The classification of dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) in section Campylopoda, series Campylopoda

Separate Species ◽

Taxonomic Framework

The taxonomic classification of dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) is complicated due to their reduced morphology, requiring the integration of not only morphology but also phenology, geography, and host relationships. This has been particularly true for the classification of taxa in subgenus Vaginata, section Campylopoda, series Campylopoda. Most of the species in this group have been recently circumscribed in synonymy with or reduced to subspecies of Arceuthobium campylopodum Engelm; however, we contend they deserve separate species recognition. To address this question, we have conducted morphological analyses of the taxa in ser. Campylopoda using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. Our results have demonstrated that these taxa can be determined to species using morphological data without consideration of geographic location or host specificity; however, the host specialization and geographic distribution exhibited by these taxa also supports their classification as species. Here, we discuss the evidence supporting the specific classification of ser. Campylopoda taxa. This taxonomic framework permits the treatment of several dwarf mistletoe populations with geographically restricted distributions, fewer morphological differences, and specialized host affinities as subspecies of Arceuthobium abietinum (Engelm.) Abrams, Arceuthobium microcarpum (Engelm.) Hawksw. & Wiens, and Arceuthobium tsugense (Rosend.) G.N.Jones. It is also the most practical classification for the management of these economically and ecologically important parasitic plants.

A morphological comparison of Arceuthobium abietinum and A. campylopodum (Viscaceae) and nomenclatural changes for A. abietinum

Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas ◽

10.17348/jbrit.v13.i1.829 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 83-101

Author(s):

Robert L. Mathiasen ◽

Shawn C. Kenaley

Keyword(s):

Pacific Northwest ◽

Statistical Tests ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Dwarf Mistletoe ◽

Morphological Comparison ◽

Separate Species ◽

Geographic Ranges ◽

The Pacific ◽

High Degree

Fir dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium abietinum, Viscaceae) parasitizes true firs (Abies spp.) in the Pacific Northwest through California, the Southwest, and into northern Mexico. At present, fir dwarf mistletoe consists of two special forms (formae speciales, f. sp.) and one subspecies that are morphologically similar, but exhibit a high degree of host specificity. However, A. abietinum has been treated as a subspecies of A. campylopodum or conspecific with it in some taxonomic treatments. Therefore, we undertook this study to compare the morphologies of these dwarf mistletoes; collecting morphological data from nearly 100 A. abietinum and 60 A. campylopodum populations collected across most of their geographic ranges and analyzing these data using univariate and multivariate statistical tests. Our results demonstrated that the special forms and subspecies of A. abietinum are morphologically distinct from A. campylopodum, thereby, supporting the continued recognition of A. abietinum as a separate species. Furthermore, our analysis found significant differences for several of the characters we examined between the special forms of A. abietinum. Therefore, we recombined the special forms as subspecies: A. abietinum subsp. abietinum (formerly f. sp. concoloris) and A. abietinum subsp. magnificae (formerly f. sp. magnificae). The previously described A. abietinum subsp. wiensii was morphologically distinct from subsp. abietinum and subsp. magnificae. The distinctiveness of these taxa was supported by their host affinities as well.

Arceuthobium tsugense (Viscaceae): four subspecies with contrasting morphologies and host distributions

Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas ◽

10.17348/jbrit.v11.i2.1076 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 363-390

Author(s):

Robert L. Mathiasen ◽

Shawn C. Kenaley

Keyword(s):

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Flowering Plants ◽

The Other ◽

Multivariate Statistical Analyses ◽

Dwarf Mistletoe ◽

Morphometric Analyses ◽

Discriminant Function Analyses

There have been four subspecies of hemlock dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense: Viscaceae) described by various investigators of this complex group of parasitic flowering plants: subsp. tsugense, subsp. amabilae, subsp. contortae, and subsp. mertensianae. As suggested by their subspecific epithets, these taxa differ in their host affinities; parasitizing different and the same hosts to varying degrees. Although these taxa also have morphological differences, their classifica-tion has been under debate for many years. Therefore, we compared the morphological characteristics of each subspecies using both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses in order to better assess their differences. Because some investigators have grouped hemlock dwarf mistletoe with western dwarf mistletoe (A. campylopodum), we also compared the subspecies of hemlock dwarf mistletoe with western dwarf mistletoe. Our morphometric analyses demonstrated that all of the subspecies are morphologically distinct from western dwarf mistletoe and that subsp. contortae is the most morphologically differentiated of the subspecies. Overlap in the morphological characters across two of the other three subspecies was evident; yet, subsp. amabilae and subsp. mertensianae were also consistently delimited using female and male plant morphologies. Statistical comparisons of female or male plants via standard and stepwise discriminant function analyses demonstrated that without consideration of host plant, female and male A. tsugense subsp. tsugense are morphologically similar to corresponding plants of subsp. amabilae and mertensianae but not subsp. contortae or A. campylopodum.

