Circumscription of the south American moonwort botrychium (ophioglossaceae)

• Published in: Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
• Main Authors: Meza Torres, Esteban I., Stensvold, M. C., Farrar, D. R., Ferrucci, María Silvia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2017
• Subjects: Allozymes; Botrychium; Enzyme electrophoresis; Fern spores; Moonwort; Taxonomy; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://repositorio.unne.edu.ar/handle/123456789/47831

The genus Botrychium (Ophioglossaceae) is comprised of about 30 widely distributed species. Because of their small size and few, yet variable, morphological characters, many questionable taxa have been described over the years. Since its description in 1906, B. dusenii has been treated as both a distinct species and variously divided into four taxa: B. lunaria var. dusenii, B. lunaria var. typicum, B. lunaria var. antarctica, and B. ramosum var. patagonicum (B. matricariaefolium subsp. patagonicum). The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity of these taxa using spore wall sculpture, spore size, allelic composition employing enzyme electrophoresis, and morphological characters. We conclude that only one species of Botrychium occurs in southern South America and recognize this as B. dusenii, a species distinct from B. lunaria. Spore size and results of enzyme electrophoresis suggest that B. dusenii is an allotetraploid derived through hybridization between a diploid member of the B. lunaria complex and a diploid member of the B. campestre complex. We provide information about habitat, distribution, and full exsiccate citations.