Botany 2016 Abstract Book by Johanne Stogran

Abstracts

July 30 - August 3, 2016

Conference Organizers American Fern Society President - Eddie Watkins Program Director and Local Rep - Melanie Link-Perez

American Society of Plant Taxonomists President – Tom Ranker Program Director – Harvey Ballard Local Rep - Melanie Link-Perez

American Bryological and Lichenological Society President – Larry St. Clair Program Director – Catherine LeFarge Local Rep - Malcom Hodges

Society for Hebarium Curators President - Andrea Weeks

International Association for Plant Taxonomy President – Vicky Funk Secretary – Karol Marhold

Field Trip Coordinator Alison Mc Gee

Botanical Society of America President – Richard Olmstead Program Director – Amy Litt Local Rep - Melanie Devore Executive Director – Bill Dahl Director of Conferences Johanne Stogran

Table of Contents Botany 2016 Special Addresses • Plenary Address.............................. 3 • Regional Botany Special Lecture... 3 • Pelton Award Lecture...................... 3 • Diversity Luncheon........................ 4 • Kaplan Memorial Lecture............... 4 • Annals of Botany Lecture............... 4 • Emerging Leader Lecture............... 5 • Address - BSA President-Elect....... 5

• Clarifying Early Euasterid Evolution: A Synthesis of Phylogeny, Morphology, & the Fossil Record................................ 53 Conference-Wide Discussion Sessions ....57 Bryology & Lichenological/ABLS • Oral papers.................................... 58 • Posters........................................... 65 Developmental & Structural • Oral papers.................................... 67 • Posters........................................... 74 Ecological • Oral papers.................................... 78 • Posters........................................... 93 Economic Botany • Oral papers.................................. 109 • Posters......................................... 111 Genetics • Oral papers.................................. 115 • Posters......................................... 119 Historical • Oral papers.................................. 121 • Poster.......................................... 123 Paleobotanical • Oral papers.................................. 125 • Posters......................................... 140 Phycological • Poster.......................................... 143 Physiological • Oral papers.................................. 145 • Posters......................................... 147 Pteridological • Oral papers.................................. 149 • Posters......................................... 153 Systematics/ASPT • Oral papers.................................. 155 • Posters......................................... 198 Teaching • Oral papers.................................. 217 • Posters......................................... 224 Tropical biology • Oral papers.................................. 231 Biogeography • Oral papers.................................. 233 • Posters......................................... 246

Symposia and Colloquia • The Future of Herbarium Genetics and Genomics.............................. 6 • Wood: Biology of a Living Tissue .9 • The Importance of Communicating Science ........................................ 12 • Plant Research and Conservation on the Andes............................... 14 • Novel Approaches to Plant Evolution from Paleontological, Physiological, & Developmental Perspectives.................................. 17 • Evolution, Development, and BSA Genetics of Floral Display - Form, Size, & Arrangement.................... 21 • Climate Change Solutions from Plant Science: The Interaction at the Interface between Terrestrial Ecosystems and Coastal Ecosystems for Carbon Storage............... 24 • The Odum Legacy: Plant Systems Across Scales................................ 27 • Horsetails Through Form, Space, and Time....................................... 29 • Understanding Plant Defense Strategies: Interplay Between Traditional Botanical Tools and Modern Analytical Approaches.................. 32 • Studying Plant Pollinator Interactions in Changing Environments: Approaches, Lessons and Future Directions...................................... 35 • Seed-free Plants at the Genomic Scale.............................................. 38 • Patterns and Processes of American Amphitropical Plant Disjunctions: New Insights................................. 44 • Interactions of White-Tailed Deer and Invasive Plants in Forests of Eastern North America................. 48 1

Conservation Biology • Oral papers.................................. 251 • Posters......................................... 257 Ecophysiology • Oral papers.................................. 263 • Posters......................................... 268 Evolutionary Developmental Biology • Oral papers.................................. 275 • Posters......................................... 280 Genomics /Proteomics • Oral papers.................................. 285 • Posters......................................... 295 Hybrids and Hybridization • Oral papers.................................. 299 • Posters......................................... 303 Macroevolution • Oral papers.................................. 305 • Poster.......................................... 311 Molecular Ecology and Evolution • Oral papers.................................. 313 • Posters......................................... 321 Pollination Biology • Oral papers.................................. 325 • Posters......................................... 330 Phylogenomics • Oral papers.................................. 335 • Posters......................................... 351 Population Genetics • Oral papers.................................. 355 • Posters......................................... 361 Reproductive biology • Oral papers.................................. 367 • Posters......................................... 369 Symbioses: Plant, Animal, And Microbe Interactions • Oral papers.................................. 373 • Posters......................................... 376 Workshops..........................................381 Author Index(by Abstract Number)...387

All Abstracts, Names, Addresses and Information are presented as submitted through the Botany 2016 Abstract Submission Site at www.botany.org. In some instances no abstract was submitted. Note:

Special Addresses Plenary Address

Pelton Award Lecture

ZIMMER, CARL

Plants Are Weird: Epigenetics, Journalism, and the Alien Beauty of Botany

HAWES, MARTHA

The role of the extracellular matrix in defense: New insights into plant and animal immune responses

lants are a spectacularly successful lineage of life that is the subject of huge amounts of scientific research. And yet science journalism leaves botany under-reported. One of the chief reasons for this neglect is anthropocentrism (or, by extension, zoocentrism). Plant biology is so different from our own that it is hard to find a point of commonality. In this talk, I will present epigenetics in animals and plants as a case study of how journalists need to do better at writing about botany.

he rhizosphere (Hiltner 1904) is defined as that region where microbial growth is stimulated by the release of nutrient-rich exudates from roots, and plant health in turn is influenced by associated microflora. The root apex is the primary site of exudation in healthy young seedlings of diverse species, with >90% of the total carbon delivered by the root cap of cereals and legumes. Yet despite this apparent abundance of nutrients released by the root cap, the root cap repeatedly has been shown to remain free of microbial infection and colonization. Insight into the function of root border cells, a population of specialized cells programmed to detach from the root cap into the soil environment, may shed light on this longstanding mystery: Border cells operate by a newly defined mechanism analogous to that of mammalian cells functioning in innate defense. In animal systems, histone-linked extracellular DNA (exDNA) and antimicrobial proteins released by neutrophils operate as extracellular traps ('NETs') which attract and immobilize pathogens. Group A Streptococcus can escape NETs by the activity of extracellular DNase (exDNase), and loss of this exDNase activity in the bacteria results in reduced virulence. exDNA also is a component of plant defense. DNA synthesized and exported by cells at the root cap periphery is a component of the surrounding mucilage which attracts, traps and immobilizes pathogens in a host-microbe specific manner. When exDNA is degraded concurrently with inoculation by root-rotting fungal pathogens, resistance of the root tip to infection is abolished, and pathogens with reduced exDNase activity exhibit reduced virulence. Our progress in defining the dynamics of extracellular trapping, and its implications for plant and environmental health will be presented.

New York Times

Regional Botany Special Lecture 2

ZOMLEFER, WENDY* 1 and CHAFIN, LINDA 2

Ancient Mountains to Recent Shorelines: Adventures in the Flora of Georgia 1

University of Georgia Herbarium [GA], Athens, GA 306022University of Georgia, State Botanical Garden of Georgia

University of Arizona, Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Shantz Building, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

Diversity Luncheon

Annals of Botany Lecture

ZALAPA, JUAN

A Mexican-American in Higher Education

TRAVESET, ANNA

Mutualistic networks in the GalĂĄpagos Islands and how alien species modify their structure

s a teenager in south Texas, I had limited exposure to anything other than the Mexican-American experience. However, the rise of the internet provided a window to explore the world. I dreamed of leaving Texas to study at the best school in the country. I will speak about my experience going through the higher education pipeline from undergraduate to the Ph.D. and then into the professoriate. I will the discuss challenges and opportunities many minority students face while following their dreams.

slands harbor much of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s threatened biodiversity, most of which is endangered by habitat degradation, over-exploitation and the introduction of alien invasive species. Increasing evidence confirms that it is not the decline of species diversity per se that scientists, conservationists, and restoration managers should be most concerned about, but rather the extinction of the interactions between organisms that ultimatly breathe life into ecosystems. Consequently, research on species interactions patterns has increased dramatically in recent years, mostly thanks to the implementation of network theory which facilitates the representation and interpretation of such complex Interaction networks. In this talk, I will present our findings on the dynamic structure of mutualistic (pollination and seed dispersal) networks in the Galapagos archipelago, and the mechanisms underlying the observed patterns. I will deep into the mechanisms whereby alien species infiltrate the mutualistic networks, examining whether partner fidelity differs between alien and native species and the community-level implications of such differences. Finally, I will discuss the potential cascading effects of invasive alien plants and insects on the native species and interactions.

USDA-ARS, Horticulture, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53705, USA

Kaplan Memorial Lecture 5

SINHA, NEELIMA* 1, CHITWOOD, DAN 2, ICHIHASHI, YASUNORI 3, ZUMSTEIN, KRISTINA 1 and ROWLAND, STEVEN 1

Heteroblasty and Heterophylly - when two programs collide

Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies

ow morphological diversity has arisen is a key question in biology. Angiosperms exhibit a great diversity in leaf shape and leaf development has been characterized in several species, making leaves ideal targets to understand the mechanism behind morphological natural variation. Leaves are also functionally significant for generating biomass and leading to agricultural yield. We have deduced a gene co-expression network underlying leaf development in tomato and its relatives. Molecular experiments and hypothesis testing validated the bioinformatically predicted GRN and identified key components, such as BLADE-ON-PETIOLE (BOP), within the gene network module regulating leaf shape. Alteration in BOP expression by transgenic experiments in tomato, S. pennellii and S. habrochaites, can recreate naturally occurring leaf phenotypes in the tomato species complex. In addition to evolutionary and developmental variability, leaves also exhibit phenotypic plasticity. We are analyzing gene expression alterations when leaf complexity changes in response to either de-

Special Addresses Emerging Leader Lecture

Address of the BSA President-Elect

SMITH, SELENA

Dead plants tell no lies: insights from the fossil record of monocots

UNO, GORDON

Convergent Evolution of National Science Education Projects: How BSA Can Influence Reform

he fossil record of plants is sometimes challenging to study and interpret, but offers us a wealth of information regarding plant systematics, structure and development, evolution, and ecology, as well as insights into the evolution of terrestrial environments as a whole. The monocot flowering plants are both economically and ecologically important, making it relevant to understanding their biology and evolution on both human and geologic time scales. Case studies from fossil monocots serve to highlight challenges and solutions to studying them as well as the important information gained. Fruits and seeds can be complex and distinctive, offering a high number of taxonomically and phylogenetically informative characters to study. The application of X-ray tomography to both fossil and modern specimens has greatly enhanced the amount of morphoanatomical data that can be obtained, with numerous benefits including being rapid, non-destructive and three-dimensional. This technique has permitted a better understanding of species diversity in floras (e.g., the Cretaceous Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India and Eocene Messel flora of Germany), as well as re-evaluating the fossil record of groups such as Zingiberales to test hypotheses on their evolutionary history and biogeography. Leaf fossils may be more common and abundant than fruits and seeds in many floras, but lack as many taxonomically distinctive features. However, monocot leaf architecture is more diverse than often given credit for. Preliminary results will highlight the array of venation patterns as well as application of quantitative analysis of vein length per area that will help to refine the foliar fossil record of monocots. All together, there is much to be optimistic about in terms of building a more reliable fossil record that will serve to provide hard data on past diversity, disparity, and occurrences.

everal major projects have changed the national landscape of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in the United States. Among these efforts is the widely cited Vision and Change document from the AAAS and NSF that outlines a framework for teaching undergraduate science courses. The recently released Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is used to inform pre-college curricula across America. The College Board revised its Advanced Placement (AP) science courses, which are equivalent to introductorylevel undergraduate classes, and new versions of AP Physics, Chemistry, and Biology programs are now taught in thousands of high schools. The American Association of Colleges & Universities has identified several high-impact practices (HIPs) that are strategies for student engagement and success in STEM disciplines, strategies that are especially important for underrepresented students. All these projects have spurred reform on a widespread scale by emphasizing similar outcomes for students and science programs, outcomes that provide faculty members and departments with a roadmap for success. A growing body of literature identifies â&#x20AC;&#x153;what worksâ&#x20AC;? in an undergraduate science classroomâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; evidence-based, active learning methods. So, while we acknowledge barriers to improving science education, we have identified what students should be able to do by the end of our science programs and how to help them, and we know most faculty have heard about active learning. The problem arises in implementing what we know, which is where organizations, such as the BSA, can help members to improve their teaching through professional development activities. I will identify the common threads weaving through important national science education projects, outline strategies for student and faculty success in biology/botany classrooms, and suggest activities in which science and science education societies should engage to ramp up the use of active learning, improve the success rate of STEM students, and increase the science literacy of the general public.

University of Michigan, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2534 CC Little Bldg, 1100 N University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1005, United States

University of Oklahoma, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

pervade the life sciences, leading to the emergence of Evolutionary Ecology, Evolutionary Medicine, and new Food Safety methods, and collections data increasingly are used for climate change studies. Collections are a gold mine of information and are now leading the way to advances in three main areas: collections contain vast quantities of genomic data accessible through NextGeneration Sequencing techniques and phylogenomics, allowing us to address big evolutionary questions such as the frequency of genome duplication and its role in species diversification; Open access to specimen data, allowing us to model changes in diversity through time; and Estimating extinction risk and conservation priorities, by linking collections and climate data with phylogenies. Our ‚grand challenge’ is to determine where we want to be with collections-based research in 2050 and plan a strategy to get there.

Symposia and Colloquia

The Future of Herbarium Genetics and Genomics Sponsored by Genetics Section, Systematics Section / ASPT and American Society of Plant Taxonomists.

MARTIN, MICHAEL D.

The future of herbarium genetics & genomics

Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, US National Herbarium, NMNH, MRC166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington DC, DC, 20013-7012, USA, 202-63309502University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA3Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Chief Information Officer and, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St & Constitution Ave NW, Washington , DC, 20560, United States

o look directly back in recent time at the genomes of plants and their pathogens has obvious potential for fascinating new evolutionary insights. Indeed, rapid advances in next-generation sequencing and the analysis of degraded DNA promise to transform the world’s herbaria into genomic repositories. Although these important genetic resources are apparently under-utilized, the number of publications reporting the recovery and analysis of genetic data from herbarium collections is increasing steadily. We will review some of the technical challenges (both laboratorial and computational) of sequencing DNA from herbarium collections, along with some common solutions. Then we will summarize the state of the field by presenting exciting and creative research that hinges on the successful recovery and analysis of genetic data from herbarium specimens. The topics presented should facilitate a final discussion of the potential of these approaches for researchers in plant genetics to open new veins of research and to save costs, and to increase the value of global herbarium collections.

BECK, JAMES BENJAMIN

Investigating the biogeography and evolution of widespread species with large sets of herbarium specimens

an you think of a piece of research that incorporated too many specimens? On the contrary, most studies with a spatial component are at least partially limited by insufficient sampling. While rewarding, extensive fieldwork is expensive, time consuming, and increasingly difficult due to conservation and political concerns. This sampling limitation is particularly acute with regards to widespread species, many of which are of enormous biological (ecosystem dominants, invasive species) and economic (timber, forage grasses) consequence. Many researchers avoid these large-ranged taxa or employ sampling designs that are sparse and/or highly geographically biased. Centering project designs around large sets of herbarium-extracted DNAs is an obvious alternative, but one that remains surprisingly under-utilized. Obstacles perhaps include an inability to obtain genetic/genomic data from herbarium tissue, a demand for within-population sampling, and uncertainty regarding working with a large network of museum curators. These potential limitations are discussed in the context of three ongoing studies of widespread North American species, all of which are centered on herbarium sampling.

