Integrative Taxonomy of <i>Armeria arenaria</i> (Plumbaginaceae), with a Special Focus on the Putative Subspecies Endemic to the Apennines

oleh: Manuel Tiburtini, Giovanni Astuti, Fabrizio Bartolucci, Gabriele Casazza, Lucia Varaldo, Daniele De Luca, Maria Vittoria Bottigliero, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Marco Porceddu, Gianniantonio Domina, Simone Orsenigo, Lorenzo Peruzzi

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-07-01

Deskripsi

Three subspecies of <i>Armeria arenaria</i> are reported from Italy, two of which are considered endemic to the Apennines. The taxonomic value of these two taxa (<i>A. arenaria</i> subsp. <i>marginata</i> and <i>A. arenaria</i> subsp. <i>apennina</i>) is unclear. Moreover, the relationships between <i>A. arenaria</i> subsp. <i>praecox</i> and Northern Italian populations—currently ascribed to <i>A. arenaria</i> subsp. <i>arenaria</i>—have never been addressed. Accordingly, we used an integrated taxonomic approach, including morphometry, seed morpho–colorimetry, karyology, molecular systematics (<i>psbA–trnH</i>, <i>trnQ–rps16</i>, <i>trnF–trnL</i>, <i>trnL–rpl32</i>, and <i>ITS</i> region), and comparative niche analysis. According to our results, French–Northern Italian populations are clearly distinct from Apennine populations. In the first group, there is evidence which allows the recognition of <i>A. arenaria</i> s.str. (not occurring in Italy) and <i>A. arenaria</i> subsp. <i>praecox</i>. In the second group, the two putative taxa endemic to the Northern Apennines cannot be separated, so a single subspecies is here recognized: <i>A. arenaria</i> subsp. <i>marginata.</i>