The taxonomic status of Cossus cossus afghanistanus (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) from Afghanistan: insights from molecular and morphological data

Ukrainian Journal of Ecology ◽

10.15421/2017_61 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 134-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

N. A. Shapoval ◽

R. V. Yakovlev ◽

G. N. Kuftina

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Separate Species ◽

Morphological Differences

In our study we use a 658 bp fragment of the COI gene to analyze a taxon from Afghanistan usually treated in literature as Cossus cossus afghanistanus (Daniel, 1953). The previous conclusions on taxonomy and nomenclature were not supported by molecular data therefore the question of identity of this taxon has remained unverified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed C. c. afghanistanus to be strongly differentiated from nominotypical Cossus cossus (Linnaeus, 1758) (p-distance: 6.7% ± 1.5%). Cossus c. afghanistanus forms a distinct well-supported clade in ML and BI trees. This fact, together with prominent morphological differences (wing color and genitalia structure) shows that C. c. afghanistanus represent a separate species rather than a subspecies of Cossus cossus.

A redescription and phylogenetic analysis based on new material of the fossil newtsTaricha oligocenicaVan Frank, 1955 andTaricha lindoeiNaylor, 1979 (Amphibia, Salamandridae) from the Oligocene of Oregon

Journal of Paleontology ◽

10.1017/jpa.2017.85 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 92 (4) ◽

pp. 713-733

Author(s):

John J. Jacisin ◽

Samantha S.B. Hopkins

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Population Level ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Neural Spine ◽

Separate Species ◽

Skeletal Morphology ◽

New Material ◽

John Day

AbstractComplete body fossils of salamanders are relatively rare, but provide critical information on the evolutionary roots of extant urodele clades. We describe new specimens of the fossil salamandridsTaricha oligocenicaVan Frank, 1955, andTaricha lindoeiNaylor, 1979, from the Oligocene Mehama and John Day formations of Oregon that illustrate aspects of skeletal morphology previously unseen in these taxa, and contribute to our understanding of population-level variation. Morphological analysis of these specimens supports the classification ofT.oligocenicaandT.lindoeias two different species, distinct from extantTaricha. Parsimony-based, heuristic analysis of phylogeny using 108 morphological characters for 40 taxa yields different results from a phylogenetic analysis that excludes four taxa known only via vertebrae. Our smaller analysis generally agrees with molecular phylogenies of the family Salamandridae, but with poorer resolution for molgin newts, especially betweenTarichaandNotophthalmus. The analysis including all taxa produced polytomies mostly related to complications from several fossil taxa. The presence or absence of dorsally expanded, sculptured neural spine tables on trunk vertebrae, an important character in past descriptions of fossil salamandrids, appears to be either homoplastic within the Salamandridae, or requires an expansion of characters or character states.Taricha oligocenicaandT. lindoeiare separate species of an at least 33 million-year-old clade, but their relationships with each other and extant North American salamandrids remain unclear with current levels of morphological data. Salamandrid research requires additional morphological data, particularly for the vertebrae and ribs, to better resolve salamandrid evolutionary history through morphological characters.

Species recognition and phylogeny of Thelotrema species in Australia (Ostropales, Ascomycota)

Australian Systematic Botany ◽

10.1071/sb07049 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 217 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

H. Thorsten Lumbsch ◽

Armin Mangold ◽

María P. Martín ◽

John A. Elix

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Trees ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Species Recognition ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Morphological Evidence ◽

Morphological Studies ◽

Crustose Lichens

Species circumscriptions based on morphological data are difficult in crustose lichens with limited characters as they often show remarkable variability. An example is the genus Thelotrema s.str., a speciose genus of mostly tropical lichens. Morphological studies on Australian Thelotrema spp. were accompanied by a phylogenetic analysis of mt SSU rDNA sequence data of 19 species, including 25 newly obtained sequences. We performed maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of 50 samples, representing 25 species. Our results indicate that more species need to be accepted in Thelotrema than previously thought. Subtle morphological differences were found to be associated with independent lineages in the phylogenetic trees. Furthermore, monophyly of Thelotrema s.str. is strongly supported. On the basis of the corroboration of morphological evidence by molecular data, the new species Thelotrema capetribulense Mangold, T. crespoae Mangold, Lumbsch & Elix, T. oleosum Mangold, and T. pseudosubtile Mangold are described. The new combinations Chapsa phlyctidioides (Müll.Arg.) Mangold and Thelotrema defossum (Müll.Arg.) Mangold are proposed.