University Museum, Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

FUNK, VICKI* 1, MANDEL, JENNIFER R 2 and DIKOW, REBECCA 3

Collections in 21st Century Science: more important than ever

he 19th Century ushered in a new age as naturalists undertook large-scale collecting expeditions leading to field observations and preserved specimens in the short term, and to major scientific advances in the long term. Notable among these were the founding of Physical Geography, Meteorology, Ecology (Humboldt), Biogeography (Hooker), and the theory of Evolution (Darwin, Wallace). In the 20th Century collections were central to paradigm shifts, including theories of Continental Drift (Eigenmann) and Phylogenetic Systematics (Hennig, Brundin). Past expeditions provided tissues for all the cladograms as the era of Phylogenetics took over biological thought. Will this tide of collectionsbased scientific advancement continue? In the first 15 years of the 21st Century we have seen tree-thinking

Wichita State University, Biology, 1845 Fairmount, Box 26, Wichita, KS, 67260-0026, USA

Symposia and Colloquia 12

ley Life Sciences Bldg. #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA4University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA5University Of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2464, USA

THORNHILL, ANDREW* , BALDWIN, BRUCE G. 2, FREYMAN, WILLIAM A. 3, NOSRATINIA, SONIA 1, MORUETA-HOLME, NAIA 4, KLING, MATTHEW 4 , BAXTER, DAVID 1, MADSEN, TOM 2, ACKERLY, DAVID 4 and MISHLER, BRENT D. 5

DORMONTT, ELEANOR

Preserve the past, protect the future: botanical reference collections are critical in the fight against illegal logging

Hotspots of phylogenetic richness and endemism in the California flora

llegal logging is multibillion dollar global industry that is decimating the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural forests at an unprecedented rate. Laws to protect forests and prevent international trade in illegal timber help provide the legal frameworks within which timber crimes can be prosecuted, but proving that a crime has been committed can be almost impossible. Timber provides very few diagnostic characters and is extremely challenging to identify; experts in wood anatomy can only rarely identify timber beyond genus. Genetics present an alternative approach to anatomy for identification of timber and can allow species to be distinguished even where they appear identical. Genetics can be used not only to determine the taxonomic identity of a timber sample, but also its provenance through phylogeographic or population genetic approaches. Herbariums provide unparalleled resources for the development and application of genetic tools to identify timber, both through their ongoing taxonomic study, and the availability of preserved material that contains DNA. Working with herbarium material and timber presents some challenges which are explored, along with ways in which herbarium resources can be can be used synergistically with modern collections to maximise the reliability and utility of the resulting identification tests. As the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) works to bring more and more timber species under its control, and the governments of the USA, Europe and Australia enact legislation to prohibit trade in illegally sourced timber of any species, there is an ever pressing need for science to deliver tools that enable reliable identification of timber. At the same time the botanical reference collections essential for the development of these tools are suffering a global funding crisis. The time is right to step up and demonstrate the ongoing relevance of botanical collections and their unique position to help the world combat some of its most pressing environmental challenges.

alifornia is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot and has a rich history of research on its vascular flora. Terms such as neo- and paleo-endemism were first used to describe significant elements of the California flora by Stebbins and Major and later adapted worldwide. Raven and Axelrod proposed various hypotheses as to how the diverse Californian flora has assembled over time. All of these studies were carried-out using pre-cladistic taxonomy and species as the operational unit. As part of the ongoing California Plant Phylodiversity Project (http:// ucjeps.berkeley.edu/bryolab/CPPP/), we applied novel phylogenetic techniques to contrast with these past studies. We used a large spatial dataset comprised of specimen-based distributional data from the Consortium of California Herbaria and other collection databases, at a scale of 15 km grid cells. Considerable effort was made to clean the spatial dataset to represent the natural range of the full California vascular flora; 1.38 million geo-referenced records remained after cleaning. We assembled a phylogenetic data matrix for 1083 OTUs (i.e., terminal clades representing genera or monophyletic parts of genera) for 9 genes, beginning with data from GenBank and adding 1182 new gene sequences targeted to fill in data gaps. A maximum likelihood phylogeny of California plants was constructed. These two datasets were used to find regions of significant phylogenetic diversity (PD) and phylogenetic endemism (PE) within California. We show results using recently developed metrics Relative Phylogenetic Diversity (RPD) and Relative Phylogenetic Endemism (RPE), as well as Categorical Analysis of Neo- And Paleo-Endemism (CANAPE). Observed biodiversity is not necessarily an indicator of significant biodiversity and therefore should not be used alone. We used a spatial randomization to develop null hypotheses used for statistical tests of the above indices. Using theses tests we can determine whether more or less of the phylogeny occurs in an area than expected (PD), whether branch lengths in an area are longer or shorter than expected (RPD), and whether concentrations of long or short-branched endemism occurs in an area than expected (CANAPE). Joint interpretation of patterns of significance in these complementary measures can be used to help infer ecological processes and the evolutionary history of California plants, and are useful for practical purposes in conservation prioritization.

University of Adelaide, The Centre for Conservation Science and Technology, School of Biological Sciences, The Environment Institute, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building # 2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA2University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria/Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building # 2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA3University of California Berkeley, Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Val-

sequencing to resolve genetic structure. We report preliminary results from our application of in-solution hybridization capture to nearly 100 historical herbarium specimens collected across eastern North America between 1835 and 1939. We used the Mycroarray MYbaits system to target a semi-random panel of 20,000 ApeKIassociated nuclear genomic loci previously discovered and determined to be polymorphic using a GenotypingBy-Sequencing (GBS) approach within 16 wild, presentday populations across eastern North America. After the removal of PCR duplicates, a mean of 8.2M reads produced 14X read depth (per sample) across the 20,000 loci. In comparison with native GBS, target depth and locus drop-out are less variable in our capture approach. Thus we demonstrate that this approach may be useful in future applications to herbarium material, as a relatively large number of genomic loci can be sequenced with up to 50 individuals per lane on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform.

SCHNEIDER, ADAM* and BALDWIN, BRUCE G.

Host-switching as a major driver of diversification in parasitic plants: A case study in Orobanche

arasitism is a highly successful life strategy that has independently evolved countless times across the tree of life, including twelve times among angiosperms. The parasitic plant genus Orobanche L. is quickly becoming a focal group understanding the evolutionary consequences of parasitism across numerous taxonomic scales and levels of biological organization. A recent phylogenetic study of the clade of all species endemic to the western hemisphere, based in large part on herbarium collections, shows extensive, hitherto unrecognized host-specific diversity. Well-supported, cryptic or semicryptic clades within minimum-rank taxa, especially in sect. Gymnocaulis, are diagnosable by distinct host assemblages that implicate host switching in divergence of parasitic lineages. These robust but taxonomically unrecognized clades are reinforced by multiple gene trees based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA. Moreover, this phylogeny lends support to several well-known phytogeographic patterns such as multiple amphitropical colonizations of South America and post-glacial Alaska/eastern North America disjunctions. Finally, this study provides a fine-scale phylogenetic framework for a genome-skimming project currently underway to understand plastid evolution at fine scales.

University of Copenhagen, Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark2University Museum, Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

University of California, Berkeley, Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

BARREIRO, FĂ TIMA S. 1, WALES, NATHAN 1, VIEIRA, FILIPE J. G. 1, MARTIN, MICHAEL D.* 2 and GILBERT, M. THOMAS P. 1

Common ragweed population genomics from historical herbarium vouchers

ommon ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is a wind-pollinated weed that is native to North America and well known for its allergenic pollen. Populations of the plant are increasingly present in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, and rapid evolution has been invoked to explain divergence in phenotypic and life history traits between native-range populations and invasive populations in Europe. Previous studies investigated population genetic structure in North America and in France at the end of the 19th century by characterizing nuclear microsatellites and chloroplast polymorphisms in historical herbarium specimens. This work revealed that invasive French populations developed through multiple introductions from North America, during a period in which genetic structure was rapidly changing in association with human-mediated landscape alteration in eastern North America. Only recently have genomic approaches have been applied to present-day populations of ragweed, demonstrating the increased power of reduced representation genomic

Symposia and Colloquia Wood: Biology of a Living Tissue

SPICER, RACHEL* 1 and EVANICH, DANIEL 2

Sponsored by Developmental and Structural Section and Physiological Section.

Development of symplasmic networks in woody stems

oody stems commonly contain between 5-20% living cells by volume, and up to 80-90% in the specialized stems of select groups (e.g., Adansonia, Adenia). Living parenchyma cells permeate wood in a complex three-dimensional network, creating symplasmic routes between xylem and phloem and linking the stem and leaves. The goal of this talk is to provide an overview of how these networks are established and to highlight key questions that remain about this understudied tissue. Primary xylem parenchyma (PXP) occupies longitudinal strands associated with the proto- and metaxylem and may live for some time after the production of secondary tissue. PXP is derived early in development from tissue beneath the apical meristem in primary shoots, with minimal differentiation. Although PXP is largely unstudied in woody stems, it may be important in leafy shoots where it forms continuous strands that descend from the leaves, enter the stem as leaf traces, and traverse the woody cylinder to join the primary xylem around the pith. In contrast, secondary xylem parenchyma (SXP) makes up the bulk of living cells in wood and is highly differentiated. SXP comprises ray and axial parenchyma, which are derived from two distinct types of initials in the vascular cambium. Axial parenchyma may be specialized in association with vessels, but is also produced at the start or end of the growing season in some temperate zone taxa. Ray parenchyma, although often thought to be specialized in radial transport, is also closely associated with vessels in angiosperms. Distinct ray cells (e.g., upright and procumbent cells) form in many angiosperm species and show taxaspecific distribution patterns but our understanding of their functional roles is limited. Both types of SXP have extreme ranges of longevity (e.g., 2-200 years), with evidence of ray parenchyma outliving vessel-associated axial parenchyma by many years in some species. Important functional roles are filled through the death of SXP, which likely occurs via a form of programmed cell death. Rather than a gradual decline in metabolic activity with age, SXP show an increase in activity shortly before death and are responsible for critical processes that define heartwood formation, including the occlusion of vessels with gums and tyloses, and the synthesis and deposition of phenolic compounds that impart decay resistance to wood. Key questions remaining about the development of these networks include cell fate specification at the vascular cambium, and the the creation of isolated symplasmic domains through plasmodesmatal regulation.

SCHENK, H. JOCHEN

Wood: Biology of a Living Tissue

ood is secondary xylem tissue that is produced by secondary growth. Wood is of vast ecological and economic importance, as a huge store of terrestrial biomass and major component of the global carbon and water cycles, as a source of fuel, paper, and building material. It is often characterized as "dead tissue", because the conduits for water transport are dead at maturity, as are most of the fiber cells in angiosperm wood. The field of research that addresses water transport through wood is commonly referred to as "plant hydraulics", which also implies a purely physical process that requires no activities of living cells. Yet, living cells commonly make up 5-10% of wood volume in gymnosperms and 20-40% in angiosperms, in some cases even up to 80%! The discovery by Eduard Strasburger in 1891 that water transport could occur without the aid of living parenchyma cells largely relegated these cells to the sidelines of wood research, and their main function in textbooks is usually characterized simply as storage. In recent years, new research has focused on the many functions of these living wood cells for transport and storage of water, carbon, and nutrients, as well as for pathogen defense. New functions have been found or hypothesized, including osmoregulation, ionic control of hydraulic conductance, maintenance of the water transport pathway through embolism repair, and secretion of a large number of proteins and even lipids into xylem sap. Other recent research has focused on the transition of living young vessels and tracheids to their dead state at maturity. This symposium will address current research on the development, structure, and physiology of living wood, including the development of vessels, the development and structure of symplastic networks of living cells, the ultrastructure and physiology of specialized vessel-associated cells, the role of living cells in water transport and storage, the dynamics of carbohydrates in living wood cells, and the role of living wood cells in pathogen defense. The goal of this symposium is nothing less than to raise wood from the dead and provide a broad overview of the many fascinating new findings about this very important living tissue.

California State University Fullerton, Department Of Biological Science, PO Box 6850, Fullerton, CA, 92834-6850, USA

Connecticut College, Botany, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT, 06320, USA2Cornell University, Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

through xylem vessels. Wood-inhabiting microorganisms such as decay fungi enter through tree wounds and derive energy from the degradation of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin into simple organic substances. This activity can interfere with the transport of water and mineral nutrients, cause wood discoloration and decay, and destroy the sapwood leading to structural failure or death. Due to the imminent threat posed by xylem-invading pathogens, plants have developed the capacity to defend themselves using both pre-existing and inducible defense responses. Xylem parenchyma, which are among the only living cells in the sapwood, are key components of the physical and chemical barriers which constitute a plant’s pre-existing defenses. More importantly however, parenchyma are essential for the induction of defense responses when successful invasion of the xylem occurs. Specifically, the extra- and intracellular receptors responsible for the recognition of pathogen elicitors are believed to reside mainly within the paratracheal parenchyma cells that are closely associated with tracheary elements. Induced defense responses include the production of tyloses, gels, and gums by parenchyma that physically restrict pathogen movement. Recognition of vascular pathogens also leads to metabolic changes in the xylem parenchyma which result in the excretion into and accumulation of defense proteins and secondary metabolites in vessels including chitinases, peroxidases, proteases, phenolic compounds, pectic substances, and phytoalexins among others. The combination of pre-formed and induced defense responses executed by xylem parenchyma can enable a plant to physically restrict pathogen movement via physical and chemical barriers, and subsequently inhibit or eliminate the pathogen via the production of antimicrobial compounds. Specific examples of the role of xylem parenchyma in pathogen defense will be discussed including recent investigations of the hostpathogen interactions of hickory decline.

STEPPE, KATHY

The role of living cells in water transport and storage

iving cells in xylem and phloem play a vital role in the plant’s functioning. A central quantity that makes them so essential is turgor. Turgor, or the positive pressure in living cells, intimately links tissue water and carbon balances through osmotic pressure. It is also the exclusive driving force for cell wall expansion and growth, and controls cell formation, deposition and assembly of new cell wall material. Understanding dynamics in turgor is thus critical to understand growth and drought physiology of plants. Turgor not only decreases with intensified drought as predicted by the Höfler diagram, but also changes dynamically within a day, because living cells act as internal water reserves that are depleted daily and subsequently replenished overnight to overcome temporal imbalances between water loss by leaf transpiration and water uptake by roots. Water released from living cells serves as an important buffering system (hydraulic capacitance) for smoothing abrupt changes in xylem water potential. Vulnerability of a plant to drought stress thus hinges on the interplay between its sensitivity to cavitation and its hydraulic capacitance. nd then there are these green living cells beneath the bark that are often ignored in the international debate on drought and mortality mechanisms, but which may have far-reaching implication of how plants cope with water deficit. Refixation of respired CO2 by photosynthesis in these chlorophyll-containing cells provides carbon locally, which has been emphasized to become increasingly important under drought, when supply of photosynthate from leaves dwindles due to stomatal closure and impaired phloem translocation. he goal of this talk is to provide an overview of the fascinating new findings about the role of living cells in water transport and storage, and its contribution toward maintenance of the functional integrity of xylem in plants.

USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, 200 WT Weaver Blvd., Asheville, NC, 28806, USA2Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul, Korea3USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 1561 Lindig Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

Ghent University, Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Coupure links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium

JACOBSEN, ANNA L

Xylem vessel development in the secondary xylem of woody plants

BLAEDOW, RYAN* 1, PARK, JIHYUN and JUZWIK, JENNIFER 3 2

ithin the secondary xylem of woody plants, vessel elements undergo a series of developmental steps, including the differentiation of vessel elements from fusiform initials, the expansion of the cells, the formation of the secondary cell wall, and the eventual opening of the end walls and lysing of cellular contents. The timing of vessel element development may be quite prolonged and varies between species. Secondary xylem vessel elements within the stems of Vitis vinifera mature over several weeks and stems maintain a large proportion of living vessel elements throughout most of the growing season. Similarly, vessel elements may take as long as 10 weeks to mature in Quercus and is also a several week process in Populus. Because of the long period of development and maturation of vessels, xylem may be able to dynamically respond throughout the season as growing conditions change through the development of structurally different vessels (most apparent in the ex-

The Role of Xylem Parenchyma in Pathogen Defense

he xylem, while considered to be nutritionally poor in comparison to other plant tissues, is constantly confronted with a wide range of pathogens and wood decay organisms. Vascular wilt diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and oomycetes are among the most destructive diseases of woody perennials. Xylem-invading pathogens in particular can cause catastrophic disruptions in hydraulic conductivity through the production of phytotoxins, physical occlusion of tracheary elements, and the elicitation of excessive tylose production that results in severe tree decline or death. In addition, many of the most destructive tree diseases such as oak wilt, dutch elm disease, and laurel wilt are caused by pathogens capable of rapid systemic invasion of plants via spread

Symposia and Colloquia treme differences potentially present between early- and late-wood) or through a change in the suite of vessels that are hydraulically active. Vessel hydraulic activity may be altered both through the maturation of new vessels or through the embolism or occlusion of previously functional vessels. Although vessels are “dead” when hydraulically functional, they represent a component of the xylem that undergoes dynamic changes in hydraulic function seasonally and in response to changing conditions and hydraulic requirements.

of intervessel pit membranes, and a deposition on inner vessel walls. Xylem sap surfactants are suggested to play a crucial role for water transport under tension by coating hydrophobic surfaces of vessel walls and nanobubbles, which enables them to remain below the critical size at which bubbles would expand to create embolism. 1

Ulm, Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Albert-EinsteinAllee 11, Ulm, 89081, Germany2Ulm University, Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, 89081, Germany3California State University Fullerton, Department Of Biological Science, PO Box 6850, Fullerton, CA, 92834-6850, USA

California State University Bakersfield, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, 61 SCI, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA

MORRIS, HUGH* 1, SCHIELE, SANDRA 2, KLEPSCH, MATTHIAS 2, SCHENK, H. JOCHEN 3 and JANSEN, STEVEN 2

PRATT, R. BRANDON

Carbohydrate storage in sapwood of chaparral shrubs: the associations with parenchyma and dehydration tolerance

The structure and multiple functions of vessel-associated cells in xylem

he vascular system of woody plants performs three basic functions: transport of water, mechanical support of the plant body, and storage of nutrients. Most work has focused on water transport and mechanical support and less on storage. We examined the interdependence of these functions hypothesizing that wood that is proficient at one function is necessarily poor at another due to tradeoffs that have their basis in xylem structure. To examine this, carbohydrate content of stems was measured in 32 species of chaparral shrubs along with cell type percentages and functional traits related to dehydration tolerance. The plants were measured in undisturbed and naturally occurring shrublands in southern California in regions with a semi-arid Mediterranean-type climate. We found that carbohydrate content of wood was not strongly associated with parenchyma area of the tissue. Many sampled species had living fibers that were important for storing starch. There was not an association between mechanical strength of wood tissue and carbohydrate storage, which may be partially due to living fibers that can support both mechanical and storage functions. There was a significant relationship between carbohydrate storage and dehydration tolerance (cavitation resistance and minimum seasonal water potential) with more dehydration tolerant species (greater cavitation resistance and lower minimum seasonal water potential) having lower levels of carbohydrate storage. This finding was supported by phylogenetic independent contrasts. We conclude that evolutionary forces have led to the association of carbohydrate storage in woody tissues and dehydration tolerance because of they are part of an adaptive suite of traits as opposed to arising due to tradeoffs between xylem structure and function.

essel-associated cells (VAC) occur in the xylem of woody and herbaceous angiosperms and are in direct contact with a vessel wall via half-bordered pits. VAC can be ray or axial parenchyma cells and characterised by a high amount of mitochondria and ribosomes, a well-developed endoplasmic reticulum, few plastids, and various small vacuoles. These organelles indicate a high metabolic activity. Angiosperm vessels show considerable variation in the amount of VAC, although there is a continuum between vessel contact cells and distant cells. Interestingly, we find a positive correlation between vessel diameter and axial parenchyma fraction, which is also reflected in the amount of paratracheal axial parenchyma. This relationship is supported at the interspecific level and within growth rings of ring-porous species. VACs show multiple functions, including: (1) storage of water, while starch is typically absent, with possibly functional consequences for hydraulic capacitance, embolism avoidance and/or refilling, and positive root/ stem pressure, (2) xylem-phloem interactions via symplastic connectivity between parenchyma cells across ray initials in the vascular cambium, and (3) defence and resilience to frost, wound response, and pathogens. Several of these functions are likely affected by the unique, “protective” or “amorphous” layer that is most pronounced between the plasmalemma of the VAC and the parenchyma-vessel pit membrane. Unlike vessel-vessel pit membranes, the pit membrane and amorphous layer of VAC show pectic polysaccharides, which play a major role in the production of gels and tyloses in response to aging processes (heartwood formation), wounds, and infections. Additional features of VAC include a highly efficient osmoregulation to obtain hydraulic equilibrium with xylem sap in adjacent vessels, and super-cooling to avoid frost damage. A novel, functional role of VAC is the secretion of surface active molecules that can lower surface tension (i.e., surfactants) from vesicles that cross the VAC plasmalemma and secrete their contents via the amorphous layer and pit membrane into the xylem sap. The release of these insoluble lipid based surfactants explains not only their origin in xylem sap, but also the occurrence of an electron dense “black cap” on the outermost layer of the parenchyma-vessel pit membrane, micelles in pores

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY BAKERSFIELD, DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311-1099, USA

The Importance of Communicating Science

in our classes. This will, in turn, lead to improved science literacy in the general public. University of Oklahoma, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

Sponsored by Systematics Section / ASPT, American Society of Plant Taxonomists and Economic Botany Section.

The challenges of effectively communicating science to almost everybody

WOLFE, ANDREA D.

The Importance of Communicating Science

ffective science communication takes place along a continuum of background knowledge from a small group of professional peers to the general public at the other. At the professional end of the continuum we value details, data, complex analysis, concepts and hypotheses, and a mastery of the relevant literature. For the general public our professional communications are nearly unintelligible. At this end of the continuum effective science communication must focus on the basic ideas, the concept, and our understanding using limited technical language (jargon), details, data, and complexity, achieving a virtual distillation, an aqua vitae, of knowledge, and doing so without serious distortion or over simplification. Since many of us earn our living as educators, we are well aware of this continuum and the challenge of communicating effectively at different places along the continuum although much of our education and training emphasize peer communications. As you move along this continuum, each successive set gets progressively much larger in terms of how many people are in the set, and the level of understanding diminishes. However there is also less need to communicate so many details. I shall take this opportunity to elaborate on some keys to effective science communication to the general public including knowing what you want to communicate to your audience and why it needs to be communicated, and translating and interpreting science into language intelligible to non-scientists.

Nothing in science has any value to society if it is not communicated, and scientists are beginning to learn their social obligations. "Anne Roe - The Making of a Scientist (1953), 17. Academics practice communication skills all the time - primarily in the classroom or in presenting their research to a targeted audience through publications and talks at scientific conferences. Having broader impacts beyond the "ivory tower" is something we all think about when submitting a grant proposal, but how do we actually measure those impacts, and how can we creatively reach the K-Gray audience to capture their interest? This is particularly relevant in the context of the recent "I am a botanist" campaign sponsored by the Botanical Society of America. Raising awareness of botany as a scientific discipline, and the real importance of plants is more challenging than raising awareness of charismatic megafauna

Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 432101293, USA

ARMSTRONG, JOSEPH E

UNO, GORDON

Science Literacy in the General Public and in the Classroom: What Is Our Message?

Illinois State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL, 61790-4120, USA

otanists benefit from a scientifically literate society and an interested and botanically literate student population. We have opportunities and responsibilities to promote literacy in our classes, however, scientific illiteracy in the general public exists in part because scientists and science educators often do not have a clear, unified message about the scientific information they communicate. Botanical/scientific illiteracy in our classes results from several interacting factors including studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lack of pre-knowledge, a lack of interest in plants and of intellectual curiosity in our students, and a lack of understanding by faculty in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;power of the basics.â&#x20AC;? All of this can be fixed. If scientific/biological literacy is an important outcome, then we must first understand what literacy means and how we can help students reach that goal. A model of biological literacy recognizes different levels; students enter our courses at the lowest level while possessing misconceptions about a variety of concepts, but they may not rise to higher levels of literacy. We need to capitalize on student misconceptions and use validated active learning methods and inquiry-based activities to promote science literacy

VERDOLIN, JENNIFER

Why Does it Matter?: Communicating Science to Make it Relevant

n early 2015 the Pew Research Center released polling results revealing that scientific literacy has not increased and there is an ever-widening gap of understanding between scientists and the general American public on fundamental scientific issues. An American public that lacks a strong grasp of science has obvious implications for individual, social, and policy-level decision-making on matters such as public health, disease risk, and global sustainability. Paradoxically, as scientific literacy remains low, the most popular articles on the Internet often use scientific information to analyze our own behavior and the behavior of those around us. The public today has greater access to scientific information than ever before and applies this information to their daily lives, yet misconceptions abound. Why is

Symposia and Colloquia this? One reason may be how we, as scientists, talk about science. Another may be that science is often disseminated and communicated to the broader public via news outlets. To reach the casual science consumer, a fresh approach to communicating science is needed. First, by taking advantage of the changing science communication landscape scientists can begin to take control of how their work is distributed and therefore perceived by public. Second, we must make it relevant to daily life. Linking research to topics salient to individuals in universal ways is one of the most powerful ways to subtly introduce important scientific concepts and change the publics’ understanding of, and interest in, science. Finally, if we do not value and support the efforts of fellow scientists to communicate science in a manner that truly connects with the public at large, scientific illiteracy will remain a pervasive problem.

writing papers, and talking about science with your students and colleagues, and you have to find time to write grant proposals so that you have money to do all of those things. ow your dean and your funding agency are telling you that they want you to spend time on outreach and engagement. Why should you listen to them? Should you listen to them? There are at least three reasons you should: (1) The institutions your science depends on will thrive only if people appreciate the relevance of science to their lives (and they can“t appreciate something they haven“t been told about). (2) Our democracy can prosper only if people and policy makers have the evidence they need to make good decisions (and you can bet that there will be others ready to give them their version of the evidence, even if you don“t). (3) People can share in the joy of wonder and discovery only if we share our excitement about our discoveries (and we owe it to everyone not to hoard the treasures we have found).

Duke university, Biology

WOLFE, ANDREA D.

University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, U-3043, STORRS, CT, 06269-3043, USA

The Importance of Visual Storytelling in Communicating Science

he communication of important information using pictures predates the written language by tens of thousands of years. Humans are “hardwired” for visual communication, and our ability to retain information improves dramatically with the combination of pictures and words. “A picture is worth a thousand words” is a familiar phrase to us all, but most people would not know that this phrase originated in the early 1900s with the publication of a newspaper article about the use of graphics in advertising. The use of visual images for advertising is still a model for successful communication in the corporate world, and modern society is inundated every day with unforgettable memes from “grumpy cat” to whatever satire is manifesting itself in the latest political campaign. Scientists have important information to share, and a very effective way of communicating our work is to use photography for visual storytelling. Making a good photo that tells a story requires some effort and skill, but if we can grab the attention of people who would not otherwise be attracted to reading an article about science, we succeed in scientific outreach at the K-Gray level. Combining visual storytelling with social media is a way to make science real to an audience who would not otherwise be engaged with scientific research.

#SciComm, media relations, and a botanist on Mars: How to get more than 20 strangers to hear about your latest research when it’s not published in Nature or Science

t has never been easier to share one’s work with a broad audience; but it has also never been easier to feel overwhelmed by the options for doing so. Should you make a video? Write a press release? Post a blog? Or just Tweet about it? Using case studies based on recent attempts to promote new findings through multiple types/tiers of media, this talk will suggest a strategy that every academic might employ when hoping to spread the word on their research outcomes. While taking on the job of promoting your own work might seem like a daunting (or even painful) task, the payoffs ideally include: a) Increased reads and citations; b) Advantages in seeking jobs, tenure, and promotion; and c) Expanding the reach and impact of your science.

Bucknell University, Biology Department, 1 Dent drive, Lewisburg, Pa, 17837, USA

Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 432101293, USA

MARTINE, CHRIS

SOLTIS, PAMELA S.* 1 and JAMES, SHELLEY 2

HOLSINGER, KENT

Communicating Science through Action: Technology-Enabled Citizen Science

Getting more than 20 strangers to care about your research: Why would you want to?

or many members of the public, science is best learned by doing. However, biodiversity education usually focuses on the variety of life and the complexity of ecosystems, an approach that fails to impact public understanding of the economic and ecological importance of biodiversity or transform public behavior toward conservation measures and policies. More-

ou became a scientist because you wanted to discover new things about the world, not because you wanted to spend your time on Facebook or Twitter or because you wanted to become a YouTube star. You want to spend your time collecting and analyzing data,

over, even acquired knowledge often fails to translate into behavioral change that leads to the preservation of biodiversity. Increased learning often becomes a substitute for action rather than its catalyst unless knowledge acquisition is linked to engagement and collaborative effort. Novel technology-enhanced citizen science approaches that link knowledge acquisition to the development of behavior favoring conservation and sustainability can effectively communicate science to a multi-generational public. Citizen science introduces participants to knowledge and skills while allowing them to (1) observe the accumulation of data in real time with geographic specificity; (2) relate scientific findings to relevant public policy efforts at local, national, and global scales; (3) monitor their own (team’s or network’s) data contributions; and (4) participate in issue-specific ecological footprint measurement protocols that encourage sustainable behavior change. Such projects can thus have positive, cumulative, and measurable impacts on biodiversity. Here we introduce iDigBio - the national coordinating center for digitization of biodiversity collections - and describe multiple citizen science projects associated with transcription of label data from herbarium specimens. We have found that citizen science projects can be extremely effective at communicating science and that especially positive user experiences result when innovative technology-enabled citizen science platforms are coupled with in-person social interactions. 1

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19642University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7800, United States

Plant Research and Conservation on the Andes Sponsored by Genetics Section, Systematics Section / ASPT, American Society of Plant Taxonomists and International Association for Plant Taxonomy.

GONZALEZ, LAUREN 2 and URIBE-CONVERS, SIMON 3

Plant Research and Conservation on the Andes

he symposium of Plant Research and Conservation on the Andes will analyze the role of Plant Biologists in the understanding of plant distribution from different perspectives (ecology, systematics, reproductive biology, biogeography) but also in the process of conservation and management of high Andean Flora. The objective of this symposium is to concentrate researchers in different areas of expertise to share new findings, techniques and methodologies but at the same time looking for multidisciplinary approaches to support plant conservation and management in the Andes. This symposium will be a great opportunity to generate a bridge between Andean native young researchers and experienced researchers in the Andes. These future connections could provide an integrated effort for plant research in the Andes. 1

Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura, Av. Rumiñahui S/N, Sangolquí , Pichincha, 17-12-852University of Florida, Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Systematics and Evolutioanry Genetics. , Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA3University of Missouri - St. Louis, Biology Department, One University Blvd., R325 Research Building, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA

URIBE-CONVERS, SIMON 2 and GONZALEZ, LAUREN 3

A Review of Plant Research in the Andes: 2006-2016

he Andes are one of the most rich and biodiverse regions on the planet, with an extension of 1,542,644 km2 from western Venezuela to northern Chile and Argentina. This almost continuous mountain chain separates the western coastal area from the rest of the South American continent, creating a great diversity of niches, including alpine-like regions (páramos, punas, and jalcas), cloud forests, and dry habitats. This ecological partitioning has led to the evolution of numerous species—some groups being the results of extraordinary explosive radiations—that inhabit many different microhabitats. Geological evidence has shown that the Andes started uplifting in the Miocene (~10 MA), and that the northern range of the cordillera is the youngest (~5 Myr), becoming one of the world’s most recent mountain ranges.. Ten percent of all the world’s species are located in the Andes, reaching high levels of endemism (50-60%). However, only 25 percent of their

Symposia and Colloquia rely on avoidance while herbaceous on tolerance mechanisms. Very characteristic patterns have been found in terms of LTR with most woody life-forms relying on avoidance of freezing mainly through an increased supercooling capacity, while most herbaceous species depend on freezing tolerance to survive. With respect to water stress, herbaceous plants tend to be more tolerant with grasses and cushion plants as the most resistant, reaching the highest elevations in the paramo. Giant rosettes are a classic example of a life-form which has been particularly successful establishing in high mountain environments through the evolution and integration of very unique adaptations which are discussed in detail. Having a clearer picture of plant function in the Andes, our next step is to recognize possible plant responses and distribution patterns under current changing environmental conditions of high tropical mountains.

original habitat remains, becoming a conservation priority. Humans have lived in the inter-Andean valleys for thousands of years, and the effects of a growing population continue to threaten biodiversity in this mountain range. Continuing high rates of population growth and the attraction of urban life, underlie the persistence of dense rural settlement patterns in the Andean cities of Bogota, Quito, and Medellín among others, which has led to deforestation and erosion.In this context, plant research in the Andes has increased in the last ten years, leading to more than 2,500 studies published in Science Direct using the keywords “ Andean plants”, as of March 2016. Nevertheless, we need to review our priorities and identify areas where plant biologists need to work together. Having a better understanding of the research that has been done on Andean plants will not only mean getting closer to our conservation goals, but will also help us with our everyday research. This study focuses on papers published in English, and we reviewed the relation among the area of research, country, and implementation of conservation actions.

