestering carbon, 3) promoting sustainable practices, 4) creating a campus green space, and 5) engaging campus and Inland Northwest communities in environmental education and stewardship. Since its inception, community and campus stakeholders have been active partners in all developmental phases of the project. Using a cross-curricular and multi-community collaboration, stakeholders envision the project as a living laboratory for the development of short and long-term research projects, as well as hands on learning opportunities for all ages. A network of multi-use trails will invite users to explore the landscape and connect with the bioregion. Historical, cultural and science based information kiosks will inform visitors about the region's natural and cultural heritage, as well as in-progress research projects. EWU's Palouse Prairie Region restoration project is a multi-year commitment. The EWU Office of Sustainability is charged with project management and is working to coordinate activities and facilitate engagement across academic, operational,

485 SIDOTI, BRIAN* 1 and OBERLE, BRAD 2

Teaching Undergraduate Students Scanning Electron Microscopy Techniques Utilizing Botanical Garden Collections

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canning electron microscopy (SEM) is an important tool for exploring micromorphological characters. It is also a useful instrument to engage undergraduate students in investigating biological structures beyond the light microscope. New College of Florida (NCF), the State's public honors college, and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (MSBG) recently formed a partnership to foster collaborations in teaching and research. In our Introduction to Botany laboratory course, we utilized the SEM at NCF and MSBG's research collection of living epi-

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administrative, and community boundaries. We are currently in the initial stages of project design and baseline data collection. Site development and our first round of native grasses and annual forbs plantings are scheduled for fall of 2019. Upon completion this project will serve as a regional example for how educational institutions can promote science, sustainability, outdoor recreation, environmental exploration, education, community engagement and sound ecological stewardship through restoration practices. We present this project to promote dialogue with our peers on how best to accomplish our mission. 1Eastern Washington University, Office of Sustainability, 105 Central Services , Cheney, WA, 99004, USA2Eastern Washington University, Biology, 526 5th Street, 258 Science Bldg., Cheney, WA, 99004, United States3Eastern Washington University, Biology, 526 5th Street, 258 Science Bldg., Cheney, WA, 99004, USA4Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA, USA

487 CROWL, ANDREW* 1, MANOS, PAUL 2, WEAKLEY, ALAN 3 and KRINGS, ALEXANDER 4

Southeastern Botany Hub: Toward a centralized, integrated network of botanists working on the flora of the southeastern US

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he flora of the southeastern US is remarkably rich by all standards. Its Coastal Plain, now recognized as a global hotspot of biodiversity, in addition to the Mountain and Piedmont vegetation zones encompass a broad range of plant community types. Our understanding of plant diversity in the region has improved steadily with the publication of recent taxonomic treatments, state floras, advancements in specimen digitization, and most notably, the Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States (Weakley, 2015). Over the last 35 years, at least 140 species new to science have been documented in the southeastern US. Many of them are rare or threatened. In an attempt to facilitate research of this diversity, a research portal is under development. This portal will serve a range of interest-groups by centralizing critical information, highlighting recent research articles, providing nomenclatural updates, and guiding prospective researchers to rewarding and important projects. Anticipated goals include greater coordination of research, increased communication between professionals and the public, and fund-raising to support projects that aim to advance our understanding of the rich plant diversity present in the southeastern US. 1Duke University, Biology, 330 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC, 27708, United States2Duke University, Biology, Science Drive, Box 90338, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States3UNC-Chapel Hill , UNC Herbarium / NC Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA4North Carolina State University, Plant and Microbial Biology, 2109 Gardner Hall, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

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ETHNOBOTANY ORAL PAPERS 488

KRAKOS, KYRA* 1, BUCHANAN, ASHLEY and SHANNON, OLIVIA 3 2

The Plants, Power and Politics of the Last Medici Princess

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n introduction to the broad historical ethno-botanical study that focuses on collection of over 200 recipes that belonged to the last Medici Princess, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (1667-1743). Since the late sixteenth century, medicines at the Medici court had functioned as important gifts and diplomatic tools. Anna Maria collection includes knowledge from her family's ducal pharmacy, received and exchanged information from court networks, and potential medicinal plants gathered by Italian and Portuguese trade networks and Jesuit missionaries. The goals of this study are to examine the taxonomy, medicinal uses, and biochemistry of the plant species in these records. A 1714 epistle sent with Strychnos ignatii beans are illustrative of the expected results. 1

Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University, St Louis, MO, 63141, United States2Mercer University, International Programs, Savannah, GA, 31404, USA3Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63141, United States

489

RØNSTED, NINA* 1, MALDONADO, CARLA 2, BARNES, CHRISTOPHER J 1, ALBAN, JOAQUINA 3, CHILQUILLO, EDER 4, SIMOES, ANDRé 4, TAYLOR, CHARLOTTE 5, ALLASI CANALES , NATALY OLIVIA 6, PERSSON, CLAES 7, ZIZKA, ALEX 8, DAHLBERG, RASMUS 9, NESBITT, MARK 10, THEISEN, MICHAEL 11, CORNETT, CLAUS 12, HOLMFRED, ELSE MARIE 12, HANSEN, STEEN HONORé 12, WALKER, KIM 10 and ANTONELLI, ALEXANDRE 8

The quest for Cinchona bark for the treatment of malaria

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lants have provided humankind with thousands of medically active compounds. Quinine and related alkaloids from the bark of South American Cinchona trees constituted the only medicine against Malaria for centuries, probably saving more human lives than any other remedy in history. Drug exploration often departs from traditional knowledge and trial-and-error, ignoring current phylogenetic knowledge, modern biochemical techniques, and the fact that many species are narrowly distributed in poorly accessible regions. Despite these potential shortcomings, here we show that Native Americans were able to locate and utilise the species and populations with highest alkaloid contents. Our results confirm that Bolivian trees belonging to Cinchona

calisaya, shown to European plant-hunters in the 17th Century by a local Quechua Indian, contain the highest contents of Malaria-active compounds among the 120 candidate species in tribe Cinchoneae. Alkaloid profiles vary significantly between species and are correlated with phylogeny and altitude suggesting the alkaloids might have evolved as defence compounds in response to environmental constraints. We detected numerous unidentified alkaloids either as minor peaks or producing significantly different chemical profiles, which may be an unexplored source of new antimalarial leads. These results suggest that a systematic integration of traditional knowledge with evolutionary and ecological diversity could accelerate lead discovery. Highlighting the contribution of traditional knowledge to unmet medical needs of today is critical in a time where traditional knowledge is disappearing faster than biodiversity. 1

University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen, Denmark2Herbario Nacional De Bolivia, Universidad Mayor De San Andres, Cota Cota, Calle 27, La Paz, Bolivia3Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Museo de Historia Natural, Lima, Peru4Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Sao Paulo, Brazil5 University of Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, MS, USA6University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark7Botanical Institute Got. Univ, Box 461, Se 405 30, Goteborg, S-104 58, Sweden8University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Gothenburg, Sweden9Royal Danish Defence College, Copenhagen, Denmark10Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, UK11University of Copenhagen, Centre for Medical Parasitology, Copenhagen, Denmark12University of Copenhagen, Department of Pharmacy, Copenhagen, Denmark

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MAKUNGA, NOKWANDA

People, plants and technology: a formidable threesome in a biodiversity hotspot

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outh Africa, a home to three of the world's diversity hotspots, is blessed with an incredible floral heritage that forms the basis for medicinal use by local people. Firstly, this paper traces the trends and opportunities attached to the ethnobotany of the this region. Changing patterns in plant use over the past decade are discussed in relationship to the Cape bush doctor community and the traditional healers of the Eastern Cape that are reliant on forest species for their livelihoods. As one of six floral kingdoms of the world, the Cape Floristic Region is renowned for its high species endemism and historically the Cape has seen many biocultural influences that have led to a unique and varied ethnobotany. It is also intimately associated with the ancient culture of the Khoi and San and this provides for a fascinating recordal of ancient knowledge carried by those that practise 'bush medicine'. The largest consumers and traders of medicinal plants in the region are 'bossiedokters' or bush doctors. They currently lead the commodification of medicinal flora locally. Secondly, I highlight how the patterns of plant use are important as leads for biotechnology-assisted conservation of key genera.

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Utilising metabolomic strategies to study the geospatial influences in the medicinal legume, Sutherlandia frutescens, illustrates the powerful resolution of LC-MS based technologies in identifying signatures that are important in delineating populations of this species. An ancient remedy of the KhoiSan that is now being commercialised for neuropyschological disorders, Sceletium tortuosum, is an useful tool for studying the regulation of mesembrine alkaloids. Finally, example; together with my team, we have identified the extract of Dodonaea viscosa as an adjuvant therapy due to its apoptotic properties against breast cancer. Using metabolomic approaches, we have identified chemical signatures that will assist in the commercialisation and domestication of this species. This particular project reinforces the benefits of engaging communities of traditional healers as part of a bioprospecting research platform. The data illustrate the exciting potential of medicinal biodiversity of South Africa that still remains chemically under explored. Stellenbosch University, Botany And Zoology, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa

491

STRUWE, LENA

The love and hate of dandelions: The botanical background for symbolism of dandelions in contemporary society

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f all weedy plants in the Northern Hemisphere, dandelions are likely simultaneously the most beloved and the most hated. The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a ubiquitous species in worldwide urban, suburban, and rural areas alike and a well-known plant by most people, including those who otherwise have no botanical education. Its biological and visual features have led the dandelion to become a commonly used symbol associated with many strong human feelings, from hope and dream fulfillment, invasion and travel, to rebellion and politics, and other human issues not directly related to biology. The focus of this talk is a quick evaluation and discussion of the contemporary (1950-onwards) symbology and use of dandelions, especially when it comes to commerce, advertisement, and design. The symbolic values and their close linkage to morphological features of this plant will be highlighted, showing a close connection between the evolution of biological plant features associated with weediness and our abstract and real-life issues in contemporary human life. My analysis of visual and verbal symbology of dandelions in contemporary media (printed and digital, including social media), products for sale and advertisements, comics and memes, and other public displays and objects show that dandelions are used as positive, negative, or neutral value markers and in both verbal and visual semiotics. It appears that dandelions are simultaneously connected to our innermost hopeful dreams and worst fears. This is the first study that connects the contemporary symbolism of dandelions in the marketplace to the biological features of the living organism.

Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution And Natural Resources, 59 Dudley Road, Foran Hall Rm 237, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States

492

CZAPLA, GRANT* 1, BUCHANAN, ASHLEY 2 and KRAKOS, KYRA 3

The use and analysis of Paoenia officinalis from the records of Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici in the Medici archives in Florence, Italy

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his is an historical ethno botanical study focusing on the use of Paeonia officinalis by Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (1667-1716). In Florence, Italy, the Medici Archives house the correspondence and documentation of the ruling house of Medici in the 15th and 16th century. Recent translations have provided documentation of the use of P. officinalis as a key recipe promoted by Anna Maria as a treatment for childhood fevers. In this study we document the pre-Linnean taxonomy of P. officinalis, compare past and present medicinal uses, and examine the known biochemistry of this species. This research was conducted both in collaboration with the Medici Archives and at the Missouri Botanical Garden Raven Library. We find that the use of P. officinalis has multiple sources of folk medicine documentation, and has biochemical properties consistent with potential efficacy for medicinal effects. 1

Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63131, USA2University of South Florida, History, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA3Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63131, US

493

OMOREGIE, GLORIA

phyto-Composition and Antimicrobial Activites of Ethnol Seed Extracts of Buchholzia coricacea

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here is a growing awarness in correlating phytochemical compounds with their biological activities. This research was aimed at investigating the phyto-composition and antimicrobial activities of Buchholzia coricacea ethanol seed extracts. Phytocomposition of Buchholzia coricacea seed were determined using gaschromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS) technique. Clinical Isolates; Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Klebsiella pneumonia, Streptocuccus faecalis and Candida albicans were used to test for the antimicrobial activities of Bulcchozia coricacea seeds following disc diffussion and broth dilution methods. Gas chromatogram reveal six peaks depicting different phyto-constitutents with oleic acid (75.57 %) highest peak. Candida albican, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella Pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus had the same minimium inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 6.25 mg/ml and minimiun bactericidal concentration (MBC) value of 12.5 mg/ml. Findings from this study supports the claim of local people who use B. coricacae seeds for the management of infectious diseases. Federal University Of Petroleum Resources, Environmental Management and toxicology, Effurun, Warrri, Delta, 330102, Nigeria

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495

ADEGBAJU, OLUWAFUNMILAYO* 1, OTUNOLA, GLORIA 2 and AFOLAYAN, ANTHONY 3

MASHWANI, ZIA-UR-REHMAN* , KHAN, MUHAMMAD FARAZ 2, ARSHAD, MUHAMMAD 2 and NAVEED, IQBAL RAJA 2

The potential of celosia species as possible solutions to human dietary deficiencies and chronic diseases

A Quantitative ethnomedicinal study of plants in District Sudhnoti, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

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uman dietary deficiencies have become a significant public health problem globally. This could be attributed to the poor quality of habitual diets and lack of dietary diversity in meals. There is also a strong relationship between micronutrient deficiencies and infections, which has been thought to lead to the onset of a myriad of chronic diseases, poor health, and even mortality in some cases. Green leafy vegetables are important sources of micronutrients in most African rural communities where they have been used as an accompaniment for staple cereal and root-based diets for many years. The genus, Celosia, is a good example of leafy vegetables that could contribute to the prevention and management of micronutrient malnutrition, chronic diseases and also provide food security. To obtain a better understanding of the suitability of Celosia species in preventing malnutrition and chronic diseases, a review of literatures was done using various electronic search databases; especially the PubMed, ISI Web of Science and CNKI. Results revealed that Celosia species are a good source of nutrients with medicinal properties for the preventive strategies of dietary deficiencies and chronic diseases. Some species of the genus viz: C. argentea, C. cristata, C. isertii and C. spicata are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron and zinc. These species have been screened for various pharmacological activities such as anticancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, e.t.c. Celosia species may, therefore, be the promising dietotherapeutic vegetables in the treatment of chronic diseases and alleviating the burden of malnutrition. This review can serve as a basis for the development of functional foods with high nutritional quality to reduce malnutrition as well as an alternative/complementary plan for the prevention and management of diseases. Keywords: Celosia, malnutrition, chronic diseases, bioactive compounds, diet *Corresponding author:funmaj2005@gmail.com

1

Medicinal Plant And Economic Development, Department Of Botany.Alice, South Africa, Alice, EC, 5700, South Africa2University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa., Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, Eastern Cape, South Africa, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, Eastern Cape, Alice, EC, 5700, SA3University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa., University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, Eastern Cape, South Africa, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, Eastern Cape, Alice, EC, 5700, South Africa

1

his is the first article on ethnobotanical profiling and comparative account of medicinal flora from Sudhnoti district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The area, being one of the least developed in the entire state conserves folklore and indigenous medicinal practices. Aim of this study was to document traditional knowledge of local populace about plants of the area particularly the plants being used for therapeutic purposes. We attempted to compile and compare recorded uses to screen the plants with novel uses for biological evaluation in future. Field survey was conducted from September 2015 to March 2017, in 6 different sites of the district. Informal interviews with 125 local inhabitants of different tribes, age groups, gender, and occupation were conducted using Structured and semi structured questioners along with open ended discussion. The data was transformed into tables containing information about family, local name and mode of application of individual plant taxon. Ethnobotanical indices such as use value (UV) and cultural significance index (CSI) were used to produce quantitative information of plant use category, frequency and cultural preference. Cited uses were compared with previously available data from the region and other parts of the world for novelty analysis. A total of 85 plant species from 52 families were recorded from the area. Asteraceae and rosaceae were leading families represented by 7 each plant reported, followed by poaceae represented by 5 plant species. Berberis lycium was most valued plant species followed by, Zanthoxylum armatum, Teraxicum officinale, Mentha arvensis has highest cultural significance followed by Geranium wallichian, Berberis lyciumi. Comparative analysis revealed 12 plant species, reported for novel medicinal uses such as Nerium oleander for oral infections, Adiantum capillus-venaris for urinary tract infection and Gentiana oleiveri for genital herpes. Quantitative ethnobotanical profiling of district Sudhnoti revealed that, the area has a rich floral diversity and traditional knowledge. Comparative analysis confirmed majority of plant being used for same purpose from the region or other parts of the world adding more confidence for ongoing studies. Novel uses of plants like Nerium oleander, A capillus-venaris and G oleiverii lead to the future studies for their anti-infective potential. 12

PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Murree Road, Shamsabad, Rawalpindi, PU, 46300, Pakistan

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496

SAKPERE, AYOBOLA* 1 and AJAYI, ADEDAYO 2

Awareness and Acceptability of Some Indigenous Leafy Vegetables in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

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here has been a lot of studies on indigenous leafy vegetables (ILV's) and their benefits in recent times. The objective of this survey was to determine the awareness and acceptability of some of these Vegetables among respondents from Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State, Nigeria and its environs. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 275 respondents and used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The attitude of respondents based on willingness to consume the vegetables varied considerably. The results suggest that the willingness to consume certain vegetables may be based on awareness of the vegetables and their benefits. Clerodendrum volubile that is not well known had the highest number of respondents unwilling to consume the vegetable. A greater number of those that are aware of the vegetables actually consume them to some degree. The survey also shows that the vegetables are less known among the younger generation most of whom were extremely unwilling to consume the vegetables if introduced to them. There is also a dearth of knowledge flow from the older generation to the younger. In conclusion, there is a need to create awareness among the younger generation in order to preserve the ethno-botanical and food security relevance of these vegetables. The information obtained from this study could provide researchers with information to assist in the development of improved varieties and provide ideas for developing communication strategies to assist in creating increased awareness of ILV's among Nigerians. 1

Obafemi Awolowo University, Department Of Botany, Department Of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, OS, 220005, Nigeria2Obafemi Awolowo University, Department of Agricultural Extension, Ile-Ife, 220005, Nigeria

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POSTERS

498

497

The use of CyQuant Cell Proliferation Assay for Screening of Compounds Extracted from Selected Macrofungi in Nigeria for Anti-Cancer Activity with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Model Organism

ADONGBEDE, ERUTE* 1 and ADURALERE, ISRAEL 2

KHADIA, SATISH

Molecular farming: Recombinant therapeutic proteins and bio-safety considerations

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olecular farming is a promising system to produce important recombinant proteins such as therapeutic antibodies, pharmaceuticals, enzymes, growth factors, and vaccines. It is an experimental application of biotechnology that involves the genetic modification of crops for the production of transgenic plants. The vast majority in the developing world cannot afford the high cost of therapeutics produced by existing methods. We need to produce not only new therapeutics but also cheaper versions of the existing ones. Molecular farming could offer a viable option for this growing need for biopharmaceuticals. The plant made therapeutics are cheaper, safer, can be abundantly produced and easily stored. Here, strategies and approaches utilized in plant molecular farming are discussed. Furthermore, the biosafety considerations related to this emerging field are also discussed.

S. D. Agricultural Univerisity, Genetics and Plant Breeding, S.D.A.U., S. K. Nagar, Gujarat, 385506, India

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he cell proliferation activities of polyphenols, high and low molecular weight polysaccharides extracted from macro-fungi collected from the wild in Nigeria was investigated using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism. The cell proliferation assay was carried out in a 96 well plate using the CyQuant cell proliferation assay kit. Yeast cell isolates with the different extracts from the 10 macro-fungi used (and control with no extracts) were grown in micro-plates overnight and incubated at 370C. The cells were harvested and stained with the CyQuant GR dye and the florescence read using a fluorescence micro-plate reader with excitation at ~480 nm and emission at ~520 nm. The survival rate of the model organism varied with the group of compounds and the macro-fungi. The high molecular weight polysaccharides reduced cell proliferation and the survival rate varied from 86.41% in Microporus xanthopus to 23.02% in Lentinus squarrosulus. The low molecular weight polysaccharides also varied in their effects on the model organism and survival rates varied from 103.36% in Ganoderma multipileum to 64.18% in Neonothopanus nambi. The polyphenol showed the highest anti-cell proliferation activity. Survival rates with the polyphenols varied from 59.30% in Microporus xanthopus to 21.70% in Ganoderma multipileum. The present results provide new insights into the possible therapeutic uses of mushrooms for the design of anti-tumour drugs used in combating cancer. The current research justifies the need for more research to be carried out on these groups of compounds from mushrooms as they can serve as a reservoir for drug discovery. 1

University Of Lagos,, Department Of Botany,, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, LA, 23401, Nigeria2University of Lagos, Botany, University Road, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, LA, 23401, Nigeria

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EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY (EVO-DEVO) ORAL PAPERS 499

SENGUPTA, ANIKET* 1 and HILEMAN, LENA 2

Of central importance: control of carpel zygomorphy in tribe Antirrhineae by CYCLOIDEA-RADIALIS interaction

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ygomorphic perianths are an evolutionary novelty that have evolved numerous times among angiosperms. The genetic basis of perianth zygomorphy is best understood in Antirrhinum majus (Antirrhineae, Lamilaes) where the perianth is zygomorphic along the dorso-ventral axis. The dorsal side is defined by the interaction of three genes: CYCLOIDEA, DICHOTOMA, and RADIALIS, wherein RADIALIS is upregulated by the first two. RADIALIS can affect phenotype both cell-autonomously and non-autonomously. Antirrhinum carpels and fruits are also zygomorphic with two morphologically divergent locules on the dorso-ventral axis. However, the locules of a close relative, Linaria vulgaris, are identical in morphology (non-zygomorphic) though its perianth is zygomorphic. We report that in the mutants cycloidea, cycloidea:dichotoma, and radialis in Antirrhinum, the dorsal locule is ventralized, suggesting a conservation of CYCLOIDEA-RADIALIS interaction in defining carpel zygomorphy. Previously published in situ assays and our quantitative polymerase chain reactions could not detect significant levels of CYCLOIDEA or DICHOTOMA mRNA in Antirrhinum carpels or fruits, suggesting that CYCLOIDEA controls early carpel development non-cell autonomously through RADIALIS. We find abundant RADIALIS mRNA in mid-carpels and in fruits, suggesting a cell-autonomous control by RADIALIS in those stages. To further test the role of RADIALIS orthologs in origin of carpel zygomorphy, we will perform comparative analysis of carpel development between Antirrhinum and Linaria. We will first test for expression of RADIALIS orthologs in Linaria carpels, and then by microscopy, determine whether the absence of zygomorphy in Linaria carpel is ab initio, or involves a compensatory cell division/ expansion later in development.

1

University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 8009 Haworth Hall, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States2University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

500

ZUMAJO, CECILIA* 1, PABON MORA, NATALIA 2 and AMBROSE, BARBARA 3

Expression and functional studies of basal eudicot REPLUMLESS homologs during flower and fruit development.

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EPLUMLESS (RPL) belongs to the TALE class of Homeodomain proteins and is known for its role in Arabidopsis for proper replum development. Arabidopsis thaliana has a bicarpellate silique, when the fruit matures, the two valves fall apart through the dehiscence zone leaving the seeds attached to the remaining medial tissue, called the replum. Although siliques have been described only in Brassicaceae, operculate valvate dehiscence with persistent medial tissue, similar to a replum, can occur in other unrelated plant groups like the plume poppies (Bocconia frutescens). RPL orthologs have been identified across all angiosperms, and been shown to have conserved roles in Brasssicaceae, nevertheless, expression and functional analyses are scarce. An RPL homolog from rice, qSH1, has been studied and plays a role in fruit shedding making it difficult to predict functional evolution of this gene lineage across angiosperms. In order to fill in the phylogenetic gap between the Brassicaceae and monocots, we have characterized the expression patterns of RPL homologs found in the basal eudicots Papaver somniferum, PsomRPL and B. frutescens, BofruRPL1/2/3. We found PsomRPL expressed in the shoot apical meristem and developing leaves. Although PsomRPL is not expressed in early flower development, it is expressed later in the joints of the floral organs and the receptacle as well as in the vasculature of the flower receptacle and fruits. This late floral expression of PsomRPL is similar to BofrRPL1 which is mostly expressed during late flower development in stamens, carpels, ovary, and later during fruit development it gets restricted to the dehiscence zone. Distinctively, BofruRPL2 and BofruRPL3 are turned on earlier during sepal initiation, and later in the carpel primordia as well as during fruit development, exclusively in the dehiscence zone. BofruRPL3 is also expressed in the shoot apical meristem. Functional studies of RPL in Papaver somniferum resulted in flowers where none of the organs abscise at floral maturity. This phenotype is concurrent with PsomRPL expression found in the joints of the different floral organs and the receptacle. We conclude that that RPL orthologs in Papaveraceae have broad expression patterns across plant development similar to those found in Arabidopsis RPL. And unlike Arabidopsis, our results do not suggest conserved roles in the maintenance of medial persistent tissues during the development of valvate poppy fruits. Our data gathered from Papaveraceae will be discussed with preliminary data from across angiosperms.

1

New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd. Bronx, New York, NY, 10458, United States2Universidad De Antioquia, Ciudad Universitaria, Aa1226, Medellin, AA1226, Colombia3Calle 18b Sur No 36-88, Medellin, ANT, AA1226, Colombia

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501

MIN, YA* 1, BUNN, J. IMANI 2 and KRAMER, ELENA 3

Sweet genes are made of STYLISH - Members of the STYLISH gene family control both style and nectary development in Ranunculids

T

he presence of floral nectaries is a particularly interesting example of convergent traits in flowering plants, and is considered to be associated with the adaptation and diversification of numerous angiosperm lineages. For instance, the petal spurs of Aquilegia flowers is regarded as a key innovation, but the adaptive radiation of the New World Aquilegia species would have been unlikely to have occurred if there were no nectaries at the distal tips of the petal spurs to reward pollinators. To date, however, we have very little knowledge of what genes contribute to nectary development and evolution, particularly in non-core eudicot taxa. In the current study, we investigated the functions of genes from the STYLISH (STY) family in A. coerulea, because all the STY members, AqSTY1, AqSTY2, and AqLRP, were shown to be enriched in young petal cups in a previous RNAsequencing work, with AqSTY1 showed the strongest differential expression between petal cups and blades among all candidate genes. In situ hybridization revealed that during the stages when the nascent petal spurs start to emerge, AqSTY1 exhibits concentrated expression in the presumptive nectary site in the inner surface of the growing spur tip, AqSTY2 showed diffused expression in the growing spur. Single and triple gene knock down revealed that these three genes function redundantly in style and nectary development, and triple silencing led to absence of nectary. Since members of the STY family are known to redundantly control auxin homeosis in land plants, this functional conservation may explain the defects in stigmatic tissue in Aquilegia flower. However, no previous study among the core eudicot has reported STY genes function in nectary development, suggesting the genes have been co-opted to this role in Aquilegia. Moreover, strong expression of STY homologs in nectary-bearing petals has also been detected in Delphinium and Epimedium, suggesting that this cooption event is likely to have occurred before the diversification of the family Ranunculaceae and Berberidaceae. Since the identification of the first gene controlling nectary development in 1999, the STY homologs of the Ranunculaceae are the only alternative loci for the control of nectary development in flowering plants, providing a critical data point in understanding the evolutionary origin and developmental basis of nectaries. 1

Kramer Lab Biolabs Room 1119, 16 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States2Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Biolabs Room 1119, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States3Harvard Univ., OEB, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States

502

BUKHARI, GHADEER* 1, ZHANG, JINGBO 2 and ZHANG, WENHENG 3

Differential transcriptome analyses revealed genetic basis of zygomorphic corollas associated with bee and hummingbird pollination syndromes in Schizanthus (Solanaceae)

S

chizanthus (Solanaceae) contains 12 species distributed mainly in Chile. The strongly zygomorphic flowers of Schizanthus are adapted to pollination by bees, hummingbirds and moths. Flowers of Schizanthus share fused petals that form a tube at the base of the corolla, two functional stamens located laterally and a single ventral and two dorsal stamens that are aborted. Species of Schizanthus with specific pollination syndromes also exhibit associated floral characteristics, as seen in the bee-pollinated Schizanthus pinnatus Ruiz & Pav. and the hummingbirdpollinated Schizanthus grahamii Gillies. Although both species have bright color patterns on the single dorsal petal and fringed lateral petals, the fused ventral petals distinctly differ between the two species. The two fused ventral petals of the bee-pollinated S. pinnatus form a long, lobed keel that encloses the two functional stamens. At maturity, the ventral keel of S. pinnatus has a mechanism that releases the stamens to explosively discharge pollen onto the body of the bee when it lands. In contrast, the hummingbirdpollinated S. grahamii has a smaller keel and shorter filaments on the two functional stamens located in the throat of the corolla tube. When hummingbirds drink nectar from the corolla, pollen coats the base of their beak. Here, we investigated the genetic basis of the distinct zygomorphic corollas in S. pinnatus and S. grahamii using differential gene expression profiles by sequencing the RNA transcriptomes. We identified genes that were differentially expressed in the ventral keels between the two species. For example, we found that none of the members of the TCP gene family were differentially expressed between the dorsal and ventral petals in S. grahamii, but several TCP genes were expressed at a higher level in the ventral keel of S. pinnatus. Furthermore, we discussed the implications of differentially expressed genes across the plane of floral symmetry and their potential role in the development of floral morphology associated with distinct pollination syndromes.

1

Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284.0, United States2Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States3Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

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503 KIM, JOON* 1, ZHANG, JINGBO 2 and ZHANG, WENHENG 3 The roles of CYC2-like genes in the floral development in Solanum lycopersicum and Nicotiana obtusifolia (Solanaceae)

T

he CYC2-like genes are thought to play a critical role in the convergent evolution of floral zygomorphy in core eudicots, yet their roles in the development of actinomorphic flowers are still unknown. We have recently identified a gene duplication of CYC2 clade that gave rise to two CYC2 paralogs, CYC2A and CYC2B, which predate the origin of Solanaceae, a family producing predominantly actinomorphic flowers. Both CYC2 paralogs appear to be involved in floral development in Solanaceae. In S. lycopersicum, CYC2A is broadly expressed in the floral meristem and early initiating floral organs and later explicitly in the pollen sacs and the ovules. In N. obtusifolia, the expression of CYC2A was detected in two dorsal stamens and carpels. The expression of CYC2B was in the sepals of both species. Here, we sought to investigate the function of these CYC2 paralogs in S. lycopersicum and N. obtusifolia using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to silence both CYC2A and CYC2B simultaneously. The VIGS CYC2A::CYC2B plants of S. lycopersicum frequently bore flowers with six petals, six sepals, and six stamens, while the VIGS CYC2A::CYC2B of N. obtusifolia frequently produced flowers with four petals, four sepals, and four stamens. No obvious changes were observed in the carpels for VIGS CYC2A::CYC2B plants of both species. Since we found CYC2A to be expressed in the stamens of both species, especially in the microsporocyte within the anthers in S. lycopersicum, we also investigated whether the development of pollen was influenced in VIGS CYC2A::CYC2B plants by observing the pollen and pollen tube germination in both species. We found pollens from the VIGS CYC2A::CYC2B plants to be darker purple than in the wild type after applying Alexander's stain, suggesting different cytoplasm contents between the VIGS CYC2A::CYC2B plants and the wild type. Pollen germination tests showed pollen tubes from the VIGS CYC2A::CYC2B plants to be significantly reduced in length compared to the wild type. Our findings, therefore, suggest that CYC2-like genes likely play a role in the early meristem patterning of the meristem in the calyx, corolla, androecium and in pollen development in Solanaceae. 1

Virginia Commonwealth University, Integrative Life Sciences , 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA2Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States3Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

504

KHOJAYORI, FARAHNOZ* 1, ZHANG, JINGBO 2, KRAMER, ELENA 3, DAVIS, CHARLES 4 and ZHANG, WENHENG 5

CYC2-like genes elucidate floral symmetry evolution following a major biogeographic disjunction

R

ecent studies indicate that CYCLOIDEA2 (CYC2)-like genes have likely played an important role in the evolution of floral symmetry in Malpighiaceae. Two copies of CYC2, termed CYC2A and CYC2B, are differentially expressed among New World (NW) species that exhibit the typical NW floral zygomorphy with a single, upright banner petal. CYC2A is expressed in the dorsal banner petal and adjacent lateral petals; CYC2B expression is restricted to the banner petal. Loss of the obligate NW oil-bee pollinators corresponds with loss of the NW floral morphology, principally among Old World (OW) Malpighiaceae. One of these OW clades, the acridocarpoids, is comprised of African and Malagasy Acridocarpus (ca. 32 species) and Southeast Asian Brachylophon (ca. 2 species). Flowers of Acridocarpus display a distinct pattern of floral zygomorphy with two dorsal petals, which are smaller than either of the two lateral petals or the single ventral petal. The flowers of Brachylophon, in contrast, are actinomorphic. Here, we have examined CYC2 evolution and expression in both zygomorphic and actinomorphic acridocarpoids to elucidate how the evolution of a conserved developmental program can clarify floral symmetry evolution following a major biogeographic shift. Previously, we isolated and tested the expression of CYC2A in Acridocarpus natalitius A. Juss and Acridocarpus zanzibaricus A. Juss.; CYC2B was hypothesized to be lost. We have since isolated both CYC2A and CYC2B from seven phylogenetically diverse species of Acridocarpus and Brachylophon curtisii Oliv. Among these species, we found that CYC2A is broadly expressed in the two dorsal and two lateral petals of A. natalitius and A. zanzibaricus. We now demonstrate that the expression of AzCYC2B in A. zanzibaricus is restricted to the two dorsal petals corresponding to its zygomorphic corolla. In B. curtisii, BcCYC2A is expressed in four petals; BcCYC2B expression is lost entirely in the corolla. These results suggest that after Acridocarpus and Brachylophon split, Brachylophon further lost CYC2 function such that BcCYC2B is absent and that BcCYC2A varies in a manner that is not consistent with the morphology. Taken together, these results elucidate the evolution of floral symmetry through modification of a conserved genetic program following a major biogeographic disjunction, presumably as a response to different pollinator selective regimens in Africa and Southeast Asia. 1

Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States2Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States3Harvard

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University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 16 Divinity Avenue, Biological Laboratories 1119, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA4 Harvard University Herbaria, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States5Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

505

KRAMER, ELENA* 1, MIN, YA 2, EDWARDS, MOLLY 3, MEADERS, CLAIRE 4 , BALLERINI, EVANGELLINE 5 and HODGES, SCOTT 5

Exploring the genetic basis of floral novelty in Aquilegia

T

he lower eudicot model system Aquilegia possesses several novel morphological features that have the potential to shed light on the evolution of novelty, particularly in the context of complex organ form. We have been studying two key features of the Aquilegia flower: the three-dimensional petal nectar spur and a fifth floral organ type, the staminodium. In the case of the petal spur, we have found that Aquilegia petal spurs initiate due to a localized region of cell division in which cell wall formation is radially organized around the presumptive nectary. This lays the ground pattern of the spur, which is then realized through rapid, anisotropic cell elongation that is the major determinant of spur length and curvature. Diversification of spur morphology has involved multiple factors, including heterochronic shifts that generate much longer, narrower cells; differences in cell numbers around the radial axis of the spur; and independent control of cell elongation on different surfaces of the spur, which generates curvature. We are now combining transcriptomics, candidate gene approaches, and QTL mapping to explore the genetic architecture of spur development and understand its evolution. In the case of the staminodium, we have previously discovered that this novel organ identity is determined via the combinatorial activity of paralogs of the genes that normally confer stamen identity, such that the stamens and staminodia now have distinct genetic codes via sub- and neofunctionalization. We are further exploring the developmental and morphological oddities of the staminodia, what their ecological function may be, and how their developmental program diverges from that of stamens. 1

Harvard Univ., OEB, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States2Kramer Lab Biolabs Room 1119, 16 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States3Harvard University, Biolabs Room 1119, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States4Havard University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 16 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA5University of CA, Santa Barbara, Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

506

ZHANG, JINGBO* 1, BUKHARI, GHADEER 2 and ZHANG, WENHENG 3

Floral symmetry genes and the evolution of floral zygomorphy in Solanaceae

C

omparative studies demonstrated that independent origins of floral zygomorphy are associated with redeployment of CYCLOIDEA2 (CYC2)-like genes at least six times in core eudicots. It is, however, unclear whether parallel genetic mechanisms exist since there were an estimated 125 independent origins of floral zygomorphy in angiosperms. Recent work indicated that the most recent common ancestor of Solanaceae possessed zygomorphic flowers. Most interestingly, the developmental process of floral zygomorphy is unique and associated with its sophisticated sympodial inflorescence in Solanaceae. We have used a candidate gene approach to study the evolution and expression of CYC2s in solanaceous species, with the intent to characterize the genetic basis of floral zygomorphy development in this family. We identified two major sequence types of CYC2 in Solanaceae, CYC2A and CYC2B, which result from a gene duplication that occurred before the diversification of the family. In zygomorphic-flowered species of Solanaceae, the CYC2A genes are expressed in androecium and gynoecium but the spatial patterns are divergent among species, while the CYC2B genes are expressed consistently in the dorsal region of the zygomorphic calyxes. In Schizanthus pinnatus and Schizanthus grahamii, two CYC2A paralogs resulting from a Schizanthus-specific gene duplication are expressed with reciprocate patterns in androecia that match their zygomorphic morphology. That is, CYC2A-1 is expressed mainly in the two aborted dorsal and one aborted ventral stamen, while CYC2A-2 is expressed in the two functional lateral stamens. The differential expression of CYC2A along the dorsoventral plane of androecia was also detected in other three zygomorphic-flowered species, Calibrachoa elegans, Nicotiana obtusifolia, and Browallia speciose, but the expression patterns do not closely match their zygomorphic morphology. Furthermore, RNA in situ hybridization indicated that the CYC2A-2 detected in functional stamens in Sc. pinnatus is expressed across the floral meristem at early stages and exclusively within the pollen sacs and ovules at the late stages of floral development. Surprisingly, none of the CYC2 genes were found differentially expressed in the zygomorphic corollas of species of Solanaceae, which is confirmed by RNA-seq results in Sc. grahamii and Sc. pinnatus with strong zygomorphic corollas. Overall, our results suggest that the molecular basis underlying floral symmetry evolution is complicated in Solanaceae and the genetic mechanisms underlying the development of their zygomorphic corolla are likely to be independent from the CYC2 program, which may reflect the responses to different evolutionary and developmental contexts in this core eudicot clade.

1

Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA,

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23284, United States2Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284.0, United States3Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

507

POVILUS, REBECCA* 1, DIGGLE, PAMELA and FRIEDMAN, WILLIAM 3 2

Evidence for parent-of-origin effects and interparental conflict in seeds of an ancient flowering plant lineage

T

heoretical and empirical studies have long connected the evolutionary innovation of endosperm, a genetically biparental product of a double fertilization process unique to flowering plants (angiosperms), to conflicting parental interests over offspring provisioning. Yet, none of these studies examined interparental conflict in representatives of any of the most ancient angiosperm lineages. We therefore performed reciprocal interploidy crosses in the water lily Nymphaea thermarum (Nymphaeales) and characterized the resulting parent-of-origin effects on seed development. We find that an excess of paternal genomes is associated with an increase in endosperm growth. In contrast, higher maternal ploidy negatively influences development or growth of all seed components, regardless of paternal genome dosage. Most relevant to the conflict over distribution of maternal resources, however, is that growth of the perisperm (seed storage tissue derived from the maternal sporophyte, found in all Nymphaeales) is unaffected by paternal genome dosage - ensuring maternal control of maternal resources. We compare these results to interploidy crosses performed with other angiosperm species, and conclude that the evolutionary transfer of embryo-nourishing function from a genetically biparental endosperm to a genetically maternal perisperm can be viewed as an effective maternal strategy to recapture control of resource distribution among progeny. 1

Whitehead Institute, Gehring Lab, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, MA, 02142, USA2University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Storrs, CT, 6269, United States3Harvard University, Arnold Arboretum, 1300 Centre St., Boston, MA, 02131, United States

508

WU, CHENG-CHIANG* 1, LI, FAYWEI 2 and KRAMER, ELENA 1

Evolution of the WUSCHEL-RELATED (WOX) homeobox transcription factors in plants

M

eristems provide the building blocks for all plant organs. The WUSCHEL-RELATED (WOX) gene family encodes homeobox-containing transcription factors that regulate maintenance of the stem-cell niche in meristems as well as several other developmental processes in plants. The expansion and diversification of the WOX gene family has been postulated to have contributed to the morphological complexity of land plants. Previous phylogenetic studies classified the WOX genes into three

superclades, the ancient, intermediate and modern clades. However, the relationship among WOX clades remains unclear due to excessive sequence divergence outside the short and highly conserved homeodomain, and limited sampling across plant lineages. In order to decipher the origin and evolution of the WOX family, we curated WOX protein sequences from 387 genomes and transcriptomes spanning all plant divisions and Rhodophyta for phylogenetic reconstruction. The WOX phylogeny inferred from 1019 WOX proteins of 254 species implies that the WOX protein family is likely to have originated in Plantae and diverged into three ancient superclades. Analyses of synteny, protein motif, and promoter sequence, also reveal lineage-specific gene duplications, protein diversification, and deep conservation of the WOX-involved gene regulatory networks (GRNs). This study provides the phylogenetic context for functional studies of the GRNs that orchestrate morphological complexity in land plants. 1

Harvard University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 16 Divinity Avenue, Biological Laboratories 1119, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA2Cornell University, Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

509

HENRIQUEZ, CLAUDIA* 1, TEISHER, JORDAN 2, SCHAAL, BARBARA 3 and CROAT, THOMAS 4

Leaf Development in Araceae: A New Look at the "Monocot Leaf vs. 'Dicot' Leaf" Paradigm

T

he plant family Araceae is an ancient monocot lineage from the Early Cretaceous displaying striking variation in leaf developmental morphology that departs from traditional models of monocot leaf development. For example, dissected leaves, which are rare in monocots, seem to have evolved independently multiple times in Araceae by various developmental mechanisms. Historical models of leaf development posit that structural similarities between monocot and "dicot" leaves are the result of convergence, although this hypothesis has been contested. To test the hypothesis of a developmentally independent origin of "dicot"-like leaf characters in monocots, leaf primordium diversity was evaluated in 30 genera of Araceae, along with 36 taxa spanning the angiosperm phylogeny. Leaf primordia were scored for 14 developmental, morphological and anatomical leaf characters. These characters were used to define a leaf primordium morphospace and to evaluate whether "dicot" and monocot taxa occupy similar or different parts of the morphospace. Results of this analysis suggest that at the developmental morphological level, aroid and "dicot" leaves are homologous, occupying similar regions of the morphospace. However, at the molecular genetic level, a review of the literature suggests that statements of homology between monocot and "dicot" leaves must be tested within a framework of hierarchically organized gene regulatory networks regulating leaf development. 1

University of California, Los Angeles, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 610 Charles E. Young Dr., East, 4140 Terasaki Life Sciences

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Building, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA2The Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, Botany, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States3Department Of Biology, Campus Box 1137, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, United States4Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

510

DOUST, ANDREW* 1, HU, HAO , MAURO-HERRERA, MARGARITA 3 and HODGE, JOHN 2

2

Analysis of flowering time in the C4 panicoid grass model, Setaria sheds new light on the role of the CONSTANS transcription factor in photoperiod response

W

e are exploring the photoperiodic control of flowering time in the model C4 grass, Setaria viridis. This panicoid C4 grass species, unlike maize and sorghum, has not undergone strong humanmediated selection for photoperiod insensitivity. The effect of photoperiod (day: night cycle) on flowering time is still poorly understood, and the Setaria system, because of its small size, diploid genome, rapid cycling, origin in temperate latitudes, close relationship to maize and sorghum, sensitivity to photoperiod differences, and genetic and genomic tools, is ideal for understanding photoperiodic effects. Mapping results in different photoperiod regimes suggest that two photoperiod systems are likely at work in Setaria, and we have discovered through analysis of a CONSTANS mutant that CONSTANS appears to only control short day flowering responses. We have used RNA-seq and qPCR to study photoperiod responses in both wild and mutant backgrounds, and propose a modified flowering network that is closer to the rice than to the more closely related sorghum and maize models. We are continuing our research into genes responsible for regulating flowering time in long day conditions.

1

Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology And Evolution, Physical Sciences Room 301, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States2Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, PS 301, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA3 Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, PS 301, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, US

511

BAKER, ROBERT (ROB)* 1, LEONG, WEN FUNG 2, WELCH, STEPHEN 2 and WEINIG, CYNTHIA 3

Genotype to Phenotype Connections: Predicting non-linear developmental phenotypes based on genotypes

P

redicting phenotypes based on genotypes is a central objective of evolutionary developmental biology and a key component of breeding programs. Predictive models require understanding the genetic architecture of phenotypes throughout ontogeny because the trait of interest may be influenced by dif-

ferent combinations of genetic and environmental factors at different times during development. Quantifying growth trajectories is also important because selection may act throughout ontogeny rather than on final phenotypes alone and fitness/yield may be contingent upon prior environments and developmental events. Using data from Brassica rapa genotypes grown in multiple density settings and seasons, we applied a hierarchical Bayesian Function-Valued Trait (FVT) approach to fit logistic growth curves to leaf developmental data (length and width) and characterize leaf development. Our models statistically factor out genotype-specific differences in carbon availability (estimated by Amax) to more precisely identify the core genetic mechanisms underlying leaf development. We found evidence of genetic variation in phenotypic plasticity of rate and duration of leaf growth to growing season. In contrast, the magnitude of the plastic response for maximum leaf size was relatively small, suggesting that growth dynamics vs. final leaf sizes have distinct patterns of environmental sensitivity. We then constructed QTL-based models that predict leaf growth dynamics based on genotypic data. Our models successfully predicted non-linear developmental phenotypes for genotypes not used in model construction. 1

Miami University, Biology Department, 700 E High St, Pearson 390, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States2Kansas State University, Department of Agronomy, Manhattan, KS, 665063University of Wyoming, Botany, 1000 E University Ave, Laramie, WY, 82071

512

PRIGGE, MICHAEL* 1, KADAKIA, NIKITA 2 and ESTELLE, MARK 3

Functional Evolution of the Auxin Receptor Family

T

IR1/AFB proteins, along with Aux/IAA proteins, mediate the transcriptional response to auxin in land plants. Three distinct clades of TIR1/AFB genes were established prior to euphyllophyte radiation, and a third duplication event resulted in four clades shared by most angiosperms. The Arabidopsis genome encodes six TIR1/AFB proteins representing three of these clades. Previous work had shown functional overlap between the more closely related TIR1, AFB2, and AFB3 genes (Dharmasiri et al., 2005; Parry et al., 2009) and between the AFB4 and AFB5 genes (Prigge et al., 2016). We have extended this analysis to the whole gene family, comparing the phenotypes of all sixty-three possible mutant combinations. This analysis revealed extensive functional overlap between even the most distantly related TIR1/AFB genes as well as examples of specialization and neofunctionalization. Furthermore, higher-order mutants affirm an essential role for auxin signaling in early sporophytic development but likely not in the gametophytes. 1

UC San Diego, Cell & Developmental Biology, 9500 Gilman Drive, Muir Biology Building Rm 4115 (Estelle Lab), Unive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States2UC San Diego, Cell & Developmental Biology, 9500 Gilman Drive, Muir Biology Building Rm 4115 (Estelle Lab), La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA3UC San Diego, Cell & Developmental Biology, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

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POSTERS

514

513

Flower size evolution and patterns of selection in organ size genes across the evolutionary history of angiosperms

CONWAY, STEPHANIE* 1 and DI STILIO, VERĂƒÂłNICA S. 2

An ontogenetic framework for functional studies in the model fern Ceratopteris richardii

F

erns are an important lineage of land plants, made valuable by their phylogenetic placement as sister to the seed plants as well as their life cycle with independent haploid gametophytic and diploid sporophytic generations. Ceratopteris richardii has long been proposed as a model fern and has recently become tractable due to advances in stable, highefficiency transgenic systems. C. richardii is therefore poised to become a highly valuable model system, allowing researchers to ask explicit questions about gene function in a fern for the first time. In order to make detailed assessments and interpretations of altered phenotypes resulting from genetic manipulations, a thorough understanding of the wild type morphology and a staged ontogeny are necessary. This will facilitate not only studies on candidate genes in C. richardii, but also broader comparative evaluations of ontogenies and key plant traits in other model plants. This paper describes the key stages of development in both the haploid gametophytic and diploid sporophytic generations, with an emphasis on the shoot apical meristem and early leaf development. The results presented here are aimed at providing a baseline ontogeny for a model fern and a useful tool for comparative evolution and development (evo-devo) studies of key innovations in land plants.

JIM 2

LANDIS, JACOB* 1 and COHEN,

F

lower size varies widely across the evolutionary history of the angiosperm, which can have strong implications for pollination biology and reproductive success. There are many candidate genes involved in the hypothesized organ-size pathway; however, most of these have only been investigated in a handful of model organisms. Using a subset of taxa in the 1kp dataset, and additional transcriptomes, we set out to investigate the evolutionary history of homologs from many of the established candidate genes involved in organ size. A total of 122 taxa were chosen in which floral transcriptomes were available. Initially, putatively single copy nuclear genes were identified, via MarkerMiner, to build a species tree for downstream analyses. Homologs of candidate genes were then identified in the same subset of taxa using BLAST. Signatures of molecular selection were resolved from multiple sequence alignments using the codeml function in PAML. Further correlations were conducted between selection signatures and observed flower size to identify hotspots of flower evolution. These results set the foundation for further investigations of genes that may be responsible for observed differences in flower size.

1

University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 3401 Watkins Drive, Boyce Hall, Room 4412, Riverside, CA, 92507, United States2Kettering University, 1700 University Ave., Flint, MI, 48503.0, United States

1

The University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, Hitchcock Hall 506, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States2University Of Washington, Depaartment Of Biology, Po Box 35180, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States

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515

SINGH, VIBHUTI* 1, SENGUPTA, ANIKET 2 and HILEMAN, LENA 3

516

Mimulus lewisii (Phrymaceae) - an emerging model system to unravel the mechanism of bilateral floral symmetry

Developmental shifts to the nectary are associated with hummingbird adaptation in Penstemon

B

A

Canceled

ilateral floral symmetry is one of the key traits involved in angiosperm diversification. The trait is thought to have evolved at least 70 times independently from radially symmetrical ancestors and has been associated with the evolution of specialized pollinators. Extensive work in the model species snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus, Plantaginaceae, Lamiales), has revealed the role of the gene regulatory network involving interplay of two TCP (CYCLOIDEA and DICHOTOMA) and two MYB domain (RADIALIS, DIVARICATA) transcriptional factors in the development of bilateral flower symmetry. However, lack of genomic resources and stable transformation protocol in snapdragon makes follow-on molecular studies difficult. Mimulus lewisii (Phrymaceae, Lamiales) a close relative of snapdragon is an emerging model system for developmental studies owing to the availability of genomic data and an efficient floral dip transformation method. We are characterizing floral mutants to determine conservation of the TCP/MYB regulatory network for bilateral floral symmetry in M. lewisii. These data will establish a baseline for utilizing M. lewisii as a suitable model species to further dissect the genetic control of flower symmetry in Lamiales.

1

University of Kansas, Haworth hall, 1200 sunnyside, Room no. 8009, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States2University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 8009 Haworth Hall, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States3University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

KATZER, AMANDA* 1, WESSINGER, CAROLYN 2 and HILEMAN, LENA 3

n increased nectar reward is a critical component of transitions to hummingbird pollination. However, we know little about the developmental mechanisms that underlie evolutionary shifts in floral nectar volume. Penstemon is an ideal system to study nectar reward evolution because there have been multiple independent transitions from bee to hummingbird adapted flowers during its diversification. In Penstemon, the floral nectary consists of a discrete patch of modified trichomes located on the base of two stamens. To test whether evolutionary change in nectar volume can be explained by change in nectary size, we quantified both nectary area and nectar volume along with other key pollination syndrome traits in 20 Penstemon species that represent multiple transitions to hummingbird pollination. Using a comparative approach, we find that interspecific variation in nectary area is significantly explained by pollination syndrome. In addition, variation in nectary area is positively correlated with nectar volume across the diversity of Penstemon species sampled. Our results demonstrate that shifts in nectary area may represent key developmental transitions contributing to the increased nectar volume associated with hummingbird adaptation in Penstemon. 1

University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology , 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence , KS, 66045, USA2University Of Kansas, EEB, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States3University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

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ZHANG, JINGBO* 1, CAPPELLARI-RABELING, SIMONE 2, KRAMER, ELENA 3, DAVIS, CHARLES 4 and ZHANG, WENHENG 5

CYC2 genes and the reversal from floral zygomorphy to actinomorphy in Stigmaphyllon A. Juss. (Malpighiaceae)

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he flowers of New World (NW) Malpighiaceae are zygomorphic and possess a single, distinctive banner petal and oil glands on their sepals. This suite of traits has been shown to be important for their mutualism with oil-collecting bees. This plantpollinator mutualism has been lost nine times principally among the Old World (OW) species, which occur where the NW oil bee pollinators are absent. One such loss occurred among the OW species in the predominantly NW genus Stigmaphyllon. Instead of the standard NW flower, these Australasian species possess actinomorphic flowers with eglandular sepals. To investigate floral morphological evolution in Stigmaphyllon we explored CYCLOIDEA2 (CYC2)like genes, which we previously showed to play a key role in the evolution of floral symmetry in Malpighiaceae. Here, we cloned CYC2-like genes from a NW and OW species of Stigmaphyllon, S. ellipticum (Kunth) A. Juss. and S. grandifolium (Guillaumin) C. E. Anderson, respectively. The CYC2A and CYC2 B paralogs, which were previously identified in most Malpighiaceae, were isolated. We further identified conserved patterns of CYC2 expression consistent with NW Malpighiaceae in NW Stigmaphyllon. Thus, CYC2A is expressed broadly in the dorsal region of the flower while CYC2B is expressed principally in the banner petal. In contrast, this conserved NW pattern is relaxed in OW Stigmaphyllon. Specifically, the expression of CYC2A and CYC2B is expanded to a broader region with an asymmetrical pattern that is not correlated with the actinomorphic corolla in this OW species. This pattern of asymmetrical expansion raises the hypothesis that downstream regulators of CYC2 have experienced a loss of function such that CYC2 expression is no longer constrained and varies in a manner that is not consistent with morphology. 1

Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States2Arizona State University, Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA3Harvard University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 16 Divinity Avenue, Biological Laboratories 1119, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA4Harvard University Herbaria, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States5Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

518

ZHANG, JINGBO* 1, KRAMER, ELENA 2, DAVIS, CHARLES 3 and ZHANG, WENHENG 4

Early spatial shift in CYC2 expression implicated in the development of floral zygomorphy in Malpighiaceae

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ecent advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of floral development have demonstrated that the CYC2 lineage of the TCP gene family has been repeatedly recruited for regulating the development of floral zygomorphy across diverse eudicots clades. Along these lines, most efforts to date have documented differential patterns of late stage CYC2 expression in floral development. Our limited knowledge of the expression of CYC2s in the early stages of zygomorphic development, however, has greatly hindered our ability to understand the patterns and potential function underlying the evolution and development of floral zygomorphy. We previously demonstrated that two CYC2 paralogs in Malpighiaceae, CYC2A and CYC2B, are differentially expressed along the plane of floral symmetry suggesting that CYC2s likely play a role in the establishment of late stage floral zygomorphy in this family. Notably, the late stage expression of CYC2B is solely restricted to the single, upright banner petal. Furthermore, our SEM study indicated a unique process of zygomorphic development in Malpighiaceae. Thus, the late stage phenotype featuring a single banner petal is established from an earlier zygomorphic condition where two petals are arranged in the dorsal position. The nature and timing of the pattern of CYC2 expression that accompanies this shift from two to one dorsal petal has not been explored. We examined CYC2B expression using RNA in situ hybridization in an NW species Callaeum macropterum (DC.) D.M. Johnson. Our results indicated that CYC2B is expressed broadly in early initiating floral organs, which is distinctly different from the CYC2B expression in the single banner petal observed at late stages of floral development. These findings suggest that CYC2B expression may change during development in concert with the morphological shifts to result in the distinct zygomorphic floral form in mature flowers of Malpighiaceae. Examining more precisely when this shift of gene expression takes place during development is a focus of ongoing investigations. 1

Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States2Harvard University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 16 Divinity Avenue, Biological Laboratories 1119, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA3Harvard University Herbaria, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States4Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

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FLORISTICS AND TAXONOMY ORAL PAPERS 519

BALLARD JR, HARVEY

Integrative taxonomic studies of the Salad Violet (Viola edulis) species group

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n 1817, Stephen Elliott published Viola palmata L. var. heterophylla from the Ogeechee River bottomlands near Savannah, Georgia. Since then, everybody has struggled with distinguishing it from other heterophyllous violets, and interpreting its evolutionary status. Norman Russell, the last specialist to recognize it (as Viola esculenta Elliott ex Greene), provided a somewhat bizarre geographic distribution for it, and relied on foliage traits to separate it from other species. We have initiated an integrative taxonomic approach to this enigmatic violet. Our preliminary studies of herbarium specimens, fieldwork from Maryland to Georgia, and common garden observations of living plants, suggest at least four evolutionary species under the Unified Species concept. The earliest available name for the group is Viola edulis Spach, based on Elliott's var. heterophylla. All members of the group have sharply acute eciliate sepals and prominent erose or emarginate auricles, sparsely bearded spurred petal, essentially glabrous foliage with late spring and summer leaf blades bearing three to five lobes, and cleistogamous capsules with conspicuously elongate auricles. Out of 251 specimens identified by lay taxonomists or annotated by Russell as V. esculenta, less than 30% of specimens were correctly named, whereas quite a few specimens bearing other names actually represented a member of the group. Reports from outside the Atlantic or Gulf coastal plains, and specimens taken in upland situations, were invariably other species, including glabrate-leaved phenotypes of the Viola palmata [syn.: triloba] species group, V. septemloba Leconte, and various hybrids. As we presently understand the Viola edulis group, five phenotypes are represented: a taxon with green cleistogamous capsules on tall erect peduncles, and black seeds, from the DelMarVa peninsula to South Carolina; a similar brown-seeded phenotype from southeastern Virginia south to Florida, which may be conspecific to the above; V. chalcosperma Brainerd with finely spotted cleistogamous capsules on declined peduncles, and small dark copper seeds, around Jacksonville, Florida; a taxon with heavily purple-spotted cleistogamous capsules on short prostrate peduncles, and large light brown seeds with medium-brown blotches, common in Florida but very rare westward to Mississippi; and V. langloisii Greene var. pedatiloba Brainerd, with unique leaf dissection, around Crowley, Louisiana. The name Viola edulis Spach applies to the black- or brown-seeded taxa but is not yet resolved. Future fieldwork on the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain, and microsatellite genotyping, will aid in clarifying the diversity and distinctions of evolutionary taxa in this intriguing coastal plain violet group.

520 GIBLIN, DAVID 1, LEGLER, BEN 2 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD* 3 Revising Hitchcock and Cronquist's Flora of the Pacific Northwest

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he University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum is publishing Flora of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd edition in summer 2018. The new book is a revision of the one-volume field manual originally published in 1973 by C. L. Hitchcock and Art Cronquist. A total of 5,545 taxa are included, with 5,085 terminal taxa treated in the keys. Illustrations are provided for 99% and 85% of the native and exotic species, respectively. The 2nd edition Flora includes nearly 25% more taxa and over 1,300 new illustrations. Because it has been nearly 50 years, since publication of the first edition, taxonomic and nomenclatural changes are extensive: approximately 25% more families, 40% more genera, and 60% new names. The comprehensive regional vascular plant collection at the University of Washington Herbarium, extensive recent field collecting throughout the Pacific Northwest, and access to specimen data from the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database (http://www.pnwherbaria.org/data/search.php) served as the foundation for this project. Online tools are being developed to ensure the Flora 2nd edition remains dynamic and responsive to new information about the region's flora as it becomes available. 1

University Of Washington, Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States2University of Washington, Burke Museum, Box 344325, Seattle, WA, 98195, US3University Of Washington, Biology Department And Burke Museum, Department Of Biology, Seattle, WA, 98155, United States

Ohio University, ENVIR & PLANT BIOLOGY-PORTER H, 315 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, United States

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SCHORI, MELANIE

522

BARKWORTH, MARY

Updating Citrus Nomenclature and Classification

Recreating the web site for North America's Grasses

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ecent phylogenetic and genomic studies have substantially changed current understanding of relationships among cultivated Citrus. Several species are now recognized as the ancestral parents of economically important hybrid taxa including oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, and mandarins. Although whole-genome sequencing is verifying the parentage of an increasing number of cultivars, Citrus nomenclature and classification have not kept pace. Two competing classifications from the 1960s, Tanaka and Swingle & Reece, are still widely used and include many names that should be synonymized. An ad hoc committee was formed in 2017 to explore classification options and make recommendations for nomenclatural changes that will best serve the scientific and horticultural communities. Items under consideration include the circumscription of Citrus, the treatment of nothotaxa, and the use of cultivar and Group names to reflect morphological differences while complying with provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants and the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. Updates on the committee's progress are presented. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Bldg. 003 Rm. 123, Beltsville, MD, 20740, USA

n 2017, Utah State University, for security reasons, deactivated the server that made content from the two grass volumes of the Flora of North America available on line. A new site is in development, one that makes use of OpenHerbarium, a Symbiotabased network, and KeyBase, a web site designed by Niels Klazenga for presenting dichotomous keys. Initially, the taxonomic treatments will be the those presented in FNA apart from the minor modifications made in the Manual of Grasses for North America, Grasses of the Intermountain Region. During the coming year, North American herbaria will be asked to allow OpenHerbarium access to their specimen records so that the maps provided will be more accurate and verifiable than the published maps. The old maps will be added as image files for the sake of comparison. People with good images of North America's grasses are invited to contact me about uploading them to OpenHerbarium. The top priority at present is making the existing treatments and illustrations available. As this task is completed, plans will be made for obtaining and presenting modified treatments where appropriate. Work to date has been funded from money generated by licensing use of the illustrations in other publications but additional funding will be needed to complete the task while enhancing existing resources for maintaining the currency and value of published floras.

Department Of Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, United States

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SCHUETTE, SCOTT 1, FOLK, RYAN , CANTLEY, JASON T.* 3 and MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 4 2

The hidden Heuchera: How science and Twitter uncovered a globally imperiled species in Pennsylvania, USA

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he genus Heuchera is recognized as one of the most diverse endemic radiations of Saxifragaceae in North America, yet species delimitation and geographic distribution within the group remain controversial. Many species remain difficult to identify, including Heuchera alba, a narrow Appalachian endemic and globally imperiled (G2) taxon recorded only from West Virginia and Virginia that occurs in sympatry with H. pubescens and H. americana. A recent survey of the cliffside flora of the Shikellamy Bluffs, PA recorded dozens of Heuchera individuals that, through the use of social media, were positively identified as H. alba. Aided by examination of historical herbarium records, subsequent searches of similar habitats in Pennsylvania led to the discovery of seven more populations and established a significant range expansion for this rare species. The uncovering of H. alba in Pennsylvania is an exciting conservation outcome and an example of what can happen when botanists embrace a combination of modern and classical approaches to discovery and collaboration. 1

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222.0, United States2Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3San Francisco State University, Biology, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA4Bucknell University, Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

524

WILKINSON LAMB, SARA* 1 and BARKWORTH, MARY 2

Flora of Pakistan Updated - with benefits

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bstract: The basic activities of systematics, i.e. classification and naming, are ancient human approaches to dealing with information about the natural world. Earlier Confusion in the nomenclature of many groups of organisms led to established rules in the field of botany which have done much to clarify this situation. This has led to supporting current research which sometimes presents a strong argument for changing previously accepted names of taxa to synonyms, or vice versa, which is the focus of our project. According to M. Qaiser, there are close to 6000 species listed in the extant volume of the Flora of Pakistan, with two more volumes forthcoming. Using OpenHerbarium as a springboard, we, with the help of inmates, have placed specimen citations in the Flora online to demonstrate the usefulness in having this specimen data more easily available and help persuade Pakistani herbaria to share their information. In addition, we have been exploring ways to use online resources to update the nomenclature in a way that emphasizes the scientific or nomenclatural bases for changes. Our goal in doing so is to emphasize that name changes are rarely capricious. Although we are working with the Flora of Pakistan, the approach we are taking would be equally applicable to other floras. 1

Educational Constultant, 860 South Village Road, St. George, UT, 84770, United States2Utah State University, Intermountain Herbarium, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, United States

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LEWIS, DEBORAH* 1, DROBNEY, PAULINE 2, PEARSON, JOHN 3, ROOSA, DEAN 4, ROSBURG, THOMAS 5, SMITH, DARYL 6 and WIDRLECHNER, MARK 7

A revival of interest in Iowa floristics: goals and progress

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owa is one of the few states for which no state Flora has been produced; thus, the floristic diversity of the state has been rather poorly documented. Historically, the Iowa landscape was dominated by tallgrass prairie which transitioned to savanna, sedge meadow or wetland, depending on landform and geologic features. Eastern deciduous forest occurred where fire was rare, especially in riverine corridors and in the more rugged Paleozoic Plateau of northeastern Iowa. This diversity of habitats harbors distinctive taxa. However, a majority of the landscape is now used for agriculture, severely fragmenting examples of remnant natural communities. Robert Thorne, Lawrence Eilers and Dean Roosa worked toward completion of a Flora, but these efforts subsequently stalled for more than two decades following publication of a state checklist in 1994 by Eilers and Roosa. A group of plant taxonomists and ecologists convened in 2014 with an initial goal of revising the Iowa species' coefficients of conservatism, but it soon evolved into a broader revision of the 1994 checklist. Fieldwork, publications, specimen digitization efforts and new treatments in Flora of North America and other references have expanded our knowledge of the taxa present in the state and their distribution. Reexamination of herbarium specimens of the state's reported endangered, threatened and special concern species has resolved several questionable and spurious reports of rare taxa. Updating of the 1994 checklist is underway, a significant step toward an Iowa Flora.

526

MAHER, MADELINE

A floristic inventory of private and public lands in Gunnison County, Colorado

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n inventory of vascular flora was conducted on public and private property in southwestern Gunnison County, Colorado. The study area consisted of 3,004 acres of private land and 1,850 acres of adjacent public land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The study area ranges in elevation from 8,690 to 10,070 feet, and is home to diverse plant communities, including dry montane meadows of Festuca, Lupinus and Artemisia; Carex- and Salix-dominated riparian areas; spruce-fir forests; mixed coniferous forests; aspen woodlands; xeric mesas and rocky hillsides; and talus cliffs. While the BLM-owned portion of the study area had been at least partially surveyed in the late 1990s, the private land remained uninvestigated. Fieldwork was conducted in the growing seasons of 2016 and 2017. New county records include Pyrola picta Sm., which is rare in Colorado. The presence of taxa not previously documented in the area emphasizes the need for continued floristic study of private lands and other undersampled areas. Colorado State University, Biology, 251 W Pitkin Street, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA

1

Iowa State University, Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Dept, 342 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Dr, Ames, IA, 50011, USA2Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 9981 Pacific St, Prairie City, IA, 50228, USA3Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East 9th St, Des Moines, IA, 50319, USA4569 Riverside Rd, Ames, IA, 50010, USA5 Drake University, Biology Dept, Olin Hall, 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, USA6University of Northern Iowa, Tallgrass Prairie Center, 2412 West 27th St, Cedar Falls, IA, 50614, USA7Iowa State University, Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Dept, 251 Bessey, 2200 Osborn Dr, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

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HARLEY , RAYMOND MERVYN

Subtribe Hyptidinae (Lamiaceae) in the Flora of North America

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ubtribe Hyptidinae (Lamiaceae Tribe Ocimeae) is a tropical group of plants, mostly confined to the New World, with almost 400 species. Previously there were nine genera recognized, including the genus Hyptis, which totalled over 280 species, to which at that time all North American species of Hyptidinae belonged. However, in 2012, as a result of a molecular analysis of subtribe Hyptidinae, the genus Hyptis was found to be polyphyletic. This was resolved by dividing it into 19 smaller genera. The main centre of diversity of the Hyptidinae is in Brazil, where all genera, except for the Central American Asterohyptis, occur. North America has only seven species of the subtribe, today represented by four genera, confined to either the subtropical Southeastern states centered on Florida (six species),or to the Sonoran Desert Region in the South-west (one species). These are: Cantinoa americana, Cantinoa mutabilis, Condea emoryi, C. floribunda, C.verticillata, Hyptis alata and Mesosphaerum pectinatum. The new generic classification, and the distribution and status of the seven American species, together with the characters by which they can be recognized, will be discussed.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium, Kew Green,, Richmondupon-Thames, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK

528

ALBA, CHRISTINA* 1, LEVY, RICHARD 2 and ISLAM, MELISSA 1

We're all outstanding in our field: Combining the strengths of botanical collections and ecological data to improve knowledge of plant biodiversity

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otanists and ecologists both study plant biodiversity, but often operate in non-overlapping spheres due to differences in research foci or methods. Fostering collaboration between these groups can lead to more-valuable research outcomes, as each tradition has strengths that complement the other. Floristics, defined broadly as the study of which plant species occur in an area, is especially set to benefit from increased collaboration between botanists and ecologists. A botanical approach to floristics is qualitative, involving the collection of specimens that are linked to verbal descriptions of the site, as well as the date and location of collection. These specimens represent a physical snapshot of conditions that existed at the time of collection, and are critical for verifying and updating taxonomy. Given that ~350 million specimens have been collected over the last 350 years, collections have an unmatched spatial and temporal scope. Further, the long-standing use of strict data curation standards by the museum collections community, as well as more recent digitization efforts, has placed herbarium specimens at the forefront of biological "big data" being used to explore macroecological patterns. However, to capture which mechanisms underlie the observed patterns requires hypothesis-driven research that is quantitative and systematically designed. Ecologists typically operate in this realm, generating statistically robust data sets. Collecting voucher specimens is rarely prioritized in this research setting because the gathering of ecological field data is time-consuming and may not require perfect taxonomic resolution. Further, given the question- and investigator-specific nature of ecological research, data curation standards are not well defined. An opportunity exists to link physical collections, with their tradition of curation and transparent, repeatable access by all researchers, with quantitative ecological data, which goes beyond explaining patterns to describing mechanisms. The Research & Conservation Department at Denver Botanic Gardens is working to better integrate botanical and ecological data with a case study project in 2018. Staff will pair a collections-based floristic inventory of the High Line Canal Recreational Trail in Denver, CO, with a plot-based ecological study relating plant abundances along the trail corridor to environmental conditions. Importantly, the specimen- and ecological data will be integrated for curation using Darwin Core data standards. This approach will link the information describing specimens, field images, ecological sampling data, and all research methods, which will be published on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The data will thus remain unified and publicly available in perpetuity.

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Denver Botanic Gardens, Research & Conservation, 1005 York Street, Denver, CO, 80206, United States2Denver Botanic Gardens, Research & Conservation Departmetn, 1005 York Street, Denver, CO, 80206, United States

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NEUBIG, KURT* 1, GARWOOD, NANCY 2, JORDAN, KRISTINA 3, FLOWERS, NICK 3, HUMPHREYS, AELYS 4 and RUSSELL, STEPHEN 5

Trema domingensis rises like a phoenix from the ashes of T. integerrima: A reassessment of the entire-leaved species of Neotropical Trema (Cannabaceae)

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he genus Trema (Cannabaceae) suffers from a historical lack of taxonomic study. We sought to ameliorate this by studying the genus from phylogenetic and morphological perspectives. This study focuses on the three entire-leaved species of Neotropical Trema (T. integerrima (Beurl.) Standl., T. domingensis Urb., and T. laxiflora Lundell). We resolve three problems concerning these species: 1) Phylogenetic and morphological patterns show that they are best treated as a single species. 2) The date of publication gives priority to the name T. integerrima, as the basionym was published in 1856. However, the type specimen is not a Trema. Thus, the species becomes T. domingensis. 3) The types of T. domingensis are mixed collections. We provide a historical review to understand how these problems arose and persisted unnoticed for decades. 1

Southern Illinois University, Dept Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Life Science II, Room 420, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United StatesSouthern Illinois University, Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Ave., Life Science II, Mailcode 6509, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States3 Southern Illinois University, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA4Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden5Natural History Museum, Core Research Laboratories, London, UK 2

530

EDWARDS, ROBERT D.* 1, MASON, CHASE 2, CARTWRIGHT, JENNIFER 3 , FUNK, VICKI 4, THOMPSON, JAMES 5, GOLDHABER, MARTIN 6, NAUMAN, TRAVIS 7, PEARSE, IAN 8, ANACKER, BRIAN 9 , SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 10 and BUI, ELISABETH 11

Environmental Drivers of Species Diversity and Turnover in Large, Widespread Radiations of North American Plants (Compositae)

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hat the environment plays a large role in driving the diversity and distribution of species and communities is well accepted, however the specific environmental factors that drive groups of organisms to diversify remains of great interest to evolutionary and ecological research as well as for conservation and climate change studies. Typically, more readily available climate data (e.g. WorldClim) are used to investigate what predicts species distributions across large scales, however soil, geochemistry and landform, while intuitively important, are often neglected. We assembled the largest speciesby-environment matrix for North America with 187 environmental variables associated with over 500,000 plant locality records and representing more than 3,000 species within 14 tribes of the Compositae (daisy family, with more than 1 in 10 flowering plants). Using these data, we have been able to identify which variables are associated with species diversity and turnover, how these interact across space and as the magnitudes of variables change, and find that soil and geochemistry both explain a large proportion of the signal of species diversity and turnover. Many tribes share broad commonalities (e.g. positive relationship between diversity and quartz concentrations) suggesting that innovations to the environment may have driven success within the entire daisy family, however different secondary variables are identified as significant within particular tribes, indicating that distinct environmental preferences may have helped drive subsequent specialization and diversification. 1

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA2University Of Central Florida, Department Of Biology, 4110 Libra Dr, Orlando, FL, 32816, United States3USGS, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, 640 Grassmere Park, Suite 100, Nashville, TN, 372114DEPT OF BOTANY-NHB 166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States5West Virginia University, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, 3115 Agricultural Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA6USGS, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, W 6th Ave Kipling St, Lakewood, CO, 80225, USA7USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 SW Resource Blvd Moab, UT 84532, 2290 SW Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA8USGS, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Bldg C, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA9City of Boulder, Open Space and Mountain Parks, 66 S Cherryvale Rd, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA10University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States11CSIRO, Land and Water, Clunies Ross Street, Black Mountain, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

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VIANA, PEDRO 1, ZAPPI, DANIELA C. 2, MOTA, NARA F.O. 2, WATANABE, MAURíCIO T.C. 2, TROVó, MARCELO 3, HARLEY , RAYMOND MERVYN 4, MANSANO, VIDAL 5 and GIULIETTI-HARLEY, ANA M.* 6

Flora of the canga of the Serra dos Carajás: unexpected diversity of seed plants growing on iron outcrops in the Brazilian Amazon

Boaventura da Silva, 955, Belém, Pará, 66055090, Brasil3Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Botânica, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941590, Brazil4Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium, Kew Green,, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK5Instituto De Pesquisas Jardim Botânico Do Rio De Janeiro, Diretoria De Pesquisas, Rua Pacheco Leão 915, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, 22460-030, Brazil6Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Rua Boaventura da Silva , 955, Belém, Pará, 66055090, Brazil

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he Amazon Rainforest occupies ca. 6 million km2, including nine different countries, with its largest extent in Brazil. This biome is characterized predominantly by its forest vegetation, but it is also home to diverse formations, such as savannas, tepuis, campinarana and campo rupestre, the latter on rocky or stony substrate, generally on elevated ground. The Serra dos Carajás is located in the Southeastern region of the state of Pará, between 500 and 800 m a.s.l., with high annual rainfall between January and May (ca. 2,000mm) followed by a dry winter. This area is considered one of the largest mineral provinces in the world, and characterized by massive, exposed iron-ore outcrops. Including diverse plateaus, comprising a preserved area of sustainable use, the National Forest of Carajás, and a recently created permanent conservation unit, the National Park of the Campos Ferruginosos. The rich mosaic of vegetation that develops over these ferruginous plateaus is known as canga or campo rupestre on canga, that, at the Serra dos Carajás, occurs immersed in a forest matrix. Due to the iron-ore and other mineral exploitation that occurs in the region, environmental licensing processes require detailed diagnostic studies pertaining endangered, rare and endemic species, as well as regarding the utilization of native species in the recovery of degraded areas. Species composition also needs to be known in order to determine and set aside suitable areas for conservation. The history of botanical research in the area dates back to 1960, when researchers from the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG) were the first to study the local flora, resulting in the description of the first known endemic plant species from the area as well as to a significant plant collection that provides interesting insights of the local flora. The Flora das cangas da Serra dos Carajás project was established in 2014 through a collaboration between MPEG and Instituto Tecnológico Vale to elaborate a complete flora of the region. More than 19.000 exsiccatae (including collections made between 20152017) currently held at several herbaria (MG, BHCB, HCJS, INPA, IAN, NY and RB) were available to 131 researchers from Brazil and abroad to complete floristic treatments organized by family. The resulting flora on canga comprises 120 families monographs and 977 species, and is being published in the Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden journal, Rodriguésia: vols. 67(5), 2016; 68 (3), 2017; 69 (1) and 69 (3), 2018.

1

Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Botânica, Av. Perimetral, 1901, Belém, Pará, 66077-830, Brazil2Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Rua

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POSTERS 532

YOUNG PRYER, SAMANTHA* 1 and SNOW, NEIL 2

Numerous new state records of vascular plants for Kansas

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he objective for this project was to document comprehensively the native and non-native flora of Crawford and Cherokee counties in extreme southeast Kansas. Each county has seen limited collecting in recent decades, though a comprehensive survey had never been done for Cherokee County. PSU student E.S. Gibson summarized the flora for Crawford County in 1963. Fieldwork for the present study occurred mostly in 2014 and 2015. Based on 6500+ newly collected specimens, vouchers from Gibson's study, and taxa documented by Biota of North America (BONAP) (Kartesz 2018), 1447 taxa are reported, which includes many more state and county records than expected. The records are being confirmed presently, but state records appear to include taxa of: Antennaria, Arenaria, Bromus, Callicarpa, Cardamine, Carex, Castanea, Desmodium, Elymus, Erysimum, Euthamnia, Ficaria, Fleischmania, Hedera, Hypericum, Ilex, Lespedeza, Leucojum, Liquidambar, Microstegium, Myosotis, Narcissus, Pinus, Populus, Quercus, Rhamnus, Salvia, Scirpus, Solidago, Sorghum, Stellaria, and Woodwardia. These results, coupled with other recent floristic studies national, indicate clearly that current plant distributions in many parts of North America at the state and county levels are known less thoroughly than many believe. 1

Pittsburg State University, Biology, 1701 S. Broadway St., Pittsburg, KS, 66762, USA2Pittsburg State University, Biology, T.M. Sperry Herbarium 1701 S. Broadway St. , Pittsburg, KS, 66762, USA

533

STARZAK, NIKOLAI* 1 and FISHBEIN, MARK 2

The Flora of Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle and the Assembly of Western Great Plains Plant Communities Along a Hydrological Gradient

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eaver County has the lowest plant collections per area of any county in western Oklahoma, and is located in the understudied shortgrass/mixed-grass prairies of the western Great Plains. The region has a history of high disturbance with a low proportion of protected areas and high risk for climate change induced drought. Through field work and herbarium specimen study, I am documenting a complete list of the vascular plants of the county. 530 plant species have been recorded in Beaver County, and I have developed methods for identifying knowledge gaps in the known flora. Using soil, geological, and hydrological maps, I identified intersections of unique environments as candidates for sampling in the 4700

km2 county. By querying data from other shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie floras, I produced a checklist of likely plants in Beaver County. Thus far, I have documented 20 new county records in one field season. Preliminary Beaver County floristic data was used to test community assembly hypotheses, by analyzing the phylogenetic relatedness of four communities on a hydrological scale from river bottom to upland dune. The relatedness of exotic species in each community was also analyzed to infer how species naturalize along a western Great Plains hydrological gradient and inform management of an economically important and anthropogenically disturbed region. 1

606 E Redbud Dr, Apartment 230H, Stillwater, OK, 74075, United States2Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

534

MOORE, CHEYENNE* 1, SCHUETTE, SCOTT 2, MCDONNELL, ANGELA 3 and MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 4

Status of Baptisia australis (Fabaceae) in Pennsylvania and the potential impact of escaped cultivated genotypes: Preliminary observations

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aptisia australis (L.) R. Br. (Fabaceae) is an attractive native wildflower that is widespread in the Midwest and throughout eastern North America. The vigorous perennial habit, showy purple flowers, and historic use in textile dyes have made the species a favorite in cultivation. Many of the readily available “native varieties� are hybrids, however, with a pedigree combining up to three genetic lineages to express more robust characteristics. Use of these hybrids in residential and commercial landscape applications poses the potential for release of nonnative genotypes via pollinators and seed dispersal into wild native populations. Although widespread in North America, populations of B. australis in the eastern portion of its range occur sporadically across the landscape in a variety of habitats ranging from rich woods and alluvial thickets to cedar glades and gravel bar river scours. Within Pennsylvania, two extant native metapopulations of B. australis are known: one from gravel bars and river scour grasslands along the upper Allegheny River and the other from scour zones along the Youghiogheny River. Despite both of these watersheds ultimately flowing to the Ohio River drainage, there is considerable distance between these B. australis metapopulations. The limited distribution and few remaining populations of B. australis in Pennsylvania qualifies it for state threatened conservation status. Given that the species is of conservation concern, we are interested in exploring the potential impact on native populations of the introduction of non-native hybrid genetic material from native garden and restoration plantings. While still in its early stages, this study seeks to answer the following research questions; 1) What is the status of the remaining wild populations of B. australis in Pennsylvania? 2) What is the genetic

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structure of those known native populations? 3) Is there genetic evidence of non-native hybrids in the native populations? and 4) What is the relationship of population sizes to the ecological condition of the plant communities that harbor the species? Preliminary findings based on initial field surveys are presented. 1

Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States2Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222.0, United States3Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Bucknell University Biology Department, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States4Bucknell University, Biological Sciences, 203 Biology Building, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

535

HARPER, STEPHANIE* 1, MCDONNELL, ANGELA 2, CANTLEY, JASON T. 3 and MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 4

Molecular evidence for distinctiveness of two forms of the Hawaiian endemic, Chenopodium oahuense (Amaranthaceae)

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oasting the highest sea cliffs in the world, the northwestern coast of Moloka'i presents numerous challenges to plant life there, including constant battering by high winds and salt water from North Pacific swells and limited annual precipitation in some areas. The harshness of these volcanic sea cliff habitats demands adaptability in its flora, including one population of Chenopodium long presumed to be an unusual form of C. oahense. Not only does this population thrive, but it is morphologically different from other C. oahuense populations found across the Hawaiian archipelago. Chenopodium oahuense leaves typically present with a large trilobed phenotype coupled with an erect stem growth habit. Alternatively, the Moloka'i population's leaves are almost reniform and the stems are markedly decumbent. Inspired by the divergent morphological traits we observed within the Moloka'i population, we have conducted a phylogenetic study of the Hawaiian plants via DNA extraction from 23 individuals and sequencing of the plastid gene rpl32-trnL and the ITS1-5.85 rDNAITS2 nuclear region. We explore whether a divergence event has occurred using maximum likelihood analyses, which suggest some molecular divergence in the sampled DNA regions. Our results suggest that the Moloka'I populations warrant recognition as distinct from C. oahuense at some level. Continued study of Chenopodium 'sp. Moloka'i' will lead to a better understanding of how plants have evolved to thrive in extreme habitats, specifically environments subject to high salinity and little fresh water, and may contribute to efforts to conserve other unusual plant populations in Moloka'i.

1

Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA2Bucknell University, Biology, 20 N. 7th St, Bucknell University Biology Department, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States3San Francisco State University, Biology, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA4Bucknell University, Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

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536

MCMURCHIE, ELIZABETH* 1 and WEEKS, ANDREA 2

537

A floristic survey of vascular plants of the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, Purcellville, Loudoun County, Virginia

The vascular flora of the Meeman Biological Field Station

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floristic survey and analysis of community composition were conducted during the 2017 growing season at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES), Purcellville, Virginia. The BRCES is a 900 acre park located in the "Between the Hills" region of Loudoun County between the Blue Ridge and Short Hill Mountains. The park contains several wetlands, including Gordon Pond, Piney Run, Sweet Run and an unshaded seep adjacent to Sweet Run, as well as a wetland that has developed in place of a formerly dammed pond. Parts of two meadows, Demory Field and Sawmill Field, as well as a powerline cut, are maintained for native grasses and meadow plants. On June 14, 2016, the mostly wooded western 600 acres of the park were transferred to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to form Loudoun County's first State Park. In this study, vascular plants of 468 taxa at the species level belonging to 308 genera and 101 families were identified. Twenty-eight species identified were new records for Loudoun County. One species, Pycnanthemum torreyi, is considered rare at the state level under the Virginia Natural Heritage Resources designation S2 (imperiled). Eleven plots were used to determine community types as defined by the Virginia Natural Heritage Program. 1

George Mason University, School of Systems Biology , 10900 University Blvd, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA2George Mason University, Department Of Biology, 4400 University Drive MSN 3E1, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States

PRATHER , NATHANAEL

PHILIP* 1 and BAYER, RANDALL 2

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he vascular flora of the Meeman Biological Field Station (MBS) of the Department of Biological Sciences, was studied during the growing season of 2018. MBS is located in the northwest corner of Shelby County, Tennessee, along the Mississippi River and adjacent to the Meeman Shelby Forest State Park. The study area is 600 acres of eastern deciduous forest that contain five distinct habitat types. Throughout the growing season an average of three collection trips were made to the field station per week. Collections were obtained using a ambling collection method, in order to sample all species occurring within the station boundaries. For the flora, 1-12 voucher specimens of each species were taken depending on the status of the individual species. Fewer vouchers were taken for those species which had a rare status, while more specimens were taken for those that were abundant. Upon collection, flower, leaf, and overall plant dimensions were measured for each specimen and then each was pressed. All collections will be mounted and added to the University of Memphis Herbarium (MEM), and uploaded to Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC). The purpose of this study is to have a complete record of the vascular plants of the Meeman Biological Field Station. Repetition of this study can allow for tracking of plant migrations and shifts. This study may also be beneficial to conservation efforts involving rare or endangered species which occur within the boundaries of the field station. Finally, a detailed record of the vascular plants within the field station property gives important information about habitat composition that may prove vital to future studies of both flora and fauna. 1

University of Memphis, Biology, 3720 Alumni Ave, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA2PO Box 2280 Campus Postal Station, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States

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FUNCTIONAL GENETICS/GENOMICS ORAL PAPERS 538

SPOELHOF, JONATHAN* 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 3

Polyploidy and mutation in Arabidopsis

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enome structure influences the fate and impact of genetic mutations. Compared to diploids, polyploids possess more redundant gene copies that mitigate the effects of deleterious mutations. However, structural variation between auto- and allopolyploid genomes, and between neopolyploid and older polyploid genomes, may influence the extent to which polyploid organisms experience this benefit. Diploid Arabidopsis thaliana, synthetic (neopolyploid) and natural autotetraploid A. thaliana, and synthetic and natural allotetraploid A. suecica, were subjected to mutagenesis (via ethyl methanesulfonate, or EMS) and measured to determine the aggregate impact of induced mutations on reproductive fitness traits. The effects of mutagenesis on these traits, including germination, survival to flowering, number of fruits per plant, and average number of seeds per fruit, were analyzed for differences between different types (auto- and allopolyploid) and ages (synthetic neopolyploid and natural polyploid) of tetraploid Arabidopsis lines. As expected, the fitness of tetraploid Arabidopsis lines decreased less in response to mutagenesis than diploid lines. Among the tetraploid lines, the fitness of autotetraploid lines and established tetraploid lines decreased less in response to mutagenesis than the fitness of allotetraploid lines and synthetic tetraploid lines, respectively. The implications of these results for molecular evolution in polyploid plants are discussed. 1

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States

539

SHAN, SHENGCHEN* 1, YANG, BING , HAUSER, BERNARD 3, MAVRODIEV, EVGENY 4, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 5 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 6 2

Application of CRISPR/Cas9 to Tragopogon (Asteraceae), an evolutionary model for the study of polyploidy

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ecently formed natural polyploid species of Tragopogon (Asteraceae) provide an excellent model system for studying the immediate consequences of polyploidization. Application of CRISPR/ Cas9, an efficient and customizable genome editing technology, to Tragopogon will facilitate novel studies of the genetic consequences following polyploidization. Here, we report our initial results of developing CRISPR/Cas9 in Tragopogon. We have established a feasible tissue culture and transformation proto-

col for Tragopogon. Half-strength MS medium with 0.5 mg/L NAA and 1.0 mg/L BAP was used for callus induction from cotyledon explants. MS medium with 0.4 mg/L BAP was adopted for shoot regeneration. Roots were regenerated from the shoot apex on half-strength MS medium with 0.05 mg/L NAA. Hygromycin B was found to suppress callus growth and shoot regeneration. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Tragopogon cotyledon explants produced transgenic calli at a high efficiency. We also established an efficient protocol for Tragopogon protoplast isolation and transfection. Use of a CRISPR/ Cas9 system, built upon Arabidopsis ubiquitin promoter and U6 promoters for Cas9 and single guide RNA (sgRNA) expression, respectively, was capable of introducing site-specific mutations in Tragopogon protoplasts, through editing the exogenous nonfunctional GFP gene for gain of green fluorescence signal. Approximately 6.8% of the protoplasts displayed strong GFP signal 60 h after transfection. Finally, to test the feasibility of utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 for endogenous gene editing in Tragopogon, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with Cas9/sgRNA constructs targeting the phytoene desaturase gene (TraPDS) was implemented in this model polyploid system. Sanger sequencing indicated simultaneous mutation of two copies and four copies of TraPDS in albino shoots from T. porrifolius (2x) and T. mirus (4x), respectively. The proportion of successfully transformed calli with the albino phenotype reached on average 87% and 78% in the diploid and polyploid, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first application of CRISPR/Cas9 in any natural polyploid system, and one of the few cases of CRISPR/Cas9mediated mutation in species of Asteraceae. This work illustrates the potential of applying CRISPR/ Cas9 technology in studies of evolution. Potential applications of a usable CRISPR/Cas9 system will permit unique studies of genome dominance in polyploids and investigation of those genes involved in phenotypic changes, such as distinct inflorescence morphologies in reciprocally formed polyploid T. miscellus. 1

Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, 1035C Roy J. Carver Co-Lab, Ames, IA, 50011, USA3Department of Biology, 516A Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4Florida Natural History Museum, Florida Museum Of Natural History PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States6University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL

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540

541

Transposon mutagenesis in soybean

Phenotypic variation and genetic control of long-term success in a near century long study of barley (Hordeum vulgare)

MCASSEY, EDWARD* 1, LAIL, LAUREN 2, SONON, VIRGILLE 2, LU, ZEFU 3 , SCHMITZ, ROBERT 3 and PARROTT, WAYNE 4

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ransposon mutagenesis is capable of creating heritable mutant phenotypes that allow genephenotype relationships to be established. The usage of mPing has generated mutant phenotypes occurring throughout the lifecycle: leaf color and shape, time to maturity, plant size, and seed color. Understanding the genetic basis of traits in a model crop species like Glycine max has the potential to inform comparative genomic investigations in related organisms. Previous studies have indicated that mPing, a rice DNA transposon, often inserts up- or downstream of genes. Therefore, there is a possibility that mPing insertions have the potential to modulate gene expression by disrupting important cis-regulatory sequences. To produce additional mPing insertions we have subjected lines to tissue culture to enhance transposition. In order to map new insertions, we used high-throughput sequencing to compare the original parents to tissue culture derived plants. Here we present a lineage of plants containing at least six new, and heritable, mPing insertions that are within 10 kb of genes. Additional work in soybean has shown that four of six of these insertion locations are found in open chromatin, which only makes up a small percentage of the genome. This suggests that chromatin structure is an important determinant of transposon occupancy. To further assess the role of these insertions we are performing quantitative RTPCR experiments to look for differential expression of these six gene models in a variety of tissues including leaves, flowers, pods, and roots. 1

University Of Georgia, Center For Applied Genetic Technologies, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA, 30602, United States2University of Georgia, Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA, 30602, USA3University of Georgia, Department of Genetics, 120 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA4University of Georgia, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

LANDIS, JACOB* 1, GUERCIO, ANGELICA 2, FISCUS, CHRISTOPHER 3 and KOENIG, DANIEL 4

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ith a changing climate and ever increasing global population, being able to predict successful genotypes in an agricultural setting is becoming increasingly important. Understanding the genetic basis of crop performance over many years is imperative, but long-term studies translating genotype to phenotype are exceedingly rare. One such system, the composite cross II (CCII) of barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a near century long agricultural genetics experiment which allows us to explore the genetic basis of crop performance. The CCII was imitated in 1927 from 28 lines of cultivated barely from around the world and grown at UC Davis on a semi-yearly basis spanning 60 generations with no artificial selection. By utilizing a randomized greenhouse experiment of 4 timepoints spanning 40 generations, we were able to characterize phenotypic change of many agronomically important traits such as plant height, flowering time, and total yield. With genotype ascertainment using RADSeq, we were able to link changes in observed phenotype to specific changes in the genome, in some cases to down to individual genes. Using obtained genotypes, we are also able to identify signatures of selection and determine if particular parental genotypes were favored in the California climate. These results provide an estimate into the speed and extent evolution is acting on this composite cross population.

1

University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 3401 Watkins Drive, Boyce Hall, Room 4412, Riverside, CA, 92507, United States2University of California Riverside, Botany and Plant Sciences, Boyce Hall, Room 4412, 3401 Watkins Drive, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA3University Of California, Riverside , Department Of Botany And Plant Sciences , 900 University Avenue, Batchelor Hall , Riverside, CA, 92521, United States4University of California Riverside, Boyce Hall, Room 4410, 3401 Watkins Drive, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

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542 JULIUS 2

AZEEZ, SEKINAT* 1 and FALUYI,

543

GARC�­A, MIGUEL 1, COSTEA, MIHAI 2, IBIAPINO, AMALIA 3, STEFANOVIC, SASA* 4 and GUERRA FILHO, MARCELO 5

Cytological, Foliar-epidermal and Pollen Grain Studies in Relation to Ploidy Level in Four Nigerian Species of Physalis L

Genome size and karyotype evolution in Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae)

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he relationship between the chromosome numbers, pollen grain and epidermal parameters and ploidy levels among four Nigerian Physalis species (Physalis angulata, Physalis micrantha, Physalis pubescens and Physalis peruviana) was investigated using morphometrics, meiotic chromosome studies and palynology. The study revealed that P. angulata has chromosome number of 2n=48 while the other three species have chromosome number of 2n=24 each. The chromosomes were well paired at pachynema as ring II or rod II. Two simultaneous cytokinesis were observed in all the four species studied. P. angulata has the widest pollen grain diameter as well as largest guard cell area and highest Stomata Index when compared to the rest. The results indicate that P. angulata is the only tetraploid among the four Nigerian Physalis species studied while the other three are diploids. 1

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, Department Of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, Ile-Ife, OS, A234, Nigeria2Obafemi Awolowo University, Botany, Ile-Ife, Osun, 234, NIGERIA

uscuta (dodder) is one of the most diverse groups of obligate parasitic plants comprising about 200 species, many of which have a substantial economic and ecological importance. Systematics of the genus has been challenging in the past because of rampant hybridization the lack of morphological characters, but several recent molecular studies have provided an explicit and robust phylogenetic framework for this group. Albeit limited, the currently available evidence indicates that Cuscuta may represent a genus with the broadest karyotypic and genome size diversity among all of angiosperms. First, it includes species not only with regular monocentric but also with holocentric chromosomes, a feature found in a very few phylogenetically scattered groups of plants. Also, dodders exhibit significant karyotype variation, with reported chromosome numbers varying from 2n = 8 to 2n = 60. In addition, the genus is diverse in chromosome size, symmetrical or asymmetrical karyotypes, and a high variation in nuclear DNA content. The aim of this study is to further explore the limits of karyotype diversity in Cuscuta as a step towards a greater understanding of the chromosome evolution and polyploidy across this genus. Twenty-five new collections were analyzed using iron hematoxylin or DAPI staining. Quantification of genome size in twelve of these species was also performed using flow cytometry. These results, along with tractable results from previous cytological studies in the genus, are presented in a phylogenetic context. Karyotype diversity in Cuscuta is much more extensive than previously thought. We report for the first time 2n = 90 (hexaploid) and ~150 (decaploid) chromosome numbers in the genus. The nuclear DNA content variation in the species examined was over 65-fold, which, along with previously available estimates, makes Cuscuta one of the most diverse angiosperm genus in terms of genome size. Hybridization and polyploidy have likely played a significant role in Cuscuta species diversification. The enormous variation in chromosome type, number, size, and DNA amounts, along with a well-resolved phylogeny at multiple levels, makes Cuscuta a great model to study genome and chromosome evolution in plants generally, and the transition from monocentric to holocentric chromosomes in particular. 1

University of Toronto Mississauga, Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L1C6, Canada275 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, ON, N2L3C5, Canada3Federal University of Pernambuco, Botany, Receife, PE, Brazil4University Of Toronto Mississauga, Department Of Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada5Av Flor De Santana , 263/1502, Casa Forte, Recife, PE, 50060-280, Brazil

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544

ADHIKARI, BINAYA* 1, CARUSO, CHRISTINA 2 and CASE, ANDREA 3

545

Diversity and complexity of sexdetermining genetics in a gynodioecious wildflower Lobelia siphilitica L. (Campanulaceae)

Functional Characterization of Terminal Flower1 Homolog in Cornus canadensis - Deciphering its role in evolution of inflorescences in Cornus

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ytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) represents an interesting example of cytonuclear incompatibility in flowering plants. CMS genes are mitochondrial and can cause male (pollen) sterility unless one or more specific nuclear restorer alleles suppress them. Models propose that co-occurrence of multiple CMS types results in expression of female phenotypes in populations. However, the levels of CMS diversity within a gynodioecious species and its populations remain unclear. Also, whether CMS genes are selectively maintained or frequently replaced in a population is not clear. We conducted an extensive crossing experiment using 30 maternal families from 12 populations of a gynodioecious wildflower (Lobelia siphilitica) to estimate the diversity and distribution of CMS genes and to assess genetic models of male fertility restoration. We found at least six CMS types at the level of the species and 2-4 unique CMS types within some populations; this is higher than the diversity previously reported in any gynodioecious species. Most of these CMS types were widely distributed among populations, indicating that they may have been maintained within the species for a long time. Moreover, many CMS types had complex genetics of restoration involving multiple loci and sometimes epistasis. Finally, some of the CMS types were difficult to restore, suggesting that they either have complex restoration genetics or were formed relatively recently. Such CMS types could contribute to very high female frequencies in some populations.

1

Kent State University, Biological Sciences, Cunningham Hall, Biological Sciences, Kent, OH, 44242, United States2University Of Guelph, Department Of Integrative Biology, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada3Box 5190, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, United States

LIU, XIANG 1, XIANG, JENNY* 1, FRANKS, ROBERT 1 and XIE, DEYU 2

ERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) is known to play an important role in regulating the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in Arabidopsis thaliana via interactions with LEAFY (LFY) and APETALA1 (AP1). Different roles of TFL1 homologues from other species in the process of inflorescence development have been reported. Our recent comparative analysis of CorTFL1 gene expression among Cornus species suggested CorTFL1 may be a key player in variation of inflorescence types within Cornus through interaction with CorAP1. Our previous study of overexpressing TFL1 homologs from C. florida and C. canadensis in Arabidopsis revealed a delay in the onset of flowering in wild type Arabidopsis and a rescue of the phenotypic defect of mutant tfl118. However, the role of CorcanTFL1 in the endogenous system of Cornus was unknown. Here we report results from functional analysis of the gene in C. canadensis. In this study, we introduced different constructs of CorcanTFL1 into wild type C. canadensis via an Agrobacterium-mediated stable transformation system. The study generated more than 30 individual transgenic plants. Analysis using qRT-PCR indicated that CorcanTFL1 expression was downregulated in antisense and hairpin transgenic plants, while the expression was upregulated in all overexpression transgenic plants. Compared to wild type plants, the inflorescence buds of CorcanTFL1-downregulated plants emerged on apex of the stem as early as in 8 months (17 months on an average after planting, an average of approximately 4 months earlier than the wild type). Meanwhile CorcanTFL1 overexpressing plants failed to transition to flowering during the first three years after planting. In addition to alteration of flowering time, dramatic morphological changes were also observed in some downregulated transgenic plants. The changes included conversion of leaves at upper most node into white, petalloid bract-like structure, conversion of axillary bud at upper most node into small secondary inflorescence, and phyllotaxy of inflorescence-bearing stem from opposite to alternate. Despite the fact that the inflorescence architectures were the same in these downregulated plants, the inflorescence size (number of flowers per inflorescence) appeared to have been reduced. However, in most downregulated plants, no apparent change in flower number in each inflorescence compared to the wild type was observed. These observations suggest that CorcanTFL1 plays a critical role in floral initiation and early inflorescence development in Cornus, congruent with the finding from previous comparative gene expression analysis. This is the first report of gene functional characterization of a floral/inflorescence regulator in Cornus. 1

North Carolina State University, Plant and Microbial Biology, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA2North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

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546

KOLLAR, LESLIE* 3, EPPLEY, SARAH 1, ROSENSTIEL, TODD 2 and MCDANIEL, STUART 3

The role of volatile organic compounds in antagonistic selection in the moss Ceratodon purpureus

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central goal in evolution is to understand the mechanisms that maintain genetic variation for fitness. Across much of the tree of life, males and females are clearly differentiated in many nonreproductive traits, presumably because selection favors different trait optima in each sex. Thus, an allele that increases fitness in one sex can be deleterious in the opposite sex, causing genetic conflict. The role of genetic conflict in maintaining variation for fitness depends upon the degree to which males and females respond similarly to an allelic substitution (i.e., the cross-sex correlation) and the difference in optimum phenotypes between the sexes, both poorly understood quantities. Here, I estimated the cross-sex correlation for several life history traits in the moss, Ceratodon purpureus using a common greenhouse experiment with 46 haploid-sibling families, each comprising three male and three female offspring. I focused on sexual dimorphic volatile organic compound (VOC) production. Analogous to flowering plant-pollinator mutualisms, female C. purpureus gametophytes emit abundant VOCs to attract spermdispersing microarthropods, which significantly increase fertilization rates in moss. Male mosses produce fewer VOCs than female mosses, suggesting that VOC production may be costly. The cross-sex correlations across all traits were less than one but greater than zero, suggesting that intersexual genetic conflict can maintain genetic variation for fitness. Next I plan to conduct competitive mating experiments in controlled mesocosms to identify traits linked with female and male reproductive success. 1

Portland State University, Biology, PO Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207, United States2Portland State Biology, 1719 SW 10th Ave. SRTC 246, Portland, OR, 97201.0, United States3Biology Department, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

547

DABNEY, CLEMON* 1, GRASSA, CHRISTOPHER 2, WENGER , JONATHAN P 3, CJ, SCHWARTZ 4 and WEIBLEN, GEORGE 5

The heritability of odor in Cannabis: Using metabolomics, QTL, PCA and Gaussian Markov Random Fields to understand the genetics of terpene production in Cannabis sativa

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annabis has been cultivated for over 10,000 years for pharmacological effects, seed oil and fiber. Terpenes are responsible for the distinctive aroma of Cannabis flowers. To better understand terpene production in cannabis we phenotyped a cannabis mapping population for terpene profile and abundance using GC/MS, sequenced the genomes of this population, ran QTL analysis and used principal components analysis (PCA) and Gaussian Markov Random Fields to better understand terpene production in cannabis. Hemp-type and drug-type cannabis were crossed to produce an F2 mapping population. Ninety-six female F2 plants were sequenced and sampled for quantitative analysis of terpenes in female inflorescences. A high-density (HD) linkage map using Illumina sequence data of the parents and 96 F2 individuals from the mapping population was produced. The mapping population was phenotyped for terpene profile and abundance using solid phase microextraction and GC/MS to study volatile terpenes in Cannabis. This phenotypic data was associated with our genomic data using QTL analysis and we found significant QTL for a-pinene, limonene and myrcene. To better understand terpene profiles in cannabis we used a multi-trait mixed model to estimate genetic and environmental covariance components. We used Gaussian Markov Random Fields to cluster terpene profiles and PCA to identify patterns of association among terpene profiles in our mapping population. PCA and Gaussian Markov Random Fields indicated that myrcene abundance is linked with a-guaiene and s-guaiene while humulene and caryophyllene production are linked. We also observed a strong negative association between limonene and a-pinene.

1

Univeristy of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA2Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States3University Of Minnesota, Plant And Microbial Biology, 1479 Gortner Ave, 140 Gortner Lab, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States4Sunrise Genetics, po box 2372, Fort Collins, CO, 80522, USA5Plant & Microbial Biology, 140 Gortner Laboratory , 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States

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548

WENGER , JONATHAN P* 1, DABNEY, CLEMON 1, ELSOHLY, MAHMOUD 2, CHANDRA, SUMAN 2, RADWAN, MOHAMED 2, MAJUMDAR, CHANDRANI G 2 and WEIBLEN, GEORGE 1

Validating a predictive model of cannabinoid inheritance with Minnesota ditch weed (Cannabis sativa L.)

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ith documented use by humans for thousands of years as a source of fiber, food, and drugs, Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis, hemp, marijuana) is a species of significant cultural and economic importance. Federal regulations prevented the study of feral populations (ditch weed) until recently. We obtained permission to examine cannabinoid profiles and genetic markers in Minnesota ditch weed populations. Some of these populations could be descended from a 1943 effort by the U.S. Plant Defense Corporation to establish hemp fiber production in the Minnesota River Valley. Sampling of >300 plants from feral populations yielded three distinct cannabinoid profiles: predominantly cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), predominantly tetrahydrocannbinolic acid (THCA), and intermediate. The frequency of a hemp-type cannabinoid profile in these populations was 0.9, while intermediate was 0.09, and drug-type was 0.01. We used the same feral plants to test a cannabinoid inheritance model that we developed from our hemp/drug-type cannabis mapping population. The model predicts the ratio of THCA to CBDA from functional and non-functional genotypes of CBDA synthase (CBDAS). We found a perfect correlation between cannabinoid profiles and CBDAS genotypes despite substantial quantitative variation in total cannabinoid content among feral plants (0.59.0% inflorescence dry weight).

1

University of Minnesota, Plant & Microbial Biology, 1479 Gortner Ave, 140 Gortner Lab, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108-1095, United States2University of Mississippi, National Center for Natural Products Research, 806 Hathorn Road, 135 Coy Waller Laboratory Complex, Box 1848, University, MS, 38677-1848, United States

549

SCHWABE, ANNA* 1, HANSEN, CONNOR 1, HYSLOP, RICHARD 2 and MCGLAUGHLIN, MITCHELL 1

Cannabis sativa: using genetic analyses to stir the pot

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annabis sativa has been cultivated for thousands of years and is hailed as one of the most versatile sustainable crops used for fiber, food, fuel, pharmaceuticals and fun. The single species genus has been a source of debate for taxonomists, but is commonly divided into two usage groups: hemp and drug. Hemp-types are generally cultivated for fiber, seed, or flowers high in cannabidiol (CBD) and have < 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Plants containing >0.3% THC are described as drug-type plants and are commonly designated as Sativa, Indica or Hybrid. Cannabis has largely been illegal since the inception of genetic tools, and as such, there are large knowledge gaps in our understanding of this billion dollar crop species. Applications for medicine are well documented, but rigorous scientific testing is lacking. In the U.S., the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) provides much of the funding for medical Cannabis research and the plants for medical research are grown at one facility located at the University of Mississippi. Recently, studies have shown that NIDA Cannabis chemotypes are not representative of retail and medical Cannabis. Additionally, there are thousands of recognized strains, which are propagated through self-fertilization or cloning. Therefore, strains should be genetically highly similar no matter where the sample was acquired. Ten novel microsatellites were used to examine hemptype and drug-type samples, as well as two samples from NIDA. Results from this study show (1) clear genetic distinction between hemp and drug-types, (2) within strain samples are not genetically consistent among dispensaries, (3) genetic analyses do not align with the common usage of Sativa, Indica and Hybrid types, (4) high genetic variation in drug strains but not hemp strains, and (5) NIDA samples are genetically distinct from retail drug strains and are more similar to hemp strains. 1

University Of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Box 92, Greeley, CO, 80639, United States2University of Northern Colorado, Chemistry, 501 20th St, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA

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POSTERS

551

550

BADERINWA-ADEJUMO, ADEJOKE OLUSOLA* 1 and FADAYOMI, IDOWU ENIAFE 2

Making a Better Kale: Implementing a Novel Genetic Engineering Technique for Brassica oleracea

Genetic Diversity in Pumpkins (Cucurbita sp.) Accessions from Southwest Nigeria Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Marker

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he taxonomy of the members of the family Cucurbitaceae had been a challenge to botanist in Nigeria, which had resulted into confusion in proper identification of the members. There are many overlaps in the group. The diversity among some Nigeria accessions of Cucurbita was investigated using RAPD makers to determine the genetic relationships. DNA extracts were made from the leaves of 13 Cucurbita accessions. PCR- RAPD analysis revealed a more realistic relationship by grouping the accessions into distinct clusters that appeared to have some link with agro-ecology from which the accessions were collected. Variations observed in the fruit qualitative traits depicted higher discrimination with some implications on the genetic diversity and relationship among the accessions. The study demonstrated that RAPD makers could be considered the purest way to establish the genetic diversity among the members 1

Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo , Department of Biology, Senior Staff Quaters, 023B, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo , Ondo, OD, +2342Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Department of Biology, No 22, Akinyosoye Street, Ife Road, Ondo, Ondo, OD, +234, "NG"

GEBKEN, SARAH* 1, MABRY, MAKENZIE 2 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 3

RISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats) is a genetic engineering tool that is revolutionizing the field of biology because it is a precise and inexpensive method for introducing mutations in organisms. In this project, we are editing a gene that affects leaf shape using CRISPR/Cas9 System. The gene we are attempting to knockout is CURLY LEAF (CLF), shown in Arabidopsis thaliana to display reduced stem dimensions as well as curled and reduced foliage leaves. Arabidopsis is closely related to Brassica oleracea which includes vegetable crops such as kale, cauliflower, and broccoli. However, Brassica has many more duplicated genes than Arabidopsis, making it more challenging to study and to target genes to knock-out and edit. Using two guide RNAs to target two parts of a gene, one at the beginning of the gene and one at the end, we can increase the likelihood of a complete knock-out of the gene. Our goal is to increase our understanding of the CRISPR/Cas 9 system by allowing us to study how we can overcome duplicated genes in Brassica oleracea to find an efficient transformation process with CRISPR. After a successful knockout of CLF in Brassica oleracea, we will use the same methods in Brassica napus (canola, rutabaga), which has even more duplicate genes than Brassica oleracea. Using a combination of lab work and bioinformatics, our goal is to find a general way to predictably increase genetic engineering efficiency in a variety of organisms with duplicated genes and genomes.

