Abstract Detail

Ericaceae: Systematics, Ecology and Evolution

Fuller, Ryan [1], Hipp, Andrew [2], Ree, Richard [3].

Phylogeny, polyploidy, and the potential for reticulate evolution in Rhododendron’s ‘Hardy Mountaineers’.

The genus Rhododendron (Ericaceae) is iconic, both in horticulture where their charismatic flowers and hardy growth habits are highly valued, and as a prominent element of the North Temperate flora. In addition, polyploidy is highly desirable in rhododendron breeding and occurs naturally among multiple groups within the genus. Subgenus Rhododendron, commonly known as the scaly or lepidote rhododendron, is comprised of more than 500 species across three distinct taxonomic sections. One of these, section Rhododendron, is comprised of approximately 200 species found throughout south-central China and southeast Asia. Two of its subsections, Lapponica and Triflora, possess above average rates of polyploidy when compared to the rest of the genus. Many of the evolutionary relationships among these species are unknown, while the origins and consequences of polyploidy remain relatively unexplored. Here, we report new ploidy data of species from China, present preliminary results of phylogenomic analyses in section Rhododendron, and provide hypotheses into the origins of polyploids from the Hengduan Mountains of southcentral China.

1 - University of Chicago, Committee on Evolutionary Biology, 1025 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
2 - The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, United States
3 - Field Museum Of Natural History, Botany, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States

Keywords:
target enrichment
polyploidy
reticulate evolution
phylogenomics
rhododendron.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: CO06, Ericaceae: Systematics, Ecology and Evolution
Location: Tucson D/Starr Pass
Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
Time: 8:30 AM
Number: CO06003
Abstract ID:1038
Candidate for Awards:None