Universidad de Los Andes, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecologicas (ICAE), Facultad de Ciencias, Nucleo La Hechicera, Merida, Merida, 5101, Venezuela

LAGOMARSINO, LAURA* 1 and DAVIS, CHARLES C. 5

Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura, Av. Rumiñahui S/N, Sangolquí, Pichincha, 17-12-85, Ecuador2University of Missouri - St. Louis, Biology Department, One University Blvd., R325 Research Building, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA3University of Florida, Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Systematics and Evolutioanry Genetics. , Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA

The abiotic and biotic drivers of rapid diversification in Andean lobelioids (Campanulaceae)

he tropical Andes of South America, the world’s richest biodiversity hotspot, are home to many rapid radiations. While geological, climatic, and ecological processes collectively explain such radiations, their relative contributions are seldom examined within a single clade. I explore the contribution of these factors by applying a series of diversification models that incorporate mountain building, climate change, and trait evolution to the first dated phylogeny of Andean bellflowers (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae). My framework is novel for its direct incorporation of geological data on Andean uplift into a macroevolutionary model. I show that speciation and extinction are differentially influenced by abiotic factors: speciation rates rose concurrently with Andean elevation, while extinction rates decreased during global cooling. Pollination syndrome and fruit type, both biotic traits known to facilitate mutualisms, played an additional role in diversification. These abiotic and biotic factors resulted in one of the fastest radiations reported to date: the centropogonids, whose 550 species arose in the last 5 Myr. This study represents a significant advance in our understanding of plant evolution in Andean cloud forests. It further highlights the power of combining phylogenetic and Earth science models to explore the interplay of geology, climate, and ecology in generating the world’s biodiversity.

RADA, FERMIN

Functional diversity in different plant lifeforms of the tropical high Andes

ropical high mountain environments are characterized by strong daily temperature variations (Freezing nighttime and high daytime temperatures throughout the year), seasonal water availability and high daily evaporative demands. The “paramos” are tropical Andean ecosystems composed mainly of low strata vegetation dominated by particular life forms such as the giant rosettes, sclerophyllous shrubs and tussock grasses while at higher elevations acaulescent rosettes and cushion plants increase their presence. Paramos are bounded by the natural continuous forests or cloud forests at approximately 3000 m and permanent snow caps above 4800 m above sea level. The study of these ecosystems is essential because they present the highest floristic diversity and the largest number of endemic species of mountains worldwide. During the past three decades our objective has been to study plant adaptive strategies with the aim of understanding functional diversity in terms of low temperature resistance (LTR), water relations and leaf gas exchange characteristics in different life-forms along elevational and water availability gradients. These studies include trees (32 spp), shrubs (8 spp), giant rosettes (10 spp), acaulescent rosettes (6 spp), other forbs (18 spp), grasses including woody grasses (21 spp) and cushion plants (4 spp) along elevational gradients (2600-4500 m) and contrasting wet and dry seasons. The different life-forms may be separated according to their avoidance-tolerance ability to respond to thermal and water stresses. In general, woody life-forms tend to

University of Missouri- St. Louis, Department of Biology, St. Louis, MO, USA2 French National Centre for Scientific Research, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université de Montpelier, Montpelier, France3University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Göteborg, Sweden4Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany5Harvard University, 22 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States

FROST, LAURA

Patterns of diversification in Andean Citharexylum (Verbenaceae)

MADRIÑÁN, SANTIAGO

"Páramo Plants Online" as a tool for biodiversity studies in a hyperdiverse ecosystem

“

Páramo Plants Online” (paramo.uniandes.edu.co) is an Internet site devoted to documenting de diversity of the flora of the Páramos, a unique hyper diverse high elevation ecosystem in the Neotropics. Páramos are tropical "alpine" ecosystems located above the forest line in the northern region of the Andes. They have a characteristic and unique biota that is the result of complex evolutionary processes, not well understood yet. This has produced a high number of endemic plant and animal species, distributed in an archipelago-like environment highly threatened by global warming. Although distributed biodiversity informatics databases have facilitated access to information regarding species occurrence, ecosystem based datasets are wanting. Knowledge of species representation in the páramos can be used to establish a baseline for the study of the evolutionary patterns and processes of the páramo biota, understand their ecological interactions, and aid in conservation efforts. This project has the general objective of gathering and constructing an online accessible relational database of the flora of the Páramos including georeferenced specimen data, synonymy of scientific names, maps, references to protected areas and references to related published works. We here present a series of statistics derived from the complete data set present in Páramo Plants Online, highligting the importance of the Páramos as an evolutionary hotspot.

University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States

URIBE-CONVERS, SIMON* 1 and TANK, DAVID C. 2

The evolutionary history of Neobartsia (Orobanchaceae)—biogeography, dispersification, genomics, and coalescence 1

University of Missouri - St. Louis, Biology Department, One University Blvd., R325 Research Building, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA2University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA

PEASE, JAMES* 1, DICK, CHRISTOPHER 5, HAAK, DAVID 2, HAHN, MATT 3 , MOYLE, LEONIE 4, SILMAN, MILES 1 and SMITH, STEPHEN 5

Phylogenomics of rapid speciation and adaptation in Andean-Amazonian plant species

Universidad de los Andes, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Kr 1 18A 12, Bogota, DC, 111711, Colombia

he Andean-Amazonian region presents an abundance of challenging systems to study biodiversity. The wild tomato clade (Solanum sect. Lycopersicon) includes 13 species that rapidly diversified in less that 2.5 million years in phenotype, habitat, and reproductive mode. Using clade-wide whole transcriptome data from this group, we identified a complex mix of forces--including introgression, rapid lineage-specific adaptation, and environmental selection on ancestral variation--that produced this rapid diversification. Using these approaches, I plan to continue investigations of rapid speciation and adaptation processes in other key Andean-Amazonian plant groups to not only understand their individual evolutionary histories, but also to build a comprehensive framework of the climatological and environmental history of this dynamic multiecosystem. 1

Wake Forest University, Biology, Box 7325 Reynolda Station, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA2Virginia Tech, Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, 170 Drillfrield Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA3Indiana University, Biology and School of Informatics and Computing, 1001 E Third St, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA4 Indiana University, Biology, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA5University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 830 North University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

Symposia and Colloquia Novel Approaches to Plant Evolution from Paleontological, Physiological, and Developmental Perspectives

informative Paleozoic specimens. Secondary phloem on the other hand is often degraded or lost (decortication) before fossilization; it is however relatively well preserved in some representative Paleozoic taxa. We will see how the study of these fossils is essential to obtain a more accurate picture of secondary xylem and phloem evolution. Three major points will be addressed: (1) The organization of secondary xylem and secondary phloem in the oldest representatives of the lignophytes, the aneurophytalean progymnosperms of the Devonian, and how it compares to inferences on the ancestral organization of these tissues that are based solely on extant plants; (2) Secondary xylem and phloem anatomy in other Devonian lignophytes: the archaeopteridalean progymnosperms (the first lignophytes to develop the tree habit) and the first seed plants. We will also look into the secondary xylem anatomy of the Devonian Stenokoleales, a group considered by some authors as closely related to the seed plants but in which the presence of a bifacial cambium has not been demonstrated; (3) The diversification of secondary xylem and secondary phloem organization from the Early Carboniferous on, and how it likely reflects the diversification of growth habit and habitats of the seed plants. Some of these Early Carboniferous taxa presented combinations of characters not seen in extant gymnosperms. We will discuss how this fits within evolutionary trends based on the study of extant taxa and we will present future directions for this research. *with the possible exception of Sphenophyllum.

Sponsored by Ecological Section.

he interactions between plant communities and their diverse pollinators are key for the reproductive success of plants and nutrition for pollinators. However, environmental changes including declines in habitat quality (loss, fragmentation, and degradation), invasive species and climate change could be jeopardizing these critical interactions. Ecologists have long known that species interactions can be context dependent. Now as these conditions are rapidly changing, will the interactions be altered or even broken? Thus it is imperative to assess if and how the dynamics of these interactions may have been impacted over time. To do so, researchers need to develop creative methods to determine how these interactions may have changed thus far and may be changing in the future. Here, we review the literature on the approaches that are being used to quantify potential changes in these interactions. Using a series of keywords, we have searched major databases (e.g. Web of Science) as well as directly searching within key journals to identify relevant studies. We have organized the assessments into three general approaches. First, historical, where researchers have used information such as collections (plant and pollinators), photos, and in rare cases historic data to determine the patterns in the past. Second, observational, where researchers use current data sets or comparative methods such as assessment of interactions or diversity within different size habitats to document the current patterns. Third, experimental, where researchers have directly altered the environmental conditions, such as warming studies, followed by assessment of the plant -pollinator dynamics to determine responses to direct environmental changes. We compare the strengths and limitations of all these approaches and highlight how the understanding gained from them collectively will give us comprehensive insight to what we might expect in the future.

CHANG, SHUMEI* 1 and BYERS,

DIANE L 2

Studying plant pollinator interactions in changing environments: approaches, lessons and future directions

he mutualistic interaction between plants and their pollinators is not only key for the health of terrestrial ecosystems but is also fundamental for human food production. This essential mutualism has been significantly impacted by the recent rapid changes in our natural environment due to invasive species, climate change and habitat loss and fragmentation. Understanding the range and the nature of such impacts require solid science in order to develop strategies against any negative consequences. Considering the importance of this mutualism and the complexity of factors involved in environmental changes, new approaches and novel techniques are critically needed. For example, recent studies have used novel approaches to combine the information from the past (e.g., insect or plant collection records) and present to make an informed projection into the future. Others take community or larger scale genetic approaches to assess current responses to these environmental changes. Additionally, outreach projects that recruit citizen scientists to collect data in a large geographic scale is another example of a fruitful approach to simultaneously collect relevant data and raise public awareness about these important issues. New collaborations that bring together the strength of these research topics will be key for success in evaluating the changes as well as devising solutions to some of the problems created by human mediated environmental changes.

Illinois State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, CAMPUS BOX 4120, NORMAL, IL, 61790-4120, USA2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2Illinois State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, CAMPUS BOX 4120, NORMAL, IL, 617904120, USA

DEMARIANO, AUDRA J. 1, MILLER-STRUTTMANN, NICOLE 2, HOCH, PETER C. 3 and KRAKOS, KYRA N.* 4

Historical pollen data as a comparative tool in climate change studies

hanges in flowering abundance and composition are altering historical patterns in plant-pollinator relationships. As pollinators respond to changes in climate, fire management, and/or land-use, the quality of pollination services they provide is predicted to shift. In a woodland-grassland mosaic landscape at Shaw Nature Reserve (SNR) in eastern Missouri, most species flower

earlier, and co-flowering diversity has increased, particularly later in the growing season. Competition for pollinators increases with flower diversity, all else being equal, and plant reproductive success could suffer. To fully understand the impacts of changes in plant phenology on these relationships, historical data on pollinator behavior are required. However, it is rare to have data on both flowering phenology and pollinator behavior at the same location. Here we leverage archived specimens of five bee species collected over a 70-year span at or near SNR to determine if and how pollinator foraging behavior changes in response to changing phenology. Pollen was removed from insects using a non-destructive technique and identified using a pollen library. Pollen load analyses provide deeper insights into pollinator foraging behavior than visitation records alone by dissociating pollen and nectar foraging. We assessed changes in pollen load size through time using linear regression. To test for effects of pollen load size on pollen diversity, we used multiple regression, with pollen load size and time as continuous factors. When pooled across species, pollen load did not vary through time. However, temporal shifts in pollen load size vary by species, indicating that data from multiple pollinator species are needed for complete analysis. Pollen load size decreased over time for two species (Andrena carlini and Augochlora pura), increased for Apis mellifera, and remained constant for two Bombus species. Pollen diversity increased with load size, indicating that analyses should measure both diversity and load size. After accounting for differences in pollen load size, diversity of pollen carried decreased through time in three of the five bee species, contrary to prediction. Deposition of less heterospecific pollen may lead to improved pollination services, enhancing plant reproductive success. Theseresults suggest that archived specimens can be used to explore changes in pollinator foraging behavior, since pollen carried can be compared with pollen on individuals of the same taxa in the same plant communities through time. Archived insect collections can provide insights into changing plant-pollinator partnerships due to species invasions, climate change, and land-use change, provided that detailed records and repeat collections exist.

flowering time and shorter-term records of bumble bee elevational distributions. In the first community, flowering phenologies of 14 tallgrass prairie species were manipulated in greenhouses before exposing plants to pollinators in the field to measure visitation and pollination rates. Six of the plant species were known from historical data to have advanced their flowering times, whereas eight of the species had not shifted their flowering phenologies. Visitation rates differed for the two groups: species that are flowering earlier did not experience reduced visitation when that shift was forced, whereas species that have not advanced did. In the second community, we reciprocally transplanted seeds of 11 subalpine wildflower species along an elevational gradient. For five of these species, we also collected data on seed set and bumble bee visitation rates. Several species of bumble bees in the community are known from historical data to have moved upward in elevation over the past 40 years, potentially reducing pollination success at lower elevations. The patterns we found thus far are species-specific: for three species seed set was positively related to elevation, for two species seed set was positively related to visitation, and for one species seed set was positively related to both elevation and visitation. These patterns can be explained in light of shifts in the elevational distributions and relative abundances of bumble bees. The results of the transplant experiments allow inferences about whether plant populations are locally adapted, which might impede or facilitate spatial and phenological shifts. Together, experimental and historical data can advance our understanding of how plant-pollinator communities will be affected by climate change-induced shifts in space and time. Washington State University, Entomology, P.O. Box 646382, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

BURKLE, LAURA* 1, RUNYON, JUSTIN 2 and GLENNY, WILLIAM 3

Climate change can alter floral scent and pollinator attraction

he worldwide decline in pollinators highlights the importance of understanding how factors associated with climate change may affect plant-pollinator interactions. Components of climate change have the potential to strongly influence plant traits important for attracting pollinators, including floral volatile organic compounds. We examined how drought, elevated CO2, and leaf herbivoryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;key components of climate changeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;affected floral display, floral volatiles, and the visitation rates and community composition of pollinators to four forb species in Montana. Leaf herbivory changed floral scent and reduced pollinator attraction in one forb species. While experimental drought reduced flower size and floral display in all species, there were species-specific effects of drought on volatile emissions per flower, the composition of volatile compounds produced, and subsequent pollinator visitation rates. Drought also influenced the floral visitor community across forb species, indicating that some groups of pollinators were deterred while others were attracted. Preliminary data suggest that elevated CO2 can also influence floral traits and visitation by pollinators. These results suggest that floral volatiles provide informationrich signals to pollinators under shifting environmen-

1 Maryville University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA2SUNY College at Old Westbury, Biological Science Dept., Old Westbury, NY, 11568, USA3Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA4Maryville University, Department of Biology, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63141, USA

RAFFERTY, NICOLE

Using experiments and historical data to study temporal and spatial shifts in plantpollinator communities under climate change

lant and pollinator communities are shifting in space and time in response to climate change, exposing species to novel abiotic environments and altering their interactions. By combining experimental manipulations with historical data on phenology and species distributions, we can gain novel insight into the consequences of these shifts. I will illustrate how experiments in two communities were informed by historical data from long-term phenological records of

Symposia and Colloquia tal conditions and that floral volatiles may be relatively more important than visual plant traits for pollinator attraction, particularly under climate change. The potential implications of these findings for pollinator and habitat conservation and restoration will be discussed.

HAVENS, KAYRI* and VITT, PATI

Tracking Plant Phenology and its Importance for Plant-Pollinator Interactions

Montana State University, Ecology Department, P.O. Box 173460, Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT, 57917, USA2USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 1648 S. 7th Avenue, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA3Montana State University, Ecology Department, P.O. Box 173460, Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA

aced with a changing climate, plants may respond via plasticity, adaptation or migration, and failing one or more of these responses may go extinct, locally or globally. One common plastic or adaptive response to climate change is altered phenology. Phenological shifts are well documented in many plant species, with most of the temperate species studied exhibiting earlier leaf break and flowering in response to warming temperatures. We will discuss the development and use of Project BudBurst, a national citizen science campaign to track plant phenologies and how the data are being used. We will also provide a case study, using the rare native thistle, Cirsium pitcheri, on the importance of phenology for plant-insect interactions and the conservation of both plants and pollinators.