1

University of Missouri - Columbia, Biological Engineering, 416 S 6th St, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA2University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins St., Columbia, MO, 65201, United States3University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

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552

WILSON, RACHEL* 1 and MICHAELS, HELEN 2

Genetic Basis of Seed Coat Polymorphisms in Lupinus perennis

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ultigenetic traits, such as seed coat phenotypes, are poorly understood in domesticated plants. This gap in knowledge can be filled by studies in wild relatives. I am investigating if mutations in the structural genes of the Anthocyanin Biosynthetic Pathway (ABP) lead to seed coat polymorphisms in Lupinus perennis. Legumes have been artificially selected for biochemical traits that are often correlated with color, size, taste, and chemical composition. For example, sweetness of seeds has been correlated to low alkaloid production. Lupin, a type of legume, is used as livestock feed but is beginning to gain popularity as a health food due to the high protein levels (30-40%) in the seeds. As a cover crop, Lupin creates root nodes for rhizobium bacteria to colonize that convert atmospheric nitrogen to biologically usable nitrogen. Also, Lupinus perennis (wild relative) is a host plant for endangered butterflies like the Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) and correlated biochemistry of leaf tissue can impact restoration efforts, while Lupinus angustifolius (domesticated) has recently had its genome sequenced. The seed coat is the outermost layer protecting the seed, and is composed of maternal tissue. Seed coats are known to control dormancy, predation, and microbe interactions. Polymorphic seeds have been documented in many plants such examples are chickpea and soybean. Accordingly, phenotypic differences have been shown to relate to differences in chemical composition. Also, it is shown that genistein, naringenin, and malvidin (products of the ABP) are in higher concentrations in darker pigmented seeds compared to lighter pigmented seeds. Due to its position in the ABP preceding the production of these compounds, CHI has been chosen as the candidate gene target. My strategy is to sequence DNA from seed coats to look for mutations in CHI. Based on the literature I will likely find mutations that creates a premature stop or an insertion in the gene that decrease CHI's function. However, while there are many studies in Soybean and Chickpea, there are relatively few studies on Lupin. This is critical work because of the ability to apply the results to agricultural and restoration. Additionally, this work adds to the novelty of the Anthocyanin Biosynthetic Pathway.

553

GOMEZ-QUIJANO, MARIA JOSE * 1, WRIGHT, SARA J. 2, OLSEN, KENNETH M. 2 and GROSS, BRIANA L. 3

Variation in Cyanide Production of White Clover (Trifolium repens) Across a Steep Environmental Gradient

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hite clover (Trifolium repens) is a perennial, herbaceous legume originally from Europe, which has now spread all over the world. White clover can produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when damaged, and previous research has found that in areas with warmer climates and low elevations, the percentage of cyanogenic white clover is higher than in colder areas and high elevations. Duluth, Minnesota, has a significant temperature and elevation variation for a small area (226.44 km2): near the lake (185 m) vs. up the hill (435m). Simultaneously, Lake Superior has an impact on the climate by the lake vs. the top of the hill; the lake generates a cool, wet microclimate along the shoreline. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between elevation, climate, and HCN production in white clover across the Duluth area. We found that 60.5% of the total sampled individuals carry the Ac allele responsible for the production of cyanogenic glucosides (linamarin), and that linamarin production was positively correlated with elevation. These results are consistent with recent studies of clover adaptation to drought suggesting that linamarin serves as a nitrogen storage system. Plants producing linamarin are able to recover from drought rapidly by accessing the stored nitrogen. Plants at the top of the hill in Duluth may face drier conditions than those near the lake shore, where conditions are generally wetter, thus driving a trend in linamarin production across the elevational gradient.

1

University of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 223 S 61st Ave W, 1035 Kirby Drive, Swenson Science Building, Duluth, MN, 55807-55812, USA2Washington University, Biology Dept., Campus Box 1137, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, United States3University of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 252C Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA

1

Bowling Green, OH 43403, Bowling Green, OH, 43402, United States2Bowling Green State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, Life Science Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, United States

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554 SMITH, TYLER* 1, KRON, PAUL 2 and MARTIN, SARA 3

555

flowPloidy: An R Package for determining Genome Size and Ploidy from Flow Cytometry Histograms

Functional characterization of candidate petal fusion genes in Petunia axillaris

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low cytometry (FCM) is a key technology for assessing genome size and ploidy in plants. Where cytology was once limited to time-consuming and laborious chromosome squashes, we can now process dozens of FCM samples in a single day. Determining DNA content relative to a co-chopped standard is an intuitive process. In practice, however, extracting accurate DNA estimates from FCM data in a rigorous and repeatable way is a difficult task. Several widely used programs rely on users to manually select peaks, a process that is inherently subjective. Alternative model-fitting approaches are not widely used in botany, in part due to their limited availability in inexpensive software packages. To address this issue, we have developed flowPloidy, an R package that provides a robust, non-linear regression-based procedure for determining DNA content from FCM histograms. It offers several features that distinguish it from available alternatives: - non-linear regression analysis for FCM histograms, with automated extraction of DNA ratios, CV values and other parameters - a graphical interface for interactively reviewing analyses - simple gating for dealing with high-debris samples, while retaining the power of model-fitting to extract parameter estimates - part of the R programming environment, allowing results to be seamlessly integrated into downstream analyses open-source, providing users with complete access to study and extend the code - cross-platform and freely available

JILL 2

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CRONIN, PAUL* 1 and PRESTON,

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he repeated evolution of fused petals (sympetaly) from unfused (choripetalous) ancestors is hypothesized to have augmented flowering plant diversification through increased specialization by animal pollinators. Petals in choripetalous species, including many rosid core eudicots, are initially separated through growth suppression in the boundary region between primordia. In contrast, most sympetalous asterid core eudicots form a ring primordium beneath discrete petal primordia that will go on to form the proximal corolla tube. Although much is known about petal organogenesis from studying the choripetalous species Arabidopsis thaliana (rosid), the type of genetic rewiring required to promote growth of a fused tube is poorly understood. To identify candidate genes that potentially distinguish free from fused regions of the corolla, we have carried out differential gene expression analyses on the proximal (fused) versus distal (free) regions of early developing Petunia axillaris (Solanaceae) petals. We predict that virus-induced-silencing of a subset of these genes that are known growth regulators - including members of the KNOX, BELL, TCP, GATA, and zinc finger transcription factor families - will result in changes in the presence or degree of sympetaly. 1

University of Vermont, Plant Biology, 306 Jefford's Hall, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States2University Of Vermont, Plant Biology, 63 Carrigan Drive, 111 Jeffords Hall, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States

1

Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada2Dept Of Botany, University Of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada3Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C6, Canada

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HYBRIDS AND HYBRIDIZATION ORAL PAPERS 556

BIRD, KEVIN* 1, VANBUREN, ROBERT , PUZEY, JOSHUA 3 and EDGER, PATRICK 4 2

The causes and consequences of subgenome dominance in hybrids and recent polyploids

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he merger of divergent genomes, via hybridization or allopolyploidization, frequently results in a 'genomic shock' that induces a series of rapid, novel genetic and epigenetic modifications due to conflicts between parental genomes. This conflict among the subgenomes routinely leads one subgenome to become dominant over the other subgenome(s), resulting in subgenome biases in gene content and expression. Recent advances in methods to analyze hybrid and polyploid genomes with comparisons to extant parental progenitors have allowed for major strides in understanding the mechanistic basis for subgenome dominance. Here we will describe recent discoveries uncovering the underlying mechanisms and provide a framework to predict subgenome dominance in hybrids and allopolyploids with far reaching implications for agricultural, ecological, and evolutionary research. 1

Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St., 1066 Bogue St., East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States2Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St., East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States3College Of William And Mary, Biology Dept., 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States4Michigan State University

557

MCCARTHY, ELIZABETH* 1, LANDIS, JACOB 2, KURTI, AMELDA 3, LAWHORN, AMBER 3 and LITT, AMY 4

The genetic basis of flower color differences in Nicotiana tabacum

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llopolyploidy involves both whole genome duplication and interspecific hybridization. This merger of divergent genomes within the same nucleus results in genomic shock, which induces changes in gene expression, chromosome rearrangements, transposable element activation, and physiological and morphological changes. These morphological changes can manifest as a diversity of phenotypes in allopolyploids from a single origin. We are interested in elucidating the genetic changes that underlie the diversity of phenotypes in allopolyploids. To address this, we use Nicotiana (tobacco) allopolyploids that share the same origin and/or progenitors. We examined magenta- and light pink-flowered accessions of Nicotiana tabacum, which arose approximately 0.6 million years ago from N. sylvestris (white-flowered) and N. tomentosiformis (dark pink-flowered) progenitors, as well as light pink- and dark pink-flowered first-generation synthetic allopolyploid lines from a cross between the same progenitor species. Differ-

ences in pink hue among these accessions are due to increased cyanidin concentration in darker pink flowers. Cyanidin pigments are produced by the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, a branched pathway that creates both colorful anthocyanin and colorless (to humans) flavonol pigments. To determine the gene expression changes that underlie differences in floral color, we sequenced transcriptomes from corolla tissue of floral buds at 60%, 85%, and 95% of anthesis length from the two natural accessions and the two synthetic lines described above as well as their diploid progenitors. We analyzed transcript levels of the structural and regulatory genes known to be involved in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. The ratio between FLAVONOL SYNTHASE (FLS), which creates flavonols, and DIHYDROFLAVONOL 4-REDUCTASE (DFR), which begins the synthesis of anthocyanins, is high in light pink flowers early in floral development (60% of anthesis length buds). FLS and DFR act on the same substrates; therefore, this high FLS:DFR ratio suggests that competition between these enzymes may result in making flavonols at the expense of making anthocyanins, thus creating a light pink flower. This high FLS:DFR ratio seems to be due to delayed activation of DFR expression in light pink flowers compared to dark pink flowers. Thus, the diversity of floral color phenotypes in related Nicotiana allopolyploids seems to be due to changes in the developmental timing of expression of the genes that produce anthocyanins, leading to differences in the outcome of competition for the same substrates, which results in diverse flower colors. 1

University Of California, Riverside, Department Of Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, 92521, United States2University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 3401 Watkins Drive, Boyce Hall, Room 4412, Riverside, CA, 92507, United States3University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Sciences, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, 92521, USA4University Of California, Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

558

KINSER, TALIESIN* 1, SMITH, RONALD 2, LAWRENCE , AMELIA H 3, SMITH, GREGORY 2 and PUZEY, JOSHUA 4

Endosperm development of the triploid bridge to a Mimulus allohexaploid: insights into genomic imprinting

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he endosperm of angiosperms has not only provided essential advantages related to their success, but also is perhaps their most epigenetically intriguing tissue. This transient ephemeral tissue acts as a conduit of nutrients and hormones between the maternal plant and developing embryo and does not provide a genetic contribution to the next generation, even though it is sexual and thus contains both maternal and paternal genomes. The genomic and epigenomic balance between maternal and paternal genomes is critical to proper development of the endosperm (and thus the seed), and is defined by genomic imprinting.

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enomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon where the expression of certain genes is predominantly contributed by one parent and not the other and only occurs in angiosperms and viviparous mammals. Perturbation of imprinting can be fatal to the developing seeds and typically occurs from dosage imbalances or divergent imprinting patterns that can occur rapidly between closely related species. Inter-ploidy and inter-species hybridizations are a common method to study imprinting patterns and their driving genomic and evolutionary mechanisms. Both types of hybridization events can lead to similar endosperm abnormalities which traditionally are associated to similar underlying mechanisms. The most widely attributed evolutionary theory to these studies is the kin (or parental) conflict model, which predicts that sexual conflict arises through contrasting mating strategies of parental alleles, eventually establishing imprinted states. While there is evidence supporting this theory, not all studies provide such support, and there is still very little known about the processes, particularly evolutionary, behind genomic imprinting in angiosperms. We investigated a recent, naturally occurring, asymmetric hybridization system between two species of Mimulus (Phrymaceae): the diploid, M. guttatus, and tetraploid, M. luteus. Thus, this hybridization is both inter-ploidy and inter-species. We have studied histology, germination rates, transcriptomes, and methylomes of parent seeds and seeds from reciprocal hybrid crosses. Here, we report the developmental abnormalities driving germination rates in hybrid seeds. We also show differing imprinting patterns between the two species and how these patterns reveal Dobzhansky-Muller like incompatibilities in their hybrids. We examine subgenome-specific imprinting patterns, how they relate to broader epigenetic patterns, and their implications to the establishment of allopolyploids. Finally, we find unique imprinting patterns in this system, and we discuss our findings in a broader context related to evolutionary drivers underlying genomic imprinting. 1

College of William & Mary, 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185, United States2College of William and Mary, Applied Science, Williamsburg, VA, USA3College of William & Mary, Biology, 540 Landrum Dr., 110 Sadler Center, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185, United States4College Of William And Mary, Biology Dept., 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States

559

BANIAGA, ANTHONY* 1 and BARKER, MICHAEL 2

Hybridization, polyploidy, and adaptation to extreme environments by Selaginella

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ybridization and polyploidization (whole genome duplication) are common and important evolutionary processes in vascular plants. Despite the frequency of these processes most nascent polyploid species go extinct due to a combination of genetic and ecological obstacles, and little is known about the relative role of hybridization and whole genome duplication to allopolyploid establishment. Selaginella have some of the smallest nuclear genomes

found in vascular plants as well as variable levels of desiccation tolerance, with many around the world known as resurrection plants. The southwestern U.S. and mainland mexico is a center of functional and taxonomic diversity for the genus. In the transition zone between the Lower Colorado River Valley and Arizona Upland subdivisions in the Sonoran Desert diploid hybrids and allopolyploids are found, formed between crosses of Selaginella arizonica and S. eremophila [Selaginellaceae]. Both hybrid populations occupy drier, warmer climatic niches than either of their parents and have different ecophysiological strategies associated with more variable precipitation. Using a combination of transcriptome, genome, and ddRADseq data we confirm the parentage and hybrid nature of these populations. We also infer the relative contributions of each parent and their distribution in both hybrid genomes. Our results have broad implications for our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary genetic processes that occur in nascent diploid and polyploid hybrid populations in natural conditions. 1

University Of Arizona, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1041 Lowell, Bsw, Po Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States2Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States

560

UCKELE, KATHRYN* 1, RICHARDS, LORA 2, SHELEF, OREN 2 and PARCHMAN, THOMAS 2

Landscape genomic variation across three juniper species and their hybrids

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ybrid zones can be used as natural laboratories for investigating the drivers and consequences of admixture and reproductive isolation between ecologically distinct plant species. Because adaptation to environmental variation across the hybrid landscape may contribute substantially to variation in admixture, analyses which quantify genetic variation associated with environmental factors may improve our understanding of how genetic variation is structured across ecological and spatial gradients in hybridizing plant taxa. Juniper (Juniperus) is a foundational tree genus which occurs in many arid regions of western North America. Juniperus osteosperma (Utah juniper), J. occidentalis (western juniper), and J. grandis (Sierra juniper) come into secondary contact and hybridize in northwestern Nevada, where past work using cpDNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA has suggested a west-east gradient of introgression. We generated a data set of 8,882 SNPs spanning 25 populations using a reducedrepresentation sequencing approach (ddRAD) to generate a finer-scale understanding of population genetic structure and to infer ancestry across pure and potential hybrid populations spanning Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah. Utilizing two methods of environmental association analysis, we evaluate the extent to which environmental variation may shape genetic variation and hybrid ancestry across geographic space. In addition to resolving spatial genetic structure among hybrid and parental populations, our results reveal complex patterns of hybrid

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ancestry derived from admixture of three lineages. Furthermore, after accounting for spatial genetic structure, environmental variation explains a significant amount of the genetic variation differentiating parental from admixed populations. 1

University of Nevada Reno, Biology, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV, 89503, USA2University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV, 89503, United States

561

1

DEACON, NICHOLAS* , GROSSMAN, JAKE 2 and CAVENDER-BARES, JEANNINE 2

stress is likely to be a more important threat to these genetically unique hybrids as the Niobrara aspens share some of the morphological and physiological vulnerabilities to drought typical of both of their parental species. As this population does not appear to be sexually reproductive, conservation efforts should therefore focus on mitigating drought stress to stems resulting from ongoing asexual suckering. 1

Minneapolis Community And Technical College, Biology, 1501 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States2University Of Minnesota, 100 ECOLOGY BLDG, 1479 Gortner Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States

A hidden boreal relict: Midwest U.S. river canyon aspens are hybrids of species separated by time and space

562

T

Recurrent natural hybridization in Cuscuta sect. Denticulatae (Convolvulaceae)

he aspen (Populus spp.) population at Smith's Falls, located in the Niobrara River Valley of northern Nebraska, USA, have long been believed to have originated through hybridization. One of the putative parents, quaking aspen (P. tremuloides) is distributed in isolated pockets in the region. The range edge of the other, bigtooth aspen (P. grandidentata), has retracted since the Pleistocene, and is now located 650 km to the east of Smith's Falls. The genetic identity and diversity of the Niobrara aspens had not been rigorously assessed and the stand has shown recent declines in tree health and abundance believed to result from climate change-induced post-budbreak springtime freezing, and drought stress. To ascertain the genetic identity and diversity of the population, we compared nuclear microsatellite markers and chloroplast sequences of Niobrara aspens to those of their putative parental species. Individuals of the parental species and the putative hybrids were also grown in a common garden for phenotypic comparison using traditional and spectral techniques. To assess the aspens' climate change vulnerability, we harvested stems and leaves from common garden plants and measured morphological and physiological traits related to freezing (phenology, stem electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll fluorescence) and drought (embolism vulnerability, leaf osmotic potential) tolerance. Molecular analysis indicated that the Niobrara aspen population consists of only three genetically distinct individuals and that these individuals resulted from a Pleistoceneera hybridization event between quaking and bigtooth aspen. Comparison of microsatellite markers and chloroplast sequences of these Smith's aspens (P. x. smithii) suggests maternal chloroplast inheritance from P. grandidentata. Leaf margin dentition, abaxial pubescence, and budbreak phenology differentiated taxa, with the hybrids showing intermediate values. Spectral profiles allowed statistical separation of taxa in short-wave infrared wavelengths, with hybrids showing intermediate values, indicating that traits associated with the internal structure of leaves and water absorption may vary among taxa. We also found that the Niobrara aspens, like their parental species, are resistant to post-budbreak freezing, including at temperatures that they are likely to experience in future climate scenarios. Drought

STEFANOVIC, SASA* 1, GARC�­A, MIGUEL 2, WEINER, CATHERINE 3 and COSTEA, MIHAI 4

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he frequency and relative importance of hybridization in plants has been an area of intense debate. Although this evolutionary mechanism has received considerable attention from plant biologist, there are very few well-supported cases of reticulate evolution involving holoparasitic plants. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the subgenus Grammica, the largest and most diverse group of the stem parasitic genus Cuscuta, consists of 15 major clades, recognized as sections. As part of these broadscale surveys, we discovered a number of strongly supported discordance between phylogenies derived from plastid and nuclear data and interpret them as results of independent hybridization events. Some of these cases involve species whose potential progenitors are derived from different sections of subgenus Grammica, and which are allopatric in their present distribution. These are consistent with more ancient hybridization events. However, the remaining cases represent relatively recent reticulations because each of them involves more closely related species, always confined within the same section as their putative parental species, and are currently sympatric or parapartric with them. An in-depth investigation, including comprehensive sampling, molecular and morphometric analyses, chromosome work, and host preference was conducted across species and populations of Cuscuta section Denticulatae, and this case will be discussed in detail. 1

University Of Toronto Mississauga, Department Of Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada2University of Toronto Mississauga, Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, L5L 1C6, ON, Canada3Wilfrid Laurier University, Biology, Waterloo, ON, Canada475 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, ON, N2L3C5, Canada

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Hybridization speeds adaptation in Texas sunflowers: insights from field experimental evolution

Assessing the extent of hybridization between the invasive species Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) and the horticultural species L. virgatum

MITCHELL, NORA* 1, RIESEBERG, LOREN 2, OWENS, GREGORY 3 and WHITNEY, KENNETH 1

N

atural hybridization has been associated with speciation, adaptive diversification, and range expansion in plants, but its effect on the speed at which microevolution occurs largely remains to be determined. Using a multi-generation field experiment, we experimentally test whether hybridization can speed adaptive evolution. There are numerous instances where hybridization has resulted in adaption in North American sunflowers (Helianthus, Asteraceae). Contact between the widespread annual species Helianthus annuus and more geographically restricted Helianthus species has produced the hybrid subspecies H. annuus ssp. texanus, which has expanded the range of the former parental species. Here, we use artificially created backcross (BC1) lines and parental controls to compare rates of evolution between hybrid and non-hybrid lineages. Populations of experimental hybrids and parental controls were established in the field and allowed to naturally grow and reproduce for eight generations. We grew seeds collected from each generation in a commongarden setting, estimated whole-plant fitness, and measured traits associated with ecophysiology, herbivore damage, phenology, floral morphology, and growth architecture. We use Bayesian models to assess changes in fitness and trait values through time and compare hybrid and non-hybrid lineages with parental species. Despite low initial hybrid fitness, hybrid fitness increased to exceed that of controls in just eight generations. Specific traits tended to evolve more rapidly in hybrids than in controls, and the speed of evolution of these traits is positively related to previous estimates of selection differentials in early-generation BC1 hybrids. To our knowledge, this is the first field experiment to demonstrate that hybridization speeds adaptive evolution in a wild setting. 1

University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, MSC03-2020, 219 Yale Blvd NE, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 871312University Of British Columbia, Department Of Botany, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada3University of California, Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Bldg #3140, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

MATTINGLY, KALI* and HOVICK, STEVE

L

ythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) is considered one of the worst invasive species in Eastern North America. Negative ecological and economic impacts of L. salicaria invasion caused many states to prohibit its sale in the 1970s-80s. As a response to prohibition, nurseries replaced their stock of this beautiful flower with the closely related L. virgatum (European wand loosestrife). Lythrum virgatum can hybridize with L. salicaria to produce fertile offspring, and it has been hypothesized that introgression from L. virgatum to L. salicaria may promote invasiveness, as has been shown for other invasive species. Genetic admixture in general has been implicated in recent spread in L. salicaria invasion, but the extent to which hybridization with L. virgatum has contributed to L. salicaria genetics remains unexplored. We are testing the hypothesis that natural populations include genetic evidence of L. salicaria hybridizing with L. virgatum. We performed a preliminary survey of species-diagnostic morphology of specimens from natural populations. We found morphological variability consistent with hybridization, providing justification for additional genetic work. We are using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) analysis to develop species-specific markers to differentiate native-range, non-hybrid L. salicaria and L. virgatum. A preliminary assay of 24 SRAP primer pairs amplified over 1300 loci, many of which were informative and polymorphic, and clearly differentiate the two species. We will use these markers to examine wild populations for evidence of L. virgatum introgression. Our work has implications for management of L. salicaria invasion and for understanding the role of genetic admixture in invasions more broadly. Detection of even a small degree of L. virgatum introgression would have major policy implications, because L. virgatum remains unregulated in many states.

The Ohio State University, Dept. Of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States

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565

PERSINGER, JESSICA* , THOMPSON, PAMELA and CRUZAN, MITCHELL

Hybridization and species delimitation in an Oregon Ranunculus species complex

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pecies may be rare because of historical range contraction or they may occupy stable but limited geographic ranges. The fate of range-limited species is of particular concern when they are hybridizing with more common species due to the potential of genetic swamping. Plants pose a well-known challenge to the biological species concepts because of their high rate of hybridization. We have observed a putative hybrid zone between a candidate threatened species, Ranunculus austro-oreganus, and its more common congener, Ranunculus occidentalis. We use phenotypic measurements, greenhouse crosses, and genomic methods to infer the historical processes that have led to contemporary species distributions and outcomes from introgression between these species. We found significant differences in leaf hair density and petal color between the two species and their putative hybrids. Conflictingly, interspecific, intraspecific, self, and backcrosses (n=250) over two generations have revealed that these species are not strongly reproductively isolated. Using targeted capture of whole chloroplast genomes we recovered 38 haplotypes from 49 SNPs across 29 populations using the newly developed CallHap pipeline. These results show high levels of haplotype sharing between the two species, indicating ongoing gene flow. Our future studies using Genotyping-by-Sequencing will help understand the history of the hybrid zone. This study will help us understand whether hybridization is a threat or a benefit to Ranunculus austro-oreganus.

Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC Rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, USA

566

OLEAS, NORA* , ZWECK, JUSTIN , MORENO, MAURO and PEĂ‘A, PAOLA

Speciation as a result of hybridization between genera of Amaryllidaceae in the tropical Andes hotspot

H

ybridization has played an important role on plant speciation. Even though hybridization is common among plant species, these events are less frequent among genera. For the first time, we report natural hybridization among two Amaryllidaceae genera from the Tropical Andes. There are three sympatric species living inside the crater of the Pululahua volcano in Ecuador. Phaedranassa viridiflora is an endangered and endemic species to Ecuador with yellow flowers. Phaedranassa dubia (red flowers) and Stenomesson aurantiacum (orange flowers) have a wider geographic distribution in Ecuador and Colombia. Previous genetic studies using microsatellites suggested gene flow between Phaedranassa viridiflora and P. dubia resulting in a putative hybrid Phaedranassa with orange flowers. However, subsequent reproductive biology studies failed to identify fruits and viable pollen of P. viridiflora and the hybrid. To unravel the origin of the putative orange Phaedranassa hybrid, we explored several lines of evidence. Intergeneric crosses by hand pollination of P. dubia and S. aurantiacum resulted in viable seeds for all the interbreeding treatments. Most of the seeds germinate and the seedlings were genotyped. In the field, a metallic bee of the genus Agapostemon was observed visiting the flowers of all taxa. The assortment of phenotypes found inside the Pululahua volcano crater might be the result of gene flow facilitated by the bee. Our results are the first example of natural intergeneric hybridization leading to speciation in Andean Amaryllidaceae.

Universidad Tecnologica Indoamerica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Pichincha, 170301, Ecuador

567

STONE, BENJAMIN* 1 and WOLFE, ANDI 2

Hybridization and gene flow in Penstemon subgenus Dasanthera 1

Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue , Aronoff Laboratory 300, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States2Ohio State University, Department Of Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States

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POSTERS 568

STUMBO, JOSEPH* 1 and KRAKOS, KYRA 2

The pollination biology of hybrids of Echinacea simulata and Echinacea paradoxa

O

n a glade at Shaw Nature Reserve, MO two species of Echinacea (Echinacea simulata and Echinacea paradoxa) co-bloom and are hybridizing. The F1 hybrids have a yellow- cream color, and the F2 hybrids, which are orange in color, result from a backcross of either parent. Pollinator observations were conducted to determine the pollination system of both species and hybrids. Current pollination data was compared with past data (2013 and 2014). Current seed data was compared with past data (2013) to get average seed sets. The main pollinator in 2013 and 2014 was Bombus spp., but shifted in 2017 to Apis mellifera. The main vector for hybridization of the two species also shifted from Bombus spp. to butterfly's which aren't as effective pollinators. This change in main pollinator did not impact the reproductive success of either Echinacea species or the hybrids

1

10541 Anton Place, St.louis, MO, 63128, United States2Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University, St Louis, MO, 63141, United States

569

SHARMA, MEENAKSHI

Soyabean and possible drawbacks associated with latest GMOs and Hybrides

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No Show

oybean (Glycine max) is considered as a substitue for carbohydrates and proteins now a days. Is it really the grain type that answers the problem of lack of protein and iron, in addition to providing carbohydrates for Homo sapiens? The answer seems negative, there has been trended cereals in the past and within different geographic locations, example Corn (Zea mays) in Africa, North and Latin America, Wheat (Triticum aestium) and Rice (Oryza sativa) in Asia. Potato (Solanum tuberosum, a tuber) in European countries, also as a minor source of starch for most of the continents. Other important cereal grains from the past have been Oat (Avena sativa), Millet (Pennisetum glaucum), Barley (Hordeum vulgare), Rye (Secale cereale), Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). The recent onset of increased Soybean use in North America and Asia is a cause of concern. Soybean is being used to substitue wheat and beans as a food for all providing two major nutrient types. This genetic manipulation could have been very desirable, but unfortunately while creating the high protein Soybean, ancient wheat and corn with high protein content, causing various stomach problems, was overlooked. These grains with undesirable type and content of carbohydrates and proteins, were considered unsuitable for consumption and were genetically manipulated to make a high carbohydrate present day wheat, rice and corn. Potato, a tuberous modified stem has also been manipulated from its wild type. A grain which has high levels of protein and sugar with maintained sweetness, in addition to higher levels of iron would answer the problem of food shortage at certain times in the year when certain countries are unable to farm and are relient on other countries for food and fodder. While hybridizing or creating a GMO if seeds are formed with high levels of proteins, will have a bitter or a non sweet taste, since proteins are non sweet components of the diet. Even though sugars are considered a health concern in excessive amounts, they are essential for digestion and seeds that have equal amounts of protein and carbohydrates, will always have a percentage of protein left undigested, due to lack of sugars. The excessive amount of sugar makes the protein available to Homo sapiens as amino acids. This poster will discuss manner of creating a complete grain, past, present and future of combining various food types to create a balanced diet, until a complete grain is developed

NA, NA, 1510 Thornley Street, London, Ontario, N6K 0A9, Canada

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570

MCCAULEY, ROSS* 1, SWINDELL, EMILY 2 and TABB, STACEY 2

Incongruence of nuclear and plastid markers supports the hybrid origin of the edaphic endemic Packera mancosana (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) in southwestern Colorado

P

ackera mancosana is a recently described rare species restricted to an area of Mancos Shale barrens in Lone Mesa State Park in Southwestern Colorado. The population of P. mancosana is extremely small consisting of approximately 400 plants over an area of 3-5 hectares and it shares the site with other rare species including Gutierrezia elegans and Physaria pulvinata. The species is closely allied to the widespread and morphologically variable P. werneriifolia and the segregation of P. mancosana from P. werneriifolia has been questioned. To investigate the distinction and origin of P. mancosana we performed morphometric analysis on population samples of Packera species from around the Four Corners region and developed multi-gene phylogenies for both plastid (rpl32-trnL, rps15-ycf1, trnV-ndhC, petL-psbE, and psbJ-petA) and nuclear (ITS and WAXY) regions. Morphologically P. mancosana is divergent from other Packera taxa in the region. Nuclear genetic data does support a close relationship between P. mancosana and P. werneriifolia although plastid markers suggest a sister relationship to other Packera species including P. crocata and P. neomexicana. This incongruence of genetic markers coupled with unique morphology in this shale barren habitat suggests a hybrid origin and adaptation to the unique soil substrate. Our work has also shed light on the prevalence of gene exchange among multiple divergent species within Packera of the Four Corners region and highlights the difficulty of assigning taxa within this hybridizing complex. 1

Fort Lewis College, Department Of Biology, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO, 81301, United States2Fort Lewis College, Department of Biology, 1000 Rim Dr., Durango, CO, 81301, USA

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MACROEVOLUTION ORAL PAPERS

572

571

Nanjinganthus: A New Evidence of Jurassic Angiosperms and its Implications on Angiosperm Evolution

FOLK, RYAN* 1, SOLTIS, DOUG2 LAS , SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 3, CELLINESE, NICO 4, MORT, MARK 5, ALLEN, JULIE 6 , STUBBS, REBECCA 7 and GURALNICK, ROB 8

Correlation among functional trait shifts, habitat shifts, and diversification patterns in the flowering plant clade Saxifragales

T

he ability of plant lineages to shift in niche occupancy is likely to be associated with evolutionary shifts in suites of functional traits that increase survival in those habitats. However, the assessment of such correlated evolution between niche and species traits has been hampered by the difficulty of accumulating and linking these data layers in a phylogenetic context at large scales. We present a large-scale synthesis of environmental and functional trait data in the flowering plant lineage Saxifragales (2400 species). This comprises 24 traits accumulated globally from flora treatments (vegetative and reproductive morphology, life history); niche occupancy information (from soil, topographic, land cover, and climatic data); and a synthesis of phylogenetic information in the group (72% species-level coverage, 26% represented by phylogenomic data). ynthesizing these data reveals that, as expected, correlated evolutionary patterns between niche predictors and functional traits are widely detectable, and that likewise phylogenetic signal is widely detectable. We also characterize patterns of clade disparity in both environmental and functional trait data. We present these patterns in combination with diversification rate inferences to demonstrate whole-organism phenotypic shifts associated with habitat shifts that may be responsible for the present-day diversity of this clade in desert and arctic-alpine systems.

S

1

Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States4University Of Florida, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NAT. HISTORY, 1659 Museum Rd., 354 Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States5University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 2041 Haworth Hall, 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States6Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville , FL , 32611, USA7University Of Florida, 1659 Museum Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States8Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

WANG, XIN

A

ccording to Arber and Parkin's hypothesis (1907), the ancestral angiosperms should be Magnolia-like. Although the carpels in Magnoliaceae were hypothesized to be derived from non-existing “megasporophylls” bearing ovules along their margins (Wang and Luo 2013 and Miao et al. 2017), the situation got worse for APG system as there is no rational interpretation for the provenance of Amborella carpels yet. Many palaeobotanists chose to believe that Angiosperms date back only to the Early Cretaceous. This speculation is undermined by increasing fossil evidence. The recognition of Nanjinganthus is based on the observation of more than 200 fossils of flowers. The occurrence of sepals, petals, dendroid formed style, and enclosed ovules inside an inferior ovary suggests that Nanjinganthus is a bona fide angiosperm, despite its Early Jurassic age (>174 Ma). Apparently, the character combination in Nanjinganthus is not expected by any armchair strategies of angiosperm evolution. Re-examination of the former “favoring” evidence farther supports this conclusion. Although Arber and Parkin claimed their hypothesis was based on fossil evidence, Parkin (1925) admitted that such support was lacking. Canright (1960) supported Arber and Parkin with anatomy of magnoliaceous carpels, but he altered the information about ovule insertion in carpels. Archaeanthus (Dilcher and Crane, 1984) were thought related to Magnoliaceae with typical conduplicate carpels with ventrally inserted ovules, but at least some of the ovules are actually inserted along the dorsal veins in Archaeanthus. Similar misinterpretation was repeated in Archaefructus (Sun et al. 1998, 2002), which actually has whorled (rather than the expected helical) arranged carpels with dorsally inserted ovules (Wang and Zheng, 2012). Monetianthus (Friis et al., 2009) were claimed with two integuments, but this claim was not supported by any observation in the paper. All these specious support for Arber and Parkin's hypothesis actually incurs doubt over the hypothesis, suggesting that the hypothesis was a swindle from the very beginning, and many (if not all) botanists have been swindled and fallen into the pitfall in a century-long period. Resurgent studies on the carpels of Magnoliaceae (Liu et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2017) suggest that a carpel in Magnoliaceae is composite organ derived from a former branch bearing ovules and its subtending leaf. The carpel derivation of Amborella may be interpreted in a similar way. This interpretation shared between Magnolia and Amborella makes angiosperms not unique among seed plants any more as axillary branching pattern is seen in many seed plants. 39 Beijing Dong Road, Nanjing, 210008, China

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573

DEANNA, ROCIO 1, BARBOZA, GLORIA 1 and SMITH, STACEY D.* 2

574

Tracing the evolution of the inflated calyx syndrome in the Physaloids (Solanaceae)

Towards understanding environmental drivers of diversification rate in the North American Asteraceae

S

U

pecies radiations are often triggered by the evolution of key morphological innovations that can unlock ecological opportunities. The inflated calyx syndrome (ICS) has been proposed as one such key innovation, and consists in the accrescence of the calyx after anthesis to an extent that the fruit is completely enclosed. This feature is found in many flowering plant families, such as Sapindaceae and Malvaceae, but is best known from the tomato family, Solanaceae. Hypotheses about its function include acting as a tumbleweed for dispersal, floatation in flooded environments, and protection of the developing fruit. Here we aim to resolve the evolutionary history of ICS in the tribe Physalideae, which contains tomatillos and their allies. We sampled 231 species (77 % of the tribe), sequenced four markers (ITS, LEAFY, trnL-F and waxy), and performed maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses in order to provide a phylogenetic framework for comparative analyses. Fruiting calyx variation was scored as non-accrescent, partially accrescent-appressed, or inflated, and shifts in character state were estimated with Bayesian stochastic mapping. Preliminary results show the ancestral state of the tribe as ambiguous, but with a higher probability of having an accrescent-appressed calyx. The calyx inflation follows a stepwise evolution from non-accrescent to accrescent-appressed to an inflated calyx. Across the clade, we estimated over 80 changes, with shifts between partially accrescent-appressed to inflated calyces roughly twice as common as non-accrescent to partially accrescent-appressed calyces. Loss of inflation to an accrescent-appressed calyx is slightly more frequent than gain, but the loss of the accrescence is about twice more common than its gain from an entirely nude berry. This frequent evolutionary shifts in calyx morphology and the repeated origins of inflated calyces in Physalideae provide a strong foundation for future studies testing the influence of this trait on diversification rates after including the most recent fossil calibrations.

1

National University of Cordoba, IMBIV, Velez Sarsfield 299, 2do Piso, Cordoba, 5000, Argentina2University of Colorado, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, CO, USA

MASON, CHASE* 1, GOOLSBY, ERIC 2 and EDWARDS, ROBERT D. 3

nderstanding the role of environmental pressures in shaping plant diversification is a major goal of plant evolutionary ecology. The largest family of flowering plants, Asteraceae, has repeatedly colonized North America, with each colonizing lineage diversifying into a large number of species occupying a wide variety of habitats. This pattern makes Asteraceae an ideal model system to understand how the abiotic environment drives diversification across the continent, and to ask whether evolution proceeds in a predictable manner in response to similar sets of complex environmental gradients. This work uses a set of phylogenetic comparative methods to perform diversification analysis in each of multiple tribes of Asteraceae, assessing and comparing the relative role of climate, topography, soil conditions, and geochemistry on diversification rate. First, calibrated phylogenies were generated for North American members of each Asteraceae tribe using publicly available sequence data. Second, detailed plant species locality data was derived from multiple databases of digitized herbarium records. Third, environmental attributes were extracted for each locality from a large suite of climate, topography, soil, and geochemisty data layers. Individual linear and nonlinear phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) regression was performed for each environmental variable of interest in each tribe, followed by model selection to determine the most appropriate shape to describe the relationship between environmental predictors and diversification rate. Subsequently, multiple PGLS regression and model selection were performed on variables demonstrating significant individual predictive power for diversification rate. Results give insights into which environmental pressures most drive diversification within each tribe, the interaction among different environmental pressures, and how well such pressures together predict observed diversification in the most diverse plant family on Earth.

1

University Of Central Florida, Department Of Biology, 4110 Libra Dr, Orlando, FL, 32816, United States2Yale University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 165 Prospect St, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA3Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA

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575

TESTO, WESTON* 1, SESSA, EMILY 2 and BARRINGTON, DAVID 3

The rise of the Andes promoted rapid diversification in Neotropical Phlegmariurus (Lycopodiaceae)

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ropical mountains are disproportionately biodiverse relative to their surface area, but the processes underlying the exceptional diversity of many groups in these regions remain understudied. In this talk, we examine the impact of the uplift of the Andes on the diversification of Phlegmariurus, a speciesrich and ecologically diverse clade of lycophytes. To better understand the relationship between mountain building and the diversification of this group, we generated a time-calibrated phylogeny and estimated diversification rates for the genus. Using this phylogeny as a framework, we compared a set of macroevolutionary models that incorporated paleoelevation data for the Andes to infer the relationship of the range's uplift and diversification rate shifts in the genus. These analyses were complemented with additional tests for correlations of lineage-diversification rates and features of each species' ecology and distribution: spatial range size, niche breadth, elevational range amplitude, and mean elevation. We demonstrate that the rise of the Andes is strongly associated with increased rates of diversification in Neotropical Phlegmariurus, especially during the last 10 million years. Relationships between lineage diversification rates and species' ecological attributes are also discussed. We highlight the usefulness of combined phylogenetic, geological, and ecological datasets and the promise of comparative models of environment-dependent diversification models in better understanding evolutionary radiations. 1

University Of Florida, 313 NW 2nd St, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States2University Of Florida, Biology, Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3University Of Vermont, Plant Biology, 111 Jeffords Hall, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States

576

TRIBBLE, CARRIE* 1, JACKSONGAIN, ABIGAIL C. 2, SPECHT, CHELSEA 3 and ROTHFELS, CARL 4

Characterizing the evolution of underground morphology and climatic niche in the order Liliales

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ecent advances in phylogenetic comparative methods, as well as the blossoming availability of genetic, phenotypic, and collections-based data, allow us to apply rigorous statistical tests of adaptive hypotheses to large, varied datasets. Liliales contains roughly 1,500 species of herbaceous angiosperms with a wide variety of underground storage organs, including root tubers, rhizomes, corms, and bulbs. These organs have been hypothesized to allow the plants to survive periods of adverse climatic conditions such as cold winters or summer droughts. However, to date, no study has empirically tested this hypothesis in a comparative framework. Here, we examine the relationship between the evolution of underground storage organs and climatic niche. We first generate a species-level phylogeny for Lili-

ales using a supermatrix approach applied to Genbank data. We subsequently characterize the species' underground storage organs and model their climatic niches using collections-based occurrence records, published floras, and checklists. We subsequently test for a correlations between specific underground storage organ morphologies and relevant climatic variables—such as seasonal variation in precipitation—using phylogenetic ANOVA. We additionally test for shifts in diversification rates associated with changes in storage organ morphology and estimate the ancestral underground morphology of Liliales. This study demonstrates the value of well-curated data repositories for large-scale comparative analyses and the importance of documenting methods through reproducible workflows. We further call for more research into underground morphology, and advocate for increased collection, investigation, and documentation of underground morphologies, an often-neglected element in botanical sciences. 1

University Of California, Berkeley, Rothfels Lab, UC Jepson Herbarium, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States2University of California, Berkeley, Rothfels Lab, UC Jepson Herbarium, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA3Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA4University Of California Berkeley, University Herbarium And Departmenty Of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States

577

BRUUN-LUND, SAM* 1, VERSTRAETE, BRECHT 2, KJELLBERG, FINN 3 and RØNSTED, NINA 1

Rush hour at the Museum Diversification patterns provide new clues for the success of figs (Ficus L., Moraceae)

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ropical rainforests harbour much of the earth's plant diversity but little is still known about how it evolved and why a small number of plant genera account for the majority. Whether this success is due to rapid turnover or constant evolution for these hyper-diverse plant genera is here tested for the species-rich genus Ficus L. (figs). The pan-tropical distribution of figs makes it an ideal study group to investigate rainforest hyper-diversification patterns. Using a recently published, dated and comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis, we infer that figs are an old lineage that gradually accumulated species and exhibits very low extinction rates, which corresponds to the 'museum model' of evolution. Overall, no major significant shifts in evolutionary dynamics are detected, yet two shifts with lower probability are found. Hemi-epiphytism, monoecy, and active pollination are traits that possibly are associated with the hyper-diversity found in figs, making it possible for the plants to occupy new niches followed by extensive radiation over evolutionary time scales. Figs possess unique diversification patterns compared to other typical rainforest genera. 1

University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen, Denmark2University of Oslo, Natural History Museum, Sars gate 1, Oslo, 0562, Norway3Université de Montpellier, Centre D'Ecologie Fonctionnelle & Evolution, 1919, route de Mende, Montpellier, F-34293 , France

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578

SYTSMA, KENNETH J.* 1, KRIEBEL, RICARDO 1, SPALINK, DANIEL 2 , SONNIER, GREGORY 3, ALVERSON, WILLIAM 1, BAI, CHENGKE 4, ROSE, JEFF 1 , ZABORSKY, JOHN 1, CAMERON, KENNETH M. 1, WALLER, DONALD M. 1 and GIVNISH, THOMAS J. 1

The evolution of genome size and its ecological correlates: insights using a phylogenetic tree of the Northeastern North American flora

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e present a phylogenetic based approach to address genome evolution in the context of previous hypotheses of biological and ecological correlates to genome size. The study is unique in centering on a phylogenetic tree of over a quarter of a large regional flora (both native and non-native) - the Northeastern North American vascular flora (NeNAf) - in an effort to control other confounding variables. We enlarge our phylogenetic tree of the Wisconsin flora (2,327 tips) to construct a phylogenetic tree with nearly 75% of the NeNAf (3,534 tips). We increase the available number of already published C-values from the Wisconsin vascular flora, and then augment this database with published data from NeNAf for a 1,234 species match of C-values and tips. We obtain morphological, growth form, breeding system, ecological trait, and environmental data for all these species and test key hypotheses of genome evolution and these putative correlates in a phylogenetic comparative approach. We use Blomberg's K and Pagel's lambda to test for phylogenetic signal in genome size, both of which are significant. Using an OU model we determine (1) the number of significant shifts in genome size evolution across the phylogeny (17 edges) and (2) the presence of convergent shifts in unrelated clades (4 sets). Categorical and continuous traits are examined in the context of genome size using phylogenetic logistic regression or PGLS (phylogenetic generalized least squares) regression. Finally, we address the issue of scale, both taxonomic and biogeographical, in understanding the correlates of genome size evolution by using these same approaches in selected clades (e.g., angiosperms, eudicots, monocots, rosids) and in the smaller, higher latitude Wisconsin flora.

1

University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States3MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center, Lake Placid, FL, 338524Shaaxi Normal University, College of Life Science, Xi’an, China

579

HOWARD, CODY* 1, LANDIS, JACOB 2, FOLK, RYAN 3, BEAULIEU, JEREMY 4 and CELLINESE, NICO 5

Global phylogenetic patterns and diversification of monocotyledonous geophytes

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eophytes are plants with resting buds that are located beneath the soil surface typically in the form of rhizomes, corms, tubers or bulbs. These adaptations are hypothesized to have evolved in response to an increase in climatic seasonality, and are renowned landscape beautifiers in areas such as the Mediterranean Basin or the Cape Floristic Region. In addition to these geographic hotspots, geophytes can be found across the globe and are distributed across the plant tree of life. However, geophytic taxa are most prevalent within the monocot clade and include members such as ginger, taro, arums and tulips. Interestingly, some clades appear to be more labile in underground morphology shifts (e.g., bulbs, corms, rhizomes in Iridaceae) while others are not (e.g., bulbs in Scilloideae, Asparagaceae). Despite this breadth of diversity, the majority of studies on geophytes have primarily focused on select clades or geographic areas; thus, broad phylogenetic inferences of these traits have yet to be carried out. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the switch to geophytism may promote increased diversification rates but this hypothesis has yet to be tested. Here, we investigate potential factors that have given rise to the diversity of underground organs that we see today. We dig into questions such as: (1) Are there any climatic variables that favor certain geophytes? (2) How might these factors have influenced the evolution of these taxa? (3) Does an underground lifestyle promote diversification when compared to non-geophytes? Using a comprehensive phylogeny and global climate data, we investigate these questions in the monocot clade. While fine scale analyses are useful, unearthing broad evolutionary patterns of geophytism will allow for a more holistic view of the potential factors influencing their evolution, which is of utmost importance in order to promote further research of these complex structures and taxa. 1

Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, US2University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 3401 Watkins Drive, Boyce Hall, Room 4412, Riverside, CA, 92507, United States3Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States4University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences, SCEN Room 735, Fayetteville, AR, 727015University Of Florida, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NAT. HISTORY, 1659 Museum Rd., 354 Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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RYDIN, CATARINA* 1, THUREBORN, OLLE 2, BLOKZIJL, RUBEN 2, BOLINDER, KRISTINA 1 and WIKSTRÖM, NIKLAS 3

The Gnetales - diversity, evolution, form, and function from the Early Cretaceous to the present

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he Gnetales are a small group of gymnosperms with only about a hundred species, but it has nevertheless been intensely studied for many decades. Among foci of interest is their relationship to other seed plants, which has proven difficult to resolve. The group is, however, also interesting in itself with a partly unique form and function, some of which have existed for more than a hundred million years. Furthermore, unexpected, even baffling, scientific results on the group have emerged over and over again. Here I will place some of the discoveries on the Gnetales into context, and describe how they have inspired new projects. One aspect is the understanding of species delimitations, infrageneric relationships, and node ages in the Gnetales, and how understanding of these questions has been affected by phylogenomic investigations. Recent results have overturned those of previous studies, showing that relationships are not always as well resolved as may have been assumed. Another aspect is historical diversity of the group. Gnetalean diversity has apparently fluctuated enormously over geological time, temporally as well as spatially. Through time, sudden and substantial diversity peaks have repeatedly appeared followed by equally sudden diversity collapse. What caused these fluctuations? Preliminary results indicate that the patterns cannot be readily explained by global climate change. 1

Stockholm University, Department Of Ecology, Environment And Plant Sciences, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden2Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, SE-10691, Sweden3The Royal Academy of Sciences, The Bergius Foundation, Box 50005, Stockholm, SE-10405, Sweden

581 EMY 2

DOYLE, JEFF* 1 and COATE, JER-

Polyploidy and evolutionary novelty in plants, 35 years after Levin

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n 1983, Don Levin wrote a seminal review in which he defended genome doubling without hybridity-one definition of autopolyploidy-as capable of producing evolutionary novelty. He addressed the effects of genome doubling on "cytology", "gene activity," "physiology", "development", and "reproductive system", and concluded with a long section on "ecological tolerances". Much has been learned about each of these aspects of polyploidy since 1983, though greater focus has been on allopolyploids, in which the role of genome doubling is complicated by the integration of two differentiated genomes. Arguably the least well understood aspect of polyploidy, particularly of autopolyploidy, is its effect on cell biology. The "cytology" section of Levin's review

was the shortest, and primarily emphasized larger cells and nuclei in polyploids, and the surface-tovolume ratio differences that follow from their increased size. Little has been added to this discussion of putatively "nucleotypic" effects (direct effects of bulk DNA content on phenotype) in the literature on polyploid evolution, particularly in other influential reviews. Meanwhile, the field of cell biology has been revolutionized by technologies that now allow single cells to be studied directly at every level of "-omics". Here we review developments in cell and molecular biology to identify many ways in which genome doubling could make an autopolyploid different from an isogenic diploid progenitor. We also highlight what we consider to be fertile avenues of cell biology research for understanding the role of genome doubling in evolution. 1

Cornell University, School Of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, 240 Emerson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States2Reed College, Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR, 97202, United States

582

MOEGLEIN, MORGAN* 1, PARK, BRIAN 2, OLSON, MARK 3, CACHO, N.IVALU 4, EATON, DEREN 5, DONOGHUE, MICHAEL 6 and EDWARDS, ERIKA

7

Leaf Trait Evolution in Mexican Viburnum

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he genus Viburnum exhibits great variation in leaf traits such as size, shape, trichome density, and marginal teeth. We are focusing on replicated evolution of leaf traits in the Viburnum of Mexico as a system for studying broader trends in leaf trait evolution across the group. Here we examine leaf trait evolutionary dynamics across the Viburnum of Mexico and more specifically within hybrid swarms where two sister species with different leaf types hybridize to yield a mix of intermediate leaf phenotypes suitable for association mapping. We leverage the genotypic diversity in the hybrids and between parental populations to better understand the genetic mechanisms underlying leaf trait diversification. 1

Edwards Lab, 165 Prospect Street, 326, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States2Yale University, 21 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, US3Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Botánica, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, México, CDMX, 04510, Mexico4Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Botany, 3er Circuito de Ciudad Universitaria s/n. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Del. Coyoacán, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico5Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, And Environmental Biology, 1200 Amsterdam Ave. , Schermerhorn Ext. Office 1007, New York, NY, 10027, United States6Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Po Box 208106, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States7Yale University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, United States, 06511

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A new hope: hidden state models improve the adequacy of statedependent diversification approaches using empirical trees

How many ways are there to make a purple flower?

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CAETANO , DANIEL S* 1, O'MEARA, BRIAN 2 and BEAULIEU, JEREMY 1

he state-dependent speciation and extinction models (SSE) have recently been criticized due to their high rates of “false positive” results. In other words, when rates of diversification vary independently from the trait of interest, the standard “null” model of homogeneous diversification rates is rejected in favor of an equally incorrect alternative model of trait-dependent diversification. Since then, many researchers have advocated avoiding SSE models in favor of other “non-parametric” or “semi-parametric” approaches. The hidden Markov modeling (HMM) approach provides a partial solution to the issues of model adequacy detected with SSE models. The inclusion of “hidden states” incorporates the rate heterogeneity observed in empirical phylogenies and makes it possible to distinguish between true signals of state-dependent diversification and instances of diversification shifts independent of the trait of interest. While HMM models have clear statistical benefits, their adoption into other classes of SSE models has been hampered by the interpretational challenges of what exactly a “hidden state” represents. We show that HMM models in combination with a model-averaging approach naturally account for the hidden majority of traits when examining the meaningful impact of a suspected “driver” of diversification. We also demonstrate this concept by extending the HMM to the geographic state-dependent speciation and extinction (GeoSSE) model. We test the efficacy of our “hiGeoSSE” extension with both simulations and a data set of conifers that examines the connection between biogeographic movements between Northern and Southern Hemisphere and their diversification rates. On the whole, we show that hidden states are a general framework that, when applied to SSE models, can, in fact, properly distinguish heterogeneous effects of diversification attributed to a focal character when present. We emphasize, however, that they should not be treated as a separate class of SSE models, but instead viewed as complementary and should be included as part of a set of models under evaluation. They also represent a straightforward approach to incorporating different types of unobserved heterogeneity in phylogenetic trees than a simple single rate category model is able to explain. 1

University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences, SCEN Room 735, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, US28424 Mecklenburg Ct., Knoxville, TN, 37923, United States

MCDADE, LUCINDA* 1, KIEL, CARRIE 2, MEDINA, NICOLAS 3, LUJAN, MANUEL 4, ZHUANG, YONGBIN 5, SCHREIBER, MATT 6, STONE, HEATHER 6, BERBEO, EILEEN 7 and TRIPP, ERIN 8

loral 'syndromes' are understood to comprise integrated, co-evolving sets of floral traits including flower color, size, shape, odor, reward, and timing of anthesis. Numerous studies have emphasized the importance of flower color in pollinator attraction and thus reproductive success in plants. Differences in pigmentation, including both the particular pigments present and their distribution across the flower, contribute to differential apparency and attractiveness of flowers to pollinators. However, few studies have examined flower color biochemicallyand in a phylogenetic context-in large radiations of plants. Among the ~300 species of Neotropical Ruellia (Acanthaceae), there is remarkable variation in floral traits, especially color. Phylogenetic results to date have shown considerable evolutionary vagility in these traits, making this an excellent system for documenting repeated patterns of, and constraints on, floral color evolution and for testing hypotheses regarding factors associated with these evolutionary transitions. We take an integrative and comparative phylogenomic approach that incorporates two sources of data on flower color: floral spectral reflectance data and anthocyanin pigment profiles from HPLC analysis. For a nearly complete taxon sample for New World Ruellia, we generated ddRADseq data and constructed a phylogenomic hypothesis that provides evolutionary context to understand the patterns of change in flower color across the clade, including covariation between spectral reflectance and pigment profile. Most basically, our data enable us to address the question of whether human perception of flower color provides adequate description of the trait. In 2013, we set out to answer a question we posed of Ruellia: how many ways are there to make a purple flower? Five years, hundreds of species and fieldwork in seven countries later, our data have yielded a quantitative look at this question. You will want to come to hear about what we have learned!

1

1500 N. College Avenue, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States2Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 North College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711.0, United States3Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States4Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States5Shandong Agricultural University, 61 Zongzong St., Tai'an , Shandong, 271018, China6University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 334, Ramaley Hall, Dept of Ecology and Evol. Biology, Boulder, California, 80309, United States7Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 North College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States8C105, Ramaley Hall, UCB350, Clare Small Building, Basement, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States

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BOYKO, JAMES* , TEO, NAKOV , ALVERSON, ANDREW and BEAULIEU, JEREMY

586

Testing the signal of marine versus freshwater origins of photosynthetic eukaryotes

Testing for geography-dependent rates of species turnover in campanulid angiosperms

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he evolution of photosynthetic bacteria remains, perhaps, the most significant event in life's history, changing the flow of energy through the biosphere and the geology of earth itself. Similarly, the evolution of autotrophic eukaryotes has proven critical to the development of terrestrial life. The environmental conditions during the course of primary plastid endosymbiosis have recently been examined using phylogenetic comparative techniques. However, previous attempts to address these questions have relied exclusively on an exemplar sampling approach of cyanobacteria and early photosynthetic eukaryotes. At best, it remains unclear whether key events such as the primary endosymbiosis of the chloroplast occurred in low salinity (i.e., freshwater) habitat or in a marine environment, prolonging the debate about the ecological context for the origin of plastids. We expand on this work by compiling an extensive dataset of over 25,000 species for which their salinity environment is known, and combine this information with an additional character that defines whether the lineage was terrestrial or aquatic. We apply recently developed comparative methods that account for both diversification rate differences in the coordinated evolution of multiple binary characters, as well as unmeasured factors that artificially influence the rates of evolution in the observed characters. Additionally, we conduct a series of tests to examine whether the inherent "memoryless" processes underlying essentially all phylogenetically-based comparative frameworks applied solely to extant taxa naturally make it impossible to ever confidently infer ancestral conditions for an event that took place nearly 2.5 billion of years in the past. University of Arkansas, Biological Sciences, Fayetteville, AR

BEAULIEU, JEREMY* 1, O'MEARA, BRIAN 2 and CAETANO , DANIEL S 3

he spatial distribution of flowering plant species varies considerably, with species diversity declining as one moves from the equator out towards the poles. This latitudinal gradient in species richness is correlated with estimates of diversification rates. The tropical biomes at lower latitudes exhibit generally higher diversification rates than the more seasonal environments of the temperate biomes at higher latitudes. The relative paucity of clades that have succeeded in temperate regions suggests that temperate clades are the result of successful dispersion events out of the tropics. However, the Campanulidae is a large flowering plant clade that exhibits the opposite pattern. Despite a few speciose clades largely confined to the tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere, the large majority of extant species richness of campanulids can be found in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we apply a powerful new approach that estimates turnover (i.e., speciation+extinction), extinction fraction (i.e., extinction/speciation), and dispersal rates associated with tropical and temperate lineages. Specifically, we test whether the apparent success of campanulids in the temperate biomes is a recent event, explained by an increase in turnover rates, because increases in the rate with which lineages are generated and get extinct can stochastically lead to a sudden build up in species richness. However, such events are unlikely to be stable over time and might suggest that campanulids are not, in fact, an exception to the rule. For this, we evaluate a large set of biologically plausible models in hiGeoSSE that jointly estimate the effect of geographic range, as well as other drivers, on diversification while also taking into account the natural heterogeneity in rates observed in plant phylogenies. Here we also expand these models in order to include more complex histories, such as the interplay between geographical distribution, dispersal syndrome and growth habit with respect to changes in diversification rates across the branches of the tree. Finally, we test the robustness of our results to the various ways in which tropical versus temperate regions are often delimited. 1

University of Arkansas, Biological Sciences, 601 Science and Engineering, Fayetteville, AR, 72702, USA28424 Mecklenburg Ct., Knoxville, TN, 37923, United States3University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences, SCEN Room 735, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, US

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POSTERS 587

MARTINEZ-GOMEZ, JESUS * 1 and SPECHT, CHELSEA 2

Phylogenetic Comparative Method illuminates Macroevolutionary origin of the Amaryllidaceae Umbel

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s sessile organism, plants have achieved unique methods of locomotion-free fertilization and seed dispersal. The placement of the flowers along the axis of a plant is one such method, as it influences pollinator attraction, pollen deposition, and seed scattering or diffusion. The arrangement of flowers is determined by a high specialized floral branch, the inflorescence. While inflorescent architecture has been topologically described and model based simulations have predicted a diversity of architectures, most studies are ahistorical - lacking a phylogenetic framework to understand biological diversity - and not all forms have been predicted. This has inhibited our understanding of the development of inflorescence morphology through evolutionary time. In order to investigate the macroevolutionary origins of inflorescence architectural diversity, we assess an inflorescence type not predicted by many contemporary models: the Amaryllidaceae umbel. Umbels are traditional described as all flowers arising from a single point. Multiple evolutionary hypotheses explain the evolutionary origin of the umbel, with the ancestral form being either (1) a cymose lateral branch, as proposed by the Bravis brothers for Amaryllidaceae, (2) a dichasial branch or (3) a racemose branch, the classic hypothesis as articulated by Stebbins. In order to address the trajectory of inflorescence evolution that gave rise to the Amaryllidaceae umbel, we use a comparative phylogenetic framework to test models of phenotypic evolution and infer ancestral states. Descriptions of adult inflorescence morphology at the generic level was obtained from members of Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Asphodelaceae. A molecular phylogeny containing members of all three clades was constructed based on published sequence data using Bayesian inference. Competing evolutionary hypotheses were formalized as Continuous-Time Markov Models and were fit to a posterior distribution of possible phylogenies for parameter estimation in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo framework. This approach takes into account uncertainty in phylogenetic inference and allows for model-fit comparison through Bayes Factors in an attempt to infer probabilities for ancestral states. This study provides insights into the evolutionary mode of inflorescence architectural diversity and complements current model-based simulation approaches by explicitly accounting for phylogeny. 1

University of California Berkeley, Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, United States2Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

588

SMITH, CHELSEA R.* 1, TEISHER, JORDAN 2, STRAUB, SHANNON 3 and LIVSHULTZ, TATYANA 4

Does herbivore co-option of a plant defense drive its loss?: Testing the defense de-escalation of pyrrolizidine alkaloid evolution in Apocynaceae (the dogbane and milkweed family)

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lant secondary metabolites can function as antiherbivore defenses and thereby increase plant fitness. Adapted herbivores can, in turn, de-activate or co-opt plant secondary metabolites for host plant location or their own defense, potentially rendering these compounds selectively neutral or deleterious. Thus, plants exploited primarily by adapted herbivores may be under selection to lose (de-escalate) the co-opted compounds. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are secondary metabolites that have evolved independently in 12 flowering plant families, including Apocynaceae (the dogbane and milkweed family). Multiple insect lineages have co-opted PAs, including Lepidoptera subfamily Danainae (the milkweed and clearwing butterflies), whose ancestral larval host plants are widely hypothesized to belong to the Apocynaceae. We have shown that that the first gene of the PA biosynthetic pathway, homospermidine synthase (hss), evolved early in the diversification of one lineage of Apocynaceae (the APSA clade) and that 92% of larval host plant species documented for Danainae belong to this clade. Hss function, and by inference PAs, has been lost at least four times within the APSA clade, evidenced by loss of an hss-specific amino acid motif. However, it is unknown whether loss of hss function in a lineage is correlated with level of exploitation by Danainae. We obtained the entire hss locus from 141 APSA clade species, representing 13 of 15 major lineages classified as tribes or subfamilies, as well as 840 putatively single copy genes for phylogenetic reconstruction, using targeted enrichment and sequencing by synthesis. Loss of the hssspecific amino acid motif and/or pseudogenization were interpreted as evidence of PA loss. PA-losses were mapped on the species phylogeny and their correlation with the distribution of Danainae larval host plants tested to investigate whether exploitation by Danainae could have driven PA loss.

1

Drexel University, Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, 3141 Chestnut Stree, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA2The Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, Botany, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States3Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA4Drexel University, Biodiversity Earth and Environmental Sciences, Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States

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GAYNOR, MICHELLE* , LIMHING, SIMONE and MASON, CHASE

Genome duplication impact on secondary metabolite composition in non-cultivated species

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enome duplication is known to influence herbivore interactions; however, despite abundant case studies, much is still unknown about the impact of genome duplication on secondary metabolites in relation to defense. Identifying whether there is a relationship between increased genome size and secondary metabolite production in non-cultivated species will help unravel the evolutionary implications of genome duplication in plant defense. Therefore, the primary goal of our study was to assess how polyploidy affects the composition and abundance of all classes of secondary metabolites in non-cultivated species. To investigate our objective, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis comparing secondary metabolite production between closely related species or species-complex differing in genome size. These results highlight the complexity of the evolution of secondary metabolite production in closely related species. University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA

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MOLECULAR ECOLOGY ORAL PAPERS 590

LAPORT, ROBERT* 1 and NG, JULIENNE 2

Out of one, many: The biodiversity considerations and ecological consequences of polyploidy

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nderstanding how one species becomes two is crucial to understanding patterns of biodiversity. Polyploidy—whole genome duplication—is an exceedingly common genomic mutation shaping vascular plant biodiversity, but the degree to which it is associated with ecological trait differences varies. This has resulted in polyploids residing in an ecological and taxonomic no-man's land where genome duplication is simultaneously considered a major mechanism of novelty and speciation, yet insufficient for species recognition. Renewed efforts to characterize ploidy-specific changes support considering polyploids as discrete units of biodiversity in ecological and evolutionary studies, yet the cascading ecological effects of such changes remain unclear. We are employing integrative approaches to assess the ecological consequences of genome duplication on reproductive interactions and community structure in multiple systems. (1) In the North American creosote bush (Larrea tridentata; Zygophyllaceae), an ecologically dominant desert shrub comprising recently formed (≤1mya) diploids, tetraploids, and hexaploids, we are characterizing specialist and generalist pollinator visitation and the resulting influence on inter-cytotype gene flow. (2) We are also investigating community-level patterns of phylogenetic relatedness between diploids and polyploids and how these relationships might influence species composition in multiple communities for the polyploid-rich Brassicaceae and Rosaceae. Overall, our results suggest that the ecological and community effects of genome duplication are multifaceted and not always clear-cut, but are important for populationand community-level dynamics. We find that unique visitation and pollen collection on sympatric diploid and tetraploid L. tridentata by individual members of the bee assemblage results in appreciable assortative mating. In Brassicaceae and Rosaceae communities, we find that polyploid species tend to co-occur with distantly related diploids, but the ecological success of polyploids varies between lineages. Our results suggest more widely recognizing polyploids as functional units of biological diversity in ecological and evolutionary studies would acknowledge the contemporary importance of genome duplication to ecological and population dynamics, as well as patterns of biodiversity.

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University Of Colorado-Boulder, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States2University Of Colorado Boulder, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States

591

PUPPO, PAMELA* 1, DI SANTO, LIONEL and HAMILTON, JILL 3 2

The role of polyploidy in evolutionary niche divergence across the range of Geum triflorum Pursh

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iven the pace of global environmental change, the ability of plants to rapidly adapt to changing conditions is crucial for long-term species persistence. However, adaptation to changing conditions requires substantial genetic variation through which natural selection may act. Whole genome duplications (WGD) may provide an important source of genetic variation necessary for adaptation to heterogeneous environments. Duplicate gene copies may evolve independently in response to a combination of relaxed selection for one redundant gene copy and purifying selection on the other, leading to differential expression across duplicate gene copies. Thus genomic restructuring and rebalancing of gene expression across duplicated genes following genome duplication may provide the necessary functional genetic variance needed to persist under rapidly changing conditions. Allopolyploids, derived from a hybridization event between diploid lineages, provide ideal systems to evaluate the influence of selection on the evolutionary trajectory of duplicate genes across differentiated sub-genomes. In this study we use the allohexapoloid, Geum triflorum Pursh. to ask whether habitat of origin can predict sub-genome expression variation across a species' range. An herbaceous perennial, G. triflorum is common to the midwestern prairies, with peripheral and disjunct populations associated with critically imperiled alvar habitats, characterized by a thin layer of soil over limestone. Alvar habitats experience extreme temporal fluctuation in water availability relative to prairie habitats, which maintain water levels due to increased soil depth. Thus, we hypothesize that environmental heterogeneity across these distinct environments will contribute to the evolution of functional variation in across sub-genomes. We sequenced the leaf transcriptome of G. triflorum seedlings grown together in a common environment sourced from three distinct environments: prairie, peripheral alvar, and disjunct alvar. In addition, we used RNA-seq to sequence the leaf transcriptome of two of the diploid progenitors, Waldsteinia geoides and Coluria geoides. Preliminary transcriptome assemblies indicate that reads of G. triflorum successfully map onto associated diploid progenitors, indicating that duplicate genes associated with ancestral sub-genomes is possible. Furthermore, our preliminary data indicate that there is differential expression of duplicate genes associated with either sub-genome across environments. A number of transcripts associated with each ancestral sub-genome appear to show environment-specific gene expression. This may suggest that the evolution of duplicate genes has provided an important mechanism necessary for expansion and persistence of G. triflorum across extreme environments. 1

North Dakota State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1340 Bolley Drive, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA2North Dakota State University, 1340 Bolley Drive, Fargo, ND, 58108, Estados Unidos3North Dakota State University, Biological Sciences, PO Box 6050, Dept. 2715, Fargo, ND, 58102, United States

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ARREDONDO, TINA* 1 and CRUZAN, MITCHELL 2

593

Impact of suburban landscape features on gene flow of an invasive grass

Genome-wide search uncovers evidence for convergent and divergent responses to selection in a weedy species

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he rapid range expansion associated with newly invasive species provides a natural experiment for studying the impact of the landscape on dispersal and gene flow. We use the recently introduced invasive grass, Brachypodium sylvaticum (Poaceae), to study impact of various landscape features on gene flow at the edge of its expanding range. The occurrence of B. sylvaticum along roadsides and waterways has brought into question whether its dispersal is linked to human use of these features. A total of 22 locations in the Clackamas Watershed in the Portland, Oregon metro region were sampled to span a diversity of landscape features potentially influencing gene flow (rivers, roads, canopy cover, development, and agriculture). We used a Genotyping-BySequencing (GBS) approach to find single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among these sites, and assessed populations genetic diversity, structure and potential numbers of source populations. We also created resistance surfaces for each landscape feature, using ResistanceGA to optimize resistance parameters and Circuitscape to generate resistance values between populations. We used Multiple Regression on distance Matrices (MRM) to compare feature resistance to genetic distance, and a backward selection process to drop insignificant features following each MRM run. Our STRUCTURE analysis revealed three distinct clusters, and diversity analyses support the existence of two separate local introductions. We found no evidence that development (p-value=0.075), roads (p-value=0.181), canopy cover (p-value=0.988), agriculture (p-value=0.193) or geographic distance (p-value=0.063) had a significant influence on genetic distance in B. sylvaticum. In contrast, resistance generated from rivers as a conduit explained a large portion of variation in genetic distance (R2=0.333, p-value<0.001). Our results indicate that rivers are influencing gene flow in invasive B. sylvaticum populations; as grass seeds tend to be moved by animals and people rather than by hydrochory, we interpret these results to mean humans interacting with the river are the probable dispersal vectors.

VAN ETTEN , MEGAN* 1 and BAUCOM, REGINA 2

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he evolution of herbicide resistance is often given as an example of extreme parallelism, with different species using the same genetic change to adapt to herbicide use. However, these results are biased by studies that focus on the herbicide's target gene, rather than more agnostic, genome-wide searches. Here, we used a population genomics approach and exome re-sequencing to identify genes involved in herbicide resistance across several resistant populations of the weed Ipomoea purpurea. We found 5 genomic regions that show evidence of selection. Within these regions, genes involved in herbicide detoxification--cytochrome P450s, ABC transporters, and glycosyltransferases--are enriched and exhibit signs of selective sweeps. Interestingly, the pattern of variation was population specific in some regions under selection whereas other regions of the genome showed the same pattern among resistant populations. This suggests that there are both convergent and divergent responses involved in the evolution of herbicide resistance in this species. More broadly, this suggests that genome-wide approaches may change our understanding of the occurrence of convergent evolution at the genomic level. 1

Penn State, Penn State Worthington Scranton, 120 Ridge View Dr, Dunmore, Pennsylvania, 18512, United States2University of Michigan, 830 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

1

Portland State University, Biology, PO Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207, United States2Portland State University, Department Of Biology, 1719 SW 10th Ave, SRTC Rm 246 - Biology, Portland, OR, 97201, United States

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594

NAIBAUER, SAMANTA* 1 and MCGLAUGHLIN, MITCHELL 2

Characterizing ecological and genetic patterns of the colonizing species Dubautia scabra on The Big Island, Hawaii

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he Hawaiian Silversword Alliance (HSA) is a group of approximately 35 endemic species found on the Hawaiian Islands. The HSA is of particular interest due to the vast adaptive responses of its members across the Hawaiian Islands. Each of these plant species is generally limited to a very specific habitat type with a unique morphology and physiology. Dubautia scabra is the first angiosperm colonist of new lava flows, arriving in as few as two years after lava cools. The critical role D. scabra plays in this ecosystem gives a unique starting point for understanding downstream ecological processes such as seed dispersal, colonization, and ecological succession. The processes of colonization and ecological succession are widely understood by ecologists in habitats like forests and grasslands, but researchers have not yet been able to successfully characterize primary succession on truly new habitats. The goals of this study are to determine (1) the source and direction of seed dispersal of D. scabra populations across the Big Island, Hawai'i using genetic analysis, (2) if there is a correlation between lava flow age and genetic variation among populations, and (3) characterize patterns of primary succession in new habitats. Preliminary data from this study suggests there is little correlation between the age of the lava flow and plant size or density. Additionally, there is no correlation between genetic diversity and the age of the lava flow suggesting gene flow among populations of D. scabra. Genetic analysis of organisms such as D. scabra give researchers the ability to identify patterns of colonization into new habitats, as well as determine the relationships between and among populations. 1

University of Northern Colorado, Biological Sciences, 501 20th St, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA2University Of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Box 92, Greeley, CO, 80639, United States

595

STUNZ, ELIZABETH* 1, MOHL, JONATHAN 2, FETCHER, NED 3, TANG, JIM 4 and MOODY, MICHAEL 5

Molecular ecology of the arctic moist tundra sedge, tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), in the context of local adaptation and climate change

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s the arctic warms, the geographic ranges of flora and fauna may shift. Currently open tundra dominated by grasses and sedges could become increasingly occupied by shrubs, changing the structure and function of the ecosystem. The tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) is a dominant plant in the moist tundra of northern Alaska. The decline of tussock cottongrass in the Arctic is a substantial concern as it is important for ecosystem stability as well as a major dietary component for grazing herbivores, birds and rodents in the Arctic. Reciprocal transplant studies across a latitudinal gradient have demonstrated home site advantage for flowering and survival rates of the sedge, as well as slightly increased survival for southern ecotypes when moved north, but not the inverse. We sampled 14 tussock cottongrass populations along a latitudinal gradient in northern central Alaska. NGS sequencing to investigate genome-wide SNPs revealed ecotypic variation and population structure across the range of E. vaginatum, including a genetic break between populations north and south of tree line. More populations around tree line were incorporated to further clarify this break. A population at Eagle Creek, a higher elevation environment (770 m) in the southern part of E. vaginatum's range, was also genetically differentiated from other populations. Three genetic clusters were found whether loci identified as candidate genes for selection or only neutral loci were included. Limited gene flow is supported by these results, in addition to potential selective traits conserved between regions. Variation in gene flow rates and direction between these populations were investigated, as well as correlations between genetic, geographic and environmental distances. NGS data was utilized to evaluate the gene flow, genetic structure and overall evolutionary potential of Eriophorum vaginatum to expand its range as the tundra warms and competition with shrubs is likely to increase. 1

500 W University Ave, Pmb #369, El Paso, TX, 79968, United States2University of Texas at El Paso, Bioinformatics, 500 W University Ave, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA3Wilkes University, Biology, 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 18766, USA4Marine Biological Laboratory, The Ecosystems Center, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543-1015, USA56212 Camino Alegre Dr., El Paso, TX, 79912, United States

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BECHEN, LINDSEY 1, WICKETT, NORMAN* 2, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 3, LEVIN, RACHEL 4, JOGESH, TANIA 5, OVERSON, RICK 6, FANT, JEREMIE 7, RAGUSO, ROBERT 8 and SKOGEN , KRISSA ANN 9

Differential gene expression associated with a floral scent polymorphism in the evening primrose Oenothera harringtonii (Onagraceae)

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lant volatiles are critical components of plantpollinator and plant-herbivore interactions, but studies that explore the patterns of differential gene expression that underlay intraspecific volatile polymorphisms are rare. Oenothera harringtonii is polymorphic for the production of the monoterpene (R)-(-)-linalool; however, the genes encoding its biosynthesis in Onagraceae are unknown. To determine possible candidate genes, we used RNA-Seq to compare gene expression of floral and leaf tissue from plants that emit (R)-(-)-linalool and plants that do not. We identified 6577 differentially expressed genes that could be grouped into 12 clusters of similar expression patterns. Three of these clusters were enriched for terpene synthase activity, suggesting a possible role in (R)-(-)-linalool production. We used a Hidden Markov Model to identify 40 terpene synthase proteins from O. harringtonii, which were then classified into seven terpense synthase subfamilies using a phylogenomic analysis. Two of these proteins were characterized by up-regulation in floral tissues of (R)-(-)-linalool producing plants and represent strong candidates for (R)-(-)-linalool synthase in Oenothera.

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Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States3Texas Tech University, Biological Sciences, 2901 Main Street, Ms3131, Lubbock, TX, 79409, United States4Amherst College, Department Of Biology, McGuire Life Sciences Building, Amherst, MA, 01002, United States5Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States6Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States7Chicago Botanic Gardens, Plant Biology And Conservation , 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States8Cornell University, Dept. Of Neurobiology And Behavior, W355 Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States9Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

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OAKLEY, CHRISTOPHER

Genetic and physiological mechanisms of cold acclimation and local adaptation

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dentifying the genetic and physiological mechanisms of local adaptation is a major goal of evolutionary biology. Of particular interest is the genetic basis of traits that are adaptive in some environments but result in fitness costs in contrasting environments. In locally adapted native populations

of Arabidopsis thaliana from Italy and Sweden, quantitative trait loci underlying fitness tradeoffs across environments have been identified. Freezing tolerance is a key adaptive trait in Sweden and can only be induced after a sustained period of cold acclimation (cold, but non-freezing temperatures). Such cold acclimation is therefore an example of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and such plasticity may be costly in the Italian environment where cold but non-freezing temperatures result in cold acclimation without a subsequent freeze. Quantitative trait loci for freezing tolerance have been identified that map closely to loci involved in fitness tradeoffs. Taken together, this suggests that cold acclimation in general and these loci in particular are involved in fitness tradeoffs across environments. The gene underlying one major freezing tolerance locus has been identified as the transcription factor CBF2, which is known to be a major regulator of cold acclimated freezing tolerance.The Italian allele for this gene contains a deletion which results in a non-functional CBF2 protein. Here we use near isogenic and genetically engineered lines (CRISPR-Cas9) designed to replicate the loss-of-function mutation in CBF2 in the Swedish genetic background. We quantify freezing tolerance for these lines and also examine how the loss of function mutation in CBF2 alter patterns of global gene expression (RNAseq) in response to cold acclimation. Our ultimate goal is to identify the downstream targets of CBF2 that are major players in cold acclimated freezing tolerance, and to evaluate their potential role in fitness tradeoffs across environments. Purdue University, Botany & Plant Pathology and the Center for Plant Biology, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

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SHARPE , SAMANTHA LIPSON , JOHNSON, LORETTA* , GALLIART, MATT and PARRISH, OLIVIA

Rapid evolution in response to heavy metals: Evolutionary adaptation of Andropogon virginicus in abandoned mines

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nthropogenic activities have severely altered the earth's ecosystems, driving many species to undergo rapid evolution in response to extreme and changing environmental conditions. This research investigates genotypic and phenotypic components of adaptive variation in heavy metal exposed populations of Andropogon virginicus, a common perennial grass that often grows in contaminated mine soil. The study area is the Tar Creek EPA Superfund Site, an abandoned Lead and Zinc mine active for 100 years that spans Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Using a greenhouse soil reciprocal transplant, we compared populations of A. virginicus collected from Tar Creek with those collected from nearby non-mine sites to determine if ecotypic adaptation to contaminated soils has occurred in mine populations. To assess phenotypic adaptation, we measured vegetative morphology (leaf area), fitness (seed production), and physiology (SPAD) over the course of the grow-

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ing season. Plants from 20 populations were genotyped with GBS to analyze differentiation on the genetic level. We identified ~6,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including 47 outliers under divergent selection between mine and non-mine populations, two of which are related to Zinc binding. For both of these SNPs, a single allele is fixed in the mine populations while both alleles are present in non-mine populations, indicating potentially greater selection for one allele variant in the mine site. Preliminary evidence supports phenotypic differences between mine and non-mine populations, including a potential trade off in mine populations between reproduction and vegetative growth. In a greenhouse reciprocal soil transplant, plants from mine populations produced more biomass than plants from old field populations early in the growing season, but mine plants were half as likely to flower as old field plants. These results indicate genotypic and phenotypic divergence between mine and nonmine populations linked to metal tolerance.

to cluster all genes based on their expression profile. In all, the data was separated into 18 modules (clusters) based on similar expression levels. These modules were further processed using fisher's exact test to find any overrepresented GO terms. Initial efforts were set out to answer the following three questions: which genes are constitutively expressed in Cab, which genes are induced in Cab on serpentine outcrops, and which genes are induced in Caa on serpentine outcrops? RNA-seq data implicates a suite of photosynthesis genes being constitutively expressed in Cab, this is an unexpected and novel finding. Genes induced in Cab on serpentine include those with roles in nutrient acquisition and movement and heavy metal binding, and genes induced in Caa on serpentine indicate response to nutrient starvation and galactose binding/transport. Ultimately results from these analyses, in conjunction with coding sequence data and QTL mapping, will be used to find high quality candidate genes that confer tolerance to serpentine soils.

Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan , KS, 66506-4901, United States

Texas A&M University, Department Of Biology, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, United States

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HAWKINS, ANGELA* and PEPPER, ALAN

RNA-Seq analysis reveals novel insights into serpentine tolerance in Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (Brassicaceae)

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erpentine endemic plants are excellent models for the study of molecular evolution as they provide extreme examples of adaptation to environment. Serpentine outcrops are derived from ultramafic rock and have extremely low levels of essential plant nutrients (e.g. N, P, K, Ca), as well as toxic levels of heavy metals (e.g. Ni, Cr, Co), and very poor moisture availability. These outcrops provide habitat to the endemic plant species, Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (J. Howell) Munz ("Cab"). Its sister species, C. amplexicaulis var. amplexicaulis S. Watson (Caa), is found predominately on granite soils and is intolerant to serpentine soils. Comprehensive reference transcriptomes and genomes of both Caa and Cab are available for use in protein coding gene comparisons. Both common garden on ¼ strength MS media and reciprocal transplant experiments on natural granite and serpentine soils were performed using Caa, Cab, and a F1 hybrid. RNA-seq analyses were implemented to calculate global expression patterns and identify differentially regulated gens that may play a role in serpentine adaptation. Gene expression levels were calculated as transcripts per million (TPM) by the program Salmon using the CAB1 genome assembly as reference and paired end fastq files of RNA-seq data from all replicates in all growth conditions. EdgeR was then used to calculate log fold change for all genes. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was performed

BAKER, STOKES S.* , PEEPLES, KEONA , SHELLA, SAMEH M. , FIJAL, SAVANNAH , LOPEZ, SARAH M. , CHAMES, NICHOLAS M. , KOONER, TAJ P. and MIMS, MITCHELL A.

Metagenomic Analysis of Giant Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) Microbiota Suggests a Role for Rhizobia in Nutrient Sequestration

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he goal of this investigation is to identify candidate bacterial species that help aquatic plants grow in low-nutrient environments. Giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) is a free-floating plant that is distributed throughout much of North America. To evaluate S. polyrhiza's growth response in low phosphorus environments, axenic cultures were grown on modified Schenk and Hildebrandt media containing varying concentrations of phosphate. In media containing as much as 500 μg/L P, only linear increases in frond counts were observed. The plants were chlorotic. Plants were evaluated for their ability to grow in sterile lake water. Plants that were inoculated with duckweed biofilm microbes had a 26% higher growth rate than their axenic counterparts. In another experiment the same S. polyrhiza clone was grown in free-flowing containment cages in Lake Saint Clair (Harrison Township, Michigan, USA), frond number increased exponentially. Additionally, no chlorosis was observed. Chemical analysis of the lake water detected orthophosphate at 7 to 15 μg/L P. Since retarded growth was detected in the axenic cultures, a microbial role in duckweed nutrient assimilation is suspected. Vital staining with SYTO9/propidium iodide showed rich microbial communities consisting of bacteria and fungi residing on epidermal surfaces of giant duckweed. A metagenomics approach, using the protocols estab-

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lished by the Earth Microbiome Project, was used to identify the bacteria growing on the surface of S. polyrhiza. Amplicon libraries made to Variable Region 4 of 16S rRNA genes were sequenced with an Illumina (San Diego, CA, USA) MiSeq. Results from queries of the SILVA rRNA gene database showed that the duckweed biofilm contained diverse bacterial biota. Shannon diversity indices at the level of the operational taxonomic unity (OTU) had a median value of 3.15 with an interquartile from 2.54 to 3.72. Differential abundance statistical analysis using the Gaussian fit model in metagenonmeSeq showed that members of the Aeromonadales, Rhizobiales, and Enterobacteriales preferentially resided on S. polyrhiza. Rhizobiales are well known soil bacteria that have nitrogen-fixing relationships with members of the Fabaceae (a.k.a., Leguminosae) as well as playing a role in phosphate solubilization in legumes and non-legume land plants. The presence of rhizobia on S. polyrhiza suggests a nutrient sequestration role for S. polyrhiza. Experiments to test this hypothesis are planned.

cies collected from the major portion of the principal range of the species distribution in western North America was performed. The developed SSR markers will also be useful for population genetic studies in other diploid Antennaria species, as well as, in the remaining four polyploidy agamic complexes. As the SSR loci, especially developed from the COS loci, are selected from the conserved regions, the developed primers may also be transferable to closely related genera. In fact, a few of these loci successfully amplified in Chresta species from the Vernonieae tribe of the Asteraceae family. 1

The University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Avenue , Memphis, TN, 38152, USA2University Of Memphis, Department Of Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Avenue, 201 Ellington Hall, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States3University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States

University of Detroit Mercy, Biology Dept., 4001 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI, 48221, USA

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THAPA, RAMHARI* 1, BAYER, RANDALL 2 and MANDEL, JENNIFER 3

The Development and Use of Microsatellite Markers for Investigating Clonal Diversity and Parental Origins in Complex Polyploid Species

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ntennaria (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) is a genus of dioecious, perennial herbs widely distributed in the Holarctic region with only three species reported in the Andes in South America. The genus comprises 34 known amphimictic (sexually reproducing) diploid/tetraploid species and more than five polyploid agamic (asexually seed producing) complexes. Antennaria rosea is one of the most morphologically diverse, polyploid agamic complexes in the genus with the cytotypes occurring as triploid (2n=42), tetraploid (2n=56), and pentaploid (2n=70). Morphological and isozyme studies show that the species is a compilospecies originated through multiple hybridization and introgression from among several species with morphology favoring the involvement of A. aromatica, A. corymbosa, A. marginata, A. microphylla, A. racemosa, A. rosulata, A. pulchella, and A. umbrinella in the parentage. Based on the possibility of variation searched in the alignment of next generation sequencing data targeting 1061 Conserved Orthologous Set (COS) loci earlier used for the reconstruction of the phylogeny of the genus, as well as, SSR enriched sequence data, Candidate Microsatellite (SSR) loci were identified for the genus using Phobos Software. In total, 36 primer pairs were developed using Primer3 software; of which, 26 loci amplified well, and variability among species and populations was seen in 19 loci. Measurement of the clonal diversity, investigation of parental origins, and determination of population genetic structure in 20 populations of A. rosea spe-

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POSTERS

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ZHANG, YONGHUA 1, CAI, MINQI , CHEN, YAO 2, XIE, XINGLV 2, CAMERON, KENNETH 3, FU, CHENGXIN 2 and LI, PAN* 2

Metagenomics of rhizobacterial community associated with the bryophyte, Funaria hygrometrica - A pioneer of burnt sites

Both climatic change and geographic isolation have driven the diversification of Amana in East Asia

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remise of the Study: East Asia is species-rich and has high levels of endemism, yet the evolutionary processes responsible for the origin and diversification of endemism in this area remains largely unexplored. Herein we used the genus Amana, endemic to East Asia, to gain new insights into the origin and diversification of endemism in this important biome. Methods: We reconstructed the phylogeographical pattern, molecular phylogeny and temporal history of Amana based on five plastid (rbcL, rpoC, ndnF, rrn23S, psbB-H) and one nuclear (ITS) markers. We then combined climatic, geographic and morphologic parameters with the molecular phylogeny to test the roles of climatic change and geographic isolation in the origin and diversification of Amana. Key results: The genus Amana is monophyletic and divided into two clades, corresponding to broadleaf group with two subclads (south vs. north) and narrowleaf group with four subclades (from south to north), respectively. The time to the origin of Amana was c. 22 Ma during the Early to Middle Miocene, coinciding with the initial intensification of the Asian monsoon. The time since divergence between two clades had occurred 11.86 Ma (95% HPD: 18.137.30 Ma), and six subclades arose during Late Miocene to Pleistocene (9.33-3.30 Ma), corresponding temporally to the subsequent intensification event of the Asian monsoon. Analyses of ecological disparity (DTT) indicated a departure from a neutral (Brownian) model of evolution, and SEEVA (spatial evolutionary and ecological vicariance) analyses showed that different subclades tend to evolve under different potential climatic niches, especially in terms of BIO4 (Temperature Seasonality), BIO12 (Annual Precipitation), BIO14 (Precipitation of Driest Month), BIO17 (Precipitation of Driest Quarter) and BIO19 (Precipitation of Coldest Quarter). The leaves gradually narrowed as the latitude increased in each of two clades. Geographical ranges showed little overlap between related subclades. Conclusions: Our results suggest that two independent intensifications of the East Asian monsoon around the Early to Middle Miocene and the late Miocene to Pleistocene and subsequent geographic isolation may have jointly facilitated the origin and diversification of Amana in East Asia. 1

Sun Yat-sen University, School of Life Sciences, 135 Xingang Xi Rd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China2Zhejiang University, College Of Life Sciences, 866 Yuhangtang Rd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China3University of Wisconsin, Department of Botany, 154 Birge Hall, 450 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

KUMAR, SACHIN* 1, SINGH, VIBHUTI 2 and UNIYAL, PREM LAL 1

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nthropogenic activities and natural disasters have enhanced the creation of degraded sites. Pioneer plant species such as bryophytes play an important role in plant succession on barren areas, especially burnt sites. One of the major players that positively influence plant growth are the microbes especially, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria which might also help in establishment of pioneers species. The current study focuses on understanding the rhizobacterial community associated with Funaria hygrometrica from forest fire sites, using metagenomics approach. Rhizospheric soil samples collected from normal and burnt sites due to forest fire in Nainital (Uttarakhand, India) were used for analysis. DNA was isolated and subjected to next generation sequencing, targeting V3 region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Order Anaerolineales was found dominant on burnt sites with Funaria. The information derived from the study would be useful in reclamation of degraded lands. 1

University of Delhi, Botany, North Campus, Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India2University of Kansas, Haworth hall, 1200 sunnyside, Room no. 8009, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States

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FLANDERS, NICHOLAS* 1, MUSSELMAN, LYTTON 2, RANDLE, CHRISTOPHER 3, BARSHIS, DANIEL 4 and WALTERS, ERIC 4

Identification of microsatellite loci for investigating bird-mediated genetic isolation by habitat in oak mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) (Raf.) Reveal & M. C. Johnst

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he oak mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) is a stem parasite found across the southern United States that is dependent on avian frugivores for seed dispersal. Because most mistletoes are restricted to a narrow range of suitable recruitment sites and avian frugivores are more visible than other guilds of seed dispersers, mistletoe-frugivore systems offer good opportunities for the study of seed dispersal and the effect of frugivores on plant distributions. In eastern Virginia and North Carolina, oak mistletoe is most common in forested wetlands of the Coastal Plain and in urban areas under a variety of development intensities. Mechanisms driving observed oak mistletoe habitat relationships are unclear. Information on the genetic structure of oak mistletoe populations coupled with data on avian frugivore habitat selection and results from oak mistletoe planting experiments could help elucidate the importance of bird behavior in determining oak mistletoe distributions.

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Previous studies on the genetics of this species across its range have found unexplained variation that did not correlate with geographic distance. We hypothesize that the selection of certain habitat types by different species or different populations of frugivorous birds is a mechanism that could limit gene flow among mistletoe populations. We plan to use microsatellites to examine fine-scale genetic differentiation across populations occupying different habitat types and separated by varying geographic distances in eastern Virginia and North Carolina. Here we present results from the screening of 21 previously developed microsatellite loci to identify markers that amplify and exhibit variation across oak mistletoe samples from different habitats and regions of our study area. 1 3825 Pine Road, Portsmouth, VA, 23703, United States2Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, 5115 Hampton Blvd, 110 Mills Godwin Building, Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States3Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1900 Avenue I, Hunstville, TX, 77340, United States4Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, 110 Mills Godwin Building, 5115 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA

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WILLIAMS, BRIGETTE* 1, MILLER, ALLISON 2 and EDWARDS, CHRISTINE 3

Understanding the role of epigenetics and phenotypic plasticity in shaping variation in geographic range size in the geographically restricted genus, Leavenworthia

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he epigenome is hypothesized to have a role in phenotypic plasticity and response to environmental variation, which may affect the range of environmental conditions that a species can occupy and thus, its geographic range size. In this study, we investigate the relationships among genetic variation, epigenetic variation, phenotypic plasticity, and geographic range size in two species of Leavenworthia. Leavenworthia uniflora is a widespread species that is distributed across the Central Basin of North America; it is a selfing species that has its genetic variation structured primarily among populations and has very little within-population genetic diversity. Leavenworthia exigua var. laciniata is a rare and endangered species that is currently found in only two counties in Kentucky; it has no measurable genetic diversity across its narrow geographic range. We grew genotypes of the two species in a growth chamber experiment with two experimental treatments (well watered and drought conditions). The goals of this study were to compare the effects of population origin, treatment, and their interaction on phenotypic traits in the two species and to analyze how they are related to epigenetic variation. Results show that despite being genetically invariant across its range, L. exigua var. laciniata show significant among-population differences in phenotypic traits, potentially as the result of stable epigenetic variation among populations. The two species differ significantly in phenotypic plasticity in response to

water regime for a range of traits, with the narrowly distributed L. exigua var. laciniata showing no plasticity and the widely distributed L. uniflora showing significant variation among genotypes in plasticity for a range of vegetative and phenological traits. We also present associations between these traits and epigenetic variation. These result show that epigenetic variation may have important effects on phenotypic variation and geographic range size. 1

Saint Louis University, Biology, Biology Extension Building, 1008 S. Spring Ave., Saint Louis, MO, 63103, USA2Saint Louis University, Biology, St. Louis, Biology Extension Building, Saint Louis, MO, 63108, United States3Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, 4651 Shaw Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA

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GARRETT, PATRICK 1 and MOORE, RICH* 2

The tempo of floral gene expression in Canella winterana, a synchronously dichogamous species

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ynchronous dichogamy (SD) evolved as an adaptation to promote outcrossing in plants bearing multiple hermaphroditic flowers that have the potential for geitonogamous self-pollination. SD causes synchronized sexual expression between all flowers borne on an individual plant, which prevents geitonogamous pollen transfer. Although SD is taxonomically widespread there is little known about how SD affects the genetic structure of populations and even less known about what genetic mechanisms regulate such a strict schedule of sexual expression in plants. This study seeks to elucidate how gene expression patterns differ as a result of SD. We are using Canella winterana as a model to study SD because this plant exhibits a highly conserved 3-phased schedule of synchronized sexual expression. At phase one of this cycle all sexually mature flowers open expressing pistillate function, which persists for 12-24 hours. Phase two marks a transition phase where flowers are neutered, expressing neither sexual function. The amount of time phase 2 lasts is highly variable, lasting anywhere from an hour to no longer than a full day. At phase three flowers exhibit staminate function, which persists for another 12-48 hours. The induction of female and male sexual expression of this cycle are synchronized between all blooming flowers within a plant. To determine if there are differences in gene expression patterns that are correlated with sexual expression in Canella, RNAseq was performed on flowers collected at each phase of sexual expression. RNA transcripts were sequenced using the Illumina Hi-Seq 2500 platform and separate libraries for each phase of sexual expression were created and Trinity was used to find patterns of differential gene expression. Differences in gene expression will be assessed between pistillate and staminate sexual expression, with a particular emphasis on how the tempo of gene expression associated with each sex changes over time. However the most interesting patterns we hope to explore are expression differences during the neutered transition phase between

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pistillate and staminate sexual expression. For instance, pistillate genes could be suppressed in the neutered phase or staminate gene expression could increase. As such we hope to find candidate genes for what causes synchronicity between all flowers within a plant and the genes responsible for the overall sexual expression patterns we have observed. This study sheds light on the genetic mechanisms associated with SD in Canella winterana and we hope that this will provide insight into how SD functions in other systems. 1

Miami University, Biology, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States2Miami University, Biology, 316 Pearson, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States

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MYCOLOGY POSTERS

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607

Phylogenetic characterization of Amanita: an ectomycorrhizal genus from dry and moist temperate forests of Pakistan

NASEER, AROOJ* 1 and KHALID, ADUL NASIR KHALID 2

BONI, SOULEYMANE

Influence of vegetation parameters on ectomycorrhizal fungal community production in guineo-sudanian forests (Benin)

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tudied showed that ectomycorrhizal (EcM) mushrooms are integral part of african trees physiology and also that the regeneration and recover of tropical forest depend on the survival of seedlings which in turn depend on the rate with which they become mycorrhizal. But particularly in Benin, a study attempted to show that basal area and tree density shape the natural production of mushrooms and in a context of climate change it was necessary to include tree canopy cover effect as well on natural mushrooms production because somehow tree canopy cover is a good regulator in forester ecosystems. So this work which took into account the effect of canopy cover has been carried out in the Ouémé Supérieur classified forest located in northern Benin. It aims to determine the effect : (i) of density, basal area and canopy of host trees on species richness and biomass of EcM mushrooms, (ii) of density, basal area and canopy of host trees on the diversity and structure of EcM mushrooms. Three different plant communities (V1 = plant community dominated by Isoberlinia doka, V2 = plant community dominated by Isoberlinia tomentosa et V3 = plant community dominated by Uapaca togoensis) located in three different sites were selected. In each plant community, nine permanents plots of 2.500 m2 were installed in the three plant communities. Each plot was split into 25 sub-plot of 100 m2 totalising 225 sub-plot. Mycological inventories were conducted twice a week per plot for 5 months (from June to October). Results show that tree canopy cover and tree density of host tree were positively correlated to the specific richness and diversity of EcM mushrooms whilst basal area of EcM trees was positively correlated to biomass of EcM mushrooms as well. The study results also revealed that EcM tree density have no significant (P=0.6457) effect on EcM mushrooms community but the presence-absence of EcM tree has significant (P=0.0357). The canopy of EcM tree has significant (P=0.0218) effect on EcM mushrooms community and at last EcM tree basal area have no significant (P=0.62) effect on EcM mushrooms community. This work allowed us to clearly show that EcM mushrooms communities are strongly influenced by plant communities which suggest that there is a fairly tight correlation between flora and mycoflora. Through this study, we also added a great contribution to the knowledge of tropical EcM mushrooms and particularly to the EcM mushrooms in guineo-sudanian forest (Benin).

