Meeting Abstract

P2.62  Jan. 5  An analysis of the putative hybrid origin and possible parental species of Brickellia knappiana using morphometrics and molecular genetics. SIMELES, Barbara P*; SCOTT, Randall; AYERS, Tina; Whitman College; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University simelebp@whitman.edu

One of the ca. 100 described species in the largest genus of the subtribe Alomiinae is Brickellia knappiana. Although it has been accepted by the California Native Plants Society as a rare plant, there is reason to believe that B. knappiana is simply a hybrid between two common Brickellia species that always occur in close proximity to it. This study uses morphometrics, chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequencing and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis to determine the putative hybrid origin and possible parentage of B. knappiana. Morphometric analysis showed B. knappiana to be intermediate between B. longifolia and B. desertorum. The genetic analyses also supported the hybrid origin of B. knappiana via polymorphic markers (AFLP) and a characteristic indel in the cpDNA (DNA sequencing). Brickellia desertorum and B. longifolia appear to be the parental species of B. knappiana. Since AFLP data suggests that B. knappiana is not genetically distinct, it would seem that it is not a rare plant and that legal protection would be better provided to a more stable species.