BELL, KAREN LEANNE* 1, BROSI, BERRY J. and BURGESS, KEVIN 2 1

Applying pollen DNA metabarcoding to the study of plant pollinator interactions

ollination networks are typically constructed with visitation data, i.e. recording of visual observations of flower visits. Prior work has confirmed the advantages of an alternate approach: identifying pollen carried by flower visitors, which integrates information from multiple flower visits by each visitor and thus can allow for better-resolved networks with less field time. The major shortcoming of this approach, however, is that traditional microscopic identification of pollen is slow, of limited taxonomic resolution, and requires extensive expertise and training. An alternative means of pollen identification, DNA barcoding, could potentially enhance the speed and the accuracy of pollen identification using techniques common to almost any basic molecular biology lab. Several recent studies have demonstrated proof-of-concept for pollen DNA metabarcoding. Pollen in mixed-species samples can be identified through mixed-amplicon sequencing of standard DNA barcoding markers (e.g. chloroplast rbcLa or ribosomal ITS2) on the Illumina MiSeq platform. In this presentation, we apply these recently fine-tuned DNA metabarcoding methods to the construction of pollination networks from bee-carried pollen in managed forest ecosystems in the southeastern USA. We also make specific recommendations for using these methods in the study of pollination networks, based on our results, including the use of more PCR cycles to account for small pollen grain counts on many pollinators. Further advances in this work, such as standardization of the bioinformatics pipeline, and development of methods to allow quantification of species proportions, would increase the use of these methods in the study of plantpollinator interactions.

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

Emory University, Environmental Sciences, 400 Dowman Drive, Level 5, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA2Columbus State University, Biology, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, GA, 31907, USA

loci as well as plastid and mitochondrial genomes assembled from off-target reads. The use of morphological data will allow researchers to explicitly incorporate species known only from fossils, historically significant herbarium specimens, or other sources where DNA data are impossible to collect. These data and the resulting phylogeny will be freely distributed to support taxonomic studies across the flagellate plants. The second goal of the project is to link the phylogeny to numerous other data layers, including morphology, genome and life history variation, and geospatial distribution data, to facilitate analyses aimed at understanding the key forces that govern diversification. Collectively these tools and data will catalyze research into fundamental biological problems related to the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. Finally, we will develop, evaluate, and distribute online education tools that promote the appreciation of flagellate plant diversity and systematic biology, and support citizen science activities that promote flagellate plant awareness and scientific literacy. We are actively seeking partners for this project and encourage anyone working on flagellate plants to contact us.

Seed-free Plants at the Genomic Scale Sponsored by American Bryological and Lichenological Society and American Fern Society.

JOHNSON, MATTHEW* 1 and SIGEL, ERIN 2

Seed-free Plants at the Genomic Scale

his is an exciting time to be studying non-model plant systems. The reduced cost of high-throughput sequencing methods and the development of analytical pipelines for analysis of the large amount of data has enabled genome-scale research on seed free plants without the benefit of closely related genomes. Many of these techniques are aimed at reducing the complexity of the genomic data for phylogenetic or population genetic studies, including transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), genotyping-by-sequencing (RADseq), and targeted bait capture (Hyb-seq). This colloquium will focus on the applications of these methods in seed-free plants, emphasizing the work of early-career scientists asking a broad array of questions about the evolution of gene families, the genetic consequences of polyploidy, fine-scale biogeography, microbiome diversity, and phylogenetic systematics using hundreds of genes.

University Of Florida, Biology, Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Florida, Biology Department, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3University Of Florida, Department Of Biology, Bartram-Carr Hall, P.O Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4University of Florida, College of Education, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA5The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 606056Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 606057University of Arizona, School of Information, PO Box 210074, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA8University Of Florida, P.O. Box 118526, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States2Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013

SESSA, EMILY BUTLER* 1, MCDANIEL, STUART F. 2, DAVIS, E. CHRISTINE 3, ANTONENKO, PAVLO 4, VON KONRAT, MATT 5, GAUS, EVE 6, CUI, HONG 7 and BURLEIGH, GORDON 8

A comparison of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes within a family of green algae

Building a comprehensive evolutionary history of flagellate plants

or the first ~300 million years of plant life on land, Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flora consisted entirely of flagellate plants, which today include approximately 30,000 species of bryophytes, lycophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms. Numerous major innovations, including stomata, vascular tissue, roots, leaves, woody stems, and seeds, evolved first in flagellate plant ancestors. The flagellate plants are represented today by vibrant and diverse lineages that contribute substantially to global ecology, particularly via contributions to global carbon and nitrogen cycles. These plants predominate in the modern taiga and tundra biomes, and drive key global biogeochemical cycles, with major implications for the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climate. Studies of flagellate plant lineages, therefore, provide a window not only into the early evolution of terrestrial plant life, but also into the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping biodiversity today. The first goal of this project is to generate a species-level phylogeny of the flagellate plants, based on both DNA sequence variation as well as morphological data extracted from floras and taxonomic resources using natural language processing methods. Molecular markers will include several hundred nuclear

MCMANUS, HILARY A

he diversity of green algal lineages at the organellar genome level is recently garnering more attention, highlighting various trends in genome size, architecture, and gene content. A majority of these comparisons are across orders and classes, with relatively little focus on within-family comparisons. In an effort to increase our understanding of organellar genome evolution in the green algae, chloroplast and mitochondrial genome sequence data were collected from the freshwater family Hydrodictyaceae (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae). The family comprises the morphologically diverse genera Pediastrum and Hydrodictyon, that form microscopic and macroscopic coenobia, respectively. In 2005, phylogenetic analyses of the family using nuclear 18S, ITS-2 and 28S rDNA data resulted in taxonomic revisions, however additional sampling and phylogenetic studies have been unable to resolve critical relationships necessary for further taxonomic revisions. Complete chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of the hydrodictyaceaen taxa Stauridium tetras, Pseudopedistrum boryanum, Pediastrum duplex, Pediastrum angulosum, Lacunastrum gracillimum, and Hydrodictyon reticulatum, representing six phylogenetic groups, are characterized. The chloroplast genomes range in size from 143,193 bp to 225,641 bp, while the mitochondria range from 37,723 to 53,560 bp. The size variability of the or-

Symposia and Colloquia ganelles is primarily due to intergenic region expansion. Each chloroplast genome sampled contains an inverted repeat. A comparison of the genomes tests for phylogenetic patterns of gene rearrangements and architecture that may aid in resolving phylogenetic relationships and support necessary taxonomic revisions.

algae, a smaller paraphyletic assemblage known to be closely related to land plants. Therefore, understanding the genetic composition of prasinophyte algae is fundamental to understanding the diversification and evolutionary process that may have occurred in both green lineages. In this study, we report the newly sequenced chloroplast genome of Pyramimonas parkeae NIES254 and comparative studies at the inter-specific level and intra-specific level of prasinophyte chloroplast genomes. The results showed that, at both levels, prasinophyte chloroplast genomes show high variability in their organization, gene content, and gene order. It is also worth noting that the differences we observed at the intra-specific level of P. parkeae is currently the highest variability known to occur at the intra-specific level. The variability has 5 aspects. First, the genome size of NIES254 and another strain (CCMP726) are not the same. NIES254 chloroplast genome is longer than that of CCMP726 by 3,024 bp and the variation in length is present in all three informative regions: LSC (288 bp), SCC (5,088 bp), and IR (1,086 bp). Second, there are four large hotspot regions where the similarity value between the two studied strains is close to zero. Third, this is the first evidence of inverted repeat boundary movement at the intra-specific level. Fourth, the boundaries of the inverted repeat at the IR-SSC junction have undergone contraction or expansion not for just a few nucleotides, but for about 2.5 kbp, resulting in differences in copy number of three protein coding genes: ycf20, psaC, and ndhE. Fifth, protein coding genes present in the chloroplast genomes have been subjected to different selection pressure, judged by uneven substitution rate. Most genes were subjected to purifying selection but atpH, petA, petN, psaJ, psbI, psbK, psbL, psbZ, and ycf12 exhibit neutral mutation.

Le Moyne College, Biological Sciences, 1419 Salt Springs Rd., Syracuse, NY, 13214, United States

BURNS, JOHN , PAASCH, AMBER* , NARECHANIA, APURVA and KIM, EUNSOO

Food vs. photons: The genomics of a green alga that eats bacteria

ngestion of a photosynthetic bacterium was a key step in plastid genesis and the evolution of photosynthetic eukaryotes. The ancestor to Chloroplastida (green algae and land plants) is presumed to be bacterivorous. A major phenotypic transition occurred in this lineage from heterotrophy to mixotrophy to autotrophy. Yet, almost all extant members of Chloroplastida are solely photo-autotrophic. Recently, however, Cymbomonas tetramitiformis, a prasinophyte green alga, was definitively confirmed to ingest bacteria into a large, permanent vacuole while also conducting photosynthesis. Since then, two additional prasinophytes have been found to ingest fluorescently-tagged bacteria. Cymbomonas has phenotypic characteristics in common with the hypothetical pre-photosynthetic ancestor and serves as a model to study plastid acquisition. We sequenced the Cymbomonas genome and performed comparative analyses to determine the influence of nutritional mode on a genome. We found a clear distinction between obligate heterotrophs, autotrophs and mixotrophs, like Cymbomonas. Cymbomonas harbors genes related to feeding that tend to be missing in obligate autotrophs, and it harbors genes related to small molecule biosynthesis (i.e. amino acids) that tend to be missing in obligate heterotrophs. These results suggest that feeding facilitates gene loss in biosynthetic pathways. Over time, the accumulation of missing biosynthetic pathways in heterotrophs may impede newer lineages, such as metazoans, amoebozoans and ciliates, from becoming autotrophic after acquiring a photosynthetic endosymbiont.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison , WI, 53706, USA

LIU, YANG* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW , RAFAEL, MEDINA 1, NICOLAS, DEVOS 3, WICKETT, NORM 4, SHAW, A JONATHAN 3 and GOFFINET, BERNARD 1 2

Resolving the backbone phylogeny of mosses, using targeted NGS data from plastid, mitochondrial and nuclear genomes

American Museum of Natural History, Invertebrate Zoology, 79th St. at Central Park West, New York, NY, 10024, USA

SATJARAK, ANCHITTHA* and GRAHAM, LINDA E.

Comparative studies of prasinophyte chloroplast genomes

rasinophytes form a paraphyletic assemblage of early diverging green algae. The heterogeneity in their morphologies and the results of phylogenetic analyses of some marker genes suggest that prasinophytes have the potential to reveal the traits of the last common ancestor of the main two green lineages: 1) chlorophyte algae, the putative clade that includes the majority of the modern green algal species, and 2) streptophyte

lthough major lineages of mosses have been well recognized, the relationships among them are still incompletely unresolved. The approach based on analyzing morphological traits or sequences from selected DNA loci seem to have reached a bottle neck. In this study, we have sampled via a liquid phase enrichment strategy the protein coding exons of 82 plastid, 40 mitochondrial, and 150 single-copy nuclear genes for 140 moss taxa that span all major lineages of mosses, and sequenced these on an Illumina MiSeq platform. We will present details of the methodology for generating the enriched libraries (e.g., enrichment efficiency relative to phylogenetic distance), for sequence assembly and quality assessment, and also present features of the data. Inferences from combined organellar exons, using three liverworts to root the tree, yield a well resolved and

highly supported topology. The targeting of all genomic compartments for an identical and broad phylogenetic sample of mosses allows for the estimation of variation in relative substitution rates among genes and among taxa.

MEDINA, RAFAEL* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, LIU, YANG 3, BUDKE, JESSICA 4, WILDING, NICHOLAS 5, HEDDERSON, TERRY 6, WICKETT, NORM 7 and GOFFINET, BERNARD 8

University of Connecticut, 75 N Eagleville Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States3130 Science Drive, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA4Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

Zooming in on the rapid radiation of the Funariaceae

ome of the difficulties of molecular phylogenetics are the reconstructions of evolutionary radiations in which the hierarchy of the tree cannot be resolved. This is often detected as a rapid succession of cladogenetic events with short branch lengths and low supports due to a reduced number of informative sites. This scenario characterizes the crown group of the family Funariaceae, a diverse lineage of fast growing mosses, which includes the model species Physcomitrella patens and Funaria hygrometrica. The rapid radiation in this family relates to a series of reductions of the sporophyte that can provide insights about the mechanisms and frequency of deep morphological transformations. Previous attempts using up to 10 loci were insufficient to resolve the topology of the family tree. In order to multiply the number of informative sites that may untangle this radiation, we opted for a phylogenomic approach, which combines high-throughput sequencing with targeted enrichment. We cultured 91 different accessions of Funariaceae samples (and outgroups), DNA barcoded them to test the identification against the original voucher, and prepared genomic libraries. The libraries were normalized, pooled and enriched using two sets of oligonucleotide baits: one from the exons of 123 organellar genes and a second one with a selection of 800 nuclear genes. The fragments of the libraries that hybridized with the baits were recovered, amplified, and sequenced. We subsequently recovered the reads in silico with HybPiper, aligned, and analyzed them. Inferences from these genomic data confirmed that a) much of the diversity of the Funariaceae arose over a relatively short period of time and b) that the Funarioideae and Funaria are monophyletic whereas Entosthodon composes a paraphyletic group subtending the Physcomitrium complex. A resolved phylogeny opens the door to a critical reconstruction of the evolution of sporophyte architecture of this lineage.

CARRELL, ALYSSA* 1, KOLTON, MAX 2, KOSTKA, JOEL 2, GLASS, JENNIFER 2, SHAW, A JONATHAN 3 and WESTON, DAVID J 1

Characterizing the Sphagnum-microbiome: From natural surveys to manipulation studies

eatland ecosystems are estimated to store one-third of terrestrial carbon as dead organic peat. Peatlands dominated by Sphagnum moss sequester more carbon in temperate and boreal ecosystems than any other plant. Additionally, Sphagnum are host to microbes that are primary drivers of peatland ecosystem functions such as nitrogen fixation and methane oxidation making the Sphagnum phytobiome an important component of global climate and functioning. Despite the important role this phytobiome may play in global processes, we know very little about its assembly, interaction and functioning. To begin characterizing the Sphagnum phytobiome, we are working with the DOE JGI to sequence multiple Sphagnum species and the genomes of 200 S. fallax individuals from a pedigree as well as microbial isolates. We have also profiled 16S rRNA genes of bacterial communities of experimentally warmed Sphagnum. Together with 16S rRNA gene surveys of Sphagnum phytobiome and constructed communities of isolated strains in gnotobiotic microcosm experiments we aim to elucidate 1) the genetic basis of Sphagnum-microbe association patterns 2) the function of the phytobiome components and 3) the consequences of environmental perturbations on the phytobiome.

University Of Connecticut, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States3University of Connecticut, 75 N Eagleville Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States4University Of California - Davis, Department Of Plant Biology, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA5University of Cape Town, Department of Biological Sciences, Privatebag, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa6University of Cape Town, Privatebag, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa7Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States8University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, U-3043, STORRS, CT, 06269-3043, USA

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, 1 Bethel Valley Rd, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA2Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Biology and Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA3130 Science Drive, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

Symposia and Colloquia tocene, (mean 5.2 Ma, 95% HPD 1.4 - 7.0 Ma). We compare levels of intraspecific variation in T. fuegianus across three types of datasets (four standard phylogenetic loci, complete organellar genomes and nuclear ribosomal repeat, and RADseq data) and discuss the utility of these distinct sources for reconstructing the evolutionary history of a widespread and disjunct complex.

CHEN, KO-HSUAN* 1, LIAO, HUI-LING 1, ARNOLD, A. ELIZABETH 2 and LUTZONI, FRANCOIS 1

Metatranscriptomic analysis of the moss Dicranum scoparium reveals active fungal communities and functionalities across a senescence gradient

University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Connecticut, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville Road, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States3University of North Texas, Philosophy, Denton , TX, 76201, USA

osses are known to be associated with a variety of microorganisms including fungi. However, only a few moss-fungus interactions have been investigated and their symbiotic interactions remain mostly unknown. The moss Dicranum scoparium has three main growth stages: 1) a photosynthetic layer at the top of moss mats, 2) a mainly dead layer with minor decomposition in the middle, and 3) a highly decomposed layer in the lower portion of gametophytes. Having the same moss individual with all three growth stages provides an opportunity to study transitions of fungal community and function in response to host senescence. The metatranscriptomes of plants, including D. scoparium, contain fungal transcripts in addition to expected plant transcripts, and the activities of both partners can be studied simultaneously. By integrating methods ordinarily used for detecting Differential Gene Expression (DGE) and microbial communities for metatranscriptomics, we show that that active fungal communities in D. scoparium are structured by the degree of senescence. Overall, fungi of the phylum Ascomycota are more active in the photosynthetic layer, while Basidiomycota are more active in decomposing tissues. Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Chytridiomycota, Mortierellomycotina and Mucoromycotina were detected but not as abundant. The functions of fungal communities were also investigated, with a focus on the activities of genes related to decomposition and nutrient transportation. Our study demonstrated that metatranscriptomics is a promising tool to study complex symbiotic systems both in terms of taxonomic and functional aspects of symbiotic communities.