University of Parakou , 03 BP 125-Parakou , Benin

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he family Amanitaceae is a fascinating group that includes most toxic mushrooms, world's best known and most beautiful fungi in world. The genus Amanita is an important ectomycorrhizal genus, further divided into two subgenera and seven sections. It has been found involved in association with trees of Betulaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Pinaceae, and Salicaceae. During different field expeditions to forests of Pakistan ranging from dry temperate to moist temperate forests of Pakistan, different species of Amanita have been collected. Morpho-anatomical characterization and phylogenetic analyses based on ITA and LSU nrDNA showed different species falling in different groups. Four species falls in Subgenus Lepidella, three in sect. Validae and one species falls in sect. Phalloideae. The remaining three species belong to Subgenus Amanita. One is in sect. Amanita and two in sect. Vaginatae. This study contributes toward largely under-explored ectomycorrhizal habitat of genus. 1

University Of The Punjab, Center For Undergraduate Studies, New Campus, Lahore, Punjab, 54590, Pakistan2University of the Punjab, Lahore, Department of Botany, New CAMPUS, Lahore, 545900

609

MERIWETHER, MEGAN* 1, WALKER, HAYLEY 2 and TWANABASU, BISHNU 3

Effectiveness of commercially available mycorrhizal products on seed germination and seedling growth

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ackground/Questions/Methods Mycorrhizal fungi are proven to enhance seed germination and seedling growth of many plants. Mycorrhizal fungi colonize more than 90% of plants helping them to access soil nutrients, primarily the phosphorus trading with organic carbon from the plants for fungal survival. With increase in information of plant fungal symbioses, production of mycorrhizal fungi has been increased in the recent decade. Globally 440 million dollars are spent on commercial mycorrhizal products by farmers each year. This is continuing to grow by 10% annually. We tested two mycorrhizal products purchased online to study the effectiveness of the fungal products on germination of four commercial seeds (Marigold, Cucumber, Sunflower, and Tomato) purchased from Walmart in Weatherford TX. This experiment was performed by seed germination on petri-dishes at Weatherford College Greenhouse. Four seed species were purchased and set on the top filter paper; while underneath the filter paper, contained the mycorrhizal product. Seeds were kept moist using a wick to soak up the

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water from the trays in which petri-dishes were set. Seeds were observed every 24 hours for germination. Upon germination, the seeds were transplanted to pots with autoclaved soil and the bio-inoculant at the bottom of the seed hole. These were kept at a greenhouse temperature of Ì 79â and watered twice a day. Date of germination, was recorded, as well as the height of the plants over a 3-week period. Results/Conclusion Among the four species of plants, marigold seeds germinated the quickest and reached 100% germination by day six in both products tested, while only 90% germinated in the control. Sunflower seeds started to germinate in three days which had an average of 60±5.77% in the product "A", 80±10% in product "B" and 56.66±5.66% by day ten. Similarly, cucumber seeds had an average of 46.67±15.28% in product "A", 63.33±11.55% in product "B" and 46.67±20.82% in control by day ten. Furthermore, tomato seeds germinated very slow with 3.33%, 3.33% and 0% in control, product "A", and product "B" respectively by day ten. Our results, suggest that commercial mycorrhizal products may be beneficial for some cultural plants to improve germination; however, further studies are needed to confirm more seeds and products. 1

Weatherford College, 225 College Park Dr., Weatherford, Tx, 76086, USA2Weatherford College, Biology, 225 College Park Dr., Weatherford, Tx, 76086, USA3Weatherford College, 225 College Park Dr., Weatherford, Tx, 76086, United States

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PALEOBOTANY ORAL PAPERS 610

STROTHER, PAUL* 1 and TAYLOR,

WILSON 2

The fossil record and the assembly of the plant genome

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ecently constructed molecular trees now place the origin of the embryophytes during the Cambrian, which, coincidentally, matches the first record of the cryptospores sensu lato. However, we currently interpret these earliest spore-like microfossils to be members of an evolving complex of aeroterrestrial streptophyte algae. Such an interpretation is supported by messy meiosis in extant streptophyte algae, in combination with our own work on cryptospore wall topology. This "spores before sporophytes" model is congruent with the antithetic hypothesis for the origin of the plant sporophyte, and with the developmental biology of sporogenesis in bryophytes. Its application to the fossil record reminds us that the origin of land plants was not a singularity in geologic time; rather, it represents the end result of the genomic assimilation of plant development from streptophyte algal ancestors. We are now beginning to view the early Paleozoic fossil record of recalcitrant tissues - spores, cuticles and nematoclasts -as a manifestation of the assembly of the plant developmental toolkit. 1

Boston College, Weston Observatory, 381 Concord Road, Weston, MA, 02493, United States2University Of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Department Of Biology, Eau Claire, WI, 54701.0, United States

611

RYBERG, PATRICIA E.* 1, SERBET, RUDOLPH 2, ATKINSON, BRIAN 3, ISBELL, JOHN 4, IVES, ELIZABETH 5 and TAYLOR, EDITH L. 6

A latest Permian high-latitude Glossopteris flora

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ocalities in Antarctica have provided abundant data on both the Late Permian (260-252 Ma) Glossopteris flora as well as the Middle Triassic (247-237 Ma) Dicroidium flora from compression/impression as well as permineralized fossils. Yet, no record of a floral transition from the Late Permian glossopterids to the Middle Triassic corystosperm floras has been documented in central Antarctica. Published stratigraphic reports on Collinson Ridge in the Shackleton Glacier region have proposed a Lower Triassic correlation based on lithology as demonstrated by deposits indicative of a braided river system that was mainly dominated by coarse grained sandstones. Conversely, a paleobotanical study from material collected from a single exposed lens (McManus et al., 2002) indicated that while Collinson Ridge has lithology characteristic of the Lower Triassic Fremouw Formation, the rocks contain a Late Permian flora based on the presence of Glossopteris and the absence of the vertebrate Lystrosaurus. On a recent field expedition to the Collinson Ridge locality (2017-2018), an

extensive collection of permineralized peat from several exposed lenses and debris slopes was gathered. The peat is dominated by various glossopterids including: leaf mats, long and short shoots, Vertebraria, and at least three morphologically distinctive ovules, as well as unclassified microsporangiate structures containing numerous pollen sacs have been identified. The abundance of the glossopterids and dearth of other plant groups is a typical characteristic of a low diversity landscape common during the Late Permian of Antarctica. However, initial observations from this new collection of material hint that the plant remains at Collinson Ridge display anatomical features distinctive from other comparable permineralized floras and illustrate that the diversity of glossopterids across Antarctica may be greater than currently known. Additionally, the lithology depicts a depositional environment in which the river system had evolved to infill the classic high water table of Permian meandering rivers and formed the Triassic braided rivers. This would suggest that Collinson Ridge is one of the few Gondwanan localities where latest Permian fossils may provide details on the diversity, biology, and ecology of the plants that inhabited Antarctic floras shortly before the Permian-Triassic extinction. 1

Park University, 8700 NW River Park Dr, Parkville, MO, 64152, USA2University Of Kansas, Division Of Paleobotany, Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States3University of Kansas, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2041 Haworth Hall 1200 Sunnyside Avenue , 1200 Sunnyside Avenue , Lawrence, KS, 66045, US4University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Geosciences, Milwaukee, WI, 53206, USA5University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Geosciences, Milwaukee, WI, 53206, USA6University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Drive, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States

612

HODGES, NICHOLAS* 1, ATKINSON, BRIAN 2, SERBET, RUDOLPH 3 and TAYLOR, EDITH L. 2

Exploring anatomical variation of Pteruchus (Corystospermales) from the Triassic of Antarctica

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he Fremouw Formation of the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica contains a Middle Triassic permineralized peat flora that has provided crucial data for deciphering Mesozoic plant diversity and evolution. For instance, the first described permineralized corystosperm pollen organ, Pteruchus fremouwensis, was reported from this flora and has clarified homologies. In this study, we characterize a new permineralized morphotype of Pteruchus. There are 36 specimens consisting of a central axis with helically arranged microsporophylls with distinct stalks and slightly flattened laminar heads. Several vascular bundles form a ring within the main axis. Ground tissue of the primary axis contains two layers: an outer zone of sclerenchymatous cells that is several cells thick and an inner zone of parenchymatous cells. A small number of secretory cavities with epithelial linings are scattered within the two tissue

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zones. A single bundle enters the microsporophyll stalk and subsequently divides prior to entering the microsporphyll head. Ground tissue of the stalk is similar to that of the central axis. The laminar head also consists of two distinct layers. The adaxial layer is heavely sclerified and often coalified. The abaxial layer is made up of thinner walled parenchymatous cells. There are scattered secretory cavities with epithelial linings throughout the microsporphyll head. At least 20 pollen sacs are attached to the abaxial surface of each laminar head. Pollen sac walls are uniseriate at maturity and lack secretory cavities. Several pollen sacs contain in situ bi-saccate pollen grains similar to the Alisporites-type. Comparative analysis indicates that this new Pteruchus morphotype is distinct from P. fremouwensis. Thus, the corystosperm described in this study represents a new taxon. The structure of this new taxon supports the hypothesis that the pollen bearing organs of Pteruchus are homologous to leaves. This study sheds light onto the diversity of corystosperm reproductive structures within the Triassic Fremouw flora. Characterization of this new taxon increases the known range of anatomical variation in Pteruchus and corystosperms as a whole. 1

University of Kansas, Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Drive, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States2University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Drive, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States3University Of Kansas, Division Of Paleobotany, Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

613

HU, SHUSHENG

New fossil plant assemblage from Late Triassic Chinle Formation, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

A

large number of fossil plants were collected from the sediments likely belonging to the Jasper Forest Bed of the Sonsela Member in the Chinle Formation of the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. These specimens were collected during the Yale Peabody Museum funded Ginsberg expeditions from 2015 to 2017. These Late Triassic sediments, approximately 218 Ma, appear to represent a braided river system with unstable overbank areas and a less developed floodplain. Most of the plant fossils could be assigned to one of the seven following taxa: Equisetites bradyi, Equisetites sp., Phlebopteris smithii, Pagiophyllum sp., Zamites powelli, Williamsonia sp., and Pelourdea sp.. Additionally, the fossil assemblage includes unidentified “Pramelreuthia” like reproductive structures, cones, and seeds. The “Pramelreuthia” like reproductive structure bears four lanceolate bracts just below the stalks of synangia. The synangia individually attached to central axis by short stalks which arise with an angle of 30 to 90Ë to central axis and arrange helically. Synangia are pendant, with a “spur” like lanceolate appendage above the main body of synangia. The main body of the synangia is ovate to oval in lateral view and contain about 6-10 sporangia in each synangium. One type of the

cones in the assemblage looks like Lycopsid cone. But its sporophyll has multiple veins. The leaves associated with this type cone also have multiple veins. The discovery of this new fossil plant assemblage has revealed that the plant diversity in Arizona during late Triassic is much more diverse than we originally thought. Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

614

STOCKEY, RUTH* 1, ROTHWELL, GAR and ATKINSON, BRIAN 3 2

Late Cretaceous diversification of cupressaceous conifers; a taiwanioid seed cone from the Eden Main, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

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single cylindrical conifer seed cone is preserved in a calcium carbonate marine concretion from the Eden Main quarry, near Comox on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The specimen comes from the Upper Cretaceous Comox Formation of the Nanaimo Group, dated as early Coniacian (~89 Ma). The cone is somewhat abraded, at least 2.3 cm long and 1 cm wide, with the apex missing and most of the base coalified. The well-preserved mid-section, however, shows cone scale complexes inserted at a steep angle. The cone scale complex has a central rhomboidal shaft and two lateral wing-like extensions. The pith of the cone axis is composed of elongate parenchymatous cells with dark contents. Xylem of the cone axis is robust, with scalariform primary xylem elements and uniseriate circularbordered pits on the radial walls of secondary xylem tracheids. Vascular rays are uniseriate and only a few cells high; and no resin canals have been observed in the wood. A single circular vascular trace enters the bract/scale complex and divides near the adaxial surface to form several bundles. There are three resin canals/scale that divide to form five, and up to nine distally. On the adaxial surface of the scale the cells beneath the epidermis show a convoluted shape. Up to six overlapping winged seeds, ~ 8 mm long and 1 mm thick, with two fleshy wings are borne on each scale. Cells of the seed epidermis are conspicuously large. The nucellus is attached to the endotesta most of the way up (at least half-way). Megagametophytes and embryos occur in some seeds. Cells of the megagametophyte have granular contents. This cone shows similarities in vasculature and cone structure to those of Taiwania (Cupressaceae), however the seeds with conspicuously large, fleshy folded wings are the most prominent component of the cone. 1

Oregon State University, Department Of Botany And Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331.0, United States2Ohio University/Orgon State Universtiy, Environmental and Plant Biology, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, 318 Porter Hall, Athens, Ohio, 45701, USA3University of Kansas, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 6012 Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66044, USA

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615 PETER 2

DOYLE, JAMES* 1 and ENDRESS,

616

ATKINSON, BRIAN

Phylogenetic position of mid-Cretaceous members of Magnoliales: updated status and implications

Initial diversification of rosids: Fossil evidence for a Cretaceous origin of the Mahogany family, Meliaceae (Sapindales)

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iscoveries of new fossils and phylogenetic analyses of their position in molecular trees of living Magnoliales refine and modify previous inferences on ages of clades, the course of character evolution, and past morphological and ecological diversity of the order. Our previous analysis indicated that Archaeanthus, based on bilobed leaves and flowers with an elongate receptacle from near the AlbianCenomanian boundary in Kansas, could be either a stem relative of Magnoliaceae or nested in the crown group. A recent analysis that nested Archaeanthus in the crown group with Liriodendron was compromised by use of too distant outgroups and correlated characters; our reanalysis indicates that the position of Archaeanthus and therefore the age of crown Magnoliaceae are still unresolved. We previously associated the older genus Endressinia, known from leafy shoots and flowers with inner staminodes from the late Aptian of Brazil, with the clade comprising Degeneria, Galbulimima, Eupomatia, and Annonaceae, which is united by inner staminodes (lost within Annonaceae). However, our present study supports the conclusion of a more recent analysis that Endressinia and Schenkeriphyllum, from the same deposits, are stem relatives of Magnoliaceae. This implies that the line leading to Magnoliaceae originally had inner staminodes but later lost them, and that the typical sheathing leaf base evolved before the elongate receptacle. The occurrence of these fossils in Brazil suggests that the magnoliaceous line originated in Gondwana, where other Magnoliales are still centered, and migrated into Laurasia. Their small leaves and other paleoclimatic indicators indicate that early Magnoliales were able to adapt to more arid tropical conditions than might be inferred from living members. The largest living family of Magnoliales, Annonaceae, is well represented by seeds with typical endosperm ruminations from near the end of the Cretaceous and the Eocene. Our analyses do not support the proposal that Pecinovia, a flower from the Cenomanian of Bohemia, is related to Annonaceae. However, Futabanthus, from later in the Cretaceous (Coniacian) of Japan, indicates that crown group Annonaceae had originated by this time. Our analyses confirm that Futabanthus is a near-basal member of the clade comprising all Annonaceae other than Anaxagorea, based on its combination of no inner staminodes, which were lost after divergence of the basal genus Anaxagorea, and tongueshaped stamens, which contrast with the so-called peltate stamens of most Annonaceae. 1

University Of California Davis, DEPT OF EVOL & ECOLOGY, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, United States2BOT GARTEN & INST FUR SYS BOT, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, CH-8008, Switzerland

he rosid clade consists of over 70,000 extant species within two major clades: the fabids and malvids. Despite having an extensive fossil record extending back into the mid-Cretaceous (~100 Ma), it is notoriously difficult to accurately place fossils within the current rosid phylogenetic framework, apart from Fagales (fabids) and Brassicales (malvids). Thus, our understanding of the Cretaceous diversification of rosids is murky at best. In this study, a new rosid assignable to Meliaceae (Sapindales, malvids), the Mahogany family, is characterized based on a permineralized fruit (with attached abraded floral parts) from the Upper Cretaceous (~79 Ma, Campanian) of western North America. The fruit consists of a fleshy mesocarp and a thick woody endocarp with dorsal ridges and a hollow center. Serial sections of the fruit indicate that there are nine locules, some of which are abortive. The mesocarp is composed of palisade-like parenchyma with amber-colored contents. The endocarp consists of interlocking sclereids and uni- to biseriate layers of circum-locular fibers. Opposite of each locule there is a loculcidal suture. Within the hollow center there are vascular bundles that run along the ventral surface of each carpel. There is one sub-apically attached seed per locule, each with a somewhat swollen hilum. Seeds appear to be abortive and have a thin integument. Comparative analysis indicates that fruits with syncarpous multicarpelate (>five) fruits with thick sclerenchymatous endocarps that have a hollow center and one sub-apically attached seed per locule are highly indicative of Meliaceae, more specifically the genus Melia within the subfamily Meliodeae. However, the Cretaceous fruit differs from other Melia species (fossil and extant) by having interlocking sclereids comprising the endocarp wall rather than interwoven elongate fibers. Thus, the fossil described in this study represents a new taxon and is likely a stem member of Melia. This fossil fruit is the first evidence of Meliaceae from the Cretaceous and is among the earliest representatives of the order Sapindales, which sheds light on the timing of phylogenetic diversification within the malvid clade. University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Drive, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States

617

MANCHESTER, STEVEN

Hidden gems in the Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone of Kansas

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-ray investigation of Dakota Sandstone specimens collected near Fort Harker, Kansas, in the late 19th century have revealed a surprising diversity of fruits, seeds and flowers faithfully preserved as molds and casts hidden within the sandstone pieces.

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These plant remains accompany the fossil leaves for which the Dakota Formation is best known, representing coastal vegetation growing along the eastern flank of the Epicontinental Seaway during the latest Albian and/or early Cenomania, ca 100 Ma. Unlike the previously described rare fossil fruits and seeds discovered by fortuitous fracture in the field, these fossils are not visible at the sediment surface but are preserved intact, without the fragmentation that occurs with traditional mechanical methods of exposure. Micro-CT scans at the resolution of 30 microns are sufficient to reveal diagnostic features of flower and fruit morphology preserved within the sediment, even for very small flowers in the range of 1 to 3 mm in diameter. Reproductive structures encountered to date include gymnosperm seed and pollen cones plus three kinds of flowers with intact perianth, stamens and gynoecium, and various fruits and seeds, some even with delicate wings preserved. The new information facilitates more complete descriptions of previously recognized taxa, and has allowed for the recognition of several new taxa. The angiosperm remains include Magnoliids and Eudicots. Although the Dakota Sandstone is known mainly for its well preserved leaf impressions, the taxonomic resolution available from leaves is limited compared to that available from reproductive organs. Broader application of this method, employing a variety of visualization algorithms for microCT scan data sets, can be expected to provide new insights into the floristic composition of the Dakota formation, and the status of floral and fruit morphology relatively early in the evolutionary radiation of angiosperms. Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

618

HARPER, CARLA* 1, PARROTT, JOAN 2, UPCHURCH, GARLAND 3 and KRINGS, MICHAEL 4

Angiosperm wood-colonizing fungi (Ascomycota) from the Upper Cretaceous of New Mexico, USA

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ilicified wood is one of the most abundant plant fossils, and symptoms of fungal degradation are frequently encountered within these fossils; many fungus-infected woods contain also evidence of the causative agent in the form of hyphae, spores, etc. However, studies focusing on fungi and fungal activities in fossil wood are rare. Three principal rot types (i.e., white, brown, and soft rot) are known to occur in wood today, all inflicted by members of the Basidiomycota and, to a lesser extent, Ascomycota. Several wood taxa have been reported from the upper Campanian Jose Creek Member of the McRae Formation south-central New Mexico, USA, including numerous angiosperms; however, documented evidence of fungi and wood-fungus interactions has hitherto been absent. In this contribution we present on a small (<11 cm), degraded fragment of angiospermous wood float material from the McRae Formation. The specimen displays decay symptoms on the surface and is colonized internally by fungi. Regularly septate hyphae range from 1.8 to 8 µm in di-

ameter and frequently produce right-angle branching; no clamp connections have been observed. The hyphae are present in all host cell types but are most prevalent in axial parenchyma and rays; hyphae appear to traverse via the pits. The most interesting fungal remain is well-preserved frequently branched catenulate hyphae (?or chains of conidia) up to 22 µm long, which occur in the vessels and rays. Individual hyphal segments are pyriform to club- or racquet-shaped and on average 8.7 µm long by 6.6 µm at the widest point. Other fungal structures are small spherules, possibly reproductive units or propagules, ~17 µm in diameter that fully occlude ray parenchyma. Thin-walled tyloses (33.5 to 68.5 µm) are present but it is impossible to determine if these structures are a result of fungal infection. While it is possible to map the colonization pathways and spatial distribution of the individual fungal remains in the wood, we are unable to determine at present whether the remains represent one or multiple species of fungi. Moreover, there is currently no way to tell whether the fungi represent wood-degraders or some transient saprotrophs. Nevertheless, documenting these fungal remains represents an important first step in our ability to ultimately understand the complex system of organismal interactions that existed in the McRae Formation paleoecosystem some 75 Ma ago. 1

University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States2Texas State University, Department of Biology, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA3Texas State University, Department Of Biology, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, United States4Bayerische Staatssammlung Für Paläontologie Und Ge, Richard-Wagner Strasse 10, Munich, D-80333, Germany

619 BRIAN 2

STULTS, DEBRA* 1 and AXSMITH,

Preliminary analysis reveals a diversity of Quercus fruit/cupule morphotypes from two Late Miocene localities in eastern North America

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umerous Quercus fruits specimens, mostly represented by cupules, from two sites in eastern North America (the Brandywine site in Maryland, ~ 10 to 6 Ma, and the Mauvilla site in south Alabama, 7.3 to 6.8 Ma) have been recovered. Specimens are mostly small, but of significant maturity to distinguish important characters. Characters emphasized in this analysis include overall shape and depth of the cupule, appressed or loose cupule scales, degree of cupule rim uniformity, uniformity in size and shape of the cupule scales, presence or absence of thickenings on the scales, overall scale outline (e.g., triangular, lanceolate), pubescence, and blunt vs. acute scale apices. A useful feature more conspicuous on the fossils than living specimens, probably due to taphonomic effects, is a darkened rim on the scale margins, which represents a smooth edge on modern specimens. Several morphotypes are recognized from the Brandywine, and several others occur at Mauvilla. Although, some of the Mauvilla fruits contain nutlets, they have not been used in this study and will be described in forthcoming analyses. So far,

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only cupules have been found from the Brandywine flora. Most North American Quercus fossil records are based on leaves and pollen. Quercus fossil fruits are not as common, especially from eastern North American sites, which is remarkable considering that the genus is such an important component of the modern North American Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome. Furthermore, fruit production is often high, and the nutlets and cupules should have high fossilization potential. The previous Quercus fruit record from eastern North America and the Gulf Coastal Plain consists only of a single fruit from the Oligocene Catahoula Formation in east Texas, one probable Early Miocene specimen from the Brandon Lignite of Vermont, and several undescribed, small and/or charcoalified specimens from the MioPliocene Gray Fossil site of eastern Tennessee. The original description of the Brandywine flora included mention of three types of Quercus leaves, but only one type of fruit. The morphotypes from these two fossil sites are mostly distinctive, suggesting climatic or depositional dissimilarities between these localities during the Miocene. This ongoing research indicates that several different Quercus species occurred on the mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plains during the latter Miocene, which is important since this region is now a significant locus of Quercus diversity and abundance.

Aspilia africana, Nymphaea sp., Cyperus sp., Symphonia globulifera, Rhizophora sp., Canthium sp. Poaceae, Arecaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Polypodiaceae and Palmae. Other identified palynomorphs were spores of Pteris sp., Nephrolepis sp., Acrostichum sp., Ceratopteris sp., and a trilete fern; Botryoccocus brauni, Concentricytes sp., Pediastrum sp., microforaminiferal wall linings and fungal spores. Five phytoecological groups were recognized based on the botanical affinities of some recovered palynomorphs. These are mangrove swamp forest, freshwater swamp, rainforest, lowland rainforest and marine/freshwater swamp forest. Others groups are spores open forest and savanna vegetation. The preponderance of mangrove swamp forest, freshwater swamp forest, rainforest as well as lowland rainforest species is suggestive of a humid climate. However, there were periods of dry climate indicated by savanna and open forest vegetation sandwiched in-between. Absolute ages from the radiocarbon dating indicate that sediments were deposited around the last 760+/- 40 BP during the late Holocene. This study revealed the dominant palynomorphs deposited in the coastal area of Lagos and established a regional chronological evidence for a series of vegetation and paleoenvironmental changes in the late Holocene. Keywords: Palynomorphs, Vegetation, Paleoclimate, Late Holocene, Lagos coastal area

1 27640 Rigsby Road, Daphne, AL, 36526, United States2Biology Department, 5871 USA Drive North, Room 124, Mobile, AL, 36688, United States

1

620

ADEKANMBI, HELEN* 1, AJIKAH, LINUS 2 and OGUNDIPE, OLUWATOYIN 3

Palynology and Paleovegetational Reconstruction of Lagos Coastal Environment, Southwestern Nigeria uantitative analysis of fossil pollen grains and Q spores from various layers or horizons of sediments have been studied for the reconstruction of

past vegetation and climate. The vegetation of Lagos coastal environment is frequently degraded and has recorded severe losses due anthropogenic activities, consequent of which many plant species are now extinct. A palynological analysis of sediments was carried out to assess the distribution of palynomorphs, reconstruct past vegetation and draw inferences on paleoclimate of the Lagos coastal environment. Ninety sediment samples were collected from five study locations of around the Lagos coastal area. Sample collection was done at an interval of 3 cm from depth 0.00 cm to 51.00 cm, using a universal peat corer and samples were subjected to standard palynological procedures. The prepared samples were studied with both light and scanning electron microscope. Photomicrographs of some recovered palynomorphs was taken using Zeiss merlin. Radiocarbon dating was carried out with a standard accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) calibrated to provide an accurate ratio of 14C/13C dates. Palynomorphs recovered in these study locations include Elaeis guineensis, Alchornea cordifolia, Cyclosorus afer,

University Of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, Department Of Botany, Block 3, Flat 7 Rabiatu Thompson Crescent Surulere, Lagos, 100001, Nigeria2University of Lagos, Department of Botany, Akoka, Yaba,, Lagos, Lagos, 234013University of Lagos, Department of Botany, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, 23401, Nigeria

621

FOSTER, MADISON* 1, HARPER, CARLA and KRINGS, MICHAEL 3 2

Unraveling the diversity of mycelial cords from the Lower Devonian Rhynie chert

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he Rhynie chert, a silicified Early Devonian hot spring ecosystem in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is one of the most important sources of new information on the diversity of early non-marine fungi and the roles these organisms played in early continental ecosystems. The scientifically most relevant, and hence most intensively studied fungal fossils from the Rhynie chert are the arbuscular mycorrhizas formed by members of the Mucoromycota (Glomeromycotina and Mucoromycotina) with several of the Rhynie chert land plants. One highly interesting but to date understudied feature of the Rhynie chert mycorrhizal fungi is their ability to form mycelial cords, i.e. bundles of linearly aligned hyphae that function in long distance transport, but can also facilitate the uptake of water or nutrients by the host plant under stressful conditions. We here present a first assessment and categorization of mycelial cord morphology from the Rhynie chert based on >50 thin section preparations containing >100 specimens of cords. The cords are constructed of 4 to >20 hyphae, which are sparsely septate and 10-50 Âľm in diameter. Cords in surface view show a variety of different features such as single to multiple

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Y-branches, H-branches, and right-angled branches, as well as complex interweaving of hyphae and hyphal knots. In addition, some of the hyphae produce globose to ellipsoidal vesicles ~50 µm in diameter. Cords usually occur singly, but two or more cords extending parallel have also been found. Transverse sections show that larger cords (>15 hyphae) usually consist of a single central, thick-walled hypha that is surrounded by several smaller-diameter, thinwalled hyphae. Intrahyphal hyphae are common in cord hyphae. The data gathered to date enable the proposal of a categorization scheme for Rhynie chert mycelial cords in surface view based on branching patterns. As the first study specifically addressing mycelial cords in the Rhynie chert, this research is significant because it increases our knowledge of the morphology, biology, and possibly interactions with plants and the surrounding soil matrix of Early Devonian mycorrhizal fungi.

Mucoromycotina (“zygomycetous fungi”) based on similar features in modern lineages of fungi known to produce spores or sporangia with hyphal mantles. This discovery adds to the inventory of morphologically distinctive Early Devonian fungi, and suggests that, as research continues, the Windyfield chert, like the famous Rhynie chert, will become increasingly important as a source of new information on fungal diversity in early non-marine ecosystems.

1

A new conifer taxon based on anatomically preserved leafy shoots from the Upper Cretaceous, James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula

University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology , 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence , KS, 66045, USA2University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States3Bayerische Staatssammlung Für Paläontologie Und Ge, Richard-Wagner Strasse 10, Munich, D-80333, Germany

622

VARELA, NANCY* 1, HARPER, CARLA 2 and KRINGS, MICHAEL 3

Small things matter too: A minute mantled reproductive unit from the Lower Devonian Windyfield chert

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ne of the hallmark features of the Lower Devonian Rhynie chert is the abundance and morphological diversity of small fungal reproductive units. However, dealing with these remains is difficult because they do not provide a complete range of structural features necessary to determine systematic affinities. Several types of Rhynie chert fungal reproductive units possess an ancillary covering in the form of a hyphal investment or mantle. Mantle morphology varies between different forms, and thus renders them easy to distinguish from one another. Less famous and less studied than the Rhynie chert is the broadly coeval Windyfield chert, situated close to the original Rhynie chert site. The Windyfield biota is believed to closely correspond to that found in the Rhynie chert; however, the fungi preserved in the Windyfield chert are largely unknown. This study focuses on a mantled fungal reproductive unit recently discovered from the Windyfield chert that is ovoid, ~31 µm wide and 38 µm long, and consists of a central cavity surrounded by a mantle (up to ~5 µm thick) of tightly interwoven hyphae. The fossil represents the smallest Early Devonian mantled fungal reproductive unit recorded to date. Individual mantle hyphae lack any obvious overall arrangement, are sparsely septate, and range from 0.59-3.17 µm wide. One distinguishing feature of the fossil is several prominent hyphae that emerge from the mantle and radiate outwards. Moreover, the new form is characterized by a complex extension of the hyphal mantle that we arbitrarily term 'tail'. It is likely that the new specimen was produced by a member of the

1

University of Kansas, Biotechnology, 12600 Quivira Rd., Overland Park, Kansas, 66213, USA2University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States3Bayerische Staatssammlung Für Paläontologie Und Ge, Richard-Wagner Strasse 10, Munich, D-80333, Germany

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PIPO, M LAURA* 1, IGLESIAS, ARI and BODNAR, JOSEFINA 3 2

E Canceled

volutionary history of conifers has been represented by taxa with different kind of leaves. As far as we know (mostly by studying the extant genera), the bigger leaves, broad, flattened and sometimes petiolate, are characterized by having multiple vascular strands. On the other hand, the smallest the leaf the less quantity of vascular strand there are, being almost all extant conifers with a single strand. Here we present a new conifer taxon with small leaves (brachyphyll) but with multiple vascular strands from the Santa Marta Formation (James Ross Island). The fossil samples are preserved in calcareous concretions from the Beta Member (early-mid Campanian) and correspond to plant remains transported by estuarine currents from the east continental margin of the Antarctic Peninsula. The permineralized remains have such excellent preservation that we can study fine anatomical details and 3D organic connections. Thin sections were studied using the cellulose-acetate peel technique, and cuticles were obtained by bulk maceration. Conifer remains are frequent in these concretions, consisting of leafy shoots and isolated leaves and seeds. So far we have differentiated almost 4 different foliage. The young shoots are approximately 10 mm in transverse section and have been preserved by up to 40 mm long. The adpressed leaves are in helically disposed, the blade is up to 10 mm long with rhomboidal section tending to triangular toward the apex. The distinctive characters that make this taxon unique are the presence of multiple vascular strands (from 8 at the base, to 1 at the leaf apex), multiple resin channels (one medial bigger, in abaxial position), and disorganized transfusion tissue. Leaf epidermis shows to be hypostomatic, with random distribution (not present at keel and margin areas), and not oriented stomata. Subsidiary cells consists of 4 (6-9) cells, with polar cells, Florin ring well developed. Polar extensions in guard cells are present. The adaxial side of the leaf is characterized by sinuous and buttressing epidermal cells. Among extant gondwanic families, there are two in which most of these characters are

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recognized: Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae, both already known to have had an important role in the Cretaceous Antarctic forests. However, up to now, no anatomically preserved fossils are known having brachyphyll leaves with multiple veins. 1

INIBIOMA, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina2INIBIOMA, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Rio Negro, 8400, Argentina3La Plata National University , Paseo del bosque s/n, La Plata, Buenos Aires, 1900, Argentina

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CONTRERAS, DORI* 1, UPCHURCH, GARLAND 2 and LOOY, CINDY 3

Diversity and distribution of Monocots from a single tuff layer in the upper Campanian Jose Creek Member, McRae Formation of New Mexico

M

onocotyledons are well represented in Late Cretaceous floras and form a prominent part of the vegetation from the upper Campanian Jose Creek Member, McRae Formation, south-central New Mexico. Here we describe monocots preserved in an extensive horizon of recrystallized volcanic ash and reconstruct their presence across the landscape. The fine-grained ash layer, dated to 74.7 Ma, was deposited on an alluvial plain located over 200 km inland of the Western Interior Seaway. It preserves a diverse flora in relative growth position, including leaves, stems, reproductive material, and in-situ stumps. Quantitative sampling of leaf macrofossils from over 20 quarries spanning the ~1.2 km exposure demonstrates an angiosperm-dominated flora (95%of species; 74% of specimens; 84% of total leaf cover). Monocots represent 26% of the total specimens but only eight species (6% of total diversity). The most common monocot is the ground cover rosette plant Zingiberopsis, an early representative of Zingiberales, which occurs across the deposit and represents over 16% of the specimens in the flora and 32.5% of leaf cover. The costapalmate palm leaf Sabalites occurs in several quarries across the deposit, accounting for 6% of specimens and 8% cover. Also present are probable palm petioles with thick spines assignable to Bactricites. Three taxa with strap-shaped leaves are also present but not widely distributed and only locally abundant. These include Pandanites, which has leaves that are M-shaped in transverse section, one order of parallel veins, irregularly spaced and oriented transverse veins, and marginal and midrib spines. Pandanites probably represents a rosette shrub or rosette tree, based on similarities in leaf architecture with members of Pandanales (Pandanaceae and Velloziaceae). A second taxon is also M-shaped in transverse section but has entire margins with four orders of parallel veins and short perpendicular cross veins. Uncommon elements include Araceae and/or possible stem relatives, including leaves of Orontiophyllum mackii and a second taxon, and sporadic permineralized monocot stems. The JCM monocots lived alongside diverse non-monocot angiosperms, four species of conifers, a cycad, and low-abundance ferns. There was a strong dominance structure in which only a few

species are common across the landscape, the most common being Zingiberopsis, Sabalites, a sequoid conifer, a Brachyphyllum conifer, and the eudicot Dryophyllum (Fagales). The JCM flora demonstrates that monocots were important elements of a stable floodplain of the southern Western Interior and that they formed a major component of ground cover relative to ferns and other free-sporing plants. 1

University Of California Berkeley, UC Museum Of Paleontology, 1101 Valley Life Sciences, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States2Texas State University, Department Of Biology, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, United States3Integrative Biology, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Bldg #3140, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States

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PIPO, M LAURA* 1, BODNAR, JOSEFINA 2 and IGLESIAS, ARI 3

A vessel-less stem with cambial variants from the Late Cretaceous of Antarctica

CCanceled

ambial variants (cambium activity that differs from that of the typical bifacial cambium) are registered since the Paleozoic in many different plant groups. Although in the past this type of growth was present in self-supporting gymnosperms, nowadays is predominant in angiosperm lianas. In this contribution we describe the first macrofossil record of a vessel-less stem with cambial variants preserved in calcareous concretions from Campanian (Late Cretaceous) sediments in the James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula, and discuss its assignation among Chlorantaceae. The stem is circular and 5 mm of diameter in traverse section. It has a wide pith with large isodiametric parenchyma cells. The primary vascular system is formed by one cycle of collateral vascular bundles, with endarch protoxylem. The secondary vascular cylinder is radially dissected, with segments of axial xylem and phloem alternating with large interfascicular rays produced by differential cambial activity (cambial variant). These rays are multiseriate (up to 8 cells wide) homocellular and homogeneous consisting of square parenchyma cells. The xylem wedges contain tracheids and uniseriate homocellular and homogenous rays. Growth rings are indistinct and axial parenchyma is absent. With respect to the secondary phloem, the phloematic fibers are arranged in caps. Sieve cells were not identified. The bark is composed by dead cells of secondary phloem and cork cells which are accumulated in a multilayered rhytidome. Although the studied fossil share the absence of vessels and the wide rays with some gymnosperms (e.g. seed ferns and cycads), those rays are different in composition in comparison with seed ferns or different in origin in comparison with cycads. The anatomical features (vessel-less, wide interfascicular rays) allow us to relate the fossil stem to extant Sarcandra, a rare genus within Chloranthaceae. Studies of Sarcandra stem anatomy do not mention the activity of a cambial variant, but emphasize that the wide rays are a product of the interfascicular cambium. We consider this kind of pattern as a type of cambial variant since the interfascicular cambium does not produce the same cells than the fascicular one. The Antarctic specimen shows small differences with Sarcandra, indistinct

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growth rings, square ray cells and complete absence of vessels, as a consequence we proposed that the studied fossil belong to a new taxon. The new Antarctic taxon may have an ecological habit similar to shrub-like Sarchandra species, representing the discovery of a new forest structure element in the Cretaceous floras. 1 INIBIOMA, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina2La Plata National University , Paseo del bosque s/n, La Plata, Buenos Aires, 1900, Argentina3INIBIOMA, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Rio Negro, 8400, Argentina

626

PINSON, JERALD* 1, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 2 and SESSA, EMILY 1

Culcita remberi sp. nov., a tree fern from the Miocene of northern Idaho

E

xcavations at the Clarkia fossil beds in northern Idaho have recovered numerous exceptionally well-preserved plant fossils over the last 45 years. We report on a compression fossil of a fertile frond from a tree fern found at the Emerald Creek locality. Intact leaf material was liberated from the substrate by wetting with hydrofluoric acid followed by submersion in a water bath. The lamina was preserved between sheets of acetate and photographed, and fertile pinnules with sporangia were mounted on aluminum stubs and imaged with scanning electron microscopy. Spores were released from sporangia after incubation in Schulz's solution and treatment with KOH. The specimen is similar to members of several extant fern lineages, including Hymenophyllaceae, Dennstaedtiaceae, and the tree fern order Cyatheales. It shares with these groups the possession of oblong, marginal sori, although the sori of the specimen are most similar to the cup-shaped sori of Dennstaedtiaceae and the bivalvate sori of Culcitaceae. The fossil also has sporangia each with a complete, uninterrupted, oblique annulus, which is strongly associated with Culcitaceae. Based on its overall lamina morphology and details of the sori and especially the sporangia, we conclude that this specimen belongs to an extinct species of the monogeneric tree fern family Culcitaceae. The occurrence of a tree fern in the temperate plant community of the Miocene Clarkia locality is unexpected but not incompatible with the habitat preferences of this genus, as the two extant species of Culcita are found in montane altitudes and temperate forests elsewhere in the world.

1

University of Florida, Bartram 521, 876 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2University of Florida, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

627

BRIGHTLY, WILLIAM* 1 and STROMBERG, CAROLINE 2

Building a Quantitative Framework for Assessing Seed Dispersal Syndrome in Grasses During the Cenozoic Spread of Grasslands

S

eed dispersal is a critical stage in the lifecycle of many plants, with wide-ranging impacts on recruitment, population connectivity, and community composition. In modern ecosystems, dispersal syndrome is often strongly influenced by vegetation structure or ecological role. Major vegetation shifts are therefore expected to have major impacts on dispersal strategy within plant communities. The evolution of grasslands during the mid-late Cenozoic constitutes such a major shift, but little is known about how grass reproductive ecology changed during this transition. To shed light on this, we explore a number of morphological traits linked to seed dispersal in modern and fossil grasses, to establish an interpretive framework for seed dispersal syndrome. We focus primarily on quantifying surface roughness, mass, and settling velocity to establish a gradient from taxa with ideal properties for wind dispersal to those better suited for animal dispersal (both internal and external). We then apply these metrics to silicified anthoecia from the Oligocene-Miocene of the North American Great Plains. This time interval saw dramatic restructuring of the region, including the initial expansion of grass dominated habitats, subsequent increases in openness, and eventually the establishment of C4 dominated floras. Studying the aforementioned traits in fossil grasses will allow us to assess whether the wide range of morphological variation observed in the fossil record of grass anthoecia corresponds to any functional differences in dispersal strategy, and how these differences relate to coeval changes in vegetation structure and grass ecology. Initial work has focused on building a reference collection of modern grasses. This dataset includes grasses of known dispersal strategy (e.g., Cenchrus longispinus, Cortaderia selloana), the nearest living relatives of fossil taxa (e.g., Piptochaetium spp., the closest extant relatives of species in the fossil genus Berriochloa), and grasses from extant ecosystems of interest (e.g., common taxa of the present day Great Plains). Initial results suggest good discrimination between taxa with high potential for adhesive, internal, and wind dispersal. Methods for incorporating fossil taxa into this morphospace have also been established. In addition, efforts are being made to evaluate dispersal by other vectors. Ultimately, reconstructing critical aspects of the reproductive ecology of Cenozoic grasses will contribute to a more complete understanding of the patterns and processes associated with the initial establishment of grass dominated ecosystems in North America.

1 2208 NW 64th St, Seattle, WA, 98107, United States2University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States

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MARTINEZ AGUILLON, CAMILA* 1, CREPET, WILLIAM 2, JARAMILLO, CARLOS 3, ALIAGA, ANGéLICA 4 and MORENO, FEDERICO 5

Paleobotanical record from the Descanso-Yauri Basin, Peru: insights into the Neogene paleoclimate and elevation history of the Central Andean Plateau

W

ith an average elevation of 4000 m, the Central Andean Plateau exert huge influence in the regional climate and biogeography of tropical South America. The study of the changes in the paleoecology of the region associated to the elevation history of the mountain belt provides insights into the roll that the orogen plays today shaping climate and life. Here, we study the paleoflora of the Descanso-Yauri Basin, an intermontane basin located in the northern part of the Central Andean Plateau, which holds the Neogene sedimentary record of the Central Andes. Fossil wood, leaves and pollen from Miocene and Pliocene localities from the Descanso-Yauri Basin were morphologically and anatomically described, and when possible identified. We used stratigraphic field observations, U/Pb radiometric dating in igneous zircons and previous stratigraphic studies of the region to constrain the age of the localities studied. From late Miocene localities thirteen permineralized wood specimens were found, together with one palm leaf morphotype, and abundant Podocarpaceae and Cyatheaceae pollen. Wood anatomical characters were indicative of typical tropical lowland canopy trees. Six wood samples were identified to the legume family (Fabaceae). Treeheight estimations for one of the legume specimens suggest a height of approximately 32 m. From the Pliocene localities, abundant leaf material was studied and found associated with extant genera of Equisetum, Polystichum, Berberis, Polylepis and Ribes, and the palynological record was mostly dominated by grasses and herbs. A maximum likelihood estimation of climate was performed based on the coexistence of the identified fossil taxa for the Miocene and Pliocene localities. The analyses suggest that by the late Miocene (~18-9 Ma) the DescansoYauri basin was dominated by a low to mid elevation tropical forest of no more than 2500 m, with high precipitation. In contrast, the paleobotanical record of the early Pliocene (~5 Ma) suggests that highland conditions, and a vegetation similar to today's ecosystem was present in the basin, indicating the possible beginning of the puna ecosystem in this region. Our results are in line with the hypothesis of a rapid regional surface uplift of the northern Central Andean Plateau between ca. 9 and 5 Ma.

1

Cornell University, 412 Mann Library Building, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States2Section Of Plant Biology, 413 Mann Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States3Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archaeology, Ancon, Panama, Panama4Museo de Historia Natural Lima­UNMSM, Departamento de Paleontología de Vertebrados, Av. Arenales 1256, Jesús María, Lima, Peru5University of Rochester, Earth & Environmental Sciences, 227 Hutchison Hall, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627,

629

GEARY, IAN* 1, BEEVER, JESSICA , HAYWARD, BRUCE 3, LEE, DAPHNE 1, CONRAN, JOHN 4 and LORD, JANICE 5 2

New Late Pliocene floras from northern New Zealand: The last remnants of warm-indicative taxa?

A

suite of Late Pliocene (Waipipian, 3.7-3.0 Ma) terrestrial fossils have been discovered from sites near Auckland, northern New Zealand. Fluvial, estuarine and near-shore sediments of the Tauranga Group have yielded a remarkable diversity of fossils, including fruits, seeds, vascular and non-vascular leaves, wood, amber, pollen, spores, fungi, mites and other arthropod fragments. The specimens are mostly organically-preserved and retain fine details such as leaf cuticle, fungal-spore ornamentation and endocarp/cone cellular patterns that complement their macro-morphology. Globally uncommon fossil types preserved in these sediments include bracket fungus basidiocarps (polypores) and moss gametophytes (Bryophyta). Many fossil moss specimens are exquisitely preserved and taxa such as Calyptrochaeta cristata, Pyrrhobryum, Fissidens, Ptychomnion, Hypnodendraceae, Neckeraceae and Sematophyllaceae are recognisable. A high diversity of fossil fruits, seeds and cones is present: these indicate a strong discordance between the modern flora of northern New Zealand and that of the Late Pliocene. A few of the fossil fruits and seeds such as Prumnopitys, Passiflora and Elaeocarpus share affinities with extant taxa, but the majority belong to locally extinct groups such as Vitaceae, Menispermaceae, Casuarinaceae, Brassospora-type Nothofagus, an uncertain genus of Cupressaceae and several large-fruited species of Elaeocarpus. Abundant unidentified diaspores at the sites almost certainly represent groups now extinct in New Zealand. The fossil leaf flora includes Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Nothofagus and ?Rubus and diverse conifers. The latter superficially resemble extant Prumnopitys, Libocedrus, Podocarpus, Dacrycarpus, Dacrydium and Phyllocladus. The fossil leaf flora extends the list of fossil plants; however, its degree of similarity to the modern flora is as yet unclear. These fossil plants represent an unparalleled glimpse into the ecosystems and species living in northern New Zealand near the end of the Pliocene. High rates of observed floristic turnover in some fossil groups were probably associated with the general cooling and/or climatic fluctuations of the Pleistocene that followed relatively soon after these fossils were deposited. 1

University of Otago, Department of Geology, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand2Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Rd, St Johns, Auckland, New Zealand3Geomarine Research, 19 Debron Ave, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand4The University Of Adelaide, School Of Biological Sciences, Benham Bldg, DX650 312, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia5University of Otago, Department of Botany, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

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WILKINS, ALYSON E.* 1, SERBET, RUDOLPH 2 and TAYLOR, EDITH L. 3

POSTERS

Paleobotanical Digital Data Migration, Management and Standardization

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M

Was Araucaria Sec. Eutacta living in Eocene Patagonia? Systematic revision of Araucaria pichileufensis indicates an Australasian rainforest connection

aking paleobotanical collections data available digitally allows for greater access to researchers. The procedures and tools involved with migration of data across database platforms can vary, but the general structures remain the same. There are also different data needs that paleobotanical records require as compared to data from other paleontological and biological collections. Methods of data management and migration will be illustrated using recent examples from the transfer of the University of Kansas paleobotanical database from FileMaker Pro into the Specify database platform. Illustrating the data workflow used to transfer large amounts of data will also be explored. From the beginning stages of transferring the original platform into a compatible form to the final stages of data cleaning and to Darwin Core and other collections data standards to maintain data accuracy and consistency. Other collections data challenges will also be addressed, such as data from historic or orphaned collections. The tools used to assist in the data migration were OpenRefine and Microsoft Excel. The University of Kansas paleobotanical database includes over 100,000 records and the collections span all of the major divisions of life, as well as all periods of geologic time, focusing on paleobotanical, palynological and paleomycological material. A comparison will also be made between paleobotanical data and other biological collections data to illustrate the specific differences that will need to be resolved when progressing further into digital collections data and online data sharing.

1

University of Kansas, Museum Studies and Biodiversity Institute, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA2University Of Kansas, Division Of Paleobotany, Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States3University of Kansas, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Drive, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, United States

ROSSETTO, GABRIELLA* 1, ESCAPA, IGNACIO 2 and WILF, PETER 3

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he iconic conifer genus Araucaria was prolific worldwide during the Mesozoic, but it has been restricted to the Southern Hemisphere since the Early Paleogene. During the early Cenozoic, globally warm climate and a close connection between South America, Antarctica, and Australia allowed for Araucaria to flourish in trans-Antarctic rainforests. Biotic interchange through this southern corridor continued until Antarctic separation and cooling began in the mid-late Eocene, causing large shifts in the genus' distribution that are still apparent in its modern biogeography. Of the nineteen living species of Araucaria, fifteen belong to Section Eutacta, restricted to Australasia. Characters that diagnose Sec. Eutacta include differentiation of leaves into juvenile and adult states, univeined leaves with curved apices, and samara-like bract-scale complexes with a single seed embedded in the tissues. The remaining three sections of Araucaria are divided between Australia, Papua New Guinea, and South America. Although it has been reported, it remains unclear what the evolutionary age and history of Eutacta are in Gondwanan South America due to lack of multiple organ preservation in the fossil record to definitively diagnose the section. Araucaria pichileufensis Berry 1938 fossils from Patagonia have the potential to greatly clarify Eutacta's evolutionary timeline. This fossil species is abundant from Laguna del Hunco (LH; 52.2 Ma) and Rio Pichileufu, Argentina (RP; 47.8 Ma), two exceptionally diverse and well-dated Eocene rainforest floras recovered from fossil caldera lake deposits in the modern-day steppe of Patagonia. These fossil floras represent vegetation that was present before opening of the Drake Passage and thus include lineages that evolved prior to the final break up of Gondwana. Araucaria pichileufensis was described from its type locality RP 80 years ago, but its apparent relation to Australasian Eutacta species has not been tested with modern phylogenetic methods. Large new collections of A. pichileufensis including leafy branches, bract-scale complexes, and pollen cone organs represent the most complete multi-organ fossil preservation of Eutacta and provide the first strong fossil evidence that Australasian Sec. Eutacta once had a South American history. The objectives of this research are to use systematics and phylogenetics to test for the evolutionary relationships of the fossils with living Araucaria and to examine how a Gondwanan connection, and subsequent Antarctic isolation, may have been critical in shaping the modern distributions of the genus. 1

Penn State, Geosciences, 503 Deike Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA2CONICET- Museo PaleontolĂƒÂłgico Egidio Feruglio, Fontana Av. 140, Trelew, Chubut, 9100, Argentina3Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 537 Deike Bldg., University Park, PA, 16802, United States

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ALLEN, SARAH* 1, MEYER, HERBERT 1, THORNTON, CAROLYN 2 and MANCHESTER, STEVEN 3

GEARY, IAN* 1, BEEVER, JESSICA , LEE, DAPHNE 1, CONRAN, JOHN 3 and LORD, JANICE 4

Incertae sedis: Unidentified late Eocene plants in the collection of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

A diverse assemblage of exquisite Pliocene mosses from northern New Zealand

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lorissant Fossil Beds National Monument preserves one of the richest paleontological sites in the world with about 1800 described plant and animal species, of which approximately 125 are plant macrofossils from the shales of the late Eocene Florissant Formation. The plant fossils from Florissant were first described by paleobotanist Leo Lesquereux in the 1870s and 1880s. Other early contributions include work by T.D.A. Cockerell. These early identifications were revised in an extensive monograph by H.D. MacGinitie in 1953, who also included new material from his excavations. Some of MacGinitie's species have been updated and several new species have been described in the ensuing decades, yet new excavations continue to expand known diversity. The National Park Service collections at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in central Colorado includes >4,500 plant specimens. Of these, over 1,000 specimens are not identified to the species level. The park's collection serves as a previously unidentified sample with material from excavation sites in all units of the Florissant Formation. Many specimens are too poorly preserved to be identified, others have been recognized at the family level, and still others are well-preserved and/or distinctive, but cannot be matched to anything already in the published literature. This last category, including flowers, fruits/ seeds, and leaves, is the focus here. There are approximately 19 unidentified flower morphotypes. The flowers are preserved both laterally and transversely, therefore it is possible that some of the flowers are the same species in different orientations. The gynoecium and/or androecium is present on some specimens. The unidentified fruits and seeds are also diverse with approximately 35 different morphotypes. Hypotheses about the taxonomic affinities of these unknown reproductive morphotypes remain elusive, but initial analyses suggest affinities to the Sapindales, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Rhamnaceae, Vitaceae, and Salicaceae. In addition, there are roughly 60 leaf morphotypes (many represented by single specimens) in the Florissant collection that have defining characteristics, but that cannot be assigned to a taxon already described in the literature. The unidentified leaves include 16 morphotypes that were collected in an unbiased field collection in 2009 and 2010 within the monument's boundaries. This sub-collection serves as a new random sample that could be used for future diversity analyses such as rarefaction.

1

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, PO Box 185, Florissant, CO, 80816, USA2Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA , 02138, USA3Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

2

n exceptional assemblage of fossil mosses (Bryophyta) has recently been recovered from several Late Pliocene (Waipipian, 3.7-3.0 Ma) localities near Auckland, New Zealand. These localities yield important plant and fungal macrofossils in the estuarine, fluvial and near shore sediments of the Tauranga Group. Close inspection of the finergrained, leaf-bearing sediments has revealed an almost overlooked diversity of exquisitely-preserved fossil mosses. Moss macrofossils are uncommon globally and New Zealand has just two prior records, both of Mesozoic age. These newly discovered fossil mosses represent the first Cenozoic specimens reported from New Zealand and they also comprise the first fossil moss flora from the region. he fossil mosses are organically-preserved microphylls and stem fragments. Although soft, they are resilient and tolerant of mechanical extraction and cleaning, making them well-suited to traditional identification methods using transmitted light microscopy. To date, no sporophytes have been recovered, although the gametophytes are highly diagnostic, with more than 15 fossil moss morphotypes currently recognised, including Homalia, Ptychomnion (c.f. P. aciculare), Pyrrhobryum, Wijkia (c.f. W. extenuata), Papillaria and Hypnodendraceae. Several morphotypes resemble extant New Zealand species such as Calyptrochaeta cristata and Fissidens rigidulus. Mosses are apparently long-lived at the species level, with even Miocene (23-5 Ma) specimens often being identified as modern species. It is therefore not surprising that most of these fossils share possible affinities with, or are otherwise indistinguishable from, gametophytes of extant species and only one specimen appears to represent a possibly locallyextinct taxon. he fossil mosses co-occur with a warm-indicative vascular flora that includes groups that have experienced high floristic turnover since the Late Pliocene. The mosses complement the vascular plant fossils by providing a unique insight into the relatively recent, but very different terrestrial forest ecosystems of pre-Pleistocene northern New Zealand and the species living there.

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University of Otago, Department of Geology, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand2Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Rd, St Johns, Auckland, New Zealand3The University Of Adelaide, School Of Biological Sciences, Benham Bldg, DX650 312, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia4University of Otago, Department of Botany, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

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BAGHAI-RIDING, NINA* 1, AXSMITH, BRIAN 2, PHILLIPS, GEORGE 3 and STEARNS, JAMES4

Paleoclimate and taphonomic implications of a palynological sample from the Jones Branch interval, Catahoula Formation

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he Jones Branch interval of the Catahoula Formation (late Oligocene, 25 - 23.8 Ma) outcrops in Wayne County, southeastern Mississippi. Recently, this site has yielded an assortment of terrestrial and marine-adapted vertebrate taxa including rodents, artiodactyls, perissodactyls, carnivores, sirenians, reptiles, amphibians, teleostean fish, and more. A dark, carbonaceous clay that yields abundant plant megafossils lies directly above the vertebrate layer. Endocarps of Nyssa and leaf compressions of Lauraceae, palms, and other undescribed morphotypes with entire or toothed margins suggest a warmtemperate to subtropical paleoclimate. One random palynological sample was acquired from the plant megafossil layer. Preservation of palynomorphs vary from exceptionally well-preserved to being corroded and difficult to discern. Some palynomorphs probably were acquired from long-distance airborne transport from an upland, coastal forest; others are characteristic of plants growing along local river banks; and several palynomorphs are indicative of a marine influence. In a 300-point count, angiosperms represented 35.3%, conifers 0.03%, pteridophyte spores 38.6%, and dinoflagellates cysts, acritarchs, inner linings of foraminifera, and freshwater algal forms 23.1%. Dominant pollen types include Carya, Ilex, Juglans, Onagraceae, Pinus, Quercus, Ulmus, and Salix. Common sporomorphs are assignable to Cyatheaceae, Polypodiaceae, and Schizaeaceae. Overall, the palynological assemblage is considerably different from the regional vegetation implied by the megaflora. The palynomorphs, however, support a tidal influence, estuarine paleoenvironmental setting that is conveyed by the vertebrates. 1

Delta State University, Department Of Biological SciencesSciences, Walters Hall Room 116A, Cleveland, MS, 38733, United States2Biology Department, 5871 USA Drive North, Room 124, Mobile, AL, 36688, United States3Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Paleontology, 2148 Riverside Drive, Jackson, MS, 39202, USA, 4Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology, P.O. Box 2279, Jackson, MS, 39225

635

POORE, COLTON* 1, JUD , NATHAN A and GANDOLFO, MARIA A 3 2

A silicified endocarp of Phytocreneae (Icacinaceae) from the early Paleocene of Patagonia, southern South America

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cacinaceae are the most diverse family of basal lamiids, comprising c. 34 genera and 200 species with a center of diversity in Indo-Malesia and surrounding old-world tropics. As traditionally circumscribed, Icacinaceae were not monophyletic. Recently, several genera have been transferred to other families based on results from research that has attempted to resolve some of the systematic affinities within the family. Nevertheless, the tribe Phytocreneae comprise a monophyletic group within Icacinaceae and are characterized by bilaterally compressed, unilocular, pitted endocarps. Extant Phytocreneae members are native in tropical habitats of Africa, Madagascar, and Indo-Malesia. We report the discovery of an ovoid, unilocular, bilaterally compressed, and pitted fossil endocarp from the early Paleocene Estancia las Violetas locality, Salamanca Formation, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina. We documented the external morphology of the fruit and performed high-resolution X-ray CT scanning techniques to reveal the internal structure. The fossil endocarp size fits within those of the Phytocreneae, as well as the wall thickness, and size of the pits. Additionally, the pits are arranged in irregular longitudinal rows, are roughly circular and spaced c. 0.5 mm apart in the equatorial region, but toward the ends of the endocarp they are longitudinally elongate and more densely spaced. Furthermore, the pits are associated with tubercles that protrude into the locule. This unique combination of characters strongly supports an affinity with Phytocreneae. This fossil endocarp is the oldest known occurrence of the family in the Southern Hemisphere and represents the southernmost known occurrence of the Icacinaceae globally. Previous reports from Colombia and Peru yielded fossil endocarps reliably identified as Icacinaceae dating to the middle-late Paleocene and the early Oligocene, respectively. Fossil woods assigned to Icacinoxylon are also known from the Cretaceous of Antarctica, but their affinities with Icacinaceae are dubious. The presence of this fossil endocarp in an early Paleocene deposit in southern South America may clarify the biogeographic history of Icacinaceae in Gondwana. As extant members of the Phytocreneae group are exclusively found in the old-world tropics, this discovery provides a biogeographic link between previous neotropical fossil occurrences and the Recent distribution of the tribe.

1

Cornell University, 410 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States2Cornell University, Plant Biology Section School of Integrative Plant Science, 410 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA3Cornell University, Plant Biology, 410 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

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HERMSEN, ELIZABETH J.

Taxonomic composition of the Neogene Gray Fossil Site carpoflora (Tennessee, USA)

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he Gray Fossil Site (GFS) is an ancient sinkhole deposit that preserves a fossil biota estimated to be late Miocene to Pliocene (4.5-7 million years) in age. The flora is represented by palynomorphs, wood, leaves, fruits, and seeds. The palynomorphs have been documented in several publications, whereas description of the macrofossil flora remains relatively incomplete. While over 20 taxa at the genus or family level have been reported to occur in the GFS macroflora, only five genera (Carya, Nyssa, Sinomenium, Staphylea, and Vitis) have been formally described from carpofossils, with an additional genus (Taxodium) described from leaves. Herein, I report findings of a preliminary evaluation of the taxonomic composition of the GFS carpoflora. Many families or genera previously reported from the macroflora were confirmed, e.g., Quercus (Fagaceae), several genera and/or species of Hamamelidaceae, Polygonaceae (cf. Persicaria), Rosaceae (cf. Rubus), Rutaceae (cf. Zanthoxylum), Styracaceae (cf. Halesia), and an extinct genus with affinities to Symplocaceae; additional components possibly include Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Oxalidaceae (cf. Oxalis), and Passifloraceae (cf. Passiflora). Research on the flora is ongoing, with the goal of producing a comprehensive systematic evaluation of the flora using traditional and advanced techniques (e.g., micro-CT imaging) for visualizing the fossils. Paleontological Research Institution, 1259 Trumansburg Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850

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PHYLOGENOMICS ORAL PAPERS 637 CHAU, JOHN* and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD Comparison of taxon-specific versus general locus sets for targeted sequence capture in plant phylogenomics

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argeted sequence capture can be used to efficiently gather sequence data for large numbers of loci, such as single-copy nuclear loci. Most published studies in plants have used taxon-specific locus sets developed individually for a clade using multiple genomic and transcriptomic resources. General locus sets can also be developed from loci that have been identified as single-copy and having orthologs in large clades of plants. We identify and compare a taxon-specific locus set and three general locus sets (COSII, APVO SSC, PPR) for targeted sequence capture in Buddleja (Scrophulariaceae) and outgroups. We evaluate their performance in terms of assembly success, sequence variability, and resolution and support of inferred phylogenetic trees. University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

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BROSE, JULIA* 1, MABRY, MAKENZIE 2, DISMUKES, WADE 3, BERIC, ALEKSANDRA 4, WASHBURN, JACOB 5 , EDGER, PATRICK 6, HALL, JOCELYN 7 , MCKAIN, MICHAEL 8, AL-SHEHBAZ, IHSAN 9, HARKESS, ALEX 10, SCHRANZ, M. ERIC 11, CONANT, GAVIN 12 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 13

Elucidating the Multiple Independent Whole Genomes Duplication Events in the Brassicales

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he Brassicales are an economically important order of flowering plants. Many crop species such as Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Canola oil, Capers, and Papaya as well as the model plant organism, Arabidopsis thaliana, all belong to this diverse order. Until now, studies have either used a few genes or a few taxa to understand the relationships within this group ofplants. Using genome survey sequencing, we assemble complete chloroplast sequences for an expanded sampling, to infer these relationships. We then compare this chloroplast phylogeny to the nuclear phylogeny and place novel whole genome duplication events. 1

University of Missouri-Columbia, 311 Bond Life Sciences, 1201 Rollins St, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA2University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 1201 Rollins St., Columbia, MO, 65201, United States3Iowa State University, Ames4Donald Danforth Plant Center5 University of Missouri-Columbia6Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA7University Of Alberta, CW405 Biological Sciences,

Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada8University Of Alabama, 411 Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, United States9Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States10 Donald Danforth Plant Center, St.Louis11Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands12North Carolina State University, Raleigh, United States13University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

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SMITH, STEPHEN* 1, BROWN, JOSEPH and WALKER, JOSEPH 3 2

Nested phylogenetic conflicts and deep phylogenomics in plants

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ver the last few years, significant data collection efforts have resulted in large datasets that may be used to more confidently reconstruct phylogenetic relationships in hard to resolve areas of the plant phylogeny. However, different datasets and models produce conflicting relationships. Here, we will discuss a means of better analyzing and understanding the underlying conflicting signal within phylogenomic datasets with an eye toward resolving relationships across land plants.

1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA2University of Sheffield, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, UK3University of Michigan, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

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CAI, LIMING* 1, XI, ZHENXIANG , LEMMON, EMILY 3, LEMMON, ALAN 4 , MAST, AUSTIN 5, BUDDENHAGEN, CHRISTOPHER 6, LIU, LIANG 7 and DAVIS, CHARLES 8 2

Extensive gene tree discordance in Malpighiales not explained by incomplete lineage sorting and gene tree estimation error

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ne of the most difficult challenges in systematics is reconstructing phylogenetic relationships during periods of rapid radiation. The combined effects of short branch lengths and pervasive incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) contributes to spurious phylogenetic estimations. The tremendous growth of genomic data has greatly improved researchers' ability to investigate rapid radiations by providing hundreds to thousands of unlinked loci. Meanwhile, the application of the multi-species coalescent (MSC) model in phylogenomic inference has become widely embraced to accommodate genealogical heterogeneity and ILS. Here, we generate an anchored hybrid enrichment data set including 423 loci from 65 taxa representing 39 families to infer a species tree of the flowering plant clade Malpighiales. This clade remains one of the thorniest nodes in angiosperm tree of life, and the recalcitrant relationships along the backbone of the order has been hypothesized

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to arise from its rapid radiation during the Albian and Cenomanian stage. We estimated the species tree using both concatenated maximum likelihood and coalescent-based methods. We additionally applied locus subsampling to examine the consistency of species tree estimations from these two methods. Our results demonstrate that the phylogenetic analysis using the concatenation model yields extensive, well-supported, incongruence among subsampled data set. In contrast, coalescent-based methods do not confidently resolve the backbone relationships of Malpighiales. We additionally use computational simulation to investigate the role of ILS and gene tree estimation error in generating discordant species tree inferences. Here, we identify that under inferred levels of ILS and gene tree estimation error, both the concatenation and coalescent method could recover the true species tree. These results indicate that the most common MSC model is insufficient when dealing with some rapid radiations as exemplified in Malpighiales. 1

Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA2Sichuan University, Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, China3Florida State University, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA4Florida State University, Department of Scientific Computing, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA5Florida State University, Department Of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States6AgResearch, New Zealand7University of Georgia, Department of Statistics, Athens, GA, 30602, USA8Harvard University Herbaria, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States

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WANG, NING* 1, YANG, YA 2, MOORE, MICHAEL J. 3, BROCKINGTON, SAMUEL 4, WALKER, JOSEPH 1, BROWN, JOSEPH 5, EGGLI, URS 6, MAJURE, LUCAS 7 and SMITH, STEPHEN 8

Evolution of Portulacineae marked by gene tree conflict and gene family expansion associated with adaptation to harsh environments

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urvival in harsh environments is associated with several adaptations in plants. Species in the Portulacineae (Caryophyllales) have adapted to some of the most extreme terrestrial conditions on Earth, including extreme heat, cold, and salinity. Here, we generated 52 new transcriptomes and combined these with 30 previously generated transcriptomes, forming a dataset containing 68 species of Portulacinaeae, seven from its sister clade Molluginaceae, and seven outgroups. We performed a phylotranscriptomic analysis to examine patterns of molecular evolution within the Portulacineae. Our inferred species tree topology was largely congruent with previous analyses. We also identified several nodes that were characterized by excessive gene tree conflict and examined the potential influence of outlying genes. We identified gene duplications throughout the Portulacineae, and found corroborating evidence for

previously identified paleopolyploidy events along with one newly identified event associated with the family Didiereaceae. Gene family expansion within Portulacineae was associated with genes previously identified as important for survival in extreme conditions, indicating possible molecular correlates of niche changes that should be explored further. Some of these genes also showed some evidence for positive selection. The correlation between gene function and expansion suggests that gene/genome duplication have likely contributed to the extreme adaptations seen in the Portulacineae. 1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 830 North University avenue, Ann arbor, MI, 48109, United States2University Of Minnesota, Plant And Microbial Biology, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States3Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States4Downing Site, Cambridge, CB23AE, UK5University of Sheffield, Animal and Plant Sciences, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK6Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zürich, Mythenquai 88, CH-8002 Zürich, Switzerland7Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, United States8University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

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SCHMICKL, ROSWITHA* 1, OBERLANDER, KENNETH 2, ZEISEK, VOJTĚCH 1, LISTON, AARON 3, SCHNEEWEISS, HANNA 4, ZÁVESKÁ, ELIŠKA 5, EMSHWILLER, EVE 6, DREYER, LEANNE 7 and SUDA, JAN 2

Massive polyploidization but no obvious role for polyploids in the radiation of southern African Oxalis L.: insights from phylogenomics and cytogenetics

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very extant angiosperm species has undergone multiple rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD), which implies a major role for polyploidy in the evolutionary history of the clade. Paradoxically, recently originated polyploids seem to have lower diversification rates compared to their diploid congeners. The flora of the extremely diverse Greater Cape Floristic Region (Cape) in southern Africa is particularly polyploid-poor compared to non-Cape floras. An exception is the species-rich eudicot genus Oxalis, a lineage of extraordinary vegetative diversity and karyological complexity. The southern African (SoA) Oxalis lineage accounts for nearly half the species diversity (230 spp.) of the genus and is thus a prime candidate to address the following questions: What is the frequency of WGDs in SoA Oxalis? Are the polyploids of relatively recent origin? How have WGDs influenced the radiation of SoA Oxalis? We answered these questions based on a phylogenomic hypothesis using a targeted sequence capture approach involving >1100 genes and flow cytometric data for >2200 accessions of 122 SoA Oxalis species. We first tested if phylogenetic relationships were indeed tree-like rather than reticulate and then modeled chromosome number evolution and addressed ploidy-associated diversification rate shifts on reconstructed phylogenetic trees. WGD in SoA Oxalis is rife, with ca. 53% of sampled species con-

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taining polyploids. Despite this, we find very little evidence for allopolyploidy, almost all sampled species contain diploids, reconstructed WGD events occur almost entirely along the tips of the tree, and polyploids are almost always inferred to have lower diversification rates than diploids. Consequently, despite being present in over half of present-day species, polyploids have played a remarkably small role in the evolution of SoA Oxalis. More generally, SoA Oxalis fits in well in a polyploid-poor Cape flora and our findings agree with hypotheses considering WGD to be mostly an evolutionary dead end. 1

The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Zámek 1, Průhonice, 252 43, Czech Republic2Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Benátská 2, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic3Oregon State Univ, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States4University of Vienna, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Rennweg 14, Vienna, 1030, Austria5University of Innsbruck, Department of Botany, Sternwartestraße 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria6University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Botany, 321 Birge Hall, Madison, WI, 53706, United States7Stellenbosch University, Botany And Zoology, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa

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GALLAGHER, JOSEPH* 1, MAN, JARRETT 2 and BARTLETT, MADELAINE 3

Evolution of function and structure in the leucine-rich repeat gene family in flowering plants

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he leucine-rich repeat (LRR) gene family has gone through vast expansion in plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana, more than 200 LRR receptor-like kinases, 50 LRR receptor-like proteins, and 200 NBSLRR genes can be found in the genome. These genes, which play roles in signaling, disease resistance, and development, have been conserved across angiosperms. How often have these roles arisen within the LRR gene family, and how frequently do they switch? Is there an association between the domain structure of the LRR gene families and their functions? Here, I investigate the evolutionary history of this gene family across angiosperms. I comprehensively identify and classify genes containing LRR domains across multiple genomes in the angiosperms using Hidden Markov Models and iterative clustering. Using the identified genes, I construct phylogenetic trees for these genes using both traditional and supertree methods. Through analyses of smaller, individual clades, I have already discovered that LRR RLPs, receptor-like proteins lacking kinase domains, have multiple origins within the larger LRR gene family. I use the phylogenetic trees to examine changes in function and alterations in gene structure, such as the gain or loss of domains, and the correlation between function and form. This analysis reveals the complex history of the LRR gene family in the flowering plants and stands as a model for understanding the evolutionary history of very large gene families.

Street, Amherst, MA, 01003-9297, United States3University of Massachusetts, Biology, 221 Morrill Science Center III, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

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DU, ZHIYUAN* 1, XIANG, JENNY and HARRIS, AJ 3

Phylogenomics of Aesculus L. (Sapindaceae) inferred from RAD-seq data - insights into biogeography and evolution of the genus

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he genus Aesculus L. (buckeyes or horsechestnuts; Sapindaceae) consists of 12-14 extant species of trees and shrubs with palmately compound leaves, showy zygomorphic flowers in thyrses, and 1-3 large seeds. The genus is primarily distributed in eastern Asia and eastern North America, with two species native to western North America, and one to southeastern Europe. The genus represents one of the classic examples of intercontinental disjunction of plants in the Northern Hemisphere. The genus has a rich fossil record from all of its modern distributional areas and northern Africa throughout the Cenozoic era. Thus, it is an ideal group for studying the assembly of the disjunct flora in the northern hemisphere. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies of Aesculus used several gene regions and showed an early divergence of Aesculus into five well-supported major lineages in the Paleocene. However, relationships among the major clades remained weakly supported. Here, we conducted phylogenetic study of the genus using genome wide markers from RADseq and 90 samples of the 12-14 species. We will use the phylogeny to perform divergence time dating, ancestral area reconstruction, and analyses of niche evolution and diversification rates. We expect that results from these analyses will provide new insights into the origin and evolutionary history of this genus in space and time. Through investigation of diversification rate and its correlation with extrinsic and intrinsic variables we will be able to identify potential ecological and biogeographic factors underlying shifts in diversification rate or driving divergence of morphological features. 1

4110, Gardner Hall, Department Of Plant And Microbial Biology, 100 Derieux Place, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States2North Carolina State University, Gardner Hall 2115, Campus Box 7612, Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States3Oberlin College, Department of Biology, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA

1

University Of Massachusetts, Biology Dept, 221 Morrill Science Center III, Amherst, MA, 01003, United States2University of Massachusetts, Biology, 221 Morrill Science Center III, 611 North Pleasant

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AN, HONG* 1, GAYNOR, MICHELLE 2, GEBKEN, SARAH 3, QI, XINSHUAI 4, BARKER, MICHAEL 5 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 6

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Origin(s) of a hybrid: History of allopolyploid Brassica napus using genome-wide data

Characterizing gene-tree conflict and systematic error in plastome-inferred phylogenies

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rassica napus is an allopolyploid species (AACC, 2n=38) hybridized from two diploid species, Brassica rapa (AA=20) and Brassica oleracea (CC=18), between 7,500 and 12,500 years ago. It has three subspecies recognized as economically important crops including rapeseed (canola), rutabaga and Siberian kale. Although the progenitor species of B. napus are already known, it remains a mystery as to whether hybridization occurred once or multiple times, and when and where the original hybridization occurred. We used RNA-seq and genome-survey sequencing (GSS) data to further understand the origin(s) of B. napus. We obtained 24,193 SNPs between 183 B. napus and 102 B. rapa based on A sub-genome and 23,387 SNPs among B. napus and 62 B. olearcea + wild C species based on C sub-genome. Using these SNPs, we generated two nuclear maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenies which both showed consistent genetic clusters and indicated a single origin of Brassica napus. Subsequently, we de novo assembled sections of the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes. By doing this, we constructed two ML phylogenies according to 62 single copy (LSC and SSC) genes in chloroplast and 42 mitochondrial genes separately. The subspecies were not distinguishable based on our phylogenies, which supports that the organelle genomes were more conserved than the nuclear genome. Phylogenies based on the chloroplast and mitochondrial genes gave weak support for multiple origins of B. napus, consistent with previous studies that used organelle data. The results obtained in this study highlight that separate parts of the genome with varying patterns of inheritance provide provide insight into the origin and subsequent introgression of B. napus infer different origin stories as the nuclear genome points to a single origin and the organelle genome indicates multiple origins of B. napus. 1

Biological science, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA2University of Central Florida , 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA3University of Missouri - Columbia, Biological Engineering, 416 S 6th St, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA4University Of Arizona, 2929 E 6th Street Apt 210, Tucson, AZ, 85716.0, United States5Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States6University of Missouri, Biological Sciences, Columbia, MO, 65211

WALKER, JOSEPH 1, STULL, GREGORY* 2, WALKER-HALE, NATHANAEL 3, VARGAS, OSCAR M 4 and LARSON, DREW 5

1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA2University Of Michigan, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 830 North University, Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States3University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences, Cambridge, UK4University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, USA5University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109

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MILLER, JOE

REPHINE: REcursive PHylogenetic INferencE

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t first instance building DNA sequence phylogenies appears as a two-step process, first a statement of homology is developed in a multiple sequence alignment (MSA), then a model of evolution, based on the homology assessment is used to infer a phylogeny. In reality phylogenetic inference includes several complicated steps after generating data including combining data from different parts of the genome, deciding among alignment methods, masking non-homologous areas, model choices, tree building and determining a suitable measure of confidence of the results. In building large trees workers are combining in a single study, both ancient and recent divergence events. Using this single alignment across a deep phylogenetic study potentially adds homoplasy due to use of non-homologous alignment of rapidly evolving DNA sequence. These rapidly evolving DNA, which could resolve species at the tips of the tree, can't be used optimally because different clades will have different optimal MSAs. We present a new modular workflow, REPHINE (REcursive PHylogenetic INferencE), that recursively builds topologies based on optimized subalignments. REPHINE integrates DNA alignment, masking of non-homologous sequence sites and tree building into a novel recursive workflow. REPHINE builds an initial tree based on the entire dataset then assesses the reliability of the result. Poorly supported clades are reanalyzed with a new optimal MSAs and phylogenetic analysis that progress recursively from the root to the tips of the tree. For each clade an optimized MSA is used for its phylogenetic reconstruction. A super-tree reconstruction method is used to build final tree using only the optimal subtrees. The final tree is used as a constraint to the original MSA to put branch lengths on the final tree. The modular format of REPHINE could readily be altered to accommodate other programs for alignment, masking, and tree building as well as to add model selection. The modular nature of REPHINE integrates well

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with NGS data as it allows calculations to be spread out over many computing nodes parallel. REPHINE offers a new paradigm in phylogenetics that yields a final tree where all nodes are analyzed in accordance with the inferred optimal fit between the tree, the model, and the data. National Science Foundation, Office of International Science and Engineering, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22314, USA

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CROWL, ANDREW* 1, MCVAY, JOHN , HIPP, ANDREW 3 and MANOS, PAUL 4 2

Assessing the reticulate history of white oaks (Quercus) using hundreds of nuclear loci

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s the importance and prevalence of hybridization is increasingly recognized across diverse lineages of life, the tidy notion of a strictly bifurcating tree of life is being supplanted with the realization that evolutionary relationships in many groups may be better modeled as networks. This is perhaps illustrated nowhere better than in oaks, which have long been known to readily exchange genes across species boundaries. Using a phylogenomic dataset of nearly 500 nuclear loci, we assess evidence of cladogenesis and reticulation in a group notorious for hybridization: white oaks (Quercus sect. Quercus). We find support for at least two reticulation events within Eurasian and North American lineages: 1) historical gene flow between the Eurasian Roburoid lineage and an ancestors of the now-allopatric Quercus pontica, and 2) between the allopatric North American lineages Dumosae and Prinoideae. We further characterize the putatively introgressed loci by mapping them back to a genomic map. While recent gene flow between species is well documented in modern oaks, our analyses recover signal for multiple, ancient events. These results provide insights into the evolution of these ecological and economically important taxa and, at least partially, explain the difficulties of past studies' attempts to resolve evolutionary relationships within this group. 1

Duke University, Biology, 330 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC, 27708, United States2Duke University, Biology, 330 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, 277083The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, United States4Duke University, Biology, Science Drive, Box 90338, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States

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WALKER, JOSEPH* 1, BROWN, JOSEPH 2 and SMITH, STEPHEN 3

Embracing gene tree conflict to inform species relationships: An example in the clade Caryophyllales

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ene tree conflict remains one of the greatest obstacles for inferring the tree of life. This conflict arises from a variety of biological sources including incomplete lineage sorting, hybridization, and gene duplication and loss. Although gene tree conflict underlies phylogenetic datasets, the use of genome scale data (phylogenomics) provides a means of performing further analysis on this conflict. Here we examine the long debated backbone relationships of the clade Caryophyllales by analyzing every conflicting relationship found among the gene trees. We then form a consensus tree through a method that combines likelihood-weighted species relationships while accommodating conflict in other parts of the tree. This allows us to characterize the extent to which gene tree conflict penalizes the inferred species tree across every relationship. This novel method provides insight into the evolutionary relationships among the Caryophyllales and a new approach for analyzing species trees and the gene tree conflict underlying them. 1

University Of Michigan, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 2071 Kraus Natural Science, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, 48109, United States2University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary biology3University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

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BURKE, SEAN 1, UNGERER, MARK 2 and DUVALL, M* 3

Differential Decay of an Ancient Mitochondrial Insertion in the Plastid Genomes of Paspalum (Poaceae)

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he grass family (Poaceae), ca. 12075 species, has been a focal point of many recent studies that aim to use complete plastomes to reveal and substantiate relationships within the family. The use of Next Generation Sequencing technology has allowed for the full and partial recovery of the genomes in plants, specifically intricate details in many Poaceae plastomes. The transfer of DNA from between these genomes, such as from plastomes to nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, was a common occurrence and was consistently recorded. The lack of information for the reverse situation led people to conclude that plastomes never or rarely acquired foreign DNA. This conclusion changed with the discovery of mitochondrial inserts in the plastome of Daucus carota and Asclepias syriaca, and with the eventual discovery of more mitochondrial inserts found within grasses. This study investigates the trnI - trnL intergenic spacer region and the putative mitochondrial inserts within it in complete plastomes of Paspalum and other Poaceae. Note that in other land plant plastomes a large protein coding sequence

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is normally found in this spacer, but has been lost to the grass plastome. Nine newly sequenced plastomes, seven of which contain an insert within the trnI - trnL intergenic spacer, were combined into plastome phylogenomic and divergence date analyses with 52 other species. A robust Paspalum topology was recovered, originating at 10.6 Ma, with the insert arising at 8.7 Ma. The alignment of the insert across Paspalum reveals 21 subregions with pairwise homology in 19. In an analysis of emergent self-organizing maps of tetranucleotide frequencies, the Paspalum trnI - trnL inserts were determined to be of mitochondrial origin. In conclusion, a hypothetical ancestral insert, 17685 bp in size, was found in the trnI - trnL intergenic spacer for the Paspalum lineage. A different insert, 2809 bp, was found in the same region for Paraneurachne muelleri (Paniceae). Comparing these inserts to previous inserts found in this region, there are no similarities, suggesting independent events. The primary mechanism for changes in this insert region was determined to be intrastrand deletion between dispersed repeats. The differences among the Paspalum inserts were due to at least seven different intrastrand deletion events throughout the lineage, suggesting selective pressures to remove large portions of noncoding DNA. Finally, the origin of the insert in the Paspalum lineage was likely recombination between plastid and mitochondrial DNA. 1

Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States2Kansas State Univeristy, Biology, 426 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA3Northern Illinois University, Plant Molecular And Bioinformatics Center And Department Of Biology, 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL, 60115, United States

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ORTON, LAUREN* 1, BURKE, SEAN 2 and DUVALL, M 3

Plastome phylogenomics and characterization of rare genomic changes in plastome groups 1 and 2 Poeae (Pooideae; Poaceae)

A

phylogenomic analysis of 42 complete plastid genomes (plastomes, 21 newly sequenced) from Pooideae, investigated relationships within and between plastid group 1(Aveneae) and group 2 (Poeae) species. Three data partitions: complete plastomes, rare genomic changes (RGC), and a combined plastome and RGC were analyzed. Overall, 175 non-ambiguous RGC were identified. Two RGC originated through intrastrand deletion events, and one through a slipped strand mispairing event. The remaining 172 RGC could not be attributed to a specific cause. Additionally, 35 individual cladedefining RGC were identified and attributed to the group 1 subtribes: Aveninae, Agrostidinae, Anthoxanthinae; and the group 2 subtribes: Loliinae, Ammochloinae, Parapholiinae, Dactylidinae, Poinae, and Coleanthinae. This study also determined that relationships between taxa, even those only weakly supported in previous studies, could be inferred with strong support when utilizing complete plastomes.

1

Northern Illinois University, Plant Molecular and Bioinformatics Center, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA2Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States3Northern Illinois University, Plant Molecular And Bioinformatics Center And Department Of Biology, 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL, 60115, United States

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KLEINKOPF, JOSPEH 1, WAGNER, WARREN 2 and ROALSON, ERIC* 3

Detecting Hybridization in Hawaiian Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) Using Genome-wide Data

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yrtandra (Gesneriaceae) is a genus of flowering plants with over 800 species distributed throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. In Hawaii, 60 named species and over 62 putative hybrids exist, most of which are identified on the basis of morphology. Despite many previous studies on the Hawaiian lineage of Cyrtandra, questions regarding the reconciliation of morphology and genetics remain, many of which can be attributed to the relatively young age and evidence of hybridization between species. We utilized targeted enrichment, high-throughput sequencing, and modern phylogenomics tools to test 33 Hawaiian Cyrtandra samples (including 21 species, five putative hybrids, and two outgroups) for species relationships and hybridization in the presence of incomplete lineage sorting. Both concatenated and species-tree methods were used to reconstruct species relationships, and network analyses were conducted to test for hybridization. Based on prior studies of Cyrtandra and other Hawaiian lineages, we expected to see both a classic stepping-stone model, where species relationships group by island from oldest to youngest, and species relationships grouping by morphology. Additionally, we expected to see high levels of ILS and putative hybrids intermediate to their parent species. Phylogenies reconstructed from the concatenated and species-tree methods were highly incongruent, most likely due to high levels of incomplete lineage sorting. Network analyses inferred gene flow within this lineage, but not always between taxa that we expected. Of the five putative hybrids tested, only one was inferred to incorporate genetic material from both putative parents. The genomic methods utilized here have allowed us to reconstruct better resolved hypotheses and to test for hybridization in the presence of incomplete lineage sorting. 1

Washington State University, School of Biological Sciences, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA2Smithsonian Institution, Department Of Botany, MRC-166, P. O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States3Washington State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Abelson Hall 339, Pullman, WA, 99164, United States

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MATHEWS, SARAH* 1, CAMPBELL, CHRISTOPHER 2, CRONN, RICHARD 3, GERNANDT, DAVID 4, GRAHAM, SEAN 5, HANSEN, KIMBERLY 6, HOLMAN, GARTH 7, G.KELCH, DEAN 8, LAM, VIVIENNE 9, LI, JIANHUA 10, LISTON, AARON 11 , LITTLE, DAMON 12, MAPES, GENE 13, MEI, WENBIN 14, MOORE, ABIGAIL 15, NAGALINGUM, NATHALIE 16, PARKS, MATTHEW 17, PEERY, RHIANNON 18, RAI, HARDEEP 19, RAUBESON, LINDA 20, ROSS, GREGORY 21, ROTHWELL, GAR 22, RUHSAM, MARKUS 23, RYBERG, PATRICIA E. 24, SCHWARZBACH, ANDREA 25, STEVENSON, DENNIS 26, STOCKEY, RUTH 27 and YANG, YONG 28

Seed plant phylogeny inferred from integrated analyses of morphological and molecular data

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prominent feature of seed plant evolution is extinction. Extinct taxa represent at least ten major lineages of seed plants, compared with the five extant clades, the angiosperms, cycads, Ginkgo, conifers, and gnetophytes. Two major consequences for phylogenetics are that the phylogeny of seed plants cannot be inferred with molecular data alone, and molecular datasets for the living lineages show evidence of biases that can lead to erroneous results. For example, the problem of placing gnetophytes that was observed in early multi-locus studies has persisted into the phylogenomics era, with nuclear and plastid phylogenomics datasets supporting sister group relationships with either Pinaceae or cupressophytes, respectively. While this might indicate different histories for the two genomes, decisiveness and certainty metrics show that there is limited information in the data for resolving this trichotomy. Other lines of evidence are needed. We have assembled a new morphological dataset for seed plants that includes representatives of both extinct taxa and those living taxa for which we have deep sampling of molecular characters. This talk will outline our analytical approaches and will present a perspective on the phylogeny of seed plants from integrated analyses of morphological and molecular data. 1

CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Australian National Herbarium, Clunies Ross Street, GPO 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia2School Of Biology And Ecology, 2 Winslow Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, United States33200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97330, United States4UNAM, Departmento de Botanica, Mexico City, Mexico5University Of British Columbia, Department Of Botany, 3529 - 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada6Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA711 Goodwind Lane, Camden, ME, 04843, United States8California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA, 958321448, USA9University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada10Hope College, Biology, 35 E 12th Street, Holland, MI, 49423, United States11Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA12New

York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 1045813Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, US14UC Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA15University Of Oklahoma, Department Of Microbiology And Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Rm. 208, Norman, OK, 73019, United States16California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA17Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States18University Of Alberta, Department Of Biological Sciences, Z-207 Biological Sciences Bldg, 116th St And 85th Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada1910951 79 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T6G 0P1, Canada20Department Of Biological Sciences, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA, 98926, United States21Botany, 3529 - 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada22Oregon State University, Department Of Botany And Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States23Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK24Park University, Department Of Natural And Physical Sciences, Parkvilee, MO, 64152, United States25University Of Texas At Brownsville, Biomedicine Department, 1 West University Boulevard, Department Of Biomedicine, Brownsville, TX, 78520, United States26New York Botanical Garden, Science, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA27Department Of Biological Sciences, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States28State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China

654

ZHOU, WENBIN* 1, XIANG, JENNY and WEN, JUN 3 2

Phylogenomics of Nyssa from single copy genes and Fluidgim sequencing insights into biogeography and character evolution

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yssa (Nyssaceae) represents a classic example of the well-known eastern Asian-eastern North American floristic disjunction. The genus has 3 species in eastern Asia, 4 species in eastern North America, and 1 species in central America. Species of the genus are ecologically important trees in eastern North American and eastern Asian forests. The distribution of living species and a rich fossil record of the genus make it an excellent model for understanding the origin and evolution of the well-known eastern Asian-eastern North American floristic disjunction. However, despites the small number of species, relationships within the genus has remained unclear and have not been elucidated using a molecular approach. Here we employed fluidgim sequencing to obtain DNA sequences from 38 single copy nuclear genes for phylogenetic analyses. Our results from maximum likelihood (ML) analysis of the concatenated data using raxml and from coalescent analysis of individual gene data using *BEAST2 (species tree) showed N. talamancana from central America diverged off first in the genus. The remainder of the genus diverged into three lineages rapidly: N. sinensis - sylvatica complex (N. sylvatica, and N. biflora), N. aquatica - N. ogeche, and N. javanica. The relationships among them differed between the ML tree and species tree. is conflicting between gene tree and species tree, but both were not strongly supported. Divergence time dating using BEAST estimated the stem age of Nyssa to be 78.8 myr (95%

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HDP: 73.2 myr - 95.4 myr) in the late Cretaceous. The divergence time of N. talamancana and the three aforementioned lineages was estimated to be 49.8 myr (95% HDP: 47.6 myr - 54.0 myr) in the Eocene. Reconstruction of ancestral distributions were performed using S-DIVA based on the phylogeny including 12 fossil species as well as using model based DEC method based on dated phylogeny of living species. Based on results from these analyses and evidence from divergence time and the Earth's paleontological history, the biogeographic history of Nyssa was inferred to have an Eurasia origin, followed by subsequent dispersal into America and back to Asia and Europe again during the Paleogene and Neogene. This history likely involved the North Atlantic land bridge for the Paleogene dispersal to America and the Bering land bridge for the later Neogene dispersal to Asia and Europe. We also investigated the evolution of morphological and ecological characters within the genus to gain insights into evolutionary consequences of geographic isolation in the genus. 1

North Carolina State University, Plant & Microbial Biology, Box 7612, 100 Derieux Place Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States2North Carolina State University, Gardner Hall 2115, Campus Box 7612, Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States3Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States

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FISHBEIN, MARK* 1, STRAUB, SHANNON 2, BOUTTE, JULIEN 2, WEITEMEIER, KEVIN A. 4, CRONN, RICHARD 3 and LISTON, AARON 4

Milkweed Phylogenomics: Assessing Incomplete Lineage Sorting and Intergenomic Discordance 1

Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA2Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA33200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97330, United States4Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

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KATES, HEATHER* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, GARDNER, ELLIOT 3, ZEREGA, NYREE 4 and WICKETT, NORMAN 5

Allele phasing has minimal impact on phylogenetic reconstruction from targeted nuclear gene sequences in a case study of Artocarpus

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ntapped information about allelic diversity within populations and individuals (i.e. heterozygosity) could improve phylogenetic resolution and

accuracy. Many phylogenetic reconstructions ignore heterozygosity because it is difficult to assemble allele sequences and combine allelic data across unlinked loci and it is unclear how reconstruction methods accommodate variable sequences. We present a novel method for assembling allele sequences from target enriched Illumina sequencing libraries and perform supermatrix phylogeny reconstruction and species tree estimation of Artocarpus based on three methods of accounting for heterozygous sequences. We characterize the extent to which highly heterozygous sequences impeded phylogeny reconstruction and determine whether the use of allele sequences improves phylogenetic resolution or decreases topological uncertainty. We show here that it is possible to infer phased alleles from target enriched Illumina libraries. We find that highly heterozygous sequences do not contribute disproportionately to poor phylogenetic resolution and that the use of allele sequences for phylogeny reconstruction does not have a clear effect on phylogenetic resolution or topological consistency.We provide a framework for inferring phased alleles from target enrichment data and for assessing the contribution of allelic diversity to phylogenetic reconstruction. 1

University of Florida, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, United States2Texas Tech University, Biological Sciences, 2901 Main Street, Ms3131, Lubbock, TX, 79409, United States3Northwestern University / Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022.0, United States4Northwestern University And The Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Biology And Conservation, 2205 Tech Drive, Hogan 2-144, Evanston, IL, 60202, United States5Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States

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MANDEL, JENNIFER* 1, SINISCALCHI, CAROLINA 2, THAPA, RAMHARI 3 , DIKOW, REBECCA 4, WATSON, LINDA E 5 and FUNK, VICKI 6

Evolution and Historical Biogeography of Asteraceae using Hyb-Seq Data

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steraceae (Compositae) comprise more than 25,000 species of sunflowers, artichokes, dandelions and daisies, and represent 10% of all flowering plant species on Earth. Prior to the use of phylogenomics for reconstructing phylogenies for the family, many evolutionary relationships were not well-resolved which has hindered advances in our understanding of the family's origin and historical biogeography. Using probes developed for the HybSeq method, we sequenced approximately 1000 lowcopy number nuclear markers plus partial plastomes for 250 species representing all major lineages within the family, which represents the most comprehensively-sampled Compositae phylogeny thus far. Using these data, we generated robust phylogenetic trees using both concatenated and coalescencebased analyses that represent nearly all subfamilies and tribes. In general, the topologies within tribes remain stable in both the nuclear and plastid trees, however relationships among subfamilies differ from existing classifications. Specifically, our nuclear data do not support the monophyly of Subfamilies

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Carduoideae and Cichorioideae, however phylogenies generated from plastid data provide weak support for their monophyly. The discordance between the nuclear and plastid phylogenies suggests that reticulation may have occurred in the history of these lineages. We are using fossil data as time calibration points to estimate the age of the family and the origins of its major lineages. While it has traditionally been assumed that the family diverged from its South American sister family, Calyceraceae, 50-40 MYA, more recent molecular phylogenetic dating studies have estimated the age of the family to be as old as 85-72 MYA by using a calibration point based on Compositae fossil pollen found in Antarctica. Another study explicitly excluded that fossil due to uncertainty in its identification, and estimated the family's age to 69 MYA. These estimates were either based solely upon plastid phylogenies or nuclear loci with limited taxon sampling, we thus provide results from a comprehensive nuclear phylogeny both including and excluding the Antarctic fossil pollen. Our new phylogenetic reconstruction will provide unprecedented insight into the evolution and historical biogeography of the family including bolstering our understanding into the biogeographic origins, migrations, and diversifications of major lineages within Asteraceae. 1

University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States2University Of Memphis, Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Ave, 239 Ellington Hall, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States3The University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Avenue , Memphis, TN, 38152, USA4Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC5Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology, & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States6DEPT OF BOTANY-NHB 166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

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ESERMAN, LAUREN* 1 and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 2

Evolutionary origins of cultivated sweetpotato and relationships in the Batatas complex

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weetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is one of the most important crop species worldwide for human nutrition. The large storage roots provide a critical source of carbohydrates and vitamin A, especially in developing countries. Sweetpotato production is currently limited by a small number of improved accessions. However, the wild relatives of crop species have the potential to be stores of agronomically important traits. The relationships between sweetpotato and its wild relatives, the Batatas complex, is currently poorly understood. Most taxa examined were diploid with the exception of cultivated sweetpotato (6x) and Ipomoea tabascana (4x). Phylogenomic analyses recovered four major lineages in the Batatas complex. Sweetpotato was closely allied with I. trifida, and I. tabascana was found to be closely related to I. triloba. Hybridization analysis suggests that cultivated sweetpotato has hybrid ancestry, with parentage from I. ramosissima and I. triloba lineages. Two tests for introgression reveal a

single ancient hybridization event in the ancestor of the primarily North American and Mexican clade. Phylogenetic results presented here advance understanding the relationships among sweetpotato and its wild relatives. Furthermore, these results suggest there were at least two independent origins of polyploidy in the Batatas complex. Ancient hybridization and polyploidization certainly played an important role in the evolutionary history of the Batatas complex. These results will advance sweetpotato breeding efforts. 1

Atlanta Botanical Garden, Conservation & Research, 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309, United States2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2101 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

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GIVNISH, THOMAS J* 1, ZULUAGA-TROCHEZ, ALEJANDRO 2, SPALINK, DANIEL 3, GRAHAM, SEAN 4, BARRETT, CRAIG 5, SOTO GOMEZ, MARYBEL 6, LAM, VIVIENNE 7, SAARELA, JEFFERY 8, SASS, CHODON 9, LIMA, DANILO 10, LEEBENSMACK, JIM 11, PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 12, ZOMLEFER, WENDY 13, GANDOLFO, MARIA A 14, DAVIS, JERROLD 15, STEVENSON, DENNIS 16 and SPECHT, CHELSEA 17

Monocot plastid phylogenomics, timeline, and the power of multi-gene analyses

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ver the past decade, plastome-scale DNA sequence data have clarified several relationships among monocots that were unresolved or weakly supported by analyses that use only one or a few plastid genes, or are hampered by inadequate taxon sampling. Here we present the first plastome phylogeny to encompass all 77 monocot families, based on 77 plastid genes scored across 545 monocots and 22 outgroups. We calibrated this phylogeny against time using 13 fossil and 7 secondary calibration priors, and estimated rates of net species diversification across all major lineages. Our phylogenomic data shift the placement of 16 families - or their equivalents under prior classifications - and add seven others compared with earlier analyses based on four plastid genes; successfully place all mycoheterotrophic taxa examined; estimate the divergence between monocots and eudicots + Ceratophyllum at 137 Mya; and support the recognition of monofamilial Dasypogonales and Arecales as separate orders based on their phenotypic distinctiveness and deep split 119 Mya, the most ancient divergence between any two monocot families or orders. Our analyses also support recognition of families Thismiaceae and Taccaceae, and successfully place several mycoheterophic taxa. Only 45% of branching events at the family level occurred after the Cretaceous, the most recent between Lapageriaceae and Philesiaceae at ca. 17.5 Mya. Net species diversification underwent four large-scale accelerations, in PACMADBOP Poaceae, Asparagales sister to Doryanthaceae, Orchidoideae-Epidendroideae, and Araceae sister

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to Lemnoideae, each associated with specific ecological/morphological shifts. We subsampled loci to determine the probability of identifying branches in the complete-data tree, as well as their bootstrap support, as a function of the number of genes sampled, branch length, and relative branch depth. Branch ascertainment and support increase with the number of genes sampled and branch length, and decrease with relative branch depth, quantifying the important contribution of plastome-scale data to resolving short, deep branches. Analysis of complete aligned plastomes in Zingiberales demonstrates the added importance of non-coding regions in identifying and supporting short, deep branches; even using complete aligned plastomes, support for the position of Heliconiaceae and Musaceae within Zingiberales is less than 100%. 1

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia3University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States4University Of British Columbia, Department Of Botany, 3529 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada5West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA6Botany, 118-425 E11th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5T 4K8, Canada7University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada8Department Of Biological Sciences, Cw 405 Biological Sciences Center, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2 E9, Canada9Plant And Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States10Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Paria, Brazil11University of Georgia, Plant Biology, Athens, GA12University of Missouri, Biological Sciences, Columbia, MO, 6521113University Of Georgia, Department Of Plant Biology, 2402 Miller Plant Sciences Building, 120 Carlton Street, Athens, GA, 30602, United States14Cornell University, Plant Biology, 410 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY15Cornell University, SIPS - Plant Biology, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States16New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10458.0, United States17Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

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SOTO GOMEZ, MARYBEL* 1, VIRUEL, JUAN 2, KANTAR , MICHAEL 3, WILKIN, PAUL 4 and GRAHAM, SEAN 5

A phylogenomics pipeline for identifying crop wild relatives: an example from the Dioscorea yams, a major pantropical crop

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he Dioscorea yams are one of the three most important tropical tuber crops along with cassava and sweet potato. Multiple species in the genus have been brought into cultivation for starch-rich annual tubers that provide a major source of nutrition and income to millions of subsistence farmers in the tropics. Yams with perennial tubers and rhizomes have also been used for pharmaceutically useful compounds, such as diosgenin. Although progress has been made in understanding species-level relationships in Dioscorea, multiple uncertainties persist, including the precise identity of crop wild relatives (CWRs) of major yam cultigens. A phylogenetic framework for the genus would be useful for identifying CWRs that may represent genetically similar pools for germplasm selection and crop improve-

ment. We are addressing this knowledge gap by using targeted enrichment of nuclear genes from wildcollected species, using RNA probes to retrieve 260 single- to low-copy nuclear genes from ~400 species of Dioscorea represented largely by herbarium material. This sampling strategy spans the taxonomic diversity of the genus, and includes all major yam crop species and putative CWRs. We present results from an initial 39-taxon phylogenomic analysis that includes representatives from the major Dioscorea clades. Using target enrichment methods we recovered target sequences for 151-259 single- to low-copy nuclear genes from 25 taxa, adding these to transcriptome-derived data from an additional 14 taxa for the same nuclear genes. After identifying and removing genes with potential duplicates, we applied coalescent-based tree inference methods using 252 nuclear genes. Our results strengthen our understanding of relationships among the major Dioscorea clades, and resolve most interspecific relationships with strong support, including those between a cultigen (D. alata), a previously proposed CWRs (D. nummularia) and an additional species that had not been identified as a CWR. 1

University of British Columbia, Botany, 3200-6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, Canada, V6T 1Z4, Canada2Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AB, UK3University of Hawai'i, Manoa, Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA4Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Natural Capital and Plant Health, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AB, UK5University of British Columbia, Botany, 3200 Biological Sciences Build, 6270 UNIVERSITY BLVD, Vancouver, Canada, V6T 1Z4, Canada

661

SCHENK, JOHN* 1 and KELLY, KHADIJAH 2

Testing for the Monophyly of the Mentzelia Section Bartonia (Loasaceae) Pinnatisect-Leaved Species with Genome Skimming

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he study of adaptive radiations is a two-edged sword in that they are ideal systems to study rapid speciation, but the rate at which species diversify can limit the accumulation of synapomorphies, making phylogenetic inference problematic. Phylogenetic inference can be further exacerbated by lineage sorting, which can be especially problematic in recent adaptive radiations. Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae) exemplifies this two-edged sword well, where macroevolutionary studies have determined the clade underwent a recent adaptive radiation, and many phylogenetic relationships remain inconclusive or weakly supported. The most recent phylogenetic hypothesis of the section based on the ribosomal internal and external transcribed spacer regions resolved several deep clades and numerous sister species pairs, but lacked resolution intermediately. Although many relationships were consistent with morphological and geographic similarities, some expected relationships were not recovered. One group in particular, the pinnatisectleaved species, were recovered in a polytomy, with

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some species reconstructed as sister to morphologically and geographically dissimilar species. In addition to pinnatisect leaves, the pinnatisect species also share similar floral, fruit, and seed traits, and they are closely distributed near the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. We attempted to resolve relationships by generating additional sequence variation with the next generation sequencing technique of genome skimming. We sampled 14 species to include those recovered in the pinnatisect polytomy plus outgroups to determine if clades could be robustly resolved. We explicitly tested the hypothesis that pinnatisect species are each other's closest relatives with the approximately unbiased test. Data from the nuclear ribosomal complex recovered a phylogeny that was consistent with a previous hypothesis based on ribosomal spacer regions; however, much greater resolution was identified. Phylogenies based on the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes, as well as two anonymous nuclear loci were largely discordant. Maximum likelihood analyses based on concatenation and Bayesian species-tree analyses recovered partially incongruent phylogenies, each of which placed the pinnatisect species in three separate clades. The approximately unbiased test rejected the monophyly of the pinnatisect species, suggesting that the pinnatisect form has evolved numerous times. Although genome skimming has provided much greater sequence variation and resolution of strongly supported clades, substantial lineage sorting has likely resulted in discordance among gene trees. 1

Georgia Southern University, Department Of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Biological Sciences Building, Statesboro, GA, 30458, United States2Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA

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WICKETT, NORMAN* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, BOTIGUE, LAURA 3 , DEVAULT, ALISON 4, DODSWORTH, STEPHEN 3, FOREST, FELIX 5, KIM, JAN 3, LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 6, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 7, SOLTIS, PALMEA S. 8 and BAKER, WILLIAM J. 9

Designing and testing a kit to enrich phylogenetically informative exons for all angiosperms

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equencing of target enriched libraries is an efficient and cost-effective method for obtaining DNA sequence data from hundreds of nuclear loci for phylogenetic reconstruction. Much of the cost associated with developing targeted sequencing approaches is preliminary data needed for identifying orthologous loci for probe design. In plants, identifying orthologous loci has proven difficult due to a large number of whole genome duplication events, especially in the angiosperms. We used alignments of over 600 angiosperms for 353 putatively single-copy protein coding genes to design targeted sequencing probes that would be useful for phylogenetics in any flowering plant. To select between 5 and 15 sequences for each locus to use for probe design, we em-

ployed a k-medoids clustering approach which more efficiently represented angiosperm sequence diversity compared to using only published genomes. To test our approximately 80,000 probe sequences, we captured sequences from 42 species representing nearly all orders of angiosperms. We recovered exon sequence for 100 or more loci in all species, which was not affected by similarity to the taxa selected as medoids in probe design. These results suggest the probe design is effective in any group of flowering plants and would be useful for studies in phylogenetics of lineages at any taxonomic level. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2Texas Tech University, Biological Sciences, 2901 Main Street, Ms3131, Lubbock, TX, 79409, United States3Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond, UK4Arbor Biosciences, 5840 Interface Dr, Suite 101, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, USA5 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS, UK6University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2101 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States7University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL8University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, US9 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK

663

DURAN CASTILLO , MARIO SATURNINO* 1, HUDSON, ANDREW 2 and TWYFORD, ALEX 3

Genomic patterns of gene flow and divergence in the genus Antirrhinum

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lant's sessile habit and extreme variation in ploidy level, mating system and dispersal provide excellent opportunities for the study of speciation. However substantial challenges remain in elucidating the role of different evolutionary processes in the generation of new species.The genus Antirrhinum, including the model system A. majus, has many resources for addressing a wide range of evolutionary questions about speciation. Here we use restriction site associated DNA (RAD-seq) to resolve the species relationships in the genus Antirrhinum using a maximum likelihood approach. This phylogeny reveals the evolutionary relationships within the genus for the first time, and also show strong geographic clustering of species. Focused population genomic work on a clade from the Sierra Nevada, Spain, further reveals geographic signal and extensive hybridization. Overall, this suggests rapid species divergence exploiting local geographic niches despite homogenising hybridisation.

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The University Of Edinburgh, Institute Of Evolutionary Biology, Charlotte Auerbach Road, University Of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories, Room 112, Ashworth 2, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK2The University of Edinburgh, Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK3University Of Edinburgh, Institute Of Evolutionary Biology, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK

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664

TEISHER, JORDAN* 1, MCKAIN, MICHAEL 2 and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH 3

Phylogenomic Analysis of Polyploidy in “Reedy� Arundinoids (Poaceae)

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rundinoideae is the smallest subfamily in the crown grasses with only 40 species in 14 genera mostly distributed in the Paleotropics. Chloroplast sequence data suggest two independent transitions to the north temperate zone within the subfamily: one in the common ancestor of the genera Phragmites, Molinia, and Hakonechloa and the other in the genus Arundo. Phragmites and Arundo are both large-statured reeds and are the only genera in the subfamily to occur naturally in the Western Hemisphere, representing either convergent evolution or possible shared genomes resulting from hybridization. All four temperate arundinoid genera are polyploids, with ploidy levels ranging from 4x to 12x, supporting a possible history of hybridization in the subfamily. However, the origins of these subgenomes are unknown, and nuclear phylogenetic studies on the group are lacking. In this study, we present phylogenomic analyses of coding DNA sequences from newly generated transcriptomes of the four temperate arundinoid genera as well as published and unpublished transcriptomes and genomes from five other grass subfamilies. We find support for at least one whole genome duplication (WGD) shared by Phragmites, Molinia, and Hakonechloa as well as weaker support for another possible WGD shared by all sampled Arundinoideae. However, we do not find evidence of shared genomes between Arundo and Phragmites, suggesting that hybridization between the two taxa does not explain their morphological and ecological similarities. 1

The Academy Of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University, Botany, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, United States2University Of Alabama, 411 Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, United States3Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States

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WICKETT, NORMAN* 1, PARKS, MATTHEW 2, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 3 , MIRARAB, SIAVASH 4, MAI, UYEN 4, PETER, SZOVENYI 5, KIRBIS, ALEXANDER 5 , WALLER, MANUEL 5 and NEUBAUER, ANNA 5

Testing the monophyly of bryophytes using expanded genome and transcriptome sampling

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ryophytes comprise three monophyletic lineages: the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. The extant members of one of these lineages, or some combination of the three, represent the sister group to the vascular plants and, as such, play a key role in understanding the evolution of terrestrial plants approximately 480 million years ago. Several molecular phylogenetic studies using chloroplast genomes and a limited set of nuclear genes in the past two decades led to the consensus view that bryophytes form a paraphyletic grade with liverworts and mosses successively sister to a clade composed of hornworts and vascular plants. However, alternative topologies have been proposed and supported by both molecular and morphological data sets. Recently, inferences made using hundreds of nuclear markers have suggested that the consensus view of successive sister groups might not represent the most strongly supported hypothesis. Instead, there is emerging support for the monophyly of mosses and liverworts. The placement of hornworts remains somewhat unstable, with some analyses supporting a monophyletic bryophytes in which the hornworts are sister to mosses and liverworts. Here, we explore the impact of increased sampling of bryophyte genomes and transcriptomes on the reconstruction of land plant relationships. In particular, we used the draft genome sequence of the hornwort Anthoceros agrestis to infer a novel set of orthologous genes and then assess the utility of gene genealogy interrogation to infer the phylogeny of land plants.

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Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States3Texas Tech University, Biological Sciences, 2901 Main Street, Ms3131, Lubbock, TX, 79409, United States4UC San Diego, Electrical and Computer Engineering, La Jolla, CA, USA5University of Zurich, Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Zurich, Switzerland

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666 VATANPARAST, MOHAMMAD* 1 and EGAN, ASHLEY 2 Target-enrichment phylogenomics improves the resolution of legume lineages at generic, tribal, and subfamily levels

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eguminosae is the third largest family of flowering plants and the second most prominent family in economic value, yet our understanding of legume evolutionary history is still incomplete. A recent, pivotal study used the chloroplast matK gene to estimate family and lower level relationships by sampling nearly 700 genera and ca. 3700 accessions, resulting in the introduction of a new subfamily level classification. However, resolution among subfamily-based clades and other internal, tribalbased clades remained unclear or poorly resolved. Using recently developed target-enrichment baits, we employed hundreds of nuclear and chloroplast loci sampled across the family to address resolution problems at some of these recalcitrant nodes within the legume family tree. We sampled more than 250 species within the Leguminosae, covering representatives from six subfamilies and 35 tribes emphasizing the phaseoloid and millettioid legumes, which represent the highest generic diversity in the family. Our results confirm the monophyly of the six-subfamily classification proposed based on matK and resolve relationships among them as well as address issues among early branching lineages of the phaseoloid and millettioid tribes, among others. Our phylogeny largely improves the backbone of the legume family tree and confirms the power of targetenrichment approach to build statistically consistent species trees, nevertheless, gene tree discordance is inevitable. 1

University of Copenhagen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark211114 Orleans Way, Kensington, MD, 20895, United States

667 MASON-GAMER, ROBERTA* 1 and WHITE, DAWSON 2 Phylogenomic analysis of the wheat tribe Triticeae (Poaceae) based on chloroplast and nuclear data acquired using a HybSeq approach

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he wheat tribe, Triticeae, is a phylogenetically complicated group of grasses. Molecular analyses over the past 25 years have achieved ambiguous results, due to a combination of low resolution from some data sets and phylogenetic conflict among others. While the most striking cases of conflict have involved differences between nuclear and chloroplast gene trees, incongruence has also been recorded in comparisons among individual nuclear loci. The present work builds upon previous results by applying a Hyb-Seq approach, which combines targeted sequence capture of low-copy sequences with skimming of non-targeted, high-copy sequences.

We present data from nearly-complete chloroplast genomes, and from over a thousand nuclear coding loci. The 1121 nuclear loci included in the analyses represent a selected subset drawn from over 2000 captured loci; we included only those for which: (1) all 76 sampled individuals—75 ingroup and one outgroup—are represented, and (2) reasonable alignments could be achieved with only low to moderate efforts expended on editing and/or masking. Together, the aligned nuclear data set includes 1,872,973 characters, of which 182,981 are variable. We performed phylogenetic analyses of the chloroplast data (maximum-likelihood search and bootstrap) and the nuclear data (gene tree and quartet-based analyses, and maximum likelihood searches and bootstrap analyses of individual and concatenated loci). Based on these results, we highlight (1) increased phylogenetic resolution of both chloroplast and nuclear trees, including stronger support of deep nodes and clarification of early-diverging lineages; (2) a clearer picture of the extent of chloroplast-nuclear conflict; and (3) underlying phylogenetic patterns within the nuclear data. 1

University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biological Sciences, MC 066, 845 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60607, USA2University Of Illinois At Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago, 845 West Taylor St. #3256, Department Of Biological Sciences, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States

668

WILSON, CAROL* 1 and FREYMAN, WILL 2

Phylogenomics subgenus Hermodactyloides, a small lineage of bulbous Iris that are mostly narrow endemics

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ris subgenus Hermodactyloides has about 15 taxa that are distributed across the Caucasus and eastern Mediterranean Basin, two biodiversity hotspots. The subgenus comprises species that emerge and flower in early spring, often as snow recedes, and soon enter dormancy after storing food reserves in bulbs. Dormancy remains through the warm summer and cool winters typical of their steppe habitats. Four sections are recognized within the subgenus based mostly on leaf and bulb characters. Recent studies of Iris, based on plastid markers, indicated that subgenus Hermodactyloides is polyphyletic. Because phylogenetic studies focusing on the subgenus are lacking we have little knowledge of evolutionary relationships among taxa in subgenus Hermodactyloides and related lineages or the status of sections that are circumscribed in the subgenus. This study included 31 samples representing 14 taxa and one sample each of five outgroups. Nucleotide sequence data was gathered using skimming techniques for plastomes and mitochondrial genes and targeted sequencing for nuclear genes. Probes were developed to enrich 635 targeted nuclear genes that are potentially single or low copy in Iris. Results confirm that the subgenus is polyphyletic although most sections are monophyletic. Although infraspecific taxa are recognized in the widespread Caucasian species, I.

