A new gypsophilous species ofChaenorhinum(Antirrhinaceae) from the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula

A new strict gypsophilous species of Chaenorhinum, Ch. gamezii, is described. It is an annual to perennial species found in extremely arid locations upon Triassic gypsic habitats in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. This species has an eglandular heterotrichous indumentum, which is related to Ch. segoviense and Ch. flexuosum. However, Ch. gamezii has a characteristic combination of vegetative and micromorphological features (trichomes and ornamentation of the seeds) that are not present in any other taxon of the genus. Herein, the affinities and differences with related species are studied and discussed. For its differentiation, an original key is presented with comparative figures of in…

Can the problem of hybridization in threatened species be evaluated using a fieldwork research? A case study in snapdragons

Abstract Hybridization, natural or artificial, is considered disadvantageous for species biodiversity when it threatens the population integrity of endangered species. Frequently, studies investigating whether hybridization poses a legitimate risk to rare species are based on genetic data obtained in molecular biology laboratories. In this study, we used field research to approach the problem that hybridization could cause for the viability of a population of a rare species and to be able to propose the most appropriate initial conservation strategy. Specifically, using the model genus Antirrhinum, the reproductive barriers between the rare A. pulverulentum and its common congener A. litigi…

Anarrhinum laxiflorum Boiss. (Scrophulariaceae), una nueva especie para la flora valenciana

Pollination biology in an endangered rocky mountain toadflax (Linaria cavanillesii)

Knowledge about the reproductive system of species inhabiting rocky habitats is scarce. The reproductive biology (floral biology, experimental pollination, insect visits, inbreeding depression, and seed predation) of the rupicolous Linaria cavanillesii was analyzed under field and experimental conditions. Self-compatibility was revealed by the high fruit set, seed set, and seed mass in the pollination experiment. Furthermore, results disclose that this species does not need insect visitors for seed production since fruit set after autonomous self-pollination was similar to that by hand cross-pollination. Self-offsprings were not affected by a strong degree of inbreeding depression in early …

A geographical pattern ofAntirrhinum(Scrophulariaceae) speciation since the Pliocene based on plastid and nuclear DNA polymorphisms

Aim To infer phylogenetic relationships among Antirrhinum species and to reconstruct the historical distribution of observed sequence polymorphism through estimates of haplotype clades and lineage divergence. Location Antirrhinum is distributed primarily throughout the western Mediterranean, with 22 of 25 species in the Iberian Peninsula. Methods Plastid (83 trnS-trnG and 83 trnK-matK) and nuclear (87 ITS) sequences were obtained from 96 individuals representing 24 of the 25 Antirrhinum species. Sequences were analysed using maximum parsimony, Bayesian inference and statistical parsimony networking. Molecular clock estimates were obtained for plastid trnK-matK sequences using the penalized …

The effectiveness of pre- and post-zygotic barriers in avoiding hybridization between two snapdragons (Antirrhinum L.: Plantaginaceae)

Reproductive barriers play an important role in the maintenance of species boundaries. However, to date, few studies have provided a detailed analysis of reproductive isolation barriers between species or examined their importance in maintaining species identity. This is the first detailed study into pre- and post-zygotic reproductive isolation barriers in Antirrhinum, based on a mixed population with two species that rarely co-occur. The study revealed that pollinator constancy and preference and poor hybrid seed viability were the most important reproductive isolating mechanisms. Reproductive isolation was practically complete by both pre- and post-zygotic barriers. Average pre-zygotic is…

Salt drying: a low-cost, simple and efficient method for storing plants in the field and preserving biological repositories for DNA diversity research.

Although a variety of methods have been optimized for the collection and storage of plant specimens, most of these are not suited for field expeditions for a variety of logistic reasons. Drying specimens with silica gel in polyethylene bags is currently the standard for field-sampling methods that are suitable for subsequent DNA extraction. However, silica-gel repositories are not readily available in remote areas, and its use is not very cost-effective for the long-term storage of collections or in developing countries with limited research budgets. Salting is an ancient and traditional drying process that preserves food samples by dehydrating tissues and inhibiting water-dependent cellula…

Phylogeny, biogeography, and morphological ancestral character reconstruction in the Mediterranean genus Fumana (Cistaceae)

Fumana is a diverse genus of the Cistaceae family, consisting of 21 currently accepted species. In this study, nuclear (ITS) and plastid (matK, trnT‐L) molecular markers were used to reconstruct the phylogeny and to estimate divergence times, including 19 species of Fumana. Phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian Inference, Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood) confirmed the monophyly of Fumana and did not support the infrageneric divisions previously established. The results support four main clades that group species that differ in vegetative and reproductive characters. Given the impossibility to define morphological characters common to all species within the clades, our proposal is to reje…

Reproductive biology and conservation implications of three endangered snapdragon species (Antirrhinum, Plantaginaceae)

About 32% of Antirrhinum species are considered to be endangered; however, no field studies have focused on their reproductive biology. In this work, several aspects of the reproductive biology (flowering phenology, floral biology, breeding system) and potential limits on seed quantity and quality (pollen limitation, inbreeding depression) were studied in natural populations of three endangered species of the genus (Antirrhinum charidemi, Antirrhinum subbaeticum, Antirrhinum valentinum). Results disclose that all three species need insect visitors for seed production since fruit set after autonomous self-pollination was lower than under hand cross-pollination. A. charidemi and A. valentinum…

Nectar robbing does not affect female reproductive success of an endangered Antirrhinum species, Plantaginaceae

ABSTRACTBackground: Nectar robbers in many plant species affect female reproductive success, usually decreasing the amount of seed produced by plants, which can affect populations persistence.Aims:...

Contribución al conocimiento de las poblaciones septentrionales de Atropa baetica Willk. (Solanaceae) en la Península Ibérica [Contribution to the knowledge of the northern populations of Atropa baetica (Solanaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula]

Se revisa el conocimiento histórico de Atropa baetica (Solanaceae) en Castilla-La Mancha y las actuaciones realizadas hasta la fecha para garantizar su conservación en este territorio. También se aporta información actualizada sobre su distribución en el norte de la Península Ibérica, concretamente en la Serranía de Cuenca, Alto Tajo y Els Ports (provincias de Cuenca, Guadalajara y Tarragona, respectivavamente), donde se han localizado nuevas poblaciones en los últimos años. Se confirma la presencia de la especie en 7 cuadrículas UTM de 10 km de lado y en 16 cuadrículas de 1 km de lado. Se ofrece informa-ción sobre su ecología en las localidades castellano-manchegas, así como de los factore…

Nectar robbing does not affect female reproductive success of an endangered Antirrhinum species, Plantaginaceae

Background: Nectar robbers in many plant species affect female reproductive success, usually decreasing the amount of seed produced by plants, which can affect populations persistence. Aims: To evaluate the impact of nectar robbers on the viability of the populations, we investigated the effects of nectar robbing on the female reproductive success of a threatened snapdragon species in four populations over 2 years. Methods: We observed insect visitors and their behaviour and quantified the percentage of robbed and non-robbed flowers and the production of fruits and seeds. Results: The results showed the degree of variation in nectar robbing among the populations and between years within the…