Molecular phylogeny of Galanthus (Amaryllidaceae) of Anatolia inferred from multiple nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions

Abstract

Anatolia hosts 14 of the 22 taxa of genus Galanthus L. The phylogenetic relationships of Galanthus species were explored using DNA sequence data from both nuclear and chloroplast DNA of 70 specimens covering all subdivisions of Galanthus present in Turkey. Our data showed that species of the same geography clustered together phylogenetically, in contrast to the presently recognized taxonomy based on morphological characters. The 5.8S rRNA sequence data by itself is sufficiently informative for constructing phylogenetic trees. Our data confirm the identity of Galanthus koenenianus as a new taxon, well separated from G. alpinus; both are clustered within subseries Viridifolii, rather than within subseries Glaucaefolii in contrast to previous suggestions, but in accordance with their geographical occurrence. G. trojanus also forms a distinct branch within subseries Glaucaefolii. G. krasnovii diverged out of all other Galanthus taxa as a separate branch in all phylogenetic trees. Samples collected based on morphological characters as G. nivalis were clearly different from G. nivalis based on the sequence data in GenBank. Sequencing data also revealed that the G. xvalentinei from locus classicus (ISTF; SYZB 3008) significantly differed from all other Galanthus specimens distributed in Thrace known as G. xvalentinei.