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reticulata, current classification does not accurately capture all of the genetic diversity present. Subgenus Hermodactyloides s.s. are likely to have originated in the Caucasus, which is also the center of current diversity with multiple dispersals to the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Patterns of data conflict within and among genomes is discussed in relation to patterns of endemism. 12

University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, 1479 Gortner Ave, Suite 140 , St Paul, MN, 55108, USA

POSTERS 669

SONG, MICHAEL* 1, ROTHFELS, CARL and IGIC, BORIS 3 2

Difficulties in the Inference of Ancient Whole-Genome Duplications

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olyploids-those individuals that have experienced whole genome duplications (WGDs)-were classically regarded as evolutionary dead ends. In a remarkable shift of scientific opinion, the seemingly opposing view-that ancient WGDs are commonplace in the ancestry of many extant lineages-has recently come to predominate, such that most evolutionary biologists accept that many genomes (including those of nearly all plants) have been shaped by of multiple rounds of WGD. This rapid shift in viewpoint was brought about the increased availability of genome-scale data and by a novel set of inference methods, which have changed the way we think about plant genome evolution and its relationship to patterns of angiosperm diversification. Here, we caution that our overconfidence in the widely employed inference methods. One inference method forms a disproportionate basis of evidence supporting WGDs and their ages. It relies on distributions of nucleotide distances of synonymous mutations (Ks) among paralogous genes. The models that shape our expectations of Ks distributions, and the associated statistical tests, may not have the advertised ability to reliably discern ancient polyploidization events from a number of confounding processes. As a consequence, it is possible that we have vastly overestimated the prevalence of ancient WGDs.

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University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States2University Of California Berkeley, University Herbarium And Departmenty Of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States3University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL

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KANDZIORA, MARTHA* 1 and MCTAVISH, EMILY JANE 2

Physcraper: automatic updating of phylogenies

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he rate of DNA sequencing has outpaced the ability of researchers to analyze sequence data. This means that many species are not included in any published phylogeny, despite available sequence data. There is an opportunity to provide active, automated extension of the tree of life with new inferences made directly from sequence data. We have developed a software pipeline, physcraper, to add these new taxa into existing trees. hyscraper automates the updating of phylogenetic relationships by placing new sequences based on similarity to existing sequences in the alignment and builds a starting tree including the new sequences. The use of a starting tree decreases the time to calculate a new tree. Physcraper generates new, integrated, maximum likelihood estimates of species relationships, with minimal researcher time and effort.

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The advantage is, that the method rapidly computes a new phylogeny including support values for large scale phylogenies which then can be used for further analyses without losing accuracy. We will present the workflow in more detail and show the ability of the method to rapidly update phylogenies on an Asteraceae sublineage example, Senecioneae, and show how it decreases the computational time considerably in comparison to calculating a new phylogeny from scratch.

of plant evolution at multiple phylogenetic scales.

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University of California, Merced, Life and Environmental Science, Merced, CA, 95340, USA2University of California, Merced, Life and Environmental Science, Merced, 95340, USA

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671

Hunting the treasure of Cape Oxalis diversity

AMARASINGHE, PRABHA* 1, JANTZEN, JOHANNA 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 3 and CELLINESE, NICO 2

Developing tools to capture loci of two distant clades of Melastomataceae

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ext-Generation Sequencing approaches allow understanding of evolutionary relationships using a large number of loci, enabling robust phylogenomic inference in a wide variety of taxa. Although genomes and transcriptomes for focal taxa are popular resources from which to choose target loci, there is a conspicuous literature gap of methodologies to capture loci for taxa with few genomic or transcriptomic resources. Here, we developed a pipeline to target and sequence loci of distantly related Tibouchina and Memecylon clades in Melastomataceae to address evolutionary questions at both fine and broad scales. Transcriptomes of Medinilla magnifica and Tetrazygia biflora from the 1KP database were used as input against reference databases composed of annotated single-copy genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and Theobroma cacao to select loci using the program MarkerMiner. These loci were manually examined to retain genes containing exon sequences longer than 120 bp. The resulting output loci and two trimmed genome skims of Memecylon afzelii and M. toricellense generated from museum specimens were run using HybPiper to obtain the corresponding sequence for the genome skims. Finally, the postprocessing scripts in HybPiper were used to retrieve intron regions flanking our targeted exons, and duplicate loci, identified using a reciprocal blast search, were eliminated. Because Memecyon and Tibouchina are distantly related within Melastomataceae, for loci with highly divergent sequences, rather than a consensus sequence of the genome skim and the transcriptome sequences, both sequences were used for probe development. Furthermore, a set of additional genes identified from genomes outside Melastomataceae was targeted for their functional significance. The final set of nuclear loci was used to synthesize a custom bait library. The sequence data generated from this approach will be used to resolve relationships within the Tibouchina and Memecylon clades. Our new pipeline represents a step forward in making maximal use of the information from transcriptomes of distantly related taxa for the investigation

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Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7800, United States2Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

ZEISEK, VOJTĚCH* 1, OBERLANDER, KENNETH 2, DREYER, LEANNE 3 and SCHMICKL, ROSWITHA 1

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volution of phenotypic and cytogenetic traits goes hand-in-hand with biodiversity and speciation, as new species occupy new ecological niches and undergo reproductive isolation. These processes must be seen in a historical, phylogenetic context of evolutionary relationships among species. Phylogeny explains a significant portion of species' traits in radiating organismal groups. One of the best geographic regions where we can study these processes is the Cape in southernmost Africa, long known for its enormous plant diversity and richness. One prominent if understudied Cape clade is Oxalis (Oxalidaceae). The monophyletic southern African Oxalis lineage accounts for nearly half the species diversity of the genus (ca. 230 spp.). Species are universally tunicate bulbous geophytes but exhibit substantial diversity in leaf, stem and bulb morphology. In addition, they show substantial karyological complexity. We reconstructed the phylogeny of the vast majority of southern African Oxalis (over 500 accessions) by developing a novel bioinformatics pipeline for the design of low-copy nuclear probes for target enrichment, which we used in the Hyb-Seq approach. We obtain a robust, well-resolved tree, and based on this novel phylogenetic backbone, we study phenotypic trait evolution in this genus at an unprecedented resolution and certainty.

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The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Zámek 1, Průhonice, 252 43, Czech Republic2Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Benátská 2, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic3Stellenbosch University, Botany and Zoology, Natural Sciences Building, Merriman avenue, Stellenbosch, WC, 7600, South Africa

673

ROBERTS, WADE* 1 and ROALSON, ERIC 2

Phylogenomic analyses reveal extensive gene flow within the magic flowers (Achimenes)

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he Neotropical Gesneriaceae is a lineage known for its colorful and diverse flowers, as well as an extensive history of intra- and intergeneric hybridization, particularly among Achimenes (the magic flowers) and other members of subtribe Gloxiniinae.

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Despite numerous studies seeking to elucidate the evolutionary relationships of these lineages, relatively few have sought to infer specific patterns of gene flow despite evidence of widespread hybridization. To explore the utility of phylogenomic data for reassessing phylogenetic relationships and inferring patterns of gene flow among species of Achimenes, we sequenced 12 floral transcriptomes. We used a variety of methods to infer the species tree, examine gene tree discordance, and infer patterns of gene flow. Phylogenomic analyses resolve clade relationships at the crown of the lineage with strong support. In contrast to previous analyses, we recovered strong support for several new relationships despite a significant amount of gene tree discordance. We present evidence for at least two introgression events between two species pairs that share pollinators and suggest that the species status of Achimenes admirabilis be reexamined. Our study demonstrates the utility of transcriptome data for phylogenomic analyses and inferring patterns of gene flow despite gene tree discordance. Moreover, these data provide another example of prevalent interspecific gene flow among Neotropical plants that share pollinators. 1

Washington State University, School Of Biological Sciences, P.O Box 644236, Pullman, WA, 99164, United States2Washington State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Abelson Hall 339, Pullman, WA, 99164, United States

674

PISCHL, PHYLLIS* 1 and DUVALL, M 2

The Evolutionary and Ecological Roles of Illinois Listed Endangered and Threatened Grasses

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his research investigates the genetic evolution of endangered and threatened grass species listed in the state of Illinois to help reveal the genetic diversity these species add to the Illinois flora. The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board lists 18 grasses, 17 species as endangered and one species as threatened. The specific aims needed to achieve this goal are to first extract and sequence the DNA of the plastid genome (plastome) for each of the endangered and threatened grasses; this DNA contains the species' unique genetic information. Of these 18 grasses, the plastid genome DNA for four species has already been sequenced and published. For the remaining fourteen endangered species, leaf material was obtained with permission from preserved herbarium specimens for DNA testing. Using a modified DNA extraction procedure, DNA was successfully extracted from these herbarium specimens. Next these data will be used to determine the evolutionary history of these grasses and the changes in their DNA over time. From this history, the relationships between these E/T grasses can be elucidated as well as their relationships to other members of the grass family, Poaceae. Then, these relationships will be evaluated in the ecological context of Illinois grasslands to understand the genetically-determined roles of these species in the biodiversity of Illinois, i.e., the number of species, and the variety of their genetic traits, found in the areas they inhabit. This line of research

will reveal the uniqueness of these grass species and the positions they fill in their environment. The findings of this study will provide a better understanding of the role of each species in its habitat and the relationship of endangered grass species in Illinois with one another, other grass species, and the environments they inhabit. Understanding the roles and relationships these grass species maintain will give fundamental information to support future conservation efforts. This study will inform ecologists of not only the biodiversity these grasses provide, but also the genetic diversity they represent. Because funding for conservation efforts is often limited, the genetic information provided by this research may help prioritize species or ecosystems for conservation. The findings of this research may also provide insight for other studies. 1

Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States2Northern Illinois University, Plant Molecular And Bioinformatics Center And Department Of Biology, 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL, 60115, United States

675

SANBONMATSU , KATIE K* 1, MUKAI, MAYA 2, SPALINK, DANIEL 2 and BOHS, LYNN ALLISON 3

Capsi-conundrum: Resolving Relationships within Capsiceae (Solanaceae)

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he nightshade family Solanaceae is one of the world's most economically important plant families, and contains potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, tobacco, and petunia. Within this family, the genus Capsicum (~40 species) includes the chili and bell peppers. Some Capsicum species are well known for their pungent fruits, a trait imparted by unique capsaicinoids. The five cultivated species of Capsicum constitute a multi-billion-dollar industry, but the remaining species are under-studied. The sister genus to Capsicum, Lycianthes, is much larger (~200 species) and has a broader distribution. Evolutionary relationships among the species of the two genera have not been well-investigated and the relationship between Capsicum and Lycianthes is still unclear. The apparently rapid diversification of this group has made phylogenetic analysis difficult. Previous studies reveal a paraphyletic Lycianthes with a nested Capsicum, but this relationship is weakly supported. To obtain better phylogenetic resolution, we utilized Illumina sequencing to target ~2000 loci and compared these results to those obtained using a Sanger sequencing dataset. Here, we present three phylogenies for comparison. The Sanger tree was constructed using data from nuclear (ITS, waxy) and chloroplast (ndhF and trnT-F) genes for 62 species. The other two trees are based on Illumina data. The “concatenated tree� is a maximum likelihood tree built from a concatenated alignment of 1467 genes for 42 taxa. The species tree was developed from 131 genes using Bayesian concordance analysis, which can account for discordance between gene trees. All three trees have nearly identical topologies, and all recover Capsicum as a clade nested within a para-

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phyletic Lycianthes. Overall low concordance factors point to incomplete lineage sorting as the primary cause of discordance among gene trees. 1

University of Utah, Department of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA2University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States3University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, 201 South Biology, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States

676

LIU, SUKUAN* 1 and SMITH, STACEY D. 2

Resolving the Phylogeny and Understanding the Molecular Evolution of Rapidly Diversifying South American Pitcher Plants Heliamphora(Sarraceniaceae)

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he carnivorous pitcher plant family Sarraceniaceae consists of three genera of pitcher plants that show dramatic differences in distribution: Darlingtonia restricted to disjunct populations in the northwestern US, Sarracenia with a large distribution in the eastern North America, and Heliamphorawith the highest species richness and most restricted distributions in the Guiana Highland. Recent geologic processes, such as weathering and erosion, have possibly fragmented the continuous highland habitat of Heliamphora, resulting in rapid diversification possibly due to allopatric speciation. This poster explains my research plan that aims to construct a phylogeny of Heliamphora in order to understand the family's historical biogeography, allowing us to infer possible ecological and evolutionary processes that might have resulted in each species' present-day distributions. Secondly, I plan to use RNA sequencing to identify genes related to carnivory and how they evolved from their non-carnivorous ancestors.

species, serves as a model system for investigating the role of spontaneous backyard garden hybridization in early domestication, but the precise relationships of species remain unclear. Previous work recognized three well-supported clades of diploid Leucaena. However, the relationships among species within the largest clade (Clade 1) remain poorly resolved, confounding attempts to infer origins of the five allotetraploid species. In this study, we use a sequenced diploid genome (Leucaena trichandra) and whole seedling-derived transcriptome data from all diploid Leucaena species to infer both referenceguided and de novo phylogenetic hypotheses for Leucaena. Once a robust phylogeny is inferred from conserved orthologous genes, future work will attempt to elucidate the evolutionary history of Leucaena ssp. in a geographical context. 1

New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001 Dept 3AF, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, United States2University Of Zurich, Institute Of Systematic Botany, Zollikerstrasse 107, ZĂźrich, 8008 ZĂźrich, Switzerland3 New Mexico State University, Biology, PO Box 30001 MSC 3AF, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, United States

1

University Of Colorado At Boulder, EBIO, 1800 Colorado Ave., Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States2University Of Colorado-Boulder, EBIO Department, Campus Box 0334, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States

677

ABAIR, ALEXANDER* 1, NAGESWARA-RAO, MADHUGIRI 1, DUGAS, DIANA 1, HUGHES, COLIN 2 and BAILEY, DONOVAN 3

Resolving Relationships in Leucaena through Reference Guided and de novo Transcriptomics

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he genus Leucaena (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoid clade) contains 24 species, some of which have a long history of use in Mesoamerica as food, shade, and even spiritual medicine. Their native range is restricted to the Americas, but Leucaena leucocephala (and a few other species) have spread around the tropics where they are currently used in tropical agroforestry systems as fodder for cattle, soil stabilizers and fertilizers, shade, and biofuels. This genus, which contains diploid and allotetraploid

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PHYSIOLOGY ORAL PAPERS 678

THORHAUG, ANITRA* 1, POULOS, HELEN 2 and BERLYN, GRAEME 3

Zostera marina a temperate seagrass spectral reflectance and partial absorption constrained by diminishing Blue, green, red light

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ostera marina, a ubiquitous temperate seagrass, globally is found in Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans plus temperate seas. Preventing the crisis of 7% yr-1 global losses presently occurring needs solutions. Accurate remote sensing spectral signatures to capture seagrass extent would assist natural resource managers globally define and thus find solutions to sustain the remaining 171,000 km2 seagrasses. Despite endorsed international conservation policies, the losses of seagrasses' vital services (fisheries nurseries, sediment stability, and carbon sequestration) is severe. Physiologically, the two fundamental bases of our light measurements are:1.) Einstein states light consists of particles, he called photons;2.) Feynman found “light is not really affected by surfaces”. In a plant, when a photon is incident on a leaf, it interacts with electrons throughout the leaf. The photon is scattered and a new photon emitted; an electron absorbs a photon and emits another photon. Consequently the “reflected” light receives the signature of the absorbing elements of the leaf (the pigments). If light merely struck the leaf surface to bounce off, it would not show the characteristic reflectance spectra. These reflectance spectra have a fundamental identity, with the quality and quantity of a species' leaf pigments depending on the physiological state of the whole plant. Various species differ in leaf pigments types and quanitites, thus reflectance spectra is used to characterize plant communities and species physiology. We demonstrate for the first time the whole pigment array throughout visible range (400-1100nm) by spectrophotometer measurements reported for in vivo Zostera marina whole plants' responses challenged by diminishing intensities of four light colors. Lower values of Chlorophyll a resulted for blue and green diminished light (23% and below normal) while accessory pigments' (435 to 580nm) partial absorption responses were enhanced and were statistically greater than those in red light. These results scale up to remote sensing marine measurements of seagrass signatures. The question of the physiological changes allowing only this higher plants group to evolve into the marine realm includes constraints of blue/green light. Results show an evolved, photosynthetically dynamic system allowing rapid adaptation of seagrasses' to highly fluctuating marine/estuarine daily benthic spectral regime. Responses to diminished blue or green light involve accessory pigment responses. Indices of Chlorophyll a show significant color response differences versus the accessory pigments, perhaps an adaptation for preserving Chlorophylls.

1

Yale University, 1359 SW 22 Terrace, Miami, FL, 33145.0, United States2Wesleyan University, College of the Environment, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA3Yale University, School Of Foresty & Evironmental Studies, Marsh Hall-360 PROSPECT ST, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

679

THORHAUG, ANITRA 1, SCHWARZ, ARTHUR* 2, POULOS, HELEN 3 and BERLYN, GRAEME 4

The effect of two hurricanes on seagrass beds and associated fauna: Texas and Puerto Rico

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he effects of two different types of hurricanes were measured in east and west portions of the Greater Caribbean Basin in seagrass beds. In Texas from Corpus Christi northward, a series of eight restored seagrass areas planted in 2013 were monitored yearly. When an August hurricane occurred, we monitored three months post-hurricane, measuring blades' abundance, extent, health. We also measured major fauna (fisheries and food-web), and made observations of large animals near plots that were restored, natural, and barren. We observed regrowth of new blades throughout, stabilization of sediment compared to non-restored adjacent seagrass, and recolonization of fish and invertebrates. In Puerto Rico, we measured a second hurricane for six southwestern coastal rivers for seagrass abundance, biomass, health, and ecosystem properties such as presence of corals, salinity, light penetration, marine macro-algae, and temperature, disgorgment from rivers, aerial monitoring of hurricane and normal plumes, and watershed parameters including characterization of major activities. Our investigation showed complete degradation of seagrass beds within the area of the river mouth representing half the "normal" plume. In the riverine plumes after the hurricane, abundance, biodiversity, health, and biomass were reduced to less than 50% of controls. High variability of the intense storm events did not kill the beds, but "reset" seagrass responses by a period of at least three months in which they regrew new blades as environmental conditions stabilized. The seagrass regrew into the former footprint while recolonization of the food web appeared. The barren areas experienced loss of sediment and remained depauperate of fauna. 1

Yale University, 1359 SW 22 Terrace, Miami, FL, 33145.0, United States2Southwestern Adventist University, Biological Sciences, 100 W Hillcrest, PO Box 567, Keene, TX, 76059, United States3Wesleyan University, College of the Environment, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA4Yale University, School Of Foresty & Evironmental Studies, Marsh Hall-360 PROSPECT ST, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

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680

THORHAUG, ANITRA* 1, SCHWARZ, ARTHUR 2 and BERLYN, GRAEME 3

The resilience of seagrass services of restored Halodule wrightii Asch. in Texas estuaries, including post-Hurricane Harvey

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wo planting efforts occurred during restoration of nearly 100 acres of seagrass from Texas's Laguna Madre to Galveston Bay, 1999 and 2013. Central Laguna Madre during spring 1999 in 3 locations of 14.7 (a scrape down site), 25 (former vessel scar), and 38 acres (partially filled channel and sides post-vessel scar). Planting in summer 2013 at Galveston Bay, Aransas/St. Charles Bay (near Aransus National Wildlife Refuge, refuge for Whooping Cranes) and Corpus Christi Bay. Greater than 70% of planted Units remained after 1-5 y at all sites. The chief ecosystem services demonstrated were sediment stabilization (additionally creating water clarity), ecosystem renewal and carbon sequestration. Animals recolonizing the restored seagrass sites in north Texas included 45,000 juvenile shrimp, 30,000 juvenile crabs, and 25,000 juvenile fish per acre. At the Aransas/St. Charles Bay site only, we observed whooping cranes (up to five at a time), and at all sites, small flocks of brown pelicans, up to nine great blue herons, or tricolored herons, and many lesser birds, as well as sea turtles and porpoises. For the 1999 plantings, three hurricanes occurred, leaving most acreage intact with barren areas around the perimeters scoured. The exception was Hurricane Bret which removed recently filled area of about five acres, just offshore King Ranch dock, where Bret made landfall. Carbon (first meter) showed greater carbon in restored (38.7Âą13.1 mg Corg ha-1), than within naturally-occurring seagrass at each site (25.7Âą6 mg Corg ha-1), resulting in 2167 mg Corg ha-1 more sediment carbon. Post-Hurricane Harvey results will be discussed, which showed little change in four-year-old planted sites from hurricane winds and rain (lowering salinities). 1

Yale University, 1359 SW 22 Terrace, Miami, FL, 33145.0, United States2Southwestern Adventist University, Biological Sciences, 100 W Hillcrest, PO Box 567, Keene, TX, 76059, United States3Yale University, School Of Foresty & Evironmental Studies, Marsh Hall-360 PROSPECT ST, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

681

MARQUARDT, PAULA* 1, MIRANDA, BRIAN 1 and TELEWSKI, FRANK 2

Climate-growth relationships of the Sky Island Ponderosae

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ackground: Dendrochronology plays a major role in the study of relationships between patterns of annual growth and the environmental factors influencing growth. In the desert Southwestern United States, the climate is warm and semiarid with two rainy seasons - the summer monsoon and winter precipitation - and the variation in ring width is more dependent on precipitation than temperature. The high elevation pine forests of Southeast Arizona consist predominantly of two partially sympatric species, the well characterized five-needle Pinus arizonica, and Pinus ponderosa var. brachyptera that exists as two morphotypes (three- and mixed-needle). ethods: Reproductively mature trees of both species were selected for coring in natural stands where the two species coexist on two south facing slopes. After crossdating and assigning the calendar year of formation for each tree ring, response function, moving window, and partial correlations were conducted to examine the climatic sensitivity of the two pine species, identify the environmental factors limiting to growth, and determine the temporal stability of growth-climate relationships. Predictor variables were seasonal temperature, precipitation, and Palmer drought severity index (a cumulative measure of drought stress). Results: The response function analysis of P. ponderosa var. brachyptera [sampled on two sites near its lower (and drier) elevation limit] indicated that tree rings correlated strongly with spring precipitation. In comparison, the annual growth of P. arizonica [sampled near its upper (and moister) elevation limit] correlated with spring precipitation at both sites, and to winter precipitation at the more mesic site. Partial correlation analysis revealed that P. arizonica was sensitive to longer periods of drought than P. ponderosa var. brachyptera at the more mesic site only. Interestingly, the two species were responding differently to water balance requirements. Correlation analysis indicated that P. arizonica's growth was limited by increased growing season moisture stress and temperature (+ PDSI, - TAVG; an indication of increased respiration) and P. ponderosa var. brachyptera was limited by increased winter respiration. Conclusion: The seasonally cool and moist conditions of spring are favorable growth conditions for both species. P. arizonica's growth correlates also with winter precipitation, and to longer periods of drought than P. ponderosa var. brachyptera under mesic site conditions. These findings suggest that the two species have different seasonal climate requirements and sensitivity to moisture stress at different temporal scales. Data will also be presented on temporal stability in climate-growth relationships of the three different needle types.

1

USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, 5985 Hwy K, Rhinelander, WI, 54501, United States2Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, East Lansing, , MI , 48824 , USA

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682

GILMAN, IAN* 1 and EDWARDS,

ERIKA 2

Distinguishing CAM photosynthesis with machine learning

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rassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) has evolved at least 35 times independently throughout the plant kingdom-in lineages as distantly related as isoetes and orchids. Although we recognize many, repeated origins of other modifications to the standard C3 pathway, such as C4 photosynthesis, a variety of CAM phenotypes have evolved in an extremely diverse set of ecological circumstances. CAM is suspected to have played a role in the massive diversification of tropical forest lineages, such as the bromeliads and orchids, but also in arid-adapted lineages like the Portulacineae (Carophyllales) and Euphorbiaceae. Furthermore, the types of CAM (full CAM, majority of carbon fixation by CAM pathway; low level CAM, majority of carbon fixation by C3 pathway, with constitutive, small degree of CAM activity; and facultative CAM, flexible CAM metabolism that is expressed only in response to a a stressor such as drought) may not strictly represent a continuum of transitional states on the path to full CAM. Rather, these types may often represent stable phenotypes that have evolved for different, but not unrelated, reasons. Disentangling and distinguishing the types of CAM and the problems that they solve in disparate lineages and ecologies therefore precludes a full understanding of the evolution of CAM photosynthesis. Here, we show how machine learning techniques can be used to distinguish and place boundaries on different types of CAM.

1

Yale University, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Osborn Memorial Labs, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States2Yale University, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Osborn Memorial Labs, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

683

BUSTA, LUCAS* 1, YIM, WON CHEOL , LABRANT, EVAN W. 3, GRIMES, LINDSEY 4, WAHRENBURG, ZACH 4, SANTOS, PATRICIA 4, KOSMA, DYLAN 4 and CAHOON, EDGAR B. 1 2

The diversity, activity, and biosynthesis of bioactive polyacetylenes in Daucus carota

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olyacetylenic lipids are produced in various Apiaceae and Asteraceae species in response to pathogen attack. It has long been suspected that these compounds are natural pesticides; a potentially valuable resource for creating crops with enhanced pathogen resistance.The recent release of a highquality carrot genome has enabled functional genomics approaches to exploring polyacetylene structure, function, and biosynthesis in this species. We began with a detailed analysis of carrot polyacetylene chemical structures and distribution among carrot tissues in the cultivar Danvers. We identified five major (two novel) and seven trace polyacetylenes, with falcarindiol and falcarinol predominating. In

this cultivar, total polyacetylene concentrations were around 2 μg/mg. At this concentration, we found that purified falcarinol inhibited the growth rate of mycelia of the necrotrophic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by 25%. Next, an analysis of five carrot cultivars revealed falcarinol levels ranging from ca. 1 to 5 μg/cm2 that were positively correlated with resistance to S. sclerotiorum. These data provided a rationale and framework for searching for underlying biosynthetic genes. Previous work had identified that the polyacetylene biosynthesis begins with the conversion of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleate into the polyunsaturated, acetylenic fatty acid dehydrocrepenynate. In other plant species, these steps are catalyzed by members of the fatty acid desaturase (FAD2) family. We found that the carrot FAD2 family is massive, with 24 members. To identify carrot FAD2s associated with polyacetylene production, we correlated polyacetylene abundance with both public RNAseq data from diverse carrot tissues and RNAseq data from carrot cell cultures before and after elicitation with an extract of fungal mycelia. By testing top candidate genes in yeast and/or Arabidopsis seeds, we identified carrot genes capable of generating dehydrocrepenynate. We are now (i) creating knockout and overexpression lines with altered polyacetylene content to test their pathogen resistance and (ii) examining the evolution of polyacetylene biosynthesis and structure in the euasterid clade. 1

University of Nebraska, Biochemistry, 1901 Vine St., Lincoln, NE, 68588, United States2University of Nevada, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Reno, NV3University of Nebraska, Beadle Center, 1901 Vine St., Lincoln, NE, 68588, United States4University of Nevada, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Reno, NV, 89557

684

MUKHTAR, FATIMAH 1 and MOHAMMAD , MARYAM* 2

Effects of Liquid Nitrogen Fertilizer and Cytokinin on Senescence, Harvest and Total Yield of 2 Cowpea Varieties (Vignaunguiculata(L.) Walp)

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he effects of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (150% N) and Benzyl Amino Purine (200ppm BAP) were investigated on senescence, yield and Nutrients mobilization in two cowpea varieties in the rainy and dry seasons. The study was conducted in a screen house at the University of Lagos, Nigeria ( 6o27ʺ1, 3o45ʺ E). The duration of the study was between August 2012 -January 2013. The experimental design used was completely randomized block design. The four treatments (nitrogen fertilizer, BAP, nitrogen fertilizer and BAP combination in 3:1 ratio and the control) were applied through foliar spray at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after planting and data was collected on time of senescence and yield. The days to 50% senescence, 90% senescence and death of the plants was earlier in IT89KD - 288 than in Kanannado, while senescence started earlier in plant treated with liquid nitrogen fertilizer (15%N). For the first harvest, variety IT89KD - 288 had higher number of pods (10), number of seeds (13), and length of

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pods (15.8 cm) than kanannado that had 8.0, 12.0, 14.68cm, 3.17 and 18.53 for number of pods, number of seeds, length of pods, weight of grains per pod and weight of grains per plant respectively. while at the second harvest kanannado had higher number of pods (5), number of seeds (10), length of pods (12.12 cm), weight of grains per pod (2.68) and weight of grains per plant (12.03) than IT89KD - 288 that had 4.0, 9.0, 11.31 cm, 2.05, 11.27 for number of pods, number of seeds, length of pods, weight of grains per pod and weight of grains per plant respectively. The combined treatment induced significantly greater yield than the other treatments. Yields were higher in the rainy season than the dry season. The longer the duration of senescence, the higher the grain yield at the second harvest, which therefore confirmed a direct relationship between senescence, harvest time and yield among cowpea varieties 1

Bayero University, Department Of Biological Sciences, P.M.B. 3011, Kano, PMB 3031, Nigeria2federal university dutse , botany , jigawa state , Nigeria

685

DARE, OLOWOLAJU EZEKIEL* 1, GIDEON, OKUNLOLA OLAREWAJU 2 and AJAYI, ADELUSI ADEKUNLE 3

Effects of Prior Heat Stress on the Growth and Phytochemical Contents Accumulation of Amaranthus hybridus (Linn.)

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his study aimed at investigating the effect of different durations of prior heat stress on growth and phytochemical contents accumulation in Amaranthus hybridus. The treatments were control without heat treatment, seedlings subjected to heat at 45oC for two hours and seedlings subjected to heat at 45oC for four hours. After the stipulated time for each category, they were both removed from the Gallenkamp oven and were transplanted into another sets of thirty six pots ( of 21cm deep and 24cm in diameter) with the control. The seedlings were kept in a screenhouse house to minimise extraneous factors such as pests and rodents, supply of water other than the amount specifically applied. They were watered daily with 200 mL of tap water in the morning and 200 mL of tap water in the evening until they were fully established. The phytochemical contents were determined at vegetative, fruiting and flowering stage using ethanolic extracts from the dried leaves of plant samples. The results obtained showed that there was significant difference in the morphological parameters such as leaf fresh and dry weights, shoot fresh and dry weights and root fresh and dry weights and the plants stressed for 4 hours was significantly lower in these parameters to other treatments at P<0.05. Exposure of the plants to heat at early stage at different durations enhanced the quantities of tannins , flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids at different growth stages. From this study it can be concluded that heat enhanced the production of some morphological parameters such as leaf fresh and dry weights, shoot fresh and dry weights and root fresh and dry weights. Higher quantities of Tannins, flavonoids,

saponins and alkaloids can be obtained in Amaranthus hybridus at different stages of growth, by exposing the plants to heat at early stage of growth. 1

Obafemi Awolowo University, Botany Department, ILE IFE, ILE IFE, OSUN, 23434, NIGERIA2Osun State University, Department of Biological Sciences, OSOGBO, OSOGBO, OSUN, 23434, Nigeria3Obafemi Awolowo University, ILE IFE, ILE IFE, OSUN, 23434, Nigeria

686

PETER, EREMRENA, OVIE* , AKONYE, LOVE AKAJA and AGOGBUA, JOSEPHINE U.

The Growth Performance of Zea mays in Spent Engine oil Contaminated Soil Amended with Sawdust

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his was carried out at the University of Port Harcourt Green House to investigate the growth performance of Zea mays in spent engine oil contaminated soil amended with Sawdust. The contamination levels of 2%, 4%, 8% and 10% were used to contaminate 3kg of loamy soil and amended with 100 kg of Sawdust in various levels of spent engine oil, alongside a Control treatment of Sawdust and without Sawdust were replicated three times in Complete Randomized Design. The growth parameters (plant height, leaf area and number of leaves) and plant biomass (fresh weight, dry weight and moisture content) were examined and the data were subjected to Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA). Based on the results, the growth parameters and plant biomass examined decreased with increased levels of contaminations, however Control significantly (P=0.05) had greatest growth performance in all the growth parameters and plant biomass among all the treatments studied (Control + amendment, 2%,4%,8% and 10% spent engine oil amended soil) except fresh weight. Control + amendment significantly (P=0.05) performed better than all spent engine oil amended soil apart from 2% spent engine oil amended soil in plant height, leaf area, number of leaves, fresh weight and dry weight .This showed the potential of sawdust in improving the soil component and thus reduction in the level of toxicity of spent engine oil contaminated soil and thus suggests that compost of Sawdust is an effective organic supplement for remediation of spent engine oil contaminated soil where Zea mays is cultivated. University of Port Harcourt, Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, PMB 5323, cHOBA, Port Harcourt, Rivers, 500102, Nigeria

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687

OGBIMI, EJEOGHENE* 1 and SAKPERE, AYOBOLA 2

Shoot Regeneration and Callus Induction Potential of Node and Cotyledonary node Explants from In vitro Grown Seedlings of Afzelia africana - An Important yet Threatened Legume

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fzelia Africana is an important timber and food tree belonging to the family of Fabaceae and sub family Caesalpinaceae. The in vitro shoot regeneration potential of this species was tested using nodal and cotyledonary node explants from in vitro grown seedlings. Multiple shoots along with callus was induced from both explants - they both had potential for shoot regeneration and callus induction. However, a better response resulted from cotyledonary node explants cultured on MS media supplemented with 15mg/L BA (Benzyladenine) and 15mg/L PG (Phloroglucinol) producing a maximum of 10 shoot buds in an explant, while nodal explants responded best on MS media supplemented with 20mg/L BA producing 3 shoots. This study is the first report on the in vitro shoot regeneration from Afzelia africana. 1

Department Of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, OS, 23436, Nigeria2Obafemi Awolowo University, Botany, Ile Ife, Osun, 23436

POSTERS 688 IWUALA, EMMANUEL Differential responses in Pennisetum glaucum (L) and Zea mays (L) cultivars under simulated drought stress condition

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No Show

rought stress reduces plant growth and productivity. Two cultivars of Pennisetum glaucum (IP14599) and Zea mays (DTSYN11) were screened under simulated drought stress condition for 5 and 10 days. The effect of the drought stress was estimated by measuring biomass, relative water contents (RWC), water use efficiency (WUE), accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and the expression levels of CBF gene were used as proxy for drought tolerance.IP14599 maintained high biomass production, RWC, WUE better than DTSYN11 after imposing drought stress.Expression of CBF gene in leaves and roots of IP14599 indicates high responsiveness to drought as compared to DTSYN11, where it support greater water transport. The low concentration of MDA and high accumulation of antioxidant enzymes as drought stress progresses suggest that IP14599 possess a certain measure of osmotic protection and induced ativity of antioxidant than in DTSYN11 thereby safeguarding death of plant. Thus, IP14599 cultivar indicated better survival mechanism in modulating mRNA expression as compared to DTSYN11 under drought stress. University Of Lagos, Department Of Botany, Number C027 Henry Street , Yaba, Akoka , Lagos , LA, 752107, Nigeria

689

KRISS , TAYLER J* 1 and MARICLE, BRIAN 2

Greening rate and photosynthetic development of leaves in corn and bean

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evelopment of light use and CO2 uptake in photosynthesis has not been studied in young plants while transitioning from an etiolated to a green state. To examine these phenomena, plants were germinated and grown in darkness for two weeks. Then the plants were introduced to sunlight conditions in a greenhouse so plants would start chlorophyll production. Plants were measured daily from 0 to 10 days in sunlight and photosynthetic capacity was determined with fluorescence, gas exchange, and chlorophyll concentration. It took 5 days of sunlight exposure for chlorophyll concentrations to reach maximum levels in corn and bean. In corn and bean, photosynthesis and stomatal conductance reach maximum levels at 6 days of sunlight exposure. Maximum fluorescence of corn in light was measured at 7 days of sunlight and at 6 days in bean. Intercellular CO2 concentration in corn fell 64.8% from day 1 to 8, whereas a 26.3% decrease was observed in bean. Measurements are planned for several more species to compare developmental differences between C3 and C4 photosynthetic type leaves.

1

Fort Hays State University , Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St #1, Hays, KS 67601, Hays, KS, 67601, USA2Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St , Hays, KS 67601, Hays, KS, 67601, United States

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PHYSIOLOGY & ECOPHYSIOLOGY ORAL PAPERS

691

690

Traits underlying seasonal photosynthetic performance in cooccurring congeners of a highly diverse South African clade

KOTHARI, SHAN* 1, CAVENDERBARES, JEANNINE 2, BITAN, KEREN 3 , VERHOEVEN, AMY 4, WANG, RAN 5, MONTGOMERY, REBECCA 6 and GAMON, JOHN 7

Two Ways to Survive Light Stress in Prairie Plants

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hen plants absorb light in excess of what they can use for photochemistry, they may be subject to oxidative damage, which causes photosynthetic stress. This condition is compounded by conditions that limit photochemistry, like drought. Photoprotective pigments, such as those involved in the xanthophyll cycle, can help plants withstand the stress of oxidative damage by dissipating excess light energy as heat. In this study, we aimed to characterize a spectrum of strategies used to cope with light stress by a diverse selection of 16 prairie species at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (East Bethel, MN). At multiple points throughout a single growing season, we measured photosynthetic and photoprotective pigment concentrations, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and leaf-level and canopy hyperspectral reflectance. We find that across species and through time, concentrations of photosynthetic and photoprotective pigments are correlated with one another and phylogenetically conserved. During a mid-season period of water limitation, leaf-level physiology remained largely unchanged, with few clear indications of stress. However, at the canopy scale, plots dominated by species with constitutively low pigment concentrations showed a greater decline in mean reflectance. This change is most plausibly explained by alterations of canopy structure that reduce the horizontal projection of leaf area among species that have low concentrations of photoprotective pigments. Our findings suggest a spectrum defined by two contrasting strategies for withstanding light stress: (1) Using photoprotective pigments to dissipate excess energy, and (2) altering canopy structure to minimize interception of excess radiation. Finally, we conclude that reflectance-based indicators of photoprotective pigment activity may be unreliable indicators of light-use efficiency when canopy structure is variable.

1

1429 Cleveland Ave N. #2, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States2University Of Minnesota, 100 ECOLOGY BLDG, 1479 Gortner Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, United States3University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Ave., St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, United States4University of St. Thomas, Biology, 2115 Summit Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55105, USA5University of Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada61530 Cleveland Ave N., Green Hall 115, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States7University of Nebraska, Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies, 3310 Holdrege St., Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA

MOCKO, KERRI* 1, CHONG, CAROLINE 2 and JONES, CYNTHIA 3

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easonal variation in functional traits among cooccurring congeners and the extent to which these traits predict changes in physiology during a single growing season are relatively unexplored. The Leaf Economics Spectrum establishes that high LMA leaves have lower rates of photosynthesis but exhibit greater leaf longevity (LL) due to increased time needed to amortize initial carbon investments - a trend that is strong for evergreen species but weak for deciduous species which shed leaves during unfavorable seasonal conditions. In Mediterranean ecosystems, where growing conditions transition from cool and wet to hot and dry over the course of the season, it's assumed yet rarely tested that optimal photosynthesis for deciduous species coincides with water availability, even though temperatures are cool. We were interested in knowing whether optimal photosynthetic performance in cool, wet winter versus warm, dry spring conditions links to differences in functional traits or trait combinations, and used 23 deciduous, co-occurring species of Pelargonium, a diverse genus across xeric and mesic sites within the winter rainfall region of South Africa, to track photosynthesis, functional leaf traits and environmental conditions over the course of one growing season. Specifically, we asked: Do relationships among LL, LMA and photosynthesis change seasonally? What functional leaf traits, climate and micro-environmental variables influence seasonal shifts in photosynthesis? We found that Pelargonium species represent 52% and 27% of the worldwide ranges of LL and LMA in deciduous species. Moreover, winter to spring photosynthetic rates declined as much as 67% in some species but increased as much as 39% in other species. Climate variables had no influence on shifts in photosynthetic rates, but micro-environmental traits reflecting greater access to resources (canopy openness and water) together with greater LL and LMA resulted in more positive photosynthetic responses over the season. Photosynthesis expressed on a mass basis was associated with functional traits in winter whereas area-based photosynthesis was strongly associated with functional traits in spring, suggesting that relationships between functional traits and photosynthesis shift from an emphasis on structural carbon gain during peak winter conditions to an emphasis on how traits influence flux dominated processes in the spring.

1

University Of Connecticut, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, U-3043, 75 N. Eagleville Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States2Australian National Botanic Gardens, National Seed Bank, Clunies Ross Street, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia3University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Unit 3043, 75 N. Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT, 06269, United States

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692

SAVAGE, JESSICA* 1, MONTGOMERY, REBECCA 2, PRIMACK, RICHARD 3, ROTHENDLER, MATTHEW 4 and MOSHER, KENNEDY 5

Hydraulic constraints on the timing of leaf out in angiosperms

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n seasonally cold environments, spring is often a time of recovery, when plants have to re-activate their vascular system and repair freezing-induced damage. This re-activation needs to occur before resources can be mobilized to support new growth and before plants can support a full canopy. It is for this reason that it has been proposed that leaf phenology in seasonally cold climates might be tied to the timing of xylem recovery. The idea being that plants that experience low levels of freezing-induced embolism (e.g. species with narrow vessels) could leaf out early in the spring, while species that experience high levels of freezing-induced embolism (e.g. species with wide vessels) would have to wait until after they have made new vessels through xylogenesis. If this is the case, then we would expect a strong relationship between leaf out time and vessel diameter. To test for this relationship, we studied wood anatomy and leaf phenology in three different common garden experiments: (1) a phylogenetically diverse group of fifty-five species at the Arnold Arboretum, (2) a phylogenetically constrained group of eighteen species from the family Salicaceae that were grown in a greenhouse common garden, and (3) a geographically constrained group of fifteen Minnesotan tree and shrub species that are native to the same climate. In all three of these data sets, we found evidence for a relationship between vessel diameter and leaf out time. We only failed to find a relationship when examining annual variation within individual plants over time. These data suggest that wood anatomy and spring hydraulic capacity constrain the timing of leaf out at a large-scale. However, there is still considerable variation in leaf phenology that cannot be explained by this trait alone, indicating wood structure may only be one of many traits important in determining the timing of leaf out in plants.

1

University Of Minnesota - Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Buildling, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States21530 Cleveland Ave N., Green Hall 115, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States3DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, United States4Boston University, Department of Biological Sciences, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 022155University Of Minnesota - Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Buildling, Duluth, MN, 55812

693

PEREZ, TIMOTHY* and FEELEY, KENNETH

Photosynthetic heat tolerances are correlated with maximum leaf temperatures

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he central role of photosynthesis in plants makes photosynthetic thermal tolerances a potentially important ecophysiological trait that can be used to match crops to suitable environments, understand species distributions and even their responses to climate change. A pervasive assumption among plant biologists is that species with higher photosynthetic heat tolerances (PHTs) are capable of tolerating hotter environments. Given rising temperatures due to climate change, there is increasing interest in role of PHTs for understanding which species will be most susceptible to climate change. To date, phenotypic plasticity and high within-community variation of PHTs has limited their utility for understanding how they relate to environmental conditions or may influence species responses to climate change. We hypothesize that if PHTs are useful for understanding environmental tolerances, they should represent adaptations to maximum leaf temperature. To address this hypothesis, we recorded leaf temperature between 45 and 104 times on 5-8 leaves for 19 different species of trees, shrubs, or lianas grown at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG) in Coral Gables, FL USA. We calculated maximum leaf temperature per species and found it to be significantly correlated to PHTs (Pearson's r= 0.77, df = 17, p<0.01). To control for microenvironmental variation possibly biasing observed leaf temperatures, we collected air temperature and relative humidity data each time leaf temperature was measured to parameterize a leaf energy balance model (LEBM). The LEBM was also parameterized with species-specific physiological leaf traits that are known to influence leaf temperature. Maximum predicted leaf temperatures were significantly correlated with PHTs (Pearson's r= 0.6, df = 16, p< = 0.01). Lastly, we parameterized a LEBM using simulated microenvironmental conditions from across each species known distribution and with the thermoregulatory traits collected at FTBG. The resulting maximum predicted leaf temperatures were significantly correlated with observed PHTs (Pearson's r= 0.57, df = 11, p-value < 0.05). Our results suggest that PHTs are likely to reflect adaptations to maximum leaf temperature. Furthermore, our methods illustrate a simple "next-generation" vegetation model that incorporates plant physiology and species distribution modeling techniques to predict which populations, and species may be most vulnerable to climate change. University of Miami, Dept. of Bio. 215 Cox Science Center, 1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States

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694

WANG, XIAOYIN* 1, YANG, MEI , DOWNING, JASON 3, LIU, HONG 4 and MANAGE GOODALE, UROMI 5 2

Temperature effects on the asymbiotic germination of two Paphiopelilum species

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aphiopedilum, commonly known as the "lady's slipper orchid" is a fascinating genus of orchids, which are threatened due to over exploitation, habitat loss and climate change. Here we studied the asymbiotic seed germination of P. dianthum and P. hirrsutissimum under two temperature treatments, 23 and 27 °C. These two temperatures represent mean temperatures in July at high and low elevational distributions for these species in southern China. Seeds were wild collected from the Yachang Orchid National Nature Reserve (YONNR) at a site representing the high elevation distribution limit and germination experiments were conducted on specialized orchid seed sowing media (p723 from PhytoTechnology) at Guangxi University in Nanning, China. Temperature had a significant effect on early stages of germination with higher probability of germination at 23 °C compared to 27 °C in both species. P. hirrsutissimum had a greater imbibition response compared to P. dianthum at 27 °C. After 30 days from seed sowing, embryo enlargement and swelling of the testa into an ellipsoid shape was observed in both species. None of the P. hirrsutissimum seeds that germinated showed advanced protocorm development at 27 °C and both species halted germination process after appearance of protomeristem at 23 °C. One seed of P. dianthum at the 27 °C treatment progressed into a seedling after germinating seeds were shifted to full spectrum light conditions, which induced chloroplast formation at 236 days from seed sowing. Given the low success rate we observed using asymbiotic germination techniques, we explored the symbiotic germination of both species by using four fungal strains isolated from fungal pelotons within root cells. Our results so far indicate that for both Paphiopedilum species standard asymbiotic methods were not effective for protocorm development, and identifying potential fungal strains necessary for seedling development is critical for the long term security of these threatened species. Surveying and the preservation of orchids and their symbiotic fungi are vital for developing sound conservation strategies and ex situ propagation for these economically valuable species. Better propagation methods will also benefit commercial manufacturing of plants for medicinal and horticultural purposes. Based on the results of the asymbiotic germination trials, we conclude that P. hirrsutissimum requires a fungal partner for germination and seedling development while very low germination success can be observed for P. dianthum in the absence of germination promoting fungi. 1

Guangxi University, Forestry College, 100, Daxuedonglu, Nanning, GX, 530004, China2Guangxi Yachang Orchid National Nature Reserve Administration, Scientific Research Section, 46, Jinanlu, Nanning, GX, 530011, China3Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden,

10901,Old Cutler Rd, Miami, Florida, 33156, USA4Florida International University, Department of Earth and Environment, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, Florida, 33199, USA5Guangxi University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Forestry College, 100, Daxuedonglu, Nanning, GX, 530004, China

695

CHEN, HUAYANG* 1, LAN, QINYING , TAN, YUNHONG 2, CAO, KUNFANG 3 and MANAGE GOODALE, UROMI 1 2

Seed water balance characteristics and seed traits in epiphytic and terrestrial Ficus species from South China

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n this study, we assessed which seed traits could be predictive of seed germination success and the movement of water across seed membranes. We used 16Ficus species and recorded seed germination success of these species by subjecting each species' seeds to germination in controlled germination chambers set at 15°C, 25°C, and 35°C. Seed traits such asseed width, length, perimeter, area, mass and other descriptive characteristics and water balance characteristics were also determined for each species. Seed water balance characteristics were measured placing seeds in sealable plastic containers saturated with chemical and water solutions to adjust the relative humidities within the plastic containers. The relative humidity adjustments were done using a saturated chemical series [chemicals and respective relative humidities are: NaOH 6%; LiCl 11%; NaCl 33%; K2CO3 43%; Mg(NO3)2 54%; NaCl 75%; KCl 85%; K2SO4 97%; Water 100%]. Our results show that most species germination was best at 25°C although there was no significant difference between this temperature and 35°C. However, seeds germinated at 35°C were less likely to develop into seedlings as the 35°C conditions were very dry resulting in seedling death or arrest of further seeding development. At 15°C and 35°C terestrial species germination was significantly higher compared to the germination observed for epiphytic species. The correlations between all seed traits and germination success using Pearson correlations in R and visualizations using R package corrgram showed that germination rate was highly correlated with species' seed surface area. Water balance assessment of terrestrial versus epiphytic species seeds showed that epiphytes can absorb water quickly and germinate under higher relative humidity conditions. This study provides insights into ecological processes of seed germination and seedling development in a genus with diverse plant habits; with climate change epiphytic species may be more affected during germination compared to terrestrial species. Further investigations on the effect of water availability and temperatue fluctuations in the field are needed to enhance our eco-physiological understanding of the role that water and temperature plays in germination success.

1

Guangxi University, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Forestry College, 100, Daxuedonglu, Nanning, GX, 530004, China2Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology and Germplasm Bank, Menglun, Mengla, Yunan, 666303, China-

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3

Guangxi University, State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Plant Ecophysiology and Evolution Group, College of Forestry , Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China

696

SCHAUB, EILEEN* 1, MULDER, CHRISTA 2 and DIGGLE, PAMELA 3

Baked Alaska: temperature effects on development and flowering phenology at high latitudes

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henological shifts are a well-documented response to climate change. That many taxa are flowering early is well-known to researchers and the general public alike. However, a significant number of species exhibit delayed flowering, a pattern inconsistent with known physiological controls on flowering. We have observed delayed flowering of several shrubs at high latitudes, where the magnitude of temperature increase is predicted to be far more pronounced than in temperate regions. The harsh conditions in these environments, which restrict the growing season to a narrow window of suitable temperature and light levels, make changes in phenology a matter of particular concern. Moreover, because the food resources provided by these plants are crucial for pollinators, frugivores, and human beings, changing phenologies can have profound consequences for community dynamics. Flowering plants in high latitudes preform flowers a year or more in advance of anthesis. The primordia develop throughout the summer and then enter dormancy over the winter. The next spring, primordia complete development and open. Although this utilization of multiple growing seasons is universal in high latitudes, the effects of temperature on this lengthy developmental trajectory are still unknown. To understand the effects of increased temperature on floral development, we are examining Vaccinium vitis-idaea in boreal forests around Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. V. vitis-idaea, also known as lowbush cranberry or lingonberry, is found in warm, whitespruce forests and cooler black-spruce forests. We take advantage of this broad distribution to examine the effect of temperature on development. Floral primordia were collected over the entire growing season from multiple sites that differ in temperature. We relate average developmental stage of these buds to the average temperature of the collection date (recorded by data loggers) and ask whether higher temperature affects time of organ initiation, rate of organogenesis or expansion, and the timing of dormancy. By determining the effects of temperature on development, we can project phenological changes under future warming.

1

University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06268, USA2University of Alaska Fairbanks, Biology and Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK, USA3University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Storrs, CT, 6269, United States

697

THORHAUG, ANITRA* 1, POULOS, HELEN 2, LOPEZ-PORTILLO, JORGE 3 , BARR, JORDAN 4, KU, TIM C. 5, LARADOMINQUEZ, ANALAURA 6 and BERLYN, GRAEME 7

Updated Gulf of Mexico Estuarine Blue Carbon Stock, Extent and Flux: Mangroves, Marshes, and Seagrasses: A North American Hotspot

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he blue carbon habitats are comprised of species of mangroves, seagrass, and marshes in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), which grow profusely chiefly in estuaries, storing substantial sedimentary organic carbon of 572.6 to 582.53 Tg C. Although our intention was to measure stock and flux from Riverine input to shelf, we have limited our integration to the new carbon investigations of buried organic carbon in Mexican mangroves, the marshes in northern GoM estuaries (especially large extent and enriched carbon storage in Louisiana) and ubiquitous seagrasses throughout the GoM to elucidate a new comparison of GoM carbon stock and portions of a flux estimate with Atlantic coastal carbon and other areas. We note the hydrospheric carbon flows from the watersheds into the GoM estuaries bring enriched carbon dioxide into the GoM basin. The mangroves' new results demonstrate sedimentary storage of the greatest amount of carbon (277.93Tg in first meter with high variability to 2100 Mgha-1) in GoM mangroves, although seagrasses (greater than mangroves in extent) store 184.9Tg in their first meter. GoM mangroves store carbon up to 6 m in depth, so the conservative amount reported is only a fraction of the storage in the comparative top meter, whereas in full depth extent the storage would be 366.78. Marshes show highest carbon salt marsh storage in Louisiana, followed by lesser storage in Florida, Texas, Mexico, Alabama and Mississippi, and equaling total marsh stock of 109.8-119.7Tg. The southeastern Mexican mangroves, experiencing higher winter temperatures than Florida and fewer extreme storms, especially show high productivity and very deep sediment Corg storage. Partial fluxes for present new data are discussed as well as constraints on the carbon cycle of these ecosystems such as widespread anthropogenic destruction of blue carbon. Stocks with the North American Atlantic Coastal stock are compared, showing marshes dominant on the Eastern seacoast, and mangroves dominant in the Gulf of Mexico. Seagrasses are secondary carbon stocks in both coasts. These sets of investigations were first assembled at the Botanical Society of America Symposium on “Blue Carbon in the Gulf of Mexico”. 1

Yale University, 1359 SW 22 Terrace, Miami, FL, 33145.0, United States2Wesleyan University, College of the Environment, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT, 06457, USA3Carretera Antigua A Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, Mexico4Elder Research, 300 W Main St #301, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA5Exley Science Center, Wesleyan Earth and Environmental Sciences, Middleton, CT, 06459, USA6Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, Mexico7Yale University, School Of Foresty & Evironmental Studies, Marsh Hall-360 PROSPECT ST, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

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KRIEG, CHRISTOPHER* 1, MCCULLOH, KATE 2, GURALNICK, ROB 3 and SESSA, EMILY 1

Niche divergence and novel ecophysiological traits in a North American polyploid fern complex

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olyploidy is thought to be an important driver of plant evolution by facilitating diversification, yet the mechanisms behind the ecological success of individual polyploid species remain poorly understood. Newly formed allopolyploid individuals are reproductively isolated from their diploid progenitors and therefore must overcome significant exclusion pressures against minority cytotypes to survive. Allopolyploids must be able to successfully outcompete their progenitors in situ, or invade novel habitats. Ferns are an excellent group with which to study the ecophysiology of polyploidy because over 31% of recent speciation events in ferns have involved changes in ploidy level, compared to only 15% in angiosperms. Despite the importance of polyploidy in plant evolution and its prevalence in ferns, no study has examined the dynamics of inter- and intraspecific trait variation and its potential impact on the ecological success of a polyploid fern complex. This work presented here integrates ecophysiology and niche modelling to better understand the evolution of novel traits and their role in driving niche divergence, using species in the North American Polystichum polyploid complex as a model system. Preliminary results show that patterns of niche preference are related to ploidy level and that the allopolyploid has evolved novel traits relative to its progenitors, which may allow it to persist beyond the parental range.

growth rate. We selected four invasive shrubs (Berberis thunbergii, Frangula alnus, Lonicera x bella, and Rhamnus cathartica) and the four most closely associated native shrubs (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea, Corylus cornuta, Rubus idaeus var. strigosus, and Viburnum lentago) at Bagley Nature Area in Duluth, Minnesota. We observed leaf phenology of ten individuals for each species during the 2017 growing season and found that there was no difference between average budburst date in the spring for native and invasive species (p > 0.05). In the fall, the invasive species leaves senesced an average of 22 days later that native species leaves (p < 0.01). Since freezing tolerance may constrain leaf phenology, we employed several metrics to assess freezing tolerance on multiple tissue types in a temporal manner. We froze bursting buds, newly unfolded leaves, and late-season mature leaves to multiple temperatures and used visual observations, electrolyte leakage, and chlorophyll fluorescence to measure freezing tolerance. Preliminary results suggest that invasive shrubs' newly unfolded leaves experience 24% less freezing damage at -8ยบC than native shrubs' young leaves (p< 0.001). We also measured total growing season carbon assimilation, maximum photosynthetic capacity, specific leaf area, and branch elongation as metrics of growth rate and growth potential. Examining the strength of the trade-off between freezing tolerance and growth in invasive species, as compared to natives, will shed light on physiological investment strategies of invasive woody shrubs and help us predict future invasive species influence on native ecosystem biodiversity. 1

University of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, Swenson Science Building 207, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA2University Of Minnesota - Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Buildling, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

1

University of Florida, Department of Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Wisconsin, Department of Botany, Madison, WI, 53706, USA3Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

699

O'CONNELL, ERIN* 1 and SAVAGE, JESSICA 2

Testing for a Potential Trade-off between Freezing Tolerance and Growth Rate in Invasive Woody Shrubs and their Native Associates

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arly leaf-out provides the advantage of first access to spring nutrients, as well as exposure to light before canopy closure, but may render young leaf tissue susceptible to late frosts. Some plants account for this threat with physiological changes that result in higher freezing tolerance. This is a more expensive investment that often correlates with slower a growth rate. If a plant could leaf out early to extend its growing season and not experience frost damage, while still maintaining a high growth rate, it could increase its competitive advantage. In this study, we investigated whether invasive shrubs are less constrained than native shrubs by a potential trade-off between high freezing tolerance and high

700 OLGA

2

DENITTIS, ALYSON* 1 and KOPP,

Micropropagation of two edaphic endemic species, Lepidium ostleri and Eriogonum soredium

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epidium ostleri (Ostler's peppergrass) and Eriogonum soredium (Frisco buckwheat) are edaphic endemics restricted to Ordovician limestone outcrops associated with the San Francisco Mountain Range in western Utah. All known major populations primarily occur on private lands, with populations having historically sustained concentrated mining activity. Due to restricted population distribution and potential impact from modern mining operations, L. ostleri and E. soredium are currently candidate species for federal listing as threatened by The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This study focuses on establishing micropropagation protocols for both species. Methods for organogenesis or embryogenesis have not been published for L. ostleri or E. soredium. Organogenetic and embryogenetic responses to different plant growth regulators were evaluated. Callus and shoot formation have been induced in L. ostleri on MS media supplemented with different concen-

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trations of IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine), and Kinetin (N6-fufuryladenine). Callus formation has been induced in E. soredium on MS media supplemented with different concentrations of Kinetin, 2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), and NAA (1-Naphthaleneacetic acid). Further results of the effects of different plant growth regulators, media, and growth conditions will be described. Establishing micropropagation protocol for L. ostleri and E. soredium will provide valuable information for potential restoration or relocation efforts of both species. 1 193 North 700 West, Provo, UT, 84601, United States2Utah Valley University, Biology, 800 West University Parkway MS 179, Orem, UT, 84058, United States

701

PETER, EREMRENA, OVIE* 1 and PEACE, NNADI, CHIGERE 2

Evaluation of Mineral Nutrient and Proximate contents of Gongronema latifolium Benth grown in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

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his study was carried out to determine the mineral nutrients and proximate contents of Gongronema latifolium Benth. The leaves samples were obtained from two locations in Akwa Ibom State; the coastal location of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area and the non-coastal location of Abak Local Government Area. The proximate (crude protein, ash, moisture and carbohydrate), and mineral element (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn and Fe) contents of the plant samples were analyzed. The crude protein, ash, moisture and carbohydrate contents of Gongronema latifolium at location I were significantly (P=0.05) higher than those of location II. Similarly, the K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe contents of Gongronema latifolium at location I were significantly (P=0.05) higher than those of location II. Therefore, this study shows that the leaves of Gongronema latifolium are sources of nutrients, however, the nutrient contents of this species may be influenced by ecotype.

702

ADE-ADEMILUA, OMOBOLANLE* 1 and OLANREWAJU, GBOLAGA 2

Aquaponics in Nigeria: I. Case study of Celosia argentea, Corchorus olitorius and Ocimum gratissimum

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his study compares the effect of aquaponics in growing local vegetables in Nigeria as opposed to traditional soil based farming systems. This was done by comparing the vegetative growth pattern (plant height, number and area of leaves, fresh weight and dry weight), nutritional composition and phytochemical content of Celosia argentea, Corchorus olitorius and Ocimum gratissimum grown in aquaponics, NPK amended soil and unamended loamy soil. Plants grown in NPK amended soil had the highest vegetative growth (fresh and dry weights, plant height, number and total area of leaves) while there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the vegetative growth of plants grown in Aquaponics and unamended soil. The three plant species had significantly higher (p< 0.05) carbohydrate and protein in unamended loamy soil and the aquaponic system than in NPK amended soil while the crude fibre, crude fat and ash were species dependent. However, with exception of O. gratissimum, plants grown in NPK amended soil had significantly higher (p< 0.05) concentration of alkaloid, saponins, flavonoids and tannin than plants grown in aquaponics or unamended loamy soil; and no significant difference between the latter. The results of the study show that the three plant species will do well under aquaponics (soilless farming) and results are similar with growing in loamy soil (conventional soil system) however, not as well as where soil is supplemented with inorganic fertilizer. 1

University of Lagos, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, 2341, Nigeria2University of Lagos, Department of Botany, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, 2341, Nigeria

1

University of Port Harcourt, Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, PMB 5323, cHOBA, Port Harcourt, Rivers, 500102, Nigeria2Rivers State University, Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Port Harcourt, 500102

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703 TOR

ELEANYA, CHIMANKPAM VIC-

Effect of used Engine oil on the Growth and Development of Maize (Zea Mays)

A Canceled BSTRACT gine oil

The by

disposal of used envehicles of all d escriptions - trucks, buses, cars, tri-cycles and motor- cycles into gutters is a common practice in Nigeria and in fact other countries in Africa - especially in the West African sub- region. This research work evaluated the effects of used engine oil on plant growth and development. A total of 25 poly pots were filled with 10kg of sandy - loam soil and mixed with four concentrations of spent engine oil 25, 50, 75, 100ml of which each treatment had 5 replicates. The result showed that the negative relationship existed between the oil level in the soil and growth parameters (plant height, number and size of leaves, root collar diameter, leave area and root length) measured were delayed. The reduction and effects on growth characteristics measured in maize with used engine oil increased as the contamination level increased compared to the control. Thus, the most reduction effects on all the parameters were reviewed in 100ml of used engine oil. This study therefore showed that the presence of engine oil had negative implication on the sustainability of maize (Zea mays) growth and development as well as vegetative plants and suggests that plant could be used as bio-indicators of pollution in oil spillage prone areas. Therefore, there is need for agencies and government to enact strict laws and educate the citizenry on the indiscriminate disposal of these pollutants (spent engine oil) on farms, gardens and environment. The risk effect to human health, poor agricultural yield that results and the damage to the soil impedes further its use for farm purposes. 'A stitch in time saves nine'. Motorists perpetuating this crime should be brought to book. This is the only sure way to increase food production particularly grains such as maize (Zea mays). With increased grain production, the burden of foreign exchange flight through grain importation will be reduced. Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State Nigeria, Plant Science & Biotechnology , C/o Mr. O. Eze, 1 Scotland Crescent, Aba, AB, 450001, Nigeria

POSTERS 704

QUICK-SINGH, RISHIKA* 1, MONTGOMERY, REBECCA 2 and SAVAGE, JESSICA 3

Does vessel transport capacity influence leaf out time in woody species?

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ylem is used to transport water from the roots to the rest of the tree. For water to conduct properly, vessels need to be continuous and free from damage. During cold winter months, water inside these vessels freezes and causes bubbles to form, which can expand to block water flow. Without a continuous column of water, plants are unable to bring water up to fuel normal processes, such as leaf development. Because plants with larger vessels are more prone to cavitation, it has been hypothesized that they will leaf out later than plants with smaller vessels. Only a few studies have examined the potential relationship between vessel size and leaf out time, and most rely on broad classification of wood anatomy type. Our project involves sectioning, staining, and image analysis of several species of trees. We are testing for correlations between average vessel diameters and leaf out date across species and with individual plants over an eight-year period. Preliminary results show no correlation within individual plants over this time period, and current work is being done to test for patterns between species. Our results lead us to believe the cyclic phenomena of leafing out to be more complex than previously thought. 1

University of Minnesota - Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Building, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA21530 Cleveland Ave N., Green Hall 115, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States3University Of Minnesota - Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Buildling, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

705

DAHL, JULIAN , BROWN, KEIRSTEN , BARBARA, LISH and HESCHEL, M. SHANE*

Floral color dimorphism and anthocyanin in Ipomopsis aggregata: Fitness and resistance to UV radiation damage

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lants require access to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which also exposes them to potentially damaging ultraviolet wavelengths. Anthocyanin is a secondary compound which provides red coloration for flowers, which attracts hummingbird pollinators, and has been shown to absorb light inthe UV spectrum. Ipomopsis aggregata displays flower color varying from pink to scarlet red, correlated with anthocyanin content. In this study, we investigate the UV protective qualities of I. aggregataindividuals with scarlet flowers (dark-colored) compared to plants with pink flowers (light-colored) using a combination of field observations (Manitou Experimental Forest) and in situ experimental manipula-

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tions. We found that dark-colored individuals have higher photosystem efficiency, germination rates, and seed mass than light-colored individuals. We also found significant micro-environmental effects on seed count and photosystem efficiency, which may be due to differing canopy cover. This research highlights a reproductive and survivorship trade-off, seemingly connected directly to flavonoid content, between pollinator attraction and protection from UV damage in a mid-elevation plant population. Colorado College - Dept of Organismal Biology & Ecology (OBE), 14 E Cache La Poudre St, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States

706

MELCHER, PETER* 1 and PRESTON, JILL 2

Understanding freezing and drought resistance mechanisms in Pooidae

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ooids constitute approximately 3,800 species of grasses, containing many of the world's most important crop, forage, and turf species, including barley, oats, rye, and tall fescue. Despite their ancestry in the tropics, pooids have diversified extensively throughout the temperate zones. This is probably due in part to their novel adaptation to an extended period of freezing/desiccation stress. The goal of this study was to determine the range of responses to freezing and drought of several grass species in this group. To achieve this, several different species of pooids were either subjected to drought treatments or cold acclimated and then subjected to freezing treatments. For the freezing experiments, leaf tissue samples were collected from cold-adapted plants and were then exposed to a suite of temperatures ranging from +5 to -30 oC using a controlled cooling environmental chamber. The temperature at which intercellular ice crystal formation occurred was measured by determining ice-nucleation temperature responses of tissue using fine-wire thermocouples interfaced to a datalogger. Cellular and tissue damage was also determined from ion-leakage and from chlorophyll fluorescence imaging of photosystem of samples exposed to the same cold temperature treatments. Plant responses to drought stress were assessed from pressure volume curve analysis of leaf samples and by determining the water stress that caused stomatal closure of plants exposed to varying drought conditions. Both soil and leaf water status were measured during drought treatments and stomatal closure was monitored using both a gas exchange system and determined from anatomical assessment from stomatal peels.

707

MCMANN, NATALIE* 1 and SAVAGE, JESSICA 2

Flowering without leaves: Does stem hydraulic supply constrain floral water loss?

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ree species in temperate zones experience winter temperatures low enough to compromise the integrity of their xylem. Paradoxically, several of these species (e.g. aspen, elm, or red maple) flower early in the spring when freezing temperatures may still occur. They also exhibit precocious flowering, meaning they are capable of flowering before they put out leaves. I am investigating two possible strategies that could allow flowering under conditions when hydraulic capacity might limit access to water. First, water loss from the flowers may match the hydraulic capacity of the branch bearing them, indicating that flowering may be constrained in terms of timing, floral size, or water use by branch hydraulic capacity. Second, floral water loss may be substantially less than the branch hydraulic capacity and thus water supply does not constrain flowering. To test these mechanisms, I measured the floral water loss and branch hydraulic capacity of six precocious flowering species exhibiting a wide range of floral sizes and morphology. I used a LICOR 6400 conifer chamber to measure the evaporative water loss from floral structures during full bloom. I then measured stem hydraulic conductance by flowing partially degassed solution gravimetrically through a stem segment and recording the flow rate with a Sensirion liquid flow sensor. The stem segment was excised from the same branch that I used to determine evaporative water loss. Preliminary results show that floral size positively correlates with floral water loss. Across all species, the data also show that flowers, on a branch basis, are not constrained by hydraulic supply. Furthermore, flowers appear to lose less water than leaves based on a comparison in four species of floral water loss to leaf evapotranspiration on a branch basis. 1

University of Minnesota-Duluth, Biology , 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 5812, USA2University Of Minnesota - Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Buildling, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

1

Ithaca College, Biology, 953 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, United States2University Of Vermont, Plant Biology, 63 Carrigan Drive, 111 Jeffords Hall, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States

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708

NIELSEN, REINA * 1 and DRENOVSKY, REBECCA 2

Trade-off and plasticity response of low nutrient, low rainfall adapted species to increased water and nutrients

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raits that increase mean nutrient retention times are essential to plant survival and performance in low resource environments, where multiple stressors (low water and nutrients) are present. Although physiological responses to either water or nutrient stress are well understood, fewer studies have comprehensively investigated the interaction of these stressors from a phylogenetically controlled, wholeplant perspective. This research focused on a suite of related, shrubby species from the California chaparral that either grow on or off serpentine soils, which differ in nutrient availability, using both greenhouse and field studies and evaluated their responses to altered water and nutrient availability. The greenhouse study addressed trade-offs among nutrient conservation traits, trait plasticity in response to resource availability, and instantaneous measures of plant stress of three, phylogenetically controlled pairs of high and low nutrient adapted plant species to increased water and nutrients. The responses of the greenhouse grown juvenile plants were then compared to juvenile plants growing in the field. We hypothesized that 1) all species will positively respond to increased water and nutrients by increasing biomass production and having higher rates of gas exchange and nutrient use, 2) faster growing species will exhibit a larger degree of plasticity, and 3) there will be an effect of phylogeny among among congeners pairs. Preliminary results suggest that growth responses to water availability was dependent on nutrient availability. Knowing how low nutrient adapted species, such as those in the California chaparral, respond at a whole plant level to anthropogenic environmental change can help us better understand individual level plant responses and, ultimately, the future of plant communities in biodiversity hotspots, common in low nutrient environments. 1

235 South Knowlton Street, Kellogg, MN, 55945, United StatesBiology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, United States

2

709

BORSUK, ALECA* 1 and BRODERSEN, CRAIG 2

The spatial distribution of chlorophyll within leaves

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he distribution of chlorophyll within the leaf determines which cells are photosynthetically active, and is thus a critical parameter in photosynthesis modeling. Yet, while leaves across plant taxa are anatomically complex and vary considerably in microstructure, spatially resolved data for leaf chlorophyll distributions are limited. Here, we used chlorophyll fluorescence imaging of leaves to measure relative chlorophyll concentration within leaves of 56 terrestrial plant taxa and find that phylogenetic associations lead to distinct, heterogeneous organi-

zations of chlorophyll at multiple cladistic scales. In contrast, the mean chlorophyll distribution model derived from the studied species converged to a predictable 1D chlorophyll profile, supporting established ideas that fundamental constraints by physical optics (e.g. light scatter in mesophyll and sieve effects) govern archetypal patterns in chlorophyll distribution. Chlorophyll profile data are further discussed regarding the significance of leaf anatomical traits such as position of veins, the transition between palisade and spongy mesophyll, and overall mesophyll thickness. This work provides 1D and 2D chlorophyll distribution data for many ecologically and commercially significant species, representing a first step in more accurate photosynthesis modeling. 1

550 Whitney Ave Apt 11, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States2Yale University, School Of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 195 Prospect Street, Kroon Hall, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

710

PALACIO-LóPEZ, KATTIA* and OAKLEY, CHRISTOPHER

Latitudinal and elevational patterns of freezing tolerance in a widespread annual plant

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he ability to withstand freezing temperatures is important for plants growing at high latitudes and/or high elevations. In many species, freezing tolerance requires cold acclimation, induced by exposure to sustained cold, non-freezing, temperatures. Cold acclimation is therefore an example of adaptive phenotypic plasticity in freezing climates. Such plasticity may be costly in cold (but non-freezing) climates, leading to fitness tradeoffs across environments and local adaptation. We quantified freezing tolerance following cold acclimation for 441 lines from 64 natural populations of Arabidopsis thaliana from Italy, Spain, and Scandinavia. In total, these populations spanned 38° - 67° of latitude, and 4m 1706m of elevation. We found significant differences among regions in mean freezing tolerance, as well as 4-7-fold variation in population mean freezing tolerance within regions. Population mean freezing tolerance was significantly positively correlated with latitude in Scandinavia, and in Spain we found significant positive correlations between population mean freezing tolerance and both latitude and elevation. Population mean freezing tolerance was not correlated with either latitude or elevation in Italy. Future work will determine the genetic basis of such freezing tolerance variation, and whether genomic regions underlying variation in freezing tolerance might be involved in fitness tradeoffs across environments. Purdue University, Botany & Plant Pathology and the Center for Plant Biology, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

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711

712

Scale-Down of Extraction Method and Validation of Assay to Quantify Total Glucosinolates in Brassicaceous Gypsum Endemics

Effect of sulfide and lactic acid on cytochrome c oxidase activities in plant roots and catfish liver

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TUOMINEN , L.K.* 1, REICHOLF, REBECCA 2 and DRENOVSKY, REBECCA 3

lucosinolates are plant secondary metabolites found in fifteen families within the order Brassicales. These metabolites consist of a thioglucose moiety, a sulfonated oxime, and an organic side chain that varies, yielding well over a hundred known structures. Spatially separated from the enzyme myrosinase in vivo, glucosinolates have evolved primarily as defense compounds that are enzymatically broken down during herbivory to yield thiocyanates and isothiocyanates. These end products give cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and turnips, their characteristic flavors. Glucosinolates in crop plants are typically quantified and individual structures identified using HPLC-MS. However, lower-cost assays requiring less specialized equipment and expertise are more broadly accessible for initial screening of total glucosinolate concentrations in native species. We have therefore simplified and scaled down a published method for methanolic extraction, partial purification via anion exchange, and colorimetric quantification of total glucosinolates. Our modifications reduce reagent consumption to as little as 20% of the full-scale assay, and initial tests achieved successful quantification using 30% of the dry mass previously reported. We report standard assay validation measures using sinigrin standards, cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. oleracea), Asian greens (Brassica rapa var. chinensis), radish leaf (Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. sativus), garden cress (Lepidium sativum), and spinach (Spinacia oleracea, negative control). This modified method will be applied in a new line of research evaluating the potential adaptive value of glucosinolates to Brassicaceae endemic to gypsum (CaSO4 â 2H2O) soils of the northern Chihuahua desert. We outline a screening and quantification strategy for efficient use of limited sample tissue containing unknown glucosinolate concentrations to support initial testing. 1

John Carroll University, Department of Biology, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA2John Carroll University, Chemistry Program, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA3Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, United States

QUISPE, NAOMI 1, WESTERHAUS, KATHRYN 1, KOBAYASHI, YASUHIRO 1 and MARICLE, BRIAN* 2

ulfide is well known as a metabolic toxin and lactic acid can affect muscle function, yet specific effects of sulfide and lactic acid on respiration enzymes have not been characterized. The objective of this study was to characterize sulfide and lactic acid toxicity on activities of cytochrome c oxidase (CytOx), an essential enzyme in oxidative phosphorylation. CytOx activity was measured in tissue homogenates from roots of several plant species and catfish liver samples in the presence of increasing concentrations of sulfide (0 to 20 µM) or lactic acid (0 to 100 mM). Increasing sulfide and lactic acid concentration significantly decreased activity in CytOx. Sulfide had a greater effect on the enzyme compared to lactic acid. Activity of CytOx in catfish liver samples was 40-fold higher than in plant roots and was almost 50-fold more sensitive to sulfide. The inhibition constant (Ki) for sulfide was of 0.1 µM in catfish liver and 4.6 µM in plant roots. Lactic acid also reduced CytOx activities. However, the Ki for lactic acid in catfish liver and plant roots was approximately 80 mM and 50 mM, respectively. Our results indicated that sulfide and lactic acid negatively influenced CytOx activities, but to different degrees. CytOx in catfish liver is more susceptible to sulfide toxicity compared to plant roots. Specific mechanisms of inhibition are currently under investigation. 1

Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, Kansas, 67601, United States2Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States

713

MULLER, CLARE* 1, PALACIO, SARA 2, MOORE, MICHAEL J. 3 and DRENOVSKY, REBECCA 4

Foliar and whole-plant nutrition of gypsum floras from the USA and Spain

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ypsum endemism (gypsophily) is common in the Chihuahuan Desert and Spain, but the physiology of gypsophiles has been poorly studied in relation to the evolutionary history of endemic taxa. Much of what is known about gypsophile physiology comes from work conducted in Spain, in which the leaf chemistry of gypsophiles and non-endemic taxa (gypsovags) was compared to the unique chemistry of gypsum soils. These studies have suggested that assimilation of excess S and Ca as biomineralized gypsum in the leaves of widely-distributed gypsophiles is an important mechanism supporting life on gypsum for those taxa. However, few phylogenetic studies have been conducted on the gypsum flora from Spain. In contrast, the gypsum flora of the Chihuahuan Desert has been examined by molecular phylogeneticists for years, but little is known

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of their physiology. In this study, we compare the physiological trends in leaf nutrition from the Chihuahuan Desert gypsum flora with trends observed for the Spanish gypsum flora when sampled with respect to phylogenic relationships among taxa. We observed that there are global trends in leaf nutrition of widely-distributed gypsophiles, characterized by accumulation and assimilation of S and Ca, and that phylogeny is important for understanding plant nutrition among gypsophiles and gypsovags from both floras. We also observed some trends in the wholeplant nutrition of taxa from Spain that suggest widely-distributed gypsophiles, narrowly-distributed gypsophiles, and gypsovags are mechanistically different in multiple organ systems. 1

1741 Archwood Ln, Toledo, OH, 43614, United States2Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Biodiversity and Conservation, Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, 16, Jaca, Huesca, Spain3Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States4Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, United States

714

TRAN, VIVIAN * , TEMME, ANDRIES and DONOVAN, LISA

Evaluating Salinity Tolerance in Wild, Landrace, and Domesticated Helianthus annuus

S

oil salinity is an abiotic stress that limits plant growth and productivity in both native and agricultural systems. There is a general expectation that the genetic capacity for abiotic stress tolerance decreases during the process of domestication. Based on this expectation, one strategy to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in crops would be to use wild relatives as a potential source of genes for increased tolerance. However, the actual degree of tolerance, which can be quantified by the reduction in growth under stress, remains unknown in many domesticated species and its wild progenitors for numerous stresses. In this study, we compared three groups of Helianthus annuus for response to salinity stress: wild populations from a range of habitats (6 populations), ancient landraces domesticated for Native American use (3), and domesticated modern cultivars (6). In a greenhouse study, potted seedling were exposed to either control or 100 mmol salinity stress for three weeks. The three groups had different growth overall, with landraces accumulating the most biomass in either treatment and having the largest absolute decrease in biomass in response to salinity. However, based on the proportional decrease of biomass accumulation in response to the stress treatment, which factors out overall vigor, there were no differences between wild populations, landraces, and modern cultivars of H. annuus. Wild populations did shift biomass below ground in response to salt stress while landraces and cultivated accessions did not. In contrast, stomatal conductance decreased only in cultivated accessions. The varying trait shifts between groups suggest that despite the lack of differences in tolerance, wild populations, landraces, and cultivated accessions may have different mechanisms to respond to salt stress. There did appear to

be a lot of variation in salt tolerance among the wild populations and among cultivated lines that may provide further insight into the mechanistic basis of salt tolerance and thus for improving H. annuus cultivars. University of Georgia, Department of Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

715

KOSTANECKI, ADAM* 1, GORTON, AMANDA J 2 and MOELLER, DAVID A3

Urban heterogeneity drives high phenotypic diversity in urban compared to rural populations of common ragweed

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rbanization results in environmental changes that impose biotic and abiotic selective pressures on urban plant populations. A low presence of pollinators and a highly fragmented landscape can establish a difficult environment for pollination and therefore limit successful seed production. Further, cities experience higher temperatures, CO2 concentrations, and pollution, relative to rural areas, which can affect the rates of survival and reproductive success of urban plant populations. These ecological differences make studies of adaptive evolution in urban populations of particular interest, especially as urban environments can simulate the broader effects of global climate change. Within urban environments, populations are often fragmented and occupy a diverse array of microhabitats, that may exert distinct selective pressures and result in differentiation among populations. Differences in phenotypic traits have been observed in plants growing in urban environments when compared to rural populations. In a study by Gorton et. al. (unpublished), common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) populations in urban Minneapolis exhibited genetic differentiation in flowering time and seed production. I have investigated this further by studying A. artemisiifolia grown from seeds gathered from urban and rural populations of St. Louis, MO, in order to assess the genetic heterogeneity of urban plant populations. I hypothesize that A. artemisiifolia gathered from urban populations will exhibit greater phenotypic variation in germination, male flowering spike count, and mature fruit count, compared to plants from rural populations that receive the same treatment. This would suggest urban ragweed populations exhibit higher phenotypic diversity due to higher relative environmental heterogeneity.

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University of Minnesota, Dept. of Plant and Microbial Biology, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA2University of Minnesota, Dept. of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA3University of Minnesota, Dept. of Plant and Microbial Biology, 304 Biological Sciences, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

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FAULKNER, ALEXAI

Adaptive evolution of Clarkia xantiana ssp. xantiana in response to the recent California drought

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limates are changing worldwide, but we have a very limited understanding of how native plant populations will respond to these changes. In order to survive, populations must either track climatic changes through dispersal or adapt to novel climatic conditions via evolution of ecologically important traits. Accumulating evidence indicates that adaptation can occur over fairly short timescales, and an effective method of observing this rapid adaptive evolution in natural flora is through “resurrection studies.� In these studies, cohorts of plants from before and after some selective event (fragmentation, warming, drought, etc.) are reared in a common environment and compared for some set of traits. Contemporary environmental anomalies provide us with a natural selection experiment which, when exploited for a resurrection study, helps aid us in predicting general responses to increased frequency of certain climatic anomalies. We utilized seed collected from three populations of a California endemic annual (Clarkia xantiana ssp. xantiana (Onagraceae)) before and after the recent record-breaking California drought to explore whether these populations showed evidence of rapid evolution in response to drought. We grew plants from seed collected just before the drought began (2011), during the last year of the drought (2015), and after a recent high precipitation year (2017). The greenhouse experiment included 20 maternal families, each with two replicates, for each population X year combination (N = 360 plants). We hypothesized that the drought had resulted in selection on a suite of traits potentially important for adaptation to increased drought conditions: relative growth rate, specific leaf area (SLA), and phenology. All data have been collected and are currently being analyzed. We predict that postdrought populations will have accelerated flowering times compared to pre-drought populations due to the fitness advantage earlier flowering times give in drought conditions. We also expect to see a decrease in Specific Leaf Area (SLA) in post-drought populations as a decrease in SLA should cause greater drought tolerance. Additionally, growth rates of post-drought populations are predicted to decrease, as evidence from a sister subspecies (C. x. parviflora) shows that conservative growth is favored in more arid conditions.

9320 23rd Ave, Eau Claire, WI, 54703, United States

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POPULATION GENETICS/GENOMICS ORAL PAPERS 717

HOSSEINALIZADEHNOBARINEZHAD, MAHBOUBEH* 1 and WALLACE, LISA 2

Genetic variability among populations of Chamaecrista fasciculata (Fabaceae) occurs at small spatial scales in the Southeastern U.S

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tudies of population genetic structure enable understanding of how environmental factors influence gene flow and local adaptation. Widely distributed species are ideal systems for understanding local changes because they occupy diverse habitats and experience varied interspecific interactions that could lead to the evolution of adaptive variation. Chamaecrista fasciculata (Fabaceae) has a wide geographic range in the eastern U.S., extending from Minnesota to the Gulf Coast and from the east coast to New Mexico. Regional morphological and ecological variants are commonly recognized in this species, and past studies have shown that populations in the Southeast exhibit greater morphological variability than those in other areas. Some studies have identified local adaptation among widely spaced populations, but few studies have surveyed southernmost populations. To gain a better understanding of intraspecific variation across geographic space for this species, we collected data at 14 microsatellite loci from samples in twenty six populations in the Southeast. We hypothesized that populations would be genetically structured, following an isolation by distance pattern. Genetic diversity was high across populations (mean percent polymorphic loci = 95%; Ho = 0.495; He = 0.526). Analysis of molecular variance indicated that variation is partitioned within individuals (62%), among individuals within populations (25%) and among populations (13%). Additionally, a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distance was found in a Mantel test (R = 0.29, p = 0.00232). A Mantel correlogram revealed significant correlations at the shortest distance classes (0-70 Km), non-significant correlations at intermediate distance classes (70 to 150 Km), and negative significant correlation at largest distance clasess (150-260 Km). Latitude, but not longitude, was found to be a significant factor in explaining the observed pattern of population differentiation, which suggests long distance gene flow along a latitudinal gradient. These results suggest considerable genetic structure among populations of C. fasciculata and potential for local adaptation in a relatively small geographic area.

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Mississippi State University , Biological Sciences, MS, 39762, USA2Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, Mills Godwin Building Rm. 110, Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States

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NARANJO, ANDRE* 1, PAYTON, ADAM , SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 4, GITZENDANNER, MATT 5 and JUDD, WALTER 6 2

Population Genetics, Speciation and Hybridization in Annual Dicerandra (Lamiaceae), a Southeastern North American Endemic

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nderstanding patterns of speciation and subsequent gene flow clarifies the evolutionary origins and history of species endemic to the southeastern coastal plain of the U.S. We therefore used Dicerandra as a model to explore these concepts because of its endemism and threatened status. Using microsatellite-based population level analyses of 42 populations from four of the annual species (D. linearifolia var. linearifolia, D. linearifolia var. robustior, D. fumella, D. odoratissima, and D. radfordiana) and ecological niche models built using locality data from FLAS herbarium and iDigBio, we were able to address the questions of population structure, gene flow, and hybridization. Strong support was found for the species-level recognition of the recently described D. fumella from the Florida panhandle. Dicerandra linearifolia var. linearifolia showed some regional cohesion of populations, but there was no consistent geographic pattern to the clustering of populations. Dicerandra radfordiana showed consistent clustering in analyses with proximate populations of D. odoratissima. Given that D. radfordiana is found at the southeastern extreme of the range of D. odoratissima these populations may represent the beginning of speciation by isolation. While there are morphological and bioclimatic niche distinctions between D. odoratissima and D. radfordiana, there is no molecular support for a distinct D. radfordiana entity. As a result, the taxonomic circumscription of D. radfordiana at the species rank is in question. Overall, there is significant genetic diversity found at the population level for all Dicerandra annuals. The isolated nature of many populations of Dicerandra, limited dispersal capability, and frequent visitation from generalist pollinators produce conditions where drift can cause significant differentiation between populations within the same geographic area. Obligate outcrossing and the potential for multigenerational populations resulting from recruitment from the seed bank are likely stabilizing factors maintaining heterozygosity within populations. Additionally, predicted niche occupancy profiles built from niche models show abiotic niche differentiation between members of the clade. We expect to see results similar to these in other obligate outcrossing taxa native to this imperiled ecosystem.

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University of Florida, Biology, 220 Bartram Hall P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2427 SW 5th Street, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States4University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainsville, FL, 32611, United States6University Of Florida, Department Of Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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719

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Population Genomics of the United States Kudzu Invasion

Can pollinators influence levels of inbreeding and expression of inbreeding depression? A comparison of Clarkia breweri and C. concinna (Onagraceae)

HAYNSEN, MATTHEW* 1, FU, CHENGXIN 2, CRANDALL, KEITH 3 and EGAN, ASHLEY 4

Pueraria montana var. lobata (kudzu), one of the most invasive plant species in the United States (US), is native to southeastern Asia. The vine was initially introduced into the US from Japan during the Centennial Exposition in 1876 with subsequent mass plantings throughout the southeastern US through the 1940s to 1950s. The native geographic origin(s) of these introduced populations remain unknown, which poses a concern due to the wide native range of P. montana, a species complex containing three varieties that share overlapping ranges and morphological characteristics. Only through the use of high resolution molecular markers on populations of P. montana across its native and US ranges will it be possible to determine: 1) How do the genetic diversities between the native and US ranges compare? 2) Where did the US plantings originate? 3) How many times was kudzu introduced? 4) What varieties of P. montana are found in the US? 5) Are there varietal hybrids located in the US? In this study, we used Genotyping-by-Sequencing to assess the genetic variation of >660 P. montana from China, Japan, Thailand, and the US. Through the use of >800 SNPs we calculated both the amongand within-nation genetic diversities, assessed genetic structuring across ranges, and tested models of introduction. Pairwise FST values ranged from 0.024 to 0.485 between nations. Individuals were assigned to 14 genetic units by fastSTRUCTURE. An AMOVA parsed the molecular variance out to 4% among nations, 6% among states/provinces, and 90% within states/provinces. The genetic diversity found within the US is greater than that found across the sampled native range of the P. montana species complex, suggesting multiple introductions from multiple geographic and genetic sources. Even though samples were collected across three Asian nations, only five native genetic units were discovered among eight introduced units. Through these coinciding units, we identified multiple populations from Japan (3) and northern and southern China as genetic sources of US kudzu. However, given the greater genetic diversity within the US relative to Asia, several US populations represent genetic diversity that has yet to be sampled within the native ranges. Additionally, while all three varieties of P. montana were found in Asia, only two were found in the US, with hybridization between varieties being absent in the US. 1

4301 Buchanan Ave, Apt A, Baltimore, MD, 21211, United States2Zhejiang University, College Of Life Sciences, 866 Yuhangtang Rd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China3The George Washington University, Biology, Innovation Hall, 45085 University Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA411114 Orleans Way, Kensington, MD, 20895, United States

CISTERNAS, ANITA* 1 and FANT, JEREMIE 2

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ifferent pollinators guilds vary in behavior, including flight distance and the type of reward, which can influence on how they transfer pollen between individuals and therefore level of inbreeding within a population. Populations pollinated by insects that have a larger flight distance, and do not groom, like hawkmoths, might experience lower inbreeding than compared to populations pollinated by an insect with a shorter flight distance, like bees and flies. Consequently, populations pollinated by hawkmoths might experience less inbreeding depression because they have higher outbreeding and do not experience inbreeding at high enough rates to purged their genetic load. To test this idea, we compared two sister species with contrasting primary pollinators, using both molecular and fitness data. The genus Clarkia (Onagraceae) consists of self-compatible species that vary in primary pollinators. Clarkia breweri for example is pollinated primarily by hawkmoths, while C. concinna subsp. concinna is pollinated by bees and flies. In this work, we used Next-generation sequencing to measure diversity and Wright's inbreeding coefficient (Fis) for three populations of each species. We also performed control crosses over two generations, including self-pollination, biparental inbreeding, and outcrossing, to estimate inbreeding depression (seed viability, germination, survival and flower number). Preliminary molecular data show that both species have similar levels of genetic diversity and high level of differentiation between populations of the same species. In terms of Fis, C. concinna subsp. concinna has on average a higher inbreeding coefficient (0.18) than Clarkia breweri (0.07). This would indicate that hawkmoth pollinated populations experience less inbreeding compared to bee pollinated populations in this group. 1

1009 Davis St. Apt 28, Evanston, IL, 60201, United States2Chicago Botanic Gardens, Plant Biology And Conservation , 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States

721 1

VILLALOBOS , ADRIANA LOPEZ* and ECKERT, CHRISTOPHER 2

Does Hybridization Contribute To Range-wide Population Genetic Structure In A Coastal Dune Plant?

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nterspecific hybridization can alter the genetic structure of a species’ geographic range, especially when there is geographic variation in the degree of sympatry/parapatry with close relatives. However this hypothesis has rarely been evaluated. The Pacific coastal dune endemic Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia exhibits strong genetic structure across its

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geographic range. Sometime genetic subdivisions are concordant with shifts in the mating system from outcrossing to higher levels of self-fertilization, but sometimes not. For instance, large-flowered, selfincompatible (LF-SI) populations are genetically differentiated from closely parapatric, large-flowered, self-compatible (LF-SC) populations despite little difference in mating system and habitat affinities. The pattern of geographic variation in growth form and leaf traits suggests that LF-SI C. cheiranthifolia may have diverged from LF-SC populations via hybridization with the predominantly inland SI sister species C. bistorta. We combined an analysis of geographic variation in spatial proximity between the species based on 1506 herbarium records, with population analyses of genetic structure based on 1209 genotypes at 12 nuclear and 9 chloroplast microsatellite loci from 32 C. cheiranthifolia and 18 C. bistorta populations covering their entire geographic ranges. Consistent with our prediction, LF-SI C. cheiranthifolia is more closely parapatric with C. bistorta than any other group of C. cheiranthfolia populations, including LF-SC populations. Closer parapatry was associated with extensive genetic continuity between LF-SI C. cheiranthifolia and C. bistorta. In fact, the SI populations of both species were indistinguishable genetically within the broader context of geographic variation in C. cheiranthifolia. 1

Queen's University, Biology, Department of Biology, Biosciences Complex, 116 Barrie Street , Kingston, Ontario, K7L3N6, Canada2Department Of Biology, Department Of Biology, Queen\'s University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

722

PROCHAZKA, JOLENE* and GROSS, BRIANA L.

Clonal structure and genetic diversity of Vaccinium vitis-idaea in Minnesota

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eveloping an understanding of the levels of diversity present at stages across the domestication continuum is key to eventually retaining or introducing diversity into domesticated plant lineages. While this goal is critical for both annual and perennial crops, there are special challenges associated with achieving this for clonal crops and their wild relatives. This is because in species capable of asexual reproduction, it is necessary to first differentiate between clonal ramets and unique genets before measuring genetic diversity. Here, we assessed the clonal structure and genetic diversity in wild populations of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), a domesticated species that utilizes both sexual and clonal modes of reproduction in the wild and under cultivation. This survey of V. vitis-idaea in northern Minnesota included 222 individual samples across 15 populations, assayed at 18 nuclear microsatellite loci. Five of the fifteen populations were found consist of only two clones each, while other populations maintained a higher number of unique individuals. He across all samples was 0.517 (Table 1) while Ho was higher, at 0.567, with a negative but nonsignificant value of FIS (-0.097Âą0.038) across populations. Most of the variation was found between individuals (84%), with a moderate amount of variation between populations (17%), consistent with low levels of population

structure at this geographical range. This survey has revealed the various survival strategies of V. vitisidaea, a species with a mixed mating system. Genetic diversity assessments of wild perennial species, like V. vitis-idaea, can be used to support future breeding and conservation efforts. University Of Minnesota Duluth, Department Of Biology, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

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ZLONIS, KATHARINE* 1, ETTERSON, JULIE 2 and GROSS, BRIANA 3

Genetic structure, natural selection, and hybridization in populations of the rare arctic relict Euphrasia hudsoniana (Orobanchaceae) and its invasive congener Euphrasia stricta

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n North America, relict arctic plant populations from the last glacial maximum persist in disjunct locations south of their normal range. These fringe populations may be particularly threatened by stressors associated with climate change, including increased temperature, decreased water availability, and increased competition with invasive species. In Minnesota, several arctic relicts of conservation concern are restricted to the rocky coast immediately adjacent Lake Superior, including Euphrasia hudsoniana. We used GBS (genotyping-by-sequencing) and collected phenotypic data to assess genetic structure and natural selection among five populations of E. hudsoniana along the north shore of Lake Superior. We also examined whether there is evidence for hybridization between E. hudsoniana and its invasive congener, E. stricta. Population genetic analyses show differentiation among all populations on the north shore, especially two central populations that fall into a separate cluster based on STRUCTURE analysis. We found limited gene flow from E. stricta to E. hudsoniana, but observed greater gene flow in the opposite direction. Significant selection gradients, indicating direct selection, were observed for 1-3 traits per population; however, significant selection differentials, due to indirect selection on correlated traits, were observed for all or most traits at each site in both years that phenotype data were collected. Taken together, weak genetic structure observed for E. hudsoniana populations and selection on most traits in the same direction among populations, suggest that climate change poses a similar risk to all populations in Minnesota. Monitoring of these populations should continue to assess whether hybridization with invasive E. stricta is a burgeoning threat.

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University of Minnesota Duluth, Department of Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA2University Of Minnesota Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1110 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States3University Of Minnesota Duluth, Department Of Biology, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

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724

CHAU, JOHN* and VAN VUUREN, BETTINE

Influence of landscape and climate on spatial population genetic structure of keystone species Azorella selago (Apiaceae) on sub-Antarctic islands University of Johannesburg, Centre for Ecological Genomics & Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa

725

TRAPNELL, DORSET* 1, ISHIBASHI, CAITLIN 2, KARTZINEL, TYLER 3, HAMRICK, JAMES 4 and QUIGLEY, CHARLOTTE 5

Phylogeography of the Neotropical epiphytic orchid, Brassavola nodosa: evidence for a secondary contact zone

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REMISE OF THE STUDY: Contemporary spatial patterns of genetic variation of separate genomes are valuable for inferring historical processes and can reveal cryptic evolutionary and landscape processes. In northwestern Costa Rica, a puzzling and approximately concordant genetic discontinuity occurs among populations of several plant species. We conducted phylogeographic analyses of the dry forest, epiphytic orchid, Brassavola nodosa whose wind-borne seeds have the potential for long-distance dispersal, to test for a genetic discontinuity and to explore underlying causes. METHODS: We genotyped 1237 individuals from 18 populations distributed throughout northwestern Costa Rica with 19 nuclear loci and two non-coding chloroplast sequence regions. We estimated levels of genetic diversity and structure, relative importance of pollen and seed dispersal (mp/ms), and divergence time to learn how diversity was partitioned across the landscape. KEY RESULTS: Nuclear genetic diversity was high with little structure among populations (GSTn = 0.078). Chloroplast haplotypes, however, were highly structured revealing a sharp discontinuity between northwestern and southeastern regions of B. nodosa occurrence in Costa Rica. Haplotype differences suggest two formerly isolated lineages that diverged approximately 10,000-100,000 YBP. Haplotype mixing and greater diversity occur at a secondary contact zone where lineages meet. Pollen contributed significantly more than seeds to overall gene flow among sites (mp/ms = 13.7) and substantially more (181.4) between the two regions. CONCLUSIONS: Sharply contrasting patterns in the two genomes reflect the relative effectiveness of biotic versus abiotic dispersers of pollen and seeds respectively. Isolation of the two lineages likely resulted from the complex environmental and geophysical history of the region. Our results suggest a recent cryptic seed dispersal barrier and/or zone of secondary contact. We hypothesize that powerful

northeasterly trade winds channeled between the Guanacaste and TilarĂĄn Cordilleras hinder movement of wind-borne seeds between the two regions. 1

University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, 120 Carlton St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University of Georgia, Plant Biology Dept., 2502 Miller Plant Sciences Bldg, Athens, Georgia, 30602, United States3Brown Univeristy, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, 85 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA4University Of Georgia, Department Of Plant Biology, Miller Plant Sciences Building, Athens, GA, 30602, United States5University of Maine, School of Marine Sciences, 3, Orono, Maine, 04469, United States

726

AMICI, AUTUMN* 1, NADKARNI, NALINI 2, SEGER, JON 2 and DIBLASI, EMILY 3

The effects of spatial isolation on epiphytes in a montane tropical landscape, Monteverde, Costa Rica

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ropical forests are highly diverse, and epiphytes account for roughly one-third of vascular plant diversity in some neotropical forests. Epiphytes derive water and nutrients from atmospheric, rather than terrestrial, sources as they live on trunks, branches, and in the arboreal soil of trees. When continuous forests are fragmented to create agricultural land, epiphyte population dynamics may be affected because of their dependence on host trees. Although the effects of forest fragmentation on epiphyte diversity have been documented, the impacts of pasture isolation on epiphyte populations is lacking. Does pasture isolation disrupt gene flow? Or conversely, does it create new habitats and opportunities for colonization? The aims of this project were to explore the impacts of short- and long-distance isolation on population structure and genetic differentiation of two species of epiphytic Bromeliaceae, Catopsis nitida and Werauhia tonduziana, in the Monteverde region of Costa Rica. Catopsis nitida is pollinated by small moths and has wind dispersed seeds. Werauhia tonduziana also has wind dispersed seeds but is pollinated by hawkmoths and bats. We searched for both species in primary forest, mixed forest (with mixed land-use history—including some primary and secondary forest trees), and pastures. We found W. tonduziana mostly in primary forest and pasture trees. We did not find C. nitida in primary forest trees but, but it was common in mixed forest and pasture trees. Werauhia tonduziana was more genetically diverse than C. nitida. The genetic differentiation of W. tonduziana among pasture, mixed forest, and primary forest populations was low (FST=0.08). For C. nitida, there was significant genetic differentiation between pasture and mixed forest populations relative to the total genetic variance (FST=0.29). These results suggest that for species of vascular epiphytes that can disperse and establish across habitat types, such as W. tonduziana, isolation in pastures may not act as a barrier to gene flow, and these isolated pasture trees may provide stepping stones for propagule dispersal. These isolated pasture trees may also provide

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new opportunities for establishment for some species, such as C. nitida that are less commonly found in primary forests. However, for C. nitida, gene flow among patches is low, but is crucial to maintain and genetic diversity. Understanding which epiphyte species may be most (or least) able to maintain genetic diversity in mosaic environments with fragmented patches of forest and pasture is essential to understanding rates of local adaptation, speciation and extinction. 1

University Of Utah, Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Room 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States2University of Utah, Department of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Room 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, US3University of Utah, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

727

BRANDRUD, MARIE KRISTINE* , WOLFE, THOMAS 1, TRUCCHI, EMILIANO 2, BALAO, FRANCISCO 3, HEDREN, MIKAEL 4 and PAUN, OVIDIU 1

1

The macro- and microevolutionary processes driving allopolyploid evolution in Dactylorhiza (Orchidaceae)

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hole genome doubling (WGD) is a central force shaping plant evolution. Early-generation allopolyploids need to quickly accommodate divergent genomes into one nucleus by adjusting organization and function, with potential ecological consequences. The orchid genus Dactylorhiza, with its diverse array of polyploid lineages that are often ecologically distinct, constitutes an excellent system to investigate allopolyploid evolution. With different phylogenetic and coalescent methods applied to RADseq, we first construct the species tree for the diploid species in this genus and then document the parentage of 18 independent Dactylorhiza allopolyploids. We bring evidence for frequent gene flow in contact zones between related polyploids of different ages. This process enriches the genetic pool of the involved lineages, but the patterns observed point to the existence of porous genomes, with few genomic regions resilient to admixture. Such a pattern suggests a strong divergent selection acting at specific loci in order to maintain the observed phenotypic divergence. We further exemplify with RNAseq and smRNAseq the molecular basis of phenotypic and ecological divergence between two of these independent, sibling allopolyploids (D. majalis and D. traunsteineri). These two polyploids are distributed across large European areas, but occupy distinct habitats in particular with regard to soil chemistry (i.e., available nitrate, but also K and P) and moisture. Based on Ks estimates, their diploid parental species (D. fuchsii and D. incarnata) have diverged 10 MYA; today their transcriptomes are highly divergent, indicating a major transcriptomic shock associated with the origin of the allopolyploids. We find significant expression differences between both polyploids that affect several ecologically-relevant genes. For example, genes in the photosynthesis metabolic pathway have been significantly upregulated in D.

traunsteineri, which adapted to nitrate-poor environments. Alternative parental dominance is confirmed by differential homoeolog expression in each of the two polyploids, and does not support a recently formulated hypothesis of a generally dominant genome that is retained over different WGD events. Finally, we conclude that the major transcriptomic divergence observed among the diploid parents became reconciled in different ways in the sibling Dactylorhiza polyploids, as a result of an interplay between stochastic genomic alterations and distinct selection pressures, resulting in specific adaptation to their respective divergent environments. 1

University of Vienna, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Rennweg 14, Vienna, A-1030, Austria2Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e biotecnologie, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy3Universidad de Sevilla, Dpto. Biología Vegetal y Ecología, à rea de Botánica. Facultad de Biología, Avda. Reina Mercedes, 6, Sevilla, 41012, Spain4Lund University, Department of Biology, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, Sweden

728 GAYNOR, MICHELLE* , WALTERS, LINDA and HOFFMAN, ERIC A. Assessing genetic diversity within populations of smooth cordgrass to ensure effective restoration efforts

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he Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is one of the most biodiverse estuary systems in North America making it a conservation priority. Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) is a keystone species that naturally occurs along the shorelines of the Mosquito Lagoon (ML). Spartina alterniflora is often used in shoreline restoration due to its extensive rooting capacity and ability to halt shoreline loss. Clonal species, such as S. alterniflora, are easy to raise with regard to the number of clones reared, but using clonal species for restoration may lead to genetically depauperate populations. To understand the genetic diversity of restored populations, we quantified the genetic diversity present within natural and restored S. alterniflora populations within the ML. We found that allelic richness and gene diversity did not significantly differ between restored and natural populations. Furthermore, genetic differentiation between natural and restored populations was not significantly different. In addition, higher numbers of clones were detected in restored populations compared to natural populations. Overall, we conclude that current restoration efforts in the ML are effective, but there is a need to continue to ensure that genetically diverse stocks are utilized for shoreline restoration given the high frequency of clones found in greenhouse populations. University of Central Florida , 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA

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729

RANATHUNGE, CHATHURANI* , WHEELER, GREGORY 2, CHIMAHUSKY, MELODY 3, PERKINS, ANDY 4 and WELCH, MARK 3

1

Of evolutionary tuning knobs: Microsatellites as drivers of adaptive evolution in common sunflower

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he mechanisms by which natural populations rapidly adapt to their local environments are not completely understood. One such proposed mechanism, the tuning knob model, predicts that stepwise changes in microsatellite allele length can lead to stepwise effects on phenotypes. To test the predictions of the tuning knob model, we estimated the effect of microsatellite allele length on heritable phenotypic variation at the level of gene expression with natural populations of the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Seeds collected from six populations at two distinct latitudes in Kansas and Oklahoma were planted and grown in a common garden. An RNA-Seq experiment was conducted with 95 of these individuals. Of the 3325 microsatellites genotyped using the RNA-Seq data, 479 showed significant correlation between allele length and gene expression (hereafter termed eSTRs). The majority (70.4%) of eSTRs were located within the untranslated regions (UTRs) which suggests that they are well positioned to function as cis-regulatory elements. A subset of these eSTRs were then used in a population genetic study involving 672 individuals from 17 sunflower populations across a wider latitudinal range from Saskatchewan to Oklahoma. Signatures of strong directional selection on eSTRs compared to neutrally evolving anonymous microsatellites were detected. This suggests that shorter or longer allele lengths at the eSTRs are favored in even more extreme environments. This study provides compelling evidence that a substantial number of transcribed microsatellites can rapidly generate heritable and potentially adaptive genetic variation. 1

Mississippi State University, Biological Sciences, 219 Harned Hall, 295 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, Starkville, MS, 39762, United States2 Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology3 Mississippi State University, Biological Sciences, 219 Harned Hall, 295 Lee Blvd, Starkville, MS, 39762, United States4Mississippi State University, Computer Science and Engineering, Starkville, Mississippi, 39762, United States

730

MCDONNELL, ANGELA* 1, CANTLEY, JASON T. 2, JOBSON, PETER 3 and MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 4

Population genomics of an edaphic radiation: andromonoecious Solanum in the Australian Monsoon Tropics

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he Australian Monsoon Tropics (AMT) encompass nearly one-quarter of the Australian continent and represent one of the largest and least disturbed tropical biomes on the planet. While the AMT includes an impressive array of seasonally

dry habitats including alluvial clay plains, savannas, dunes, sandstone escarpments, and river drainage systems that support an array of plant life, relatively little is known about the evolution of most species in the flora, what role climatic fluctuations of the Quaternary have played in shaping its diversity, or how biogeographic breaks have impacted species distributions and radiations. The andromonoecious clade within the “Solanum dioicum group� is distributed throughout much of the AMT and represents a model system in which to test hypotheses on the radiation of lineages in the region. We sampled SNPs from across the genome in multiple populations of 19 species of Solanum via a ddRAD approach and present a new understanding of phylogenetic relationships, population structure, and demographic modeling including estimation of bottlenecks, range expansions, and post-divergence migration among populations for the andromonoecious Australian Solanum clade. This will help reveal how the interplay of climate and geography have shaped plant evolution in the AMT. Solanum is the first lineage of several to be used to understand how biogeographic barriers and climate have shaped AMT species distributions and evolutionary history. 1

Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Bucknell University Biology Department, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States2San Francisco State University, Biology, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA3Northern Territory Herbarium, Alice Springs, Australia4Bucknell University, Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

731

WESSINGER, CAROLYN* 1, KELLY, JOHN 2 and HILEMAN, LENA 3

The genomic basis of pollination syndrome divergence: insights from the Penstemon virgatus species complex

I

n the genus Penstemon, flowers adapted to hummingbird pollination have repeatedly evolved (at least 12 times) from flowers adapted to pollination by bees (and wasps) on a relatively short evolutionary timescale. This transition involves the evolution of narrow red flowers that produce large amounts of nectar. Such a widespread pattern of repeated evolution makes Penstemon an ideal system to understand population genetic processes that contribute to repeated evolution in related organisms. Here we examine patterns of genome-wide genetic variation in a trio of closely-related and geographically overlapping Penstemon taxa that capture both bee and hummingbird pollination syndromes. We sampled eight individuals from each of four populations of P. virgatus var. asa-grayi (bee syndrome), three populations of P. neomexicanus(bee syndrome), and five populations of P. barbatus (hummingbird syndrome). These species have partially overlapping distributions in New Mexico and Colorado. We generated genomewide SNP markers using shallow genome sequence data and cataloged patterns of polymorphism. We assessed the degree to which genomic variation is partitioned by population, by named taxon, and by pollination syndrome. We contrasted the pat-

334


tern of polymorphism in genomic regions known to underlie floral divergence between P. barbatus vs. P. neomexicanus to the pattern of polymorphism in the rest of the genome. We discuss the patterns of genomic divergence in the context of transitions to hummingbird pollination. 1

ation between east and west supports the hypothesis that these regions are now differentiated after having once been a continuous distribution. The relatively low heterozygosity may be a result of inbreeding due to relatively small population sizes in an extreme environment. Additional hypotheses regarding evolutionary history and conservation status will be further discussed.