100

JOHNSON, MATTHEW* 1, GOFFINET, BERNARD 2, SHAW, A JONATHAN 3 and WICKETT, NORM 4

A re-evaluation of ancient horizontal gene transfer in bryophytes using comparative transcriptome data

he invasion of land coincided with the development of novel complex regulatory systems in plants and the proliferation of gene families unique to the embryophytes. Many have hypothesized that ancient land plants attained genes for these new functions through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from fungi, bacteria, or viruses. Previous efforts to characterize HGT in land plants uncovered many candidate genes, but were limited by genomic resources, especially taxon sampling in the bryophytes. The availability of new genome-scale datasets, such as the transcriptomes from the OneKP Project, permit a broader approach to investigate the incidence, frequency, and timing of potential HGT events. Detecting HGT requires careful consideration when constructing sequence databases, setting parameters for BLAST searches, and for evaluation of gene tree topologies. We evaluate these methodological challenges and provide evolutionary context to previously identified HGT candidates in bryophytes. Our taxon sampling allows us to further identify several HGT events that occurred within specific clades of bryophytes in genes with no known ortholog in the seed plants. This finding suggests that HGT was not limited to the early origins of land plants, but has been a common component of genome evolution in bryophytes for millions of years.

Duke University, Department of Biology, 137 Bio Sciences, 130 Science Dr., Durham, NC, 27708, USA2University of Arizona, School Of Plant Sciences, 1140 E South, Campus Dr. Forbes 303, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States2University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolution, 75 North Eaglevlle Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States3130 Science Drive, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA4 Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

LEWIS, LILY R.* , LIU, YANG , ROZZI, RICARDO 3 and GOFFINET, BERNARD 2

Uncovering the evolutionary history of the dung moss Tetraplodon fuegianus: A comparison of Sanger, organellar genomic, and RADseq datasets

opulations of the South American sub-Antarctic endemic Tetraplodon fuegianus compose a monophyletic lineage that diverged from high-latitude Northern Hemisphere populations of T. mnioides during the late Miocene to Pliocene, (mean 8.6 Ma, 95% HPD 3.0-10.1 Ma), and diversified in the late Miocene to late Pleis-

then discuss how an understanding of phase-specific gene expression in homosporous ferns helps to illuminate the regulatory changes that may have been associated with the shift from gametophyte-dominant to sporophyte-dominant land plant life cycles.

101

GRUSZ, AMANDA* and SCHUETTPELZ, ERIC

Consistently inconsistent: Transcriptome data reveal widespread molecular evolutionary rate asymmetry in ferns

Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 200132California State University, Fullerton, Department of Biological Science, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA

he plastid genome has, until recently, been the primary molecular resource for evolutionary studies in ferns. Now transcriptomics in non-model plant systems has progressed to a point where the examination of nuclear genome-wide patterns in understudied groups is also possible. Here, we utilize transcriptome data in the first genome-wide comparative study of molecular evolutionary rate in ferns. We focus on the ecologically diverse family Pteridaceae, which comprises about 10% of extant fern diversity and includes the enigmatic vittarioid fernsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an exclusively epiphytic, tropical lineage known for dramatically reduced morphologies and radically elongated phylogenetic branch lengths. Using 2091 loci sampled from 12 species spanning the family, we ask whether previously documented heterogeneity in plastid substitution rate is reflected in their nuclear genomes. We then inquire whether variation in evolutionary rate is being shaped by genes belonging to specific functional categories and test for differential patterns of selection. Our results reinforce recently reviewed mechanisms hypothesized to shape molecular evolutionary rates in vittarioid ferns and provide novel insight into substitution rate variation both within and among the nuclear genomes of ferns.

103

MARCHANT, BLAINE* 1, BARBAZUK, WILLIAM B. 2, KIRST, MATIAS 3, SESSA, EMILY BUTLER 4, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 5 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E 6

Gene evolution and specificity underlying the alternation of independent generations in Ceratopteris richardii

he alternation of generations between a haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte is a key tenet of understanding plant biology. Although all plants have these two life stages, the dominance and interdependence of the gametophyte and sporophyte vary widely among major lineages of plants. All seed plants have highly reduced and dependent gametophytes - in some cases the latter consists of a mere three cells (angiosperm microgametophytes). In constrast, in non-vascular land plants (i.e., mosses, hornworts, liverworts) the sporophyte is dependent upon the dominant multicellular gametophyte. Between these two extremes are the ferns (Monilophyta) and lycophytes (Lycophyta), separate clades of vascular non-seed plants. These two groups are unique in that most species have completely independent sporophytes and independent gametophytes. To understand patterns of gene evolution underlying the transition from gametophyte dominance to sporophyte dominance in land plant evolution, we performed comparative analyses on transcriptomes from both the gametophytic and sporophytic life stages of Ceratopteris richardii, a homosporous fern. Our results demonstrate the gene specificity and gene family evolution that accompanies two completely independent life stages.

Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013

102

SIGEL, ERIN* 1, SCHUETTPELZ, ERIC 1 and DER, JOSHUA 2

Phase-Specific Gene Expression in the Homosporous Fern Polypodium amorphum

ll land plants have life cycles that alternate between multicellular gametophyte and sporophyte phases, but the manifestation of these two generations as independent entities is most extreme in homosporous ferns and lycopods. In these lineages, sporophytes and gametophytes exist as temporally and physically distinct organisms that differ in morphology, physiology, persistence, ecology, and (usually) chromosome number, but share a common genomic composition. Hence, phasespecific morphologies and functions are largely the result of differential gene expression. Here, we present the results of a biologically-replicated, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing experiment in which we compare the gene expression profiles of the gametophyte and sporophyte phases of the homosporous fern, Polypodium amorphum Sukds. Remarkably, only 10% of the approximately 35,000 genes surveyed exhibited significant differences in transcription level between the two phases and less than 3% of genes were found to be expressed in just one of the two phases. We explore the partitioning of expression for particular gene families (e.g., phototropins) between phases and investigate rates of molecular evolution in phase-specific genes. We

U Florida, Biology, USA2University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA3University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19646University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32605, USA

Symposia and Colloquia ever, the underlying molecular mechanism of how these nutrients are exchanged between Azolla-Nostoc remains unknown. Currently, we are using a combination of phylogenetics, transcriptomics, and confocal microscopy to elucidate the mechanism of ammonium and sucrose exchange in this intimate association. Through genomics and phylogenetics, we have identified the ammonium transporters (AMTs) and the putative sucrose transporters (SUTs) in the genome of Azolla filiculoides.

104

DER, JOSHUA P.* 1, SIMENC, MATHEW 1, CHENG, SHIFENG 3, LIU, XIN 3 , WONG, GANE KA-SHU 4, BRAUTIGAM, ANDREA 5, SCHLUEPMANN, HENRIETTE 6 , PRYER, KATHLEEN 7 and LI, FAY-WEI 7

The genome and annotation of Azolla filiculoides

Duke University, Department of Biology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA2Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA

zolla filiculoides is a fast growing aquatic fern capable of fixing nitrogen via symbiosis with cyanobacteria. Azolla has been used for centuries as a biofertilizer in cultivation with rice and has potential for use in phytoremediation of contaminated water, as a nitrogen-rich animal feedstock, and in the generation of alternative biofuels. A heterosporous fern with a small genome size, we have sequenced and annotated the nuclear genome of Azolla to bridge an important gap in genome information in land plants. We used a whole genome shotgun approach using high-coverage PacBio long read sequencing data, combined with extensive transcriptome support. Transposons and other repetitive sequences were extensively annotated using a multifaceted approach. Protein coding genes were annotated using the MAKER-P pipeline. I will provide an overview of our assembly, the repeat content and gene annotations, and will describe some of the ongoing comparative and functional analyses of the genome.

106

LI, FAY-WEI

Fern genomes on the horizon

erns are the final frontier in plant comparative genomics. Although ferns are known to have notoriously large genome sizes (average 1C>10 Gb), our ongoing work has identified some small-genome species. As a community effort, we have assembled and annotated two complete heterosporous fern genomes: Salvinia cucullata and Azolla filiculoides, and here I will highlight some of our key findings. I will also present our progress on three additional fern genome projects, which together with Ceratopteris, will provide a broader picture of fern genome evolution.

Duke University, Department of Biology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

California State University, Fullerton, Biological Science, Fullerton, CA, USA2Heinrich Heine UniversitĂ¤t DĂźsseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany3BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China4University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, CW405, Biological Sciences Bldg. , Edmonton, AB, AB T6G 2E9, Canada5Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Stadt Seeland, Germany6Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands7Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

105

EILY, ARIANA* 1, LI, FAY-WEI 1, GILE, GILLIAN 2 and PRYER, KATHLEEN 1

Insider trading: Understanding nutrient exchange in the Azolla-Nostoc symbiosis

zolla, a small genus of aquatic ferns, has immense green potential to positively impact the globe. Azolla owes this distinction to the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium, Nostoc azollae, which it harbors within specialized cavities in each of its photosynthetic leaves. The Azolla-Nostoc symbiosis is unique among known plant-bacteria symbioses in that the cyanobiont is intimately associated with the fern throughout its life cycle. During sexual reproduction, Nostoc akinetes reside in the indusium chamber above the Azolla megaspore. In the growing sporophyte, Nostoc filaments are enclosed within a mucilaginous network in the leaf cavity, and are closely associated with specialized hairs that arise from the adaxial epidermal cells of Azolla that form the boundary of the leaf cavity. These hairs are believed to play roles in nutrient exchange between the two symbionts. Ammonium is produced by the cyanobiont and taken up by the plant; sucrose is produced by the photobiont and supplied to the cyanobacterium. How-

Patterns and Processes of American Amphitropical Plant Disjunctions: New Insights

108

SIMPSON, MICHAEL* 1 and GUILLIAMS, MATT 2

What are American amphitropical disjunctions and why are they interesting?

Sponsored by Systematics Section / ASPT and American Society of Plant Taxonomists.

lants with an American amphitropical disjunction (AAD) are those that occur on either side of the American tropics but not within, a biogeographic pattern that has been recognized for some time for a number of groups. We consider first the biogeographic boundaries of AAD plants and the obvious need to evaluate vegetation regions or ecological zones and the correlated features of climate, topography, and geological substrate in assessing distributions. The taxonomic entities to be evaluated for AAD need to be clearly evaluated, whether infraspecific, conspecific, or congeneric pairs (e.g., sister species), or closely related species groups (ideally clades). AAD plants are often assumed to have arisen by natural (non-human) events, but possible introductions by humans in historical times can now be assessed. Character evolution is quite interesting to trace with AAD plants, both possible preadaptations to dispersal, such as self-compatibility and propagule morphology and physiology (e.g., endozoochory versus ectozoochory), and possible adaptations following dispersal, such as shifts in perenniality or chromosome number. One of the more interesting aspects of this line of research is evaluating the mechanism by which plants originally attained a current AAD distribution. The ruling dogma is that the great majority of AAD plants attained their current distributions by long distance dispersal. Under this scenario, seeds or fruits may have moved between the continents in a single dispersal event, e.g., between two desert or Mediterranean-type climate regions, or via two or more shorter dispersal events, e.g., in a stepping-stone fashion along the American Cordillera, but vicariance hypotheses might also be considered. Assessing the number and timing of dispersal events is now possible with molecular dating methods. Here we summarize knowledge of AAD plants and give examples of each of the preceding facets of investigation. With continued research on AAD plants, we may accumulate enough data to evaluate if events resulting in AAD distributions exhibit signals of a common pattern among taxonomic groups, these correlated with past geologic or climatic events or with life history features that have shaped the survival and evolution of these plants in novel habitats.

107

SIMPSON, MICHAEL* 1, GUILLIAMS, C. MATT 2 and WHITTALL, JUSTEN BRYANT 3

Patterns and Processes of American Amphitropical Plant Disjunctions: New Insights

fascinating aspect of plant biogeography is the occurrence of a number of closely related plant groups in temperate, desert, or polar regions of both North America and South America, but rarely intervening tropical regions. This distribution, which may be termed American Amphitropical Disjunction (AAD), has long been recognized by phytogeographers as a recurring pattern, mainly among herbaceous angiosperms. The primary research question remains: how did various plant groups come to have an AAD pattern of distribution? This question can be tackled as several corollary questions: 1) What is the mechanism by which plant groups have attained an AAD distribution: vicariance and/or long-distance dispersal? 2) How frequently and when did these dispersal events occur? 3) What are inherent features of AAD lineages that might have enabled them to attain an AAD distribution? 4) Can similar patterns of AAD distribution be correlated with common historical climatic or geological events? 5) What selective forces may have permitted the survival and radiation of dispersed plants and how are these reflected in morphological or reproductive traits? The current hypothesis accepted by most workers for most plant groups is that of long-distance dispersal, most likely by migratory birds, and at multiple times in the past, with a general north to south bias. However, with modern phylogenetic and comparative methods, these topics can be addressed more explicitly. This symposium will provide an opportunity to synthesize phylogenetic results from several angiosperms lineages - both from phylogenetic analyses of specific taxonomic groups and from comparative analyses of data from systematics, geology, and climatology.

San Diego State University, Department of Biology, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA2Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Conservation & Research, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA

San Diego State University, Department of Biology, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA2Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Conservation & Research, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA3Santa Clara University, Department Of Biology, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA

Symposia and Colloquia 109

allopolyploidization and gradual divergence, that have led to the formation of novel species. Insights gained from these examples are likely generalizable to other taxa, though the data useful for discerning processes of diversification in many of the known disjuct species groups is presently lacking.

TANK, DAVID C.

The evolutionary origin of Castilleja (Orobanchaceae) in South America

Brigham Young University, Biology, 4102 Lsb, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA

110 KEN 2

112

LEWIS, LILY R.* 1, BIERSMA, ELISABETH M. 2, ROZZI, RICARDO 3 and GOFFINET, BERNARD 4

DREW, BRYAN T* 1 and SYTSMA,

Amphitropical disjunctions in New World Mints (Lamiaceae)

American temperate and polar amphitropical bryophytes

he tribe Mentheae, with about 2300 species, contains about one third of the total species in Lamiaceae. The Mentheae is further subdivided into 5 subtribes, with the Menthinae possessing the greatest generic diversity with about 38 genera. Most of these 38 genera occur in the New World, apparently as a result of a single dispersal event from Europe to North America in the Late Miocene. Several genera within this New World clade of mints exhibit amphitropical disjunctions with varying patterns.

he floras of the northern and southern temperate to polar regions are particularly rich in bryophyte species. In contrast to the typical pattern of decreasing biodiversity with increasing latitude, species richness of bryophytes increases with increasing latitude, along with the ratio of bryophytes to tracheophytes. Connectivity between these bryophyte rich regions is revealed by a known 77 bryophyte species with American amphitropical disjunctions. We provide a brief summary of shifts in biogeographic and evolutionary concepts relevant to amphitropical bryophytes driven by modern molecular phylogenetic approaches. Amphitropical disjunctions in bryophytes have been typically recognized as occurring below the level of species, compared to many angiosperms for which amphitropical disjunctions occur at broader taxonomic ranks, a trend which likely reflects species concepts. We discuss special features of bryophytes, such as totipotency and microscopic diaspores that facilitate long distance range expansions between the northern and southern temperate and polar regions by migrant birds. Lastly, we synthesize results from the reconstruction of the phylogeographic history of the American amphitropical dung moss, Tetraplodon with other molecular phylogenetic studies, and suggest early emerging trends and considerations for the study of modern temperate to polar amphitropical disjunctions.

University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA2University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

111

JOHNSON, LEIGH

Stasis, evolution, and extirpation: exploring the fates of angiosperm species post longdistance dispersal with examples from Polemoniaceae

mphitropical disjunct distributions between western North America and western South America are intriguing systems for understanding patterns and processes that drive plant diversification. Over 130 instances of species or species pairs with established distributions in temperate regions on both American continents are known, and this disjunct pattern has been characterized by a number of studies. A review of temperate American aphitropical disjuncts show the importance of pre-adaptations for both dispersal and establishment. Here, specific examples of dispersal, establishment, speciation, and extirpation are investigated using several herbaceous species from the phlox family (Polemoniaceae) and molecular data to address hypotheses concerning relative timing of specific instances of dispersal (i.e., pre- or post-Columbian) as well as the timing of dispersal events relative to processes, such as

University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK3University of North Texas, Philosophy, Denton , TX, 76201, USA4University of Connecticut, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville Road, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States

Amsinckiinae, and perhaps more generally, is the result of long-distance dispersal by migratory birds.

