Abstract Detail

Systematics

WOLFE, ANDREA D [1], Blischak, Paul [2], Wenzel, Aaron [3], Kubatko, Laura [4].

Update on phylogenetics of Penstemon (Plantaginaceae) from high throughput sequence data.

Penstemon is the largest genus of plants endemic to North America. Its 280+ species are distributed from coast-to-coast and from Alaska to southern Mexico and the highlands of northern Guatemala, excluding most of the Canadian Shield region. Most species occur west of the Rocky Mountains, with the largest diversity of species in the Intermountain Region. The current taxonomy of Penstemon circumscribes six subgenera, divided into 12 sections and 23 subsections. Most species are xerophytic, and more than half occur in montane to subalpine habitats. Edaphic endemics are found in all sections of the genus, with many species restricted to calcareous, volcanic, shale, clay, and deep sand substrates. Penstemon exhibits considerable morphological diversity. Species may be woody, suffrutescent, or herbaceous, and exhibit extreme variation in vegetative characters, inflorescence architecture, vestiture, and floral morphology. We have used targeted amplicon sequencing for >30 loci to reconstruct the phylogeny of >90% of the species in this large and very diverse genus. Our goals for this phylogenetic study were to: 1) build a robust phylogeny for Penstemon that will be used to examine rates of diversification in the context of testing adaptive radiation theory; 2) examine taxonomic relationships in the context of an evolutionary framework; 3) elucidate trends in the evolution of morphological traits; 4) determine if there is a phylogenetic pattern for edaphic specialization; and 5) test biogeographic hypotheses proposed in previous studies of the genus. Here we report on the completed targeted amplicon sequencing project, including an update on the phylogenetics of tribe Cheloneae.

Related Links:
The Wolfe Lab Penstemon Database

1 - Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA
2 - Ohio State University, EEOB
3 - Ohio State University
4 - Ohio State University, Department of Statistics

Keywords:
Penstemon
Plantaginaceae
High-throughput sequencing
phylogenetics
Adaptive radiation.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 41, Systematics III: Euasterids
Location: Sundance 4/Omni Hotel
Date: Wednesday, June 28th, 2017
Time: 4:45 PM
Number: 41012
Abstract ID:414
Candidate for Awards:None