University Of Kansas, EEB, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States2University of Kansas, EEB, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA3University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

The Morton Arboretum, Center for Tree Science, 4100 Illinois 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, USA2Fort Lewis College, Department Of Biology, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO, 81301, United States

732

ZUMWALDE, BETHANY* 1, MCCAULEY, ROSS 2, FULLINWIDER, IAN 2 and HOBAN, SEAN 1

733

Genetic and morphometric analysis of shinnery oak (Quercus havardii), an arid adapted species with a disjunct distribution

Assessing drivers of phylogeographic concordance in co-distributed sedge species pairs at two spatial scales

Q

uercus havardii is a shrubby oak native to the western USA. It is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to decreasing population size projections and loss of habitat. It occurs in highly arid environments, where its extensive root systems play a vital role in stabilizing deep, loose sand. It is a keystone species that defines the sand shinnery ecosystem and provides habitat to vulnerable species such as the lesser prairie chicken and dunes sagebrush lizard. Little is known about Q. havardii's evolutionary dynamics or life history. The species exists in two separate regions: from western Oklahoma through west Texas and eastern New Mexico (East region), and in the Navajo Basin in northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah (West region). Few if any populations occur in the broad disjunction in central New Mexico. In both regions, populations are fragmented, as the species is naturally restricted to sandy habitats and due to high agriculture and gas drilling activities in the Permian Basin. In addition, the species is known to propagate clonally, but the size and number of clones in a population is difficult to distinguish visually as stems may be connected underground. We used 21 directly measured and 5 composite morphological variables on leaves and 13 microsatellite DNA markers taken from 631 plants across 36 locations to investigate range-wide phenotypic and biogeographic structure of the species. Morphological and genetic evidence both showed clear differentiation between eastern and western regions using principal component analyses and population assignment tests. After removing clones, we tested population differentiation between the two regions and among populations within each region and found highest pairwise population FST between regions (mean FST=0.12) and higher FST among western than eastern populations (FSTeast=0.029, FSTwest=0.048). Expected heterozygosity was lower than in most oaks (within populations minimum 0.43, maximum 0.79, mean 0.67) which are wind pollinated and usually highly outcrossing. Lastly, morphological data suggests possible hybridization with local Quercus turbinella. The observed differenti-

1

HODEL, RICHARD* 1, BISHOP, SASHA 1, MASSATTI, ROB 2 and KNOWLES, LACEY 1

S

tudying species in a comparative phylogeographic framework has traditionally emphasized identifying concordance. In many cases, any concordance detected was assumed to be due to geologic or climatic events, which typically occur at relatively large spatial scales. However, the spatial and temporal scales at which species are studied can impact whether concordance or discordance is detected. We investigate the concordance of phylogeographic patterns on two spatial scales using four sedge species in the genus Carex (Cyperaceae). One pair of species (C. epapillosa and C. pelocarpa) is widespread in alpine habitats across the western United States, and the other pair (C. bella and C. chalciolepis) is more narrowly distributed—existing only in Colorado and neighboring states. Initial phylogeographic analyses (principle components analysis, STRUCTURE, and phylogenetic analyses) indicate some similar phylogeographic structure within each pair of species. These two pairs of species represent a natural means of testing for phylogeographic concordance at two spatial scales; accordingly we investigate the drivers that led to congruent or discordant phylogeographic patterns within the two pairs. We hypothesize that on larger spatial scales, abiotic environmental and/ or geologic factors led to any shared phylogeographic patterns detected. Conversely, on smaller spatial scales, we hypothesize that species-specific traits, which could impact demographic processes or promote differential local adaptation, will drive phylogeographic concordance or discordance.

1

U of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MIUnited States Geologic Survey

2

335


734

DIAZ, NICOLAS* 1, PERSINGER, JESSICA 2, THOMPSON, PAMELA 3 and CRUZAN, MITCHELL 4

Ploidy-mediated seed dispersal in an intervarietal hybrid zone of Eriophyllum lanatum

E

riophyllum lanatum, or Oregon sunshine, is an enigmatic species complex with a range extending from southern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Montana and Wyoming. This taxonomically challenging and phenotypically diverse group is comprised of geographically delineated varieties that intergrade at the interfaces of their ranges. Despite a recent taxonomic treatment, the role of whole genome duplication in shaping the evolution and ecology of this lineage remains undetermined. In 2008, J.S. Mooring described a contact zone between E. lanatum var. leucophyllum and var. achilleoides in Southern Oregon that consists of morphologically intermediate diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid populations. Population structure and seed dispersal in this hybrid zone are influenced by reproductive isolation among cytotypes and self-incompatibility across cytotypes. Here, we used flow cytometry to clarify the diversity and distribution of cytyopes across 22 populations of E. lanatum in Southern Oregon. We pair this analysis of ploidy variation with a landscape genetic analysis of seed dispersal among these populations. Following a targeted capture and de novo chloroplast genome assembly, we used the recently developed CallHap pipeline to reconstruct haplotype frequencies from SNP data, and discovered 42 haplotypes across the study site. We then analyzed chloroplast haplotype frequencies across these populations to determine the influence of landscape features, including elevation, soil type, rivers, and canopy cover, on seed dispersal. We discuss cytotype diversity and phenotypic comparisons across these populations, and the relevance of ploidy variation in dispersal.

1

Portland State University, Biology Department, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC Rm 246, Portland , OR, 97201, United States2Portland State Univeristy, Biology Department, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, USA3Portland State Univeristy, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, United States4Portland State University, Department Of Biology, 1719 SW 10th Ave, SRTC Rm 246 - Biology, Portland, OR, 97201, United States

735

COLICCHIO, JACK 1, ANDERSON, IAN* 2 and BLACKMAN, BENJAMIN 3

Natural variation for within and between generation plasticityto hot days and cold nights in Mimulus laciniatus

T

emperature varies greatly across both space and time, directly impacts metabolism, and imparts strong selective pressures across the diversity of life. Along with directly impacting development, the ambient temperature can also be used as a cue for daily, seasonal, and annual fluctuations. Mimulus laciniatus is native to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, a region of the western US that features some of the steepest temperature gradients and largest daily and seasonal temperature fluctations. Additionally, this region of the US experiences extremely high "interannual temperature autocorrelation", that is to say hot years tend to be followed by hot years, and cold by cold. Theory, modeling, and intuition suggest that in these circumstances the right ingrediants exist for vast natural variation for within and between generation plasticity to temperature, and that this may have profound roles on the ability for this and similar species to cope with the rapidly changing climate currently facing our planet. 1

UC Berkeley, Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94705, United States2University Of California, Berkeley, Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall , #3102, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States3University Of California, Berkeley, Plant And Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall #3102, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States

736

SCHWOCH, JAIME* 1 and CRUZAN, MITCHELL 2

Accumulation of Somatic Mutations during Vegetative Growth

I

n plants, vegetative growth occurs prior to the formation of gametes, which allows somatic mutations to be passed on to the next generation. We expect that the accumulation of somatic mutations may be nonrandom due to competition among lineages of stem cells during vegetative growth that favors beneficial mutations and eliminates deleterious mutations. Deleterious mutations may be culled further by pollen competition and selective embryo abortion. In two separate experiments, we tested for the effects of somatic mutations by growing clonal replicates of Mimulus guttatus under novel conditions and testing for the homozygous effects of somatic mutations unique to individual stems by contrasting the growth of progeny from self-pollinations within (autogamy) and between (geitonogamy) stems of the same plant. We expected progeny from autogamous crosses would be homozygous for a proportion of somatic mutations while progeny from geitonogamous crosses would be heterozygous for acquired mutations. Consistent with this expectation, the variance among offspring growth among stems was greater for autogamous than geitonogamous progeny from the same stems (P < 0.001) and this result

336


was similar in both experiments. Selective values (s) of mutations unique to each stem varied from deleterious effects of homozygosity to a prevalence of beneficial effects expressed as higher rates of survival and growth of autogamous progeny. There was a positive association between selective effects and the variance among geitonogamous progeny (P < 0.02) indicating that deleterious mutations were recessive while beneficial mutations were more likely to be expressed when heterozygous - a result that is consistent with cell lineage selection. We are identifying sequence variants unique to clonal replicates using RNAseq. Our results suggest that mutation accumulation during vegetative growth is non-random due to the effects of selection acting on sequence variants prior to seed dispersal. 12

Portland State University, Department Of Biology, 1719 SW 10th Ave, SRTC Rm 246 - Biology, Portland, OR, 97201, United States

737

EDWARDS, CHRISTINE* 1, LINAN, ALEXANDER 2 and SWIFT, JOEL 3

Population genomic analysis clarifies the distinctiveness of taxonomically questionable subspecies of Lilaeopsis schaffneriana (Apiaceae)

U

nderstanding the distinctiveness of taxonomically questionable, threatened or endangered species is important to ensure that conservation efforts are devoted to protecting truly unique taxa. One such species, Lilaeopsis schaffneriana subsp. recurva, is a federally endangered plant occupying freshwater streams in Arizona and adjacent areas in Sonora, Mexico (west of the continental divide). Both the morphology and the geographic range of this subspecies overlap with those of L. schaffneriana subsp. schaffneriana, a more widespread subspecies found in central/northern Mexico (east of continental divide) and Ecuador, suggesting that the two subspecies may not be distinct. The goal of this study was to test the genetic distinctiveness of the two subspecies of L. schaffneriana and whether subsp. recurva is unique and deserves protection. We used a 2BRAD-seq approach to generate SNP data from populations of both subspecies and a closely related congener, reconstructed the phylogeny, and analyzed patterns of genetic structure. Phylogenies revealed that populations of L. schaffneriana subsp. schaffneriana in Ecuador are the sister group to a clade made up of North American populations of both subsp. recurva and subsp. schaffneriana. Consistent with these results, analyses of genetic structure revealed that the Ecuadorean populations of subsp. schaffneriana are as genetically distinct from the remainder of L. schaffneriana as the outgroup and likely represent an undescribed species. Contrary to expectations, both phylogenies and analyses of genetic structure revealed strongly supported genetic differentation between subsp. recurva and subsp. schaffneriana populations in North America. These results indicate that conservation efforts for subsp. recurva are warranted because they are protecting a unique subset of the

genetic variation in Lilaeopsis schaffneriana. 1

Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St Louis, MO, 63166, United States2Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103-2010, United States3Saint Louis University, 2166 Lawrence St., APT 2N, St. Louis, MO, 63110, United States

738 WHITE, DAWSON* 1 and MASONGAMER, ROBERTA 2 Phylogeographic analysis of the domestication of Coca (Erythroxylum spp.)

C

oca (Erythroxylum spp., Erythroxylaceae) has been farmed in South America for at least 8000 years and is the natural source of cocaine. There are four taxa of cultivated cocas that are classified into two species, each with a distinct geographic range and habitat of cultivation. In order to understand the relationships and evolutionary history of these crops, we have taken a target enrichment approach to sequence DNA from herbarium samples of the four coca taxa plus two closest wild relatives. This analysis utilizes population genetic and phylogeographic methods to identify the progenitor(s) and infer the routes of dispersal and possible admixture responsible for creating this infamous crop.

1

University Of Illinois At Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago, 845 West Taylor St. #3256, Department Of Biological Sciences, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States2DEPT. OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (M/C 066), 845 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60607, United States

739

ZAPATA, FELIPE* 1, HENRIQUEZ, CLAUDIA 2 and EZCURRA, EXEQUIEL 3

Demographic history of red mangroves in the tropical rainforest of El Peten Basin (Yucatan)

R

ed mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) are one of the dominant tree species of the mangrove ecosystem in the Americas. Like other plants of the mangrove ecosystem, red mangroves have evolved multiple anatomical and physiological adaptations to cope with the stressful conditions that characterize the mangrove ecosystem, such as high salinity, hypoxia, strong UV light, and anaerobic soils. Because mangrove ecosystems occur at the interface of land and tropical saltwaters, red mangroves are restricted to tropical coastal habitats. In the Yucatan peninsula, however, there is a peculiar, isolated population of red mangroves along the San Pedro river in the region of El Peten, surrounded by tropical rainforest, about 50-75 km inland from the gulf coast of Mexico, and 20-40 meters above sea level. The population forms an extensive mangrove vegetation-type ecosystem albeit on freshwater, and is not connected to any coastal mangrove population. When and how this population of red mangroves arrived, established, and thrived in this isolated locality is not understood. In this study, we test the hypothesis that this population is a relict population of the last interglacial (LIG) that occurred during the

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Late Pleistocene approximately 130,000 years ago. During that time, global sea level was several meters higher than it is today and vast areas of the Yucatan peninsula were under water. We sampled red mangrove individuals from the San Pedro river population as well as from populations along the coast of the Yucatan peninsula, from the Gulf coast to the Caribbean Sea. Population genomics analyses show that the San Pedro river population is genetically distinct to all other populations, yet it shares ancestry with populations from the Gulf coast. Reconstructions of the Yucatan coastline during the LIG show that with a flooding level of approximately 10 m, there is corridor connecting the San Pedro river with the Gulf coast supporting the hypothesis of genetic ancestry. Taken together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that the San Pedro population is a relict of Late Pleistocene ecosystems. Because the environmental conditions during the LIG match model predictions of future scenarios under ongoing climate change, this study sheds light on studies of plant adaptation to climate change. Moreover, because the San Pedro river is a freshwater system, these results suggest a case of extraordinary fast evolution and adaptation in woody plants. 1

University Of California, Los Angeles, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 621 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States2University Of California, Los Angeles, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 621 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA3Univ. Of California, Botany & Plant Sciences, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

in general despite having seemingly adequate pollinator service in some (but not all) locations. Previous studies have shown that manual outcrosses boost seed production substantially, however, suggesting that knowledge of the distribution of genotypes on the landscape could be a critical first step toward any number of recovery actions. In this study, we sample from approximately 30 individuals from each of 9 sampling locations spanning the range of the taxon from Morro Bay, CA, USA to San QuintĂ­n, Baja CA, MX. We used double digestion RADsequencing and high-throughput to generate loci across genome. We used the ipyrad and Stacks pipelines to assemble our SNP datasets, and analyze population structure of the species. Here we make a first report on our findings, placing the observed population genomic patterns into the context of regional biogeography. We conclude with recommendations for managing the species given the on-going threats of climate change and lack of seed set. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Department of Conservation and Research, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA

741

ALQTHANIN, RAHMAH

Spatial structure University of reading, uk, kings road, kings reach, reading, UK

740

HASENSTAB-LEHMAN, KRISTEN* and GUILLIAMS, C. MATT

Conservation Genetics of Dithyrea maritima (Davidson) Davidson (Brassicaceae), beach spectaclepod

D

ithyrea maritima (Davidson) Davidson (Brassicaceae), or beach spectaclepod, is a dune specialist endemic to coastal dunes from central California, United States, tonorthwestern Baja California, Mexico. A perennial herb, individuals spread by rhizomes, forming a diffuse colony of ramets, each terminating in rosette of 1 to several fleshy leaves. Vegetative ramets appear mid-winter to mid-spring months. Flowering typically occurs from April to July, with the apex of the ramet elongating to form a dense raceme or cluster of fragrant flowers. Corollas are white, cream, or sometimes pink to purple tinged. As the common name alludes, the species produces a two-chambered fruit (silicle) that resembles spectacles; each round half of the fruit contains a single seed. It is listed on the California Native Plant Society Rare and Endangered Plant Inventory on list 1B.1 and was listed as Threatened under the California Endangered Species Act. Threats to extantoccurrences include OHV activity, marine mammal activity, and non-native plants; it is also among the most threatened of coastal California plants with respect to climate change.Perhaps owing to these threats or some aspect of its life history, studied occurrences of the self-incompatible D. maritima have low seed set

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POSTERS 742

LIU, LUXIAN 1, WANG, YUEWEN , HE, PEIZI 1, LEE, JOONGKU 2, LI, PAN* 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 4 and FU, CHENGXIN 3 1

Chloroplast genome analyses and genomic resource development for epilithic sister genera Oresitrophe and Mukdenia (Saxifragaceae), using genome skimming data

B

ackground: Epilithic sister genera Oresitrophe and Mukdenia (Saxifragaceae) have an epilithic habitat (rocky slopes) and a parapatric distribution in East Asia, which makes them an ideal model for a more comprehensive understanding of the demographic and divergence history and the influence of climate changes in East Asia. However, the genetic background and resources for these two genera are scarce. esults: The complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of two Oresitrophe rupifraga and one Mukdenia rossii individuals were reconstructed and comparative analyses were conducted to examine the evolutionary pattern of chloroplast genomes in Saxifragaceae. The cp genomes ranged from 156,738 bp to 156,960 bp in length and had a typical quadripartite structure with a conserved genome arrangement. Comparative analysis revealed the intron of rpl2 has been lost in Heuchera parviflora, Tiarella polyphylla, M. rossii and O. rupifraga but presents in the reference genome of Penthorum chinense. Seven cp hotspot regions (trnHpsbA, trnR-atpA, atpI-rps2, rps2-rpoC2, petN-psbM, rps4-trnT and rpl33-rps18) were identified between Oresitrophe and Mukdenia, while four hotspots (trnQpsbK, trnR-atpA, trnS-psbZ and rpl33-rps18) were identified within Oresitrophe. In addition, 24 polymorphic cpSSR loci were found between Oresitrophe and Mukdenia. Most importantly, we successfully developed 126 intergeneric polymorphic gSSR markers between Oresitrophe and Mukdenia, as well as 452 intrageneric ones within Oresitrophe. Twelve randomly selected intergeneric gSSRs have shown that these two genera exhibit a significant genetic structure. Conclusions: In this study, we conducted genome skimming for Oresitrophe rupifraga and Mukdenia rossii. Using these data, we were able to not only assemble their complete chloroplast genomes, but also develop abundant genetic resources (cp hotspots, cpSSRs, polymorphic gSSRs). The genomic patterns and genetic resources presented here will contribute to further studies on population genetic, phylogeny and conservation biology in Saxifragaceae.

R

1

Henan University, College of Life Sciences, 85 Minglun St., Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China2Chungnam National University, Department Of Environment & Forest Resources, 99 Daehak-ro, YuseongGu, Daejeon, 30, 34134, Korea, Republic of3Zhejiang University, College Of Life Sciences, 866 Yuhangtang Rd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China4University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL

743 REN 2

COHEN, JIM* 1 and RUANE, LAU-

Conservation genetics of Phlox hirsuta, a threatened serpentine species

P

hlox hirsuta, the Yreka Phlox, is a threatened species native to northern California. The species is known from five populations in the area around Yreka, and the species inhabits serpentine soil. Human development is a concern for the long-term viability of P. hirsuta given the small geographic range of the species and its close proximity to human activity. Using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated via tunable Genotyping-by-Sequencing (tGBS) and 12 microsatellite loci, genetic diversity, population structure, and patterns of migration and demographic history were examined for 192 individuals from four populations (China Hill, Cracker Gulch, Greenhorn, and Soap Creek Ridge). Analyses with fastSTRUCTURE and STRUCTURE, based on SNPs and on microsatellites, recognized three groupings of individuals, with these groups corresponding to China Hill, Greenhorn, and Cracker Gulch and Soap Creek Ridge, and similar results were identified via principal components analysis (PCA) and using Fst values. SNPs resulted in the recognition of greater population substructure than was determined via the microsatellites. The four populations are exchanging migrants, and migration also occurred for China Hill and for Greenhorn with the ancestral population of Cracker Gulch and Soap Creek Ridge. Future analyses will further examine population substructure and patterns of migration as well as the impact of edaphic specialization and congeneric species on the population genetics of P. hirsuta. 1

Kettering University, 1700 University Ave., Flint, MI, 48503.0, United States2Christopher Newport University, Organismal And Environmntal Biology, 1 Avenue Of The Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, United States

744

ZHENG, XINGYU* 1, PUZEY, JOSHUA and COOLEY, ARIELLE 3 2

Mechanism of Flower Patterning in Plants

C

omplex patterning traits such as speckling and spotting offer a great opportunity to explore fundamental principles of plant evolution and development. In our system, the hybridization between two inter-fertile sister species from the Chile Mimulus luteus complex, M. l. variegatus (lavender color) and M. cupreus (orange color) yield a novel, highly patchy distribution of red anthocyanin pigment on flower petal lobe in both F1 and F2 generations. Back crossing and phenotype segregation have suggested a strong genetic basis behind this complex patterning trait, and several transcriptional regulators of the luteus anthocyanin pathway (such as pla1 and pla2 from the R2R3 MYB superfamily) have already been identified. To further address the genetic mechanism and inter-genomic interactions responsible for anthocyanin patterning in the hybrids, we develop

339


a digital image analysis system to investigate the complexity of petal lobe traits, such as the pigment intensity and spatial variation. The quantifiable phenotypical information will be combined with population-wide genome sequencing data (using RADSeq) to enable genetic mapping and analysis. These advances in understanding the regulatory networks allows us to conjecture a mathematical model based on a reaction-diffusion dynamics of the interaction between the activators (a Myb5 and a Myb2b) and the repressor (presumably a R3 MYB). Taken together, our findings will reveal the genetic architecture of hybrid anthocyanin patterning, in a system that is ideal for future evolutionary, molecular, and developmental studies of underlying mechanisms. 1

College of William and Mary, Biology , CSU 6280, 110 Sadler Center, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23187, USA2College Of William And Mary, Biology Dept., 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States3Whitman College, 345 Boyer Ave., Hall Of Science, Walla Walla, WA, 99362, United States

745

CHIANG, YU-CHUNG* 1, PAN, CHING- WEN 2 and HSU, TSAI-WEN 3

Population genetic differentiation and adaptive evolution between populations of different altitude of Juniperus formosana Hayata

J

uniperus formosana Hayata is distributed at different altitudes in Taiwan. There are huge populations at altitudes over 2500 meters in the Central Mountains and only a small population in the low-altitude regions around Chin-Shui Cliff. The difference in environment causes environmental selection, which may induce local adaption among these discontinuously distributed populations, and thus produces intraspecific differentiation. In this study, sequences of three chloroplast spacers and twenty nuclear loci were used to analyze 74 individuals of different populations from high altitude regions, low altitude regions and the WuYi Mountains (China). The topological demography is shown obvious divergence between high and low altitudes populations. The result of the analysis of population dynamics by Mismatch and Bayesian methods shows that both the high altitude and low altitude populations in Taiwan expanded in the past. The most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) was about 2.02-3.32mya (nrDNA) and 3.58-4.28 mya (cpDNA). Between WuYi Mountain and high-altitude populations has detected the divergence time of 0.14 mya. We concluded that that these populations invaded Taiwan during the glaciation periods, and they then hugely expanded. The high and low-altitude populations have kept the unique genes, when habitat fragmentation. While the low-altitude populations were trapped in the low altitude regions in Taiwan. Due to ecological adaptation, J. formosana Hayata developed into various lineages to adapt to environmental variety.

1

National Sun Yat-sen University, Department Of Biological Sciences, No. 70, Lienhai Road,, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 80424, Taiwan2 National Sun Yat-sen University, Department Of Biological Sciences, Department Of Biological Sciences, No. 70, Lienhai Road, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan3Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou, 552, Taiwan

746

UMALI, JOHANN 1 and OBAE, SAMUEL* 2

Phytochemical and genetic analysis of American mayapple

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A

merican mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) and Himalayan mayapple (P. hexandrum) are the two species of the genus Podophyllum that are commercially used as sources of podophyllotoxin, a bioactive constituent used in semi-synthesis of anti-cancer drugs such as Etoposide, Etopophos, and Teniposide. Due to the growing demand for podophyllotoxin, wild populations of P. hexandrum have been overharvested and the need for P. peltatum in on the rise. In this study we sought to quantify the podophyllotoxin content in leaves and rhizomes of P. peltatum using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and to determine the genetic diversity of its wild populations using UniGene-derived microsatellite markers of P. hexandrum. Our findings showed that podophyllotoxin content was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in leaves compared to rhizomes and roots. The correlation of podophyllotoxin content between above-ground (leaves) and below-ground (rhizomes and roots) tissues was positive but very weak (R2 = 0.03). Since leaves are renewable tissues and contain high podophyllotoxin content, they present a great potential to cultivate and commercialize P. peltatum as a sustainable crop to meet the growing demand for podophyllotoxin. Genetic analysis showed limited genetic variation within and among the two populations evaluated. This would be attributed to the clonal nature of this species and/or small sample size used in this study. 1

Stevenson University, Biology, 11200 Ted Herget Way, Owings Mills, MD, 21117, USA2Stevenson University, Biology, 11200 Ted Herget Way, Owings Mills, MD, 21117, United States

747

ETTERSON, JULIE 1, MAZER, SUSAN , FRANKS, STEVEN* 3, WEIS, ARTHUR 4 and SHAW, RUTH 5 2

Project Baseline: the resurrection is coming

A

No Show

lthough it is widely hypothesized that anthropogenic stressors are driving plant evolution across species' ranges, it is difficult to observe these changes. One of the most powerful methods for studying contemporary evolution is the "resurrection approach" where ancestral populations are revived (e.g. using old seed) and grown side-by-side with descendant populations for direct comparison of changes that have occurred over time. Although such antecedent-successor comparisons are extremely informative, the ancestral seed necessary to do the experiments is rarely available. To solve this problem, our team of plant ecological and evolutionary geneticists recently established a new research seed bank, Project Baseline, which will provide old seed for resurrection ecology research for the next 50 years. To date, we have collected seeds from 10-

340


20 populations across the geographic ranges of 65 plant species with diverse life history attributes. Information about species and locations are available on our web page, http://baselineseedbank.org/. The seeds are stored by maternal line (100-200 lines per population) at the ARS USDA National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Ft. Collins, CO. Environmental data and herbarium specimens are also archieved. With this valuable resource secured, biologists will be able to grow genetically representative samples of past populations contemporaneously with modern samples. To dissect the architecture of evolutionary change that has occured beween these time points, researchers can applyi long-established and recently developed genetic approaches. This living genome bank will vastly expand the opportunity this research approach to learn about plant evolution across time and space. The resurrection is coming. To find out how to use this valuable resource, please stop by this poster. 1

University Of Minnesota Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1110 Kirby Drive, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States2University Of California, Santa Barbara, Department Of Ecology & Marine Biology, 4119 Life Sciences Building, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, United States3INVASIVE PLANT RESEARCH LAB, 441 E. Fordham Road, 160 Larkin Hall, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States4University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S , Canada5University Of Minnesota, Department Of Ecology, Evolution And Behavior, 1479 Gortner Ave, 140 Gortner, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States

748

JOINES, JASON PAUL* 1, COOPER, ELIZABETH A. 2, DEWALT, SAARA J. 1 and WALKER, JOAN L. 3

Population structure and local adaptation in Tephrosia virginiana (Fabaceae)

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s is important to understand both adaptive and neutral genetic variation among plant populations. Neutral variation may represent evolutionary potential to respond to environmental change, and adaptive variation can inform restoration efforts. We sampled populations of the herbaceous plant Tephrosia virginiana (Fabaceae) located along wide climatic and edaphic gradients. We then used a population and landscape genomics approach to characterize population structure and potentially adaptive variation among populations. Populations were moderately differentiated across the study area at most loci. Stronger differentiation at several loci was correlated with environmental differences among collection sites suggesting that populations are locally adapted. Tephrosia virginiana may have substantial evolutionary potential to respond to environmental change, but local adaptation should be accounted for when sourcing seed for use in restoration.

1

Clemson University, Biological Sciences, Clemson, SC, 296342Clemson University, Advanced Plant Technology Program, Clemson, SC, 296343U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Clemson, SC, 29634

749

BAUTZMANN, RACHEL 1, PESCH, JARED 1, MURPHY, BRANDON 1 and TIPPERY, NICHOLAS* 2

Assessing the genetic diversity of native and non-native Phragmites (common reed) in Wisconsin

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nvasive species threaten the health of ecosystems worldwide, where they can outcompete and exclude native species. Phragmites australis (European common reed) is an invasive plant from Eurasia that has impacted wetlands throughout North America. A closely related native plant, P. americanus (American common reed), grows in similar habitats and is in danger of being outcompeted by the more aggressive European common reed. In order to better understand the two Phragmites species in Wisconsin, we set out to study their genetic variability and to assess geographical and ecological factors that may influence their respective distributions. We obtained plant material from 21 P. americanus populations and 22 P. australis populations throughout the state and quantified their genetic diversity using eight previously designed microsatellite markers. We evaluated genotypes for 442 individuals in 20 counties across the state. Between two and five alleles were recovered for each marker. All markers were genetically variable within P. australis, and five of the eight markers were variable in P. americanus. Out of 30 total alleles, all but four were private to one of the two species. In P. americanus, two markers showed significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, whereas in P. australis seven markers were significantly different from equilibrium. Surprisingly we found greater genetic diversity in the non-native P. australis than in the native P. americanus, a pattern that potentially resulted from multiple anthropogenic introductions. Our results are consistent with natural gene flow among populations of P. americanus, and rapid anthropogenic expansion of P. australis populations.

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University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, Department of Biological Sciences, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, United State2 s University Of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Department Of Biological Sciences, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, United States

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MCNAIR , MASON C* 1 and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 2

Delineating Taxa within the Sweet Pitcher Plant Species Complex: Maybe Not so Sweet?

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he current taxonomic treatment of the rubra complex within the genus Sarracenia (i.e. pitcher plants) is comprised of six species, three subspecies, eight varieties, and three forma. I plan to test how the current taxonomy conforms to phylogenetic relationships and history of gene flow among these phenotypically and ecologically distinct taxa. Building on previous work, I will perform a comprehensive population genomics study encompassing the

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entirety of the rubra complex, genotyping multiple individuals for each taxon from a multitude of localities. Target enrichment will be utilized to identify single-copy genes and genes associated with QTLs for pitcher characteristics (Malmberg et al. in prep). Using Bayesian phylogenetic approaches, I will test for reticulate diversification within the rubra complex. At the same time, I will assess population structure (Fst, Tajima's D, STRUCTURE) within and among circumscribed species, subspecies and varieties. Covariation in morphometric and ecological traits will subsequently be assessed within a phylogenetic context. I will then develop a more accurate taxonomic treatment for the rubra complex by relating this data to morphometric traits contributing to diversification and population structure. Additionally, I will show hybridization among species and subspecies may be influencing diversification and covariation among morphometric and ecological traits. Plants within the rubra complex are widely distributed from North Carolina, south to Florida, and west to Texas. At localities where these taxa are sympatric, large hybrid swarms are often found. However, despite rampant hybridization, the recognized parental species and sub-species persist. I will attempt to identify the potential genetic and environmental factors allowing parental phenotypes to persist despite ongoing gene flow. Clearly defining taxonomic boundaries and characterizing the roles of hybridization within this enigmatic genus has important conservation implications. 1

University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2101 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

751

LOPES , JULIANA 1, MAVRODIEV, EVGENY 2, CARVALHO, HUMBERTO HENRIQUE 1, ZORZATTO, CRISTIANE 1, AZEVEDO, ANA LUISA 3, MACHADO, MARCO ANTONIO 3, GITZENDANNER, MATT 4, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS* 5, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 6 and VICCINI, LYDERSON 1

and all ploidal levels using microsatellite and DNA sequences of ITS, trnL-F, and PHOT. The genetic distance was estimated using Jaccard and Dice coefficients based on Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Means (UPGMA). A genetic structure analysis was estimated from the allele sizes by Structure software. The sequences of ITS, TrnLF and PHOT genes were automatically aligned using MAFFT. Conserved blocks from the alignments regions were selected with Gblocks as implemented in program Phylogeny.fr. The pattern of the alignment was visually identified. Genetic distance analysis and gene sequence data show that accessions grouped by ploidal level. Comparing microsatellites information and the DNA sequence alignments it is possible to identify some recurrent groups. The triploids form a well-defined group that originated from a single group of diploids. The tetraploids are not closely related to any other accessions, and their origin is unclear. The tetraploids and hexaploid grouped together in SSR and trnL-F analyses, suggesting the contribution of tetraploids to the hexaploid origin. The recovered groups is in accordance with chemical and morphologic data. Only one origin of triploids from a single group of diploids was observed. This framework reveals linkages among the ploidal levels, providing new insights into the evolution of polyploid complexes from the tropics. Financial support: Capes, Fapemig, CNPq 1

Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Department of Biology, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, Martelos, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-240, Brazil2Florida Natural History Museum, Florida Museum Of Natural History PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Embrapa Dairy Cattle Research Center, Eugênio do Nascimento Avenue, 610, Aeroporto, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36038-330, Brazil4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainsville, FL, 32611, United States5Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States6Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

Genetic Relationships and Polyploid Origins in The Lippia alba polyploid complex (Mill.) N.E. Brown (Verbenaceae)

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lant genomes vary in size and complexity, due in part to polyploidization. Latitudinal analyses of polyploidy are biased towards floras of temperate regions, with much less research done in the tropics. Lippia alba exhibits many chemical and morphological types as well as large phenotypic and genomic plasticity across its geographic range in Brazil. The species has been described as a tropical polyploid complex with diploids, triploids, tetraploids, and hexaploid. However, no data regarding relationships among the ploidal levels and their possible origin has been reported. Our goals are to clarify the relationships among accessions of Lippia alba and the origins of each ploidal level. We investigated 98 samples representing all five geographical regions of Brazil

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GOAD, DAVID

Genetic and phenotypic diversity in a halophytic grass

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oil salinization is a growing issue worldwide. Due to its negative impact on crop yield there has been an intense focus on breeding more salt tolerant crop varieties. Part of this effort has been to understand the physiological and genetic mechanisms by which salt tolerant plants (halophytes) have adapted to saline environments. A rising halophytic model system is seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Sw.) an incredibly salt tolerant grass that has found a use as a turfgrass in salt affected areas. Its manageably sized diploid genome has allowed it to become the first halophytic grass to receive a reference genome. Draft assemblies of which are currently available. Despite the recent interest in it as a genomic model system little is known about genetic and phenotypic diversity in wild (i.e. non-turfgrass) population of the species. We gathered the largest wild collection of P. vaginatum to date. We assayed their salt tolerance ability using high-throughput ionomics and genotyped them with genome-wide SNP markers. This revealed a surprising history of hybridization and ploidy variation that are associated with salt tolerance phenotypes. These results highlight the importance of sample choice when designing experiments and raise new questions about the basis for salt tolerance in this species.

Washington University, Biology, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1137, St. Louis, MO, 63130, US

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PTERIDOLOGY ORAL PAPERS 753

SCHUETTPELZ, ERIC* 1, ROUHAN, GERMINAL 2, PRYER, KATHLEEN M. 3, ROTHFELS, CARL J. 4, PRADO, JEFFERSON 5, SUNDUE, MICHAEL A. 6, WINDHAM, MICHAEL D. 3, MORAN, ROBBIN C. 7 and SMITH, ALAN R. 8

Are there too many fern genera? 1

Smithsonian Institution, Department Of Botany, MRC 166 PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States2Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Herbier national, 57 rue Cuvier, CP39, Paris, 75005, France3Duke University, Department of Biology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA4University of California, University Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA5Instituto de Botânica, Herbário SP, São Paulo, SP, CP 68041, 04045-972, Brazil6University of Vermont, The Pringle Herbarium, Department of Plant Biology, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA7The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA8University of California, University Herbarium, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA

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ZHANG, XIN* 1, CHEN, DE-KUI 2, ROTHFELS, CARL J. 3, SHEPHERD, LARA 4 , ZHOU, XIN-MAO 1, HE, HAI 2, GAO, XIN-FEN 5 and ZHANG, LIBING 1

Phylogeny of Lycopodiaceae

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ycopodiaceae contain about 388 lycophyte species distributed on all continents except the Antarctica and the highest diversity is found in tropical regions. Previous studies on the morphology, anatomy, cytology, and molecular systematics have made substantial progress in understanding the diversity and evolution of the family, but major issues remain: (1) The family is morphologically simple and thus taxonomically difficult; (2) The relationships among the genera have not been well established; and (3) The monophyly of many genera recognized has not robustly been tested. In this study, five plastid markers (atpA, psbA-trnH, rbcL, rps4-trnS, trnL-F) of 323 accessions representing ca. 130 (ca. 30% of all) species of Lycopodiaceae were used to infer a phylogeny. The major results included: (1) the tree is resolved into three major clades corresponding the three subfamilies: Huperzioideae, Lycopodioidieae, and Lycopodielloideae, with the latter two together as sister to the former; (2) Lycopodioidieae and Lycopodielloideae are more closely related with Huperzioideae; (3) the family is resolved into 17 clades, of which 16 represent 16 genera recognized in the PPG I classification. The 15 out of the 16 clades are well supported (ML BS≥96, MP JK≥86) as monophyletic except for the Huperzia clade. The Huperzia clade

received weak support (ML BS=50ï¼ MP JK=55) when Phylloglossum is included in the analysis, but strongly supported (ML BS=80ï¼ MP JK=92) when Phylloglossum is excluded. 1

Missouri Botanical Garden, Science & Conservation, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States2College of Life Science, Chongqing, , Normal University, Shapingba, Chongqing, 401331, China3University of California, Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 947204Museum Of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 26 Thane Rd, Wellington, WGN, 6011, New Zealand5CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource , Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu Sichuan , 610041, China

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TESTO, WESTON* 1, SESSA, EMILY 2 and BARRINGTON, DAVID 3

Phylogenetic systematics, morphological evolution, and natural groups in Neotropical Phlegmariurus (Lycopodiaceae)

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he lycophyte genus Phlegmariurus includes approximately 150 described species in the Neotropics, which previous work has demonstrated form a monophyletic clade. Compared to most other lycophyte lineages, this group exhibits exceptional morphological and ecological diversity, especially in the tropical Andes. Because of their simple morphology, apparent convergent evolution, and the recentness of the group's diversification, the delimitation of species and species groups has remained challenging. Here, we present a robustly supported phylogeny of Neotropical Phlegmariurus based on six chloroplast markers for ca. 70% of known species, use ancestral character state reconstruction to investigate morphological evolution in the clade, and define natural species groups. The Neotropical species of Phlegmariurus form a clade that also includes a small number of Afro-Madagascan species. A morphologically and ecologically variable group of species from southeastern Brazil form a monophyletic group constituting a radiation parallel to the remaining, principally Andean lineages. We find support for 11 morphologically cohesive and well-supported species groups in Neotropical Phlegmariurus. Previously recognized species groups based on morphology are not monophyletic. Thus, morphological homoplasy is revealed to be common in Phlegmariurus and complicates infrageneric classification of the Neotropical taxa. Our results provide a useful framework for identifying species groups and understanding patterns of morphological evolution in Neotropical Phlegmariurus as well as other challenging lycophyte groups. 1

University Of Florida, 313 NW 2nd St, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States2University Of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3University Of Vermont, Plant Biology, 111 Jeffords Hall, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States

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756

FARRAR, DONALD* 1, GILMAN, ARTHUR 2 and MORAN, ROBBIN C. 3

757

A cryptic name to match a cryptic taxon—following the trail of Underwood's B. onondagense, a priority name for North American B. lunaria

Insights into allopolyploid speciation in the tropics from Andean páramo species in the fern genus Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae)

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lthough genetic assessments have greatly promoted the recognition of morphologically cryptic species, one cryptic taxon, Botrychium onondagense Underw., was correctly distinguished in 1903 from B. lunaria (L.) Sw. by morphology alone, based on plants from Onondaga Co. near Syracuse, NY. Since then, B. onondagense has been variously treated by different researchers. In 1923, House reduced B. onondagense to a variety of B. lunaria, and likewise, in his 1938 monograph of the Ophioglossaceae, Clausen considered it to be a shade variety of B. lunaria. In 1956, Wagner and Lord concluded that B. onondagense was a shade form of B. minganense, but in their 1993 treatment for FNA, Wagner and Wagner listed B. onondagense as a synonym of B. lunaria. Recently, using morphology and co-dominant nuclear markers, Stensvold and Farrar recognized two species within North American “B. lunaria”, the first, B. neolunaria, being most common in the contiguous US, southern Canada, and lowland Alaska, the second, B. lunaria, being most common in northern Canada and upland Alaska. Underwood accurately figured both taxa, with B. onondagense most closely matching Stensvold and Farrar's B. lunaria. Based on studies of the type and other collections from the type locality, we now conclude that B. onondagense is the same as North American plants currently recognized as B. lunaria, and is distinct from B. neolunaria. In our online treatment of Botrychium in northeastern North America, we accepted occurrence of both B. neolunaria and B. lunaria, but noted that a new name might be warranted for North American plants of B. lunaria, based on phylogenetic distinction between North American and European clades within B. lunaria as indicated by chloroplast haplotypes. We conclude that, with valid publications, both as a species, B. onondagense Underw., in 1903, and as a variety, B. lunaria var. onondagense (Underw.) House, in 1923, these names have priority at either the species or varietal level, if North American plants of B. lunaria are to be recognized as taxonomically distinct from European B. lunaria. 1

Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal, 2200 Osborn Drive, Ames, Iowa, 50011-4009, United States2Gilman and Briggs Environmental, 1 Conti Circle no. 5, Barre, VT, 056413The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10458, USA

BARRINGTON, DAVID* 1 and PATEL, NIKISHA 2

olyploidy is now acknowledged as a critical dimension to successful innovation at the root of major evolutionary events. However, our knowledge of the ecological and geographic dimensions to the origin of allopolyploid species is based almost exclusively on inquiries into North-Temperate lineages and on remote inferences about events that are well past. To address these limitations, a major direction in recent work in our lab has been to resolve the relationships in an array of diploids and their recently originated allopolyploids in the fern genus Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) in the Andes of tropical South America. We have proceeded by providing a phylogenetic framework for understanding the diversity in the region and documenting evidence of allopolyploidy in an array of Neotropical Polystichum species suitable for modeling the origin of polyploids in the tropics. The lineage, a monophyletic group including an array of alpine and highmontane-forest taxa, has diversified over the last 12 million years in the central and northern Andes. The Andean array of páramo Polystichum species comprises three tetraploids, three diploids, and a diploid so far only known as a genome in a tetraploid. In addition, a high-elevation tetraploid endemic to the Talamanca range of Costa Rica and Panama has an Andean páramo diploid in its heritage. A critical step in resolving the history of these lineages has been the demonstration via phylogenetic work that the northern and central Andes have distinct histories: most of the earlier events in the group's evolution took place in the central Andes, which were the first to reach elevations required for páramo development; events in the Northern Andes are more recent. The role of diploid Polystichum sodiroi, the most dissected of the Andean páramo species, in this history provides a model for further inquiry and insight into the challenges. Its tetraploid derivative P. gelidum, which includes as its other progenitor the high-alpine P. polyphyllum, is widespread in the northern Andes and extends into Mesoamerica above tree line. The type locality for P. gelidum is the páramo de la Culata, Colombia; it is also the type locality for the unrelated and non-ancestral diploid P. pycnolepis. To further challenge resolving the complex, Moritz collected the types of both species, as sequential numbers, and he mixed the two species in his numbers, leading to a nomenclatural confusion of amazing proportions, only now starting to make sense.

1

University Of Vermont, Plant Biology, 111 Jeffords Hall, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States2University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

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758 1

XU, KE-WANG* 1, LIAO, WEN-BO and ZHANG, LIBING 2

Global plastid phylogeny of the fern family Aspleniaceae

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he family Aspleniaceae within the eupolypod II clade of leptosporangiate ferns is one of the largest fern families, including more than 700 species all over the world. They are among the most subcosmopolitan groups of ferns, but mainly distributed in the montane and (sub)tropical regions. Though two genera, Asplenium and Hymenasplenium, are generally recognized in the family, few studies have focused on the overall classification and phylogeny of Aspleniaceae. In the present project, DNA sequences of six plastid markers of ca. 1000 accessions (ca. 600 accessions are newly added) representing ca. 60% species diversity from all over the world (mainly in Southeast Asia, Pacific regions, and Americas) in the family were used to infer a phylogeny. The objective of this study is to determine major clades and the relationships among the major clades in Aspleniaceae. 1

Sun Yat-Sen University, school of Life Science, 135 Xingangxi Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou , Guangdong, 510275, China2Missouri Botanical Farden, Science & Conservation, 325 Bowles Ave, Fenton, MO, 63026, United States

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we propose the new genus Baja to accommodate this species and name its sole species, Baja brandegeei. This study again illustrates the challenges of using traditional characters such as leaf architecture, sporangial distribution, and indusium morphology in cheilanthoid classification due to extensive homoplasy in these characters. Duke University, Department of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

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ZHANG, LIBING* 1, ZHANG, LIANG 2, LEHTONEN, SAMULI 3 and TUOMISTRO, HANNA 3

Phylogeny and diversity of Tectaria in the New World

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plastid phylogeny of Tectaria (Tectariaceae) has been reconstructed with largely expanded taxon sampling from the New World. The results show that the New World Tectaria is much more diversed than had been thought 1

Missouri Botanical Garden, Science & Conservation, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States2Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences3Biodiversity Unit, FI-20014, University of Turku, FINLAND

GEORGE, LISA* , PRYER, KATHLEEN M. , KAO, TZU-TONG , HUIET, LAYNE and WINDHAM, MICHAEL D.

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The Long and Winding Road: Exploring the relationships of Cheilanthes brandegeei (Pteridaceae)

A Phylogenetic Perspective on Perispore Morphology of Thelypteridaceae

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mong the xeric-adapted cheilanthoid ferns (Pteridaceae; Cheilanthoideae), the relationships of Cheilanthes brandegeei, a fern endemic to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, have been controversial. Pteridologists have proposed intrageneric alliances with other Cheilanthes species from regions as diverse as the Peruvian Andes and Africa. Emphasizing its strongly fractiferous petioles, Tryon and Tryon (1983) associated this non-farinose taxon with a small group of largely farinose species now generally included in Notholaena. Subsequent molecular analyses of rbcL by Cranfill (unpubl.) suggested that C. brandegeei might be related to the genus Bommeria, an early-diverging lineage of cheilanthoid ferns phylogenetically distant from both Cheilanthes s.s. and Notholaena. In this study, we investigate the relationships of C. brandegeei using a three-gene (atpA, rbcL, trnG-R) plastid analysis coupled with detailed morphological studies. Phylogenetic analyses strongly support the placement of C. brandegeei as the sister taxon to all Bommeria species and identify three morphological features that appear to unite members of this expanded bommeriid clade: leaf indument of acicular trichomes, reticulate to cristate perispore morphology, and lateral position of gametophyte meristem initiation. Because of its distinctive morphology within the bommeriid clade,

PATEL, NIKISHA* 1, FAWCETT, SUSAN , SUNDUE, MICHAEL A. 3 and BUDKE, JESSICA 4 2

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he importance of fern spore perine morphology is little understood. Previous studies suggest that character states pertaining to the often elaborate ornamentation of spores may be synapomorphic for some clades. However, for many groups of ferns the relative utility of various characters and the taxonomic scale at which they may be informative are not known. The Thelypteridaceae is among the largest fern families, and one for which generic circumscription is still contentious. In the present study, we generate sequence data for 16 species, and employ the software SUMAC to construct a supermatrix of published and unpublished data, thereby expanding phylogenetic representation for the Thelypteridaceae to 214 species. We generated SEM images of spores from 46 species and coded perine morphology as seven discrete characters. Augmenting our results with previously published SEM images representing 66 species, we optimized character states onto a phylogeny comprising 214 species, equivalent to 10% of species diversity in the family. Perine character optimization revealed synapomorphies for several genera, including Amauropelta, Stegnogramma, and Goniopteris. Likelihood-based assessment of phylogenetic signal for seven discrete characters associated with spore morphology reveals those which are useful at broad or fine phylogenetic scales. Characters representing macrostructure shape are phylogenetically informative on the generic level, whereas

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macrostructure reticulation is often synapomorphic for subgeneric clades and sections. We suggest that spore morphology is worthy of further exploration as a source of morphological characters with phylogenetic utility. 1

University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA 2University Of Vermont, 111 Jeffords Hall 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States3University of Vermont, The Pringle Herbarium, Department of Plant Biology, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA4Univeristy of Tennessee, Hesler Hall, 1406 circle drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996

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FRANGOS, SAMANTHA 1, KANALEY, KATHLEEN 2 and STEVENSON, DENNIS* 3

Anatomy and morphology of Huperzia squarrosa

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he vascular anatomy of roots and stems is an actinostele with protoxylem of the lobes being composed of orthostichies of the pseudowhorled leaves that are in a secondary Fibonacci series. The metaxylem is blocked out early but lignification is delayed as in other Lycopodiaceae. The leaves have marginal meristems that are basically ephemeral. Major branching is isotomous. However, when young shoots are detached, planted and rooted, new shoots arise from near the cut area. The shoots are cryptic branches that are initiated as anisotomous branches, which remain dormant until the main axis is detached. In rare instances, these cryptic branches grow out on an intact plant. In terms of initiation and dormancy, these cryptic branches are similar to the gemmae of Huperzia lucidula and H. selago. 1

New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10458, USA2Fordham University, Lincoln Center Campus, 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY, 10023, USA3New York Botanical Garden, Science, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

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VASCO, ALEJANDRA* 1, AMBROSE, BARBARA 2 and MORAN, ROBBIN C.

3

The fern genus Elaphoglossum: systematics and molecular genetics of leaf development

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laphoglossum belongs to the leptosporangiate ferns, a group that accounts for more than 95% of the diversity of extant ferns. It has a pantropical distribution and is one of the most diverse genera of ferns with around 600 species. The genus belongs to the subfamily Elaphoglossoideae of the family Dryopteridaceae. Most members of the subfamily are characterized by divided leaves, however Elaphoglossum is distinguished by simple and entire leaves. Intriguingly, there are six species of Elaphoglossum that have divided leaves. Four of these belong to a monophyletic group of 20 species named Elaphoglossum section Squamipedia. Because of their divided

leaves, these four species have sometimes been classified as part of segregate genera. The natural variation of simple and divided leaves in the genus provides a fascinating system to study the evolution and development of leaf dissection in ferns within a phylogenetic framework. To understand the relationships among species with simple and divided leaves of Elaphoglossum, we performed phylogenetic analyses with plastid data. These studies suggest that species with divided leaves are nested in Elaphoglossum but not monophyletic, having had independent evolutionary origins from ancestors with simple, entire leaves. To better understand the developmental basis for the generation of different leaf forms in ferns, we performed gene expression analyses of Histone H4 and Class I KNOX in simple and divided leaves of Elaphoglossum. Our results suggest that differences in patterns of cell division and in Class I KNOX expression mainly within the marginal meristem may underlie the distinct mature morphologies of simple and divided leaves in the fern genus Elaphoglossum. Our results also suggest that there is a conserved leaf developmental mechanism for leaf dissection between ferns and seed plants. 1

Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas, 76107, USA2The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States3The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10458, USA

764

TESTO, WESTON 1 and SUNDUE, MICHAEL A.* 2

Are rates of species diversification and body size evolution coupled in the ferns?

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volutionary biologists have long sought to understand the relationship between species diversification and morphological evolution. Theory predicts that rates of morphological evolution and diversification should often be correlated, particularly in cases where morphological innovation promotes ecological divergence, leading to speciation. Previous research found this was the case in tree ferns (Cyatheaceae), but not so in the primarily epiphytic Polyodiaceae. Here, we use a comparative phylogenetic approach to test the hypothesis that rates of body size evolution and lineage diversification are positively correlated across the fern phylogeny. We used a large time-calibrated phylogeny that including nearly 40% of extant fern diversity, calibrated with 26 fossil taxa. We used mean leaf area as a body size proxy. Rates of diversification (speciation, extinction, and net diversification) and body size evolution were independently estimated using the program BAMM v.2.5.0. We performed PICs of log-transformed body size evolution rates against log-transformed diversification rates to test our hypotheses. We find that rates of body size evolution and lineage diversification are decoupled across the fern phylogeny; thus, we reject our hypothesis that these rates would be positively correlated. Support for a correlation between body size evolution and diversification rates was not significant for either epiphytic or terrestrial taxa, and we conclude that the primary mode(s) of speciation in ferns is unrelated to divergence in leaf area. Unlike groups where

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morphological evolution and lineage proliferation have been shown to correlate, speciation in ferns appears to be driven primarily by a combination of geographic isolation, hybridization, and ecophysiological specialization. None of these processes are intrinsically linked to changes in body size. Under several evolutionary scenarios, morphological evolution and lineage diversification should not be correlated. Non-adaptive radiations, for example, are characterized by periods of elevated diversification without appreciable corresponding functional divergence. Among plants, such radiations are generally considered to be associated with highly dynamic climate and habitat conditions and this appears to hold true for ferns, with montane forests playing a particularly important role. Our study highlights the importance of using a densely and broadly sampled phylogeny as a framework for investigating macroevolutionary patterns across a variety of clades, rather than attempting to generalize findings based on the study of the radiation of a single group. It also provides a context for appreciating and understanding the exceptional diversity of leaf sizes in the ferns: as a marker of their collectively broad ecological amplitude, not a correlate of their rapid diversification. 1

University Of Florida, 313 NW 2nd St, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States2University of Vermont, The Pringle Herbarium, Department of Plant Biology, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA

765

KUO, LI-YAUNG* 1, CHEN, CHENG-WEI 2, HUNG, YU-LING 3, KO, CHIA-WEN 2, LI, FAY-WEI 1, CHIOU, WEN-LIANG 4, WANG, CHUN-NENG 5 and HUANG, YAO-MOAN 2

Heterochronic response to antheridiogen could explain the mating behavior shifts in polyploid ferns

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erns are the second largest group among extant vascular plants and have evolved a complex mating system. Diploid ferns often develop dioecious gametophytes through the regulation of a sex-determination pheromone - antheridiogen. Mature gametophytes secret antheridiogen that induce nearby young gametophytes to differentiate into males (i.e. with only sperm-producing antheridia), and thus promote outcrossing. In contrast, in polyploid ferns, gametophytes tend to be bisexual, having both antheridia and archegonia simultaneously, and under the most extreme situation, a single gametophyte can self intragametophytically, resulting in a complete homozygous sporophyte. However, to date the mechanism for such different modes of gender expression between diploid and polyploid ferns has remained unclear. To shed light on this, we compared the gametangium development in autohexaploidy Deparia lancea and its conspecific diploids. We found that in mix-aged gametophyte populations, the hexaploids are biased being bisexual, while the conspecific diploids displayed a higher degree of dioecy. In the further transplant experiments, we found that for the hexaploids, gametophytes in the later developmental stages, which were matured enough to produce archegonia, were most sensitive to antheridiogen, and, on average, produced more antheridia per individual. By contrast, gametophytes

of the diploids were most sensitive to antheridiogen during the earlier stage when the notch meristem has not yet developed. Our results imply that the inbreeding syndrome in polyploid ferns can be achieved via delaying sensitivity to antheridiogen, and, consequently, their gametophytes can produce both male and female gametangia at the same developmental stage. Our finding is the first to provide direct evidence supporting that a mating system switch in ferns involves a heterochronic regulation on antheridiogen sensitivity. 1

Cornell University, Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Division of Silviculture, Taipei, Taiwan3National Taiwan University, Instituite of Plant Biology, Taipei, Taiwan4Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation and Environmental Protection Foun, Pingtung County, Taiwan5National Taiwan University, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tapei, Taiwan

766

WATKINS, JAMES E.* 1, CAMPANY, COURTNEY 2 and LAWSON, EVELYN 2

A preliminary investigation into the physiology of fern sperm: focus on longevity, velocity, and competition.

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erns represent an intriguing lineage of vascular plants that rely on motile swimming sperm that are largely dispersed by water. Work emerging from the Farrar lab in the late 90's indicated that sperm could live for hours, fundamentally changing the way we think about fern reproductive ecology. To date, little work has explored sperm release time, velocity, longevity, and change in reproductive potential with swimming time. Even less well understood are the impacts that potential competitors have on sperm physiology. The goal of this work was to explore basic aspects of fern sperm behavior, specifically, we examine how velocity and longevity vary across species from epiphytic and terrestrial habitats. We then evaluate if and how sperm physiology is impacted when species are grown in the presence of Pteridium. Finally, we explore the link between swimming time and fertilization potential in a subset of species. We gathered data from 10 species and our preliminary results indicate that longevity and velocity vary markedly across species and variation within our small data set was not linked to epiphytic/terrestrial habitat. Further supporting Farrar's discoveries, some species were indeed able to swim for over 60 min, yet many were active for less than 10 min. Velocity varied across taxa from 0.00011 miles per hour to 0.00045 miles per hour, again velocity in this small data set was not linked to epiphytic/terrestrial habit. The impact of Pteridium is complicated and in the three species tested, sperm extracted from gametophytes grown in the presence of Pteridium can either swim faster (Pteris propinqua), shorter (Salpichlaena volubilis), or exhibit no difference (Serpocaulon triseriale). Data are still being generated on the impact of swimming time and fertilization.

1

Colgate University, Department of Biology, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, New York, 13346, USA2Colgate University, Department of Biology, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY, 13346, United States

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767 CHAEL

LI, ZHENG* and BARKER, MI-

Why do homosporous ferns have high numbers of chromosomes?

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ne of the long-standing mysteries in plant evolution is the origin of chromosome number variation across the vascular plant phylogeny. The homosporous ferns have an average haploid chromosome number of n = 57, threefold higher than angiosperms which have an average of n = 16. Based on isozyme data, it has been hypothesized that ferns have gone through multiple rounds of paleopolyploidy rather than other alternatives such as ancestral high chromosome numbers or ascending aneuploidy. Our previous analyses found evidence for multiple ancient whole genome duplications (WGDs) in ferns and lycophytes. Here, we assembled a large dataset of 157 fern and lycophyte transcriptomes that represents all major lineages of ferns and lycophytes. Using a combination of gene age distribution and phylogenomic analyses, we inferred ancient WGDs across the evolutionary history of ferns and lycophytes. We found evidence for over 30 ancient WGDs and confirm most ferns and lycophytes are ancient polyploids. Across the phylogeny, we estimated that the average fern species has experienced 4 rounds of ancient polyploidy. We also found a similar level of polyploid ancestry for homosporous and heterosporous ferns, a surprising result given the difference in their chromosome numbers. Ferns and angiosperms also appear to have experienced a similar number of rounds of paleopolyploidy. This suggests homosporous ferns have more chromosomes than angiosperms because of multiple rounds of ancient WGD without chromosome loss. We confirmed this result using a phylogenetic analysis of chromosome numbers across the fern phylogeny. Combining phylogenomic and chromosome number evolution analyses, these results enhance our understanding of the mode and tempo of vascular plant genome evolution.

University of Arizona, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, US

768

JORGENSEN, STACY* 1, BARKER, MICHAEL 2 and BEILSTEIN, MARK 3

Evolution and conservation of long noncoding RNAs in resurrection plants of the lycophyte genus Selaginella

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ranscription of noncoding sequence is widespread in eukaryotic genomes. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts greater than 200 nucleotides in length that do not encode a protein. Cellular processes in which lncRNAs are involved include regulation of gene expression, telomere maintenance, environmental stress response, and vernalization. Sequence conservation is positively correlated with tissue specificity, expression level, and stress responsiveness. Catalogues of lncRNAs have been published for species in Brassicaceae and Fabaceae, as well as in the cereal crops maize, rice,

and millet. However, little is known about lncRNAs in plants outside of the angiosperms. The lycophyte genus Selaginella is an emerging model system in the study of plant evolution. Selaginella originated approximately 400 million years ago, and is integral to understanding the evolutionary history of land plants. The 'resurrection' phenotype, wherein plants desiccate and enter a state of dormancy during drought and quickly recover when moisture is again available, has arisen multiple times in Selaginella, and is a prominent feature of many of the members of subgenus Rupestrae. This charismatic phenotype is a mechanism for tolerating long periods of extreme drought. The rapid diversification of resurrection plants in the subgenus Rupestrae coincides with the appearance of the Southwestern deserts, and they may represent an adaptive radiation across arid western North America. In this work, we characterize lncRNA catalogs in Selaginellaceae, with a particular focus on the resurrection species of Selaginella subg. Rupestrae. Leveraging publicly available data as well as newly sequenced genomes and transcriptomes, we use a comparative approach to evaluate evolution and conservation of lncRNAs in five subgenera, including resurrection species from three subgenera. The characterization and exploration of lncRNA evolution in Selaginella is territory that has been previously unexplored; our results add this lineage to the tree of life in the lncRNA landscape, and provide new evolutionary insight. Moreover, this work expands our understanding of the genetic and molecular underpinnings of desiccation tolerance. 1

University Of Arizona, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1041 E Lowell St, PO Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States2University of Arizona, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, US3University of Arizona, School of Plant Sciences, 1140 E. South Campus Drive, P.O. Box 210036, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

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ROBISON, TANNER* 1, GRUSZ, AMANDA 2, WOLF, PAUL 3, MOWER, JEFF 4 , SOSA, KARLA 5, FAUSKEE, BLAKE 6, MCKAIN, MICHAEL 7 and SCHUETTPELZ, ERIC 8

Mobile elements may be shaping plastome evolution in ferns

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enomic events, such as inversions, endosymbiotic gene transfer, and intergenic expansion are often useful markers for resolving phylogenetic relationships. In this study we look in detail at plastomes of the fern family Pteridaceae, and broadly across all ferns to gain further insight into these genomic events. Comparing ancient and more recent inversion events we find a specific family of highly mobile open reading frames that are tightly associated with these events. We name these elements MORFFO (Mobile Open Reading Frames in Fern Organelles). We find that these elements are often associated with intergenic expansion and inverted repeat expansion. The origin and precise functional mechanisms related to these elements remain unknown, but they represent a major driver of structural genome evolution

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in the plastomes of ferns, and maybe other groups of green plants. 1

Utah State Univsersity, Biology, 5201 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah, 84321, United States2University of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN , 55812, USA3Utah State University, Department Of Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, United States41844 Kings Hwy, Beadle Center E128, Lincoln, NE, 68502, United States5Duke University, Biology, 125 Science Dr, Durham, NC, 27708, USA6University of Minnesota Duluth, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States7The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States8Smithsonian Institution, Department Of Botany, MRC 166 PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States

770

LIU, SHANSHAN* 1, WANG , ZHEN , WANG, TING 3 and SU, YINGJUAN 2

1

Chloroplast Comparative Genomics in Three Ferns Reveals Architectural Feature and New Insights into the Phylogeny of Neolepisorus and Phymatosorus (Polypodiaceae)

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eolepisorus and Phymatosorus are two important genera in Polypodiaceae, which also occur great controversies in the classification. To further investigate their phylogenetic relationships, we first sequenced whole chloroplast genomes of N. fortunei, N. ovatus, and P. cuspidatus and compared their plastome structure features based on Illumina sequencing technology. The results indicated that the three fern cp genomes were typical quadripartite structure and high-conserved. The genome size ranged from 151,915 to 152,161 bp with same gene number and gene order. More than 40 cpSSRs were separately identified in the three ferns. Their majority were mononucleotides with C/G and distributed in non-coding regions. Six highly divergent regions (rps16 intron, psbK-psbI, trnS-ycf12, psbM-petN, trnV intron and rpl32-trnP) were detected among the three plastomes and would be very powerful molecular markers in phylogenetic analyses. The further phylogenetic investigation based the three datasets revealed new insights into the phylogeny of Neolepisorus and Phymatosorus. Neolepisorus fortunei was closer to P. cuspidatus than N. ovatus. Possible reasons lie in the trnR-UCG absence in P. cuspidatus and the 470-bp rps16 intron loss. In the future, it is necessary to sequence more chloroplast genomes of Neolepisorus and microsoroid ferns to deeply survey their phylogenetics. Corresponding author: Ting Wang: tingwang@ scau.edu.cn, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Yingjuan Su: suyj@mail.sysu.edu.cn, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31370364, 31570652, 31670200, and 31770587], the Natural

Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China [2016A030313320 and 2017A030313122], Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China [2017A030303007], Project of Department of Science and Technology of Shenzhen City, Guangdong, China [JCYJ20160425165447211 and JCYJ20170413155402977], and Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou City, China [201804010389]. 1

Sun Yat-Sen University2Nanjing Agricultural University3South China Agricultural University

771

EILY, ARIANA* 1, PRYER, KATHLEEN M. 1 and LI, FAY-WEI 2

A glimpse at genes critical to the AzollaNostoc symbiosis

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zolla is a genus of small aquatic ferns with a vast potential to benefit the environment and agriculture, as well as provide insight into the evolution of plant-cyanobacterial symbioses. Azolla has this capability because it houses a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial symbiont, Nostoc azollae, in each of its leaves. These two partners have been co-evolving for nearly 100 million years. Each Azolla leaf cavity houses N. azollae within a mucilaginous matrix. These cavities are equipped with specialized trichomes for exchanging signals and nutrients with the cyanobiont. This intimate symbiosis is unique because Nostoc is present for the entire life cycle of the fern--it is passed down through generations (much like mitochondria) during sexual reproduction. Though we know that this symbiosis enables the exchange of ammonium and sucrose between these partners, we have, until recently, been unable to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms that make this symbiosis so successful. The recently sequenced and annotated genome of Azolla filiculoides has allowed us to compare gene expression profiles of Azolla, both with and without its cyanobiont, using RNA-sequencing and gene ontology analysis to uncover genes relevant to the Azolla-Nostoc symbiosis. We identified distinct expression patterns based on the presence or absence of Nostoc, and more than 100 genes had significant differential expression patterns relevant to the symbiosis. Among them, we determined genes of transport proteins for ammonium and metal ions, as well as genes for the biosynthesis of flavonoids. We hypothesize that these genes may be “putative symbiosis genes,� and are eager to explore their significance in this symbiosis, as well as learn what they may tell us about other plant-cyanobacterial symbioses. 1

Duke University, Biology, 130 Science Dr., Durham, NC, 27708, USA2Cornell University, Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

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772

WINDHAM, MICHAEL* 1, KAO, TZU-TONG 2, HAY, NIKOLAI 3, ROTHFELS, CARL 4, SCHUETTPELZ, ERIC 5 and PRYER, KATHLEEN M. 6

Rapid biodiversity assessment of ferns using low-tech spore observations on herbarium collections: an example from Notholaena (Pteridaceae)

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ith extinction rising to alarming levels, the need for accurate assessments of extant biodiversity has never been more urgent. Responding to this crisis, a number of academic institutions and NGOs have developed rapid assessment programs that send teams of scientists into threatened habitats to document species diversity as an essential first step towards informed conservation decisions. This regional approach is critical to our efforts to conserve biodiversity, but it needs to be supplemented by a clade-based approach that places all species in an evolutionary context. Assembling this broader view is a daunting task, but those of us working with plants have unparalleled (and largely untapped) resources at our disposal: herbaria. The herbarium collections of the world hold millions of preserved plant specimens representing five centuries of human commitment to documenting plant diversity, and there are myriad ways such specimens can contribute to our understanding of species diversity. Here, we focus on the use of relatively low-tech spore observations to document cryptic biodiversity in ferns. Among leptosporangiate ferns (comprising >90% of extant species), differences in spore size and spore number per sporangium within a particular clade are strongly correlated with ploidy level and reproductive mode. These, in turn, are directly relevant to the ability of populations to interbreed and thus are good indicators of cryptic biodiversity. In this presentation, we will explore the diversity of the cheilanthoid fern genus Notholaena, which includes about 40 named species found in Mexico, Andean South America, the Caribbean and the southwestern United States. Initial results suggest that the actual number of biologically relevant taxa may be up to 30% higher than the current taxonomy would suggest.

1

Duke University, Department Of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States2Duke University, Department of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA3Duke University, Biology, Campus Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States4University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria and Department of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA5Smithsonian Institution, Department Of Botany, MRC 166 PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, United States6Duke University, Biology Department, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

773

FAUSKEE, BLAKE* 1 and GRUSZ, AMANDA 2

South of the border: Herbarium specimens from northern Mexico illuminate patterns of genotypic diversity in a wide-ranging apomictic triploid fern

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ew World lip ferns (Myriopteris) are classic in their ability to circumvent sex and undergo apomictic reproduction in extreme desert environments. Obligate apomicts within Myriopteris, as with many other ferns, generate spores by way of premeiotic endomitosis, which ultimately allows odd-numbered polyploids to avoid the formation of univalents during meiosis I (e.g., 3x becomes 6x before it enters meiosis I). This also allows for genomic exchange to take place between non-sister homologues in early meiosis, as has been shown in the apomictic triploid, Myriopteris lindheimeri. Here, we consider the implications of genomic exchange for range-wide genotypic diversity of this obligate apomictic lineage. Specifically, we evaluate genotypic diversity across the southern distribution of M. lindheimeri—which is endemic to deserts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States—using multiple nuclear microsatellite markers, and leveraging herbarium specimens for increased geographic sampling. We review our findings in light of previous estimates of genotypic diversity from across the northern half of the species range, presenting a more complete picture of range-wide genotypic diversity in this apomictic triploid fern. 1

University of Minnesota Duluth, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, Minnesota, 55812, United States2University Of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, SSB 207, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

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KINOSIAN, SYLVIA* 1, GOMPERT, ZACHARIAH 2, WOLF, PAUL 3, ROWE, CAROL 2, DER, JOSHUA 4, SCHILLING, MARTIN 5, MCLENACHAN, TRISH 6, LOCKHART, PETER 7, SHEPHERD, LARA 8 and THOMSON, JOHN 9

Population admixture in the cosmopolitan fern genus, Pteridium (Dennstaedtiaceae)

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teridium has been variously described as a single species with many varieties, as many distinct species, or as an assemblage of taxa between these extremes. Part of the issue plaguing the taxonomy of this genus is rampant hybridization among the various forms. This picture is further clouded by variation in ploidy and complex association of morphological characters across taxa. In this study, we examined four species of Pteridium: P. aquilinum, P. esculentum (diploids), and P. semihastatum and P. caudatum (tetraploids). With radSeq (Genotypingby-Sequencing) data, we used the software package ENTROPY to estimate admixture proportions for

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these Pteridium species. Using a model based on two source populations (k = 2: hypothetically one population for each of the diploid taxa), the two tetraploid taxa appear intermediate between the two hypothesized diploid progenitors. This supports previous findings that P. semihastatum and P. caudatum are allotetraploids, each with a known and unknown progenitor. We also examined variation among subspecific taxa for P. aquilinum and P. esculentum. Further study with a larger samples size of the tetraploid taxa would be beneficial to improve the confidence of these findings, as well as potentially uncover the unknown progenitors. 1

Utah State University, Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA2Utah State University, Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, United States3Utah State University, Department Of Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, United States4California State University, Fullerton5University of Colorado Boulder6Massey University, New Zealand7Allan Wilson Centre For Molecular Ecology And Evolution, Massey University, Palmerston North, -, New Zealand8Museum Of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 169 Tory St, Te Aro, Wellington, WGN, 6011, New Zealand9National Herbarium of New South Wales, Australia

775

ZENZEN, ASHLEY* 1, WINDHAM, MICHAEL 2 and GRUSZ, AMANDA 3

Who's your mama? Exploring the maternal evolutionary history of Woodsia scopulina subsp. laurentiana (Woodsiaceae)

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liff ferns (Woodsia, Woodsiaceae) are a primarily circumboreal genus with approximately ten species occurring in North America. Within this group, hybridization and whole genome duplication (polyploidy) are common. Here, we focus on the Woodsia scopulina complex, which encompasses three North American subspecies: W. scopulina subsp. scopulina, W. scopulina subsp. appalachiana, and W. scopulina subsp. laurentiana. Woodsia scopulina sensu stricto is a widespread sexual diploid in western North America; subsp. appalachiana is also diploid and known only from the southeastern United States. The third member of the complex, subsp. laurentiana was described based on collections from northeastern North America and is assumed to be tetraploid based on spore size. Tetraploid populations of W. scopulina are known from western North America but their relationships to subsp. laurentiana are unclear. Woodsia scopulina subsp. laurentiana is a rare taxon of potential conservation concern. It is morphologically intermediate between the other two subspecies, leading to speculation that these Laurentian populations may represent a sexual allotetraploid lineage derived through hybridization between the eastern and western subspecies. Here, we present what is currently known regarding the evolutionary history of W. scopulina subsp. laurentiana. We examine morphological variability across the range of subsp. laurentiana and take the first steps toward untangling the evolutionary history of this subspecies using cytogenetic and plastid sequence data. Given the rar-

ity of this taxon in the Great Lakes region, we also use niche modeling to identify suitable habitats that might support additional populations. Ultimately, our aim is to elucidate the origin of this putative tetraploid and clarify its relationship to the western North American tetraploid. These findings will serve to inform future taxonomic and/or conservation decisions related to W. scopulina subsp. laurentiana on the Laurentian Shield. 1

University Of Minnesota Duluth, Department Of Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive Swenson, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States2Duke University, Department Of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States3University Of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, SSB 207, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

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PRYER, KATHLEEN M.* 1, HAY, NIKOLAI 2, MCNIECE, ELENA 3, CAI, VICTOR 3 and WINDHAM, MICHAEL 4

Using MaxEnt modeling to predict the impact of climate change on Gymnocarpium appalachianum, the narrowly endemic Appalachian oak fern

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nthropogenic climate change is projected to negatively impact the survival of plants that are dependent on limited microclimatic refugia. Gymnocarpium appalachianum Pryer & Haufler is a narrowly endemic fern restricted to cold mountaintops and algific vents in the central and southern Appalachian region of eastern North America. It is the rarer of the two sexual diploid parents of the circumboreal/ temperate allotetraploid G. dryopteris (L.) Newm, one of the most widespread fern species on the planet. The other sexual diploid parent, which occurs in northwestern North America and Kamchatka, is G. disjunctum (Rupr.) Ching. Here we apply MaxEnt modeling to estimate the potential distribution area of G. appalachianum under current and future climate backgrounds. Understanding the long-term sustainability of narrowly endemic plants is critical in decisions about their management and conservation. Gymnocarpium appalachianum is a good case study for forecasting how evolutionarily significant, but rare, species may survive on a warming planet. 1

Duke University, Biology, Duke University, Science Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, United States2Duke University, Biology, Campus Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States3Duke University, Biology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA4Duke University, Department Of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, United States

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777

SESSA, EMILY* 1, DE GASPER, ANDRé LUIS 2, GABRIEL Y GALÁN, JOSE MARÍ­A 3 and TESTO, WESTON 4

Historical biogeography of the fern family Blechnaceae

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lechnaceae is a primarily tropical family of ferns in the eupolypods II, and includes approximately 265 species. The family has two major centers of diversity, one in the Neotropics and one in Australasia/Oceania, and most species occur in the southern hemisphere. Individual taxa occupy a wide range of habitats and growth forms, and members of the family are characterized (and easy to identify) morphologically by the presence of multiple vascular bundles in the stipe (as opposed to having two bundles, as the remaining members of eupolypods II do). Recent taxonomic and phylogenetic work on the family has clarified the relationships among major lineages in Blechnaceae and expanded the number of recognized genera from between five and nine up to 24. Some of these genera are relatively large, including Blechnum s.s. (30 spp.), Parablechnum (65 spp.), and Austroblechnum (40 spp.), while most are fairly small, with 15 having ten or fewer species (seven genera are monotypic). We undertook the first historical biogeographic analysis of Blechnaceae, to explore how ancestral movements have led to the present distribution of the family. Our sampling included 153 members of Blechnaceae plus 35 outgroup taxa, to facilitate molecular dating and ancestral range reconstruction at the base of the genus. Preliminary analyses suggest a circum-southern hemisphere distribution of Blechnaceae at the base of the family, around 100 million years ago, which corresponds geologically with the beginning of the breakup of Gondwana. A deep initial split in the family established lineages in the eastern and western hemispheres, but multiple long-distance dispersal events have criss-crossed the globe ever since, and many contemporary species in the Neotropics actually diversified there following a much later dispersal from the Old World.

1

University Of Florida, Biology, Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Departamento de Ciencias Naturais, Rua Antonio da Veiga, 140 Victor Konder, Blumenau, SC, 89012-900, Brazil3Universidad Complutense, Department of Plant Sciences I, Faculty of Biology, Avda. Jose Antonio Nováis 12, Madrid, 28040, Spain4University Of Florida, 313 NW 2nd St, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States

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SIRIMALWATTA, V.N.S.* 1, WOLF, PAUL 2, ROWE, CAROL 2, RANKER, T. A. 1, WOOD, KENNETH R. 3 and MORDEN, C. W. 1

Genomic diversity of the Hawaiian endemic Oreogrammitis hookeri (Polypodiaceae)

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he flora of the Hawaiian Islands is well known for harboring a variety of polymorphic complexes comprising morphologically divergent populations that are each treated as either distinct species or as part of highly variable single species. Perhaps the best-known example is that of Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudich. (Myrtaceae) with many recognized varieties, and where questions of the specific status of each are a constant source of investigation. Although the polymorphic nature of many such complexes is obvious based on gross morphology, others are far more cryptic. We have conducted a study that has revealed such a cryptic complex among populations of the widespread Hawaiian endemic Oreogrammitis hookeri (Brack.) Parris (Polypodiaceae). An earlier study of isozyme variation among populations of O. hookeri from Maui and Hawai'i Island revealed that the populations on different islands harbored lowfrequency private alleles and individuals from the slopes of Kīlauea were significantly divergent from those on nearby Mauna Loa, hinting at the possibility of incipient speciation or the existence of cryptic species. The current study was conducted to explore in more detail the genetic diversity and potential divergence among populations typically treated as O. hookeri, and specifically to see if we could find evidence of cryptic species. We used double digest Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) to assess variation among 81 individuals from ten sampling locations from the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi and Hawai'i. We recovered 176 polymorphic loci, which we examined using Structure and Discriminant Analysis of Principle Components (DAPC). We found support for three clusters, one of which was almost restricted to the island of Oʻahu. Maui populations showed mixed ancestry where the samples nested in all three clusters. We propose that Maui populations have high gene flow from each of the other sampled islands. On the other hand, Hawai'i, Oʻahu and Kaua'i populations are diverging from each other, possibly forming genetically distinct lineages. In contrast, a population on the southwest slope of the Kilauea volcano on Hawai'i was distinct from other populations on Hawai'i, even though they were located nearby. The genetic distinction of this population may be an effect of random genetic drift in small populations or an adaptation to volcanic habitat. In conclusion, O. hookeri may represent a cryptic species complex, or incipient species. 1

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Botany, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA2Utah State University, Department of Biology, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA3National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI, 96741, USA

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779 NIKISHA

GILMAN, ARTHUR* and PATEL,

The Nature of the North American tetraploid Beech Fern

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orthern beech fern, Phegopteris connectilis, is known from north-temperate zones in both the New and Old World. Throughout its range, it is represented primarily by triploid, apogamously reproducing individuals, but sexual diploids are known from mountains in central Japan, and apogamous tetraploids have long been known from eastern Canada and adjacent New England. Originally thought to be of hybrid origin, involving the triploid race and the diploid North American P. hexagonoptera, it is now clear that the tetraploid has a different origin. Enzymes, chloroplast markers, and nuclear markers indicate that, while it is of hybrid origin with P. connectilis as one progenitor, P. hexagonoptera is not in its ancestry, nor is the Asian species, P. decursivepinnata. To date, the second progenitor has not been found. We have explored the morphology of the tetraploid, which is cryptic and, indeed, somewhat resembles the originally postulated hybrid combination (P. connectilis Ă— hexagonoptera). The results of our PCA analysis are presented, along with tips for recognition in the field and herbarium, a preliminary range map, and comments on known habitats. Gilman and Briggs Environmental, 1 Conti Circle no. 5, Barre, VT, 05641

780

FAWCETT, SUSAN* 1 and REZNICEK, ANTON 2

The Impact of White-tailed Deer Herbivory on Two Rare Asplenium Species in northeastern North America

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s early as 1947, Aldo Leopold recognized the devastating impacts of Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) overabundance on the vegetation of northeastern North America, noting the disproportionate pressure on low-growing and palatable species. Although the impacts of White-tailed Deer herbivory have been relatively well-studied for woody plant species, where the long-term consequences may be evident by comparing canopy composition with understory regeneration, the impacts on herbaceous species has been more difficult to document. Thirteen species of Asplenium (Spleenworts) occur in the northeastern United States, with eight of the thirteen considered endangered in at least one state. Two rare species, Asplenium rhizophyllum and A. viride, are sympatric in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, New York and Vermont. Because these species are evergreen, they are susceptible to herbivory year-round. In the present study, we analyze the impact of deer herbivory on growth rate of these two species at 40 locations across the zone of overlap of their geographic ranges. A key insight is that while Asplenium viride regenerates all new leaves each spring, Asplenium rhizophyllum maintains each

leaf for longer than two years on average, making it potentially more vulnerable to herbivory, a finding corroborated by greater population declines on browsed versus un-browsed populations. The influence of other factors, including colony height, snow cover, and other climatic and ecological variables are also considered. The conservation of these rare species depends on an understanding of the factors influencing their survival, and White-tailed Deer herbivory has been an under-appreciated threat. 1

University Of Vermont, 111 Jeffords Hall 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States2UNIVERSITY HERBARIUM, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, United States

781

LU, JIN-MEI* 1, ZHANG, LIBING , WEN, JUN 3 and LI, DE-ZHU 1

2

Phylogenetic and Historical Biogeographic of Dryopteris and its Diversification in Eastern Asia

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ryopteris is a widespread genus containing about 400 species, which occurs in tropical, temperate, and boreal regions worldwide. The diversity of this genus is most abundant in eastern Asia; however, the relationships among eastern Asian Dryopteris species remain poorly understood. We sequenced five plastid genes and spacers (atpA, atpB, rbcL,rps4-trnS, and trnL-F), in order to get a better understanding of phylogenetic relationships in Dryopteris, and infer the biogeographic histories of Dryopteris. 1

Kunming Institute Of Botany, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China2Missouri Botanical Garden, Science & Conservation, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States3Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States

782

PINSON, JERALD* 1, CHAMBERS, SALLY and SESSA, EMILY 1 2

Biogeography of filmy ferns in eastern North America

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ith approximately 434 species, Hymenophyllaceae is one of the largest families of ferns. The family is uniquely adapted to tropical environments, where they can be found worldwide, often growing as epiphytes. Their leaf lamina is generally one cell layer in thickness, making them highly dependent on a constant source of moisture in order to avoid desiccation, and their gametophytes often have vegetatively proliferous morphologies that allow them to compete in dense tropical canopies. Despite their prevalence in the tropics, however, a few species can be found in temperate regions, where they are frequently endemic. Their survival in temperate environments depends on the successful exploitation of microhabitats to which the gametophyte is often more suited than is its sporophyte counterpart, leading to a spatial separation of generations. In this study, we used a combined dataset for the plastid markers rbcL and rps4 to uncover the biogeographic

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patterns of the nine species of filmy ferns in eastern North America. Preliminary results indicate multiple colonizations of temperate North America from the Neotropics, as well as long distance dispersal from both Europe and Asia. 1

University of Florida, Bartram 521, 876 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2Selby Marie Botanical Gardens, 900 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA

POSTERS 783 EMILY

2

RIIBE, LINDSEY* 1 and SESSA,

Phylogeny and biogeography of endemic ferns in a biodiversity hotspot

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he diversity of tropical islands has intrigued biologists for centuries and has inspired myriad hypotheses about the processes of evolution ever since Darwin's formulation of the theory of natural selection. Islands provide unique opportunities for asking questions about diversification processes, biogeographic patterns, and evolution in isolated or semi-isolated systems. While much work in the past decades has illuminated many aspects of evolution on islands, there is much we still do not know. My proposed study draws on phylogenetic and biogeographical analyses to better understand the evolutionary history of and drivers for insular fern diversity. Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) is a large and taxonomically complicated genus of ferns with exceptional diversity in the Neotropics. The West Indies, a global biodiversity hotspot and most significant island system in the New World tropics, is a center of diversity for the genus with 31 species found on the islands, 94% of which are endemic. I plan to use the Neotropical species of Polystichum to investigate patterns of dispersal, reticulate evolution, and diversification, focusing on the species of the West Indies, to understand how and why some species become widespread while others remain endemic to individual islands. Including nuclear markers in my study will allow for downstream analyses focused on reticulate evolution within the group, looking at how genome duplication has shaped fern diversity in the West Indies. Many of the taxa for this project are single-island endemics with small populations and limited ranges, increasing their extinction risk. Another outcome of this project will be the collection of spores for ex-situ conservation and propagation, which I will undertake in collaboration with the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which has extensive experience conserving rare ferns. Additionally, I will use the molecular phylogeny from this study to clarify taxonomic uncertainties in Polystichum, so that government agencies can better allocate funding and conservation priorities. Therefore, this project will not only enhance our understanding of fern systematics and the processes that underlie insular diversity, but simultaneously work to conserve one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots. 1

University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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784

STEVEN, JANET* 1, DECATUR, GEORGE 2 and QUICK-COLE, EMILY 3

Evidence for mechanisms that promote outcrossing in the homosporous fern Osmunda claytoniana

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omosporous ferns are potentially capable of both gametophytic and sporophytic selfing, but many fern species show evidence for a predominately outcrossing breeding system. To investigate the possible presence of mechanisms promoting outcrossing in in Osmunda claytoniana, we observed gamtetophyte development at varying densities and estimated the frequency of sporophytic outcrossing. In groups of gametophytes grown on agar, gametophytes producing only one kind of gametangia were more common than hermaphroditic gametophytes. After twelve weeks, 73% of the gametophytes had developed antheridia while only 45% possessed archegonia. Plates with higher densities of gametophytes were more likely to have gametophytes with only antheridia. These findings are consistent with the presence of an antheridiogen system, in which expression of antheridiogens by gametophytes with early-developing archegonia promote the development of antheridia on nearby gametophytes. We also sowed spores from two sporophytes homozygous for different alleles at a microsatellite locus in pots and genotyped the sporophyte offspring. Sixty-nine percent of the offspring were the product of sporophytic outcrossing, and the frequency of heterozygous offspring was consistent with random mating among gametophytes. Osmunda claytoniana appears to possess a mating system that suppresses gametophytic selfing.

1

Christopher Newport University, Department Of Organismal And Environmental Biology, 1 Avenue Of The Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, United States2Christopher Newport University, Organismal and Environmental Biology, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA, 23606, USA3New Horizons Governor's School for Science and Technology, 520 Butler Farm Road, Hampton, VA, 23666, USA

785

VU, AMANDA* 1 and GRUSZ, AMANDA 2

Testing the gender response of apogamous ferns to exogenous antheridiogens: A case study in Myriopteris lindheimeri (Pteridaceae)

A

ntheridiogens are gibberellin-like pheromones that are produced by some ferns during their gametophytic life stage. These pheromones are known to trigger the development of male reproductive structures in nearby, late-germinating prothalli. Antheridiogen systems increase outcrossing in populations of otherwise bisexual, self-compatible homosporous gametophytes. Their effects have been widely documented across sexually reproducing homosporous ferns, which, in the absence of antheridiogens, generally produce hermaphroditic (i.e. bisexual) gametophytes. Despite being well-studied

in sexually reproducing groups, the effect of antheridiogens on apomictic (asexual) fern gametophytes is unknown. This is surprising, given the frequent implication of sperm in the spread of heritable apomixis in ferns. Indeed, little is known regarding the extent of antheridium production in apomictic lineages, let alone the response (if any) of apomictic gametophytes to exogenous antheridiogen. In this study, we test the gametophytic response of an apomictic triploid (3x) fern, Myriopteris lindheimeri, to antheridiogens produced by Pteridium aquilinum (Apt). Onoclea sensibilis, a species with a strong Apt response, is used as a positive control. Spores were sterilized and sown at a standardized density on agar plates, in multiple replicates enriched with serial dilutions of Apt. After sowing, spores were germinated under a 12 hrs light - 12 hrs dark cycle in otherwise constant conditions, and were measured weekly. Staining was used to detect the presence of antheridia on gametophyte tissues. Gametophyte measurements and date of antheridium formation are compared among statistical replicates. Our findings represent a first step toward understanding the role, if any, of antheridiogens on gametophyte development and gender determination in apomictic ferns, and shed some light on the role of sperm production in the spread of heritable apomixis. 12

University Of Minnesota Duluth, Biology, 1035 Kirby Drive, SSB 207, Duluth, MN, 55812, United States

786

ZELLER , ZACHARY CONRAD* 1, NATALIE, TRIESTER 2, KRIEG, CHRISTOPHER 1, MCCULLOH, KATE 2 and SESSA, EMILY 3

Environmental drivers of intra-specific trait variation and adaptation in the fern Polystichum imbricans

S

pecies' functional traits provide important insights into ecological and evolutionary processes, yet the impact of intra-specific trait variation on species distributions has received relatively little attention. Intra-specific trait data remain scarce for many plant groups, hindering inference about the major environmental drivers of plant traits. We address this gap and examine trait variation and covariation in a fern species, Polystichum imbricans, that is distributed throughout most of the western U.S. Specifically, we examine traits related to water use and regulation such as leaf vein density, stomatal size and density, and mean hydraulic conductance of xylem at several locations across the distribution of this species (i.e., from several populations across Washington, Oregon, and California). We tested for major climate drivers of trait variation using environmental variables such as potential evapotranspiration, aridity, soil moisture, and mean annual temperature. Trait-environment analyses reveal that trait integration varies across environments and that optimum phenotypes shift along gradients of soil and atmospheric water availability. On-going analyses will further elucidate the environmental drivers and adaptive significance of trait variation in ferns.

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REPRODUCTIVE PROCESSES ORAL PAPERS 788

CHRISTOPHER, DOROTHY* 1, KARRON, JEFFREY 2, MITCHELL, RANDALL 3, TRAPNELL, DORSET 4, SEMSKI, WENDY 5, PORCHER, EMMANUELLE 6 and DEVAUX, CELINE 7

Evolution of mating patterns in flowering plant populations

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major conceptual challenge for evolutionary theory is the frequent occurrence of intermediate rates of self-fertilization in flowering plant populations. This pattern in nature is not consistent with classical genetic models, which predict that disruptive selection will cause intermediate selfing rates to be rare and transitory. Populations with low inbreeding depression should evolve predominant selfing because more maternal alleles are transmitted through self-fertilized seeds than through outcross seeds. By contrast, populations with high inbreeding depression should evolve predominant outcrossing because the transmission advantage of selfing is offset by the reduced fitness of selfed offspring. Since populations with intermediate selfing rates are common, researchers have sought to develop and test models that explore conditions favoring stable mixed mating. Many selfing rate models explore whether a highly selfing morph could invade an outcrossing population. However, there are surprisingly few empirical studies characterizing variation in selfing rates within populations. Studies linking individual variation in selfing rate to variation in heritable floral traits can enable us to better understand the role of natural selection in the evolution of plant mating systems. Through the use of unambiguous paternity assignment, we are quantifying selfing rates of individual monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens) plants. Floral traits of this bumble bee-pollinated wetland perennial vary widely within populations, and heritabilities of traits such as flower size and anther-stigma separation are high (0.4 to 0.6). We are testing the hypothesis that selfing rate variation has an underlying genetic basis, and that it is strongly influenced by floral trait variation. We then use these parameters in a new model that assesses the stability of mixed mating in flowering plant populations. 1

UW-Milwaukee, Dept of Bio Sci, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53211, United States2University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department Of Biological Sciences, Po Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, United States3University Of Akron, Department Of Biology, Dept Of Biology, Akron, OH, 44325, United States4University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, 120 Carlton St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA5UW-Milwaukee, Dept of Bio Sci, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201-0413, United States6MNHN, Ecology Center, 61 Rue Buffon, Paris, France7University of Montpellier, ISEM, Montpellier, France

789

KARRON, JEFFREY* 1, MITCHELL, RANDALL 2, TRAPNELL, DORSET 3 , CHRISTOPHER, DOROTHY 4, SEMSKI, WENDY 4, DEVAUX, CELINE 5 and PORCHER, EMMANUELLE 6

Tradeoffs between selfing rate and siring success in monkeyflower

O

ne of the great unanswered questions in plant evolutionary biology is why intermediate selfing rates are common. This pattern in nature is not concordant with classical genetic models which predict that disruptive selection on selfing rate will cause mixed mating to be rare and transitory. Selfing is favored in populations with low inbreeding depression because more maternal alleles are transmitted through self-fertilized seeds than through outcross seeds. By contrast, outcrossing is favored in populations with high inbreeding depression because the transmission advantage of selfing is offset by the reduced fitness of selfed offspring. Several models have explored a potential tradeoff between siring success and selfing. This tradeoff is known as “pollen discounting�, and may maintain stable mixed mating in conditions that would otherwise favor outcrossing. Empirical support for this tradeoff has been found in species with large floral displays and frequent pollinator movements among flowers on the same plant. Such pollinator movements increase geitonogamous self-pollination, but reduce pollen export. However, there is almost no empirical work exploring other mechanisms generating this tradeoff. In particular, pollen discounting in single flowered plants has not been evaluated. Such pollen discounting would require that an increase in within-flower self-pollen deposition leads to a comparable reduction in the amount of pollen export to recipient plants in the population. To quantify the tradeoff between selfing rate and siring success in the wild, we established experimental populations of the bumble bee-pollinated wetland perennial Mimulus ringens. This species has a mixed mating system with selfing rates typically between 20-65%. Using unambiguous paternity assignment we are quantifying selfing rates and siring success of every individual in each of three replicate (cloned) populations. Our novel experimental design will therefore provide unique insight into the genetic basis of key mating system parameters: individual selfing rates, siring success, and pollen discounting.

1

University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department Of Biological Sciences, Po Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, United States2University Of Akron, Department Of Biology, Dept Of Biology, Akron, OH, 44325, United States3University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, 120 Carlton St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA4UWMilwaukee, Dept of Bio Sci, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201-0413, United States5University of Montpellier, ISEM, Montpellier, France6MNHN, Ecology Center, 61 Rue Buffon, Paris, France

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790

CHANG, SHU-MEI

Inbreeding depression in the endangered fringed campions, Silene catesbaei

I

nbreeding depression poses one of the biggest challenges for declining populations resulted from anthropogenic or other reasons, such as habitat fragmentation and stochastic fluctuation in population size. This can be particularly severe for endangered species that is experiencing reduction in both the size and number of populations. To evaluate the population vigor and to potentially generate a management plan for an endangered species, it is critical to estimate the level of inbreeding depression that a population may experience when available mates are reduced and, hence, reproduction is forced to occur between related individuals. In this study, we investigated the level of inbreeding depression in the endangered fringed campions, Silene catesbaei, which has only 35 remaining populations distributed in GA and northern FL. We carried out hand-pollination treatments to generate progeny from self-pollination, intra-population outcrossing, and inter-population outcrossing and compared their performances in a common garden. We measured seed number, average seed weight, germination rate, seedling performance, flower production, and above and below ground biomass. Overall, we found significant inbreeding depression across all populations, though populations appeared to have differentiated significantly in several traits we measured. By contrasting different pollination treatments, we make inferences regarding the genetic causes for fitness reduction in the inbred progeny. Results here can contribute to the conservation plans for this endangered species.

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology Department, 2502 Plant Sciences Bldg, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

791

KROSNICK, SHAWN* 1, CAMPBELL, LESLEY 2 and THACKER, J. HEATH 1

Preliminary assessment of selfcompatibility and effects of geitnogamous pollination in Physaria globosa (Desvaux) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz (Brassicaceae)

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hysaria globosa is a federally endangered species endemic to just 31 sites across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. This species typically grows on steep, rocky, wooded slopes, ledges of bluffs and talus areas, and is usually found in these habitats near rivers or streams. Most populations are closely associated with calcareous soils. Little is known about the natural history of P. globosa, though recent work at one population in Tennessee has indicated that soldier flies, hover flies, and ground-nesting bees are the primary pollinators. Both self-compatible and self-incompatible species are present in the genus Physaria. To document self-compatibility, several individual plants were obtained and then cultivated ex situ from a population in Hartsville, TN. For each individual, controlled outcrosses, self-pollinations,

and autogamous-self treatments were performed during March and April 2018. Flowers were collected after 48 hours, fixed in FAA and later visualized with aniline blue staining and fluorescence microscopy for pollen tube germination. In addition, stigma clogging trials were performed using pollen from geitnogamous anthers from neighboring flowers in the same raceme combined with anthers from outcrossed donors. The results are considered in light of potential conservation implications and as well as additional studies recommended. 1

Tennessee Tech University, Dept. Of Biology, 1100 East Dixie Avenue, Pennebaker Hall #207, Cookeville, TN, 38505, United StatesRyerson University, Department of Chemistry and Biology, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON, M5B2K3, Canada

2

792

WENZELL, KATHERINE* 1, FANT, JEREMIE 2 and SKOGEN , KRISSA ANN 3

Geographic variation in pollinators and floral traits in a widespread species Castilleja sessiliflora (Orobanchaceae)

I

NTRODUCTION: The process of speciation is a major focus of evolutionary biology, and is shaped by gene flow and selection. As many flowering plants rely on animal pollinators to reproduce, pollinators directly influence plant evolution, as agents of both gene flow (pollen movement) and selection (fecundity). Thus, plant-pollinator interactions provide a lens through which to study speciation. Though the exact role of pollinators in plant speciation is debated, most models of pollinator-driven speciation invoke geographic variation in pollinators driving local adaptation in floral traits. Despite this, few studies actually measure geographic variation in either plant traits or pollinators across wide scales. Here, our study tests whether a geographic pollinator mosaic relates to floral variation, and thus whether it has the potential to drive divergent selection on floral traits. STUDY SYSTEM: The genus Castilleja (Orobanchaceae) is known for charismatic and variable inflorescences. One such species, Castilleja sessiliflora, displays intraspecific variation in floral color and morphology across its range. This study examines ecological consequences of floral trait variation within a species across a wide geographic range. We ask the questions: 1. Do floral traits and local pollinators of C. sessiliflora vary geographically? 2. Is this variation correlated at the population level? 3. Could a geographic pollinator mosaic be driving divergent selection on floral traits? METHODS: We sampled 10-12 populations of C. sessiliflora to measure floral traits and observe pollinators. We measured morphology and color of flowers and conducted pollinator observations during daylight and dusk. Visitation rate was recorded and compared among pollinator groups and correlated with population mean floral trait values. RESULTS: Geographic variation in floral traits was apparent in inflorescence color and corolla length. Southern populations displayed pink, and occasionally yellow, inflorescences, while northern populations were white-green. Corolla length was shorter in two far southern populations. Pollinator visitation varied among populations and regions. Southern populations were visited by more diverse assem-

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blages of pollinators, while in the north, visitation was low and restricted to infrequent small bees and occasional hawkmoths. The most diverse pollinator assemblages were observed at populations with brightly-colored inflorescences and short corollas. We hypothesize this trait combination may attract and allow access to rewards to a wider array of pollinating insects. However, additional study is needed and is currently ongoing. Nonetheless, we find early evidence that intraspecific geographic variation in floral traits may relate to differences in local pollinators, indicating the potential for pollinator-mediated divergent selection in C. sessiliflora. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Biology and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Gardens, Plant Biology And Conservation , 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States3Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

793

SEMSKI, WENDY* 1, KARRON, JEFFREY , MITCHELL, RANDALL 3, TRAPNELL, DORSET 4, CHRISTOPHER, DOROTHY 1, PORCHER, EMMANUELLE 5 and DEVAUX, CELINE 6 2

Influence of floral traits on mate diversity in monkeyflower

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ultiple mating is thought to enhance fitness in hermaphroditic flowering plants by increasing the genetic diversity of offspring, and by reducing the risk of biparental inbreeding. Although multiply sired fruits are common in many species, the extent of multiple mating can vary markedly among fruits and among individuals within populations. Our previous work with monkeyflower has shown that the number of pollinator visits strongly influences mate diversity within fruits. However, it is also possible that mate diversity has an underlying genetic basis, and that differences amongst individuals reflect differences in heritable floral traits. In addition, almost nothing is known about how floral traits influence male mate diversity - the number of plants that receive pollen from a focal pollen donor. We are utilizing unambiguous paternity assignment to explore how heritable floral traits influence male and female mate diversity in Mimulus ringens. This bumble bee-pollinated wetland perennial typically has 3-5 sires per fruit and floral traits such as flower size and anther-stigma separation have a high heritability (0.4 to 0.6). We are quantifying mate diversity in each of three replicate (cloned) populations. This will allow us to explore how floral traits influence male and female mate diversity, and to test whether mate diversity has an underlying genetic basis.

794

DI STILIO, VERĂƒÂłNICA S.* 1, HARTOGS, SAMANTHA R. 2, MARTINEZGOMEZ, JESUS 3 and TANK, DAVID 4

Characterizing wind pollination syndrome, its tempo and mode of evolution in Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae)

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ind pollination syndrome represents a complex phenotype that has evolved repeatedly in angiosperms, but the mechanisms involved in its origin are largely unexplored. Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae) is an ideal system to study the tempo and mode of the evolution of wind pollination, as this shift has occurred repeatedly from insect pollination. Here, we investigate floral traits and their phylogenetic pattern of correlated evolution in a subset of species within the genus Thalictrum. Our goal is to 1) identify suites of floral characters contributing to the wind pollination syndrome, and 2) characterize phylogenetic patterns of correlated trait evolution, their tempo and mode. The end goal is to determine whether wind pollination evolved through same or different mechanisms each time, both at the morphological and genetic level. Flower scans from live plants and herbarium specimens were used to obtain continuous and discreet morphological data with both pollination syndromes, such as perianth, style, stamen, and ovary dimensions. Multivariate analysis of floral traits using Principal Component Analysis and K-means resulted in species falling into distinct clusters that can be assigned to pollination syndrome and/or sexual system, even after correcting for phylogenetic relatedness. To identify patterns of correlated trait evolution we infer ancestral states of carpel and stamen dimensions under continues models of morphological evolution. Additionally, we found signal of perianth sexual dimorphism within dioecious species. To quantify the rate of trait evolution, phylogenetic comparative analyses of trait data were assessed. A preliminary analysis for anther surface area and stigma length in 20 species suggested that there is more uncertainty (larger variance) in evolutionary rate estimates associated with wind than insect pollination. We hypothesize that this is the signature of the independent origins of wind pollination in the clade, where different mechanisms may be responsible for convergent phenotypes.

1

University of Washington, Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, USA2University of Washington, Biology3University of California Berkeley, Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, United States4University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83843, USA

1

UW-Milwaukee, Dept of Bio Sci, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201-0413, United States2University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department Of Biological Sciences, Po Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, United States3University Of Akron, Department Of Biology, Dept Of Biology, Akron, OH, 44325, United States4University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, 120 Carlton St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA5MNHN, Ecology Center, 61 Rue Buffon, Paris, France6University of Montpellier, ISEM, Montpellier, France

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795

796

The Role of Pollinator Preference on the Maintenance of Pollen Color Variation in American Bellflower

Geographical variation in cone volatiles and pollinators in the thermogenic African cycad Encephalartos ghellinckii Lem

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H

ISON, JENNIFER* 1, TUAN, ELIZABETH 2, KOSKI, MATTHEW 3, WHALEN, JACK 2 and GALLOWAY, LAURA 4

olymorphisms in petal color have been well studied, however mechanisms that contribute to variation in pollen color have received less attention. American Bellflower (Campanula americana) is a common herbaceous plant with pollen ranging from white to deep purple. Pollen color in C. americana displays a longitudinal cline where westerly populations have a prevalence of purple pollen, likely due to abiotic selection for heat stress resistance. However, factors contributing to the predominance of white and light purple pollen in eastern populations and the maintenance of polymorphic populations throughout the range remain unclear. We examined pollinator-mediated mechanisms for the prevalence of white pollen in eastern populations of C. americana. Specifically, we asked the following questions: 1) Are pollinators able to use pollen color as a visual cue in C. americana? 2) Do wild pollinators exhibit a preference in pollen color? 3) If so, does preference vary based on pollen morph frequencies? In a flight cage experiment, we demonstrated that Bombus impatiens foragers can use pollen color as a reward cue. We then established floral arrays consisting of white and purple pollen plants adjacent to two naturally occurring C. americana populations. We varied the pollen morph frequencies in the arrays and observed foraging patterns of wild bees, totaling over 1,100 individual visits. The specialist pollinator, Megachile campanulae, displayed a strong and consistent preference towards purple pollen regardless of morph frequencies. The other main pollinators, Bombus sp. and small bees (mostly Halictidae), displayed no pollen color preference. Both Megachile and small bees exhibited a bias toward male phase flowers and have been shown to deplete pollen from natural populations. Taken together these results suggest that Megachile may reduce the reproductive success of plants with purple pollen, resulting in the prevalence of white and light purple pollen in eastern populations of C. americana. Our research demonstrates that pollinator-mediated selection can play a role in the maintenance of pollen color variation in natural populations.

1

The College Of Wooster, Biology Department, 1189 Beall Ave., Wooster, OH, 44691, United States2The College of Wooster, The College of Wooster (Biology Dept), 1189 Beall Ave, Wooster, OH, 44691, United States3University Of Virginia, Biology, 057 Gilmer Hall , Charlottesville, VA, 22902, United States4University Of Virginia, Biology Department, P.O. Box 400328, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, United States

SUINYUY, TERENCE* 1 and JOHNSON, STEVEN 2

eat and odour production can have profound effects on pollination in cycads. It is therefore expected that these traits would co-vary geographically with pollinator assemblages. Such intraspecific variation, may lead to the evolution of pollination ecotypes which can be an early stage of pollinatormediated speciation. We measured cone temperatures using miniature temperature data loggers and examined the composition of cone volatile odours using headspace sampling and analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in four populations spanning the range of the African cycad Encephalartos ghellinckii. Pollinator assemblages were also investigated in three populations.Male and female cones were thermogenic at pollen shed and receptive stages respectively, but patterns of thermogenesis did not vary among populations. Scent emissions from cones in populations in the Drakensberg mountains were characterised by cis-β-ocimene, β-myrcene, and (3E)-1,3-octadiene while camphene and α-pinene were characteristic of scent emissions from cones in populations closer to the coast. These differences in volatile blends corresponded with differences in insect assemblages. These results confirm intraspecific variation in volatile emissions of E. ghellinckii and support the predictions that intraspecific variation in volatile emissions will be associated with shifts in pollinator assemblages. While further works need to be done to test for local adaption in this system, this preliminary evidence is consistent with the formation of pollination ecotypes in the E. ghellinckii species complex.