113

GUILLIAMS, MATT* 1, MABRY, MAKENZIE 2, HASENSTAB-LEHMAN, KRISTEN 3, BALDWIN, BRUCE G. 4 and SIMPSON, MICHAEL 5

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Conservation & Research, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA2University of Missouri, Division of Biological Sciences, Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA3Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Avenue, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA4University of California, Berkeley, Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA5San Diego State University, Biology, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA

Exploring patterns and mechanisms of American amphitropical disjunction in the Amsinckiinae (Boraginaceae)

msinckiinae is a diverse and ecologically important subtribe of annual herbaceous or perennial suffrutescent taxa with centers of distribution in western North America and southern South America. Recent analyses show the subtribe to consist of at least two, early-diverging, North American genera (with two additional, monotypic genera of ambiguous placement), plus a large clade of North and South American genera, referred to here as the “core Amsinckiinae.” This core group minimally includes 9 genera: Amsinckia, Cryptantha s.s., Eremocarya, Greeneocharis, Harpagonella, Johnstonella, Oreocarya, Pectocarya, and Plagiobothrys; overall minimum-rank taxonomic diversity in core Amsinckiinae is 330-342 taxa, with 245-257 taxa occurring in North America, 86 in South America, and 4 in Australia. Despite their prevalence on the landscape and a history of botanical research for well over a century, much research remains to be done in Amsinckiinae, especially with respect to biogeographic patterns in the Americas. Here we present new biogeographic analyses spanning the subtribe based on high-throughput genome skimming data, with a focus on inferring the number, directionality, and timing of dispersal events between North America and South America. Using a subset of Amsinckiinae, we then assess putative morphological correlates of dispersal such as reduced fruit size and increased ornamentation using phylogenetic comparative methods. Our analyses show that the common ancestor of the Amsinckiinae was likely from North America, with all inferred dispersals going from North America to South America or Australia. Amsinckiinae taxa have dispersed between North America and South America 17 to 19 times. Model comparison in BioGeoBEARS strongly supports a biogeographic model that includes dispersal-cladogenesis. Therefore, using node age estimates as an approximation for dispersal age, our analyses show strongly non-synchronous dispersals, with most occurring between roughly 5 MYA and 30 KYA. Comparative analyses show a statistically significant negative relationship between dispersal and fruit size, as well as a statistically significant positive relationship between dispersal and some but not all aspects of fruit ornamentation. Taken together, our analyses support the relatively recent development of the American amphitropical disjunction pattern in the core Amsinckiinae, beginning in the Miocene to early Pliocene. Based on the strongly asynchronous dispersal ages and statistically significant relationships between dispersal and morphological features of the fruit that may promote animal dispersal, we favor the hypothesis that the American amphitropical disjunction in the

114

VILLAVERDE, TAMARA* 1, ESCUDERO, MARCIAL 2, BRUEDERLE, LEO P. 3, STARR, JULIAN R. 4, MARTêN-BRAVO, SANTIAGO 1 and LUCEÑO, MODESTO 1

The bipolar disjunction in biogeography: case studies in genus Carex (Cyperaceae)

ne of the most fascinating plant distribution patterns is the bipolar disjunction. Bipolar species occur at very high latitudes (>55°N and >52°S) in both hemispheres, regardless of their distribution in intermediate areas. Thirty vascular plant species have such distribution, being Carex (Cyperaceae) the genus with the largest number of bipolar species (C. arctogena, C. maritima, C. canescens, C. magellanica, C. macloviana and C. microglochin). It is also the best-studied genus in this respect, since different biogeographic hypotheses (vicariance, convergent evolution, long-distance dispersal and human introduction) have been tested for the six species. We review the biogeographic studies of the six bipolar Carex species based on morphological, molecular and bioclimatic data. The low levels of genetic differentiation found between populations of both hemispheres for all six species and relatively recent times of diversification allow us to reject all but the long-distance dispersal hypothesis (including direct long distance dispersal and mountain hopping). The species probably migrated from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere, occupying different climatic niches in each hemisphere.

Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Botany Area, Ctra. de Utrera, Km1 sn, Seville, Seville, 41013, Spain2Universidad de Sevilla, Plant Biology and Ecology, Botany Area, C/ S. Fernando, 4, Seville, Seville, 41004, Spain3University of Colorado Denver, Integrative Biology, Campus Box 171, Denver, CO, 80217-3364, USA4University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canda

Symposia and Colloquia 115

SAUNDERS, KELSEY* and SCHENK, JOHN J.

Determining long-distance dispersal modes in amphitropically distributed species through adaptive diaspore structures

ong-distance plant disjunctions are mysterious. There are over 130 closely related plants distributed both in California and South America, yet nowhere in between. Charles Darwin posited that avian dispersal created these large distributional gaps, known as amphitropic disjunctions. Yet, many of these plants lack characteristics that would seem to facilitate bird dispersal and most do not currently occupy habitats conducive to dispersal by the types of birds known to make such long distance migrations. Avian dispersal may not be the only mechanism to explain these plant distributions. Approximately 3.2 million years ago, the closing of the Isthmus of Panama afforded an unprecedented migration of primarily large, flocculent animals from North America to South America. This mammalian migration, known as the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI), lasted until approximately 1.4 million years ago and provides an alternative hypothesis that may explain some amphitropic plant disjunctions. We examined the directionality and age of 75 amphitropic dispersal events across 38 genera by building phylogenetic trees using sequences from the nuclear-ribosomal-ITS region available in Genbank. We then used ancestral-statereconstructions to infer the directionality of the dispersals and dated these events using the average substitution rate of the ITS region. The results strongly support GABI as a viable alternative to explain many amphitropic plant disjunctions. Ancestral-state-reconstructions indicate 55 of 75 events proceeded from North to South America - reflecting the primary direction of GABI. Furthermore, 81.3% of sampled disjuncts have dispersal dates that coincide with GABI. This provides a plausible, if not likely, alternative mechanism that helps explain the mystery of long-distance amphitropic plant disjunctions.

repeated pattern of amphitropically disjunct species or sister species distributed on either side of the equator has long-fascinated botanists, but the modes of these disjunctions have been debated. To determine the modes of long-distance dispersal, we evaluated diaspore morphology to identify probable dispersal mechanisms. We investigated the sizes and structures associated with dispersal in fruits, seeds, or spores for 134 species from 42 families. Among angiosperms, seeds were the dispersing propagules in 23% of the species, whereas 77% were dispersed as fruits. Our preliminary assessment identified that diaspores were dispersed endozoochorously (10%), exozoochorously (73%), and anemochorously (17%), but not hydrochorously (0%). An analysis of variance revealed that diaspores associated with endozoochory were on average 7 mm larger than exozoochorous and anemochorous diaspores (P < 0.001), but no significant difference between the latter two. Structures involved with exozoochory included hairs, barbs, or burrs in fruits, and hairs or gelatinous surfaces in seeds. Anemochory involved winged seeds, pappus, or spores in ferns. Botanists have long-held the assumption that bird migrations are responsible for amphitropical disjunctions. Among angiosperms, our results support this assumption, with the majority of these events occurring by external attachment of small fruits. However, our results also indicate that wind dispersal might play a greater role in producing amphitropical distributions than previously thought, and at a greater rate than endozoochory or hydrochory.

Santa Clara University, Department Of Biology, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA2Santa Clara University, Biology, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, United States

Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA

118

PARK, MICHAEL S

116

OLMSTEAD, RICHARD G* 1, LUIRVING, PATRICIA 2, FROST, LAURA 3 and SLAGER, DAVID 4

Plant dispersal bias from North to South America facilitated by shorebird migration routes

Patterns of interior continental disjunctions, examples from Lamiales, and an exploration of possible mechanisms

n plant taxa, long-distance dispersals between California and Chile -- two important biodiversity hot spots with Mediterranean climates, have occurred predominantly from north to south. Birds are suspected vectors for seed dispersal, but surprisingly few species of birds migrate between these regions. Grassland sandpipers (grasspipers) are long-distance migrants that utilize habitats occupied by plants with these disjunct distributions. The bias towards dispersal to Chile can be explained by differences between aggregate fall and spring migration trajectories of these sandpipers. Grasspiper migration to temperate South America originated prior to most (if not all) dispersal events linked to these habitats and appears to have been driven by the expansion of grasslands after middle Miocene cooling that coincided with the formation of the southern peninsula of North America.

University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, CAMPUS BOX 355325, SEATTLE, WA, 98195-5325, USA2University of Arizona, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA3University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA4University of Washington, Biology, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

117 WHITTALL, JUSTEN BRYANT* 1 and BIRO, PETER 2 The age of amphitropic plant disjuncts coincides with the Great American Biotic Interchange

Nature Connectivity, PO Box 5505, Berkeley, CA, 94705, USA

119

worms or non-native plants. We propose a Sentinel Approach to assess deer browse impact on plants based on performance (survival, growth, reproductive effort) of individually marked specimens. These individuals can be remnant specimens in areas under assessment, or they can be planted. The selection of appropriate species is made locally based on community composition and ease of implementation. We have tested this approach in New York using a combination of planted specimens (3 month old oak seedling, Quercus rubra) and marked individuals of native perennials (Trillium, Maianthemum, Eurybia, Polygonatum) that are either protected from or exposed to deer herbivory. The strength of this approach is that typical problems associated with multiple stressor impacts can be avoided, areas devoid of vegetation but under heavy deer browse pressure can still be assessed, the methods are simple lending themselves to implementation by non-specialists, and this data collection can allow development of sophisticated demographic models and ecological forecasting. Implementation of regular or continued assessments can guide ungulate management based on meaningful evidence. We recommend assessing deer impacts on plants using marked individuals and their performance and hope that similar protocols can be developed to assess impacts on other biota.

GORCHOV, DAVID L

Interactions of white-tailed deer and invasive plants in forests of eastern North America

any forested areas of the eastern North America are impacted by both invasive non-native plants and high densities of white-tailed deer. Deer populations above historical densities and invasive plants have both been found to have negative effects on tree recruitment and diversity of forest floor plants, but the interactions between these “drivers“ are not well understood. Reductions in native herb cover due to intense deer browse appears to promote the invasion of some non-native forbs and grasses that are considered to be unpalatable, so these invasives may be “passengers“ rather than drivers of ecological change. Other invasive plants are readily consumed by deer, and it is not clear how deer preferences are shaped by the availability of native and invasive plants. Invasives may negatively affect native plants via “apparent competition,“ if they increase deer populations by providing cover or food at limiting times of year. In other cases, invasive shrubs may facilitate native tree recruitment by blocking deer browse. Below-ground interactions, including mycorrhizal fungi and non-native earthworms, appear also to be important intermediaries in the interactions between deer, invasive plants, and native plants.

Cornell University, Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2Cornell University, Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States3Natural Area Consultants, 1 West Hill School Road, Richford, New York, 13835, United States

Miami University, Biology, 212 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

121

AVERILL, KRISTINE* 1, MORTENSEN, DAVID 2 and SMITHWICK, ERICA 3

120

BLOSSEY, BERND* 1, DÁVALOS, ANDREA 2 and NUZZO, VICTORIA 3

An indicator approach to capture impacts of white-tailed deer and other ungulates on native plant species presence, performance and demography

Influence of white-tailed deer and forest fragmentation on invasive plants

ffects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimm.) on plant invasion have been investigated at one or a few locations, but not at multiple sites distributed across a wide geographic region. Furthermore, deer and forest fragmentation have been linked individually to plant invasion, yet how these drivers of plant community assembly interact has not been explored. We explored these factors through the open sharing of floristic composition data collected at 24 deer exclusion sites across the northeastern US. Specifically, we quantified the effects of deer on invasive introduced plants relative to native plants in paired deer exclusion and open access plots. Additionally, deer preferences for invasive introduced and native plants were investigated. Effects of deer on invasive introduced plants were then evaluated in the context of surrounding landscape structure and composition. We found that a select group of invasive introduced plants increased in abundance when deer had open access and that deer inhibited the presence and abundance of many native plant species. Deer increased the degree of plant invasion in regional plant communities as a result of their strong negative effect on native plant abundance. Multiple-choice preference trials demonstrated that captive deer avoid consumption of many of the same invasive introduced plants that are facilitated by deer in northeastern forest understories. Selective deer avoidance appears to indirectly increase

anagement of white-tailed deer and other abundant ungulates is contested ground. Foresters, ecologists, conservationists, animal rights groups, suburban communities, hunters and local, state and federal land management agencies argue endlessly about the appropriate abundance of these charismatic ecosystem engineers. These arguments, unfortunately, often lack the evidentiary basis documenting the extent of impacts on individual plants, animals, ecosystems and foodwebs. Typical vegetation impact assessments include woody browse surveys and deer exclosures. While both have value, they also have major shortcomings: fenced plots exclude deer (and a number of other animals) entirely, the size of exclosures and time since fencing matter; and other fencing effects materialize. The woody browse index ignores herbaceous plants, and indicator species preferentially browsed in one area may remain untouched elsewhere. These differences can be a function of deer density as well as localized deer feeding preferences or differences in plant community composition or even differences in palatability or defense chemistry among plant genotypes. Furthermore, in heavily impacted areas the flora may be so depauperate that few remnant individuals remain for assessments. In addition deer interact with other stressors including earth-

Symposia and Colloquia the abundance of unpalatable invaders. In contrast, deer preferred to consume several fleshy-fruited invaders. At the landscape level, forest fragmentation was positively correlated with deer density and plant invasion. Interactions among landscape features, deer presence, and native plant diversity were detected. Consideration of landscape configuration, deer presence, deer food preferences, and native flora enables a more complete understanding of the multiscalar factors contributing to plant invasion.

active radiation (PAR) of plants in deer access areas indicates that deer modify understory light levels. PAR increases are likely the combination of high herbivory rates on native understory species (can exceed 75% of native stems) and modification to the sapling and midstory layers. Importantly, deer never consumed Alliaria, contributing to its high fitness. Our results provide the first physiological evidence by which generalist herbivores alter the abiotic and biotic environment to facilitate plant invasion and highlight the utility in the combining demography with physiology.

Cornell University, Soil and Crop Sciences, 905A Bradfield Hall, 306 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States2Penn State, Plant Sciences, 422 ASI Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA3Penn State, Geography, 323 Walker Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Knoxville, PA, 37996, USA2The National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212, USA

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123

HEBERLING, J. MASON* 1, BROUWER, NATHAN L. 2 and KALISZ, SUSAN 1

Herb layer response to deer exclusion and staged plant invasion within suburban forests

Plant invasion mediated by deer overabundance: linking demographic patterns and ecophysiological mechanisms

eading invasion hypotheses are often framed in terms of community invasibility (e.g., species interactions) or species invasiveness (e.g., “invasive traits”), but the two concepts are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Interactions with generalist herbivores such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can facilitate exotic plant invasions through modifications to the abiotic and biotic environment, but it is unclear whether deer are necessary for a given plant species invasion or merely exacerbate it. Deer populations in Eastern North America have surged well above historic densities, causing marked impacts to community structure and function. Deer may facilitate plant invasion through biased foraging on natives (trophic effects that reduce biotic resistance) or act as ecosystem engineers to transform the abiotic understory environment that benefit invaders’ physiology (non-trophic effects). Here we report on a 13 yr demography experiment in a deciduous forest with deer exclusion, invader Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) removal, and both treatments crossed. We analyze the main and interactive effects of deer on the success of invasives as well as the roles of deer and invasion on native species demography. We uniquely combine long-term demographic data with recent physiological measurements to understand the degree to which deer facilitate Alliaria population growth and further, how the presence of deer influence Alliaria physiology. We found that Alliaria abundance was significantly greater in deer access compared to deer exclusion plots, but this difference varies across years. Our estimates of population growth of Alliaria indicate that this invader is actively spreading in deer access (λ>1) plots but declining (λ<1) in deer exclusion plots. Our physiological data provide a mechanism for these demographic results, Alliaria exhibited higher photosynthetic rates in deer access plots compared to deer exclusion plots. These differences are expressed during months with significant leaf overstory canopy coverage (June-Aug, P<0.001), with no differences before overstory leaf out (March, May) or after canopy leaf senescence (Sept-Jan). After overstory canopy closure, the higher photosynthetically

