6533b85cfe1ef96bd12bd59b

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The genus Ruppia L. (Ruppiaceae) in the Mediterranean region: An overview

Margarita MenéndezAnna Maria ManninoBiel ObradorAdriano SfrisoLudwig Triest

subject

Settore BIO/07 - EcologiaMediterranean climateRuppiaAquatic angiospermsBrackish waterEcologySettore BIO/02 - Botanica SistematicaOverviewShallow watersPlant ScienceAquatic ScienceBiologybiology.organism_classificationRuppiaHabitatGenusAquatic plantRuppia cirrhosaBotanyAquatic angiosperms Ruppia Shallow waters Mediterranean region Overview.Mediterranean regionAquatic angiosperms Ruppia Shallow waters Mediterranean region OverviewRuppia maritima

description

Abstract This paper reviews the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution and ecology of the genus Ruppia L. in the Mediterranean region. The genus Ruppia, a cosmopolitan aquatic plant complex, is generally restricted to shallow waters such as coastal lagoons and brackish habitats characterized by fine sediments and high salinity fluctuations. In these habitats Ruppia meadows play an important structural and functional role. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of 16 haplotypes in the Mediterranean region, one corresponding to Ruppia maritima L., and the others to various morphological forms of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande, all together referred to as the “R. cirrhosa s.l. complex”, which also includes Ruppia drepanensis Tineo. Populations of hybrid origin between R. maritima and R. cirrhosa and polyploidy have been detected.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2015-07-01Aquatic Botany
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2015.02.005