1

University of Kwazulu-Natal, School of Life Sciences, Pietermaritzburg2SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL AND CONSERVATION SCIENCES/UNI, Private Bag X101 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa

797

MAKOWSKI, HANNA* 1, GARRETT, PATRICK 2, MOORE, RICH 3 and MAJETIC, CASSIE 4

What makes scents sexy? The chemical composition of Canella winterana during sexual development stages

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loral scent is a complex trait that is often critical to the reproductive success of animal-pollinated plants. Recent research suggests that scent can vary depending on the sex of flowers between and within plants. We sought to determine whether floral scent expression changes as a plant exhibits differences in sexual stage. To address this objective, we used Canella winterana, a subtropical hardwood tree that exhibits a highly synchronized form of dichogamy. In synchronous dichogamy, sexual stages of flowers are temporally sequenced such that all flowers on a single plant express only one sex at any point in

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time. We used dynamic headspace extraction to collect scent of C. winterana floral tissue in female and male sexual phases. Scent was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Biologically relevant compounds were identified and quantified for each sample and compared using PERMANOVA, non-metric multidimensional scaling, and MANOVA. We found C. winterana’s scent to be dominated by 5 compounds, with 42 minor compounds making up the remainder of the scent profile. PERMANOVA/NMDS showed no significant difference in overall scent profile between individuals or sexes within individual. MANOVA suggested that eight compounds were significantly different between individuals, but there were no clear patterns of variation. Three compounds varied significantly between sexes within individuals. Two of these show a consistent pattern: females tend to have one or the other of the compounds, with rare presence in males. Future work should identify unknown floral scent compounds, increase within-plant sex samples, and directly explore the importance of C. winterana floral scent in pollinator attraction. 1

Saint Mary's College, Biology , Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA2Miami University, Biology, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States3Miami University, Biology, 316 Pearson, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States4Saint Mary's College, Dept Of Biology, SR 933 North, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, United States

foot layer surrounds the entire microspore. Tapetal cells invade the anther locule before meiosis and this timing supports the close relationship of Ruppiaceae and Cymodoceaea. On stigmas, the majority of pollen grains germinated within 15 minutes. Pollen tubes first entered the ovule 45 minutes after pollination and by 60 minutes after pollination most ovules had been entered. Modifications to the pollen developmental program in Ruppia give rise to traits that are hypothesized to be adaptive for water pollination. Pollen development in Ruppia will be compared to what is known from other hydrophilous species, as well as closely-related wind and animal-pollinated species and the role of pollen ontogeny in ecological transitions will be discussed. 1

Creighton University, Department Of Biology, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA2Creighton University, School of Medicine, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA3North Dakota State University, School of Natural Resources, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA4Creighton University, School of Dentistry, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA5University of California, Davis, Department of Plant Sciences, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA6University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

799

ROSE-PERSON, ANNIKA* 1, MENGES, ERIC 1 and SMITH, STACY 2

798

TAYLOR, MACKENZIE* 1, AEILTS, LUKE 2, ALTRICHTER, KRISTINE 3, DANG, CHRISTIE 4, GIFFEI, BRIDGET 5 and WILDEN, ANA 6

Fruit Production, Flowering Period, and Pollination of Avon Park Harebells, Crotalaria avonensis (Fabaceae), an Endangered Central Florida Endemic

Pollen development across the pollen lifecycle in Ruppia maritima (Alismatidae): Insight into the consequences of the ecological transition to hydrophily

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T

ransitions to water-pollination (hydrophily) have been repeatedly accompanied by modifications in pollen development. However, comprehensive investigations of pollen development in hydrophilous plants, particularly that which occurs after pollination, are limited. The objective of this study was to characterize pollen structure and development across the entire pollen lifecycle, from microsporogenesis to fertilization, in the hydrophilous angiosperm Ruppia maritima. Field collections and experimental pollinations were conducted, followed by analysis with combined light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. Anthers and developing pollen grains at the sporogenous, microspore mother cell, tetrad, 'free' microspore, and mature grain stage were documented, as was pollen germination and pollen tube development in the carpel. Divergence in exine development between the proximal and distal walls occurs during the freemicrospore stage, resulting in heteropolar pollen grains with a reduced exine on much of the distal surface. On the proximal surface, muri that comprise the reticulum consist of a solid band of sporopollenin, with no infratectal columellae. A distinct

rotalaria avonensis (K.R. Delaney and Wunderlin), Fabaceae, is a state and federally endangered herb endemic to south-central Florida. It is small (<15cm) and occurs naturally on xeric white sands. It exists in only two protected and one unprotected Lake Wales Ridge sites, where its populations are fairly stable. Despite its high annual survival, it has low rates of insect visitation and fruit production. To explore the breeding system of C. avonensis and find reasons for its low fruit production, we observed insect visitation, tracked flower maturation from bud to fruit, performed cross pollinations by hand, and compared genotypes from multiple sites. In 2017, we followed 529 flowers on 76 plants across one population and bagged half of plants to exclude insect pollinators. To determine the importance of cross-pollination, in 2018 we pollinated flowers by hand with four cross types: geitonogamous, withinpatch xenogamous, within-population xenogamous, and between-population xenogamous. lowering began in March, peaked in April, and continued through June. Flowers opened at 9:30AM, anthers dehisced at 10:00AM, flowers closed in the evening, and flowers remained open for 2-3 days. In all 2017 and 2018 observations we observed a single, generalist bee species, Anthidium maculifrons (Megachylidae) visiting flowers less often than once per hour. Only one fruit of 79 was produced by a pollinator-excluded plant, and 12% of open-pollinated flowers produced fruit. Fruit production was strongly affected by location: one patch

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produced 99% of fruits though it held only 48% of all flowers. Fruit production facilitated by manual cross-pollination will determine the importance of different levels of outcrossing to the survival and reproduction of C. avonensis, and genetic analyses of leaf and fruit material will describe the population's genetic diversity. Our results could inform future conservation efforts by underscoring the importance of insect pollinators as well as habitat connectedness, and increase fruit production of this reproductivelychallenged plant. 1

Archbold Biological Station, Plant Ecology Program, 123 Main Drive, Venus, FL, 33960, USA2Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Fl, 33960, United States

800

MAJETIC, CASSIE* 1, CASTILLA, ANTONIO 2 and LEVIN, DONALD 3

Losing a “scent” of one's “self”: is there a reduction in floral scent emission in self-pollinating Phlox cuspidata vs. outcrossing Phlox drummondii?

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tudies of the evolution of self-pollination have generally predicted reductions in pollinatorattractive morphological floral traits over time as a result of relaxed pollinator-mediated selection and/ or positive selection associated with improved selfpollination due to smaller size. Non-morphological traits, such as floral scent, may also become reduced in self-pollinating taxa due to relaxed pollinator-mediated selection. However, evidence for such reductions in floral scent of selfing vs. outcrossing taxa is limited. We explored this possibility in the scent of the predominantly selfing taxa Phlox cuspidata and its close outcrossing relative Phlox drummondii using dynamic headspace extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Scent emission rates were compared between species and among populations nested within species via MANOVA. Of the 37 scent variables examined, only three showed significant differences between species. However, all three were emitted in decreased quantities from selfing P. cuspidata. Emission rates of six additional scent variables also differed among populations, as is common for other plant species. While our findings suggest some support for reductions of scent emission in selfing vs. outcrossing annual Phlox, the retention of substantial scent production, with notable among-population variation, by P. cuspidata suggests continued dependence on pollinators (for either outcrossing or facultative selfing). This is further supported by maintenance of a pollen to ovule ratio similar to outcrossing P. drummondii and showy floral traits, as well as past research emphasizing the importance of floral color in pollinator-mediated evolution. The retention of significant terpenoid emission alternatively suggests potential defensive functions for floral scent, as these compounds are known to have anti-herbivore and anti-pathogen properties. Future research should examine both possibilities.

1

Saint Mary's College, Dept Of Biology, SR 933 North, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, United States2Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves/ InBIO, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal3Section Of Integrative Biology, Austin, TX, 78713, United States

801

RICONO, ANGELA* 1, GUSTAFSON, NICHOLE 2, PUZEY, JOSHUA 3 and DALGLEISH, HARMONY 4

Extent of intrapopulation clonality in Asclepias syriaca

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bstract: Many plants reproduce clonally through rhizomes or stolons. Clonality in plants has the possibility to alter both fine-scale genetic and functional structure within populations. First, clonality may alter the physical location of discrete genotypes within populations. Second, underground connections in clonal plants (either roots or rhizomes) offer the possibility of resource sharing between above ground stems. Using common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) as a model system, we investigate the magnitude and impact of clonality on local structure. Microsatellites were used to determine the fine-scale genetic structure and proportion of clonality within milkweed populations. After identifying clonally related individuals, this information was then incorporated with spatial data to identify how genotypes spatially cluster within transects. Finally, phenotypic functional trait data (including number of leaves; length and width of leaves; number of seed pods) was added to the small-scale geographic map of clonally. Combining these data allowed us to test whether individual milkweed stems were more phenotypically similar based on genotype or fine-scale location within a transect. We found that apical height, stem diameter, and number of inflorescences all correlated with distance across years in some transects, but these traits never correlated with distance in others. This indicates that clone size in A. syriaca varies across patches. These results have fundamental implications for our understanding of milkweed biology and population dynamics. 1

College of William and Mary, Biology, 150 Landrum Drive, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States212075 Cedarcreek Dr., Cincinnati, OH, 45240, United States3College Of William And Mary, Biology Dept., 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States4College of William and Mary, 540 Landrum Drive, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, United States

802

BLAKE-MAHMUD, JENNIFER* 1 and STRUWE, LENA 2

Time for a change: patterns of sex expression, health, and mortality in striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum)

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he ability of individuals to change sex during their lifetime is known as environmental sex determination (ESD). This represents a unique life history trait, allowing plants to allocate resources differentially to male and female functions across lifetimes, potentially maximizing fitness in response to changing environmental or internal cues. We investigated an often-cited example of ESD, Acer pensylvanicum, to see whether it conformed to theoretical predictions that females are larger and in better condition. We also explored whether sex correlates with growth and mortality. We documented patterns

364


of sex expression over four years in populations located in New Jersey, USA and collected data on size, mortality, health, and growth. Using a machinelearning algorithm known as a boosted classification tree, we developed a model to predict the sex of a tree based on its previous sex, condition and size. In our study, more than 50% of the trees switched sex expression during a four-year period, with 26% of those trees switching sex at least twice. Consistently monoecious trees could change sex expression by as much as 95%. Size and condition were both important predictors of sex, with condition exerting three times more relative influence than size on expressed sex. Healthy trees are more likely to be male; female sex expression increases with decreasing health. Growth rate negatively correlates with multiple years of female sex expression. Populations maintain similar male-skewed sex ratios across years and locations and may result from differential mortality: 75% of dead trees flowered female immediately before death. In conclusion, our study shows for the first time that A. pensylvanicum strongly exhibits ESD and that femaleness correlates with individual-level factors in previously unsuspected ways. The mortality findings advance our understanding of puzzling non-equilibrium sex ratios and life history trade-offs resulting from male and female sex expression. 1

Rutgers University, Ecology And Evolution Department, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States2Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution, & Natural Resources, 237 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States

803 JANELLE

UTLEY, DELECIA* and BURKE,

Sex Determination and Resource Allocation in Dioecious Rumex acetosa and Related Species

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he sex ratios in dioecious plant populations are often close to a 1:1 ratio, or are male biased due to gender-specific differences. Rumex acetosa (Polygonaceae) is a dioecious plant in which females posses XX, and males XY1Y2 sex chromosome system. To resolve functional sex among R. acetosa plants, leaf material was analyzed, using a PCR-based technique involving a male-specific DNA marker, to determine sex of the plants. The observed female bias sex-ratio obtained by molecular work was consistent with the view that Rumex populations show female bias, having 13 female individuals and 7 male individuals. Resource allocation has been an observed reason for the female bias in R. acetosa. Males allocate more resources during flower production, while females allocate more resources during seed production. To investigate resource allocation among gender, both the female and male population were split into two treatments of high and low nutrients. The above and below ground masses were observed between the different treatments and the sexes within the different treatments. There was statistically significant differences between the weight of individuals in high versus low nutrient treatments. There was no statistically significant difference between the sexes within different treatments. Replication of this experiment with a larger sample size was done but was unsuccessful due to greenhouse conditions. Sex determination is now being observed using other species, closely related to Rumex acetosa: Rumex tuberosus, Rumex thyrsiflorus, Rumex intermedius, and Rumex sagittatus, to test the hypothesis that sex determination can be observed in other species of Rumex. Howard University, Biology, 415 College St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001, USA

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POSTERS 804

LUTH, JACK* 1, SPURGEON, ALEXANDRA 2 and KRAKOS, KYRA 3

Temporal variation in the pollination and morphology of Campanula americana

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his study focuses on shifts in reproductive ecology of Campanula americana between altered weather years, 2015 and 2017. We compared 2017 data to previously exiting 2015 data and found a shift in main pollinator groups, as well as a significant difference in morphology traits associated with display size for pollinators. The shift in temperature and precipitation, pollination system, and morphology concurrently but with C. americana still not pollen limited suggests a potentially robust reproductive ecology that needs further study. 1

327 Charleston Oaks Ct., Ballwin, MO, 63021, United StatesMaryville University3Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University, St Louis, MO, 63141, United States

2

805

DETERDING, DEANNA* 1 and KRAKOS, KYRA 2

The reproductive biology of a glade population of Parthenium integrifolium

P

arthenium integrifolium is a native plant with a broad range including Missouri glades. We compared the morphology of MO glade populations to the norms across the species range. We studied the pollination system and tested for self-compatibility. Glade populations have large floral diameters in the compound flowers. It is pollinated by beetles and is self-compatible.

1

Maryville University, School of Arts and Sciences, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63141, USA2Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63141, United States

806 JOHN 2

STURGES, LUCIA* 1 and SCHENK,

Staminodial Evolution in Mentzelia Section Bartonia and Their Impact on the Male Fitness of Flowers

A

mong the evolutionary changes that have occurred in flowers across angiosperms, the co-option of stamens from reproductive to nonreproductive structures represent one of the most drastic modifications from a functional standpoint. Staminodial flowers are present in clades across angiosperms, and in groups, such as Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae), staminodes are common. We studied the evolution of staminodes in section Bartonia by first asking how many times staminodes have been gained or lost. A maximum likelihood

approach identified ten transitions, which included staminodes independently evolving at least four times. We then examined the fitness consequences of staminode evolution by quantifying how pollinator visitation rates are effected by the presence or absence of staminodes. Populations of M. multiflora from Bernalillo County, New Mexico, U.S.A., were used in an experimental study to measure how staminodes impact floral visitation rates. Pairwise comparisons were made of control flowers—those with staminodes and petals present—and treatment flowers—those with staminodes removed and petals present. We hypothesized that if staminodes increased the male fitness of flowers, staminodial flowers would have significantly more pollinators. Observations were made for the type of pollinator, pollinator action (hovering or landing), number of visits, location of landing, arrival and departure time, and duration of visit. The most frequent pollinator was Apis mellifera (Apidae), the European honey bee, who landed on the petals and staminodes and quickly moved towards the center of the flower to collect nectar and pollen. Pollinators significantly hovered above and landed on control flowers more often than treatment flowers. The time that pollinators spent on flowers after they landed was equal, despite their preference to land on control flowers. We concluded that the evolution of staminodes has been dynamic in section Bartonia, with multiple gains and losses. A clear benefit to male fitness was identified by increased number of pollinators that visited staminodial flowers, suggesting that the fitness loss of reproductive function of stamens might be offset by the higher fitness advantage associated with increased rates of pollinator visitors. 1

Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA2Georgia Southern University, Department Of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Biological Sciences Building, Statesboro, GA, 30458, United States

807

GLASS , PATRICK XAVIER* 1 and KRAKOS, KYRA 2

The pollination system of Penstemon cobaea in a glade population

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eproductive ecology of a flowering species can vary over time. This study focuses on shifts in the reproductive ecology of a glade population of Pentstemon cobaea over a 20-year span. We collected morphological and current pollination data and compared it with earlier data sets. We tested for pollen limitation. This study found the main pollinator has remained consistent over 20 years and P. cobaea is not currently pollen limited. This stability of pollination system is unusual for a native species in a shifting environment. 1

Maryville University, Arts and Sciences , 16874 Hickory Crest Drive, Wildwood, MO, 63011, United States2Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University, St Louis, MO, 63141, United States

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808

BAKER, EMMA* 1, DUMOND, SABRINA 1, DANG, CHRISTIE 1 and TAYLOR, MACKENZIE 2

Post-pollination development in waterpollinated Stuckenia pectinata

H

ydrophily is a rare mechanism of pollination found in angiosperms in which pollen is transported to the stigmas via the water surface or through underwater currents. Water pollination is known to be correlated with certain pollen traits, but little is known about the consequences of the transition to hydrophily for post pollination development. In this study, characteristics of the life history stage between pollination and fertilization of the waterpollinated plant, Stuckenia pectinata, were examined. Flowers of S. pectinata were hand pollinated and then collected at specific time intervals. The flowers were stained with aniline blue and then observed under a light microscope and imaged. The germination status of each pollen grain was documented and the length of the longest pollen tube was measured. The timing of stigma receptivity, pollen reception and germination, as well as ovule entry was documented. Results from this study will be compared to similar studies done with related hydrophilous species to better characterize this life history stage in water pollinated plants.

1

Creighton University, Department of Biology, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA2Creighton University, Department Of Biology, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA

809

JOHNSON, SOPHIA* 1, SCHURR, PAIGE 1, GARRETT, PATRICK 2 and MAJETIC, CASSIE 3

Battle of the sexes: analyzing differences in floral scent of male and female inflorescences in Canella winterana

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loral scent is an important pollinator attractive trait, but continues to be less investigated than other aspects of the floral phenotype. Previous research has indicated that there are subtle differences in floral scent between sexual phases in the endangered species Canella winterana, a sub-tropical shrub displaying synchronous dichogamy. However, insufficient sampling has limited verification of the pattern. This study expands that sampling to examine the potential differences in floral scent between sexual stages. Specifically, we predicted that floral scent emission patterns of female and male phase flowers will be generally similar except for differences between sexes in the presence or absence of a few minor compounds. Inflorescences from both female and male phases in C. winterana were sampled using dynamic headspace collection. Chemical samples were analyzed using gas chromatographymass spectroscopy to determine compound identity and emission rates. MANOVA and NMDS/PERMANOVA statistical analysis were used to examine differences among sexes nested within individuals in individual compound emission patterns and overall

scent profile, respectively. Results supported previous research: we found similar chemical composition between both female and male stages, with slight differences in the emission rates of a few minor components. Future research in floral scent variation should examine pollinators and their responses to these slight scent differences, which has been seen previously in other species. Such studies of pollinator preference may have implications for the future conservation of C. winterana. 1

Saint Mary's College, Biology Department, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA2Miami University, Biology, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States3Saint Mary's College, Dept Of Biology, SR 933 North, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, United States

810

SCHURR, PAIGE* 1, GARRETT, PATRICK 2, JOHNSON, SOPHIA 1 and MAJETIC, CASSIE 3

A volatile in time: The scent emissions of Canella winterana through its sexual stage transition

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loral scent can have a significant impact on pollinator visitation and therefore can ultimately affect sexual reproduction. Floral scent is also known to be variable between and within species. Previous research has suggested that floral sex morphs (for example, male vs. female or hermaphrodite vs. malesterile) within species can have distinct volatile profiles. However, research on whether these patterns hold true in dichogamous flowers is limited. Canella winterana is a plant that exhibits synchronous protogyny. The transitional neuter phase of this plant falls between the functionally female and functionally male phases, and is a time where neither the stigma nor pollen ridges are fully exposed. Previous research on this species has considered differences between male and female scent emissions but only as two distinct time points, female and male, and not continuously through sexual stage transitions. Using dynamic headspace extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, floral scent of Canella winterana through its full sexual stage transition, including its neuter phase between fully-functional sex morphs, was assessed. We found that fully-functional male and female stages of C. winterana differ in some scent components and that odor from the neuter phase of the plant contains floral scent components of both male and female sex morphs in variable amounts. This gradual change in scent during sexual transitions could have implications for pollinator visitation and subsequent reproductive success.

1

Saint Mary's College, Biology Department, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA2Miami University, Biology, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States3Saint Mary's College, Dept Of Biology, SR 933 North, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, United States

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811

KANTOR, ALEXIS* 1, PRETZ, CHELSEA 2 and SMITH, STACEY D. 3

The Effect of Geography on Intraspecific Cross Compatibility

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tudies in pollination biology provide insight into the reproductive behavior of plants, the coevolution between plants and pollinators, and genetic compatibility. Physalis acutifolia, the sharpleaf groundcherry, is a self-incompatible flowering plant in the Solanaceae family native to the southwestern United States. Self-incompatibility is a reproductive adaptation that serves to promote outcrossing and increase genetic fitness. Accordingly, this feature is present in the reproductive systems of many angiosperms. In this study, ten flowering P. acutifolia plants from three different locations in New Mexico were both selfed and outcrossed within species. The goal of performing crosses was to understand how reproductive variation relates to geographic location. 240 crosses were performed within and between ten flowering plants from September 2017 to March 2018. The crosses were performed by hand in a controlled greenhouse setting. Flowers received one of three treatments: emasculated and not crossed (negative control); pollinated with self pollen (self treatment); crossed with individuals from the same location (local treatment); and crossed with individuals from a different location (remote treatment). These results are interpreted in light of previous breeding system literature on this species and will provide new insight in variation in cross compatibility in P. acutifolia.

1

810 20th St, Unit 204, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States2University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology3University Of Colorado-Boulder, EBIO Department, Campus Box 0334, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States

812

HARKNESS, ALEXANDER* 1, BRANDVAIN, YANIV 2 and GOLDBERG, EMMA 1

Self-incompatibility haplotypes can diversify through sequential mutation and gene conversion

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No Show

he origin of novel complex regulatory mechanisms is a central problem in evolutionary biology. The RNase-based system of self-pollen rejection in the Solanacese is a prime example of this problem. In this case, an S-haplotype consists of a poison RNase expressed in the style tightly linked to multiple SLF paralogs which act as antidotes expressed in pollen. The SLF that detoxifies a given RNase is not found on that haplotype and thus self pollen is rejected, while pollen from other S-haplotypes can be accepted. Clearly, there is no benefit to a stylar poison without an antidote, and there is similarly no benefit to an SLF antidote without a toxin. How then can a new incompatibility allele spread? Here we develop a population genetic model of the evolution of a novel S-haplotype. We show that a novel RNase poison is initially favored because it reduces the fitness of haplotypes lacking the antidote to it,

and a new equilibrium of RNases is achieved. We then show the conditions allowing the SLF variant that detoxifies this RNase to spread through the population by gene conversion before S-haplotypes lacking this antidote are lost. Our results show that a parsimonious model including only gene conversion and known incompatibility relations is sufficient to explain the possibility of diversification of S-locus haplotypes, though additional factors probably determine the rate of RNase diversification in nature. 1

University of Minnesota, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, 1479 Gortner Ave, 140 Gortner Lab, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United State2 s University of Minnesota, Plant and Microbial Biology, 1479 Gortner Ave, 140 Gortner Lab, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States

813

PATEL, CHERIL* 1, ARCEOGOMEZ, GERARDO 1, KACZOROWSKI, RAINEE 2 and ASHMAN, TIA-LYNN 2

Understanding Variation in The Effects of Heterospecific Pollen Receipt: The Effect of Donor and Recipient Traits

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o-flowering plants typically share pollinators which can result in pollen transfer among different species, i.e., heterospecific pollen transfer (HPT). It has been shown that HPT can have negative effects on plant reproductive success but the variation in the magnitude of the effect is large. Negative effects can range from 80% to 0% reduction in seed production. However, to date, the causes underlying the variability of these effects are unknown. It has been proposed that the magnitude of HP effects may be determined by pollen recipient or pollen donor characteristics or by the specific combination of donor and recipient characteristics. For instance, the magnitude of the effect has been predicted to increase with decreasing co-flowering, increasing phylogenetic distance, or with decreasing difference between pollen and stigma size between donors and recipients. However, these predictions have not been empirically tested. We tested these predictions by conducting hand pollinations across six recipient species and four pollen donor species. Hand-pollinations were conducted with a mix of conspecific and heterospecific pollen and a control (conspecific pollen only). We conducted hand-pollinations on a minimum of 10 plants per recipient species (584 total pollinations). We recorded seed set, conspecific and heterospecific pollen on stigmas for each treatment. We evaluated whether the magnitude of the HP effect can be explained by the recipient species, the donor species, or is mediated by the interaction between donor and recipient. We observed high variability in the magnitude of HPT. Our preliminary results suggest that the magnitude of this effect is mediated by the specific combination of pollen donor and recipient traits. Preliminary results also suggest that the effect increases with an increase in co-flowering and decreases with increasing difference between pollen (donor) and stigma (recipient) size. This study will be the first to test, in an experimental setting, the underlying causes mediating variation in HP receipt.

1

East Tennessee State University, Biological Sciences, 1276 Gilbreath Dr, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA2University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA

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814

BARKER, DANIEL A.* 1 and ARCEO-GOMEZ, GERARDO 2

The effects of invasive plant species on pollen transfer networks in Southern Appalachian floral communities

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pproximately 90% of flowering plants depend on pollinators for reproduction. The stability and effectiveness of plant-pollinator interactions are crucial for ecosystem function. Increasing numbers of non-native plants are naturalized in plant communities and may alter pollination success of native plant species. Thus, invasive species have the potential to alter community function and stability. However, the effects of invasive species on community-wide plant-pollinator interactions are poorly understood. While the effects of invasive species on the structure of plant-pollinator networks are well studied. However, these studies have relied on pollinator visitation data that is only one component of the pollination process. Thus, the effects of invasive species on pollen transport and pollen transfer dynamics remain unknown and this may misrepresent the true nature of invasive effects on communitywide plant-pollinator interactions. Pollen transport networks may give more accurate representations of plant-pollinator interactions by providing information on pollen collection by floral visitors. Therefore, in this study I evaluate the effect of the invasive Cirsium arvense on pollen transport networks to improve our understanding of the impact that invasive plants have on community-wide plant-pollinator interactions. Pollinators were collected on one invaded and one non-invaded site once weekly throughout the flowering season (May- August of 2017). Pollen was isolated for each insect and pollen samples were identified with a pollen reference library and counted using a hemocytometer. 154 insect morphospecies were collected carrying 73 pollen species. Preliminary results indicate that Cirsium arvense has no impact on network structure: connectance (0.15 and 0.18), link density (3.01 and 2.23), and weighted nestedness (0.68 and 0.75), for invaded and noninvaded respectively. However, the role of individual species within the network seems to vary between sites suggesting that Cirsium arvense may change community dynamics (identity of species-pair interactions). Future analysis will evaluate invasive species effects at the species level. 1

East Tennessee State University, Biological Sciences, 1276 Gilbreath Dr., Johnson City, Tennessee, 37614, United States21807 Triangle Rd, Johnson City, TN, 37604, United States

815

MEYER, ELENA* 1, SWIFT, JOEL , SMITH, STACY 3, BASSUNER, BURGUND 4 , MENGES, ERIC 5 and EDWARDS, CHRISTINE 6 2

The trajectory of the mating system and factors affecting selfing and outcrossing rates in an amphicarpic species with a mixed mating system, Polygala lewtonii

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eproductive strategies of plants can range from fully selfing to fully outcrossing, but some are mixed, where individuals reproduce by a combination of selfing and outcrossing. Mixed mating has been hypothesized to be maintained as an adaptation to environmental instability, providing reproductive assurance regardless of whether cross-pollination is possible. However, it is debated whether mixed mating systems are evolutionarily stable, because selfers have an automatic transmission advantage that may lead to fixation of selfing unless inbreeding depression is high, in which case fixation of outcrossing is expected. Polygala lewtonii is a species with a mixed mating system and three different flower types: belowground cleistogamous (CL) flowers, and both aboveground cleistogamous (CL) and chasmogamous (CH) flowers. It is also amphicarpic, meaning it produces both aboveground and belowground flowers and seeds, which serve different ecological roles. Previous research has shown that populations of P. lewtonii have high inbreeding rates and finescale patterns of genetic structuring. In this study, we investigated the trajectory of the mating system and the factors affecting the relative proportion of reproduction by selfing and outcrossing in P. lewtonii. First, we investigated whether outcrossing is occurring in aboveground chasmogamous (CH) flowers by genotyping maternal individuals and their seeds. We also analyzed the effects of prescribed fire on genetic diversity, population structure and inbreeding/outcrossing rates by collecting and genotyping leaf samples from populations both pre- and post-fire. We found that most seeds produced by aboveground CH flowers were produced by either selfing or biparental inbreeding, indicating that despite showy flowers, there is either a lack of pollinators or pollinators are ineffective at transferring pollen between genetically different individuals. This species has high selfing rates and shows increases in population structure after a fire, suggesting that disturbance likely promotes germination of selfed seed produced in close proximity to its parent, possibly by an increase in germination of seeds produced by belowground CH flowers. Our results indicate that outcrossing occurs only sporadically and that several forces appear to be promoting the fixation of selfing in P. lewtonii. Future research will focus on analyzing the trends in the mating systems over time and measuring levels of inbreeding depression in P. lewtonii, which is expected to be low given the predominance of inbreeding in this species. 1

New College of Florida, Biology, 5800 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, FL, 34243, United States2Saint Louis University, 2166 Lawrence St., APT 2N, St. Louis, MO, 63110, United States3Archbold Biological Station,

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Plant Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station , P.O. Box 2057, Lake Placid, FL , 338624Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, 63166, USA5Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Fl, 33960, United States6Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States

816

NDEM, JACKIE 1, HALL, JESSICA E. , MCDONNELL, ANGELA* 2 and MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 3 1

Differential reward in “male” versus “female” pollen of functionally dioecious Solanum

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ioecy has arisen several times in Solanum, each time presenting as a morphologically androdioecious breeding system rendered functionally dioecious by the production of inaperturate pollen in morphologically bisexual flowers. The inaperturate pollen produced by functionally female flowers is ingerminable, but is likely retained because pollen represents the only pollinator reward produced in Solanum flowers adapted for buzz pollination. While comparisons of exine morphology have been made between porate (produced in staminate flowers) and inaperturate grains, little has been done to compare biochemical composition as a means to evaluate the potential for differential nutritive rewards depending on flower type. For that reason, we studied the compositional differences between the two pollen types in three dioecious taxa from northern Australia: S. asymmetriphyllum, S. ossicruentum, and S. sejunctum. We also compared these to pollen from the bisexual and staminate flowers of a related andromonoecious taxon, S. ultraspinosum. We extracted proteins with a modified phenol extraction protocol and used a hydrolysis method to quantify the total amino acids along with a profile of total and free amino acids. 1

Bucknell University, Biological Sciences, 1 Dent Drive, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 17837, United States2Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Bucknell University Biology Department, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States3Bucknell University, Biological Sciences, 203 Biology Building, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

817

TAYLOR, DAVID* 1 and ANDERSON, GREGORY 2

Cryptic Dioecy in Stigmaphyllon subgenus Ryssopterys (Malpighiaceae)

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No Show

tigmaphyllon subgenus Ryssopterys (Malpighiaceae) is a group of 22 species of woody vines endemic to coastal and other low-elevation sites in parts of island chains in Southeast Asia and Oceania. These species have been characterized as being androdioecious, but studies have not been carried out to test if these species do indeed manifest this rare sexual system, or if the apparently hermaphroditic flowers are functionally female. If confirmed, the latter would recast these species as functionally dioecious.

In the summer of 2016 we carried out Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis of pollen grains of 11 of these species and found results that correspond to the presence of cryptic dioecy, with pollen grains in morphologically hermaphroditic flowers bearing inapeturate, and thus sexually nonfunctional, pollen grains. This is the first known observation of dioecy in Stigmaphyllon. Stigmaphyllon subgenus Ryssopterys is nested within Stigmaphyllon subgenus Stigmaphyllon. The latter is endemic to South America and has functionally hermaphroditic flowers. Thus, our discoveries suggest that the dioecious condition in this genus evolved after dispersal to island chains in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The pollen-bearing sexually-nonfunctional stamens in subgenus Ryssopterys female flowers might serve as attractants for pollinators, as landing platforms for pollinators (as is the case for functionally dioecious species of Solanum) or fodder for pollinators, whose identification is a part of ongoing studies. 1

University Of Portland, Biology Department, Swindells Hall 108, MSC 163, 5000 N Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR, 97203, United States2University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 43, Storrs, CT, 06269 - 3043, United States

818

TAYLOR, DAVID* 1 and ANDERSON, GREGORY 2

Report of Fungal Endophyte in Anthers of Stigmaphyllon subgenus Ryssopterys (Malpighiaceae)

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n summer 2016 we carried out Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis of pollen grains in Stigmaphyllon subgenus Ryssopterys (Malpighiaceae), a group of woody vines endemic to island chains in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and found the presence of basidiomycete hyphae as well as basidia and spores. The hyphae were found wrapped around pollen grains. Furthermore, fungal spores were found on the surface of pollen grains. Given that this pollen was collected from anthers in closed flower buds, we propose that this fungal species is an endophyte that is producing spores in association with the pollen grains of its host, presumably, as in some bird and bee pollinated plants, in order that the spores be dispersed along with the grains of pollen. Due to the showiness of the flower and the pollen grains apparently adhering in groups to fungal hyphae, it is likely that the pollen and spores are dispersed by an animal pollinator, whose identification is a part of ongoing studies.

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Canceled

University Of Portland, Biology Department, Swindells Hall 108, MSC 163, 5000 N Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR, 97203, United States2University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 43, Storrs, CT, 06269 - 3043, United States

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819

ESSENBERG, CARLA* 1 and BENSON, GABRIEL W. 2

Informative floral reward cues: patterns of correlation between flower size and floral reward production

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any plant species exhibit marked variability across flowers in the production of floral rewards such as nectar and pollen. In many cases, other floral traits, such as flower size or scent, are correlated with reward production and therefore provide information to pollinators about flower quality. The potential impacts of these reward cues on plant fitness are poorly understood and depend in part on the degree to which they provide information about within-plant versus between-plant variation in flower quality. Previous studies have usually not distinguished between within- and between-plant correlations or have measured only one or the other. We measured relationships between flower size and both pollen and nectar production in the ericaceous shrub Lyonia ligustrina (maleberry). Although pollen production was not significantly related to flower size, we found correlations between flower diameter and nectar production (volume and amount of sugar) both between and within plants. These plants, therefore, assist pollinators in discriminating between their own flowers as well as providing information about their quality in relation to other plants. Whether providing such information carries fitness costs or advantages remains uncertain; we hope to use this species to explore fitness implications of reward cues.

1

Dept. Of Biology, 44 Campus Ave., Bates College, Lewiston, ME, 04240, United States2Bates College, Department of Biology, 44 Campus Ave., Lewiston, Maine, 04240, United States

820

HAW, HANNAH* 1 and KROSNICK, SHAWN 2

Examination of functional reproductive differences among floral morphs in Passiflora incarnata L. (Passifloraceae)

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assiflora incarnata is an andromonoecious clonal species native to the southeastern United States. Previous data suggest that there are five distinct floral morphs present on individual plants, three functionally male and two hermaphroditic; each vary in their degree of gynoecial development. Manipulated outcrosses were performed among three genetically distinct individuals to assess the extent of successful pollen germination, pollen tube presence in the styles, and pollen tube penetration of the ovary for each of the five morphs. Germination on the stigma surface is possible for all morphs, but pollen tubes are generally absent from the styles and ovaries for the two least developed male morphs. In some cases, pollen tubes were found in the styles but did not penetrate the ovary. Surprisingly, the largest hermaphroditic morph also lacks pollen tubes and ovary penetration. Cross-sections of style tissue confirm arrested gynoecial development in the smallest

two male morphs, while the third male and two hermaphroditic morph cross-sections show fully developed tissues. Further investigation into reproductive anatomy is being explored to determine differences between each morph. Potential implications for reproductive ecology are also considered. 1

Tennessee Tech University, Dept. of Biology, 1100 East Dixie Avenue, Pennebaker Hall #207, Cooke, TN, 38505, USA2Tennessee Tech University, Dept. Of Biology, 1100 East Dixie Avenue, Pennebaker Hall #207, Cookeville, TN, 38505, United States

821

LEVENTHAL, LAURA* 1, WEIS, ARTHUR 2, BAI, KAREN 3, PETERS, MADELINE 3 and ISON, JENNIFER 4

Selection on phenological traits changes over the flowering season in a selfincompatible annual: Implications for the formation of adaptive temporal clines

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lants mate repeatedly as they open and close successive flowers over the course of the season. This raises the possibility that selection—i.e., the covariance between phenotype and mating success—is stronger during some intervals but weaker at others. Many studies have documented selection pressures changing between breeding seasons; however, few studies have observed pressures changing within a breeding season. It has been suggested that when selection on a focal trait shifts over the course of a season, temporal genetic structure can facilitate the formation of adaptive temporal clines. Our study provides a method for evaluating the changing strength and direction of selection gradients in the annual self-incompatible, Brassica rapa. We used a novel field manipulation to sample and genetically characterize the pool of successful pollen over consecutive intervals in four open pollinated B. rapa plots. All potential pollen donors were genotyped at ten microsatellite loci. We then genotyped 1,885 resulting offspring and used a full probability maximum likelihood framework to calculate donor siring success, and thus selection via male fitness. To gain insight on how small-scale spatial distribution impacted pollen movement, donors were aggregated into dense clusters in two plots, but uniformly distributed in the others. We reconstructed the paternity of offspring from a large field experiment using a Bayesian maximum likelihood paternity analysis. After assigning paternity, we evaluated the strength and direction of selection via selection gradients on start date, total number of flowers, and skew at seven points within a breeding season. We also calculated pairwise spatial distance between father-offspring pairs. We found directional selection via male fitness towards a late start date and hypothesis that this could be a mechanism for the maintenance of flowering time variation. Additionally, we found directional selection towards more total flowers during peak and late season. These results, as well as the distance pollen moved, were dependent on the spatial distribution of the plants. Together, our results suggest that with limited gene flow and the right selec-

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tive pressures, an adaptive temporal cline is possible in plants with heritable flowering times. 1

The College of Wooster, The College of Wooster (Biology Dept), 1189 Beall Ave, Wooster, OH, 44691, United States2University of Toronto, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S , Canada3University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada4The College Of Wooster, Biology Department, 1189 Beall Ave., Wooster, OH, 44691, United States

822

SAUNDERS, MADISEN* 1 and KROSNICK, SHAWN 2

Reproductive characteristics of Physaria globosa (Desvaux) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz (Brassicaceae) as measured in an exsitu cultivated population in Putnam County, TN

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hysaria globosa is a federally endangered species endemic to Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. This species grows on steep, rocky, slopes, bluffs and talus areas, and is usually found in these habitats near rivers or streams. Because of this, P. globosa faces many threats, including road construction, soil erosion, forest succession, invasive plant species, and small population sizes. To better understand how to aid in conservation efforts for this species, a thorough understanding of its reproductive characteristics is required. Approximately seven individuals were transplanted from the wild population and cultivated ex-situ in the Native Plant Garden at Tennessee Technological University. These were examined in March through May 2018 to determine the average number of pollen grains per anther, the length of time required for pollen to germinate on the stigma and reach the ovules, and the duration of stigma receptivity during floral anthesis. The resulting information will be useful for considering the broader implications of studies on P. globosa and its pollinators. In addition, these data can be used strategically to increase the chances of successfull pollination events in both field and cultivated populations.

823

WHALEY, SHELBY* and KRAKOS, KYRA

Winter drought impact on the reproductive ecology of Ratibida pinnata

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emperate plant reproductive biology can be impacted by events such as climate change. In this study, the reproductive success of a Missouri native plant, Ratibida pinnata, is determined by comparing milder winter with low precipitation and more intense summers. Pollinator observations, pollen loads and seed viability were measured to determine current main pollinators and pollination success in drought and non-drought years. We found morphological changes occur along with a shift from Bombus to Halictidae pollination in drought years. These shifts did not result in pollen limitation. Further collection is needed to determine long-term effects. Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University, St Louis, MO, 63141, United States

1

Tennessee Tech University, Department of Biology, 1100 North Dixie Avenue, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA2Tennessee Tech University, Dept. Of Biology, 1100 East Dixie Avenue, Pennebaker Hall #207, Cookeville, TN, 38505, United States

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SYMBIOSES: PLANT, ANIMAL, AND MICROBE INTERACTIONS ORAL PAPERS 824

ILYAS, NOSHIN* and ROOMINA, MAZHAR

Soil and its Microorganisms: A case study for Sustainable Agriculture under Pakistan's Climatic Change Conditions

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ackground: Pakistan is 7th most vulnerable country to climate change.There is dire need to manage the risks to sustainable agriculture in an environment threatened by climate change. Land is a limited resource and stresses such as, drought, salinity, and heavy metal are decreasing agricultural productivity day by day. Building our understanding of the interdependence of micro-organism communities, soil nutrient status and plant health will be important for understanding climatic effects on agriculture. Aim: To check the potential of Plant growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and various modified biomasses as effective soil amendment techniques for improving wheat crop growth under various abiotic stresses. Methodology: Experiments were conducted to isolate and characterize stress tolerant Plant growth Promoting Rhizobacteria, and to check their potential to mitigate the deleterious effects of stress when inoculated. Plant biomasses were modified as compost, biochar, and bio-organic fertilizer and were used as soil amendments techniques for their ability to help the plants to combat stresses. Various morphological, physiological, biochemical, growth and productivity parameters were studied. Results: Microbial strains were isolated from the stress (drought, salinity and heavy metal) effected region. The identification of isolated microbial strains was carried out by physiochemical and 16s rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Stress tolerance and different plant growth-promoting traits of isolated strains were evaluated under normal as well as in stress condition. Abiotic stresses adversely affects morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of the wheat plant. Inoculation of seeds with PGPR along with compost, biochar and bio-organic fertilizer improved all growth and productivity parameters, increased nutrient status and improved osmolyte production and hence helped the survival and growth under stress conditions. Conclusion: It is concluded from this research that efficient PGPR strains in combination with compost, biochar and bio-organic fertilizer considerably reduce the effect of drought, salinity and heavy metal stress on wheat crop.

PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpinidi, Department of Botany, Rawalpinidi, Punjab, 46300, PAK

825

MALIK , RONDY J* 1 and EISSENSTAT, DAVID M 2

Rhizosphere ecology: does rhizospheric saprotrophs require living roots for recalcitrant litter decomposition

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lthough root chemical leachates, or rhizodeposits, may select, promote, and facilitate rhizosphere establishment, it is unclear of the role of living roots for sustaining a functional rhizosphere. In the context of recalcitrant litter decomposition, specifically coarse woody debris, how important are rhizospheric microbial communities associated with living roots in contrast to rhizospheric microbial communities without roots (legacy effects)?. We hypothesize that the presence of live roots will enhance decomposition. To test this hypothesis, rhizospheres of arbuscular mycorrhizal sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and ectomycorrhizal white oak (Quercus alba) were tested at two old growth forests and a common garden in Central Pennsylvania. Wood substrate was placed into the rhizosphere of either A. saccharum and Q. alba in the presence of roots (+roots), while as a control, wood substrate was placed in the same rhizospheres, but live root exposure was eliminated by trenching (-roots). In both tree species, live roots promoted faster decomposition. Faster wood decomposition was associated with greater mycelial colonization and wood rot in rhizospheres with living roots. Sites were a significant covariate, which may be due to composition and activity of saprotrophs due to different bedrock or parent material. Although additional work is needed to determine the extent in which roots can facilitate wood decomposition, these findings suggest that live roots are not only required for rhizosphere establishment, but also for sustaining ecosystem functions like decomposition. 1

The Pennsylvania State University, The Huck Institute of Life Sciences - Ecology Program, University Park, PA, 16802, USA2Penn State University, Ecosystem Science And Managment, 201 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, United States

826

SABA, MALKA

Diversity and community structure of Ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Pinus roxburghii and P. wallichiana across the western Himalayan forests of Pakistan

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iversity of ECM fungi were investigated both above-ground and below-ground associated with Pinus roxburghii and P. wallichiana growing in pure stands situated in western Himalayan region of Pakistan. We used direct sequencing of internal transcribed spacer region of nrDNA for the identification of sporocarps and ECM root tips. We have detected fifty fruit bodies and fifty six operational taxonomic units. The dominant above-ground fungus identified was Russula in association with Pinus

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roxburghii followed by Astraeus and Inocybe while Inocybe was the dominant genus associated with P. wallichiana followed by Russula and Lactarius. Inspite of several common taxa, Cortinarius species were exclusively found in association with P. wallichiana. Amongst the Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), members of the lineage russula-lactarius were found dominant in association with both host trees. Following are commonly associated ECM genera with both Pinus species; Amphinema, Inocybe, Lactarius, Russula, Sebacina and Tomentella. Inspite of these common taxa, Cenococcum, Helvellosebacina and Gymnomyces species were specifically found in association with P. roxburghii and Suillus and Tuber species were identified exclusively in association with P. wallichiana. Percent of taxa calculated from representative taxonomic groups in both above- and below-ground survey indicate the dominance of members of Inocybaceae aboveground while members of Russulaceae were abundant belowground. Taxa of Inocybaceae, Russulaceae and Suillaceae were collected during both above- and below-ground investigation. Different diversity patterns and fungal species composition identified in association with both host trees suggests that in addition to the spatial factors, host species also plays important role in structuring the ECM fungal community. University of Gujrat, Botany, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, Punjab, 50700, Pakistan

microbial communities associated with the orchids by analyzing soil samples obtained from each of the orchid sites as well as from sites of high-quality prairie but without known populations. Samples were collected at varying distances from the plants, allowing comparisons of microbial community profiles. To obtain a more complete picture of the communities, a two-pronged approach was used for DNA sequencing. To inform on the microbial diversity across the different samples, we used amplicon sequencing, targeting the 16S rRNA gene (bacteria & archaea) as well as ITS (fungi). A shotgun metagenomics approach was used to gain insights on the functional characteristics of the microbiome. Our results indicate that the taxonomic composition of the bacterial communities can differ significantly between some sites but not within a same site at varying distances from the orchids. This would indicate certain plasticity and tolerance for distinctly diverse microbiomes. 1 1210 Vine St, Fulton, MO, 65251, United States2Missouri Department of Conservation, Mo, USA3North Carolina State University, Department of Biological Sciences, NC, USA4University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

828 JYOTI

TWAYANA , MOON* and SHAH,

827

A putative resistance gene RESISTANCE TO Myzus persicae (RMP) is required for the plant defense against the green peach aphid

Characterizing the soil microbiome of two endangered orchids

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RAVELO, ANDREA* 1, BUBACK, STEVEN 2, CONANT, GAVIN 3 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 4

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he western and eastern prairie fringed orchids (Platanthera praeclara and P. leucophaea, respectively) had historic ranges throughout most of North America but, with the cultivation of the prairie, suffered great habitat loss and fragmentation. Consequently, their populations were adversely affected and they are now federally listed as threatened. In Missouri, the only known populations of these orchids have been closely monitored for over twenty years by the Department of Conservation but there are still many unknowns regarding the biotic and abiotic factors that affect them. Like all orchids, they are obligate dependents on mycorrhizal fungi for the successful germination of their seeds, resulting in a relationship with a significant impact on the orchid life cycle. However, mycorrhizae are just one component of the orchid microbial community. Other members such as bacteria, archaea and non-mycorrhizal fungi also interact and affect the plant's growth and development. This underground network might influence the abundance and distribution of orchids, which is of particular importance in species of conservation concern. Furthermore, understanding the characteristics of the soil microbiota of endangered species could provide key insights when evaluating potential habitat for species reintroduction and management. This study aimed to characterize the

esistance genes have principal functions in plant defense against pathogens and pests. The RESISTANCE AGAINST POWDERY MILDEW8 (RPW8) locus of Arabidopsis thaliana accession Moscow-0 (Ms0) has two non-canonical resistance genes RPW8.1 and RPW8.2 that confer resistance against powdery mildew. In the accession Columbia (Col-0), which is susceptible to the powdery mildew, this locus contains the RESISTANCE TO Myzus persicae (RMP) gene instead of RPW8.1 and RPW8.2. We find that RMP contributes to basal resistance against the green peach aphid (GPA; Myzus persicae Sülzer), which is an important pest of a wide variety of plants from over 130 families. In no-choice assay, which monitors the combined effects of antixenosis and antibiosis, the GPA colonization was greater on the rmp mutant than in wild type (WT). Aphid fecundity was significantly higher on the rmp mutant than on the WT. Artificial diet assays demonstrated that phloem sap-enriched petiole exudates collected from the rmp mutant accumulate lower levels of an antibiosis activity against the GPA, which results in increased fecundity of the GPA on the rmp mutant compared to the WT. Although when given a choice the GPA does not show preference in which plants it chooses to settle on, dispersal assays indicate that in comparison to the WT plants, emigration of GPA from rmp mutant was reduced, thus indicating that the insect prefers to stay on rmp plant compared to

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the WT plant. RMP is required for turning on the premature senescence and cell-death in response to elicitors derived from GPA. We hypothesize that RMP is required for response to the aphid-derived elicitors of plant defense. Future efforts are directed towards understanding the molecular and physiological mechanism underlying RMP’s function in defense against the GPA University of North Texas, Biological Sciences, Denton, Texas, 76203, USA

829

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SMITH, TYLER* , WANG, SONG , JAVOREK, STEVE 3, GRANT, MATT 4 and CARDINAL, SOPHIE 2 2

Discovering plant-pollinator networks in lowbush blueberry cultivation with pollen metabarcoding

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ollinator decline is a serious concern for the economic sustainability of blueberry production. North American growers produce close to 500 million pounds of blueberries each year, and the crop is entirely dependent on a combination of native and managed bee pollinators. Although the diverse bee fauna associated with lowbush blueberry is well described, the food sources necessary to sustain their populations before and after crop flowering (and in non-crop years) are poorly understood. e are addressing this knowledge gap by applying an NGS metabarcoding protocol to identify pollens collected from wild and managed bees sampled in lowbush blueberry fields in Nova Scotia, Canada. This work is ongoing, and we will report on the technical challenges and lessons learned in processing the first half of the nearly 4000 samples collected for our project. We have overcome issues with pollen collection and DNA extraction, library preparation and sequencing. Having worked out the laboratory protocols, we are now optimizing the bioinformatics workflow, built around vsearch, and using our own ITS2 reference database. The bees from which the pollens were taken are being identified through a combination of morphological examination and DNA barcoding. nce we have completed data collection, including the identification of our bees, we will be able to define the seasonal food web of the lowbush blueberry pollinator guild. Concurrent projects are assessing pathogen transfer between honeybees and native species, and blueberry pollination rates. We will use the complete data set to inform the development of vegetation management plans to provide nutrition to the blueberry pollinator community throughout the growing season.

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Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C6, Canada3Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville, Nova Scotia, B4N 1J5, Canada4Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville, Ontario, B4N 1J5, Canada

830

STEPHENS, JESSICA* 1, DETERMANN, RON 2, KESSLER, ANDRE 3, FOLKERTS, DEBBIE 4, RAGUSO, ROBERT 5 and MALMBERG, RUSSELL 6

Carnivorous plant syndromes: Suites of phenotypic traits associate with prey captured across the genus Sarracenia

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arnivorous plants display a tremendous amount of morphological variation in trapping structures that have been hypothesized to be the result of selective pressures to specialization in prey capture. While there have been studies to quantify prey types across carnivorous plant species, few studies have directly measured both trapping traits and prey capture. Here, we identified captured prey and measured nine trapping traits thought to influence prey capture across the New World pitcher plant genus Sarracenia. After controlling for phylogeny, we found significant covariation in trapping traits so that height was positively correlated with width of the pitcher mouth (peristome) and trichome density under the hood of the pitcher. Height was negatively correlated with trichome density along the exterior of the pitcher and the ala width. Furthermore, we found that these covarying suites of traits were highly correlated with the type of prey they captured. Smaller pitcher plants caught more ground crawling prey (e.g., ants, millipedes, snails) and taller species caught more flying prey types (e.g., bees, moths, butterflies). These results support the hypothesis that carnivorous plants have evolved suites of covarying traits/carnivorous syndromes for prey specialization and that this specialization may be responsible for the large variation in trapping morphology within Sarracenia.

1

University of Pittsburgh2Atlanta Botanical Garden3E445 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States4Auburn University5Cornell University, Dept. Of Neurobiology And Behavior, W355 Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States6University of Georgia

831

LYNN, AUSTIN* , PIOTTER, EMELYN and GALEN, CANDACE

A Sticky Situation: selective pressure on pollen grain sculpture through differential pollen adherence

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exual selection acts through forces that favor increased mating probability for one of the sexes. Since many flowering plants depend on animal pollinators to distribute pollen grains to receptive stigmas, there may be selective pressure for optimal adherence to pollinators and for successful transfer to the stigma. Echinate (spiny) pollen grains are often associated with insect pollination, wherein spines are thought to protect the male gametophyte from consumption by pollinators. To test the hypothesis that pollen spine traits differ between plant species with contrasting levels of dependence on pollinators, we compared pollen spine characteristics between

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obligate sexual and apomictic Taraxacum (dandelion) species. Next, we conducted field experiments to test the hypothesis that spine traits determine whether or not pollen is picked up by a bee (Bombus spp.) or transferred to a stigma. We found that pollen spines of sexual dandelions were longer and further apart than those of asexual species. In the field experiments, greater spine separation was the strongest predictor of pollen adherence to flower-visiting bees, while greater spine length best predicted pollen transfer and germination on recipient stigmas. Since spine distance and spine length are positively correlated, these results show two complimentary targets of selection on pollen grain sculpture, and suggest that selection in sequential stages of the pollination process may have favored the repeated evolution of echinate pollen grains in entomophilous lineages. Furthermore, we suggest a loss of selective pressure on pollen sculpture under the loss of sex in apomictic Taraxacum. Future studies should investigate additive genetic variance and heritability underlying spine characteristics, as well as if spine traits confer greater male fertility in terms of seed siring success. University of Missouri, Division of Biological Sciences, 202 Tucker Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

832

MEYER, RACHEL* 1, DEVRIES, AMBER 2, WRIGHT, JESSICA 3, CURD, EMILY 4, SORK, VICTORIA 5 and WAYNE, ROBERT 6

The Valley Oak Leaf and Bulk Soil 'Parabiome' are Partially Shaped by Host Genetics

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ommunity networks in soil and on trees can influence plant traits, many having fitness consequences such as pathogens. Microorganisms influence herbivory, pathogen defense, stomatal regulation, water uptake, and the presence of microbial organisms such as arthropods. Likewise, arthropod communities on plants mediate microbial communities to gain access to plant habitats, such as leaf space, flowers, stems, roots and soil. Fungal communities have been shown to exhibit patterning on plant species with correlation to biogeography. Little work has been done to systematically characterize communities on and around plants, but the implications of communities on plant fitness suggest the need incorporate networks of nearby species, usually called, microbiomes, holobionts, phytobiomes, or here, parabiomes, into theory and models of species and community evolution. We performed an environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis of oak tree and oak garden parabiomes using two common gardens for Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) planted in 2015 with saplings. We sampled soil from under and around oak trees that were sourced as acorns from three different regions of California. We also sampled leaves from these trees. Nine plants per common garden were used in the study. DNA was extracted from the soil, from the phyllosphere, and the leaf endosphere. eDNA metabarcoding was performed with the 16S V4 region to target bacteria and archaea, the ITS1 region to target fungi, and the CO1 locus to target

fungi and various invertebrates. Results showed oaks decreased the richness of bacterial diversity in their surrounding soil, and exhibited a provenance drive of fungal and arthropod biodiversity in and on the leaves. This was robust to detect across the two gardens that had considerable parabiome differences. Beta diversity differences across kingdoms and families shows the clades that have site or provenance relationships. We also show which clades aren't tractable by metabarcoding. Results show the usefulness of eDNA to address research needs of managers, conservation practitioners, and molecular ecologists interested in taking on an eDNA project, and also reveals that oak genetics shape their local environmental communities. 1

UCLA, EEB, 610 Charles E Young Drive E, Room 4153, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States2UCLA, 610 Charles E Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States3U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 1731 Research Park Dr., Davis, CA, 95618, USA4University of California Los Angeles, 610 Charles E Young Dr., TSLB 4153, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States5UCLA, ECOL & EVOL BIOL, Box 957239 , Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States6University of California Los Angeles, EEB, 610 Charles E Young Dr., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States

833

STEPHENS, JESSICA* 1, ROGERS, WILLIE 2, DETERMANN, RON 3 and MALMBERG, RUSSELL 2

A comparative study of the carnivorous pitcher plant microbiome reveals host influence and temporal effects

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uch of our understanding of nutrient acquisition through the host-microbiome relationship has been gained using animal systems. In plants, nutrient acquisition is often facilitated by the rhizosphere microbiome. However, carnivorous plants have evolved alternative strategies to acquiring nutrients. These plants attract, capture, and digest prey; the mechanisms by which this digestion occurs are not fully understood, but are thought to result from a synergistic relationship between microbes and plant enzymes. Sarracenia (New World pitcher plants) capture insects via pitfall traps and are documented to have a diverse assemblage of bacterial and eukaryote communities. We conducted a comparative approach across 15 Sarracenia species in an outdoor common garden to examine the extent of host influence on pitcher microbiome. Furthermore, samples were collected in the spring and fall over the course of two years to assess temporal patterns of community assembly. Results suggest host influence on microbiome at both the intraspecific and host phylogenetic level, a pattern indicative of phylosymbiosis. Temporal variation, prey biomass, and proportion of protozoans/rotifers additionally explain a small amount of variation in pitcher bacterial communities.

1

823 S. Braddock Ave Apt 2, Pittsburgh, PA, 15221, United States2University of Georgia3Atlanta Botanical Garden

376


POSTERS 834

CACERES, STEVEN* 1, SPURGEON, ALEXANDRA 2 and KRAKOS, KYRA

3

Comparative Shifts in the Reproductive Biology of Tradescantia ohiensis.

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lobal climate change can have an impact on the reproductive biology of temperate plants. The loss of functional mutualisms because of shifts in climate may threaten partner species (Miller-Struttmann 2015). In this study, we examine how milder winters and heavier summers affect the relationships between plants and their pollinators, and therefore the reproductive success of the plant itself - in this case, Tradescantia ohiensis. Pollinator observations combined with pollen load data allows us to identify the current main pollinators for the species and compare its effectiveness with that of the main pollinators in a non-drought year. We found that the early spring of 2017 influenced the morphology and the pollinators of T. ohiensis, however these changes did not cause the species to experience any pollen limitation. Further investigation into the long-term effects of this trend is required. 1

Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, Missouri, 63141, United States2Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, Missouri, 63141, United States3 Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University, St Louis, MO, 63141, United States

835

SHARMA, MEENAKSHI

Mycorrhiza and Host Specificity

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No Show

n my previous papers and discussions, I have explained how Rhizobium and Mycorrhiza could be a possible danger to the ecosystems that they inhibit. In this poster I am going to highlight some research which would explain how host specificity and initial difficulty of culturing Mycorrhiza in vitro and vivo was an indication of its unsuitability on agriculture land. There has been a significant emphasis on positive growth studies utilizing Mycorrhiza, but the studies that depicted a negative growth curve with the introduction of Mycorrhiza were deemed unsuccessful, as a result, in some cases were not provided a degree of completion or an extension to further study Mycorrhiza. Whereas these studies are equally important for understanding Mycorrhiza as were the positive growth and germination studies. Some of these thankfully have made to some of the journals, due to which it is possible to write this paper. The negative studies of reduction in growth of seedling size and decrease in percentage germination of seeds is a result of an infective stage of Mycorrhiza which does not allow the development of the seeds and seedling growth. Little emphasis is paid on the choice of seeds for carrying out experimentation. There are no studies carried out using diseased or deteriorated seeds, therefore there is a possibility that the seeds that show an enhanced germination

in the presence of Mycorrhiza are stronger than the ones unable to cope under its infectious stage. There are Mycorrhiza studies undertaken under environmental stress conditions rarely with diseased or weak seeds, in order to find out if a genetically weakened seed can be made to grow, utilizing Mycorrhiza. Until that happens it is very difficult to consider Mycorrhiza for use beyond the forest land. Utilizing Mycorrhiza for gardens can also be considered problematic since its presence in certain fragranced flower types can become a cause of their entry in the food chain. In this poster I am going to highlight some of the negative growth studies associated with Mycorrhiza and reanalyze some of the reasons that might be associated with the negative response and how that might impact our understanding of the symbiotic relationship. It will also try and provide some possible reasons for sensitivity of Mycorrhiza to be cloned under lab (aseptic) conditions. NA, NA, 1510 Thornley Street, London, Ontario, N6K 0A9, Canada

836

SALAS, ANDREA* 1, KOPTUR, SUZANNE 2, JAYACHANDRAN, KRISH 3, AYALA-SILVA, THOMAS 4 and SAH, JAY 5

Native Vegetation within Urban and Agricultural Landscapes: The Influence of Spatial Attributes on Tritrophic Interactions

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modified systematic spacing design of Nelder's wheel was performed to determine the effect of host-plant density on the number of sulfur caterpillars, (Phoebis sennae, Phoebis philea, and Abaeis nicippe) and rates of parasitization in urban and agricultural environments. Senna mexicana chapmanii seedlings (288) were planted in a semicircular array with 16 plants each at distance of 1 m, 5 m, and 10 m from other individuals, representing high, medium, and low host-plant densities, respectively. At each site, each of the three plots contained three semicircular arrays and 16 plants per semicircle. The number of sulfur folivores in immature stages (eggs and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th instar larvae) was recorded, and all herbivores were collected, during morning hours. Herbivores were reared until complete development, death, or emergence of parasitoid larvae. Based on results obtained from this study, differences in host-plant physical attributes and the surrounding landscape can influence parasitoid abilities to find their hosts. 1

Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th , Miami, FL, 33199, USA2Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, FL, 33199, United States3Florida International University, Earth and Environment, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA4USDA, Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research, 2200 PA Campos Ave, Mayaguez, PR5Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

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378


SYSTEMATICS ORAL PAPERS 837

MILLER, JOE

Phylogenetic Diversity is a Better Measure of Biodiversity than Taxon Counting

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iodiversity knowledge is essential for agriculture, food security, disease control, climate change and the environment. Most biodiversity assessments are based species richness, a simple count of species; however, species definitions are qualitative and vary. For example, it is common to describe how diverse a genus or a geographic area is by counting the number of species within it. Phylogenetic diversity (PD), a measurement of the branch lengths in a phylogenetic tree, is a better measure of biodiversity that provides a comparable, evolutionary measure of biodiversity not possible with species counts alone. Despite its advantages, PD is rarely used as the primary measure of biodiversity. We demonstrate the utility of PD as quantitative measure of biodiversity in two ways. We show that the relationship between species richness and PD is not linear but is follows a power law. Therefore current estimates of species richness minimize estimates of what we have scientifically discovered about biodiversity. A sample of 20% of the species corresponds to ≈40% of a clade's PD. We show that total phylogenetic diversity can be estimated for any group, even when only part of a group is known. For instance, currently only 71.3% of vascular plant species are known to science but these species contain 81.1% of the predicted phylogenetic diversity of vascular plants. Secondly we developed a genus-level phylogeny for nearly 90% of taxonomically described Australian land plants and compared PD to genus richness in multiple clades. The proportion of PD per genera was skewed among clades. Non-angiosperm clades had more PD than expected given the number of genera while angiosperm clades had less PD than expected. For example, ferns comprised only 4.7% of the genera yet 13.0% of the PD, while the angiosperms as a whole comprised 78.9% of the genera but only 62.7% of the PD. It is likely that cultural reasons are more important than methodological and biological phenomena in explaining these discrepancies. Regardless of reasons for the observed results, we conclude that a shift towards the use of PD as the primary descriptor of biodiversity will promote an important conceptual shift in biodiversity studies as a quantitative science.

National Science Foundation, Office of International Science and Engineering, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22314, USA

838

LU, JIN-MEI* 4, DU, XIN-YU 4, WEN, JUN 2, ZHANG, LIBING 3 and LI, DEZHU 4

Deep relationships and early divergences of the large fern lineage Polypodiales: Insights from plastid phylogenomics

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series of molecular phylogenetic studies in recent years have reconstructed the evolutionary framework of ferns. However, the relationships among some families are still not well resolved. Polypodiales represents about 82% of the species diversity of ferns, and the relationships among the basal groups of Polypodiales remain unresolved or poorly supported, with the relationships of Pteridaceae, Dennstaedtiaceae and eupolypods still being controversial. Also, the phylogenetic positions of Saccolomaceae and some families in eupolypods are not well resolved. The primary objective of this study is to explore the application of plastid phylogenomics in resolving difficult backbone relationships of Polypodiales. We newly sequenced 166 plastomes representing 101 genera of 27 families of Polypodiales and two outgroups, and reconstructed the deep relationships of Polypodiales based on 214 samples (48 from GenBank) representing all 28 families in Polypodiales. The divergence times of the major clades in Polypodiales were estimated based on a reduced plastome dataset (151 taxa) and 13 fossil calibrations. The phylogenomic data resulted in a phylogeny of Polypodiales with nearly all deep nodes supported by 100 MLBS values and 1.0 BIPP values. All the 28 families were strongly supported as monophyletic groups as long as more than one accession was included. The vast majority of our results via detailed filtering scheme supported that the aggregate of Saccoloma-(Cystodium-(Lonchitis-Lindsiaceae)) was sister to the aggregate of ((DennstaedtiaceaePteridaceae)- Eupolypods) in Polypodiales. The present study well resolved the relationships among all eleven families in Eupolypod II, which was resolved into four strongly supported subclades: the Cystopteridaceae subclade, the Thelypteridaceae subclade, the WOBA subclade, and the RHADD subclade. Eupolypods I also were resolved into four strongly supported subclades: the Didymochlaenaceae subclade, the Dryopteridaceae subclade, the Hypodematiaceae subclade, and the DANLOPPT. The stem and crown ages of Polypodiales were estimated at the Permian period and the Triassic period, respectively. The stem ages of the six suborders were estimated at 132.85-195.15 Ma, and the five suborders (except for suborder Saccolomatineae) diverged at 105.65-169.63 Ma. The early diversification of most families and subfamilies mainly took place at K/T-PETM period except for a few small groups. Plastid phylogenomics offers important insights into deep phylogenetic relationships and the diversification history of Polypodiales. The phylogenetic backbone and time estimates provide an important evolutionary framework for future comparative studies on Polypodiales.

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1

Kunming Institute Of Botany, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China2 Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States3Missouri Botanical Garden, Science & Conservation, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States4Kunming Institute Of Botany, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China

839

PATEL, NIKISHA* 1 and BARRINGTON, DAVID 2

Apomixis and hybridization in Polystichum section Duropolystichum in the Himalaya and Hengduan mountains

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he fern genus Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) has a cosmopolitan distribution with a center of diversity in Eastern Asia, where species diversity is notably rich in apomictic lineages, most of which are in in sections Xiphopolystichum and Duropolystichum. Groups rich in apomictic lineages present a challenge to elucidating evolutionary history in that asexual lineages are often polyploid and arise by hybridization.Polystichum section Duropolystichum further presents the challenge of nearly continuous morphological variation across species. The present study utilizes a molecular phylogenetic approach to sampling Polystichum sect. Duropolystichum across its Western Chinese center of diversity. In addition to using Bayesian inference to identify potential progenitors of known apomicts using both nuclear and plastid markers, we use morphometric analysis in R package Mcclust to elucidate morphological groups within apparently continuous morphological variation. By using phylogenetic and morphometric analyses in conjunction, we find evidence for multiple lineages currently circumscribed as apomictic lineages P. rigens and P. neolobatum. We hypothesize progenitors for these allopolyploid lineages and suggest recircumscription of these species. 1

University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA 2University Of Vermont, Plant Biology, 111 Jeffords Hall, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States

840

BARRETT, CRAIG* 1, SINN, BRANDON 2, KING, LOREN 1, MEDINA, JESUS 3, BACON, CHRISTINE 4, HODEL, DONALD 5 and LAHMEYER, SEAN 6

Phylogenomics, biogeography, and evolution in the American palm genus Brahea Mart. Ex Endl

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low rates of molecular evolution at low taxonomic levels hamper studies of relationships among species, and subsequent biogeographic and evolutionary analyses. A prime example is the genus Brahea Mart. Ex Endl., which is among the most poorly understood groups of American palms, furthermore displaying a variety of growth forms and interme-

diate morphological characteristics. Currently, no explicit phylogenetic hypothesis exists for the genus. We generated approximately 400 kb of genomescale data from all three genomes to resolve and provide support for relationships among the 12 or so currently described species of Brahea. Relationships were strongly supported, and conform to previous subgeneric circumscriptions, except for placement of the dwarf species B. moorei within subgenus Brahea. We were able to reconstruct ancestral ranges to varying degrees among the three major clades of Brahea, but ancestral ranges at the deepest nodes were equivocal. Reconstruction of ancestral growth form (i.e. plant height) elucidated trends including an overall increase in height in the B. armata clade, and independent evolution of dwarf forms from taller ancestors in the B. pimo and B. dulcis clades. We found evidence of niche non-equivalency among species within the B. armata clade in northwestern Mexico, and some limited evidence of differentiation between B. berlandieri and B. dulcis, the former of which are currently synonymized under B. dulcis. Our findings have implications for the complex biogeographic history in Central America and Mexico, and advance our understanding of patterns of biodiversity in these ecologically and economically important palms. 1

West Virginia University, Biology, 53 campus dr, Morgantown, WV, 26506, US2West Virginia University, Biology, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States3California State University, Los Angeles, Biological Sciences4University of Gothebburg, Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, SE 405-30, GĂƒÂśteborg, Sweden5University of California Cooperative Extension, 700 West Main Street, Alhambra, California , 91801, USA6The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, Herbarium, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California, 91801, US

841

GIRALDO, GIOVANNY 1 and CAMERON, KENNETH* 2

Genome size and phylogenetics of Vanilloideae (Orchidaceae) inferred from NextGen anchored phylogenomics

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hylogenetic relationships among genera of tribe Vanilleae continue to remain elusive. One of the possible reasons is that five of the nine genera of the tribe are mycoheterotrophs. These orchids are poorly represented in earlier molecular studies that relied heavily on plastid loci. Interestingly, even the relationships among some photosynthetic genera remain unresolved (e.g., the relationship between South American Epistephium and the clade of New Caledonian endemic genera Clematepistephium+Eriaxis). We have inferred the phylogeny of tribe Vanilleae through the use of Anchored Phylogenomics that targets ca. 500 low copy nuclear genes via Next Generation DNA Sequencing. Furthermore, we are able to recover the plastome sequence from most of our sample, and compare the trees. Our results are different from any previous study in that they show Epistephium forming a clade with Clematepistephium + Eriaxis, as well as Lecanorchis. Challenges were met

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in sequencing members of tribe Pogonieae for outgroup anlysis because of the enormous genome size exhibited by these orchids (the largest in the family). As such, we embarked on a study also to estimate genome size for most genera of Vanilloideae. Not only does the subfamily have the largest known orchid genome, but it also contains the largest diploid chromosome number reported for Orchidaceae: Epistephium lucidum (2n= ca. 170). Our data shows that there is at least an 18-fold range of genome size in Vanilloideae, from 2.99 pg for Eriaxis rigida to 55.40 pg in Pogonia ophioglossoides. 1

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2University of Wisconsin, Department of Botany, 154 Birge Hall, 450 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

842

WALLACE, LISA* 1, BAILEY, NICHOLAS 2 and WETTEWA, ERANGA 3

Comparative analysis of phylogeny and morphology in two polyploid orchids of Platanthera

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he ubiquity and importance of polyploidization in generating plant biodiversity is incredible. Studies documenting evolutionary origins and ecology of polyploid species provide a greater understanding of plant diversity and improved conservation of native biodiversity. Here, we characterized genetic and morphological variation in two morphologically similar polyploid orchid species, Platanthera huronensis and Platanthera hyperborea, with the intent of evaluating their evolutionary history with respect to one another and related diploid species. Platanthera hyperborea is considered to have a more restricted distribution than the P. huronensis, as it occurs only on Greenland and Iceland. Platanthera huronensis is widespread in mesic areas across Canada and the northern U.S. Given their morphological similarity, it has been hypothesized that these polyploid species evolved from the same parental species, and P. hyperborea persists on Greenland and Iceland where it is today the only species of Platanthera in these areas. In this project, we tested this hypothesis and evaluated the evolutionary history of the two forms using genetic and morphological data sets. We found that P. hyperborea contains numerous unique plastid types that were not detected in any other species tested. By contrast, P. huronensis plastid types resembled sequences from diploid species, P. dilatata and P. aquilonis, a relationship that has been confirmed in previous studies as well. At nuclear markers, Icelandic P. hyperborea samples most closely match those of P. dilatata, a widespread diploid species. By contrast, nuclear sequences from P. huronensis could be traced to both P. dilatata and P. aquilonis, also a diploid species with a widespread distribution. Morphological differences were noted between the P. huronensis and P. hyperborea, especially in flower color and lip shape, but intraspecific variation can impede identification when morphology alone is considered. For example, some individuals in the data set were sampled from

North America and resemble P. hyperborea in morphology and P. huronensis in genetics. Based on these results, we conclude that the taxa are evolutionarily distinct and likely originated from morphologically similar parents. Platanthera huronensis contains much genetic and morphological variation, which likely reflects multiple polyploidization events across North America. Further characterization of the genetic and morphological diversity of P. huronensis across North America may reveal additional cryptic taxa worthy of taxonomic recognition. 1

Old Dominion University, Biological Sciences, Mills Godwin Building Rm. 110, Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States2University of Memphis, Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA3Mississippi State University, Biological Sciences, P.O. Box GY, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA

843

JESUS-COSTA, CRISTIELLE 1, VIANA, PEDRO 2, LOBATO AFONSO, EDGAR A. 3, OLIVEIRA, LUIZ 4, CLARK, LYNN* 5 and SANTOS-GONCALVES, ANA PAULA 6

Phylogeny of the Arthrostylidiinae: the Aulonemia clade (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae)

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rthrostylidiinae is a Neotropical woody bamboo subtribe comprising 15 genera and about 190 described species. Monophyly of the Arthrostylidiinae is strongly supported by both molecular and morphological data, including the presence of intercostal sclerenchyma in the mesophyll and a green (waxless) marginal stripe on the abaxial surface of the foliage leaf blades. Its position as sister to the Guaduinae, another lineage of Neotropical woody bamboos, is strongly supported by molecular data and the presence of refractive papillae in both subtribes. We analyzed 73 taxa (63 representing all 15 genera of Arthrostylidiinae, seven representing the five genera of Guaduinae, two representing the Chusqueinae, and an outgroup taxon) using sequence data from both coding (ndhF, 3' half) and non-coding (trnDtrnT, trnC-rpoB, rps16-trnQ, trnT-trnL, rps16, rpl16) plastid DNA regions. The four major clades recovered in previous analyses were confirmed but we also recovered a fifth major lineage (the Myriocladus clade), with the Glaziophyton clade remaining as sister to the rest of the subtribe. The Aulonemia and Merostachys clades were supported as sister, and this clade formed a trichotomy with the Arthrostylidium and Myriocladus clades. Additional results include reconfirmation of the polyphyly of Aulonemia and confirmation of the polyphyly of Atractantha based on additional sampling; recovery of a complex relationship between Colanthelia and core Aulonemia; and support for the position of the previously unsampled genus Athroostachys sister to Merostachys. Atractantha shepherdiana was strongly supported as sister to Athroostachys capitata and morphological evidence also supported the proposed transfer of A. shepherdiana to Athroostachys. One species of Aulonemia fell within the Glaziophyton clade and three others within the Myriocladus clade; two new genera

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and one taxonomic transfer are being proposed to accommodate these anomalous species. Members of the Glaziophyton clade share more or less erect and tessellate foliage leaf blades, whereas the rest of the subtribe shares non-tessellate and strongly reflexed foliage leaf blades (with a reversion to erect blades in the cerrado genus Filgueirasia). Aspects of morphological evolution continue to be re-evaluated in light of the molecular phylogenetic results. 1

Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, CCB2, 3º andar, Avenida P.H. Rolfs s/n, Campus Universitário, Vicosa, MG, CEP 36570-900, Brazil2Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Herbario, Avenida Magalhães Barata 376, São Braz, Belem, PA, CEP 66040-170, Brazil3Museu Paraense Emí lio Goeldi, Avenida Magalhães Barata 376, São Braz, Belem, PA, CEP 66040-170, Brazil4Biochemistry And Molecular Biology, Caixa Postal, 247 Campus UFV, Vicosa (MG), MG, 36570000, Brazil5Iowa State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Dr., Ames, IA, 50011, United States6Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, CCB2, 3º andar, Avenida P.H. Rolfs s/n, Viçosa, MG, Brazil, MG, CEP 36570-900, Brazil

844

MCDANIEL, JAMES* 1 and CAMERON, KENNETH 2

Systematics of Porroglossum (Pleurothallidinae) Orchids: An Integrative Approach to Phylogenetics, Floral Snap-Trap Kinematics, and Fragrance Analysis

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he Neotropical orchid subtribe Pleurothallidinae appears to have arisen approximately 14.2 million years ago, yet remarkably it contains >4,000 species in 29 genera that account for 15-20% of total diversity within Orchidaceae. These 'pleurothallids' represent a lineage that has undergone a significant acceleration of net diversification despite being young in terms of geologic time. Here, we focus on the systematics of the genus Porroglossum, which is composed of 54 described species that are distributed throughout Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south to Bolivia. Historically, inferring phylogenetic relationships among recently diverged taxa has proven to be difficult due to a lack of informative characters within commonly sequenced genetic markers as well as gene tree discordance originating from biological phenomena such as incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization. Previously, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of Porroglossum using traditional Sanger sequencing methods and recovered three highly supported clades that include: Porroglossum (94% BS), Echidnae (100% BS), and Brevisepala (100% BS); however, deep internal nodes remained unresolved as well as interspecific relationships. As a result, we explored the utility of reduced-representation genome sequencing in the form of genotypingby-sequencing (GBS) for phylogenetic inference. Total genomic DNA from 39 species of Porroglossum and four closely related outgroups were digested using the restriction enzyme ApeKI and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq2500 thereby generating single-

end, 100 bp reads. By utilizing high-throughput computing, we tested the various core parameters of the pyRAD and Stacks pipelines before generating genomic datasets consisting of de novo assembled loci. Our resulting GBS phylogenies recovered the original three highly supported clades (Porroglossum, Echidnae, and Brevisepala) while resolving deep internal nodes and interspecific relationships. Once a robust phylogeny was established, we utilized it as a tool for addressing questions directly related to the biology of Porroglossum. In particular, we combined our modern molecular approach with high-speed videography to target the active floral snap-trap as well as fragrance analysis of floral VOCs to gain a multifaceted understanding of the evolutionary relationships within the genus. By doing so, we detected multiple evolutionary shifts in trait evolution for the snap-trap among lineages and documented strong phylogenetic signal for both Pagel's λ and Blomberg's K statistic indicating that closely related species resemble each other more than expected by chance in relation to time, velocity, and acceleration. Lastly, VOCs appear to be highly conserved within clades of Porroglossum thereby exhibiting significant phylogenetic signal which provides evidence for phylogenetic niche conservatism. 1

UW-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, United States

845

KEPHART, SUSAN

Disentangling species in dynamic landscapes: Do unusual ecological contexts matter in shaping morphology, pollination, and genetic variation in Camassia?

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pecies divergence is often inextricably linked to how populations respond in diverse environments, whether change is triggered by abiotic habitat stressors, or interactions with pollinators, herbivores, and seed dispersers. Resolving species boundaries in such dynamic landscapes is particularly difficult to disentangle in new or rapidly diverging lineages. Perennial, spring-flowering geophytes of Camassia (camas, wild hyacinths; Asparagaceae) are part of a diverse radiation of agaves and yuccas (Agavoideae) whose cells show bimodal, karyotypic size classes. Within the ~41 myr history of this ABK clade, previous molecular analyses imply Camassia and Chlorogalum (soap root) are relatively young lineages (10.7 myr). In Camassia, the six morphologically variable species, together with 10 named subspecies, comprise a taxonomically difficult, yet tractably sized complex of taxa that often grow in temporally challenging environments. Plants require cool, often wet conditions in early spring whether in seeps, riparian corridors, or wet meadows and forest glades. By mid-summer, these habitats can be hot and dry, with fruiting plants persisting via bulbs in rocky crevices. Morphological and genetic studies provide some resolution of taxa, but the relationship of these data to biotic and abiotic factors is still little understood. Here we share new data that support

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unusual, range disjunctions for the two rarest of the four western species, C. howellii and C. cusickii. We also ask to what extent differing edaphic, geological, and elevational conditions might shape their genetic differentiation, floral development, and pollination modes relative to their wider-ranging congeners in both ancestral and later derived clades. Such data can lend valuable insights into early stages of speciation, as well as improve keys, and resolve difficult circumscription of allopatric and sympatric taxa, some of which undergo hybridization. Department Of Biology, Salem, OR, 97301, United States

846 DUVALL, M* 1, BURKE, SEAN 2 and CLARK, DYLAN C. 3 Evolution of the PACMAD grasses; finding the path to warm-season grasslands

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rasses underwent a major evolutionary bifurcation 55 or more million years ago. One lineage radiated into cooler, forested, and/or wetter habitats. The other diversified into over 5,000 species that live in warmer grasslands. These latter are the "PACMAD" grasses (the Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Chloridoideae, Micrairoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae). Exactly how the PACMAD grasses evolved to dominate warm open habitats is a question that can be tested by phylogenomic study. Evidence-based explanations are twofold; the "aristidoid sister" and the "panicoid sister" hypotheses, in which the named subfamily in each case is sister to remaining PACMAD taxa. Complete plastid genomes (plastomes) from 169 grasses drawn from all 12 subfamilies and including five new aristidoid plastomes were analyzed by maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) methods. Analyses were repeated 10 times with the successive addition of more gapped positions introduced by sequence alignment until all such positions were included. When all gapped positions were removed, the panicoid sister hypothesis was retrieved with moderate support. As gapped positions were gradually added back into the input matrix, support values for the panicoid sister hypothesis initially fell until there was a transition to a weakly supported aristidoid sister hypothesis or a transitory and weakly supported ((P,A),CMAD) topology. Support values for these two alternative hypotheses then rose reaching a moderately high plateau until all gapped positions were included. Similar patterns were seen with both ML and BI methods. Extensive study of data partitions in a 250 plastome matrix compared the effects of coding, positively selected, and gapped sites. The deep phylogenomic topology of PACMAD grasses is relatively insensitive to all but the gapped positions introduced by alignment. The fact that the aristidoid sister hypothesis was retrieved in plastome phylogenomic analyses only when gapped positions found in 10% or more taxa were included suggests that this result may be artifactual. Gapped positions tend to cluster in noncoding regions where no alignment can be completely unambiguous. The transition of ancient grasses from tropical forests into open grass-

lands is inexplicable when the ancestor is already adapted to those grasslands as the aristidoid sister hypothesis suggests. Note that Aristidoideae are uniformly open habitat species of warm grasslands. By contrast, sublineages of basal Panicoideae show variation in shade tolerance suggestive of gradual multiple transitions to unshaded habitats eventually leading to a diversity of derived open habitat lineages of PACMAD taxa. 1

Northern Illinois University, Plant Molecular And Bioinformatics Center And Department Of Biology, 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL, 60115, United States2Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States3 Northern Illinois University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States

847

TYRRELL, CHRISTOPHER* 1, LONDOÑO, XIMENA 2, OVIEDO PRIETO, RAMONA 3, ATTIGALA, LAKSHMI 4, MCDONALD, KATELYN 5 and CLARK, LYNN 6

Systematics of the narrow-leaved woody bamboo species of Arthrostylidium from the West Indies

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rthrostylidium, a genus of 31 Neotropical woody bamboo species, has two centers of diversity: one in the northern West Indies and the other in northern South America. The genus has long been a catchall for species that are thought to be members of the Arthrostylidiinae (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae), but are morphologically ambiguous as to placement in one of the other genera of the subtribe. Arthrostylidium is traditionally diagnosed by having (1) three or more branches at culm nodes with a single dominant branch arising from a morphological feature called a promontory (a characteristically shaped swelling); (2) a clambering habit in most species; and (3) racemose synflorescences with one to three glumes. Owing to its vague taxonomic history, several species of Arthrostylidium have extraordinary morphologies. A particular case of this is observed in the West Indian species Arthrostylidium farctum and A. pinifolium, which have stiff, threadlike leaves emanating from the nodes giving the plant the appearance of pom-poms arranged along the culm. Arthrostylidium farctum is widespread in the Greater Antilles and Bahamas and is sometimes called “old-man's beard” in reference to these clusters of branch complements, but is also known by the name tibisi, a Taino word describing plants good for making baskets and fish traps. We investigated the relationship between A. farctum, A. pinifolium and other Neotropical woody bamboos using detailed morphological, anatomical and molecular analyses. We generated a phylogenetic tree based on four chloroplast DNA markers (ndhF, trnC-rpoB, trnD-trnT, rps16-trnQ) and recovered A. farctum and A. pinifolium as forming a well-supported clade with A. angustifolium. Parametric bootstrap tests uphold this topology as significant. Detailed analyses revealed that these three species also share morphological and anatomical characteristics, supporting

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the phylogenetic result. Our findings help to improve the disordered taxonomy of Arthrostylidium and reinforce the taxonomic value of leaf anatomical characters for classification among the Neotropical woody bamboos. 1

Milwaukee Public Museum, Botany Department, 800 W Wells St, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, United States2 Sociedad Colombiana del Bambú, Carrera 5 #14-26, Montenegro, Quindío, 633008, Colombia3Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Herbario Nacional Onaney Muñiz, Carretera de Varona #11835 entre de Oriente y Lindero, La Habana 19, La Habana, La Habana, Código Postal 11900, Cuba4Iowa State University, Department of Agronomy, 2035D Roy J. Carver Co-Lab, 1111 WOI Road, Ames, IA, 50011, USA52564 Westgate Way, Muscatine, IA, 52761, USA6Iowa State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Dr., Ames, IA, 50011, United States

848

BURKE, SEAN 1 and DUVALL, M* 2

Ancestral State Reconstruction, Divergence Date Estimation, and Trait Evolution in Panicoideae (Poaceae)

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ithin the grass family (Poaceae) the second largest subfamily, Panicoideae, contains over 200 genera and 3300 species. While mainly warm open habitat grasses, panicoids display a wide array of traits in the extant species. These panicoid traits, such as leaf and floral morphologies, leaf anatomy, and photosynthetic/biochemical pathways, which evolved within the subfamily, arose independently in other grass subfamilies. Thus the diversity found within Panicoideae can explain the diversity throughout the rest of the PACMAD clade, if panicoids are assumed to be sister to the rest of the PACMAD grasses. The evolution of these traits within the subfamily were analyzed within the context of evolution of the whole grass family. This study investigates the transitions of characteristics of the Panicoideae by analyzing the largest plastome phylogeny to date. The phylogeny was produced from an alignment with 74522 sites representing 352 Poaceae plastomes, with 199 panicoid species. Characteristics were found for the 352 species, representing photosynthetic pathways, kranz anatomy, biochemical subtypes, stigma and stamen numbers, presence or absence of pseudopetioles, as well as light regime. Ancestral state reconstruction using the phytools package in R was used to determine the probable character states for lineages within Panicoideae. This was then paired with divergence date estimations using BEAST2 to determine when these ancestral panicoids arose in the evolutionary timeline. The Panicoideae demonstrate multiple transitions to other adaptable states when compared against other Poaceae subfamilies. Panicoideae contained at least 14 transitions from C3 to C4 photosynthesis. These transitions to the C4 state includes both types of Kranz anatomy, XyMS- and XyMS+, and all three corresponding biochemical types: PCK, NADP-ME and NAD-ME. There was little variation for the number of stigmas, but there was an estimated nine transitions from three anthers to other variations in stamen numbers. The eight transitions to pseudope-

tioles were unevenly distributed among Panicoideae with the largest group occurring in Boivinellinae. The diversity displayed in extant panicoid grasses demonstrates their ability to adapt and radiate within a time span with estimates placing the divergence of the subfamily approximately 33 - 53 Ma. 1

Northern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States2Northern Illinois University, Plant Molecular And Bioinformatics Center And Department Of Biology, 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL, 60115, United States

849

STARR, JULIAN* 1, FORD, BRUCE 2, LÉVEILLÉ-BOURRET, ÉTIENNE 1 ,VŪ, ANH TÀI 3 and NGUYỄN, THỊ KIM THANH 4

The rediscovery and conservation of the rare Vietnamese endemic Eriophorum scabriculme and its importance to generic circumscription in the CariceaeDulichieae-Scirpeae clade (Cyperaceae)

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or those familiar with boreal bogs and wet tundra, species of Eriophorum ("the cotton grasses") will undoubtedly represent some of the most striking and memorable taxa they have encountered. This small genus of 15 Holarctic sedges (Cyperaceae) is remarkable because its inflorescences produce large, brilliantly white to rusty-red cottony masses when its flowers develop a perianth of highly elongated bristles after anthesis. In this study, we document the rediscovery of Eriophorum scabriculme, a narrow Vietnamese endemic known from only two collections made approximately 7 km apart near Sa Pa in Lào Cai Province over 74 years ago. Using DNA sequences, embryology, and morphology we test the hypothesis that E. scabriculme is aligned within currently recognised genera in the CariceaeDulichieae-Scirpeae clade or whether its unique character combinations could provide evidence for a new generic lineage. In addition, we document the discovery of seven new populations, and we extend its range westward to Lai Châu Province and southward in Lào Cai Province by more than 47 km. Our results demonstrate that E. scabriculme is best treated in the genus Trichophorum, we emend its description, provide the first pictures and accurate illustration of the species, and assess its conservation status in Vietnam. Our study corroborates the fact that in such a diverse and taxonomically difficult family like the sedges, conspicuous characters like highly elongated bristles may be useful for dividing diversity, but they are no guarantee that the groups they mark are natural.

1

University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, Gendron Hall, Room 160, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada2University Of Manitoba, Department Of Biological Sciences, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada3Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Institute of Geography, 18 Hoà ng Quốc Việt, NghÄ©a Ä Ã´, Cầu Giấy, Hanoi, Vietnam4VNU University of Science, Department of Botany, 334 Nguyá»…n Trãi, Thượng Ä Ã¬nh, Thanh Xuân, Hanoi, Vietnam

384


850 MORALES-BRIONES, DIEGO* 1 and TANK, DAVID 2 Disentangling the Reticulate Evolutionary History of the Neotropical Plant Radiation of Lachemilla (Rosaceae)

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ybridization has contributed extensively to plant diversity, but it also represents a challenge for phylogenetic reconstruction due the incongruence patterns that produces within and between the nuclear and chloroplast genomes. Additional processes produce similar reticulate patterns, creating the necessity to disentangle them and estimate phylogenetic networks that best represent reticulation. Here we have combine extensive natural history collections with a plurality of phylogenetic methods to elucidate the reticulate evolutionary history of the plant genus Lachemilla. This is a morphologically variable group of ca. 60 species of herbs and shrubs, with a ubiquitous presence in the Neotropical highaltitude grasslands. First, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Lachemilla using single nuclear and plastid sequences and identified four major clades that are in part congruent with morphological classifications. Additionally, widespread patterns of cytonuclear discordance were detected that, in combination with chromosome counts and genome size estimates, provides the first evidence of allopolyploid in Lachemilla. Later, we conducted a phylogenomic analysis of 396 low-copy nuclear genes and complete chloroplasts and found extensive conflict among gene trees and species trees. Moreover, we found that different species trees methods recover alternative topologies among the four main clades of Lachemilla. Species network analyses later revealed that one of these clades is of ancient hybrid origin, and represents the main source of the incongruence among the species trees. Furthermore, we found evidence for a whole genome duplication event shared by Lachemilla and allied genera. Finally, we obtain allelic information for the nuclear ribosomal cistron and several chloroplast regions and found direct evidence of allopolyploid for 30 species. With this work we attempted to clarify the role that hybridization has played in the evolutionary history of Lachemilla, which will facilitate future research in this group and also contributes to broader questions regarding the evolutionary and ecological consequences of polyploidy and hybridization in plants.

1

University of Minnesota, Plant and Microbial Biology, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA2University Of Idaho, Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844, United States

851

STUBBS, REBECCA* 1, FOLK, RYAN 2, XIANG, CHUN-LEI 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 4 and CELLINESE, NICO 5

The evolution of cold-adapted plants: A phylogenomic analysis of Micranthes (Saxifragaceae)

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lora endemic to the cold habitats, i.e., mountains and Arctic, of the northern hemisphere provide important systems for investigating diversification and disjunctions, given both the intense climatic fluctuations that have occurred and the fascinating biogeographic patterns found in these region. Investigating these biogeographic patterns provides insight into speciation and biodiversity at multiple spatial and phylogenetic scales. Micranthes (Saxifragaceae), a clade of small-flowered herbs comprising 75 species, is an ideal group for investigating the evolution and diversification of plants in montane and Arctic ecosystems, which are especially vulnerable to climate change. Over one-third of all species of Micranthes are cold-adapted-in comparison to only four percent of all known vascular plant species-suggesting that this group is specialized for these conditions. This is further supported by the fact that many of the cold-adapted Micranthes have a suite of specialized morphological and reproductive traits not seen in low-elevation and low-latitude species of this clade, including leaf succulence, strongly asymmetric corollas, and asexual reproduction through bulbils. By reconstructing a time-calibrated phylogeny based on 518 low-copy nuclear markers, and concomitantly, a phylogeny reconstructed from the majority of the plastid, we will use the largest and most wellresolved phylogeny to date of Micranthes as a model system for exploring the evolution and geographic spread of cold-adapted plants.

1

University Of Florida, 1659 Museum Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States3Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China4University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL5University Of Florida, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NAT. HISTORY, 1659 Museum Rd., 354 Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

852

MONTEVERDE SUAREZ, MARĂƒ­A JOSE* 1, MCINTYRE, PATRICK 2 and CACHO, N.IVALU 3

Parallel evolution in floral morphology in a plant ring-species, the Caribbean Euphorbia tithymaloides

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ing-species are formed when a population expands along two geographic fronts surrounding a geographic barrier in such way that when the terminal forms of each front come into secondary contact they show divergence. Parallel evolution may be a more common feature of ring species than is currently recognized, as divergence around geographic barriers may extend along common environmental

385


gradients associated with longitude, latitude, or elevation. Because, by definition, both geographic fronts come into secondary contact, the evolutionary table is set for a scenario of convergence based on shared environmental characteristics in the area of contact. The Caribbean slipper-spurge, Euphorbia tithymaloides L., to date seems to be the only plant that conforms to a ring-species model, having colonized the Antilles from Mexico/ Guatemala along two fronts: one that expanded east through the Greater Antilles, and another that expanded south through Central America, and then east and north through South America and the Lesser Antilles, respectively. The two forms in the Antilles differ morphologically and genetic data available suggests barriers to gene flow between them. The biogeographical history of E. tithymaloides, in combination with morphological variation within the species complex, raises intriguing questions about morphological evolution in these lineages. In particular, the floral involucres of Antillean E. tithymaloides seem to have shortened compared to the mainland populations, while such a pattern of possible convergence has not been documented in vegetative morphology. Here, we examine floral and leaf traits in the context of geography across populations spanning the range of E. tithymaloides in the Caribbean to investigate whether patterns of morphological variation support a parallel shortening of the inflorescence along the Greater and Lesser Antillean expansion fronts towards the Caribbean. Using georeferenced data available for E. tithymaloides and regression, we document geographical patterns of morphological variation across the Caribbean basin. Our results suggest that there has been a parallel reshaping of the cyathium in both range expansion fronts where populations closer to the Anegada passage in the Antilles tend to have shorter cyathia. While convergence in floral morphology has been detected, climatic preferences do not seem to have a clear role in shaping such patterns along the geographic range of E. tithymaloides. Finally, we outline potential factors that could be involved in generating and maintaining such patterns. 1

Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Botany, 3er Circuito de CU s/n, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Del. Coyoacán. México DF 04510, Mexico, 04510, Mexico2NatureServe, 1680 38th St., Suite 120, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA3Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Botany, 3er Circuito de Ciudad Universitaria s/n. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Del. Coyoacán, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico

853

SAUNDERS, THERESA* 1 and JOHNSON, LEIGH 2

Resolving relationships in Aliciella subsection Subnuda (Polemoniaceae): high levels of chloroplast capture revealed by comparative DNA sequencing

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liciella subsection Subnuda contains six species of perennial flowering plants, A. tenuis, A. caespitosa, A. subnuda, A. haydenii, A. formosa, and A. cliffordii, three of which are rare and face significant threats to their populations. Gilia karenae was recently described as a member of the polyphyletic genus from which Aliciella has been segregated, but there is some suspicion that it is synonymous with A. tenuis. We used molecular analysis to assess G. karenae's relationships with other members of subsection Subnuda. Our data was used to infer the phylogeny of subsection Subnuda and consists of four DNA regions: the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and three chloroplast regions: trnS-trnG intergenic spacer, trnL-trnF intron and intergenic spacer, and ycf6-psbM intergenic spacer. While similar in some aspects, the ITS and chloroplast DNA revealed different phylogenies. Both ITS and chloroplast DNA supported the placement of G. karenae into subsection Subnuda and further suggest it as conspecific with A. tenuis. The chloroplast DNA revealed an unexpected history of repeated chloroplast capture within the subsection. Aliciella tenuis has four distinct cpDNA haplotype groups all sharing a common nrITS region (with minimal random variation throughout its range). This suggests there have been three distinct chloroplast capturing events from three different species. Two of these species are known: A. subnuda and A. caespitosa, and both can be readily distinguished from A. tenuis morphologically and by their nrITS. A third cpDNA haplotype group includes G. karenae, which lacks unique morphological apomorphies relative to A. tenuis, and shares the same nrITS repeat. We hypothesize that chloroplast capture with an as yet undiscovered or perhaps now extinct species explains the remaining cpDNA haplotype group. 1

Brigham Young University, Biology, 4102 LSB, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA2Brigham Young University, Deptartment Of Biology, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, United States

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854

LAMPLEY, JAYNE

Role of river watersheds on diversification and endemism in native plant species: A phylogeographic study of Trillium lancifolium (Melanthiaceae)

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leistocene glaciation and river course changes have contributed to speciation in many groups of organisms by the fragmentation and isolation of formerly widespread species. Historical drainage connections correlate with genetic structure and species diversity in stream-dwelling organisms such as salamanders and fishes. However, little is known about the effects on plant species. Several narrowly endemic Trillium species of the southeastern US are restricted to specific river watersheds. The rivers themselves have been suggested as a possible driver of local endemism by acting as a barrier to gene flow. The Thin Rhizome group within Trillium provides an excellent opportunity to investigate this observation. This group of four species is united by morphology (reflexed sepals, incurved anther connectives, thin and brittle rhizomes), molecular evidence, and habitat preference (intermittent floodplains near creeks or rivers). Trillium lancifolium is scattered discontinuously across multiple watersheds in TN, AL, FL, GA, and SC, whereas Trillium oostingii, of SC, and T. tennesseense, of TN are each narrow endemics of single watersheds. The remaining species of the group, T. recurvatum, however, is much more widespread, inhabiting the watersheds of the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio rivers. Though Trillium is primarily dispersed by insects, could incidental hydrochory (propagule dispersal by rivers and streams) during periodic flooding events explain the species distributions in this group? We tested the hypothesis that rivers and watersheds are both a barrier to gene flow and a means of downstream dispersal for these taxa. Multiple populations from each of the 12 major watersheds of the southeastern US within the species distribution of Trillium lancifolium (Coosa, Ocmulgee, Alabama, Tombigbee, Savannah, Tennessee, Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, Tallapoosa, Cahaba, Black Warrior, and Conecuh) were sampled. Additionally, representatives of the other three Trillium species were sampled. Fixation indices (ÎŚst) were calculated based on chloroplast DNA sequences to determine degree of genetic variation between populations. A haplotype network was constructed to determine phylogeographic history at the intraspecific level to investigate patterns in the evolutionary relationships among populations of T. lancifolium along the separate river watersheds. The results of phylogenetic inference based on molecular evidence from chloroplast DNA of the Thin Rhizome group will also be presented. Based on our evidence, we suggest that T. lancifolium may be a paraphyletic complex of multiple cryptic species in need of further taxonomic study.

University Of Tennessee, EEB, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States

855

BLISCHAK, PAUL* 1, THOMPSON, COLEEN 2, WAIGHT, EMIKO 3, HIGHTOWER, DERIANNA 4, KUBATKO, LAURA 5 and WOLFE, ANDI 6

Tangled Trees are the Bee's Knees: Inferring Patterns of Hybridization and Polyploidy in Penstemon subsections Humiles and Proceri (Plantaginaceae)

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eticulate evolutionary events are hallmarks of plant phylogeny, and are increasingly recognized as common occurrences in other branches of the Tree of Life. However, inferring the evolutionary history of admixed lineages presents a difficult challenge for systematists due to genealogical discordance caused by both incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and hybridization. Methods that accommodate both of these processes are continuing to be developed, but they often do not scale well to larger numbers of species. An additional complicating factor for many plant species is the occurrence of whole genome duplication (WGD), which can have various outcomes on the genealogical history of haplotypes sampled from the genome. In this study, we sought to investigate patterns of hybridization and WGD in two subsections from the genus Penstemon (Plantaginaceae; subsect. Humiles and Proceri), a specious group of angiosperms that has rapidly radiated across North America. Species in subsect. Humiles and Proceri occur primarily in the Pacific Northwest of the US, occupying habitats such as mesic, subalpine meadows, as well as more well-drained substrates at varying elevations. Ploidy levels in the subsections range from diploid to hexaploid, and it is hypothesized that most of the polyploids are hybrids (i.e., allopolyploidy). To estimate phylogeny in these groups, we first developed a method for estimating quartet concordance factors (QCFs) from multiple sequences sampled per lineage, allowing us to model all haplotypes from a polyploid. QCFs represent the proportion of gene trees that support a particular species quartet relationship, and are used for species network estimation in the program SNaQ. Using phased haplotypes for both nuclear amplicons and double-digest RADseq data, we inferred species trees (ASTRAL, QCF+QuartetMaxCut) and networks (QCF+SNaQ) for 38 taxa from P. subsections Humiles and Proceri. Our phylogenetic analyses recovered two clades comprising a mix of taxa from both subsections, indicating that the current taxonomy for these groups is inconsistent with our estimates of phylogeny. In addition, there was little support for hypotheses regarding the formation of putative allopolyploid lineages. Overall, we found evidence for the effects of both ILS and admixture on the evolutionary history of these species, but were able to evaluate our taxonomic hypotheses despite high levels of gene tree discordance. Our method for estimating QCFs from multiple haplotypes also allowed us to include species of varying ploidy levels in our analyses, which we anticipate will help to facilitate estimation of species networks in other plant groups as well.

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1

Ohio State University, 318 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210.0, United States2The Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology3University of Utah, Biology4Columbus State University5The Ohio State University, Statistics6Ohio State University, Department Of Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States

856

1

ABRAHAMS, RICHARD* , WASHBURN, JACOB 2 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS

3

Phylogenomic understanding of the tribe Brassiceae

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espite being the most economically important tribe in the Mustard Family (BRASSICACEAE) and being confirmed monophyletic by both morphological and molecular characters, the relationships within the tribe Brassiceae remain obscured, such as polyphyly in the genera Brassica, Diplotaxis, and Erucastrum. Frequent hybridization and a genome hexaploidy in the tribe's history has made understanding species relationships with chloroplast and ITS DNA difficult, so here we are using a phylogenomic approach to better understand species relationships within the tribe. We utilize transcriptome sequences and genome derived synteny information to improve orthology detection over standard sequence similarity approaches and gain greater insight into the relationships of the tribe. 1

University of Missouri, Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA2Cornell University3371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

857

SCHNEIDER, ADAM

Using horizontal gene transfer events to improve divergence time estimation: A case study in the Orobanchaceae

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orizontal gene transfer (HGT) from autotrophic plants to their heterotrophic parasites has been observed in many lineages of angiosperms, including the Orobanchaceae. These genes can be thought of as "molecular fossils", in that they provide evidence of ancient host-parasite associations. Integrating this data into a phylogenetic framework has the potential to inform our hypotheses about the ecology, biogeography, and evolutionary history of these species. One example of HGT previously described is of the gene albumin1 from a leguminous host to the common ancestor of Aphyllon, Phelipanche, and Orobanche. Combining Fabaceae fossil evidence and the albumin1 gene tree, these authors were able to infer the timing of the HGT event and subsequent diversification. Taking this a step forward, I used their estimate as a secondary calibration in a more comprehensive divergence time analysis, overcoming the limitation of a poor fossil record. My results support a more recent diversification and evolution of parasitism than previous estimates, which could be due to previous estimates not accounting for the

accelerated rates of molecular evolution characteristic in parasitic plants. University Of Toronto Mississauga, Department Of Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada

858

SIMPSON, MICHAEL* 1, JOHNSON, LEIGH 2, VILLAVERDE HIDALGO, TAMARA 3 and GUILLIAMS, MATT 4

An update on a compendium of American amphitropical disjunctions and future directions

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t Botany 2016 a colloquium was held on botanical examples of American Amphitropical Disjunction (AAD), followed by 12 research papers on this topic in the December 2017 issue of the American Journal of Botany. Here we update a compendium of known examples of vascular plant divergences that resulted in an AAD distribution. We add six AAD examples and discuss updated values of divergence times, relative to taxonomic categories, plant duration, and bioregions. We also discuss features of character evolution and issues with defining the bioregions traditionally used in categorizing AAD examples: bipolar, desert, or temperate. Finally, we cite the need for additional molecular phylogenetic studies and the prospects for future studies, particularly detailed phylogeographic ones. 1

San Diego State University, Department Of Biology, Department Of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States2Brigham Young University, Deptartment Of Biology, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, United States3Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Carretera de Utrera km 1, ES-41013, Seville, Spain4Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Department of Conservation and Research, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA

859

TIERNAN, NICHOLE M.* 1, JESTROW, BRETT 2, BURNS, CHRISTINA 1 , OVIEDO PRIETO, RAMONA 3, COMMACK, TRACY 4, CAMPBELL, KERON 4 , JIMÉNEZ-RODR�GUEZ, FRANCISCO 5 , CINEA, WILLIAM 6 and FRANCISCOORTEGA, JAVIER 1

Taxonomy and Systematics of Plumeria (Apocynaceae) in the Caribbean Islands

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he Neotropical genus Plumeria L. (Apocynaceae), commonly known as Frangipani, is an ornamental garden plant that occurs throughout the Caribbean Islands. The most recent treatments of the genus Plumeria are contradictory and based only on morphological analysis and classification. Many advances have recently been made using molecular systematics to understand the taxonomic relationships within the family Apocynaceae and the tribe Plumerieae. However, despite its popularity as an ornamental plant, the taxonomy and systematics of Plumeria are relatively unclear. Field collections have

388


been completed in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica. Using silica dried material and the living collection of Plumeria at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG), sequence data was obtained using targeted long PCR and next-generation DNA sequencing methods on an Illumina MiniSeq. In addition to chloroplast data, nuclear data will be used to produce phylogenies based on this combined dataset. Using the living collection of Plumeria plants at FTBG, an ongoing pollination and breeding system study will provide vital understanding to the floral biology and compatibility relationships of this ornamental genus. Conservation biologists recognize the Caribbean as a biodiversity hotspot, ranking top five in worldwide priority. The majority of wild growing Caribbean species of Plumeria are not present either in FTBG's collection or anywhere in horticulture, adding a sense of urgency to document the diversity of the genus. Classification studies such as this one provide a framework for what and where to conserve. In order to encourage new cohorts of tropical botanists, both undergraduate and high school interns are involved in this project through the Fairchild Challenge. 1

Florida International University, Biology, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, United States2Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL, 33156, United States3Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y el Medio Ambiente, A.P. 8029, 10800, La Habana, Cuba4Institute of Jamaica, Herbarium, Natural History Museum of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica5Jardin Botánico Nacional, Avenida República de Colombia, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic6Jardin Botanique des Cayes, Les Cayes, Haiti

860

1

XUE, BINE* , TAN, YUNHONG , THOMAS, DANIEL 3, CHAOWASKU, TANAWAT 4, HOU, XUE-LIANG 5 and SAUNDERS, RICHARD 6

2

A new Annonaceae genus, Wuodendron, provides support for a postboreotropical origin of the AsianNeotropical disjunction in the tribe Miliuseae

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he genus Polyalthia Blume has historically been the source of considerable taxonomic confusion in Annonaceae due to its highly polyphyletic status. In recent years, molecular phylogenetic studies have accelerated the segregation of the disparate elements and have therefore largely resolved this taxonomic impediment. Several names in Polyalthia nevertheless remain unresolved, awaiting assignment to specific genera, including Polyalthia litseifolia C.Y.Wu ex P.T.Li from China. Phylogenetic analyses of seven chloroplast regions (atpB-rbcL, matK, ndhF, psbAtrnH, rbcL, trnL-F and ycf1; ca. 8.3 kb, 116 accessions, including representatives of all currently accepted genera in subfamily Malmeoideae) unambiguously placed Polyalthia litseifolia in a clade with three accessions from Thailand, which have previously been shown to represent an undescribed genus sister to the Neotropical clade (Desmopsis, Sapranthus, Stenanona,

and Tridimeris) in the predominantly Asian tribe Miliuseae. The collective clade is sister to Meiogyne. Polyalthia litseifolia shares several diagnostic characters with most species in the Neotropical genera and Meiogyne, including: petals that are similar in shape and size in both whorls; multiple ovules per ovary in one or two rows; and lamelliform endosperm ruminations. It is distinct in being deciduous, bearing subpetiolar buds and having inflorescences growing from the leaf scar of the dropped leaves. Morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses corroborate its recognition as a new genus, which is formally described and illustrated here as Wuodendron. Polyalthia litseifolia is furthermore found to be conspecific with the enigmatic Indian species Desmos praecox, and the latter name is used as the basis for the name of the type species. Wuodendron praecox was further found to be widely distributed in Asia, including China, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Molecular divergence time estimates under an uncorrelated lognormal relaxed clock place the Wuodendron-Neotropical clade split within the Miocene (ca. 14-12 Ma), highlighting the importance of post-boreotropical dispersal and vicariance in shaping intercontinental tropical disjunctions in Annonaceae. 1

South China Botanical Garden, Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, 723 Xingke Rd, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, China2Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute3Singapore Botanic Gardens4Chiang Mai University5Xiamen University6The University of Hong Kong

861

ORTIZ, EDGARDO M.* 1 and SIMPSON, BERYL 2

Diversification of High Andean blueberries (Vaccinieae: Ericaceae): inter- and intraspecific evolutionary patterns

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he Andean uplift is arguably the most important geologic event that led to the diversification of the richest biota in the planet. By the end of the Miocene, the Andes reached half their current elevation and their eastern slopes intercepted, condensed, and precipitated enough westward-moving moist air from the Amazon to cause the formation of montane forests. Later, climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene heavily affected the distribution of upper montane forests. Today, the upper belt of these forests, also known as cloud forest, possesses the highest levels of endemism in the world, however, the processes that drove this diversification are still poorly understood. We investigated these processes in five endemic genera of the blueberry tribe, Vaccinieae (Demosthenesia, Pellegrinia, Polyclita, Rusbya, and Siphonandra); these inhabit the cloud forest up to timberline at ~3000-3500 masl. We constructed the largest and most robust time-calibrated phylogeny of the tribe to date and performed diversification and historical biogeographic analyses to place these genera in a temporal and phylogenetic context. Additionally, we used a phylogenomic approach to further resolve the relationships of the most re-

389


cently diverged Demosthenesia and Rusbya. Finally, we explored the effects of Pleistocene climatic oscillations on the present population structure of the widespread Demosthenesia mandonii, and attempted to locate putative Pleistocene refugia. Our results indicate that the five genera do not share a single origin, however their divergence dates are contemporaneous at ~6 Ma. At a larger scale, the Neotropical blueberries have multiple evolutionary origins, with a main radiation influenced by the uplift of the Andes and Cenozoic temperatures. Lastly, the population analysis of D. mandonii, suggests a severe contraction of its range during the last glacial maximum followed by re-expansion towards the present, populations likely survived the last glaciation in a single Pleistocene refugium located in the Urubamba valley in central Peru. 1

Technical University Of Munich, Ecology & Ecosystem Management, Plant Biodiversity Research, Emil-Ramann Strasse 2, Freising, D-85354, Germany2The University Of Texas At Austin, Integrative Biology, 205 West 24th St., Mail Stop C0930, Austin, TX, 78713.0, United States

862 NETH J. 2

ROSE, JEFF* 1 and SYTSMA, KEN-

Testing the relative contribution of incomplete lineage sorting and reticulate evolution in the evolutionary history of flowering plants: Polemonium (Polemoniaceae) as a case study

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olemonium is comprised of at least 27 species and is most diverse in montane and arctic-alpine areas of western North America. Past phylogenetic studies based on nrITS or AFLPs provide few insights into backbone relationships within the genus. In addition, previous analyses of a handful of low-copy nuclear genes and a large segment of the chloroplast genome suggest the presence of high amounts of genealogical discordance. We utilize an anchored phylogenomics approach to generate sequences for 360 nuclear genes as well as complete nuclear ribosomal and chloroplast genomes. We use these data to generate better-supported phylogenetic hypotheses of relationships in Polemonium and to investigate the contribution of incomplete lineage sorting and reticulation in its evolutionary history. We then use this new phylogenetic framework to examine the impact of changes in altitude and geographic space on species formation in Polemonium. This phylogenomics approach clearly demonstrates that incomplete lineage sorting and reticulate evolution have significantly contributed to the evolutionary history of Polemonium and also uncovers several previously unknown lineages. Analysis of the nuclear genome confirms rampant genealogical discordance, but does suggest that a dominant, underlying tree-like structure exists. Furthermore, three major reticulation events have contributed to extant diversity in Polemonium. The chloroplast genome shows strong discordance with the inferred nuclear DNA species trees. Discordance in the nuclear ribosomal genome is similar to that expected based on

a combination of incomplete lineage sorting and reticulate evolution, but the plastome genealogy is extremely discordant and irreconcilable by invoking incomplete lineage sorting and the inferred reticulation events. Overall, the history of the genus implied by the nuclear and nuclear ribosomal genomes are consistent with each other and consistent with species circumscription based on morphology, but the plastome history is strongly inconsistent with these other lines of evidence. The main driver of speciation in Polemonium is allopatric in nature, with altitude showing strong phylogenetic conservatism. Speciation in Polemonium has primarily proceeded horizontally in geographic space, whereas species in sympatry represent secondary contact. Current barriers to reproduction appear to be maintained by both spatial isolation and chromosomal rearrangements. Our study of the Polemonium system provides insights into to evolution of plant groups in the Cordillera of western North America and provides methodological and conceptual insights to guide the study of phylogenetic relationships in plants in the era of next-generation sequencing. 1

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI2University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States

863

FROST, LAURA* 1 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD 2

Is it faster to move or evolve? Comparing effects of niche conservatism and niche evolution on diversification rate in Citharexylum (Verbenaceae)

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uch of our understanding of Neotropical diversification relates to recent, rapid radiations in a single biome (e.g. the paramo or cloud forests). We sought to investigate patterns of biogeography and diversification in an older Neotropical lineage inhabiting multiple biomes in order to understand relative contributions of niche conservatism and niche evolution on diversification. Citharexylum comprises ca. 70 species of flowering trees and shrubs distributed from northern Mexico to southern Brazil and Argentina in low-elevation tropical moist forest, high alpine biomes, tropical dry forests and deserts. The genus originated in Central America in the Oligocene, during a period of global cooling and aridification. Early diversification occurred in seasonal, semi-arid environments. Dispersal to South America was followed by separate radiations in high alpine biomes and low to mid-elevation humid forest. A subsequent dispersal to Central America resulted in the largest radiation of the genus into arid, seasonal, and moist forest biomes. Each major radiation comprises a seasonal or dry adapted clade sister to a predominantly moist forest clade, and a moist forest ancestor is inferred for each radiation. Diversification rates are higher in moist forest clades. Niche evolution is a common pattern in the evolutionary history of Citharexylum-there seem to be few barriers to adaptation to different biomes-but niche conservatism may be the greater contributor to diversification.