A taxonomic review of the anilline genus Zeanillus Jeannel (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidiini) of New Zealand, with descriptions of seven new species, re-classification of the species, and notes on their biogeography and evolution

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4196.1.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4196 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

IGOR M. SOKOLOV

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

New Zealand ◽

New Taxa ◽

Species Distributions ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Taxonomic Review ◽

New Subgenus ◽

Evolutionary Aspects

Based upon external features of adults of the genus Zeanillus ten species are recognized, seven of which are new to science. Because of significant morphological differences, all species are arranged in four subgenera: the nominotypical subgenus Zeanillus, including Z. phyllobius (Broun), Z. punctigerus (Broun), and Z. nunni, new species (New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Trotters George); the monobasic subgenus Brounanillus, new subgenus, including Z. pallidus (Broun); the monobasic subgenus Nunnanillus, new subgenus, including Z. pellucidus, new species (New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Oamaru); and the most species-rich subgenus Otagonillus, new subgenus, including Z. brouni, new species (New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Oamaru), Z. lescheni, new species (New Zealand, South Island, Southland, Waikaia Forest), Z. carltoni, new species (New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Mount Watkin), Z. montivagus, new species (New Zealand, South Island, Otago, North Rough Ridge), and Z. nanus, new species (New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Waipori River Valley). Based on new morphological data, a redescription of genus, redescriptions of previously described species, and descriptions of all new taxa are given and a taxonomic key for all known species is provided. Maps of species distributions and illustrations of main taxonomic characters used in the text are also included. Some biogeographic/evolutionary aspects of Zeanillus origin and diversification are discussed.

Carex flava agg. (section Ceratocystis, Cyperaceae) in Poland: taxonomy, morphological variation, and soil conditions

Biodiversity Research and Conservation ◽

10.2478/biorc-2014-0001 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 3-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Helena Więcław

Keyword(s):

Habitat Preferences ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Separate Species ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Beak Length ◽

Private Collections

Abstract Sedges of Carex flava agg., typical of moist or wet habitats, are difficult to classify because of a lack of clear-cut morphological differences between them and the existence of numerous hybrids. This monograph presents results of research conducted in 2007-2012 in various parts of Poland. The plant material consisted of 1852 living specimens of Carex flava agg., collected from 80 localities, and dried specimens from 26 herbaria and from 7 private collections. The analysis involved 45 morphological characters (34 quantitative and 11 qualitative) and 9 soil parameters. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical methods were used to process the data. The results confirm the taxonomic classification dividing the C. flava group into 4 species: C. flava s.s., C. lepidocarpa, C. demissa, and C. viridula. This classification is based on (i) a high observed level of morphological separation of these taxa, resulting mostly from differences in generative characters, i.e. length of the utricle and its beak, and percentage ratio of beak length to total utricle length; (ii) integrity of the taxa at the sites where they coexist, although some intermediate forms resulting from hybridization are also present; (iii) habitat preferences of the taxa, especially the preference of C. lepidocarpa for calcareous sites and of C. demissa for slightly acidic soils. Thus in Poland the analysed taxa are morphologically well-defined and show clear ecological preferences. Continuous variation of morphological characters was observed among specimens of C. viridula, so it is not justifiable to distinguish its subspecies (sometimes classified even as separate species), described previously in literature. Consequently, the 2 subgroups of C. viridula were treated as local variants (i.e. varieties: var. viridula and var. pulchella), considering their different habitat requirements. Additionally, 5 hybrids were distinguished within C. flava agg.: C. ×alsatica [= C. demissa × C. flava], C. ×ruedtii [= C. flava × C. lepidocarpa], C. ×schatzii [= C. lepidocarpa × C. viridula], C. ×subviridula [= C. flava × C. viridula], and C. demissa × C. viridula; as well as 2 hybrids with C. hostiana as one of the parents: C. ×fulva [= C. demissa × C. hostiana] and C. ×leutzii [= C. hostiana × C. lepidocarpa].

Analysis of the differences between Syntormon pallipes and S. pseudospicatus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae): morphological and molecular data

Zoosystematica Rossica ◽

10.31610/zsr/2019.28.2.305 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 305-316

Author(s):

M.A. Chursina ◽

I.Ya. Grichanov

Keyword(s):

Dna Analysis ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Wing Shape ◽

Morphological Data ◽

12S Rrna ◽

Separate Species ◽

Geometric Morphometric ◽

Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽

Morphological And Molecular Data

The recent catalogues of the family Dolichopodidae considered Syntormon pallipes (Fabricius, 1794) and S. pseudospicatus Strobl, 1899 as separate species. In this study, we used three approaches to estimate the significance of differences between the two species: molecular analysis (COI and 12S rRNA sequences), analysis of leg colour characters and geometric morphometric analysis of wing shape. The morphological data confirmed the absence of significant differences between S. pallipes and S. pseudospicatus found in the DNA analysis. Significant differences in the wing shape of two species have not been revealed. Hence, according to our data, there is no reason to consider S. pseudospicatus as a distinct species.