Abstract Detail

Systematics

Wolfe, Andrea D. [1], Blischak, Paul [2], Wenzel, Aaron [3], Kubatko, Laura [4].

Inferring the evolutionary history of Penstemon (Plantaginaceae) from phylogenetic analysis of next-generation 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 48 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.

Related Links:
Penstemon of the Day Archive

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

Keywords:
Penstemon
Plantaginaceae
phylogenetics
phylogeny
Targeted Amplicon Sequencing
Next generation sequencing.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 17, Asterids I part B
Location: 204/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
Time: 9:30 AM
Number: 17007
Abstract ID:436
Candidate for Awards:None