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1

Department Of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States2University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

864

SHARBER, WYATT* 1 and WHITLOCK, BARBARA 2

Parallel evolution of trithecate anthers in Ayenia and Megatritheca (Malvaceae; Byttnerioideae)

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he evolution of stamen number and morphology is quite labile across Angiosperms; however, the number of thecae and their containing microsporangia is highly conserved, with few deviations in the dithecate, tetrasporangiate anther form. The Malvaceae is one of the few families that show deviations in thecae number, with dithecate, monothecate, and trithecate anthers. Here I investigate two taxa with rare and highly unusual trithecate anthers, Ayenia and Megatritheca (Byttnerioideae). Using a newly generated molecular phylogeny of these taxa and ancestral character state reconstruction, I show that trithecate anthers evolved in parallel in these taxa, while closely related taxa, Byttneria and Rayleya, retained the ancestral dithecate form. Trithecate anthers are associated with larger overall flowers. However, the large flowers of Megatritheca are the result of a decrease in size from its dithecate ancestor, whereas the large flowers of Ayenia represent an increase in size. Anthers of Megatritheca have increased in size by an increase in height, as well as the addition of a theca. Anthers and thecae of Ayenia, in contrast, have decreased in size in most measurements. Ancestral area reconstruction supports a South American origin for Ayenia, Byttneria, and Rayleya, with multiple dispersals to the Old World tropics in Byttneria. Finally, I discuss the taxonomic implications of my phylogenetic analyses, and propose a recircumscription of Byttneria to reflect monophyletic evolutionary lineages. 1

1537 Garcia Ave., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States2University Of Miami, Department Of Biology, P.O. Box 249118, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, United States

865

DRUMMOND, CHLOE P.* 1, KUCHENREUTHER, MARGARET A. 2 and SYTSMA, KENNETH J. 3

Great Lakes-Western North American disjunct plants: a review of the distribution and three phylogeographic case studies

T

he distinctive disjunct distribution between Western North America and the Great Lakes region involves as least 70 species of plants. Although the species exhibiting this distribution were first reviewed nearly 40 years ago, no full review has included plants found eastward into the St. Lawrence Seaway. We present an updated review of this biogeographical disjunct pattern using geo-referenced

specimen data, leverage population genetic analyses of different species illustrating this disjunction, and discuss implications for various Pleistocene biogeographic hypotheses generating this disjunct pattern. To illuminate the underlying biogeographic histories that comprise this broader pattern, we conduct in-depth genomic analyses in three case studies: Aconitum columbianum (Ranunculaceae), Oplopanax horridus (Araliaceae), and Rubus parviflorus (Rosaceae). We use genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data, from 12-18 populations per species, to reconstruct evolutionary relationships between populations using Maximum Likelihood, Bayesian and coalescence approaches, and identify admixture between populations using population structure. We use populations defined by our structure analysis as input for testing explicit demographic population genetic scenarios of vicariance and dispersal, using Approximate Bayesian Computation. To account for the divergence time of these North American species and their populations, we construct broader genus and family chronograms using a supermatrix approach, including multiple genetic markers and a subset of GBS loci. Our analyses reveal that these species have different underlying phylogeographic histories, indicating a more complex, pseudoparallel biogeographic pattern. 12

University Of Minnesota, Morris, DIV OF SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS, 600 East 4th St., Morris, MN, 56267, United States3University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States

866

ACKERFIELD, JENNIFER

A Prickly Puzzle: Phylogeny and Evolution of the Carduus-Cirsium Group (Cardueae: Compositae)

A

basic goal of evolutionary biology is to understand the factors shaping phenotypic diversity, particularly within radiations. Within Compositae, the Carduus-Cirsium (“thistle�) group is useful for the study of diversification for the following reasons. First, it constitutes a radiation by having an accelerated period of diversification and speciation. Second, within North America, species have diversified into a wide array of heterogeneous abiotic conditions and correspondingly have extensive phenotypic diversity. In addition to constituting a continental radiation, North American thistles are one of the most difficult taxonomic groups within North America and many species delimitations are controversial or unclear. n this study, a phylogeny for the Carduus-Cirsium group was inferred to resolve relationships among North American thistles. In addition, ecological niche modeling was used to test for evidence of phylogenetic niche conservatism or biome shifts within the continent-wide radiation. Results demonstrate a prevalence for phylogenetic niche conservatism among sister species, as well as a convergence of characteristics in association with similar ecological niches. This study builds upon our understanding of the factors contributing to diversification within North America and one of the largest families of

I

391


flowering plants.

868

Colorado State University, Biology Dept., 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, United States

Investigating evolutionary relationships within Pogostemoneae and Gomphostemmateae (Subfamily:Lamioideae; Family:Lamiaceae)

867

LUJAN, MANUEL* 1 and MCDADE, LUCINDA 2

Evolution of CAM photosynthesis in Neotropical Clusia (Clusiaceae): insights from leaf anatomy, biochemistry and climate

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rassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is considered an adaptation to reduce water loss in plants inhabiting water-limited environments. CAM has evolved multiple times independently in a number of lineages, particularly in plants occurring in dry habitats or of epiphytic habit. The Neotropical genus Clusia includes about 300 species of trees, shrubs and hemiepiphytes with remarkable morphological diversity and physiological plasticity. The genus is considered the only group known to include trees with CAM; it has been subject of numerous physiological studies, although little is known about the evolution of CAM. With the aim of describing the evolutionary history of CAM photosynthesis in Clusia, we reconstruct a phylogenetic tree using data from restriction site associated DNA sequencing and undertake phylogenetic comparative analyses to evaluate seven leaf anatomical traits, carbon isotope ratios and bioclimatic variables calculated for 109 samples of 56 species of Clusia and two related genera. Species distributed throughout the elevation range of the genus (i.e., near the sea level to > 3.000 m elevation), as well as across the latitudinal range of the group (i.e., central Mexico to southern Bolivia), were included in this study. Phylogenetic least squares regression analyses indicate that leaf thickness, palisade mesophyll thickness and cell size are positively correlated with carbon isotope ratios. Likewise, these traits are strongly correlated with bioclimatic variables related to the severity of the dry season, estimated as precipitation during the driest periods. Intercellular air space and length of mesophyll exposed to air displayed their maximum values in both extant species and reconstructed nodes among species of Clusia sect. Anandrogyne, a lineage not known to have CAM. This suggests that well-aerated mesophyll may impeded the evolution of CAM. Ancestral state reconstructions indicate that the most recent common ancestor of Clusia and of all the main lineages in the genus possessed leaf anatomical traits correlated with C3 photosynthesis, and that the evolution of CAM-related leaf anatomy evolved before the appearance of CAM. Analysis of evolutionary shifts of leaf anatomical traits indicates convergent evolution of CAM-related traits across a number of independent lineages within the genus. Our results show that leaf anatomical features associated with in CAM activity can be quantified and analyzed separately to investigate their role in CAM evolution.

ROY, TILOTTAMA

T

he family Lamiaceae is one of the most speciesrich angiosperm families, characterized by a suite of morphological characters. Lamiaceae is divided into seven subfamilies, of which Lamioideae is the second largest and exhibits a remarkable diversity of morphology and habitat. Lamioideae is further subdivided into ten tribes, of which Gomphostemmateae and Pogostemoneae are predominantly Old World, with many of their members being extensively used in medicinal and cultural purposes. Our previous study utilizing chloroplast (cpDNA) and the low copy nuclear-encoded DNA locus PPR showed cytonuclear discordance, placing members of each of these two tribes into two distinctly well supported clades in the nuclear phylogeny, whereas the cpDNA phylogeny still resolved each tribe as monophyletic. However, even the cpDNA tree showed these two tribes comprising of two separate subclades, with taxa in each clade showing morphological similarities with each other, but substantially differing from members of the other clade. Introns from low-copy nuclear markers provide high variability due to a higher rate of nucleotide substitutions and are thus phylogenetically more informative among closely related taxa. This has led us to pursue further research incorporating three more independently inherited low copy nuclear loci (COR, NIA and ADH), with a variety of phylogenetic methods, as well as an extended sampling with more representative taxa from each clade within these two tribes, to delve further into their taxonomic positions and clarifying phylogenetic affinities within these two tribes as well as their possible re-circumscription. Missouri Western State University, Biology, 4525 Downs Drive, Saint Joseph, MO, 65407, USA

869

HAENEL, MAXWELL* 1, FROST, LAURA 2 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD 3

Phylogeny of Verbenaceae 1

1720 NE 58th St, SEATTLE, WA, 98105, United States2Department Of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States3University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, Campus Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States

1

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States21500 N. College Avenue, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States

392


870

LEE, YOONKYUNG* 1, PATON, ALAN 2, OLMSTEAD, RICHARD 3 and KIM, SANGTAE 1

A phylogenetic study of the Scutellaria (Lamiaceae) based on chloroplast ccsA, matK, and ndhF regions

S

cutellaria L. is the second largest genus of the Lamiaceae, with approximately 470 recognized species. The current classification system based on the morphological study contains seven sections placed in two subgenera, subgenus Scutellaria and subgenus Apelthanthus. In this classification system, thirty-four morphological species-groups have been suggested in the section Scutellaria, the largest section in the genus (ca. 240 species), without any taxonomic rank. Molecular phylogenetic studies to test the monophyly of each subgroup in the classification system have not yet been performed. In this study, we selected 202 species representing each subgroup of Scutellaria and also representing questionable unplaced taxa, which account for approximately 43 % of the recognized species in Scutellaria. To address phylogeny of Scutellaria, three fast-evolving DNA regions in the chloroplast (ccsA, matK, and ndhF) were selected based on the analysis of the two previously reported chloroplast genome in the genus (S. baicalensis Georgi, S. insignis Nakai). The result showed the first molecular phylogenetic relationship among species of Scutellaria and it will be the basis for a new classification system in the genus. 1

Sungshin University, Department of Biology, 55, Dobong-ro 76gagil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, 01133, Republic of Korea2Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK3University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

871

YUE, JONATHAN* 1, AU, SCARLET 1, GUO, EMILY 1, VO, AN 1, MÖLLER, MICHAEL 2, NEILL, DAVID A. 3 and CLARK, JOHN L. 1

A recently discovered new genus in the Gesneriaceae from the Amazon basin of Ecuador

A

small understory tree was discovered during recent botanical expeditions to eastern Ecuador. Molecular sequence data generated from chloroplast (trnL-F) and nuclear (ITS) markers suggest that this undescribed taxon belongs in the family Gesneriaceae. Phylogenetic analyses support a close relationship with Gasteranthus (tribe Beslerieae), a genus of mostly low growing shrubs with indehiscent berries. The new genus is defined by the presence of dry capsules, arborescent habit, and elongate trichomes in the corolla throat. This species is known from two of the sub-Andean cordilleras in Amazonian Ecuador -- the Cordillera Galeras in Napo province and the northern portion of the Cordillera del Cóndor

in Morona-Santiago province. The sub-Andean cordilleras form a discontinuous chain of relatively low mountains east of the main Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. Unlike many of the recently described plant species from these sub-Andean cordilleras, the new genus has not been recorded from the oligotrophic sandstone outcrops of the Cordillera del Cóndor that harbor a number of taxa with biogeographical links to the "tepuis" of the Guiana Shield. 1

The Lawrenceville School, Science Department, 2500 Main St., Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648, USA2Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK3Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador

872

MORTIMER, SEBASTIAN* and TANK, DAVID

Phylogeny and evolution of Lamourouxia (Orobanchaceae): patterns of diversification in a neotropical radiation

A

n extensive monograph based on the morphological characters of Lamourouxia (Orobanchaceae) hypothesized three lineages (taxonomic sections) within the genus, highly unequal species distributions, several endemic species, and two independent origins of hummingbird pollination. Lamourouxia displays a confusing, and sometimes taxonomically conflicting, array of floral and vegetative characters. We used various molecular approaches to elucidate evolutionary relationships between sympatric and allopatric taxa and to infer a species tree. Furthermore, we reconstructed the evolution of taxonomically informative characters of described species within the genus. With these inferences in mind, we restructure the taxonomy of the genus to reflect monophyletic groupings. This will inform further work concerning biogeography and the processes of diversification in the genus. University Of Idaho, Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844, United States

873

DUAN, YIFAN

Phylogeny and systematics of the genus Osmanthus (Oleaceae) based on molecular (plastid and nuclear) and morphological evidence

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he genus Osmanthus belongs to Oleaceae Subtribe Oleinae comprising about 35 species, which are previously divided into five Sections, Leiolea, Osmanthus, Linocieroides, Siphosmanthus and Notosmanthus. Previous studies were either based on plastid data only or based on both plastid and nuclear data but the sampling was small. In addition, although it's suggested as polyphyletic, an circumscription of Osmanthus based on morphological and molecular evidence has not been available yet. In the present study, based on molecular data of four plastid markers and one nuclear marker, we reconstruct a

393


global phylogeny of Osmanthus. The 2 major clades identified earlier are recovered here and we further identified a new major clade. The inclusion of Osmanthus Sect. Notosmanthus in the genus Notelaea is confirmed for the first time. Based on the newly reconstructed phylogeny and evidence from morphology, the four species of Osmanthus Sect. Leiolea is suggested to establish a new genus. Nanjing Forestry University, Botany, 159# longpan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China

874

WOLFE, ANDI* 1, BLISCHAK, PAUL 2 and KUBATKO, LAURA 3

Testing Adaptive Radiation Theory in Penstemon (Plantaginaceae)

P

enstemon is the largest genus endemic to North America, consisting of nearly 300 species and more than 350 taxa. Morphological diversity within the genus is extensive. For example, plant habit ranges from very short mat forming species to robust herbaceous species nearly 3 m tall. Corolla size ranges from <10 mm to ca. 5 cm, and there is a considerable array of inflorescence architectures and vegetative morphologies. Many species of Penstemon are edaphic endemics, and more than half the genus is adapted to montane environments. Using fossils from related genera in Plantaginaceae, we estimated an origin for Penstemon towards the end of the Pliocene or at the beginning of the Pleistocene. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of ca. 310 taxa from Penstemon and outgroup genera in the tribe Cheloneae using 42 targeted amplicons from single copy nuclear genes. We then conducted analyses to examine diversification rates and to assess morphological characters that may be associated with increased rates of diversification. Our results reveal patterns of diversification and morphological changes consistent with indicators for adaptive radiation. 1

Ohio State University, Department Of Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States2Ohio State University, 318 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210.0, United States3The Ohio State University, Department of Statistics, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

875

OTTENLIPS, MICHAEL* 1, MANSFIELD, DONALD H. 2, BUERKI, SVEN 1, FOREST, FELIX 3, DODSWORTH, STEPHEN 4 and SMITH, JAMES 5

Resolving species boundaries in the Lomatium packardiae/L. anomalum clade of the L. triternatum (Apiaceae) complex

U

ncovering monophyletic groups that correspond to species in taxa that are morphologically similar is challenging and such groups are often questioned as to the rank (specific/subspecific) they actually represent. DNA sequence data can provide an independent data source to infer phylogenetic estimates that can then be used to determine if

clades recovered from DNA data agree with groups assigned from morphological data. The Lomatium triternatum complex of approximately nine species is distributed across much of the Pacific Northwestern USA from Montana and Wyoming in the east to the Pacific coast and southward into Nevada and Utah. Across that distribution there is a wide range of morphological variation and multiple subspecific taxa have been described. Recent phylogenetic analyses of plastid DNA and rDNA regions have recovered multiple strongly-supported clades within the complex that agree with subtle, but distinctive morphologies, geographic distributions, and ecological parameters. However, relationships among what had been identified as L. packardiae and L. anomalum were recovered as polyphyletic, poorly supported, or did not recover clades that agreed with other parameters. Here we sample many more populations from throughout the range of the two species and include data from vegetation cover, soils, morphology (including SEM sampling of mature fruits), and high-throughput sequencing data using a newly-developed set of angiosperm-wide baits targeting low-copy nuclear genes. The new DNA data were analyzed using traditional concatenated methodologies as well as coalescentbased methods to determine if incomplete lineage sorting was a source of earlier discrepancies. 1

Boise State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725, USA2The College of Idaho, Department of Biology, 2112 Cleveland Boulevard, Caldwell, ID, 83605, USA3Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS, UK4Royal Botanic Gardens,Kew, Richmond, TW9 3DS, UK5Boise State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 1910 University Drive, Ms1515, Boise, ID, 83725, United States

876

SPRIGGS, ELIZABETH* 1, SCHLUTIUS, CAROLINE 2, EATON, DEREN 3, PARK, BRIAN 2, SWEENEY, PATRICK 4, EDWARDS, ERIKA 5 and DONOGHUE, MICHAEL 6

Differences in flowering time maintain species boundaries in a continental radiation of Viburnum

W

ith extensive RADseq data we assessed the diversification of the Lentago clade of Viburnum. This lineage includes five species of shrubs and small trees that radiated in eastern North America over the past 15-20 million years. All five are clearly differentiated, and although we infer a history of introgression between multiple species pairs, there is little evidence of hybridization today. We tested whether differences in flowering time are responsible for species isolation by comparing historical flowering dates documented in herbarium specimens. In each species, we found a strong relationship between flowering date and latitude such that southern populations flower earlier than northern ones. Within areas of sympatry, the species flower in sequence rather than simultaneously, with flowering dates offset by at least nine days for all species pairs. In some cases, it appears that the offset in flowering times is

394


an incidental consequence of adaptation to differing climates, but in the recently diverged sister species V. prunifolium and V. rufidulum, we find evidence that reinforcement led to reproductive character displacement. Long-term trends in flowering time suggest that the two northern-most species are flowering earlier in response to recent climate change. However, given the direction of these shifts and the particular sequence of flowering among the species, it appears unlikely that climate change will disrupt the existing reproductive barriers in this case. We argue that speciation in the Lentago clade has primarily occurred through ecological divergence of allopatric populations, but differences in flowering time were essential to maintain separation of incipient species when they came into secondary contact. This same combination of factors may underlie diversification in many other plant clades. 1

Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston, MA, 02130, United States2Yale University, Ecology and Evolutionary Bioloy, PO Box 208106, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA3Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, And Environmental Biology, 1200 Amsterdam Ave. , Schermerhorn Ext. Office 1007, New York, NY, 10027, United States4Yale University, Peabody Museum Of Natural History, P.O. Box 208118, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States5Yale University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, PO Box 208106, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA6Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Po Box 208106, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States

877

LÉVEILLÉ-BOURRET, ÉTIENNE * 1, STARR, JULIAN 1, FORD, BRUCE 2, GILMOUR, CLAIRE 3, DONADÍ­O, SABINA 4, NACZI, ROBERT 5, NGUYỄN, THỊ KIM THANH 6, VŪ, ANH TÀI7, CHEN, BING-HUA 8, JIN, XIAO-FENG 9, SPALINK, DANIEL 10, LEMMON, EMILY MORIARTY 11 , LEMMON, ALAN R. 12 and SYTSMA, KENNETH J. 13

Finding the sister to sedges (Carex): a new tribal and generic classification for the Cariceae-Dulichieae-Scirpeae Clade (Cyperaceae)

F

or over a century, the origins and mechanisms underlying the diversification of the enormous temperate genus Carex (>2000 species; Cariceae, Cyperaceae) have remained largely speculative. Characteristics such as its diverse ecology, varied biogeography, and intriguing cytology have made Carex a powerful model for studying plant evolution, but uncertain sister-group relationships hinder its use in studies that depend on accurate ancestral state estimates and biogeographic inferences. Over the past five years, we have focused our research on resolving relationships within the major clade to which Carex belongs, the Cariceae-Dulichieae-Scirpeae (CDS) clade, a lineage containing 18 genera and approximately 40% of all Cyperaceae species (~2,100). Although initial phylogenetic studies based on nuclear and plastid Sanger-sequence markers suggested that

Carex was nested within a paraphyletic tribe Scirpeae, and that several Scirpeae genera could also be paraphyletic, backbone nodes were unsupported. This meant the sister-group to Carex could not be determined, and any reclassification of CDS would be problematic. Using a subset of key taxa, we generated data for 461 nuclear exons using a universal flowering plant Anchored Phylogenomics probe set. These phylogenomic analyses were fully congruent with previous Sanger-based phylogenies, but they resolved all backbone nodes with high support, corroborating the need for a new tribal and genericlevel revision of CDS. Although phylogenomic trees firmly place the Trichophorum Clade (Trichophorum, Oreobolopsis, Cypringlea) as sister to Carex, long branches and considerable morphologically differences emphasized the isolated position of Carex. This highlighted the importance of sampling Sumatroscirpus, the only CDS genus never before included in molecular analyses. Although rarely collected and believed to be a monospecific Sumatran endemic, taxonomic revision revealed that Sumatroscirpus consists of four species distributed north to China, including a locality in northern Vietnam where DNA could be obtained. Molecular analyses positioned Sumatroscirpus as sister to Carex, a relationship supported by a morphological synapomorphy: sheathing spikelet prophylls (perigynia). Moreover, it supported previous hypotheses suggesting an important role for Southeast Asia in the historical biogeography of Carex. With all CDS genera now placed in a robust phylogenetic framework, it is finally possible to propose a natural tribal classification for CDS. Combined molecular, morphological, anatomical and embryological data supports the recognition of seven tribes, four of which are new (Calliscirpeae, Khaosokieae, Sumatroscirpeae, Trichophoreae). Ongoing species-level studies of Trichophoreae and Scirpus, based on plastid, nuclear, RADseq, and morphological datasets will soon resolve the only remaining problems for generic circumscription in CDS. 1

University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, Gendron Hall, Room 160, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada2University Of Manitoba, Department Of Biological Sciences, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada3301-10530 84th Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, T6E2H4, Canada4CONICET - Instituto de Botánica Darwinion, Labardén 200 - Casilla de Correo 22, San Isidro, B1642HYD, Argentina5The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA6Faculty of Biology, Vietnam National University - VNU University of Science, Hanoi, Vietnam7Institute of Geography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam8College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350117, China9College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, 16 Xuelin Street, Xiasha Higher Educational District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, CN†310036, China10University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States11Florida State University, Biology, 319 Stadium Drive, P.O. Box 3064295, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA12Florida State University, Scientific Computing, 400 Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL, 323064120, USA13University of WI-Madison, Botany, 132 Birge Hall, , 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

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DOREY, JENNA

Systematics of Carex section Laxiflorae (Cyperaceae)

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arex section Laxiflorae includes some of the most common and ecologically important sedges in forests of eastern North America, as well as several narrowly endemic species. The section is currently comprised of 16 species in North America, but is in great need of taxonomic revision. Morphometric analyses indicate that several species in eastern North America contain previously undocumented diversity, and traditional sequencing methods provide preliminary evidence that section Laxiflorae is not monophyletic. However, the phylogenies produced by traditional sequencing display conflicting gene tree topologies and very low support values, thus, failing to fully resolve intra and inter sectional relationships. To overcome this challenge, I constructed ddRAD libraries of 31 putative taxa from 216 different individuals and sent the libraries for paired-end 150 base pair sequencing on an Illumina NextSeq 550 machine. I am using this genomic-wide sequence data to test whether morphologically defined species are supported by molecular data, to detect hybridization, and to clarify the phylogenetic relationship of section Laxiflorae to North American members of sections Paniceae and Bicolores. The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States

879

MCCAULEY, SAMUEL* 1, MORALES-BRIONES, DIEGO 2, DI STILIO, VERóNICA S. 3 and TANK, DAVID 1

Investigating the role of climate and geography in the evolution of pollination syndrome in Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae)

A

major aspect of evolutionary biology is understanding how taxa evolve when they move to new areas, since this movement implies exposure to novel environmental and ecological regimes to which these taxa must adapt. Transitions into similar regimes may cause lineages to evolve convergent traits. Thalictrum (meadow-rues, Ranunculaceae; ~196 species) is a clade of flowering plants that has evolved wind pollination multiple times independently, and these transitions have been hypothesized to be correlated with major biogeographic shifts in the group. In this study, we (1) develop and present an updated phylogeny for Thalictrum and several closely related genera, (2) reconstruct the historical biogeography of the clade, and (3) investigate the correlation of environmental variables associated with shifts in biogeography and the evolution of wind pollination in Thalictrum.

880

SHERMAN-BROYLES, SUE 1, STRICKLER, SUSAN 2, POWELL, ADRIAN 2 , BOMBARELY, AURELIANO 3, LI, SHUJIE 4 , FARMER, ANDREW 5, LIU, QINGLI 6, BROWN, A. H. D. 7 and DOYLE, JEFF* 8

Harnessing genome(s)-wide variation to refine understanding of the perennial members of the soybean genus (Glycine: Leguminosae)

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he perennial relatives of the cultivated soybean (Glycine max) are a group of around 30 species that comprise Glycine subg. Glycine. At the diploid level (2n = 38, 40), they are confined to the Sahul (Australia and Papua New Guinea), but several allopolyploids (2n = 78, 80) have colonized islands of the Pacific Ocean. Polyploids formed recently (< 500,000 years) from at least eight different combinations of around eight diploid genomes. New species continue to be identified in subg. Glycine, both through collecting in remote regions of Australia and through sampling molecular variation across known species. Nomenclature lags behind taxonomy, in large part due to the complex patterns of morphological variation caused by shared genomes among diploid and allopolyploid taxa. Relationships hypothesized from early crossing studies that identified “genome groups” of diploid species were refined by the application of molecular data and greater sampling, and are now being studied at the whole genome level through the application of genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and the sequencing of entire plastid and mitochondrial genomes. GBS, in particular, is useful for diagnosing misidentified accessions in the large (> 2000 accessions) subg. Glycine germplasm collection, for identifying diploid or allopolyploid hybrids and providing hypotheses of their progenitors, and for revealing unexpected diversity that could represent new species within the subgenus. 1

Cornell University, Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA3Virginia Tech, Department Of Horticulture, Virginia Tech, 216 Latham Hall, 220 Ag Quad Lane, Latham Hall 216, 220 Ag Quad Lane, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, United States4Cornell University, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA5National Center for Genome Resources, 2935 Rodeo Park Drive East, Santa Fe, NM, 87505, USA6Syngenta Crop Protection, 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA7Biodiversity International, Rome, Italy8Cornell University, School Of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, 240 Emerson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States

1

University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83843, USA2University of Minnesota, 714 Biological Sciences Center, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA3University Of Washington, Depaartment Of Biology, Po Box 35180, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States

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TREIBER, ERIN* 1, TORRES, MARIA FERNANDA 2, ZALAMEA, PAUL 3, MADRIÑÁN, SANTIAGO 4 and WEIBLEN, GEORGE 5

Phylogeny of Cecropia (Cecropieae: Urticaceae) inferred from restriction-site associated DNA sequences

A

nt-plant mutualisms are especially common in the tropics and are popular for ecological studies of mutualism. However, investigating the evolution of tropical ant-plant mutualisms requires a phylogenetic framework. A common ant-plant mutualism in the Neotropics involves the genus Cecropia, a group of fast growing pioneer trees that are important in forest regeneration. Our study aimed to infer relationships in approximately half the genus using restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing. RAD sequence data resolved and supported species level relationships beyond what could be inferred from direct sequencing. Our results support a deeply divergent non-myrmecophytic clade that included C. sciadophylla and African Musanga. Evidence from geographically widespread and morphologically heter?o?gen?e?ous C. obtusifolia and C. angustifolia suggests that current synonymy lumps together genetically dissimilar lineages. More extensive genetic study is needed to refine species concepts in Cecropia. 1

University of Minnesota, Entomology, U of M Bee Research Facility, 1634 Gortner Ave., Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA2University of Edinburgh, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9, 3JT, UK3Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Barro Colorado Island, Panama, Panama4Universidad de los Andes, Ciencias Biológicas, Cra. 1 # 18a-12, Calle 5A#25A-67 Apto. 402, Bogotá, Bogotá DC., 111711, Colombia5 Plant & Microbial Biology, 140 Gortner Laboratory , 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, United States

882

ERIKSSON, TORSTEN* 1 and DAVIS, THOMAS M 2

Rooting strawberry trees (Fragaria, Rosaceae)

P

hylogenetic analyses yield unrooted trees and the root is then applied using external criteria, usually an outgroup. Rooting is inevitable in phylogenetics, else we do not know the direction of evolutionary change or even the content of clades. Clades are important in order to interpret biological events such as character transformations, lineage splits or polyploidisation events like those in Fragaria, the strawberries. If rooting fails, the root may be placed on the wrong ingroup branch or may distort ingroup relationships, and we will fail to interpret the evolutionary history correctly. Cultivated strawberries are octoploid, probably originating from diploid ancestors through a series of polyploidisations. Previous analyses of Fragaria have used few and in most cases distant outgroups which has resulted in different placements of the root and seemingly different topologies. We present new analyses of diploid Fragar-

ia species using several nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions and more than ten relevant outgroups focusing on elucidating the root of the strawberry tree. 1

University Of Bergen, University Museum, Natural History Collections, Postboks 7800, Bergen, N-5007 , Norway2University of New Hampshire, Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems, 104 Rudman Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

883

ICKERT-BOND, STEFANIE* 1, HARRIS, AJ 2, BERRIOS, HAZEL 1, LUTZ, SUE 3 and WEN, JUN 4

A detailed study of leaf micromorphology and anatomy of New World Vitis L. subgenus Vitis within a phylogenetic and ecological framework reveals evolutionary convergence

W

e investigated the correlation of leaf anatomy and micromorphology in New World Vitis with molecular phylogenetic relationships and environmental affinity. We observed the leaf anatomy and micromorphology traits using light and scannng electron microscopy and focused on traits known to differ among species of Vitis according to traditional taxonomy: trichome type, stomata morphology, mesophyll organization, and midrib vascularization. We found that traits associated with water conductance and photosynthesis comprised the highest loadings of axis one of a principal components analysis (PCA) while traits related to gas exchange (i.e., the stomatal apparatus) had high loadings on axis two. Using the PCA, we identified seven clusters of species, which showed little correlation to recently reported molecular phylogenetic relationships. PCA axes one and two separated species occurring in dry southwestern North American habitats from those in mesic places. In contrast, Bayes Traits and Bayesian Binary Method revealed little to no evolutionary correlation between pairsof leaf traits and ecological tolerances represented by univariate environmental features of precipitatio and seasonality. Thus the leaf morphology and anatomy of New World Vitis appear to have high correlation with environment based on our observation of these traits and the environments of the species possessing them and based on our PCA. Thus, we expect that the trait similarities among distantly related species may result from evolutionary convergences, especially within xeric habitats of western North America, not phylogenetic relationships. However, the correlation between leaf traits and ecological tolerances are complex and merit further study, especially using robust, multivariate models of the abiotic and biotic environment of species.

1

University Of Alaska Fairbanks, Herbarium (ALA) And Dept. Of Biology And Wildlife, University Of Alaska Fairbanks, 907 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States2Oberlin College , Department of Biology, Science Center K123, 119 Woodland Street, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA3Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, MRC-166, , PO Box 37012, Wshington, DC, 20013-7012, USA4Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States

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885

A new phylogenetic tribal classification of the grape family (Vitaceae)

Cardamine occulta - only recently recognized (again), still colonizing whole globe

V

C

WEN, JUN* 1, LU, LIMIN 2, NIE, ZELONG 3, LIU, XIUQUN 4, ZHANG, NING 5 , ICKERT-BOND, STEFANIE 6, GERRATH, JEAN 7, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 8, BOGGAN, JOHN 9 and CHEN, ZHIDUAN 2

itaceae (the grape family) consists of about 16 genera and ca. 950 species primarily distributed in tropical regions. The family is most well-known for the economic importance of grapes and is also ecologically significant with many species as dominant climbers in tropical and temperate forests. Recent phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses of sequence data from all three genomes have supported five major clades within Vitaceae: (1) the clade of Ampelopsis, Nekemias, the African Rhoicissus, and Clematicissus; (2) the Cissus clade; (3) the clade of Cayratia, Cyphostemma and Tetrastigma, with the latter two nested within Cayratia; (4) the clade of Parthenocissus and Yua; and (5) the grape genus Vitis and its close tropical relatives Ampelocissus, Pterisanthes and Nothocissus, with Nothocissus and Pterisanthes nested within Ampelocissus. Based on the phylogenetic and morphological (mostly inflorescence, floral and seed characters) evidence, the new classification places the 950 species and 16 genera into five tribes: (1) tribe Ampelopseae J.Wen et Z.L.Nie, trib. nov. (47 species in four genera; Ampelopsis, Nekemias, Rhoicissus and Clematicissus); (2) tribe Cisseae Rchb. (300 species in one genus; Cissus); (3) tribe Cayratieae J.Wen et L.M.Lu, trib. nov. (370 species in seven genera; Cayratia, Causonis, “Afrocayratia”, “Pseudocayratia”, Acareosperma, Cyphostemma and Tetrastigma); (4) tribe Parthenocisseae J.Wen et Z.D.Chen, trib. nov. (ca. 16 spp. in two genera; Parthenocissus and Yua); and (5) tribe Viteae Dumort. (ca. 190 species in two genera; Ampelocissus and Vitis). 1

Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States2Chinese Academy of Science, Institute of Botany, Beijing, 100093, China3Jishou University, College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, China4Huazhong Agricultural University, College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China5U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, USA6University Of Alaska Fairbanks, Herbarium (ALA) And Dept. Of Biology And Wildlife, University Of Alaska Fairbanks, 907 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States770 Dumbarton St., Guelph, ON, N1E 3T6, Canada8Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States9Smithsonian Institution, Botany, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA

ÅLENKER, MAREK 1, ZOZOMOVá-LIHOVá, JUDITA 1, MANDÁKOVÁ¡, TEREZIE 2, KUDOH, HIROSHI 3 and MARHOLD, KAROL* 1

ardamine occulta and two related species, C. flexuosa and C. hirsuta, have been chronically confused. This is mainly because C. occulta and C. flexuosa have become widely recognized as two distinct taxa only recently, since Lihová et al. in 2006 showed that Eastern Asian weedy populations traditionally assigned to C. flexuosa represent a separate cytotype and genetic lineage. However, confusion in names remained for another ten years, until the correct species name, C. occulta, was determined for the Asian populations. Cardamine hirsuta is another species long known for its invasive behavior. In spite of its obviously different morphology, it is surprising that in some Asian countries (particularly in China and India) plants of C. occulta are constantly misidentified as C. hirsuta. Both C. hirsuta and C. occulta have cosmopolitan distributions. Despite the fact that the distribution of C. occulta is underestimated and recorded occurrences of C. hirsuta are in some areas overestimated due to misidentifications, they both occur on all continents and continue to spread to areas from which they had not been known until recently. The speed of the colonization of new areas by C. occulta can be illustrated on the case of the European continent. While the first herbarium specimen of this species collected in Europe dates back to 1993, currently it is widespread throughout Europe. Despite the original uncertainties in taxonomy, morphological differences among these three taxa are obvious. They were recently proven using multivariate morphometric methods. These species also differ in ploidy levels, namely C. hirsuta is diploid, C. flexuosa is tetraploid and C. occulta octoploid. Genomic in situ hybridization and comparative chromosome painting proved allopolyploid origins: C. amara and C. hirsuta were shown as the parental species of C. flexuosa, while C. amara and C. parviflora genomes were found in C. occulta. Monoploid genome size significantly differs among these three species; in the case of C. occulta monoploid genome size supports its cytogenetically inferred origin. Results of our studies confirm the importance of complex approach to the study of invasive species. 1

Plant Science & Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Acad. Sci., Institute of Botany, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava, BL, SK-84523, Slovakia2Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) Masaryk University , Research Group Plant Cytogenomics , Kamenice 5, building A26 , Brno, CZ-62500 , Czech Republic3Kyoto University, Center For Ecological Research, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan

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886 MARTINEZ-HABIBE, MARIA* 1 and DALY, DOUGLAS 2 An orphan genus in a tropical country: Andean Dacryodes (Burseraceae)

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ackling the systematics of one of the most difficult genera in the Burseraceae has provided insighs into the practice of neotropical botany during the last 50 years. On one hand, we have been able to describe 26 new species of Dacryodes, but the date of the collections on which they are based revealed a decline in documentation of plant diversity. We discuss how the study of Dacryodes reflects the troublesome reality of many genera with an apparent rare distributions, small flowers, fruits eagerly consumed by dispersers, and lack of essential field data. This study highlights once again the treasury hidden in biological collections and we propose strategies for improving the documentation of neotropical plant biodiversity. 1

Universidad del Norte, Chemistry and Biology Department, Km 5 via Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla, Atlantico, 081007, Colombia2ISB, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, United States

887

MOTTA, CARINA* 1, GUILLIAMS, C. MATT , FERREN, WAYNE 3, MAZER, SUSAN 4, LEHMAN, KRISTEN 2 and SELTMANN, KATJA 1 2

A phylogenetic analysis of a putative species radiation in the genus Suaeda (Chenopodiaceae) from the estuaries of northwestern Mexico

N

early 100 estuaries exist along the coast of Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, forming a series of unique wetland habitats isolated from each other by the surrounding arid landscape. The genus Suaeda Forssk. ex J.F. Gmel. (Chenopodiaceae) is common in these estuaries and appears to be in the process of diversification. Nine putative new species of Suaeda were detected by Wayne Ferren during fieldwork in this region in the 1980s, but additional taxonomic study was needed to before describing these as new to science. Nearly 350 specimens of both known and putative species of Suaeda were collected by Ferren from 1980-2000 and housed at the UCSB Natural History Museum at the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) for curation and research. To evaluate Ferren's hypotheses, DNA was extracted from four exemplars of each putative species, along with four outgroup species, and sequenced using high-throughput ddRADseq. The resulting data were then analyzed in pyRAD to infer a phylogeny. We compared the results of these genetic analyses against Ferren's taxonomic hypotheses and examine how these populations or species are phylogenetically related. Beyond the implications for taxonomy, we expect that these analyses will also demonstrate the unique biodiversity of these Mexican wetlands and their importance for conservation.

Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, Harder South Building 578, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, US2Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, United States3Channel Islands Restoration, 928 Carpinteria Street, Suite 3, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103, US4University Of California, Santa Barbara, Department Of Ecology & Marine Biology, 4119 Life Sciences Building, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, United States

888 LUCAS

2

BRESLIN, PETER* 1 and MAJURE,

Molecular phylogeny of the Mammillaria (Cactaceae) of Baja California and adjacent regions

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ammillaria is one of the most speciose genera in the Cactaceae, with 200 taxa currently recognized. Of these, 30 taxa occur on the Baja California peninsula or its islands and twenty-eight of these taxa are endemic. Of those tweny-eight endemic taxa, 12 are highly restricted endemics of conservation concern. Species boundaries, relationships and the historical biogeography of this diverse group are poorly understood. This ongoing project uses genome skimming data, analyzing sequence data from 90 taxa within Mammillaria and other closely related genera. Building on extensive prior reconstruction of the plastid genome in Cactaceae by the Majure Lab, phylogenies will be reconstructed using multiple genes. Revisiting earlier work, which found a clade including not only Mammillaria but several other genera, such as Coryphantha, Neolloydia, Ortegocactus, and Pelecyphora, one goal is to clarify the boundaries of this clade. Another goal is to gain understanding of the position of the Mammillaria of Baja within this larger clade as well as within Mammillaria s.s. The relationship of the Baja California endemic genus Cochemiea, which has controversial status, to the genus Mammillaria and to its Baja California relatives will be explored. The most likely relationships of the Baja California Mammillaria to the Mammillaria of adjacent regions of Sinaloa, Sonora, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California will also be analyzed. Hypotheses regarding the biogeographic history of the group also will be discussed. These resulting data show promising utility for phylogenetic reconstruction of Mammillaria and as a tool to better understand the evolution, dispersal and relationships in the North American tribe Cacteae and the family Cactaceae in general. 1

172 E Bonita Way, 172 E. Bonita Way, Tempe, AZ, 85281, United States2Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, United States

1

University of California, Santa Barbara, The Cheadle Center for

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889

STOUGHTON, THOMAS* 1, KRIEBEL, RICARDO 2, JOLLES, DIANA 3 and O'QUINN, ROBIN 4

Next-generation lineage discovery: a case study of tuberous Claytonia L Species formation is an intuitive endpoint of reproductive isolation, but circumscribing taxa that arise during speciation can be difficult because of gene flow, morphological continuity, hybridization or polyploidization, and low sequence variation among newly diverged lineages. Nonetheless, species complexes are ubiquitous, and their classification is essential for understanding how diversity influences ecosystem function. We used modern sequencing technology to identify lineages of perennial Claytonia L., and assessed correspondence between genetic lineages and morphological/ecological variation. Subsets of 18 taxa from 63 populations were used for (a) lineage discovery using network and coalescent analyses, (b) leaf shape analyses using elliptical Fourier analysis and ordination, and (c) ecological analyses (soil chemistry, climate) using ANOVA and ordination. Samples mainly aggregated into groups representing each of the previously recognized species in each of the genetic data sets. Compared to the double digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing data set, genome skimming data provided more resolution and further opportunity to probe into patterns of nuclear and chloroplast genome diversity. Morphological and ecological associations are significantly different (albeit intergrading) among the taxa investigated. A new species, Claytonia crawfordii, is described based on morphological data presented here. Genetic data presented in this study provide some of the first insights into phylogenetic relationships among recently diverged perennial Claytonia, and are suggestive of past hybridization among caudicose and tuberous species. Given prior difficulties in understanding species boundaries among newly diverged plant lineages, this case study demonstrates the revolutionary breakthrough for systematics research that high throughput sequencing represents. 1

Plymouth State University, Biology, 17 High Street, MSC 48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, USA2University of WI-Madison, Botany, 132 Birge Hall, , 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA3Plymouth State University, 17 High St, MSC48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, United States4Eastern Washington University, Biology, 526 5th Street, 258 Science Bldg., Cheney, WA, 99004, United States

890

MOORE, MICHAEL J.* 1, LAST, NOAH 2, EDWARDS, CAROLINE 3, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 4, FLORES OLVERA, HILDA 5, OCHOTERENA, HELGA 5, FRIIS, IB 6, PETERSEN, GITTE 6 and THULIN, MATS 7

The explosive global diversification of Commicarpus (Nyctaginaceae)

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ost genera of Nyctagineae, the largest tribe of Nyctaginaceae, are composed of herbs to shrubs of dry areas and have a clear center of diversity and origin in North America. The only exception to this rule is Commicarpus, a genus of ~35 species with a clear center of diversity in eastern and southern Africa. Despite this concentration, Commicarpus species can be found throughout drier regions of the tropics, including North America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, southern and southeast Asia, and Australia. In some ways, Commicarpus is the most morphologically diverse genus in tribe Nyctagineae. It is especially variable in habit and floral form, ranging from scandent herbs to small trees, and from small green flowers to large pink flowers. Where did Commicarpus originate, and what route(s) did it take while diversifying across the globe? To address these questions, we have estimated a phylogeny of the genus using a data set of two nuclear and five plastid loci for nearly all Commicarpus species. We find that Commicarpus originated in the Americas and then rapidly colonized the paleotropics in a single burst of diversification, yielding an essentially unresolvable backbone phylogeny for the paleotropical taxa. The rapid colonization of the paleotropics was undoubtedly aided by the glandular, sticky fruits of Commicarpus. We also find multiple origins of gypsum endemism in Commicarpus in the Horn of Africa region, providing yet more examples of the affinity of tribe Nyctagineae for gypsum.

1

Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States2Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA3Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States4University Of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States5Instituto de BiologĂƒ­a, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico6Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Gothersgade 130, Copenhagen, 1123, Denmark7Uppsala University, Department of Organismal Biology, Norbyv. 18D, Uppsala, 75236, Sweden

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891

STRUWE, LENA* 1, SETUBAL, ROBBERSON 2, FRASIER, CYNTHIA 3 and MOLINA, JEANMAIRE 4

A Toxic Story: Phylogeny and Classification of Strychnos (Loganiaceae)

S

trychnos is the most well-known and speciose genus in Loganiaceae (Gentianales) with over 200 shrub, tree, or liana species distributed throughout the worldwide tropics. It is an important genus both ethnobotanically and ecologically, and famous as the source of indole alkaloids such as strychnine, brucine, etc., used for such varied activities as fish poisoning, murder, arrow poisons, water cleaners, and modern medical drug development. No detailed phylogenetic study has been made of the whole genus and its close relatives until now. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of Strychnos and its relatives in Loganiaceae using the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and maximum likelihood analysis from an automatic alignment taking secondary structure into account. In total, 147 species were included, including 127 Strychnos accessions (representing about 50% of known species), 18 other Loganiaceae species (from all tribes: Antonieae, Loganieae, Spigelieae, and Strychneae), and one outgroup (Gelsemium in Gelsemiaceae). In our study, two tribes (Antonieae and Loganieae) were strongly supported as monophyletic, as was the genera Geniostoma, Mitrasacme, Spigelia, and Strychnos. The current classification of Strychnos into 12 sections is over 50 years old and therefore pre-phylogenetic. Only a few sections and subsections were recovered as monophyletic: Aculeata, Breviflorae subsection Eriospermae, Phaeotrichae (monotypic), and Spinosae. The large and polymorphic sections Breviflorae, Penicillatae, Rouhamon, and Strychnos were all grossly para- or polyphyletic in our results, indicating a dire need for a new infrageneric classification of Strychnos. Biogeographic results indicate that large clades are restricted to whole continents, and there has been infrequent dispersal or vicariance between continents. There is a basal split between an American clade and the rest of the genus (forming a mostly African clade). Within the mostly African clade, there are many African subclades, plus several subclades with species from Madagascar. Within the mostly African clade, there are two tropical Asian clades, and one dispersal to northernmost Australia from an African clade. There appears to have been two independent back-dispersals to tropical America from the mostly African clade, both resulting in large neotropical species radiations. This indicates that Neotropical Strychnos species and lineages are likely to be of highly variable ages and ancestries, and that the taxonomically most diverse group of Strychnos are to be found in Africa. Future planned work includes reclassifications of sections and identification of morphological and chemical synapomorphies to fully understand the evolution of this important genus.

United States2Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Rua Pacheco LeĂƒÂŁo, 915, , Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22460-030 , Brazil3Department of Conservation Genetics, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, 3701 S. 10th St, Omaha, NB, 68107, US4Department of Biology, Long Island University-Brooklyn, 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, US

892

LOEFSTRAND, STEFAN D.* 1, RAZAFIMANDIMBISON, SYLVAIN G. 2 and RYDIN, CATARINA 3

Systematics in Coussareeae s.l. (Rubiaceae, Rubioideae)

C

oussareeae s.l. are a neotropical clade of morphologically heterogeneous plants in the coffee family (Rubiaceae). The tribe encompasses about 400 spp. assigned to ten genera: Bradea, Coccocypselum, Coussarea, Cruckshanksia, Declieuxia, Faramea, Heterophyllaea, Hindsia, Oreopolus, and Standleya. Historically, the tribe's genera have rarely been considered closely related and the widely defined Coussareeae were instated as a measure of convenience in the early days of molecular systematics. While the group was until now never the focus of a phylogenetic study, all genera but Bradea and Standleya have been previously represented in phylogenetic analyses and consistently form a monophyletic group, albeit with poorly understood suprageneric relationships and too sparsely sampled to test the monophyly of genera. This study primarily provides a well-sampled phylogeny of Coussareeae s.l. to be combined with literature studies of morphology, karyology and palynology to evaluate the tenability of the current tribal limits. Secondarily, we will perform a focused, more densely sampled, study of Faramea (Coussareeae s.s.) to assess its infrageneric classifications, as well as the monophyly of some of the more widespread species in the genus. General biogeographic patterns will also be discussed based on dating analyses and biogeographic analyses. In lieu of any identified potential common morphological features for Coussareeae s.l., but multiple identified diagnostic features and potential synapomorphies each for Coussareeae s.s. (e.g., single-seeded, but two-locular fruits and porate pollen grains with annuli), Coccocypseleae s.l. (e.g., septicidal fruits and colporate pollen grains with complex reticulate tecta), and Cruckshanksieae s.l. (e.g., strictly pentamerous perianths and chartaceous, few-seeded capsules), we propose resurrecting the latter two and limiting the former one to their original, strict, sense. Results on infrageneric relationships in Faramea are still preliminary, but all sections described in Flora Brasiliensis appear to be non-monohyletic. 1

Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and PLant Svciences, Stockholm2Swedish Natural History Museum, Stockholm3Stockholm University, Department Of Ecology, Environment And Plant Sciences, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden

1

Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution And Natural Resources, 59 Dudley Road, Foran Hall Rm 237, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901,

401


893

RAGSAC, AUDREY* 1, LOHMANN, LUCIA 2 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD 3

Phylogeny of the widespread Neotropical tribe Jacarandeae (Bignoniaceae) 1

University Of Washington, Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States2Universidade De Sao Paulo, Insituto De Biociencias, Departamento De Botanica, Rua Do Matao, 277, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil3University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, Campus Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States

894

RAGSAC, AUDREY* 1, FABRE, PAIGE , SARKINEN, TIINA 3 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD 4 2

Phylogeny of Tecomeae (Bignoniaceae): A global tribe of Neotropical origin 1

University Of Washington, Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States2University Of Washington, Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States3Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, UK4University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, Campus Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States

895

JACOBS, SARAH* 1, HERZOG, SARAH 2 and TANK, DAVID 3

Species delimitation in the Castilleja pilosa species complex (Orobanchaceae) using multiple lines of evidence 1

University Of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1142, Moscow, ID, 83844.0, United States2University of Idaho, Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA3University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83843, USA

896

MUÑOZ-RODRIGUEZ, PABLO* and SCOTLAND, ROBERT

Reconciling conflicting genomic phylogenies in the origin of sweet potato

L

oss of genetic variability is a major threat to plant diversity and a major challenge for global food security. Understanding the phylogenetic relationship between crops and their close wild relatives (CWRs) is essential for augmenting genetic diversity in crops, because these wild species constitute potential sources of genetic variability for crop improvement. In this context, sweet potato is one of the most important crops in the world, and a staple in over twenty developing countries. It produces more bio-

mass and nutrients per hectare than any other crop, and has recently proved useful in addressing vitamin A deficiency and related disorders, which are estimated to affect over 190 million children worldwide. Despite its importance, most aspects of the relationship between sweet potato and its wild relatives remain unclear, in part due to a lack of reliable data for the wild species. Our contribution will describe the results of a comprehensive study on the origin and evolution of the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.). We used high-throughput genomic analysis to obtain the whole chloroplast genomes and 605 nuclear DNA coding regions from 200 species in Ipomoea. We produced strongly supported nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies of Ipomoea including all the species that are closely related to the sweet potato. Our results demonstrate that sweet potato had an autopolyploid origin and that Ipomoea trifida Kunth is its closest relative and most probably its progenitor. Phylogenetic analysis of nuclear and chloroplast genomes shows conflicting topologies regarding the monophyly of sweet potato. We will explain how the process of chloroplast capture explains these conflicting patterns and will show that Ipomoea trifida had a dual role in the origin of the crop. University of Oxford, Plant Sciences, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX, OX1 3RB, UK

897

MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER* , MCDONNELL, ANGELA 2, CANTLEY, JASON 3, JORDON-THADEN, INGRID 4, GILMAN, IAN 5 and JOBSON, PETER 6

1

Are leaky males the key to understanding breeding system transitions in Australian Solanum?

T

he roughly 25 species included in the “Solanum dioicum Group” of northern Australia are either andromonoecious or functionally dioecious (with “female” plants producing inaperturate pollen). The numerous species in this group exhibiting the latter system represent the most significant radiation of dioecious taxa in the genus. Previous attempts to assess phylogenetically the directionality of breeding system transitions in the evolution of the group have been equivocal, with only slight support for the hypothesis (considered most likely by previous authors) that andromonoecy arose from hermaphroditism (ancestral in the genus) and then transitioned to dioecy 1-2 times. Using ddRADSeq data consisting of over 120,000 SNPs from 50+ populations across 15 taxa, we find that the long-held assumption of an andromonoecy-dioecy transition seems to now be flipped on its head - an inference that is informed by observations of leaky dioecy among plants in the field and those under greenhouse cultivation. 1

Bucknell University, Biological Sciences, 203 Biology Building, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States2Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Bucknell University Biology Department, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States3San Francisco State University, Department of Biology, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA4University Of Wisconsin Madison, Botany, 144 Birge Hall, 430

402


Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States5Yale University, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Osborn Memorial Labs, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States6Northern Territory Herbarium, Alice Springs

POSTERS 899

SHULTS, KEEGAN* 1, NEUBIG, KURT and ABBOTT, RICHARD 3 2

898

HAYES, DANIEL* 1, MCDONNELL, ANGELA 2, CANTLEY, JASON T. 3 and MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 4

Evolutionary significance of hybridization in Australian spiny solanums: Evidence from interspecific greenhouse crossing studies

P

hylogenetic analyses of the 25+ taxa of the Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum “S. dioicum Group� of the Australian Monsoon Tropics (AMT) infer that the group has undergone recent and rapid speciation. While some authors have suggested that hybridization is uncommon among the extant species, numerous recent field collections have been made of specimens appearing to represent intermediate forms. Given that most of the taxa are geographically isolated and distributed across much of the northern quarter of the Australian continent, experimental assessment of interspecific hybridization rates required an ex situ study design. To test the likelihood of hybrid fruit/seed set across the species of the S. dioicum Group, we collected thousands of seeds from wild plants, established hundreds of individuals in culture, and conducted 4,496 controlled crosses testing for intra- and interspecific hybridization among four dioecious and twelve andromonoecious taxa. We then quantified rates of seed set across all 1,574 resultant fruits and tested a subset of seeds from each cross for germinability. The results offer support for the recent nature of speciation events driven by geographic isolation whereby populations occupied and adapted to specific ecological niches across the AMT. Our findings provide further evidence that Australian Solanum is an excellent model system for studying the evolution of the AMT flora and the role of geographic barriers to reproduction associated with fluctuations in regional climate.

1

203 Biology Building, Lewisburg, 17837, United States2Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Bucknell University Biology Department, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States3San Francisco State University, Biology, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA4Bucknell University, Bucknell University, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

Phylogenetic studies in North American Sisyrinchium angustifolium species complex Keegan Shults, J. Richard Abbott, & Kurt M. Neubig

T

he genus Sisyrinchium (Iridaceae) is widely distributed throughout the New World. In North America, there is great taxonomic complexity centered on the species Sisyrinchium angustifolium, a widespread and common species. However, close relatives (especially S. montanum and S. strictum) show considerable morphological intergradation with S. angustifolium, and there are currently few phylogenetic data that support species monophyly. In a previous phylogenetic study, S. angustifolium was found to be non-monophyletic. Because morphological data may not adequately clarify species circumscription in this group, we are using phylogenetic analysis of DNA data. DNA was extracted from tissues obtained from field collections and herbarium specimens of North American Sisyrinchium. PCRs were amplified and sequenced for the following plastid, mitochondrial and nuclear loci: rpoC1, rpoB, trnH-psbA, matK, trnQ-rps16, nad1-2/3, nad41/2, and ITS. These data were edited, combined and analyzed to develop phylogenetic hypotheses. Phylogenetic relationships within the Sisyrinchium angustifolium complex will be presented to clarify these longstanding issues of species circumscription within the complex. 1

303 Woodriver Drive, Desoto, IL, 62924, United States2Southern Illinois University, Dept Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Life Science II, Room 420, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States3P O Box 299, St Louis, MO, 63166, United States

900

TEPE, ERIC* 1, UCKELE, KATHRYN and PARCHMAN, THOMAS 2 2

New insights into the phylogeny of New World Piper based on genome-wide RAD sequence data

T

he pan-tropical genus Piper remains the least understood of the 'giant genera' of plants, and one the largest genera lacking a well-supported and formalized infrageneric classification. Several earlier authors proposed dividing Piper among a number of sections, subgenera, or segregate genera, and the monophyly of many of these have been supported by molecular data. Some lineages, however, have been poorly supported, and as a result, relationships among lineages remain enigmatic. Our current phylogeny includes 147 accessions of Piperfrom the Neotropics, and after results were filtered for quality, high levels of heterozygosity, and low sequence depth, is based on 1,938,772 SNPs. The phylogeny

403


largely agrees with previously published phylogenies of Piper, but improves on both resolution and support. In previous phylogenies, the cladesChurumayu, Isophyllon, Peltobryon, Pothomorphe, Macrostachys, and Radula were in a large polytomy. Our results suggest that the major clades of Piper form a grade with Schilleria as sister to all other New World Piper. Enckea and Ottonia form a moderately supported clade, followed by a clade made up of Peltobryon and Pothomorphe. Monophyly of each of these last two sections is strongly supported, but the relationship between the two is not. Hemipodium and Macrostachys, as supported in all previous analyses, are strongly supported as a clade and as reciprocally monophyletic. Some previous analyses hinted that the clades Churumayu and Isophyllon represented morphologically distinct lineages nested within a larger Radula, but our RAD sequence data suggest that they are in fact discrete lineages with Isophyllon as the sister group to Radula, and Churumayu sister to Isophyllon+ Radula. Support for these relationships is strong. 1

University Of Cincinnati, Department Of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, United States2University of Nevada Reno, Biology, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV, 89503, USA

901

WANG, SHENYI* 1, CAMERON, KENNETH 1 and LI, PAN 2

Evolution, phylogenetics and phylogeography of Liliaceae subfamily Streptopoideae

S

ubfamily Streptopoideae (Liliaceae) as currently circumscribed is a group of perennial herbaceous plants that has three genera distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. There are 17 species in these three genera: Prosartes, Scoliopus, and Streptopus. The taxonomy and placement of these three genera or some species within has been controversial for a long time. The relationships among those genera has been explored in some higher-level taxa studies, but due to the incomplete taxa sampling, the whole picture of the finer scale phylogenetics of this subfamily has not ever been studied. So, I am aiming to use multiple molecular datasets, including whole plastome sequences, to reconstruct a robust phylogeny for this subfamily and check the evolutionary histories of the lineages using such methods as Ancestral Area Reconstruction, Ancestral State Reconstruction and past geographic distributions. I will also check the monophyly of species in Streptopus using multiple individuals of the same species by analyzing next generation DNA sequence data. Finally, I will conduct a phylogeography study for North American Streptopus lanceolatus. This species has a disjunct distribution pattern across North America, and I am exploring its distribution of genetic lineages to understand its landscape evolution, postglacial recolonization and detect (or reject) possible glacial refugia.

1

University of Wisconsin, Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Dr. , Madison, Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2Zhejiang University, College Of Life Sciences, 866 Yuhangtang Rd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China

902

LEWIS, MICHELLE 1, BLAKELY, SARAH 1 and MCKAIN, MICHAEL* 2

Plastid phylogenomics of the genus Hosta

T

he genus Hosta includes multiple ornamental species grown for their foliage and shade tolerance. The genus is composed of 23 accepted species, many of which have multiple recognized varieties. Additionally, numerous hybrids exist as part of an extensive horticulture trade. Hosta is a close relative of Agave, Yucca, and other members of the subfamily Agavoideae (Asparagaceae). Though all of its closest relatives are native to the Americas and many are adapted to deserts, hostas are native to Northeastern Asia, where they tend to grow in mesic and shaded environments. Studies have demonstrated that hostas have some drought tolerance, though the extent of this tolerance across species remains undocumented. Due to their phylogenetic placement as sister to a clade with multiple desert lineages, the evolution of drought tolerance in Hosta is of great interest for comparative studies to xerophytes. Understanding drought tolerance in Hosta, however, requires a well-resolved phylogeny. We used genome skimming to assemble complete chloroplast genomes for 31 accessions of hostas, representing 18 species, eight unresolved taxa, and five varieties. We combined these data with published Hosta chloroplast genomes and those from other members of Agavoideae to serve as outgroups. Using these data, we reconstructed the complete chloroplast phylogeny for much of the Hosta genus. We compared these results to traditional taxonomy of the genus, highlighting conservation and variation in morphological characters previously used to divide the genus into sections. Future work will include nuclear-based phylogenies to help elucidate the complex history of hybridization in the genus as well as molecular evolution studies focused on known genes involved in drought tolerance. 1

The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States2The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States

903

POPECKI, MARGOT* 1 and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 2

Genetic Diversity Across Asparagus Breeding Lines

G

arden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a valuable vegetable crop and has been farmed across Europe for more than 2,000 years. The breeding history of asparagus has been complex due to regional growing conditions, in addition to selection on traits such as spear size, and those contributing to aroma, flavor, and medicinal application. More recently, crosses between divergent cultivars and undomesticated populations has led to increased genetic admixture in the asparagus breeding program. In order to develop a foundation for understanding

404


the genome-wide patterns of genetic variation and structure of garden asparagus breeding stocks, we have re-sequenced eight A. officinalis double haploid lines, which were mapped to the recently published reference genome. After stringent filtering for possible mapping to duplicated loci, we identified singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with minor allele frequencies greater than 0.125. Genetic similarity was determined by estimating pairwise distances, and a dendogram was constructed to evaluate the genetic similarity among lines. Sex-specific SNPs were extracted from both the sex-determining region and adjacent recombining region on the Y-chromosome to assess differences in nucleotide diversity. Resequencing of wild relatives was also performed to compare patterns of variation within and between species. 1

University of Georgia, Genetics, 370 Flint St, Athens, GA, 30601, USA2University of Georgia, Plant Biology, Athens, GA

904 DIANA

WALAZEK, KAYLA* and JOLLES,

Lineage diversification of Cypripedium acaule Aiton (Orchidaceae) across New England

C

ypripedium acaule, also known as the pink lady's slipper, is an iconic species of eastern North American forests. This species typically comes in at least two forms across its geographic range. Pink and white flowered forms of C. acaule stand out in New England, but little is known about genetic variation within the species. While most pollination studies on this species revolve around fruit set, how color differences might influence pollinator choices and reproductive success is unknown (to the best of our knowledge). Our study looks at whether or not there is evidence of lineage diversification or speciation in New England C. acaule. To do this, we analyzed genetic polymorphisms for samples collected across New England, using both fresh and herbarium specimens. We expected to see C. acaule split by either geographic structure (allopatric speciation) or color (sympatric speciation). If new taxa are discovered, it could shed new light on the reproductive biology and evolution of these plants, thus shifting conservation priorities to account for this diversity. Plymouth State University, 17 High St, MSC48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, United States

905

LIPE, KIERSTIN* 1, VALENCIA, JANICE 2, WHITTEN, WILLIAM 3 and NEUBIG, KURT 4

A phylogeny of the Orchidaceae using genome skimmed nuclear ribosomal cistrons

S

ince the days of Darwin, the study of orchids has revealed an incredibly diverse array of species with dynamic evolution in need of a phylogenetic framework. Orchidaceae have been the subject of numerous molecular phylogenetic studies, the results of which are well established relationships, but based mainly in selected plastid regions. We sought to resolve a phylogenetic hypothesis of orchids using the nuclear ribosomal cistron, which has not been explored in its entirety. We genome skimmed the cistron from unenriched DNA extracts sequenced on Illumina HiSeqX with 150 bp, paired-end reads spanning 77 taxon across Orchidaceae. We analyzed the 18S, 5.8S and 26S regions for phylogenetic utility, with some degree of resolution in topology in regards to previous studies. These data show great potential as a nuclear reference for comparative genomics with plastid and mitochondrial sequences, which will be the focus of future studies.

1

Southern Illinois University, Department of Plant Biology, Carbondale, Il, 62901-6509, USA2Southern Illinois University , Plant Biology Department, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States3Florida Museum Of Natural History, Po Box 117800, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States4Southern Illinois University, Dept Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Life Science II, Room 420, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States

906

WHITLEY, BREANNA* 1, NEUBIG, KURT 2 and GARWOOD, NANCY 3

Disentangling the lineages of Trema micrantha using phylogenetics and biogeography

S

pecies circumscriptions in Trema, a pantropical genus of pioneer trees in Cannabaceae, have long been variable and inaccurate. The Neotropical species of Trema contain a considerable amount of this variability, specifically in the polyphyletic and widely distributed Trema micrantha. In this study, we sought to analyze the phylogenetic relationships and geographic distributions within Trema to more accurately reflect species diversity. We sampled five gene regions including ETS, ITS, rbcL, trnH-psbA, and trnL-F to resolve relationships within T. micrantha across it's geographic and morphological range. We found three clades (designated as clades A, B, & C), ranging from Florida to Argentina. Clade A is differentiated by brown endocarps. Clade B is differentiated by black endocarps. And clade C is differentiated by a montane distribution. Clades A and C are well supported phylogenetically with well-defined morphological differences and deserve recognition as distinct species. However, in clade B, two extremely morphologically diverse subclades (B1 & B2) were

405


identified. Although these subclades have significant overlap in Central America, our study indicates that B2 is more widely distributed throughout South America and the Caribbean while B1 is more restricted to Central America. We will use these results to guide decisions of species circumscription in a taxonomic revision of Trema. 1

Southern Illinois University, Department Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Dr., LSII, Room 420, Carbondale , IL, 62901, United States2 Southern Illinois University, Dept Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Life Science II, Room 420, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States3 Southern Illinois University, Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Ave., Life Science II, Mailcode 6509, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States

907

CARTER, KATHERINE A. 1, ALICE, LAWRENCE A.* 2, LISTON, AARON 3, MOCKLER, TODD C. 4, BRYANT, DOUGLAS W. 5, BUSHAKRA, JILL 6, BASSIL, NAHLA 6 and HUMMER, KIM E. 7

Increased Phylogenetic Resolution Using Target Capture of Nuclear Loci in Rubus

P

hylogenetic analyses in Rubus L. have been challenging due to polyploidy, hybridization, and apomixis. Wide morphological diversity occurs within and between species, contributing to challenges at lower and higher taxonomic levels. Phylogenetic inferences to date have been based on limited nuclear and chloroplast loci or have focused on one subgenus or section. To clarify complex infrageneric relationships in Rubus, a thorough sampling of each subgenus at multiple loci is needed. Target capture is an innovative phylogenomic approach that could provide clarity. The objective of our study was to use target capture to determine phylogenetic relationships within Rubus. Our target capture probe synthesis encompassed 926 single copy loci from the Rubus occidentalis L. genome and 247 loci from a comparison of the apple, peach and strawberry genomes. Illumina sequencing was performed for 96 enriched libraries, including representatives from each of 12 subgenera and five known hybrids or economically important cultivars. More than three species were sampled for each subgenus except for Comaropsis and the monotypic subgenus Chamaemorus. Representative samples from every continent on which Rubus is known were studied. Phylogenies were created from the assembled sequence data using ASTRAL-II and SVDQuartets. The resulting trees consistently showed eight different clades. This preliminary analysis indicates certain members of subgenera Anoplobatus, Dalibarda and Chamaemorus (1, 2) are sister to the remainder of the genus. Idaeobatus was polyphyletic with members occurring in five out of eight clades. The phylogenetic network identifies a number of polyploid taxa as potential hybrids, indicated by their intermediate position between two major clades. Known hybrids 'Marion', 'Logan' and 'Boysen' are seen between the raspberry (7) and blackberry (8) clades. Future work will include analysis of chloroplast genomes and mapping of ances-

tral traits to assess convergent evolution. 1

Oregon State University, Horticulture, 4017 Agriculture and Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA2Western Kentucky University, Dept. of Biology, 1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green, KY, 42101, USA3Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA4Danforth Center , 975 N. Warson Rd. , St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA5Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road , St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA6USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, 33447 Peoria Rd, Corvallis, OR, 97333, USA7National Clonal Germplasm Repository, 33447 Peoria Road, Corvallis, OR, 97333, United States

908

REICHELT, NIKLAS* 1, WEN, JUN 2, PAETZOLD, CLAUDIA 3, GROPPO, MILTON 4 and APPELHANS, MARC 5

A molecular phylogenetic study of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae) reveals polyphyletic sections and complex worldwide dispersal patterns

Z

anthoxylum is the second largest genus of the Citrus family (Rutaceae). It is the only member with a pantropical distribution, with several temperate species in eastern North America and Asia. Morphologically characteristic are alternate and mostly pinnate leaves, thorny knobs with spines on the stems and branches, and sometimes on the leaf rhachis. While the biochemical properties of Zanthoxylum have been studied thoroughly, a broad phylogenetic study is missing so far. Here, we present the first molecular phylogenetic study of Zanthoxylum with a worldwide taxon sampling, including species from all members of the 'proto-Rutaceae' group. In addition to Zanthoxylum, this monophyletic group consists of the Asian Phellodendron and Tetradium, and the African and Malagasy Fagaraposis. The monotypic genus Toddalia, widespread in Africa and Asia, is embedded within an African and Malagasy clade of Zanthoxylum. Zanthoxylum used to be split into two genera: Zanthoxylum sensu stricto, with temperate species that have homochlamydeous flowers, and the (sub) tropical genus Fagara, with heterochlamydeous flowers. Zanthoxylum s.str., with temperate American and Asian species, is nested within American Fagara. Fagara itself has been subdivided into four sections. Of these, the Caribbean section Tobinia and the monotypic section Mayu from the Juan-Fernรกndez Islands (Chile) are monophyletic. The most species rich and worldwide distributed section Macqueria is largely polyphyletic. Section Blackburnia comprises species from Australia and Pacific Islands. It is resolved as monophyletic in the plastid dataset, but consists of two clades in the nuclear dataset. A rich fossil record is evident for Zanthoxylum and its closely related genera, so that it is well suited for molecular dating analyses. Molecular dating suggests an Eurasian origin of Zanthoxylum in the Early Eocene. From there, in the Early to Middle Eocene, several migrations took place to East Asia, Africa, and the Americas. A migration from Eurasia to the

406


Americas would have been possible via the North Atlantic Land Bridge and the Bering Land Bridge as temperatures in the Eocene were suitable for subtropical species. This American lineage spread across North and South America and migrated back to Asia likely via the Bering Land Bridge in the Oligocene or Miocene. 1

University of Goettingen, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute, Unter Karspuele 2, Goettingen, 37073, Germany2Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Mrc 166, Washington/DC, 20013, United States3AlbrechtHaller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Untere Karspüle 2, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, 37073, Germany4Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil5University Of Goettingen, Untere Karspuele 2, Goettingen, 37073.0, Germany

909

AKHLAQ , ASRA* and HANES , MARGARET MAE

Diversification and Niche Evolution in the Malagasy endemic genus Humbertiella (Hibisceae: Malvaceae)

T

he shrubby genus Humbertiella (Malveaceae) contains six distinct species, exhibits great morphological diversity and is endemic to the xeric scrublands of southern Madagascar. Accrescent calices in fruit and unusual staminal glands, called coronules, unite the genus. To reconstruct the phylogeny of Humbertiella we sequenced 14 individuals (1- 3 individual of each species) using RADSeq methodologies. We also predict geographic distributions for species with adequate sampling using Environmental Niche Modeling. Precipitation parameters were especially informative to the species distribution models. Soil types, however, varied in their importance across species. For both bioclimate and soil Humbertiella decaryi has the widest niche breadth while Humbertiella quararibeodes displays the smallest. We calculate niche overlap between sister taxa and identify niche divergence as a potential driver of diversification in the genus. We also gain insight into the morphological evolution of Humbertiella. Eastern Michigan University, Biology, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA

910

EDWARDS, CAROLINE* 1, LOPRESTI, ERIC 2, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 3 , FLORES OLVERA, HILDA 4, OCHOTERENA, HELGA 4 and MOORE, MICHAEL J. 5

Niche evolution in Abronia and Tripterocalyx (Nyctaginaceae)

A

bronia and Tripterocalyx (Nyctaginaceae) are sister genera with centers of diversity in the western US, and are herbaceous perennials or annuals with umbellate inflorescences and distinct winged fruit morphology. While the four species of Tripterocalyx occupy a similar niche, growing on sandy soils in desert scrub habitats, the approximately 20 species of Abronia occupy a diverse range of niches, growing on a wide variety of substrates with endemics to sand, gypsum, and clay, and occurring in nearly every ecosystem in the western US. Species of this clade are distributed throughout the west in coastal strands, high-elevation alpine environments, grasslands, and warm deserts, with several localized endemics on the Colorado Plateau, and taxa endemic to east Texas and to south Texas. To better understand the evolution of these taxa, we have reconstructed the phylogeny of Abronia and Tripterocalyx using two plastid spacer regions (ndhF/rpl32 and rpl32/trnL) and nuclear ITS, with almost every species of the genera and including multiple populations of each species when possible. This phylogeny shows the earliest split contains a clade with primarily California species, A. umbellata and A. maritima, two of the three coastal species, and a clade with the rest of the species of Abronia, which are further resolved into higher elevation/northern taxa and lower elevation/southern taxa. Through character state reconstructions, we have found that the ancestral soil preference for Abronia was for sandy soils and gypsum endemism originated twice. 1

Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA3University Of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States4Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico5Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States

911

MCCAULEY, ROSS* 1 and JARAMILLO, PATRICIA 2

Systematics of the endemic species of Lithophila (Amaranthaceae: Gomphrenoideae) in the Galapagos Islands

T

he genus Lithophila is a small group of three species closely allied to the large widespread American genus Gomphrena and is characterized by two filiform stigma lobes and two fertile stamens. One variable species, L. muscoides, is widespread in coastal regions of the Caribbean and two species of very limited distribution (L. radicata and L. subsca-

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posa) occur in the Galapagos Islands. Using a set of recently collected material deposited at the CDS herbarium and collections at other worldwide herbaria, we are reassessing the phylogenetic relationship of the Galapagos taxa to L. muscoides and updating the geographic distribution of the taxa across the archipelago. We are also examining the morphological variability of this little-studied group of Galapagos endemics using morphometric analyses and have identified additional subspecific variability in L. subscaposa. This work is part of a revision of the Gomphrenoid Amaranths of the islands and is focused on understanding the evolution of this unique group and contributing data crucial for their conservation. 1

Fort Lewis College, Department Of Biology, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO, 81301, United States2Estación Científica Charles Darwin, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador

912

GRANT, KIRSTIE* 1 and BURKE,

JANELLE 2

A proposed phylogenetic & taxonomic reclassification of the collective Rumex genus

T

he genus Rumex is a unique member of the Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) family of plants. A source of intrigue for Rumex lies in the diversity of the sexual systems associated with the subgenera, species, and subspecies within this genus. Four currently recognized subgenera, some 200 species, and a number of subspecies comprise the collective Rumex genus. These exhibit monoecious, dioecious, hermaphroditic, gynodioecious and polygamous sexual systems. Moreover, some of the dioecious species contain sex chromosomes, a phenomenon that occurs in roughly 1% of angiosperms. Apart from the confirmed morphological and phytogeographical distinctions, two of the four subgenera, Acetosa and Acetosella, are distinctive in their mode of sex-determining mechanisms, sex-chromosome systems, and resulting sexual systems.We reconstructed a phylogeny to test the evolution of different sexual systems and sex chromosome systems within Rumex. To date, we have observed three chloroplast molecular markers, rbcL, trnH-psbA, 3'trnLUAAF-trnFGAA, and increased taxon sampling compared to previous work. The phylogeny resolves two clades in Rumex: Rumex subgenus Rumex, sister to a clade containing the rest of the subgenera, plus the genus Emex. Furthermore, the species with sex chromosomes are resolved in two different clades with different sex chromosome systems. These results suggest that the species with divergent sexual systems are more closely related to each other, than to other species comprising the rest of the genus. 1

2251 Sherman Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States2Howard University, Biology, 415 College St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001, USA

913

CACHO, N.IVALU* 1 and MONTEVERDE SUAREZ, MARíA JOSE 2

Systematics and evolution of Thelypodieae (Brassicaceae): progress and perspectives

W

e present progress on the phylogeny of Thelypodieae (Brassicaceae). For some clades, like Strepthanthus and their allies, our updated phylogeny includes up to 95% of species described in the group. We discuss the taxonomic placement of several key species in the group, including cases where lack of reciprocal monophyly calls into question some speices. Also, in the light of our updated phylogeny, we explore the tempo and mode of morphological evolution in the Tribe, and some biogeographical and climatic scenarios that could have led to the diversification of key clades in the Tribe.

1

Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Botany, 3er Circuito de Ciudad Universitaria s/n. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Del. Coyoacán, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico2Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Botany, 3er Circuito de CU s/n, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Del. Coyoacán. México DF 04510, Mexico, 04510, Mexico

914

HILDEBRAND, TERRI* 1 and ALSHEHBAZ, IHSAN A. 2

Terraria haydenii (Thelypodieae, Brassicaceae), a New Mustard Genus and Species from the West Desert Region of North America's Great Basin

T

No Show

he West Desert region of the Great Basin occurs in the states of Utah and Nevada (U.S.A.). It describes an ecosystem dominated by shadscale and sagebrush species as well as mountains covered with juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) and piÅ ion pine (Pinus monophylla). Typical of the Great Basin, internal mountain ranges dissect the West Desert region, including the San Francisco and Wah Wah Mountains. During the 2012 growing season, a flora inventory of the region was implemented to determine if federally managed plant species grew on public lands in the region. During this inventory, discovery of a previously undescribed plant growing in the Wah Wah Mountains occurred. Our study reports the results from morphological and evolutionary investigations of this novelty, as well as preliminary ecological observations. The original discovery site was located on 13 June 2012 with plants growing on a hillock of Ordovician limestone with white conglomeratic quartzite. Another population of the species was located in 2013 on Spider Marble Mound, some 1.6 km from the original discovery site. Soil analysis of collections from both locations revealed extremely alkaline soils (mean pH=9.0). The Spider Marble Mound site had significantly greater organic matter and potassium than the original discovery site, but lower percent water content. Chromosome counts of meiotic cells in diakinesis revealed a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 20. Maximum

408


parsimony analyses of rbcL sequence data (1268 bp) collected from the plant, combined with data from 72 other members of Brassicaceae (GenBank), revealed the new plant was sister to members of tribe Thelypodieae and Streptanthus carinatus. This group occurred in a larger clade represented by members of tribes Sisymbrieae, Brassiceae and Schrenkiella parvula. The trnL-F intron sequence from the new species contained a 199 bp inversion making it 544 bp in length compared to the 366 bp matrix produced by aligning trnL-F data from 21 other members of Thelypodieae (GenBank). Parsimony analysis of Thelypodieae using trnL-F data clearly placed the new species sister to Argentinean Parodiodoxa chionophila. Currently, the two populations in the Wah Wah Mountains represent the known distribution of Terraria haydenii. Evidence of herbivory on the leaves, and very small Coleoptera observed on the plants suggest T. haydenii plants may play an important ecological role in this harsh microenvironment characterized by temperature extremes and low moisture levels. 1

Montana State University Northern, Biology, 300 13th Street West, Hagener Science Center 205, Havre, MT, 59501, United States2Missouri Botanical Garden, P. O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, United States

915

CETLOVA, VERONIKA , ÅLENKER, MAREK , MELICHáRKOVá, ANDREA , ZOZOMOVá-LIHOVá, JUDITA , MARHOLD, KAROL* and ÅPANIEL, STANISLAV

Taxa of the genus Odontarrhena (Brassicaceae) in Balkan - taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships

T

he recently resurrected genus Odontarrhena C.A.Mey. ex Ledeb. is comprised of 87 perennial species. Morphological and genetic differences led to its exclusion from the genus Alyssum L. The distribution range of the genus Odontarrhena extends from North Africa, Central and Southern Europe to temperate Asia (only one species is native to North America). The genus includes several widespread species and many regional and local endemics. They occupy xeric and rocky habitats across a large altitudinal span, including very specific environments such as serpentine rocks and coastal sandy dunes. Several species have successfully spread into manmade habitats in their native area and few of them have become invasive in North America where they were introduced two decades ago (for phytomining). Growing interest of scientists in Odontarrhena during last few years is connected with its ability to hyperaccumulate heavy metals, especially a nickel. The taxonomy of particular species is still little explored. Several molecular studies have been published recently, focusing on the evolution of the nickel hyperaccumulation, but none of the molecular markers provided sufficient resolution to answer phylogenetic and taxonomic questions. In our on-going studies we aim to reveal the evolutionary history of the

Central and Southern European Odontarrhena taxa and to revise their controversial taxonomic treatments using molecular (Hyb-Seq), flow-cytometric and morphometric methods. Our preliminary results show the cytogeography of Odontarrhena taxa in Central Europe, three major Southern European Peninsulas (Iberian, Apennine, Balkan) and adjacent regions. Plant Science & Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Acad. Sci., Institute of Botany, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava, BL, SK-84523, Slovakia

916

SNOW, NEIL

Systematics of Gossia (Myrtaceae) in New Caledonia

G

ossia N. Snow & Guymer is a baccate genus of Myrtaceae that ranges from New Guinea and eastern Australia east to Vanuatu. Its two major centers of distribution are Australia and New Caledonia (NC). The NC taxa have never been treated taxonomically in a single publication. Revisionary work nearing completion presently suggests ca. 2025 species for NC, of which 8-9 will be proposed as new. Of these, all but one species appears to be endemic to NC. Gossia aphthosa has three subspecies, the two non-nominal ones of which remain to be described. Up to several additional taxa in the Gossia clusioides complex may warrant taxonomic recognition following additional field studies, most of which also are unnamed. These forms are based primarily on differences of leaf size and shape, and laminar surface features (flat vs. bullate). Many species have pronounced substrate preferences (ultramafic or non-ultramafic). Only three species of Gossia are somewhat widespread across Grande Terre. One newly proposed species probably is extinct, and several others likely will merit designations of Critically Endangered or Endangered (following IUCN criteria) given the paucity of collections overall, or because of their highly restricted distributions. Summing across the genus after publication of the NC material, Gossia will comprise approximately 45 species with as few as three, and up to ten subspecies. Further fieldwork is needed to more fully assess the conservation status of many taxa. In NC Gossia ranks third in species diversity among Myrtaceae following Syzygium and Eugenia, each with additional taxa to be described. Pittsburg State University, Department of Biology, T.M. Sperry Herbarium, Pittsburg, KS, 66762, USA

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917

LI, JIANHUA* 1, DEL TREDICI, PETER 2, LEMMON, ALAN 3, LEMMON, EMILY 3, ZHAO, YUNPENG 4 and FU, CHENGXIN 5

Allopatric Speciation Produced Diversity Anomaly between Eastern Asia and Eastern North America: Evidence from Anchored Phylogenomics of Stewartia (Theaceae)

D

iversity anomaly between eastern Asia and eastern North America has long attracted much attention of biologists and biogeographers and may have resulted from the greater physiographical heterogeneity in conjunction with climate and sea level changes in eastern Asia. However, few empirical studies have been done to test explicitly the association between species diversity and allopatric events. Stewartia is one of the plant genera with the eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunction and diversity anomaly between the two regions; however, interspecific phylogeny has not been resolved due to insufficient data. Here we sampled most of the species of Stewartia and generated DNA sequences of over 500 nuclear loci using the anchored phylogenomic approach. Our parsimony and Bayesian analyses produced congruent phylogenies with high resolution for interspecific relationships of Stewartia. Speciation in Asia was mostly allopatric between the Japanese islands and the Asian continent in the late Miocene and early Pliocene, while the two eastern North American species represent lineages of different times with S. malacodendron being the first lineage splitting from the remaining species of Stewartia and S. ovata being most closely related to deciduous species of Asian Stewartia. The results provide direct evidence for the importance of allopatry in the differential diversity between eastern Asia and eastern North America. 1

Hope College, Biology, 35 E 12th Street, Holland, MI, 49423, United States2125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130, United States3Florida State University, 89 Chieftain Way, Biology Unit 1, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA4Zhejiang University, College Of Life Sciences, 866 Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China5Zhejiang University, Dept Of Biology, Yuhangtang Road 866,, Hangzhou, 310058, China

918

SAAVEDRA, NATALIE* 1, MORRISON, GLEN 2, HUANG, YI 3, SANDERS, ANDREW 2, BURGE, DYLAN 4, STOUGHTON, THOMAS 5, PARKER, THOMAS 6, KEELEY, JON 7 and LITT, AMY 8

Leaf morphological variation of Arctostaphylos glandulosa subspecies

T

he genus Arctostaphylos, also known as manzanitas, are a group of evergreen shrubs, almost all occurring within the California Floristic Province. There are over 100 species and subspecies included in this genus and a large of proportion of them are considered endangered. Phenotypic plasticity and hybridization are common in this genus, making identification difficult in the field. As part of a larger project looking at genetic, morphological, and environmental diversity across the genus, we are studying A. glandulosa in hopes of uncovering patterns of diversity that can be applied to other Arctostaphylos taxa across California. A. glandulosa is a widely distributed species and ten subspecies are currently recognized. These subspecies, however, are difficult to distinguish and have been revised many times. Based on the current taxonomy system, leaf color, fruit shape, and length of glandular hairs have been considered the important traits for identifying these ten subspecies. Leaf shape has been observed to be highly variable within this species but it is not clear if it is useful for distinguishing subspecies. The amount of morphological variation within and between populations also remains unknown making us question if A. glandulosa subspecies are genetically distinct. We performed morphometric analyses to quantify leaf shape to assess the pattern of morphological variation within this species to determine if leaf shape distinguishes subspecies. 1

24548 Covington Way, Moreno Valley, CA, 92557, United States2University Of California Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States3University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Science, 900 University Ave, Batchelor Hall, Riverside, California, 92521, USA413411 Bean Flat Road, Chico, CA, 95928, United States5Plymouth State University, Biology, 17 High Street, MSC 48, Plymouth, NH, 03264, USA6Cal State San Fransisco, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco , CA, 94132, USA7USGS Western Ecological Research Center, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA8University Of California Riverside, Botany Dept, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

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919

MCKAIN, MICHAEL* 1, NEUMANN, EMMA 2, HOUCK, JAKE 2, AUTREY, OLIVER 3, KOLAWOLE, ANU 4 , YAMAMOTO, MOEKA 4, PADMANABHAN, NEERAJ 4, HOFFMAN, ADRIANNA 4 , FISCHER, TOREY 4, MITCHELL, BENJAMIN 4, BENNETT, CAMERON 4, MALLICK, HAANIYA 4 and EDGER, PATRICK 5

Evolutionary Relationships of Blueberries and Their Relatives

920

FENG, KEYI* 1, GARNETT, SYDNEY 1, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 2, FLORES OLVERA, HILDA 3, OCHOTERENA, HELGA 3 and MOORE, MICHAEL J. 4

Disentangling the gypsum endemic Mentzelias of the northern Chihuahuan Desert

A

dapted to nutrient-poor conditions, gypsum endemic plants form an important part of the Chihuahuan Desert flora. Ongoing work in our lab has demonstrated that dominant gypsum endemic taxa in the Chihuahuan Desert typically belong to clades of endemics that have speciated allopatrically into typically well-marked species. However, the three gypsum endemic Mentzelia (Loasaceae) species of New Mexico and west Texas present somewhat confusing morphological diversity across their geographic ranges. Schenk and Hufford found these species were early-diverging members of Mentzelia sect. Bartonia, but the taxa were not resolved into a single clade. Likewise, at least one of the gypsum endemic species (M. humilis) was not monophyletic, although support and resolution were not uniformly high. To further test the species boundaries of these gypsum endemic Mentzelias, and to explore phylogeographic variation and patterns of morphological variation among populations, we sequenced four regions (nuclear ITS and ETS, and the plastid ndhF/ rpl32 and rpl32/trnL spacer regions) for multiple populations of all three endemic Mentzelia species in New Mexico and west Texas. For most populations, we sequenced a minimum of 10 individuals. Our sequence data reveal a substantial amount of geographic variation and structure among populations, particularly within nuclear data. We find increased support for the non-monophyly of Mentzelia humilis, with populations from the Upper Pecos River valley forming a clade distinct from the populations in southern New Mexico and west Texas. These two clades may best be treated as distinct taxa. Populations of M. perennis were resolved into several clades with morphological and geographical coherence. Populations of M. perennis from central New Mexico that possess unlobed to weakly lobed leaves grouped more closely with the similarly unlobed M. todiltoensis from northern New Mexico.

T

he genus Vaccinium includes many agriculturally important fruits such as cranberry, blueberry, huckleberry, and lingonberry. This group of small shrubs includes 223 species and is found across the Northern Hemisphere, preferring cooler areas and acidic soils. Despite their popularity and widespread distribution, relationships among Vaccinium species are not well understood. Hybridization is likely common, and it has been used extensively in improving blueberry cultivars to produce desirable traits. In this study, we used genome sequencing data to assemble 42 whole chloroplast genomes representing 34 Vaccinium species, a putative hybrid, and the outgroup Rhododendron delavayi. Many of the species fall into clades demonstrating the historical taxonomy of the genus. Interestingly, the section Cyanococcus, which includes the commercial blueberry, is very unresolved and has low support values for relationships. The lack of resolution is likely the result of hybridization, as evident by the lack of monophyletic clades for many species, and a relatively recent diversification. This first look at relationships in the blueberry genus using whole chloroplast genomes will help elucidate the evolution of these common, woodland species. Future work will add additional taxa with extensive sampling from North America, including the southern U.S., to further explore the evolution of this native fruit. 1

The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States2The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, United States3Michigan State University, Department of Horticulture, 1066 Bogue St, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA4Michigan State University, Department of Horticulture, 1066 Bogue St, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States5Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

1

Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2University Of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, a, UNAM, Apartado Postal United States3Instituto de BiologĂƒ­ 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico4Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States

411


921

FERGUSON, CAROLYN* and MAYFIELD, MARK

922

Phlox and the puzzle of polyploidy: an overview of ploidy level data for the genus placed within the context of taxonomy and phylogeny

Investigating evolutionary relationships within the tribes Pogostemoneae and Gomphostemmateae (Subfamily:Lamioideae; Family:Lamiaceae)

T

he genus Phlox (Polemoniaceae) is an important study system for systematics and evolutionary biology, and holds great promise for ongoing investigation by a diversity of researchers. Polyploidy is particularly noteworthy in Phlox, and while it has sometimes confounded studies within the group, the prevalence of polyploidy in the genus also presents opportunities for intriguing work. Over the course of our research on Phlox, we have accumulated many new chromosome counts (including counts for some taxa from which chromosome counts were previously unknown: P. austromontana, P. diffusa, P. hirsuta, P. pattersonii, P. pilosa subsp. longipilosa and P. speciosa), and we present example counts, along with summary data. Taken together with chromosome counts previously reported in the literature, one or more chromosome counts are now documented for nearly 70% of the 61 species of the genus. Of these species, one or more polyploid counts are known for over one quarter, and multiple cases of both tetraploids and hexaploids are known. Furthermore, intraspecific variation in ploidy level (cytotypic variation) is documented by chromosome counts for several species (and this phenomenon is evidenced by flow cytometry to be fairly common within the genus). Flow cytometry was used to measure DNA content per nucleus (relative 2C genome size) for taxa with reported chromosome counts. At the diploid level (2n=14), estimates of DNA content for Phlox range from ca. 8-14 picograms; and for Phlox polyploids, DNA content increases roughly in proportion to the increase in number of chromosomes (i.e., tetraploids have approximately double the DNA content values of closely related diploids). Ploidy level data for the genus are presented in the framework of current taxonomy, based on available voucher herbarium specimens. These data show that polyploidization has occurred in diverse lineages of the genus, and patterns of genome size are also discussed relative to phylogeny. Overall, available ploidy level data serve as foundational information for this system and also point to the importance of polyploidy in Phlox. Kansas State University, Herbarium and Division of Biology, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA

BASHAW, BENJAMIN* 1 and ROY, TILOTTAMA 2

T

he family Lamiaceae is one of the most speciesrich angiosperm families, characterized by a suite of morphological characters. Lamiaceae is divided into seven subfamilies, of which Lamioideae is the second largest and exhibits a remarkable diversity of morphology and habitat. Lamioideae is further subdivided into ten tribes, of which Gomphostemmateae and Pogostemoneae are predominantly Old World, with many of their members being extensively used in medicinal and cultural purposes. Our previous study utilizing chloroplast (cpDNA) and the low copy nuclear-encoded DNA locus PPR showed cytonuclear discordance, placing members of each of these two tribes into two distinctly well supported clades in the nuclear phylogeny, whereas the cpDNA phylogeny still resolved each tribe as monophyletic. However, even the cpDNA tree showed these two tribes comprising of two separate subclades, with taxa in each clade showing morphological similarities with each other, but substantially differing from members of the other clade. Introns from low-copy nuclear markers provide high variability due to a higher rate of nucleotide substitutions and are thus phylogenetically more informative among closely related taxa. This has led us to pursue further research incorporating three more independently inherited low copy nuclear loci (COR, NIA and ADH), with a variety of phylogenetic methods, as well as an extended sampling with more representative taxa from each clade within these two tribes, to delve further into their taxonomic positions and clarifying phylogenetic affinities within these two tribes as well as their possible re-circumscription. 1

8713 Stearns Ave, Overland Park, KS, 66214, United States2Missouri Western State University, Biology, 4525 Downs Drive, Saint Joseph, MO, 65407, USA

923

COMITO, ROBERT* 1, DARBYSHIRE, IAIN 2, MCDADE, LUCINDA 3 and FISHER, AMANDA 4

Decoding Molecular Evolutionary Signals in Barleria

B

arleria is a genus of approximately 300 species in the family Acanthaceae. Species of Barleria are widely distributed across the paleotropics, with variable habit, and vegetative and reproductive morphologies. Barleria are typically herbs and shrubs, and can be recognized by three synapomorphies: four sepals in the calyx, a small inner pair and larger outer pair; double cystoliths in epidermal cells; and globose, honeycombed pollen. Historically, natural groupings within the genus have proven elusive

412


because so many morphological characters that are consistent in other Acanthaceae genera are highly variable in Barleria. Previous morphological studies have subdivided the genus into two subgenera and seven sections, but these groupings have come under scrutiny in light of molecular analyses based upon chloroplast loci and the nuclear locus nrITS. The aim of this study is to estimate relationships in the genus through a phylogenetic analysis that samples 142 Barleria taxa, representing all sections and the geographic range of the genus, as well as six outgroups from closely related genera Andrographis, Crabbea, Lepidagathis, and Whitfieldia. Single nucleotide polymorphism data were generated using restrictionsite associated DNA sequencing, a next generation sequencing technique. Loci were assembled de novo and used in a maximum likelihood analysis to estimate phylogenetic trees. Our results support the monophyly of Barleria and more broadly inform our understanding of diversity and evolution in one of the largest genera in Acanthaceae. 1

3608 Nipomo Ave, Long Beach, CA, 90808, United States2Kew Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AE, Richmond, UK31500 N. College Avenue, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States4California State University, Long Beach, Biological Sciences, Mail Stop 9502, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA, 90840, United States

924

PRETZ, CHELSEA* 1, DEANNA, ROCIO 2 and SMITH, STACEY D. 3

Phylogenetic incongruence and interspecific crossability in the tomatillos (Physalis, Solanaceae)

R

esolving the phylogeny of the tomatillo genus Physalis has long been challenging due to extensive phylogenetic incongruence. Unlike other genera in the physaloid clade of Solanaceae (the tomato family), analyses of many nuclear and plastid markers have failed to recover consistently supported clades in this group of roughly 90 Neotropical species. Incongruence in a phylogeny can be due to several processes which include, but are not limited to, interspecific gene flow leading to introgression or rapid diversification resulting in incomplete lineage sorting. Distinguishing among these processes can be challenging and requires combining information about geographic distributions, patterns of genetic variation, and reproductive barriers. In the present study, we have conducted interspecific and intraspecific crosses among Physalis species to assess their breeding systems and determine if geographically proximate species are capable of exchanging genes. We focused on four native North American species with varying degrees of range overlap (P. acutifolia, P. cinerascens, P. hederifolia, and P. heterophylla) and included one geographically distant species, P. peruviana from South America. We used these data to test the prediction that overlapping species are crossfertile, a result which could help to explain the widespread phylogenetic incongruence across the genus. These studies will provide the foundation for future

research to directly test the relationship between interspecific hybridization and patterns of genomic variation in this charismatic clade. 1

University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology2National University of Cordoba, IMBIV, Velez Sarsfield 299, 2do Piso, Cordoba, 5000, Argentina3University of Colorado, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, CO, USA

925

MONAGHAN, LEANN* 1, JOHNSON, GRACE 2, WIKE, SARAH 3 and MOORE, ABIGAIL 4

Separating Sequenced Grindelia

G

rindelia, or gumweed, is a genus in the Asteraceae family that is native to the Americas. In the south-western and south-central United States, three species lack ray flowers. Although the three species have very different positions in the phylogeny of the group, the morphological characteristics that separate them are unclear, and two of the species, G. aphanactis and G. nuda, are often combined. The goal of this research is to use sequence data from the internal transcribing spacer (ITS) and external transcribing spacer (ETS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA to identify a set of voucher specimens collected from throughout the range of the three species. We will then use morphological and distribution data from these voucher specimens to determine which characteristics can be used to separate the species in the absence of sequence data. 1

University of Oklahoma, Microbiology and Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Room 208, Norman, OK, 73019, USA2Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics312634 Ivey Creek Drive , Charlotte, NC, 28273, United States4University Of Oklahoma, Department Of Microbiology And Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Rm. 208, Norman, OK, 73019, United States

926

LICHTER MARCK , ISAAC H* 1, FREYMAN, WILL 2, SCHNEIDER, ADAM 3, TIAN, EDDIE 1 and BALDWIN, BRUCE 4

Phylogenomics of the rock daisies (Perityleae; Asteraceae)

T

he members of the rock daisy tribe Perityleae (Asteraceae) are rock dwelling herbs and shrubs distributed throughout the western United States, Mexico, and South America. The tribe consists of five genera: the native Chilean monotypic genus Lycapsus, the genus Amauria, endemic to the Baja California Peninsula, the central Mexican genus Eutetras, the genus Pericome, native to the Southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, and the genus Perityle, which consists of 66 species native to arid regions and coastal habitats, as well as islands. Perityleae represents a striking example of hypothesized repeated amphitropical dispersals from North America to South America. While the monograph by Powell et al. (1974) has long served as a source for species and generic delimitation in this group, lack of a molecular phylogeny has impeded our ability to test biogeographic and putative taxonomic boundaries. In this

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poster, We present results from a next generation sequencing project, specifically using genome skimming, to infer the first densely sampled molecular phylogeny of Perityleae. Our dated phylogenetic tree tests classic taxonomic hypotheses in this group as well as timing of diversification corresponding to aridification of desert habitats in the Southwest U.S. We also apply an ancestral state reconstruction of pappus element morphology to elucidate patterns of phenotypic evolution in the group. 1

UC Berkeley, Integrative Biology, Berkeley, California, 94720, United States2University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, 1479 Gortner Ave, Suite 140 , St Paul, MN, 55108, USA3University Of Toronto Mississauga, Department Of Biology, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada4University Of California, Berkeley, University And Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States

927

SZUBRYT, MARISA* 1, NEUBIG, KURT and URBATSCH, LOWELL 3 2

Systematics of the North American Astereae

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he Astereae (Asteraceae) encompasses an ecologically important and cosmopolitan tribe with over 2,700 species. Our research specifically focuses on a large lineage of Astereae throughout western North America which includes Chrysothamnus, Ericameria, Euthamia, Gutierrezia, Lorandersonia and additional genera. Many of these genera and species form dominant community types within arid environments throughout the western United States and are central to the region's ecology. The relationships between the North American genera are largely unresolved, however. Traditional Sanger sequencing approaches using nuclear and plastid loci have previously provided insufficient variation to resolve phylogenetic relationships at the genus and species level. We utilized genome skimming from Illumina HiSeqX 150 base pair paired-end reads from unenriched total DNA, primarily from herbarium specimens. High-copy genomic regions with considerable phylogenetic utility, primarily the nuclear ribosomal cistron and whole chloroplast genomes, were assembled for phylogenetic comparison and analyzed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods to obtain additional variation and find robustlysupported clades. Time-calibrations using BEAST subsequently estimated divergence times for major lineages; divergence times for many taxa during and after the aridification of the western United States likely indicate that the desertification of the western United States greatly influenced Astereae speciation. 1

400 North Oakland Avenue Apartment 10B, Carbondale, 62901, United States22704 W Sunset Dr., Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States3Louisiana State University, Biology, 202 Life Science Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

928

COMMOCK, TRACY 1, CAMPBELL, KERON 2, ROSE, PHILIP* 3, FRANCISCO-ORTEGA, JAVIER 4 and JESTROW, BRETT 5

The Jamaican Endemic Genera Project amaica is the second smallest island of the Greater Jdiversity Antilles and it is part of the Caribbean Island BioHotspot (CIBH), a region that has a global

biodiversity conservation priority. The CIBH is one of ten insular biodiversity hotspots in the world (Mittermeier et al. 2004). The Jamaican flora does not include any endemic plant family but recent systematic treatments have shown that the island is home to seven endemic genera of seed-plants [viz., Dendrocousinsia (Euphorbiaceae), Jacmaia (Asteraceae), Odontocline (Asteraceae), Portlandia (Rubiaceae), Salpixantha (Acanthaceae), Tetrasiphon (Celastraceae), and Zemisia (Asteraceae)]. These taxa account for over 23 species, with three genera (Jacmaia, Tetrasiphon, and Zemisia) being monotypic. Jamaica is estimated to have over 975 endemic species. As such, the island's flora is a global priority for plant conservation; where high levels of endemism occur, often within highly threatened habitats. Since the 1800's, European and (later) American naturalists lead the botanical effort in describing and cataloguing Jamaica's flora. However, since the advent of the 21st century such efforts have waned. It is the intention of this project to harness the opportunities derived from molecular systematics techniques to reinvigorate a new period of plant taxonomy research, led by local and regional botanists. The Jamaican Endemic Genera Project represents a partnership among three academic and research institutions; namely, the University of the West Indies (Mona Campus), Florida International University and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. What began as a memorandum of understanding between the former two entities has grown to include collaboration from Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institute. There are currently two postgraduate research projects under this umbrella venture. The first, involves a taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the Jamaican endemic genus Dendrocousinsia Millsp. (Euphorbiaceae). This project aims to settle the controversy regarding the placement the genus within the Euphorbiaceae on its own or within its synonym, Sebastiania Spreng. Already it has clarified the placement of Gymnanthes eliptica Sw.; now accommodated within Dedrocousincia as D. elliptica (Sw.) Commock & K. Wurdack. (Commock et al. 2017). The second project aims to clarify the relationships and conservation status within two controversial tribes in Asteraceae: Vernonieae and Senecioneae. Here, endemic Jamaican species and genera are to be selected for molecular analysis based on their conservation importance. The aim of this paper is to further introduce the project's committed partners, their efforts and early findings. 1

Institute of Jamaica, Natural History Museum of Jamaica, 10-16 East Street, Kingston, Kingston, Jamaica2Institute of Jamaica, Natural History Museum of Jamaica, 10-16 East Street, 4 Anguilla Close,

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UWI - Mona Campus, Kingston, Kingston, Jamaica3University of the West Indies, Department of Life Sciences, 4 Anguilla Close, Mona Campus, Kingston, St. Andrew, Jamaica4Florida International University, International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Miami, FL, 33199, United States5Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Miami, FL, 33156, USA

929

BUKHARI, GHADEER* 1, ZHANG, JINGBO 2, STEVENS, PETER 3 and ZHANG, WENHENG 4

Floral symmetry and the evolution of floral characters in pentamerous and trimerous angiosperms

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he development of floral patterns in monocots was thought to be distinctively different from that in the Pentapetalae. For examples, the monocots usually have a single adaxial or lateral prophyll/ bracteole while the Pentapetalae commonly have two lateral ones. The presence and position of prophyll/bracteole were considered to play a critical role in floral organ orientation in monocots but not so much in Pentapetalae. Here, we place the evolution of floral characters in a phylogenetic framework, mainly focusing on the influence of the bract and bracteoles on floral organ initiation and floral symmetry development. We analyzed patterns of floral organ initiation and floral symmetry, and presence and position of bract and bracteole, that we extracted from floral diagrams representing 49 orders, 178 families, and 566 taxa (405 pentamerous, 161 trimerous flowers) including basal angiosperms, magnoliids, monocots, and eudicots in the context of a phylogeny using ancestral state reconstructions. Our preliminary analyses indicated that the medianabaxial (MAB) petal/inner tepal initiation was the ancestral state of floral organ initiation in angiosperms. In monocots, two major shifts to the median-adaxial (MAD) initiation occurred in the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of Asparagales + commelinids and the MRCA of the core Alismatales excluding Araceae and Tofieldiaceae. In eudicots, there were multiple shifts to the MAD initiation that agreed with our previous findings. Furthermore, the absence of bracts and bracteoles are ancestral in angiosperms. Bracts and bracteoles evolved three main times, in the MRCA of core eudicots, the MRCA of Liliales + Asparagales + commelinids (ambiguous for bracteoles), and the MRCA of Magnoliales + Laurales (ambiguous for bracteoles). Bracteoles were subsequently lost more frequently than bracts. Most importantly, we found a strong correlation between the presence of bracts and floral zygomorphy in angiosperms, suggesting that the bract is a key structure in promoting the origin and/or maintenance of floral zygomorphy. We demonstrate that comparative studies including both pentamerous and trimerous angiosperms are critical in revealing general patterns of floral development and evolution.

