A new species of Saussurea (Asteraceae) from Tibet and its systematic position based on ITS sequence analysis |
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Authors: | YU-JIN WANG JIN-TANG PAN SHANG-WU LIU JIAN-QUAN LIU |
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Affiliation: | Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Biological Evolution and Adaptation Laboratory, Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, Qinghai, China |
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Abstract: | A new species of Saussurea , S. erecta S. W. Liu, J. T. Pan & J. Q. Liu sp. nov. , is described from Tibet. It resembles S. kingii but may be distinguished by having distinct stems and glabrous achenes. Saussurea kingii was placed in sect. Pseudoeriocoryne of subgen. Eriocoryne ; this section was circumscribed by acaulescence and an inflorescence with congested capitula surrounded by a rosette of leaves. The discovery of S. erecta with distinct stems, cauline leaves and corymbose capitula blurred the delimitation of sect. Pseudoeriocoryne and suggested that the section may be polyphyletic. Both the close relationship and the significant difference between S. erecta and S. kingii were confirmed by analyses of nrDNA ITS sequences. The resulting phylogenies based on ITS data further suggest that Saussurea sect. Pseudoeriocoryne , as traditionally defined, does not constitute a monophyletic group. The rapid radiation and speciation of Saussurea in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, as inferred from ITS phylogeny, are discussed. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 147 , 349–356. |
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Keywords: | adaptation convergent evolution radiation |
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