Fottea 2017, 17(2):222-239 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2017.004

Taxonomical analysis of closely related species of Chara L. section Hartmania (Streptophyta: Charales) based on morphological and molecular data

Jacek Urbaniak*1, Hidetoshi Sakayama2
1Department of Botany and Plant Ecology, Wroc³aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24a , 50-363 Wroc³aw, Poland; Corresponding author e-mail: jacek.urbaniak@upwr.edu.pl
2 Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan

In this study, five charophyte species belonging to the genus Chara L. section Hartmania, collected in Poland, were examined to determine their taxonomic status. Oospore dimensions of all investigated species differed significantly in their length, width and number of striae. However, no clear differences were found in the case of the oospore wall ornamentation that could be used for clear differentiation of the studied species. Detailed SEM images showed that the ornamentation on the oospore wall is not species specific, and also does not allow for differentiation of the species. Moreover, molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the matK and atpB DNA sequences reveal that the five studied species of section Hartmania are closely related and exhibit low genetic variation. Both types of analyses, based on oospore morphology and DNA barcoding, suggest a close phylogenetic relationship among the investigated species. The low levels of variability between species suggest that they had a relatively recent common ancestor, and probably exhibit a still incomplete, speciation process.

Keywords: : atpB, Chara, Characeae, Charophyta, Europe, matK, molecular phylogeny, morphology, oospore, taxonomy

Received: October 26, 2016; Accepted: January 31, 2017; Prepublished online: August 23, 2017; Published: September 20, 2017  Show citation

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Urbaniak, J., & Sakayama, H. (2017). Taxonomical analysis of closely related species of Chara L. section Hartmania (Streptophyta: Charales) based on morphological and molecular data. Fottea, 17(2), 222-239. doi: 10.5507/fot.2017.004
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