Louis, MO, 63121, USA4Virginia Commonwealth University, Department Of Biology, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States

930

CHUMOVá, ZUZANA , ZEISEK, VOJTĚCH* , TRáVNÃ­Ä EK, PAVEL and SUDA, JAN

The role of genome duplication and variation in nuclear genome size in the evolution of the Cape flora

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enomes represent a distinct and legitimate level of biological organization within cells, having their own unique evolutionary histories and with genome size (GS) as one of their inherent properties. One feature that has long puzzled researchers measuring nuclear GS is the tremendous variation encountered in many different groups of organisms. This project aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding the GS and ploidy diversity across one of the most species- and endemic-rich floras of the world - Cape Floristic Region (CFR; it has nearly 9400 species of which approximately 68 % are endemic). It is relatively well-explored in comparison with other world hotspots, with available data on species distribution, phylogeny, ecological preferences, functional traits and/or biotic interactions.Currently, representative GS data are available only for a few Cape genera (e.g. Agapanthus, Eucomis, Gasteria, Nerine, Oxalis), while the great majority of Cape groups remain unexplored.Therefore, we want to unravel the extent of ploidy and genome size variation across the Cape flora and assess the evolutionary role of genome-wide processes (genome duplication, genome down-/up-sizing) in the genesis of the Cape hyperdiversity. In particular, we are determining holoploid genome sizes and AT/GC contents in a representative set of Cape plants using DNA flow cytometry.We are developing a public online database, which will store all available GS data of Cape plants and will serve as a primary source of GS values for this biodiversity hotspot. Around 1000 species have already been subjected to flow cytometric analyses by our team using both intercalating (to estimate GS in absolute units) and AT-selective (to determine the proportion of AT/GC bases) fluorochromes. Our goal is to fill the database not only by GS data, but also by chromosome counts and exact information of investigated individuals, including georeferenced locality, high-resolution scan of preserved herbarium vouchers, etc. The database should provides fundamental source of unequivocal and easily checked data on incidence, frequency and distribution of taxa with ploidy heterogeneity and genome size variation. Meta-analyses of such data will shed new light into extent of polyploid speciation in CFR. The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Zámek 1, Průhonice, 252 43, Czech Republic

1

Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284.0, United States2Department Of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Life Science Building 336, Richmond, VA, 23284, United States3University of Missouri-St. Louis, Department of Biology, 1 University Blvd, St.

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TAXONOMY POSTERS 931

ABBOTT, CLAIRE* 1 and SIMPSON, MICHAEL 2

Taxonomy of the Cryptantha clevelandii complex (Boraginaceae)

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ryptantha clevelandii is a member of subtribe Amsinckiinae of the Boraginaceae. This species has recently been confused with Cryptantha hispidissima, and has been treated with various infraspecies. Here we present a morphometric study of the complex, measuring nutlet, calyx, fruit angle, gynobase, style, and trichome features. Anova and PCA statistical analyses demonstrate a clear distinction between Cryptantha clevelandii and C. hispidissima, supporting the recognition of the latter. However, the infraspecies, var. clevelandii and var. florosa, are less clearly defined. We also present evidence for a new infraspecies, which may be restricted to particular soil types. 1

San Diego State University, Department of Biology, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA2San Diego State University, Department Of Biology, Department Of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States

932

JENINGA, ANYA* 1, PAWINSKI, KARL 1 and TIPPERY, NICHOLAS 2

Morphometric evaluation of species boundaries in eastern Asian Nymphoides (Menyanthaceae)

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pecies are distinguished primarily using morphological characters, and an exclusive combination of features typically enables each species to be identified correctly. Herbarium specimens are a primary resource for taxonomists seeking to circumscribe species, and yet morphological characters often are difficult to observe in herbarium specimens. Nevertheless, intensive investigation of quantitative morphological characters may be effective for differentiating morphologically similar specimens. Species of the floating-leaved aquatic genus Nymphoides often are identified using floral characters that preserve poorly and cannot be observed on herbarium specimens. Whereas the genus has received careful study in many parts of the world, in eastern Asia several species are poorly understood and a comprehensive taxonomic study is lacking. We endeavored to study eastern Asian Nymphoides species using morphological characters that could be measured quantitatively from herbarium specimens, in order to more confidently understand the morphological boundaries among species. We obtained morphological measurements from vegetative and reproductive organs on over 400 specimens and analyzed them statistically. Our data support the existence of nine Nymphoides species in eastern Asia, and we hypothesize

that certain rare species actually are synonymous with more widespread species. In future studies we aim to corroborate our results using molecular data or morphological analysis of fresh material. 1

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, Department of Biological Sciences, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, United States2University Of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Department Of Biological Sciences, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, United States

933

SILVEIRA , FERNANDA SCHMIDT* 1, DE VARGAS, WANDERLEIA 2 , FORTUNA-PEREZ, ANA PAULA 3 and MIOTTO, SILVIA TERESINHA SFOGGIA 4

Implications of glandular trichomes to describe a new species and to support infrageneric sytematics in Mimosa L. (Fabaceae)

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Canceled

ecretory structures as glandular trichomes have been useful to taxonomy at different hierarchical levels of Fabaceae. In Mimosa L. genus, few studies have comparatively investigated differences between similar species regarding glandular trichomes, although this feature seems to have taxonomic value for the genus. In this work, we investigated the significance of glandular trichomes and their content to support the delimitation of a new species of Mimosa and a related species, M.bifurca. To further distinguish them, morphological and geographical data were also used. We reported two types of glandular trichomes in the leaflets defined by the stalk cells: unisseriate or multisseriate, being the presence or absence of each one of them a distinctive feature to separating the studied species. The new species has only glandular trichomes with obconical head and unisseriate stalk, secreting lipids, while the similar species has also trichomes with multisseriate stalk and a different epidermis and parenchyma, which have a chemical content that reacted positively in the Nadi and Ferric Chloride tests. In addition, we noticed for the first time the presence of chemical content in the glandular trichomes, epidermis and parenchyma leaflets of Mimosa. The chemical content was also taxonomic valuable in separating the species. Furthermore, the taxonomic significance of anatomical features of glandular trichomes was discussed concerning the implications to the classification in Mimosa series Stipellares.

1

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Botânica, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, BRAZIL2Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botânica, AC Rubião Junior Jardim Santo Inácio (Rubião Junior), Botucatu, SP, 18618-970, BRAZIL34Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, BRAZIL

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TROPICAL BIOLOGY POSTERS

935

SHIPUNOV, ALEXEY* and SCHMOLLY, KATHARINA 2

JANTZEN, JOHANNA* 1, FREITAS OLIVEIRA, ANA LUIZA 2, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 4

Phylogeny of Amazonian enigma: origin and evolution of bitterbush family, Picramniaceae

Diversification and niche evolution in Neotropical Tibouchina s.s. (Melastomataceae)

934

1

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icramniaceae is the family of ca. 50 known species, the only member of Picramniales which is sister to Sapindales. Not much is known about most aspects of their ecology, geography and morphology. The family is restricted to American tropics. Picramniaceae representatives are rich in secondary metabolites; some species are known to be important for pharmaceutical purposes. Traditionally, Picramniaceae understood as containing two genera, Picramnia and Alvaradoa, but recently the third genus, Nothotalisia W.W.Thomas was discovered. Only a few species of the family have been the subject of DNArelated research, and fewer than half of the species have been included in morphological phylogenetic analyses. It is clear that Picramniaceae as a largely under-researched plant group. Here we present the first molecular phylogetic tree of the group, based on both chloroplast and nuclear markers.

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Minot State University, Biology, 500 University Ave, Minot, ND, 58707, United States2Minot State University, Biology, 500 University Ave, Minot, ND, 58707, USA

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he Neotropics contain around 37% of global plant diversity; two understudied Neotropical biodiversity hotspots with extremely high levels of endemism are the Cerrado (tropical savanna) and the campos rupestres (“rocky fields”). Contributing to the plant diversity of these ecoregions are certain lineages of Melastomataceae, including the paraphyletic genus Tibouchina Aubl., which occurs in these open habitats across a range of soil types, temperatures and elevations. This study investigates the prevalence of ecological divergence and the impact of niche evolution on the diversification of Tibouchina s.s., a Neotropical clade comprising 23 species that are primarily restricted to the Cerrado and campos rupestres, including both widespread and narrowly endemic species. To investigate the extent of ecological niche shifts within this clade, we constructed ecological niche models in MaxEnt for each species using herbarium records from GBIF, iDigBio, and speciesLink, climate variables from WorldClim and soil variables from SoilGrid. Predicted niche occupancy profiles show ecological divergence for specific environmental variables, and geographic projections show that although there are some areas of projected overlap in geographic space, a number of species of Tibouchina occupy distinct niches. Future studies will use these models and a well-resolved phylogeny for this clade to reconstruct niches for ancestral nodes on the phylogeny to examine the effects of ecological niche shifts on diversification. As a part of a broader research study, this project is a case study on the impact of niche evolution in the diversification of individual plant clades, helping clarify general patterns in Neotropical plant diversification. 1

University Of Florida, Biology, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2UNESP Rio Claro, Instituto de Biociencias, Av. 24A, 1515- Bela Vista, Rio Claro, Sao Paulo, Brazil3University of Florida, Biology, Gainesville, FL4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States

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CONFERENCE-WIDE DISCUSSION SESSIONS 194

VOLAIN, NAOMI

Plants Go Global has answers for Botany education oin Naomi Volain, Botany and Environmental SciJognized ence high school teacher and internationally receducator driven to make plants an answer to

Earth's sustainability challenges. With plant blindness eradication and using plants as a tool for promoting Earth's sustainability, she'll present a visual view of the past, present and the dynamic future for Botany education. Discussion will focus on promoting your work in the lens of both Botany and sustainability education.

1280 Leonard Ave, Pasadena, CA, 91107, United States

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LERUM, TAYLOR 1 and MEYER, RACHEL* 2

Discussion Session: Careers in natural botanical products

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ith a 100+ billion dollar natural products industry that encompasses everything from microbrews to preventative medicine and whole herbs, street food to haute dessert, it's an exciting time to be a plant scientist. This discussion session invites you to explore what it's like to do natural products research in the applied side of academia, government agency, or by running your own company or working for a larger industry. We'll explore how plant researchers in these different settings maneuver in a world experiencing a renaissance of new markets that cross cultures and social movements, for instance: local, organic, restorative, exotic, heritage, ethical, and Instagrammable. Knowing what tools and techniques are used by the industry to source ingredients and develop quality products that keep up with regulation is essential. This session is geared to anyone interested in emerging markets and career opportunities that sustain the innovation happening in the natural products industry spanning herbal products for cosmetics and health, food, and beverage.

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SAKAI, ANN* 1, BEAMAN, REED , FORSETH, IRWIN 2, MALCOMBER, SIMON 2, MILLER, JOSEPH 2, POSTON, MURIEL 1, ROBERTS, ROLAND 3, SKOG, JUDITH 4 and WEEKS, ANDREA 5

1

National Science Foundation Information Session for faculty and other professionals

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ome meet your National Science Foundation (NSF) Program Directors and learn about programs and areas of funding supported by the NSF Directorates in the Biological Sciences, Geosciences, and International Office. Information on current and new funding opportunities (e.g., Rules of Life, INCLUDES, RCN-UBE) and changes in programs (e.g., no deadlines) will be discussed. The second half will be a question and answer session followed by opportunities to interact with individual program directors. This session will be focused on opportunities available for faculty and other professionals. A later session will be focused on training opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs.

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National Science Foundation, Division of Biological Infrastructure, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22314, United States22415 Eisenhower Blvd, Alexandria, VA, 22314, United States36204 Plymouth Road, Baltimore, MD, 21214, United States4George Mason University, Dept. Environ. Sci. And Policy, MSN4D4, Manassas, VA, 20110.0, United States5George Mason University, Department Of Biology, 4400 University Drive MSN 3E1, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States

1 Nature's Way2UCLA, EEB, 610 Charles E Young Drive E, Room 4153, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States

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SAKAI, ANN* 1, BEAMAN, REED , FORSETH, IRWIN 2, MALCOMBER, SIMON 2, MILLER, JOSEPH 2, POSTON, MURIEL 1, ROBERTS, ROLAND 3, SKOG, JUDITH 4 and WEEKS, ANDREA 5

DIGGLE, PAMELA* 1, CULLEY, THERESA 2, TAYLOR, MACKENZIE 3, RIESEBERG, LOREN 4, SMITH, STACEY D. 5, MCPHERSON, AMY 6, HUND, R 7 and PARADA, BETH 8

National Science Foundation Information Session for Students and Postdocs

How to Publish Your Research: Tips for Junior Researchers

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ome hear National Science Foundation (NSF) Program Directors and learn about opportunities for students (undergraduate and graduate) and postdocs that are supported by the NSF Directorates in the Biological Sciences and Geosciences. The session will cover the research experience for undergraduates (REU) opportunities, graduate fellowship (GRFP) application tips, and an overview of the national research training (NRT) programs in the biological sciences and the Postdoctoral Fellowship programs in the Biological Sciences and the Geosciences. A question and answer session will follow the overview of the training opportunities and tips on proposal preparation.

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National Science Foundation, Division of Biological Infrastructure, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22314, United States22415 Eisenhower Blvd, Alexandria, VA, 22314, United States36204 Plymouth Road, Baltimore, MD, 21214, United States4George Mason University, Dept. Environ. Sci. And Policy, MSN4D4, Manassas, VA, 20110.0, United States5George Mason University, Department Of Biology, 4400 University Drive MSN 3E1, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States

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ave you wondered how to best maximize your chances of having your manuscript accepted for publication? What happens behind the scenes when a manuscript is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal? These questions are especially challenging for first-time authors and for experienced researchers publishing in new fields. Come to this session to learn from experienced author-researchers and the editors-in-chief and editorial staff of the American Journal of Botany and Applications in Plant Sciences. We will discuss what you can do to find the right journal for your paper, how to avoid predatory journals, steps you can take to increase the probability of acceptance of your manuscript, and ultimately how to successfully maneuver the publication pathway. Participants will be able to ask questions in this discussion-based format.

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University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Storrs, CT, 6269, United States2University Of Cincinnati, Department Of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, United States3Creighton University, Department Of Biology, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA4University Of British Columbia, Department Of Botany, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada5University of Colorado, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, CO, USA6American Journal Of Botany, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States74475 Castleman Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63110, United States8BSA, 4475 Castleman Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110.0, United States

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CONFERENCE WIDE WORKSHOPS

936

SHIPUNOV, ALEXEY

Machine learning with R for botanists

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he workshop is about R, the great and most developed free statistical tool. R is extremely popular in science, but learning curve is low. I provide the workshop which intends to teach (1) R basics and (2) advanced methods of machine learning with R. There will be also an opportunity to discuss your own data. Minot State University, Biology, 500 University Ave W, Minot, ND, 58701, USA

937

SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S.

Using Digitized Herbarium Data in Research: Applications for Ecology, Phylogenetics, and Biogeography

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merging cyberinfrastructure and new data sources provide unparalleled opportunities for mobilizing and integrating massive amounts of information from organismal biology, ecology, genetics, climatology, and other disciplines. Key among these data sources is the rapidly growing volume of digitized specimen records from natural history collections. With over 100 million specimen records available online, these data provide excellent information on species distributions, changes in distributions over time, phenology, morphology, and more. Particularly powerful is the integration of phylogenies with specimen data, enabling analyses of phylogenetic diversity in a spatio-temporal context, the evolution of niche space, and more. Beyond testing "a priori" hypotheses, such data-driven synthetic analyses may generate unexpected patterns, yielding new hypotheses for further study. Ongoing efforts to link and analyze diverse data are yielding new platforms for comparative analyses of biodiversity data. However, the inundation of data and methods can be overwhelming. In this full-day workshop, we will provide hands-on instruction for novices and advanced users alike. In addition to learning how to use various software packages, we will also discuss the assumptions of the analyses and the interpretations of the results. We will divide into groups based on participants' experience, so novices and advanced users are all welcome. For beginners, we will cover ways to access and download digitized herbarium data (from GBIF, iDigBio, and other aggregators) and prepare data sets for analysis. We will then offer a series of modules on using georeferencing software (GEOLocate) and applying Maxent software to construct ecological niche models and do paleoclimatic modeling. These modules will follow the successful training program we have used at past Botany meetings For advanced users, we will provide new, innovative modules for linking specimen data to phylogenetic trees, computing phylogenetic diversity measures, conducting biogeographic analyses, and more. We will cover strategies to extract informa-

tion from niche models, such as species occupancy in ecological space and niche breadth, and link them to phylogenetic trees to test hypotheses about niche evolution, such as ancestral niche reconstruction. Participants will use new integrative software tools developed by the BiotaPhy Project (www.biotaphy. org) in collaboration with the Lifemapper Project that link occurrence data (through iDigBio), niche models, and ecological statistics calculated from the models, applying these to large trees in a desktop geospatial environment using the QGIS GIS application. Prepared datasets will be provided, but attendees may bring their own data. Participants will need a laptop (Mac or Windows). Sponsored by iDigBio.:

938

STRAUB, SHANNON* 1, BOUTTE, JULIEN 1, BAILEY, DONOVAN 2, FISHBEIN, MARK 3 and LISTON, AARON 4

Introduction to Next Generation Sequencing

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ext generation sequencing (NGS) describes technologies that produce millions to billions of base pairs of sequence data per experiment. The low cost of these technologies allows an increasing number of biologists to incorporate genome-scale sequencing into their research. The goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the essentials of NGS, so that they can develop and initiate their own projects in phylogenetics, population genetics, and gene expression using this technology. In the morning, we will describe the available technologies, applications, and protocols for sample preparation and sequencing. We will also describe options for computational infrastructure and analytical pipelines. In the afternoon, participants will then have an opportunity to work with short read data from the Illumina platform and long read data from the PacBio platform. Topics covered during the handson portion will include plastome sequence assembly and probe design for nuclear gene target enrichment (Hyb-Seq). A laptop computer is required. The workshop fee includes lunch, coffee breaks, internet access, and power strips. 1

Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA2New Mexico State University, Department of Biology, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA3Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA4Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

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ZENIL-FERGUSON, ROSANA 1, FREYMAN, WILL* 2 and JORDAN, KOCH 3

RevBayes Tutorial: An introduction to Bayesian inference in Phylogenetics

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he study of plant systematics and phenotypic evolution has provided unparalleled statistical challenges when building phylogenetic trees and understanding trait evolution. In this workshop, we will introduce RevBayes, a powerful computational program that allows users to perform a large number of complex statistical inferences in a phylogenetic context. RevBayes is a graphical-model based software that allows scientists to specify models in an accessible manner while encouraging the construction of complex phylogenetic models by using basic mathematical definitions. During the workshop, we will provide a lecture introducing the theoretical background necessary to understand the models and bayesian inference jointly with a hands-on computer tutorial demonstrating how to explore phylogenetic inferences using RevBayes ( http:// revbayes.github.io/tutorials.html). Furthermore, we will show how to use RevBayes to build phylogenies and some comparative phylogenetic methods (i.e. discrete trait models, diversification). Participants are not assumed to have expertise in phylogenetic theory. However, we expect participants to be familiar with phylogenetic trees and their applications to evolutionary biology. We anticipate this workshop to be mostly suitable for PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty who want to learn these techniques. Participants need to bring their own laptop to connect to wired/wireless internet.</ br> Relevance: 1

University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavio, 1479 Gortner Ave, Suite 140 , St Paul, MN, 55108, USA2University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, 1479 Gortner Ave, Suite 140 , St Paul, MN, 55108, USA3University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, 1479 Gortner Ave, Suite 140 , St Paul, MN, 55108, USA

940

JULIUS, MATTHEW L.

SimRiver: Environmental Modeling Software for the Science Classroom

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he diatom project is an international collaboration with 25+ contributors. The projects goal is to enhance the scientific understanding and personal appreciation of fluvial ecosystems globally. The team hopes this understanding and awareness will promote stewardship of aquatic resources and reduce personal water use footprints. The educational multilingual materials produced by the DiatomProject team are freely available web based resources, most notable is the SimRiver Interactive Game. To date the DiatomProject website supports 21 different languages and SimRiver is available in 19 different languges. Students and Educators from 30+ different countries have provided feedback concerning their experience with the educational modules. SimRiver is an educational tool for upper level science classrooms. The program is freely available and works on

either Mac or PC systems. Acceptance in the international community has been widespread, with the SimRiver's incorporation into the curriculum of secondary science education and collegiate classrooms globally. The simulator allows students to manipulate various parameters in a river basin; including landuse, population, and season. Primary production species communities, specifically diatoms, are produced by the program based upon the environmental parameters selected by the students in developing the river basin. Students can quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate these species communities to measure water quality. Environmental variables can then be adjusted producing a new simulated species community, allowing students to discover the resulting change in water quality. SimRiver allows students the opportunity to participate in a hands on experimental environment change activity that allows a complex understanding of the relationship between organisms and environmental disturbance. Activities such as this are often unavailable to educators because the complexity and time required to observe actual changes in species communities. While SimRiver has been a success and has been adopted in schools around the world, a common theme in feedback from users is the desire for an interactive environment simulating the ecology created by students during the SimRiver exercise. An interdisciplinary team is working to address these concerns and a new modules are being developed to allow students to explore the macroscale river environment created during the "original" SimRiver gaming experience. The first of these modules is presented and participants are welcome to test this "Beta" version and provide feedback to the authors. Additionally, participants will be introduced to the "original" version with focus on classroom utilization and connection to specific learning outcomes.

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ADAMS, CATRINA

PlantingScience Workshop experienced PlantingScience teachers and sciJyouoin entist mentors to learn techniques that will make a better mentor to student-led science investiga-

tions, especially in an asynchronous online setting. During this workshop, you'll learn more about the award-winning PlantingScience online mentoring program and results of NSF-funded research on the program's efficacy. You will also learn techniques to improve the effectiveness of your mentoring of student-led independent investigations. The workshop will cover classroom activities from several of our PlantingScience investigation themes as well as practice with using questioning techniques and scaffolding strategies helpful for anyone aiming to push student science thinking forward. Finally, we'll discuss the advantages and potential pitfalls to mentoring students asynchronously online and tips for working with teachers to make the most impact on students. This workshop is highly interactive and will provide lots of time for technique practice, analysis of scientist-student mentoring dialog, and a chance to hear from some participating PlantingScience teachers and mentors about their experiences.

Botanical Society of America, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166

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942

MCDANIEL, JAMES 1 and PRETZ, CHELSEA* 2

Job Search Transparency: Learning the Unwritten Rules to Land your Dream Job

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here are many unwritten rules in every field, and half of the battle is understanding these "rules." This workshop is focused on understanding these unwritten rules of the job process by obtaining advice from a diverse group of panelists. These panelists represent careers in different job sectors, all coming from different backgrounds for a genuine conversation about the job process. These panelists will talk about the different stages during a job search from the application process, to the interview, to the negotiation of a contract. The topics covered will include strategies to stand out as an applicant, dual career options, setup packages, space, and benefits as well as how to respond to inappropriate or illegal questions or other situations. The format of this workshop will start with an introduction of the panels and then be opened up to a discussion with questions from the attendees. The goal of this workshop is to help young professionals navigate and move forward from graduate school or postdoctoral positions on a positive career trajectory. 1

UW-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

943

NIXON, KEVIN C 1 and GANDOLFO, MARIA A* 2

Using the Cornell University Plant Anatomy Collection (CUPAC) and the Cornell University Paleobotanical Slide Collection (CUPC-slide Collection for teaching and research

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uring this workshop, we will introduce new tools implemented at the Cornell University Plant Anatomy Collection and the Cornell University Paleobotanical Slide Collection. The CUPACThe Cornell University Plant Anatomy Collection is collection composed of more than 200,000 anatomical preparations covering from algae to flowering plants and it is morphologically extremely diverse (comprising vegetative and reproductive organs). It also includes selected slides by famous anatomists among them Eames, Bierhorst, Wilde, Maheshwari, and Carlquist. The Cornell University Paleobotanical Slide Collection comprises peels and slides of fossil taxa ranging from the Paleoproterozoic to the Cretaceous; some of them holotypes/paratypes of key taxa such as Psilophyton, Leclerquia, several Progymnosperms and Cordaitales. Both collections are being digitized and are available online. The web interface includes the ability to search by taxon, organ, anatomical structure, cell types and tissues, and a set of tools for online measurements directly from the slide images, and the ability (account controlled) to overlay private and public labels on the images

for courses, course laboratories, interactive quizzes and exams, and other educational purposes. We will also present a Plant Anatomy lab manual developed on the bases of the images that will be available for teaching.</br> Relevance: 1

Cornell University, Plant Biology, 405 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2 Cornell University, Plant Biology, 410 Mann Library Building, Plant Biology Section, SIPS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

944

MONFILS , ANNA K

Tips for Success: Applying to Graduate School

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his workshop is a panel discussion designed to introduce undergraduate students to the specific requirements for applying to graduate programs in plant biology. Topics include considering a graduate degree, becoming a competitive applicant, establishing a timetable for application, picking a mentor, preparing a strong application, the campus visit, and funding options. Panelists will include both current graduate students and faculty experienced in mentoring and graduate admissions. Central Michigan University, Biology, 2401 Biosciences, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA

945

MCDANIEL, JAMES* 1 and PRETZ, CHELSEA 2

The Elevator Speech: Crafting an Effective Pitch that Highlights your Research and Illustrates the Broader Impacts (A Workshop for Students and PostDocs)

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earning to summarize, simplify, and clearly communicate one's research among an ever-growing network of colleagues and the general public is critical to a scientist's success. Over the past few years, the “elevator speech” has become increasingly important in the field of science because it is imperative (more so… now, than ever) that we are able to effectively communicate our research to the outside world in a concise manner. Whether we share our work with colleagues, at job interviews, or even family members, crafting an effective elevator speech requires us to think beyond our discipline in order to address the broader impacts associated with our research projects. The goal of this workshop is to bring together scientists who are at different stages in their career (ranging from students to post-doctoral fellows) to hone an elevator speech that they have already prepared. We will have a keynote speaker (TBA) who will provide helpful tips on crafting an effective elevator speech followed by a breakout session to allow attendees the opportunity to revise and modify their elevator speeches. Finally, we will organize into groups as a means of sharing our elevator speeches with one another in a friendly, low-risk environment. Ultimately, the social atmosphere of this event will contribute to opportunities for can-

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did, constructive feedback, and we encourage participants to utilize this interaction as practice toward pitching your elevator speech throughout the rest of your time at BOTANY 2018.

947

1

Transcriptome analyses for non-model plants: phylogenomics and more

UW-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

946

JABAILY , RACHEL SCHMIDT* 1 , HANES , MARGARET MAE 2, MOORE, MICHAEL J. 3, MARTINE, CHRISTOPHER 4 , TAYLOR, MACKENZIE 5 and JOHNSON, SARAH 6

PUI Plant Network Professional Development Power Hour

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t this half- day workshop, we will launch the PUI (Primarily Undergraduate Institution) Plant Network, a group devoted to professional development and resource sharing, promoting the plant sciences at higher education institutions that fit the NSF Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) criteria (liberal arts colleges, community colleges, universities with master's students and few PhD students). This workshop is in particular tailored towards graduate students, postdocs, and other scientists interested in future faculty positions at these types of schools. We will start the workshop with a panel of faculty from a diversity of PUIs. We will discuss the nature of our jobs, our institutions, and our students, and what it is like to apply for and successfully negotiate a faculty position. We will have ample opportunity for questions & answers, too. We will then present workshop participants with several mock job ads for relevant positions at PUIs. Participants will then have time to make bullet-point cover letters to several. PUI participant faculty will then form pairs, each a mock hiring committee for one job ad. Workshop participants will rotate around to various teams for quick mock interviews by the various PUI teams, with brief feedback on their performance afterwards. Hopefully, there will be opportunity for each participant to do at least two mock interviews. Ideally, this could be also some sort of 'happy hour', with drinks available. We would then conclude with a wrap up activity, collect contact information, and solicit feedback about how PUI Plant Network can serve our community, charting our course forward. Relevance: 1

Colorado College, Organismal Biology & Ecology, 14 E. Cache La Poudre, Colorado Springs, CO, 809032Eastern Michigan University, Biology, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA3Oberlin College4Bucknell University5Creighton University6Northland College

SMITH, STEPHEN* 1, MORALESBRIONES, DIEGO 2, YANG, YA 3, PEASE, JAMES 4 and WANG, NING 5

T

ranscriptomic sequencing has become more common for non-model organisms as costs have lowered. Often, however, researchers do not realize the full utility of these because of barriers to data analysis. In this workshop, we will examine several uses for transcriptomes including phylogenomic analyses, targeted gene family evolution analysis, phyloGWAS, and differential expression. The workshop will be divided into two modules. For the first 1.5 hours, we will go over the basic concepts, approaches, challenges, and examples of transcriptome analyses in non-model organisms in a series of short presentations and discussions. After a short break, the next ~2.5 hours will be hands-on tutorials using virtual machines. Workshop participants will be given the necessary scripts, instructions, and test data. No other special knowledge required. For those who are not familiar with command line interface, additional tutorial instructions will be provided. Participants can choose to only participate in the lecture & discussion module, or the full workshop including the hands-on session. 1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA2University of Minnesota, 714 Biological Sciences Center, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA3University of Minnesota, 714 Biological Sciences Center, Saint Paul, MN, 551084Wake Forest, Room 2813, Wake Downtown, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA5University of Michigan, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

948

JORDON-THADEN, INGRID* 1, SKOGEN , KRISSA ANN 2 and TUOMINEN , L.K. 3

Using Our Science to Inform Public Policy

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hile most policymakers respect and value science, scientists are often unintentionally excluded from policy initiatives. Meanwhile, within our own profession we may feel pressure to avoid participating in public policy, uncertain whether we should risk being perceived as less objective by our peers. As long as this gap persists, policymakers will lack the full information necessary to make informed decisions and scientists will find ourselves surprised at some of the decisions elected officials make on our behalf. How can we scientists provide input on the relevance and value of our work in ways that are effective while ensuring the integrity of our profession? This workshop is intended to help participants view the full spectrum from science to public policy to political organizing and to find entry points by which they can begin to support policy decisions that are based on evidence and supportive of science. The workshop will include: A discussion panel of scientists with a range of public policy ex-

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perience, Breakout teams to learn specific ways to participate in public policy, and An introduction to the Botany Policy Network (BPN), an initiative of the ASPT Environment and Public Policy Committee (EPPC) and the BSA Public Policy Committee (PPC) based on input from members of our societies. Discussion panel participants will include scientists who have helped write and build support for the federal "Botany Bill," contributed input to statelevel environmental rulemaking, participated in the implementation of international conservation and plant trade agreements, worked as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, and lobbied for NSF funding on Capitol Hill as part of Congressional Visits Day. Panelists will lead breakout teams based on participants' interests, helping to identify personalized ways to link scientists' prior experiences and future goals with at least one opportunity. Participants will learn how to be effective at their chosen entry point to public policy with "insider knowledge," verbal or written practice, and take-home information on best practices. Finally, participants can help build the sustainability of public policy efforts among our societies by providing input on the Botany Policy Network, a new professional network intended to enhance communication about local and regional policy issues to botanists. Relevance: 1

University of Wisconsin Madison, Department of Botany, 144 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA3 John Carroll University, Department of Biology, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA

POST CONFERENCE SYMPOSIUM

949

WEEKS, ANDREA

Leveraging digital specimen data and derivatives for herbarium curation and collections' management

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oday herbaria are enjoying a resurgence in popular interest and are being used for research and teaching purposes never imagined before, in large part because of digitization initiatives begun over a decade ago. Consequently, herbarium curators are discovering new opportunities and challenges in keeping pace with the speed, scope and scale of how specimens are being used in their online digitized collections, with or without their knowledge. How are curators ensuring that new meta-data are re-integrated to improve the collections for the future? How is technology being leveraged to improve the centuries-old practice of herbarium curation? Where do we foresee changes in collection-based research or teaching that we can prepare for now? Join us for a half-day workshop as we explore answers to these questions in a series of invited talks and moderated discussion. George Mason University, Department Of Biology, 4400 University Drive MSN 3E1, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States

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Author Index

A Aasa-Sadique, AD 202 Abair, Alexander 677 Abbott, Claire 931 Abbott, Richard 899 Abrahams, Richard 435, 856 Acha Macias , Serena I 175 Ackerfield, Jennifer 866 Ackerly, David 338 Acma, Florfe 344 Adams, Catrina 941 Ade-Ademilua, Omobolanle 702 Adedeji, Olubukola 205 Adegbaju, Oluwafunmilayo 494 Adekanmbi, Helen 620 Adel El Miari, Hiba 225 Adesalu, Taofikat 442 Adey, Andrew 123 Adhikari, Binaya 544 Adongbede, Erute 498 Aduralere, Israel 498 Aeilts, Luke 798 Afolayan, Anthony 494 Agogbua, Josephine U. 686 Aguirre, Armando 391 Ahl, Louise 214, 220 Ahmed, Irshad 366 Ahrends, Antje 250 Aina, Olawole Emmanuel 382 Ajao, Abdulwakeel 202 Ajayi, Adedayo 496 AJAyI, Adelusi Adekunle 685 Ajikah, Linus 620 Akhlaq , Asra 909 Akonye, Love Akaja 686 Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan 638 Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan A. 914 Alam, Fawad 253 Alanagreh, Lo'ai 331 Alba, Christina 528 Alban, Joaquina 489 Albert, Victor 18, 293 Ali , Ayra 219 Ali, Shaukat 322 Aliaga, Angélica 628 Alice, Lawrence A. 907 Alison , Ricciardi 206

Allasi Canales , Nataly Olivia 323, 489 Allen, Geraldine 268, 281 Allen, Julie 181, 571 Allen, Sarah 632 Allen, Van Deynze 289 Allphin, Loreen 345 Allshouse, Douglas D. 121 Alqthanin, Rahmah 741 Alsamadisi, Noah 61 Altrichter, Kristine 798 Alverson, Andrew 318, 585 Alverson, William 578 Amanda, Hulse-Kemp 289 Amarasinghe, Prabha 671 Ambrose, Barbara 500, 763 Amici, Autumn 726 Amoo, Stephen 382 Amoroso, Victor 344 Amusan, OC 202 An, Hong 645 Anacker, Brian 530 Andersen, Ethan 320, 322, 462 Anderson , Steven Richard 415 Anderson, Gregory 817, 818 Anderson, Ian 735 Anderson, Roger 398 Angelovici, Ruthie 24 Anghel, Ioana 283 Angyalossy, Veronica 57 Antonelli, Alexandre 177, 489 Anwar, Tauseef 369 Appelhans, Marc 155, 157, 158, 908 Appiah-Madson, Hannah 260 Applequist, Wendy 104 Arceo-Gomez, Gerardo 440, 813, 814 Arlinghaus, Kel 379 Armour, Isabella 224 Arogundade, Oluwabunmi 205 Aronson, Myla 237 Arredondo, Tina 592 Arshad, Muhammad 495 Art-han, Watchara 316 Ashman, Tia-Lynn 457, 813 Atkinson, Brian 141, 611, 612, 614, 616 429

Attigala, Lakshmi 847 Au, Scarlet 871 Auber, Robert 324 AuBuchon, Taylor 184, 316 Austin, Jessie 413 Autrey, Oliver 919 Awale, Ahmed Ibrahim 473 Axsmith, Brian 619, 634 Ayala-Silva, Thomas 836 Ayeni, OB 202 Azeez, Sekinat 542 Azevedo, Ana Luisa 751

B Baas, Pieter 52, 54, 55 Babs-Ogungbemi , AA 202 Bacon, Christine 840 Baden, Evan 472 Baderinwa-Adejumo, Adejoke Olusola 373, 550 Baer, Sara 385 Bagaza , Clement 24 Baghai-Riding, Nina 634 Bai, Chengke 578 Bai, Karen 821 Bailey, Donovan 311, 677, 938 Bailey, Nicholas 842 Baker, Emma 808 Baker, Robert (Rob) 511 Baker, Stokes S. 451, 483, 600 Baker, William J. 29, 662 Balao, Francisco 727 Baldwin, Bruce 338, 352, 926 Ballard Jr, Harvey 519 Ballerini, Evangelline 505 Ballou, Steven 347 Banasiak, Å ukasz 59 Banerjee, Arjan 290 Baniaga, Anthony 559 Barak, Rebecca 420 Barbara, Lish 705 Barbazuk, W. Brad 317 Barber, Anne 239 Barber, Vanessa 29 Barboza, Gloria 573 Barfknecht, David 434 Barker, Abigail 29 Barker, Daniel A. 814


Barker, Michael 305, 306, 329, 559, 645, 767, 768 Barkworth, Mary 253, 473, 522, 524 Barnes, Christopher 390 Barnes, Christopher J 489 Barr, Jordan 697 Barrett, Craig 14, 280, 314, 353, 659, 840 Barrington, David 575, 755, 757, 839 Barry, Kerrie 299 Barshis, Daniel 604 Bartlett, Madelaine 643 Barton, Catherine 413 Bashaw, Benjamin 922 Bashir, Anbreen 219 Bassil, Nahla 907 Bassuner, Burgund 815 Bastide, Paul 114 Bastow, Justin 486 Batish, Mona 309 Battle , David 463 Baucom, Regina 593 Bauer , Dr Ulrike 11 Baum, David 193 Bautzmann, Rachel 749 Baxter, Ivan 364 Bayer, Randall 537, 601 Beaman, Reed 196, 197 Beaulieu, Jeremy 579, 583, 585, 586 Bechen, Lindsey 596 Beck, James 174, 345 Beeler, Reese 120 Beever, Jessica 629, 633 Behdarvandi, Behrang 225 Beilstein, Mark 378, 768 Bellstedt, Dirk 115, 116 Bennett, Cameron 919 Benson, Gabriel W. 819 Berbeo, Eileen 584 Berg, Colette 242 Berger, Brent 293 Bergeron, Paul 360 Beric, Aleksandra 638 Berlyn, Graeme 678, 679, 680, 697 Bernardino de Souza Pereira, Jovani 95 Berrios, Hazel 883 Berry, Paul 187 Besik, Ariana 291

Bippus, Alexander 144 Bird, Kevin 365, 556 Bishop, Sasha 733 Bitan, Keren 690 Blackman, Benjamin 7, 362, 735 Blain, Natalie 372 Blake-Mahmud, Jennifer 802 Blakely, Sarah 902 Blanco, Summer 431 Blanco-Moure, Nuria 207 Blischak, Paul 855, 874 Block, Timothy 239 Blokzijl, Ruben 580 Bodnar, Josefina 623, 625 Boehm, Emma 448 Boggan, John 884 Bohn, China H. 375 Bohs, Lynn Allison 272, 289, 675 Bolin, Jay 97, 99 Bolinder, Kristina 580 Bombarely, Aureliano 880 Boni, Souleymane 607 Boom, Brian 467 Borer, Catherine 454 Borisenko, Alex 81 Borregaard, Michael 278 Borsuk, Aleca 709 Botigue, Laura 662 BotiguĂƒŠ, Laura R. 29 Boutte, Julien 311, 312, 655, 938 Bowles, Marlin L. 420 Bowman, David 76 Bowning , Larry B. 462 Boyko, James 585 Bralower, Timothy J. 162, 166 Brandrud, Marie Kristine 727 Brandvain, Yaniv 812 Braukmann, Thomas 81, 118, 241 Braum, Anna 409 Breslin, Peter 888 Brewer, Grace 29 Brickman, Peggy 463 Brightly, William 627 Brinkman, Becky 240 Brock, Jordan 378 Brockington, Samuel 22, 641 Brodeck, Lindsey 413 Brodersen, Craig 63, 222, 709 430

Brose, Julia 638 Brown, A. H. D. 880 Brown, Joseph 639, 641, 649 Brown, Keirsten 705 Bruederle, Leo P. 271 Bruhn, Robert 238 Bruneau, Anne 266 Brunet, Johanne 416 Bruun-Lund, Sam 577 Bryant, Douglas W. 907 Buback, Steven 827 Buchanan, Ashley 488, 492 Buchheim, Mark 331 Buddenhagen, Christopher 640 Budke, Jessica 761 Budsberg, Erik 486 Buell, C. Robin 295 Buerki, Sven 875 Bui, Elisabeth 530 Bukhari, Ghadeer 502, 506, 929 Bunn, J. Imani 501 Burge, Dylan 128, 129, 918 Burgess, Kevin 240, 433 Burke, Janelle 245, 803, 912 Burke, John 361 Burke, Sean 346, 650, 651, 846, 848 Burleigh, Gordon 65, 66, 68, 70, 77, 308 Burns, Christina 859 Burton, Josh 123 Bushakra, Jill 907 Buskey, Taylor 393 Busta, Lucas 683 Byamukama, Emmanuel 322

C Caceres, Steven 834 Cacho, N.Ivalu 582, 852, 913 Caetano , Daniel S 583, 586 Cahoon, Edgar B. 683 Cai, Liming 640 Cai, Minqi 264, 602 Cai, Victor 776 Calkwood, John 447 Callahan, Hilary 39 Cameron, Kenneth 264, 602, 841, 844, 901 Cameron, Kenneth M. 578 Campany, Courtney 766


Author Index Campbell, Christopher 653 Campbell, Keron 859, 928 Campbell, Lesley 791 Cangiano, Michael 459 Cantalupo, Paul 457 Cantley, Jason 174, 897 Cantley, Jason T. 523, 535, 730, 898 Cao, Kunfang 695 Caomhanach, Nuala 49, 51 Cappellari-Rabeling, Simone 517 Caraballo-Ortiz, Marcos 164 Cardinal, Sophie 829 Carey, Sarah 308 Carey, Shane 292 Carlsen, Monica 177 Carter, Katherine A. 907 Cartwright, Jennifer 530 Caruso, Christina 260, 544 Carvalho, Humberto Henrique 751 Carvalho-Filho, Nelson 95 Case, Andrea 260, 544 Castilla, Antonio 800 Catalano, Santiago 164 Catlin, Nathan 317 Cattani , Douglas John 105 Cavender-Bares, Jeannine 224, 561, 690 Cellinese, Nico 181, 571, 579, 671, 851 Cetlova, Veronika 915 Chae, Taylor 327, 379 Chambers, Sally 782 Chames, Nicholas M. 451, 600 Chanderbali, Andre 293 Chandra, Suman 548 Chang, Shu-Mei 790 Chaowasku, Tanawat 860 Chapman, Julia 393 Chau, John 637, 724 Chau, Marian 340 Chauvin, Thibaud 60 Chen, Bing-hua 877 Chen, Cheng-Wei 765 Chen, De-Kui 754 Chen, Huayang 695 Chen, Jinfeng 303 Chen, Yao 602 Chen, Zhiduan 884 Chiang, Yu-Chung 745

Chilquillo, Eder 489 Chimahusky, Melody 729 Chiou, Wen-Liang 765 Chong, Caroline 691 Christensen, Magdalen 454 Christin, Pascal-Antoine 200 Christopher, Dorothy 788, 789, 793 Chuanromanee, Tya 227 Chumovร ยก, Zuzana 930 Cinea, William 859 Ciotir, Claudia 104 Ciotir, E. Claudia 100, 109 Cisternas, Anita 720 CJ, Schwartz 547 Clark, Dylan C. 846 Clark, Erin 361 Clark, John L. 871 Clark, Lynn 208, 209, 218, 843, 847 Clase, Teodoro 133 Classen, Aimee 44 Clinton, Matthew 423 Coate, Jeremy 297, 298, 581 Cocoletzi , Eliezer 391 Coffey, Emily 240 Cohen, Jim 226, 227, 514, 743 Colicchio, Jack 735 Colong, Ruel 344 Comito, Robert 923 Commack, Tracy 859 Commock, Tracy 928 Conant, Gavin 299, 638, 827 Conde, Daniel 178 Conrad, Roth 308 Conran, John 629, 633 Consortium, Mint Evolutionary Genomics 294 Conti, Elena 6 Contreras, Dori 624 Contreras-Varela, Ximena 391 Conway, Stephanie 513 Cook, Lyn 76 Cooley, Arielle 744 Cooper, Elizabeth A. 748 Coritico, Fulgent 344 Coriton, Olivier 312 Cornett, Claus 489 Correa, Juan 459 Correa, Julian 140 Cosgrove, Meredith 76 431

Costanza, S H 140 Costea, Mihai 225, 449, 543, 562 Cote, Gary 229 Cowan, Robyn S. 29 Cox, Monica 209 Craine, Joseph 209 Crandall, Keith 719 Crane, Peter 67 Crayn, Darren 122 Crepet, William 146, 153, 628 Crews, Timothy 104 Crisovan, Emily 295 Crisp, Michael 76 Croat, Thomas 509 Cronin, Paul 555 Cronn, Richard 86, 653, 655 Crook, Joseph 324 Cross, Adam 17 Crowl, Andrew 487, 648 Cruz, Boni 121 Cruzan, Mitchell 461, 565, 592, 734, 736 Ctvrtlikova, Martina 92 Cubey, Robert 37 Cui, Hong 70 Culley, Theresa 198 Cuneo, Nestor 164, 165 Curd, Emily 832 Czander, Autumn 234 Czapla, Grant 432, 492 Czaplinska, Tina 441

D Dabney, Clemon 547, 548 DaCosta, Jeffrey 315 Dahl, Julian 705 Dahlberg, Rasmus 489 Daigle, Bernie 302 Dalgleish, Harmony 801 Daly, Douglas 886 Dang, Christie 798, 808 Darbyshire, Iain 923 Dare, Olowolaju Ezekiel 685 Dauphinee, Adrian N. 212 Davies, Jonathan 44 Davis, Arthur 213 Davis, Charles 44, 278, 504, 517, 518, 640 Davis, Jerrold 659 Davis, Thomas M 882


Day, Meigan 439 De Benedetti, Facundo 145 de Gasper, André Luis 777 de Vargas, Wanderleia 933 de Vos, Jurriaan 183 Deacon, Nicholas 561 Deanna, Rocio 573, 924 Decatur, George 784 DeHaan, Lee 104 del Arco, Marcelino 60 Del Tredici, Peter 917 Deleu, Carole 387 Delzon, Sylvain 60 Denbigh , Georgia Lee 212 DeNittis, Alyson 349, 700 Dennis, David 360 dePamphilis, Claude 14 Der, Joshua 774 Dervinis, Chris 178 Deterding, Deanna 805 Determann, Ron 240, 830, 833 Devall, Margaret 408 Devault, Alison 662 Devaux, Celine 788, 789, 793 Devi, Ruma 374 Devitt, Jessica 328 DeVore, Melanie 147 DeVries, Amber 832 DeWalt, Saara J. 748 Dewsbury, Bryan 4 Di Santo, Lionel 591 Di Santo, Lionel N 355 Di Stilio, Verónica S. 513, 794, 879 Diaz, Nicolas 174, 734 DiBlasi, Emily 726 Dick, Christopher 262 Dickinson, Adam 247 Dickinson, Timothy A 247 Dietrick, Alexander 235 Diggle, Pamela 198, 507, 696 Dikow, Rebecca 657 Dismukes, Wade 638 Dixon, Kingsley 17 Dlugosch, Katrina 306 Doan, Tiffany 471 Dobson, Heidi 413 Dodsworth, Stephen 29, 662, 875 Dolan, Liam 91 Donadí­o, Sabina 877 Donoghue, Michael 582, 876

Donovan, Lisa 361, 714 Dória , Larissa Chacon 60 Dorey, Jenna 878 Dorn, Kevin 106 Douglas, Natalie 476 Douglas, Norman 275, 276, 890, 910, 920 Doust, Andrew 510 Dowell, Jordan 361 Downing, Jason 694 Doyle, James 615 Doyle, Jeff 297, 298, 581, 880 Drenovsky, Rebecca 443, 708, 711, 713 Drew , Bryan T 130, 131, 134, 135, 137 Drew, Bryan 132 Drews, Nicholas 189 Dreyer, Leanne 401, 642, 672 Drinkwater, Robyn 37 Drobney, Pauline 525 Drummond, Alexei 156 Drummond, Chloe 131, 137 Drummond, Chloe P. 865 Du, Xin-Yu 838 Du, Zhiyuan 644 Duan, Yifan 873 Dudareva, Natalia 295 Dugas, Diana 677 Duijnstee, Ivo 90 DuMond, Sabrina 808 Dunn, Michael 139, 454 Duran Castillo , Mario Saturnino 663 Durand, Amber 245 Duvall, M 346, 650, 651, 674, 846, 848 Dymond, Salli 455

E Eaton, Deren 582, 876 Eckardt, Phoebe 61 Eckert, Christopher 721 Edger, Patrick 299, 556, 638, 919 Edwards, Caroline 890, 910 Edwards, Christine 175, 186, 605, 737, 815 Edwards, Erika 183, 582, 432

682, 876 Edwards, Laura 462 Edwards, Molly 505 Edwards, Robert D. 258, 530, 574 Egan, Ashley 103, 666, 719 Eggli, Urs 641 Eily, Ariana 771 Eischeid, Anne 80 Eiserhardt, Wolf L.T. 29 Eissenstat, David M 825 Eleanya, Chimankpam Victor 703 Elkin , Lucy Claire 436 Elkins, Kevan 85 Ellis, Inesha 410, 453 Ellis, Jake 329 Ellwood, Elizabeth 40, 238, 474, 476 Ellwood, Libby 471 ElSohly, Mahmoud 548 Emery, Marianne 24, 299 Emry, David 360 Emshwiller, Eve 365, 642 Endara, Lorena 66, 70 Endress, Peter 615 Ensminger, Ingo 291 Epitawalage, Niroshini 29 Eppley, Sarah 546 Erdogan, Eyup 231 Eriksson, Torsten 882 Ernst, Adrienne 420 Escapa, Ignacio 142, 164, 631 Escudero Lirio, Antonio Marcial 272 Eserman, Lauren 240, 658 Espeland, Erin 351 Essenberg, Carla 819 Estelle, Mark 512 Etterson, Julie 325, 351, 455, 723, 747 Evans, Colleen 478 Evensen, Arthur 372 Everbach, Sophie 276 Ezcurra, Exequiel 739


Author Index

F Fabre, Paige 894 Fadayomi, Idowu Eniafe 550 Fallon, Beth 224 Faluyi, Julius 542 Fama, Nicole 353 Faniyan, MM 202 Fant, Jeremie 409, 596, 720, 792 Farmer, Andrew 880 Farrar, Donald 756 Faulkner, Alexai 716 Fauskee, Blake 769, 773 Fawcett, Susan 761, 780 Fayette, Alicia 459 Feeley, Kenneth 693 Fehrenbach, Patrick 307 Feldsine, Natalie 388 Fenell, Anne 320 Feng, Keyi 920 Feng, Tao 22 Ferguson, Carolyn 921 Fernandes, Francisco 59 Fernandes, Geraldo 391 Ferren, Wayne 887 Fetcher, Ned 595 Fetters, Andrea 457 Fijal, Savannah 600 Finch, Jessamine 414, 419 Finch, Kristen 86, 484 Fior, Simone 271 Fischer, Torey 919 Fiscus, Christopher 541 Fishbein, Mark 311, 312, 533, 655, 938 Fisher, Amanda 923 Flanders, Nicholas 604 Flannery, Maura 284 Fleischmann, Andreas 15 Flint-Garcia, Sherry 24 Flores Olvera, Hilda 275, 276, 890, 910, 920 Flowers, Nick 529 Folk, Ryan 178, 181, 523, 571, 579, 851 Folkerts, Debbie 830 Ford, Bruce 415, 849, 877 Forest, Felix 29, 367, 662, 875 Forseth, Irwin 196, 197 Forstater, Erica 437 Fortuna-Perez, Ana Paula 933

Foster, Madison 621 Foulkes, M. Raine 234 Fraga, Naomi 431 Fragoso-Martinez, Itzi 133 Francisco-Ortega, Javier 859, 928 Frangos, Samantha 762 Frankiewicz, Kamil 59 Franklin, Scott 356 Franks, Robert 545 Franks, Steven 747 Fraser, Meredith S. 212 Frasier, Cynthia 891 Frawley, Emma 104 Frederick, Paul 468 Freire, Efraín 133 Freitas Oliveira, Ana Luiza 935 Freund, Forrest 96 Freyman, Will 122, 352, 668, 926, 939 Friedman, Jannice 101 Friedman, William 507 Friedman, William E 53 Friis, Ib 890 Fritsch, Peter 121 Frost, Laura 863, 869 Fu, Chengxin 264, 602, 719, 742, 917 Fukushima, Kenji 13 Fullinwider, Ian 732 Funk, Vicki 188, 258, 530, 657 Funmilola Mabel, Ojo 199 Futrell, Caryn J. 387, 443

G G.Kelch, Dean 653 Gabriel y Galán, Jose Marí­a 777 Gagnon, Edeline 266 Galen, Candace 831 Gallagher, Evan Y. 364, 374 Gallagher, Joseph 193, 643 Gallaher, Timothy 209 Galliart, Matt 389, 598 Galloway, Laura 795 Galtier, Jean 143 Galuska, Sally 329 Gamon, John 690 Gandolfo, Maria A 145, 146, 163, 165, 635, 659, 943 433

Gandy, Elizabeth 232 Gao, Xin-Fen 754 Garber, Marilyn 49 Garber, Marilyn A. 47 Garcia, Antonio 230 Garcia, Nicolas 295 García Massini, Juan 142 Garcí­a, Miguel 543, 562 Garcá­a-Chavez, Juan 391 Gardner, Andrew 230 Gardner, Elliot 656 Garner, Mira 420 Garnett, Sydney 920 Garrett, Patrick 606, 797, 809, 810 Garrett, Stephen 250 Garwood, Nancy 529, 906 Garza, Elyssa 300 Gaynor, Michelle 589, 645, 728 Ge, Xuejun 433 Geary, Ian 629, 633 Gebauer, Gerhard 17 Gebken, Sarah 551, 645 Gehrke, Berit 115 Gelle, Faisal Jama 473 Gemmill, Chrissen 160 Genevieve, Walden 289 George, Lisa 759 Gerety, Britanny 360 Gerken Golay, Michaeleen 223 Gernandt, David 74, 653 Gerrath, Jean 884 Gerst, Katharine 46 Giblin, David 520 Gibson, David 434 Gideon, Okunlola Olarewaju 685 Giffei, Bridget 798 Gilbert, Edward 41 Gilbert, Kadeem 19 Gilland, Keith 482 Gillard, Morgane 387 Gillespie, Emily 126 Gilman, Arthur 756, 779 Gilman, Ian 682, 897 Gilmour, Claire 877 Giraldo, Giovanny 841 Gitzendanner, Matt 718, 751 Giulietti-Harley, Ana M. 95, 531


Givnish, Thomas J 9, 10, 16, 578, 659 Gladish, Daniel K. 216 Glasenhardt, Mary-Claire 420 Glass , Patrick Xavier 807 Glaze, Amanda 478 Goad, David 752 Godden, Grant 294, 295 Goldberg, Emma 812 Goldhaber, Martin 530 Golz, Haley 455 Gomes, Shaiany Sabrina Lopes 282 Gomez, Francisco E. 87 Gomez-Quijano, Maria Jose 553 Gompert, Zachariah 774 González Paleo, Luciana 107 Gonzáez-Gallegos, Jesus G. 136 Goodrich, Katherine 410, 453 Goodwillie, Carol 386 Goodwin, Jillian 238 Goolsby, Eric 183, 574 Gorchov, David 397 Gore, Michael 364 Gormally, Cara 463 Gorton, Amanda J 715 Gostel, Morgan 188 Goyal, Anshu 329 Grace, Olwen 214, 220 Graham, Sean 653, 659, 660 Granados Mendoza, Carolina 133 Grant, Kirstie 912 Grant, Matt 829 Grassa, Christopher 547 Gray, Jesse 426 Grewell, Brenda 387, 443 Grimaldi, David 146 Grimes, Lindsey 683 Grindstaff , Brandin Alexander,Gage 248, 374 Groppo, Milton 908 Gross, Briana 325, 723 Gross, Briana L. 722 Gross, Briana L. 553 Grossman, Jake 561 Grover, Corrinne 193 Grusz, Amanda 307, 769, 773, 775, 785 Guangwan, Hu 277 Guar, Pooran 366

Guercio, Angelica 541 Guerra Filho, Marcelo 543 Guido, Diego 142 Guilliams, C. Matt 333, 352, 740, 887 Guilliams, Matt 858 Guimarães, José T. F. 95 Guinel, Frederique 381 Gulick, Terri 336 Gunawardena, Arunika 212 Guo, Emily 871 Guralnick, Rob 178, 181, 469, 470, 571, 698 Gustafson, Nichole 801

H Hacke, Uwe 203, 228 Haenel, Maxwell 869 Haines, Dustin 455 Hakes, Alyssa 441, 447 Hall, Benjamin 123 Hall, Jessica E. 816 Hall, Jocelyn 292, 638 Hamilton, Jill 355, 427, 591 Hamrick, James 725 Hancock, Lillian 183 Handy, Sara 78, 79, 80 Hanes , Margaret Mae 185, 189, 192, 909, 946 Hansel, Nicole 359 Hansen, Connor 549 Hansen, Kimberly 653 Hansen, Steen Honoré 489 Hanson, Chelsea 450 Hao, Yue 299 Harkess, Alex 309, 327, 638 Harkness, Alexander 812 Harley , Raymond Mervyn 527, 531 Harnage, Katherine 454 Harper, Carla 143, 618, 621, 622 Harper, Stephanie 535 Harris, AJ 83, 644, 883 Harris, David 250 Harris, Zach 84 Hartogs, Samantha R. 794 Hasenstab-Lehman, Kristen 333, 740 Haston, Elspeth 37, 259 Hauser, Bernard 539 Havens, Kayri 337, 414, 419 434

Havran, J 265 Haw, Hannah 820 Hawkins, Angela 300, 599 Hay, Nikolai 345, 772, 776 Hayes, Daniel 898 Haynsen, Matthew 719 Hayward, Bruce 629 He, Hai 754 He, Peizi 742 Hebert, Paul 241 Hedren, Mikael 727 Hejzlar, Josef 92 Hekera, Petr 92 Helenurm, Kaius 333 Hendrickson, Elizabeth 461 Henriquez, Claudia 509, 739 Henry, Ashley 85 Henry, Laura 295 Henzler-Lhasawa, Jampa 275 Herendeen, Patrick 67 Hermsen, Elizabeth J. 145, 636 Hernandez, Adriana I. 333, 352 Herrera, Fabiany 67 Herrera-Estrella, Luis 18 Herron, Sterling 100, 104, 109 Herzog, Sarah 895 Heschel, M. Shane 705 Hetherington, Alexander 91 Heyduk, Karolina 23 Hightower, Derianna 855 Hildebrand, Terri 375, 914 Hileman, Lena 499, 515, 516, 731 Hipp, Andrew 272, 420, 421, 648 Hoagland, Bruce 249 Hoban, Sean 732 Hoch, Jessica 456 Hodel, Donald 840 Hodel, Richard 733 Hodge, John 510 Hodges, Nicholas 612 Hodges, Scott 505 Hoffman, Adrianna 919 Hoffman, Eric A. 728 Hogue, Gabriela 474 Holland, Susan 48, 49 Holman, Garth 653 Holmfred, Else Marie 489 Holsinger, Kent 429


Author Index Holst, Bruce 232 Hong, Wang 14 Hong-Wa, Cynthia 190, 254 Horner, Harry (Jack) 204 Hosseinalizadehnobarinezhad, Mahboubeh 717 Hou, Xue-liang 860 Houck, Jake 919 Houghton, Sydney 405 Hovick, Steve 418, 564 Howard, Cody 579 Howarth, Dianella 293 Hsu, Tsai-Wen 745 Hu, Guo-Xiong 135 Hu, Guoxiong 132 Hu, Hao 510 Hu, Shusheng 613 Huang, Kun 309 Huang, Lijie 334 Huang, Yao-Moan 93, 765 Huang, Yi 128, 129, 918 Hubbard, Ashley 335 Hudson, Andrew 663 Huebner, Cynthia 425 Huggett, Brett 63, 206, 222 Hughes, Colin 266, 677 Huiet, Layne 759 Hulse-Kemp, Amanda M. 87 Hummer, Kim E. 907 Humphrey, Rebecca 221 Humphreys, Aelys 529 Hund, R 198 Hung, Yu-Ling 765 Hunter, Steve 16 Huttunen, Sanna 308 Hyslop, Richard 549

I Ibarra-Laclette, Enrique 18 Ibiapino, Amalia 543 Ichinnorov, Niiden 67 Ickert-Bond, Stefanie 66, 68, 83, 883, 884 Igic, Boris 267, 669 Iglesias, Ari 163, 164, 165, 623, 625 Ilyas, Noshin 369, 824 Ionta, Gretchen 234 Irelan, Sean 237 Isagi, Yuji 76 Isbell, John 611 Ishibashi, Caitlin 725

Islam, Melissa 528 Ison, Jennifer 795, 821 Ivanova, Natalia 81 Ives, Elizabeth 611 Ivey, Christopher 444, 445, 480 Iwuala, Emmanuel 688

J Jabaily , Rachel Schmidt 946 Jackson-Gain , Abigail C 255 Jackson-Gain, Abigail C. 576 Jacobs, Bonnie F. 56 Jacobs, Rob 243 Jacobs, Sarah 895 Jaeger, Collin 346 Jaikumar , Nikhil S 106 Jansen, Steven 62 Janssen, Eric 348, 396 Jantzen, Johanna 422, 671, 935 Jara, Orlando 274 Jaramillo, Carlos 628 Jaramillo, Patricia 911 Jarkko, Salojarvi 18 Javorek, Steve 829 Jayachandran, Krish 836 Jeninga, Anya 932 Jess, Robin 49, 50 Jestrow, Brett 859, 928 Jesus-Costa, Cristielle 843 Jiang, Ning 303, 310, 330 Jimoh, Mahboob A. 202 Jiménez-Rodríguez, Francisco 859 Jin, Jian-Jun 14, 33 Jin, Xiao-feng 877 Joanne, Labate 364 Jobson, Peter 730, 897 Jogesh, Tania 596 Johns, Jason 267 Johnson, Daniel 61 Johnson, Gabriel 83 Johnson, Grace 925 Johnson, Leigh 853, 858 Johnson, Loretta 385, 389, 598 Johnson, Matthew 172, 308, 596, 656, 662, 665 Johnson, Sarah 946 Johnson, Sophia 809, 810 Johnson, Steven 796 435

Johnson, Zachary 459, 460 Johnston, Dylan 213 Joines, Jason Paul 748 Jolles, Diana 114, 127, 889, 904 Jolls, Claudia 337 Jones, Cynthia 52, 201, 691 Jones, Heather 166 Jones, Teylor 223 Jooste, Michelle 401 Jordan, Carly 471 Jordan, Koch 939 Jordan, Kristina 529 Jordon-Thaden, Ingrid 174, 897, 948 Jørgensen, Bodil 214, 220 Jorgensen, Stacy 305, 306, 768 Jud , Nathan A 145, 161, 163, 635 Judd, Graham 1 Judd, Walter 1, 718 Julier, Adele CM 210 Julius, Matthew L. 940

K Kaczorowski, Rainee 813 Kadakia, Nikita 512 Kadereit, Joachim 176 Kainulainen, Kent 187 Kaiser, Hinrich 471 Kalburgi, Yash 83 Kalfatovic , Martin Robert 36 Kamileen, Mohamed O. 295 Kanaley, Kathleen 762 Kandziora, Martha 115, 670 Kanne, Rande 281 Kantar , Michael 660 Kantor, Alexis 811 Kao, Tzu-Tong 759, 772 Kao, Wen-Yuan 93 Kapgate, Dashrath 167, 169 Kappelman, John 56 Karimi, Nisa 193 Karron, Jeffrey 788, 789, 793 Kartzinel, Tyler 725 Kates, Heather 178, 295, 363, 656 Katsuhara, Koki 412 Katz, Ella 364 Katzer, Amanda 516


Kay, Kathleen 403 Keeley, John 129 Keeley, Jon 128, 918 Kellar, Pamela 336 Kellogg, Elizabeth 5, 179, 184, 316, 664 Kelly, John 731 Kelly, Khadijah 661 Kenny, Cecile 298 Kephart, Susan 845 Kessler, Andre 830 Khadia, Satish 370, 497 Khalid, Adul Nasir Khalid 608 Khan, Muhammad Faraz 495 Khojayori, Farahnoz 233, 504 Kholova, Jana 366 Kiel, Carrie 584 Kiernan, Elizabeth 236 Kilgore, Jason Scott 436, 471 Kilgore, Matthew B. 295 Kim, Jan 662 Kim, Joon 503 Kim, Sangtae 82, 870 Kim, Yungkul 471 King, Loren 840 King, Megan 237 King, Sally 37 Kinosian, Sylvia 774 Kinser, Taliesin 294, 326, 558 Kirbis, Alexander 665 Kirst, Matias 178 Kisha, Theodore J. 103 Kjellberg, Finn 577 Klahs, Phillip 208, 209, 218 Klein, Laura 84 Kleinkopf, Jospeh 652 Kliebenstein, Daniel 364 Kling, Matthew 338 Kluck, Johanna 223 Knight, Tiffany 337 Knowles, Lacey 733 Knox, Eric 260 Ko, Chia-Wen 765 Kobayashi, Yasuhiro 712 Koehler, Samantha 282 Koenig, Daniel 541 Kolawole, Anu 919 Kollar, Leslie 546 Konstantinidis, Peter 472 Kooner, Taj P. 600 Koontz, Stephanie 424 Kopacek, Jiri 92

Kopp, Olga 700 Koptur, Suzanne 358, 411, 836 Koski, Matthew 795 Kosma, Dylan 683 Kostanecki, Adam 715 Kothari, Shan 690 Kovacs, Laszlo 84 Krakos, Kyra 432, 488, 492, 568, 804, 805, 807, 823, 834 Kramer, Andrea 406, 419 Kramer, Elena 501, 504, 505, 508, 517, 518 Kramer, Tim 468 Kriebel, Ricardo 114, 130, 131, 134, 137, 578, 889 Krieg, Christopher 698, 786, 787 Krings, Alexander 487 Krings, Michael 143, 618, 621, 622 Kriss , Tayler J 689 Kroessig, Timothy 340 Kron, Kathleen 126 Kron, Paul 554 Krosnick, Shawn 791, 820, 822 Krumm, Janice 471 Ku, Tim C. 697 Kubatko, Laura 855, 874 Kuchenreuther, Margaret A. 865 Kudoh, Hiroshi 885 Kukla, Mitchell 393 Kumar, Sachin 603 Kuminecz, Corey 393 Kuo, Li-Yaung 93, 765 Kurti, Amelda 557 Kuzmina, Maria 81, 241 Kwasniewski, Misha 84

L LaBrant, Evan W. 683 Lacroix, Christian R. 212 LaFrance, Rafe 178 Lagomarsino, Laura 170, 177 Lagunday, Noel 344 lahmeyer, sean 840 Lail, Lauren 540 Lam, Vivienne 653, 659 Lambert, Joshua 280 436

Lampley, Jayne 854 Lan, Qinying 695 Lan, Tianying 18 Landis, Jacob 308, 514, 541, 557, 579 Laport, Robert 590 Lara-Dominquez, Analaura 697 Larkin , Daniel J 420, 421 Larson, Drew 112, 646 Larsén, Eva 94 Last, Noah 890 Lawal, Oyewole 371 Lawhorn, Amber 557 Lawrence , Amelia H 326, 558 Lawson, Evelyn 766 Layton, Daniel 316 Le Maitre, Nicholas 115, 116 Lee, Byoung-Yoon 82 Lee, Daphne 629, 633 Lee, Joongku 742 Lee, William 156 Lee, Yoonkyung 870 Leebens-Mack, Jim 23, 27, 28, 309, 658, 659, 662, 750, 903 Legler, Ben 520 Lehman, Kristen 352, 887 Lehtonen, Samuli 760 Lemmon, Alan 137, 640, 917 Lemmon, Alan R. 131, 877 Lemmon, Emily 137, 640, 917 Lemmon, Emily Moriarty 131, 877 Lendemer, James 269 Lens, Frederic 60 Léveillé-Bourret, Étienne 849, 877 Leong, Wen Fung 511 Lerum, Taylor 195 Leslie, Andrew 71, 207 Leventhal, Laura 821 Levin, Donald 800 Levin, Rachel 596 Levy, Richard 528 Lewis, Deborah 525 Lewis, Gwilym 266 Lewis, Michelle 184, 902 Li, De-Zhu 14, 33, 781, 838 Li, Fay-Wei 93, 345, 508, 765, 771


Author Index Li, Jianhua 653, 917 Li, Mao 179 Li, Pan 264, 602, 742, 901 Li, Shujie 880 Li, Zheng 264, 329, 767 Liang, Yi-Shao 263 Liao, Wen-Bo 758 Lichman, Benjamin R. 295 Lichter Marck , Isaac H 926 Lim, Chae Eun 82 Lim, Junying 159 Lim-Hing, Simone 589 LIma, Danilo 659 Lin, Ta-Chun 93 Linan, Alexander 186, 737 Lindsley, Dale 123 Lingyun, Chen 32, 277 Link-Perez, Melanie 472 Linton, Debra 471, 476 Lipe, Kierstin 905 Liston, Aaron 171, 642, 653, 655, 907, 938 Litt, Amy 85, 128, 129, 557, 918 Little, Amanda 430, 482 Little, Damon 653 Liu, Hong 694 Liu, Jiajia 433 Liu, Juan 433 Liu, Li 334 Liu, Liang 640 Liu, Luxian 264, 742 Liu, Qingli 880 Liu, Shanshan 770 Liu, Sukuan 676 Liu, Xiang 545 Liu, Xiuqun 884 Livshultz, Tatyana 182, 311, 588 Lobato Afonso, Edgar A. 843 Lockhart, Peter 774 Lodberg Pedersen, Henriette 214, 220 Loeffler, Carol 350 Loefstrand, Stefan D. 892 Lohmann, Lucia 893 Loll, Jessica 230 Londo, Jason 84 Londono, Viviana 404 Londoño, Ximena 847 Looy, Cindy 72, 90, 624 Lopes , Juliana 751 Lopez, Sarah M. 451, 600

Lopez-Nieves, Samuel 22 Lopez-Portillo, Jorge 697 LoPresti, Eric 910 Lord, Janice 629, 633 Losada, Juan 207 Low, Caitlin 383 Lowery, Christoper 166 Lowry, Porter 160, 186 Lu, Jin-Mei 781, 838 Lu, Limin 884 Lu, Pei-Luen 263 Lu, Zefu 540 Lujan, Manuel 584, 867 Lunderman, Elizabeth 311 Lutes, Lauri 484 Luth, Jack 804 Lutz, Sue 883 Lynn, Austin 831 Lyons, Eric 299

M Ma, Hong 27, 31 Ma, Peng-Fei 14 Ma, Qin 84 Mabry, Makenzie 248, 364, 374, 551, 638 MacDonald, Brandon 445 MacDougal, John 175 Machado, Marco Antonio 751 Machkour M'Rabet, Salima 192 Madriñán, Santiago 274, 404, 881 Maeda, Hiroshi 22 Magallon, Susana 133 Mahdjoub, Mohamed Malik 137 Maheepala, Dinusha 85 Maher, Madeline 257, 526 Mai, Uyen 665 Main, Doreen 87 Maitner, Brian 306 Majetic, Cassie 797, 800, 809, 810 Majumdar, Chandrani G 548 Majure, Lucas 422, 641, 888 Makowski, Hanna 797 Makunga, Nokwanda 490 Malcomber, Simon 196, 197 Maldonado, Carla 489 Malik , Rondy J 825 437

Mallick, Dharmendra Kumar 368 Mallick, Haaniya 919 Malmberg, Russell 830, 833 Man, Jarrett 643 Manage Goodale, Uromi 339, 395, 694, 695 Manchester, Steven 113, 167, 168, 169, 617, 626, 632, 884 Mancini, Michelle 239 Mandel, Jennifer 302, 347, 361, 601, 657 Mander, Luke 210, 273 Mandáková, Terezie 885 Manos, Paul 487, 648 Mansano, Vidal 531 Mansfield, Donald H. 875 Mapes, Gene 653 Marchant, Daniel Blaine 304 Mardonovich, 379 Marhold, Karol 885, 915 Maricle, Brian 215, 385, 450, 689, 712 Maricle, Keri 215, 385, 479 Marquardt, Paula 681 Marques, Edward 366 Marshall, Christopher 472 Martin, Celia 61 Martin, Sara 554 Martine, Christopher 174, 468, 523, 534, 535, 730, 816, 897, 898, 946 Martinez Aguillon, Camila 628 Martinez-Gomez, Jesus 587, 794 Martinez-Habibe, Maria 886 Martini, Francesco 395 Martínez-Ambríz, Emmanuel 133 Martínez-Gordillo, Martha 133 Marx, Hannah 306 Mashwani, Zia-ur-Rehman 495 Mason, Chase 361, 530, 574, 589 Mason-Gamer, Roberta 667, 738 Massatti, Rob 733 Mast, Austin 238, 640


Mathews, Sarah 315, 653 Matsunaga, Kelly 73, 167, 168, 169 Mattingly, Kali 564 Mauro-Herrera, Margarita 510 Mavrodiev, Evgeny 295, 539, 751 Mayfield, Mark 921 Mazer, Susan 43, 747, 887 McAllister, Chrissy 179, 184, 316 McAlvay, Alex 365 McAssey, Edward 540 McCarthy, Elizabeth 557 McCarthy, Matthew 431 McCauley, Ross 477, 570, 732, 911 McCauley, Samuel 879 McCourt , Richard Matthew 287 McCulloh, Kate 698, 786, 787 McDade, Lucinda 584, 867, 923 McDaniel, James 844, 942, 945 McDaniel, Stuart 308, 546 McDermaid, Adam 84 McDonald, Katelyn 847 McDonnell, Angela 534, 535, 730, 816, 897, 898 McEwan, Ryan 393 McGlaughlin, Mitchell 335, 356, 549, 594 McGuire, Krista 456 McIntyre, Patrick 852 McKain, Michael 170, 179, 184, 316, 638, 664, 769, 902, 919 McLenachan, Trish 774 McLoughlin , Stephen 265 McMann, Natalie 707 McMurchie, Elizabeth 536 McNair , Mason C 750 McNiece, Elena 776 McPherson, Amy 198 McTavish, Emily Jane 670 McVay, John 648 Meaders, Claire 505 Medeiros, Juliana 125 medina, jesus 840 Medina, Nicolas 584

Meek, Haley 438 Mei, Wenbin 653 Meineke, Emily 44 Melcher, Peter 706 Melichárková, Andrea 915 Melton, Anthony 256, 423, 446 Melton, Caroline 302 Menges, Eric 424, 799, 815 Merg, Kurt 486 Meriwether, Megan 354, 609 Messick, Jenna 249 Metsger, Deborah 247 Metzgar, Jordan 251 Meyer, Elena 815 Meyer, Herbert 632 Meyer, Rachel 195, 832 Meyer, Susan 332, 343, 349, 405 Meyers, Blake 309 Michael, Todd 93 Michaels, Helen 437, 438, 439, 552 Micklewhite, Niamh 206 Midgley, Guy 401 Midgley, Meghan G. 420 Migicovsky, Zoë 84 Miller , John (Tony) 458 Miller, Allison 84, 100, 104, 109, 186, 605 Miller, Joe 647, 837 Miller, Joseph 196, 197 Miller, Matthew L. 462 Mims, Mitchell A. 451, 600 Min, Ya 501, 505 Minbiole, Kevin 182 Miotto, Silvia Teresinha Sfoggia 286, 933 Miranda, Brian 681 Mirarab, Siavash 665 Mishler, Brent 338, 352 Mitchell, Benjamin 919 Mitchell, Nora 563 Mitchell, Randall 788, 789, 793 Mitine, Christina 352 Mockler, Todd C. 907 Mocko, Kerri 691 Moeglein, Morgan 582 Moeller, David A 715 mohammad , maryam 684 Mohl, Jonathan 595 Mohn, Rebekah 32 438

Molano-Flores, Brenda 348, 396 Molina, Jeanmaire 891 Monaghan, Leann 925 MONFILS , ANNA K 471, 474, 476, 944 Montes Montiel, Rubén 74 Monteverde Suarez, María Jose 852, 913 Montgomery, Benjamin 465 Montgomery, Rebecca 690, 692, 704 Moody, Michael 595 Moore, Abigail 176, 183, 653, 925 Moore, Cheyenne 350, 534 Moore, Michael J. 33, 275, 276, 641, 713, 890, 910, 920, 946 Moore, Rich 327, 379, 606, 797 Morales-Briones, Diego 32, 850, 879, 947 Moran, Robbin C. 88, 89, 753, 756, 763 Morden, C. W. 778 Moreno Letelier, Alejandra 74 Moreno, Federico 628 Moreno, Mauro 566 Morgan, Eric 394, 459, 460 Morrison, Glen 128, 129, 918 Mort, Mark 181, 571 Mortimer, Sebastian 872 Mosher, Kennedy 692 Moss, Kimberly 209 Mota, Nara F.O. 531 Motta, Carina 887 Mowbray, Rachel 478 Mower, Jeff 769 Muchhala, Nathan 177 Mugivhisa, Liziwe 382, 392 Mugrabi de Kuppler, Ana 115 Mukai, Maya 675 Mukhtar, Fatimah 684 Mulder, Christa 696 Mulholland, Samantha 449 Muller, Clare 713 Munshi, Lamia 200 Munzinger , Jérôme 160, 265 Murphy, Brandon 749 Musselman, Lytton 97, 99, 604


Author Index Muñoz-Rodriguez, Pablo 896 Möller, Michael 871

N Naczi, Robert 9, 10, 12, 877 Nadkarni, Nalini 726 Nagalingum, Nathalie 65, 66, 69, 77, 653 Nagel, Anna 389 Nageswara-Rao, Madhugiri 677 Naibauer, Samanta 594 Naranjo, Andre 718 Naseer, Arooj 608 Natalie, Triester 786 Nauman, Travis 530 Naveed, Iqbal Raja 495 Nazaire, Mare 474 Ndem, Jackie 816 Neale, Jennifer 335 Negron-Ortiz, Vivian 357 Neill, David A. 871 Nelson, Gil 40, 402, 474 Nepal, Madhav 320, 321, 322, 462, 464, 481 Nesbitt, Mark 489 Neubauer, Anna 665 Neubig, Kurt 313, 422, 529, 899, 905, 906, 927 Neumann, Emma 919 Neupane, Surendra 320, 321, 322 Newcomb, Richard 156 Newton, Linsey 295 Ng, Julienne 590 Ng, Molly 75 Nguyễn, Thị Kim Thanh 849, 877 NIcolle, Dean 267 Nie, Zelong 884 Nielsen, Reina 708 Niki, Teruo 216 Niklas, Karl 153 Nilsen, Erik 124 Nisar, Mansha 219 Nixon, Kevin C 146, 152, 943 Noble, Hilary 61 Nunes, Cristina 142 Nusrat, Maha 411 Nwankwo, Dike Ikegwu 442 Nylinder , Stephan 265

Nürk, Nicolai 115

O O'Brien , Elizabeth [Libby] 258 O'Connell, Erin 699 O'Connor, Sarah E. 295 O'Meara, Brian 583, 586 O'Quinn, Robin 486, 889 Oakley, Christopher 597, 710 Obae, Samuel 746 Oberlander, Kenneth 401, 642, 672 Oberle, Brad 232, 485 Ochoterena, Helga 275, 276, 890, 910, 920 Odiwe, Anthony 380 Ogbimi, Ejeoghene 687 Ogundipe, Oluwatoyin 371, 620 Olaniyi Ezekiel, Ojo 199 Olanrewaju, Gbolaga 702 Olatunde, DO 202 Oleas, Nora 566 Oliphant, Simone 358 Oliveira, Guilherme 95 Oliveira, Luiz 843 Oliveira, Marcos 22 Oliver, E. G. H. 115 Olmstead, Richard 520, 637, 863, 869, 870, 893, 894 Olowoyo, Joshua 382, 392 Olsen, Kenneth 378 Olsen, Kenneth M. 377, 553 Olson, Mark 58, 582 Olsson, Sanna 308 Olszewski, Magdalena 225 Omoregie, Gloria 493 Omosowon , Sina Morufu 367 Onuminya, Temitope 371 Ortiz Martínez, Alfredo 74 Ortiz, Edgardo M. 119, 861 Orton, Lauren 651 Oskolski, Alexei 59 Ossip-Drahos, Alison 221 Ottenlips, Michael 875 Ottesen, Andrea 79 Otunola, Gloria 494 Ou, Shujun 303, 310, 330 Overson, Rick 596 Oviedo Prieto, Ramona 847, 439

859 Owens, Gregory 563

P Pabon Mora, Natalia 500 Pace , Marcelo Rodrigo 57 Padmanabhan, Neeraj 919 Paetzold, Claudia 157, 158, 908 Palacio, Sara 713 Palacio-López, Kattia 710 Palmer, Matthew 456 Pan, Aaron 56 Pan, Ching- Wen 745 Paniagua-Montoya, Monica 441 Parada, Beth 198 Paradiso, Lydia 259 Parchman, Thomas 560, 900 Park, Brian 582, 876 Park, Isaac 43 Park, Suhyeon 82 Parker, Thomas 129, 918 Parker, V. T. 128 Parks, Matthew 318, 653, 665 Parrish, Olivia 598 Parrott, Joan 618 Parrott, Wayne 540 Pasiche-Lisboa, Carlos J. 400 Pasquet, Remy 316 Patel, Cheril 813 Patel, Nikisha 757, 761, 779, 839 Paton, Alan 870 Patwardhan, Rupali 123 Paul, Wilkin 367 Paulina, Matias 229 Paun, Ovidiu 727 Pavlovič , Andrej 16 Pawinski, Karl 932 Payton, Adam 308, 718 peace, Nnadi, Chigere 701 Pearl , Carson Howard 435 Pearse, Ian 530 Pearson, John 525 Pearson, Katelin 45 Pease, James 947 Peeples, Keona 600 Peery, Rhiannon 653 Peláez, Pablo 74 Pence, Valerie 359 Pender, Jocelyn 272


Peng, Hua 132 Penmetsa, R. Varma 366 Pepper, Alan 300, 599 Perez, Timothy 693 Perkins, Andy 729 Persinger, Jessica 565, 734 Persson, Claes 489 Pesch, Jared 749 Peschel, Anna 448 Peter, Eremrena, Ovie 686, 701 Peter, Szovenyi 665 Peters, Madeline 821 Petersen, Gitte 890 Peterson, Kelsey 108 Peña, Paola 566 Peñafiel Cevallos, Marcia 133 Pflugfelder, Ehren 472 Pham, Diem-Trang 302 Phan, Vinthuy 302 Phillips, George 634 Phillips, Molly 471, 474, 476 Pickering, Helen 473 Pienaar, Jason 184, 316 Piercey-Normore, Michele D. 400 Pigg, Kathleen 147 Pinangé , Diego S. B. 95 Pinson, Jerald 626, 782 Piotter, Emelyn 831 Pipas, James 457 Pipo, M Laura 623, 625 Pires, Joseph Chris 21, 248, 299, 364, 365, 374, 435, 551, 638, 645, 659, 827, 856 Pirie, Michael D. 115 Pirie, Mike 116 Pischl, Phyllis 346, 674 Pittenger, Madison 385 Pizza, Riley 351 Podadera, Diego 60 Pokorny, Lisa 29 Poore, Colton 635 Popecki, Margot 903 Poplawski, Shane 93 Porcher, Emmanuelle 788, 789, 793 Portlas, Zoe 427 Poston, Muriel 196, 197 Potter, Barney 297 Potter, Benjamin 110, 117, 122, 155, 156, 160 Potter, Daniel 315

Poulos, Helen 678, 679, 697 Povilus, Rebecca 507 Powell, Adrian 880 Pradhan, Namrata 339 Prado, Jefferson 753 Prather , Nathanael Philip 537 Preston, Jill 555, 706 Pretz, Chelsea 811, 924, 942, 945 Prigge, Michael 512 Primack, Richard 692 Prior, Lynda 76 Prochazka, Jolene 722 Pryer, Kathleen M. 753, 759, 771, 772, 776 Przybylski, Jason 34 Puente-Lelievre, Caroline 78, 80, 110, 117, 122 Puppo, Pamela 591 Puzey, Joshua 270, 326, 556, 558, 744, 801

Q Qi, Xinshuai 305, 365, 645 Qi, Zhechen 264 Qingfeng, Wang 277 Qiu, Ruolan 123 Qiu, Yingxiong 264 Quick-Cole, Emily 784 Quick-Singh, Rishika 704 Quiett, Kyle 360 Quigley, Charlotte 725 Quispe, Naomi 712

R Radosavljevic, Aleksandar 258 Radwan, Mohamed 548 Ragsac, Audrey 893, 894 Ragsdale, Aaron 365 Raguso, Robert 596, 830 Rahbek, Carsten 278 Rahul, Jitin 244 Rai, Hardeep 653 Raimi , Idris 380 Rajaraman, Sitaram 18 Rajewski, Alex 85 Ramachandran, Padmini 79 Ramage, Elizabeth W 123 Ramirez, He-Lo 444 Ramirez, Pamela 341 440

Ramsey, Adam 302 Ranathunge, Chathurani 729 Randle, Christopher 604 Randolph, Katie 203, 228 Ranjbaran, Ali 314 Ranker, T. A. 778 Rasmussen, Megan 460 Raubeson, Linda 653 Ravelo, Andrea 827 Ravetta, Damian 107 Ray, Dustin 201 Raymond, Anne 140 Razafimandimbison, Sylvain G. 892 Reardon, Chris 329 Reduron, Jean-Pierre 59 Reichelt, Niklas 908 Reichelt, Rory 389 Reicholf, Rebecca 443, 711 Renner, Tanya 9, 10, 18 Reyes Betancort, Alfredo 59 Reznicek, Anton 780 Riccardi, Greg 238 Richards, Lora 560 Richardson, James 274 Richardson, Lea 384 Ricono, Angela 801 Rieseberg, Loren 198, 563 Riibe, Lindsey 783 Ringelberg, Jens 266 Ritter, Matt 267 Rivas, Roslyn 236 Roalson, Eric 272, 296, 652, 673 Roberts, Roland 196, 197 Roberts, Wade 296, 673 Robertson, Marisa M. 375 Robison, Tanner 769 Rocha, Oscar 379 Rodriguez, Rosa 417 Rodriguez-Lopez, Carlos 295 Rogers, Willie 833 Rominger, Kody 332, 343, 349 Roomina, Mazhar 824 Roosa, Dean 525 Rosburg, Thomas 399, 428, 525 Rose, Jeff 111, 114, 578, 862 Rose, Philip 928 Rose-Person, Annika 799 Rosenstiel, Todd 546 Roskow , Yury 104


Author Index Ross, Gregory 653 Rossetto, Gabriella 631 Rothendler, Matthew 692 Rothfels, Carl 174, 576, 669, 772 Rothfels, Carl J. 96, 255, 753, 754 Rothwell, Gar 144, 154, 614, 653 Rouf, Reyaz 366 Rouhan, Germinal 753 Rousseau-Gueutin, Mathieu 312 Rowe, Carol 774, 778 Roy, Shovonlal 92 Roy, Tilottama 868, 922 Ruane, Lauren 226, 743 Ruben, Bella 178 Rubin, Matthew 101 Ruhsam, Markus 653 Ruiz Vargas, Natalia 279 Rushworth, Catherine 174 Russell, Stephen 529 Ryan, Deirdre 34, 35 Ryan, Gillian 226, 227 Ryberg, Patricia E. 141, 611, 653 Rydin, Catarina 94, 580, 892 Rößler, Ronny 143 Rønsted, Nina 214, 220, 489, 577

S Saarela, Jeffery 659 Saavedra, Natalie 128, 129, 918 Saba, Malka 826 Saeidi, Saman 184, 316 Sah, Jay 836 Saheed, Sefiu Adekilekun 202 Saito, Susumu 216 Sakaguchi, Shota 76 Sakai, Ann 196, 197 Sakpere, Ayobola 496, 687 Salas, Andrea 411, 836 Salazar, Gerardo 133 Salolog, Mary Cor 344 Samant, Bandana 167, 169 Sanbonmatsu , Katie K 675 Sandacz, Daniel 447 Sanders, Andrew 129, 918 Sanders, Nate 44

Sankoff, David 18 Santos, Patricia 683 Santos-Goncalves, Ana Paula 843 Sarkinen, Tiina 894 Sass, Chodon 659 Saunders, Madisen 822 Saunders, Richard 860 Saunders, Theresa 853 Savage, Jessica 692, 699, 704, 707 Schaal, Barbara 509 Schafran, Peter 97, 98, 99 Scharenbroch, Bryant C. 420 Scharmann, Mathias 20 Schatz, George 186 Schaub, Eileen 696 Scheffler, Brian E. 87 Scheffler, Jodi 87 Schenk, H. Jochen 62 Schenk, John 328, 478, 661, 806 Scherson, Rosa 341 Schilling, Martin 774 Schlautman , Brandon 104 Schlichting, Carl 429 Schlutius, Caroline 876 Schmickl, Roswitha 642, 672 Schmitz, Hailey 223 Schmitz, Robert 540 Schmolly, Katharina 934 Schmutz, Jeremy 299 Schneeweiss, Hanna 642 Schneider, Adam 291, 857, 926 Schneider, Edward 121 Schori, Melanie 376, 521 Schranz, M. Eric 638 Schreiber, Matt 584 Schuette, Scott 523, 534 Schuettpelz, Eric 753, 769, 772 Schulte, Paul 203, 228 Schultz, Bettina 343, 349 Schumacher, Emily 356 Schurr, Paige 809, 810 Schuster, Stephan 18 Schwabe, Anna 335, 549 Schwarz, Arthur 679, 680 Schwarzbach, Andrea 653 Schweitzer, Sarah 320 Schwoch, Jaime 736 Scotland, Robert 896 441

Seed, Evan 247 Seger, Jon 726 Seglias, Alexandra 406, 419 Seltmann, Katja 887 Semski, Wendy 788, 789, 793 Sengupta, Aniket 499, 515 Senski, Rebecca 410, 453 Serbet, Rudolph 141, 611, 612, 630 Sessa, Emily 304, 575, 626, 698, 755, 777, 782, 783, 786, 787 Setubal, Robberson 891 Shah, Ali 253 Shah, Jyoti 828 Shan, Shengchen 539 Shannon, Olivia 488 Sharber, Wyatt 864 Sharma, Meenakshi 569, 835 Sharpe , Samantha Lipson 598 Sharples, Mathew 120, 261 Shaw, Ruth 448, 747 Shelef, Oren 560 Shella, Sameh M. 600 Shendure, Jay 123 Shepherd, Lara 754, 774 Sherman-Broyles, Sue 880 Shi, Gongle 67 Shimansky, Tierney 256 Shimu, Tahsina 192 Shipunov, Alexey 934, 936 Shrestha, Vivek 24 Shults, Keegan 899 Sianta, Shelley 403 Sidoti, Brian 232, 485 Sigel, Erin 307 Sikiru, Dauda K 380 Silveira , Fernanda Schmidt 286, 933 Simard, Suzanne 383 Simison, W. Brian 121 Simoes, André 311, 489 Simpson, Andrew 407 Simpson, Beryl 119, 861 Simpson, Michael 858, 931 Singh, Vibhuti 515, 603 Singha, Neelima 3 Siniscalchi, Carolina 657 Sinn, Brandon 280, 314, 353, 840 Sirimalwatta, V.N.S. 778 Siritunga, Dimuth 246


Skates, Laura 17 Skema, Cynthia 191, 239, 245 Skog, Judith 196, 197 Skogen , Krissa Ann 596, 792, 948 Smets, Erik 60 Smith, Alan R. 753 Smith, Chelsea 182 Smith, Chelsea R. 588 Smith, Daryl 525 Smith, Gregory 558 Smith, James 875 Smith, MacKenzie 113 Smith, Melinda 426 Smith, Ronald 558 Smith, Selena 73, 75, 167, 168, 169 Smith, Stacey D. 21, 198, 573, 676, 811, 924 Smith, Stacy 799, 815 Smith, Stephen 22, 33, 112, 639, 641, 649, 947 Smith, Tyler 554, 829 Snapp, Sieglinde 106 Snow, Neil 532, 916 Soltis, Douglas 27, 28, 33, 132, 178, 181, 256, 293, 294, 295, 301, 304, 317, 363, 422, 423, 446, 469, 470, 538, 539, 571, 662, 671, 718, 742, 751, 851, 935 Soltis, Pamela  S. 27, 30, 33, 40, 132, 178, 180, 181, 256, 293, 294, 295, 301, 304, 317, 363 422, 423, 446, 469, 470, 530, 538, 539, 571, 662, 671, 718, 751, 935, 937 Song, Michael 297, 669 Sonnier, Gregory 578 Sonon, Virgille 540 Sork, Victoria 444, 445, 832 Sosa, Karla 769 Soto Gomez, Marybel 659, 660 Soza , Valerie Lynn 110, 117, 123 Spalik, Krzysztof 59 Spalink, Daniel 272, 289, 578, 659, 675, 877 Spamer, Earle E. 287 Sparks, Kenneth W 16

Spear, Marissa M. 325 Specht, Chelsea 576, 587, 659 Spicer, Rachel 61 Spiegeler, McKayla 218 Spoelhof, Jonathan 538 Spriggs, Elizabeth 876 Spurgeon, Alexandra 804, 834 Srivastava, Rashmi 167, 168 Stacy, Elizabeth 235 Stanfield, RC 203, 228 Stanley, Amber 440 Starr, Julian 272, 849, 877 Starzak, Nikolai 533 Stearns, James 634 Stefanovic, Sasa 118, 290, 291, 543, 562 Steger, Laura 409 Steinke, Dirk 241 Stenøien, Hans K. 271 Stephens, Jessica 457, 463, 830, 833 Steven, Janet 784 Stevens, Jason 17 Stevens, Kevin 449 Stevens, Michael T. 405 Stevens, Peter 217, 929 Stevenson, Dennis 149, 653, 659, 762 Stiles, Elena 165 Stockey, Ruth 144, 154, 614, 653 Stoffel, Kevin 289 Stone, Benjamin 567 Stone, Heather 584 Stoughton, Thomas 128, 252, 889, 918 Straub, Shannon 182, 311, 312, 588, 655, 938 Strickler, Susan 880 Stromberg, Caroline 627 Strother, Paul 610 Struwe, Lena 237, 475, 491, 802, 891 Stubbs, Rebecca 181, 571, 851 Stucky, Brian 42 Stull, Gregory 646 Stults, Debra 619 Stumbo, Joseph 568 Stunz, Elizabeth 595 Sturges, Lucia 806 442

Su, Yingjuan 334, 770 Suda, Jan 642, 930 Suinyuy, Terence 796 Suissa, Jacob 98 Sullivan, Lauren 427 Sundberg, Marshall 285 Sundue, Michael A. 753, 761, 764 Super, Laura 383 Sutherland, Brittany 329 Sweeney, Patrick 41, 876 Swenson, Ulf 265 Swift, Joel 737, 815 Swindell, Emily 570 Sytsma, Kenneth J. 111, 114, 130, 131, 134, 137, 272, 578, 862, 865, 877 Szubryt, Marisa 927

T Tabb, Stacey 570 Taiwo Ayomipo, AdeneganAlakinde 199 Takahashi, Masamichi 67 Takano, Atsuko 132 Tan, Yunhong 695, 860 Tang, Jim 595 Tank, David 794, 850, 872, 879, 895 Tasca, Julia 182 Tate, Emily 386 Taylor, Charlotte 489 Taylor, David 817, 818 Taylor, Edith L. 141, 143, 611, 612, 630 Taylor, Mackenzie 198, 798, 808, 946 Taylor, W Carl 97, 98, 99 Taylor, Wilson 610 Teisher, Jordan 182, 287, 509, 588, 664 Telewski, Frank 681 Temme, Andries 714 Teo, Nakov 585 Tepe, Eric 359, 900 Teresa Saenz Robles, Maria 457 Testo, Weston 575, 755, 764, 777 Thacker, J. Heath 791 Thapa, Ramhari 601, 657 Theisen, Michael 489


Author Index Theresa, Hill 289 Thiebaut, Gabrielle 387 Thiers, Barbara 35, 236 Thomas, Daniel 860 Thompson, Coleen 855 Thompson, James 530 Thompson, Pamela 461, 565, 734 Thomson, John 774 Thorhaug, Anitra 678, 679, 680, 697 Thornhill, Andrew 338, 352 Thornton, Carolyn 632 Thulin, Mats 890 Thureborn, Olle 580 Tian, Eddie 926 Tiernan, Nichole M. 859 Tiley, George 329 Timme, Ruth 79 Timoneda, Alfonso 22 Timothy, Barraclough 367 Tippery, Nicholas 749, 932 Tobar, Francisco 133 Tobi, Chuks 288 Tomescu, Alexandru M.F. 138, 144, 151 Tomlinson, P. 206 Topp, Christopher 377 Torres, Alba 404 Torres, Maria Fernanda 881 Townesmith, Andrew 104 Traiperm, Paweena 316 Tran, Vivian 714 Trapnell, Dorset 725, 788, 789, 793 Treanor, Matt 252 Treiber, Erin 881 Tribble, Carrie 255, 576 Triester, Natalie 787 Tripp, Erin 120, 261, 269, 584 Trostle, Alex 329 Trovó, Marcelo 531 Trucchi, Emiliano 727 TrávnÃ­Ä ek, Pavel 930 Tsai, Kyne 383 Tuan, Elizabeth 795 Tuominen , L.K. 711, 948 Tuomistro, Hanna 760 Turner, Sarah 364 Twanabasu, Bishnu 354, 609 Twayana , Moon 828 Twyford, Alex 663

Tyrrell, Christopher 847

U Uckele, Kathryn 560, 900 Umali, Johann 746 Ungerer, Mark 650 Uniyal, Prem Lal 603 Upchurch, Garland 618, 624 Urbatsch, Lowell 927 Uribe-Convers, Simon 177 Ushimaru, Atushi 412 Utley, Delecia 803

V Vadez, Vincent 366 Vaillancourt, Brieanne 295 Valdes, Imena 411, 414 Valencia, Janice 313, 905 Van Ee , Benjamin 187, 246 Van Etten , Megan 416, 593 Van Tassel , David 104 Van Tassel, David 107, 108 van Vuuren, Bettine 724 VanBuren, Robert 556 VanVolkenburg, Heather 381 Varela, Nancy 622 Vargas, Oscar M 262, 646 Vasco, Alejandra 88, 763 Vasseur, Liette 381 Vatanparast, Mohammad 666 Velasco, Pablo 365, 435 Verhoeven, Amy 690 Verstraete, Brecht 577 Viana, Pedro 531, 843 Viccini, Lyderson 282, 751 Vidal, João 282 Vilela, Alejandra 107 Villalobos , Adriana Lopez 721 Villaverde Hidalgo, Tamara 858 Villavicencio, Wendy 411 Viruel, Juan 660 Visger, Clayton 301 Vitt, Pati 337 Vo, An 871 Volain, Naomi 194 von Wettberg, Eric J 366 Vorontsova, Maria 104 443

Vossler, Harley 379 Vrba, Jaroslav 92 Vu, Amanda 785 Vũ, Anh Tài 849, 877

W Waalkes, Adam 123 Waananen, Amy 452 Wade, Andrew 92 Wagenius, Stuart 102, 384, 452 Wagner, Warren 155, 157, 158, 159, 652 Wahrenburg, Zach 683 Waight, Emiko 855 Walazek, Kayla 904 Walker, Hayley 354, 609 Walker, Jay 137 Walker, Joan L. 748 Walker, Joseph 112, 639, 641, 646, 649 Walker, Kim 489 Walker-Hale, Nathanael 646 Wallace, Lisa 333, 717, 842 Waller, Donald M. 578 Waller, Manuel 665 Walsh, Seana 342 Walter, Lauren 311 Walters, Eric 604 Walters, Linda 728 Wang , Zhen 334, 770 Wang, Chun-Neng 93, 765 Wang, Ning 641, 947 Wang, Ran 690 Wang, Shenyi 901 Wang, Song 829 Wang, Ting 334, 770 Wang, Xiaoyin 339, 694 Wang, Xin 572 Wang, Yuewen 742 Wang, Zhiheng 278 Warsame, Mohamud Ahmed 473 Waselkov, Katherine 466 Washburn, Jacob 638, 856 Wasoff, Donald 423 Wason, Jay 63, 222 Watanabe, Maurício T.C. 531 Waterland, Nicole 425 Waterway, Marcia 272


Watkins, James E. 88, 766 Watson, Linda E 657 Watson, Ray 362 Wayne, Robert 832 Weakley, Alan 487 Webster, Rebecca 319 Wedger, Marshall 377 Weeks, Andrea 196, 197, 536, 949 Weiblen, George 2, 547, 548, 881 Weiner, Catherine 562 Weinig, Cynthia 511 Weis, Arthur 747, 821 Weitemeier, Kevin A. 655 Welch, Mark 729 Welch, Stephen 511 Welker, Cassiano 316 Wen, Jun 79, 83, 654, 781, 838, 883, 884, 908 Wendel, Jonathan 193 Wendland, Amy 477 Wendy, Semski 421 Wenger , Jonathan P 547, 548 Wenzell, Katherine 792 Wessinger, Carolyn 516, 731 Westergaard, Kristine Bakke 271 Westerhaus, Kathryn 712 Wettewa, Eranga 842 Whalen, Jack 795 Whaley, Shelby 823 Wheeler, Elisabeth 54, 55, 167 Wheeler, Elizabeth 52 Wheeler, Gregory 729 White, Dawson 667, 738 White, Elizabeth 232 White, Lisa 476 White, P. Troy 462 Whitehurst, Lauren 240 Whitley, Breanna 906 Whitlock, Barbara 864 Whitney, Kenneth 418, 563 Whitten, William 313, 422, 905 Wickett, Norman 29, 318, 596, 656, 662, 665 Widhalm, Joshua 25, 324 Widmer, Alex 20, 271 Widrlechner, Mark 525 Wiegert-Rininger, Krystle

295 Wiemann, Michael 56 Wiggins, Raegan 328 Wike, Sarah 925 Wikstrรถm, Niklas 580 Wilden, Ana 798 Wilf, Peter 148, 162, 163, 164, 165, 631 Wilkin, Paul 660 Wilkins, Alyson E. 630 Wilkinson Lamb, Sara 524 Willats, William 214, 220 Williams, Brigette 605 Williams, Doressa 226 Williams, Evelyn 420, 421 Williams, Tanisha 429 Willis, Madeline 299 Wilson, Carol 668 Wilson, Rachel 552 Windham, Michael 174, 345, 753, 759, 772, 775, 776 Wing, Rod A. 317 Wisecaver, Jennifer 26, 324 Wisely, Eldridge 306 Wisnicki, Adrian 38 Wolf, Paul 304, 769, 774, 778 Wolfe, Andi 8, 417, 567, 855, 874 Wolfe, Thomas 727 Wolkis, Dustin 342 Wood, Kenneth R. 157, 158, 778 Woodin, Carol 49 Worley, Anne 415 Wright, Chelsea 352 Wright, Gabrielle 397 Wright, Jessica 444, 445, 832 Wright, Sara J. 553 Wu, Cheng-Chiang 508 Wu, Tai-Chung 93 Wyatt, Sarah 150

X Xi, Zhenxiang 640 Xia, Shangwen 395 Xiang, Chun-Lei 851 Xiang, Chunlei 132, 135 Xiang, Jenny 545, 644, 654

444

Xie, Deyu 545 Xie, Xinglv 602 Xu, Ke-Wang 758 Xu, Yuan 83 Xue, Bine 860

Y Yamamoto, Cindy 340 Yamamoto, Moeka 919 Yan, Yujing 278 Yang, Bing 539 Yang, Jun-Bo 14 Yang, Mei 339, 694 Yang, Ya 22, 32, 641, 947 Yang, Yong 653 Yant, Levi 315 Yao, Gang 33 Ye, Tong 383 Yen, Yang 322 Yi, Ting-Shuang 33 Yim, Won Cheol 683 yobi , Abou 24 York, Dakota 481 Yost, Jenn 40, 41, 267, 402 Young Pryer, Samantha 532 Yu, Jing 87 Yu, Wen-Bin 14 Yue, Jonathan 871

Z Zaborsky, John 578 Zakharov, Evgeny 81, 241 Zalamea, Paul 881 Zapata, Felipe 173, 739


Author Index Zapata, Montana 354 Zappi, Daniela C. 531 Zaya, David 348, 396 Zeisek, Vojtěch 642, 672, 930 Zeldin, Jacob 421 Zeller , Zachary Conrad 786 Zemp, Niklaus 271 Zengin, Derya 411 Zenil-Ferguson, Rosana 939 Zenzen, Ashley 775 Zerega, Nyree 656 Zhang, Jingbo 217, 233, 502, 503, 504, 506, 517, 518, 929 Zhang, Liang 760 Zhang, Libing 754, 758, 760, 781, 838 Zhang, Ning 79, 80, 83, 884 Zhang, Wenheng 217, 233, 502, 503, 504, 506, 517, 518, 929 Zhang, xin 211 Zhang, Xin 754 Zhang, Yonghua 602 Zhang, Zhixiang 211 Zhao, Dongyan 295 Zhao, Yunpeng 917 Zhao, Zhong 211 Zheng, Chunfang 18 Zheng, Wei 83 Zheng, Xingyu 744 Zhou, Ruanbao 320 Zhou, Wenbin 654 Zhou, Xin-Mao 754

Zhuang, Yongbin 584 Ziegler, Greg 364 Zieminska, Kasia 64 Zimmer, Elizabeth 83, 97, 98, 99, 159 Zizka, Alex 489 Zlonis, Katharine 723 Znachor, Petr 92 Zomlefer, Wendy 659 Zorzatto, Cristiane 751 Zozomová-Lihová, Judita 885, 915 Zudock, Kristina 316 Zuluaga-Trochez, Alejandro 659 Zumajo, Cecilia 500 Zumwalde, Bethany 732 Zweck, Justin 566 Záveská, Eliška 642

Å Ålenker, Marek 885, 915 Åpaniel, Stanislav 915

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