MORRISON, JANET

ragmented, suburban forests harbor a large proportion of biodiversity across large regions, provide ecosystem services, and offer a connection to nature for many people. Due to their proximity to human communities and little hunting or predation, they are particularly influenced by the dual phenomena of overabundant deer and invasion by many non-native plant species. Understanding the relative importance of these two factors’ effects on suburban forests would inform management and increase our basic ecological knowledge of these understudied ecosystems. We have established a well-replicated experiment combining staged invasions (or not) of Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass) with presence or exclusion of deer (with fences), across six forests in a suburban region of New Jersey (224 16 m2 plots, established Spring 2013). We are using structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the direct and indirect effects of deer, Microstegium, the existing non-native plant community, and other variables on the native herb layer plant community; we aim to understand the forest variables as an interconnected system. The best-fit SEM explained 53% and 59%, respectively, of variation in the spring 2015 native herbaceous and woody percent covers. No paths from Microstegium percent cover to any other variable were significant, even though its average per-plot cover over three years varied from 0-53%. In contrast, chronic deer pressure, measured on a forest basis as -[years of hunting], had a significant, strongly negative influence on the pre-treatment (2012) percent covers of both herbaceous and woody native herb layer plants, which themselves strongly predicted the 2015 values. Exclusion of deer by fencing had additional significant, but positive, effects on the 2015 values, with a greater path coefficient for the herbaceous natives than for the woody natives. The negative influence of chronic deer pressure (but not the positive influence of fencing) extended to percent covers of non-native woody plants in both the shrub and herb layers. In turn, non-natives had negative direct and indirect effects on the 2015 native values. The other major influence (positive) on the natives was the forest’s successional stage, measured as the percent of canopy Importance Value composed of shade tolerant species. Plot-level sunlight and soil moisture variables provided

no significant paths. In the first two years of the experiment, deer, the existing non-native woody community, and the forestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age were the major factors influencing the native herb layer, while novel invasion by Microstegium has had no effect so far.

invasive plant densities or the availability of light) and the susceptibility of different native species to deer and exotic competitors. Deer and invasive plants may also interact to affect natives, as via apparent competition favoring unpalatable exotic species when deer feed preferentially on natives. Deer also indirectly affect native and exotic species by compacting and enriching soils, spreading seeds, and enhancing light levels. We examine these interactions using several approaches. Analyses based on C-scores show diverse interactions that depend on the species involved. The three most common invasives in southern Wisconsin forests (Alliaria, Lonicera, and Rhamnus) have mostly negative associations with native species and particularly those that are habitat-specific and declining. In contrast, interactions with common increasing native species are often positive. Exclosure studies show less soil compaction, lower soil nitrogen, and fewer exotic earthworms in areas protected from deer. These factors plus greater shade and a dense set of native competitors may reduce invasions by exotic plants. We used a replicated 2x2 experimental design to assess the separate and combined effects of herbivory by deer and competition from Alliaria petiolata on five native species that vary in palatability and life form. Deer depressed survival and branching in Uvularia, growth in Geranium and Quercus, and tillering in Carex. Surprisingly, dense Alliaria sometimes protected palatable species from deer herbivory. Oak seedlings and Uvularia, both in regional decline, were more affected by deer than Alliaria but Alliaria reduces oak growth more when deer are absent. Such differentiated responses suggest that we should tailor deer and weedy plant control efforts to particular taxa or communities of concern. In particular, managers seeking to sustain deer-sensitive species should first strive to reduce deer densities - which could itself help control weedy plant invasions. Because deer and weedy plants cumulatively affect native plant communities, their interactive effects will grow along with their populations.

The College Of New Jersey, Department Of Biology, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA

124

WEBSTER, CHRISTOPHER* 1, JENKINS, MICHAEL 2 and ROCK, JANET 3

Plant invasions and deer overabundance in the woodlots of Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

hite-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus) deer act as a keystone species in forested ecosystems. A growing body of literature has identified associations between high deer abundance and the success of invasive plants. We review the history of deer abundance and invasive species in the understory of woodlands in and around Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, USA. Specifically, we synthesize data from long-term monitoring plots and exclosure studies in and around the Cove. Individual species response to historically high levels of herbivory ranged from neutral to strongly positive. Not surprisingly, exotics that were intolerant or intermediate shade tolerance declined on long-term monitoring plots, likely as a result of forest maturation. Bird-dispersed exotic shrubs, such as Rosa multifora, were relatively uncommon but appeared to benefit from perch sites provided by exclosure fences and resurgent woody regeneration within exclosures. The species exhibiting the strongest positive association with deer herbivory was Microstegium vimineum; an exotic, annual, C4 grass that is tolerant of shaded understory conditions. Results from deer exclosures and control plots suggest that this speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to suppress native plants is enhanced by deer herbivory. In fact, while more abundant on exclosure than control plots initially, this species is now substantially less abundant within deer exclosures relative to control plots. Collectively, these observations lend support to the passenger model of community change and suggest that plant invasions be viewed in concert with changes in disturbance regimes and ungulate abundance.

Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

126

BOURG, NORMAN* 1, MCSHEA, WILLIAM 2 and STEWART, CHAD M. 3

Interactive Effects of Deer Exclusion and Exotic Plant Removal on MidAtlantic Deciduous Forest Understory Communities

Michigan Technological University, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA2Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 479072061, United States3TWIN CREEKS NATURAL RES CTR, 1314 CHEROKEE ORCHARD RD, GATLINBURG, TN, 37738, USA

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he interactive relationships between white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory and exotic plant species proliferation has received little study, despite their presumed impacts on native biodiversity and natural areas in eastern North America. The extent to which these interactions affect the composition and persistence of forest understory plant communities was the subject of our study. We conducted a multi-year, 2x2 factorial field experiment in three mid-Atlantic US upland deciduous forests with high densities of deer and exotic understory plants. We predicted that: 1) only deer exclusion and exotic plant removal in tandem would yield increases in native plant species richness and abundance; and 2) deer exclusion alone would lead

WALLER, DON

Separate and combined effects of deer and invasive plants on native forest plants

oth white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and weedy invasive plants can affect the growth, survival, reproduction, and/or persistence of many native plant species. These impacts vary greatly, however, depending on both ecological circumstances (e.g., deer and

Symposia and Colloquia and was greater outside the deer exclosures for C. dentata. There was no difference in the proportion of seedlings browsed in areas with or without L. maackii. There also was no difference in foliar nitrogen concentration among treatments; however relative height growth was greater in the absence of deer for both species. Native herbaceous-layer species richness, evenness, and diversity were greater where L. maackii was removed, but we found little effect of deer after two years of exclusion. While we observed no differences in species richness, diversity, or overall abundance of naturally regenerated tree seedlings, we did observe some differences in individual species densities across treatments. The density of Acer saccharum (sugar maple) was greater under L. maackii, but did not differ with deer exclusion. The density of Fraxinus americana (white ash) increased where L. maackii was removed and deer were present. Prunus serotina (black cherry) density was greatest where L. maackii was removed, but decreased through time regardless of treatment. The presence of L. maackii and deer had a positive effect on the density of Ulmus spp. (elm species). Our results indicate that the exclusion of deer and the control of L. maackii may be necessary for successful establishment and growth of underplanted seedlings in forest restoration efforts. Lonicera maackii removal may also be necessary for the recovery of tree seedlings and herbs, however, the effects of deer on the overall vegetation community may require more time to manifest than the two year duration of this study.

to decreases in exotic plant abundance over time. Plots treated with exotic plant removal that had high initial cover, solely or combined with deer exclusion, exhibited positive responses for species richness and abundance of native herbaceous plants and woody seedlings, while deer exclusion alone caused significant increases in abundance and richness of native tree species greater than 30cm in height. Species abundances in the native sapling community shifted with deer exclusion. Oak (Quercus spp.) saplings proliferated only when exotic removal and deer exclusion occurred together, whereas shade-tolerant maples (Acer spp.) showed no abundance changes across treatments. We also found significant declines in exotic species abundance in deer-excluded plots, particularly for Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum). Our study demonstrates that alien plants and deer impact different components and life history stages of the forest plant community, and control of both is needed for native forest restoration. Manual removal of alien plants combined with deer exclusion will most benefit native herbaceous species richness, while invasive removal alone will positively impact native woody seedling abundances. For larger native woody species, only deer exclusion is needed to increase richness and abundance. Deer exclusion directly facilitated declines in invasive species abundance. Resource managers should address both factors to achieve their forest management goals. 1

U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program - Eastern Branch, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 430, Reston, VA, 20192, USA2Smithsonian, Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA3Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 553 E. Miller Street, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA

Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907-2061, United States2Purdue University, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907-2061, United States

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JENKINS, MICHAEL* 1, FREEMAN, CHARLOTTE 2 and JACOBS, DOUGLASS 2

128

GORCHOV, DAVID L* 1 and MARTINOD, KYLIE 2

Are white-tailed deer responsible for apparent competition between the invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii, and native plants?

The effects of white-tailed deer and Lonicera maackii on native vegetation and underplanted seedlings in mixed hardwood forests

pparent competition is an indirect interaction where one species negatively impacts another through a shared enemy. Some invasive plants are hypothesized to impact native plants by increasing the abundance, or altering the foraging, of shared herbivores. White-tailed deer are generalist herbivores that occur at densities much higher than pre-settlement in many areas of North negative effects on native plants. While deer avoid some invasives, they browse on others, including bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) that are prevalent in many deciduous forests in eastern U.S. In our study site, the Miami University Natural Areas in southwest Ohio, deer browse is sufficient to reduce Lonicera maackii cover and basal area growth. We explored whether this herbivory is sufficient to sustain higher deer populations. e estimated the contribution of L. maackii to annual food consumption by deer by dividing the estimated mass of L. maackii twigs consumed by deer by the estimated total mass of food required by deer. The numerator was estimated by multiplying the esti-

hile the effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle) on forest regeneration have been studied independently, less is known about possible interactive effects. In this study, we evaluated the development of one-year-old Quercus rubra (northern red oak) and Castanea dentata (American chestnut) seedlings in response to L. maackii removal and deer exclusion in five forests of west-central Indiana. The underplanted seedlings were assessed at the beginning and end of each growing season for survival, browse, and growth. Foliar nitrogen concentration and water stress of seedlings were also evaluated. In addition, we measured the cover of herbaceous-layer species and tallied the abundance of naturally regenerated tree seedlings by species. The survival of C. dentata and Q. rubra seedlings was greatest in the areas in which L. maackii was removed and whitetailed deer were excluded. Plant moisture stress was greater in the removal areas for both Q. rubra C. dentata

W 51

mated number of browsed twigs (obtained by monthly census of marked twigs in 100 0.25 x 0.25 m2 quadrats in each of three habitats) by the estimated mass of browsed twigs (obtained by allometric relationships of twig mass with diameter and length of unbrowsed portions of twigs). The denominator was the product of the estimated abundance of deer (from distance sampling of fecal pellet groups) and daily consumption estimates from the literature. epending on which estimate of food consumption we used, our overall estimate for the contribution of L. maackii to deer diet was 40% or greater. Though surprisingly high, we note that L. maackii comprised the majority of woody browse within the height range accessible to deer (0.3 - 2.1 m) in each of the three habitats (deciduous forest, Juniperus virginiana-dominated successional forest, and forest-field edge). The low frequencies of other woody species may be due to decades of high deer browse in these areas, perhaps worsened by shading from L. maackii. Similar invasive-dominated understories are common in eastern North American forests, and our findings suggest these invasive shrubs sustain large deer populations that in turn reduce preferred species of native plants. e are investigating the importance of L. maackiiâ&#x20AC;&#x161;s extended leaf phenology in this interaction, particularly whether deer browse is most intense in the early spring, when the leafy twigs of L. maackii provide more nutritious browse than the leafless twigs of native deciduous plants.

palatable or resistant species). Instead we identified two plant species to be indicators of low earthworm density, five species to be indicators of high earthworm density (two of them non-native), and one species each indicative of high earthworm density in open plots and fenced plots, respectively. We also found that a combination of Acer saccharum and Polystichum acrostichoides or A. saccharum and Viola sororia were indicators of deer exclusion at sites with low earthworm density. Even five years appears insufficient time to detect changes in plant community composition following deer exclusion, particularly at sites with a prolonged deer browse history. Additional time is needed for colonization and/ or for remaining individuals to reproduce and offspring recruitment to be detected in community monitoring. A more promising approach appears assessment of individual plants for their growth, flowering and reproductive success. At our sites individual measurements of Eurybia divaricata, Maianthemum racemosum and Polygonatum pubescens indicated that after five years of fencing plants were larger and had a higher probability of flowering in fenced plots. Deer exclusion interacted with earthworm density and effects on plant community composition were weak, but we found strong effects on performance of plant individuals and in cover of native and non-native species. We recommend a revision of tools to assess deer impacts with a focus on plant individuals and their performance.

Natural Area Consultants, 1 West Hill School Road, Richford, New York, 13835, United States2Cornell University, Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States3Cornell University, Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

Miami University, Biology, 212 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA2Miami University, Biology, 212 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States

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MCSHEA, WILLIAM* 1, BOURG, NORMAN 2, REED, ELIZABETH 3, RAMACHANDRAN, PADMINI 3, OTTESEN, ANDREA 3 and ERICKSON, DAVID 3

129

NUZZO, VICTORIA* 1, DĂ VALOS, ANDREA 2 and BLOSSEY, BERND 3

Assessing plant community composition fails to capture impacts of white-tailed deer on native and invasive plant species

The potential of NGS-metagenomics to determine plant species in the diet of white-tailed deer, and its use to deduce the consumption of exotic and native species

anaging white-tailed deer impacts is creating major challenges for foresters, land managers and conservationists. Deer exclosures, often used to document impacts, may be of questionable utility as impacts may materialize as a function of size, time since construction, other stressors and metrics used. We examined interactive effects of deer, earthworms, and invasive plants using paired plots (30 x 30 m; one fenced and one unfenced) in 12 forests in West Point NY. Sites differed in initial earthworm density, non-native plant cover, and native cover and diversity. Permutational and ordination analyses indicated that plant community composition is associated with earthworm density (and soil pH), with higher understory plant diversity at sites with high earthworm abundance and these differences were maintained over the five year study period (2009-2012). Plant community composition was not affected by fencing but non-native plant cover (Alliaria petiolata and Microstegium vimineum) decreased while native plant cover increased in fenced plots keeping overall plant cover similar across years. In our indicator analyses we expected, but failed, to identify plant species associated with high deer browse pressure (un-

hite-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are widespread herbivores in the eastern deciduous forests of North America. Increasingly high densities of deer have been implicated in changing compositions of herbaceous and woody plant communities in many forest ecosystems. The critical role of herbivory in structuring natural communities is widely accepted, although herbivory is implicated in both promoting and reducing diversity of plant communities. Deer herbivory is thought to disrupt successional pathways and support invasion of native ecosystems by exotic plant species. While increased abundance of deer populations appears to correlate with increased incidence of invasive plant species, data supporting a causal link is scarce. It remains unclear whether white-tailed deer contribute to invasive plant spread by preferential herbivory of native plant species. To address this question, we used a metabarcoding approach (PCR amplicons of rbcl gene) to survey the diet of white-tailed deer (fecal samples), from a forested site with a comprehensive and highly curated plant species inventory and corresponding

Symposia and Colloquia reference collection of plant barcode and chloroplast sequences. We sampled fecal pellet piles and extracted DNA from 12 individual deer in October 2014. These samples were compared to a reference DNA library of plant species collected within study area. For 73.2% of the amplicons, we were able to assign taxonomy at the species level, which provides for the first time - sufficient taxonomic resolution to quantify the relative frequency at which native and invasive plant species are being consumed by Odocoileus virginianus. Species level diversity ranged from 29-57 OTUs per sample and over 86% of all plant barcodes recovered were from native plant species. When compared to the abundance of native and non-natives inventoried in the sampled community, our results support the observation that white-tailed deer have strong forage preferences which may promote some introduced species.

Clarifying Early Euasterid Evolution: A Synthesis of Phylogeny, Morphology, and the Fossil Record Sponsored by Paleobotanical Section.

131

STULL, GREGORY W.* 1 and SCHORI, MELANIE 2

Clarifying early euasterid evolution: A synthesis of phylogeny, morphology, and the fossil record

entianidae (also known as core asterids or euasterids) are a major clade of flowering plants, including ~80,000 species or ~25 percent of angiosperm species richness. The clade encompasses an enormous array of morphological diversity and occurs worldwide in practically all habitats, from tropical rainforest to arctic tundra. Gentianidae are composed of two major subclades, the Lamiidae and the Campanulidae, each with ~40,000 species. The early evolution of Gentianidae (e.g., its age and ancestral morphological traits) is poorly understood due to unresolved phylogenetic relationships (especially among the basal lamiid lineages), incomplete knowledge of morphology and anatomy in the basal lamiid (i.e., Garryales, Metteniusaceae, Icacinaceae, and Oncothecaceae) and basal campanulid (Aquifoliales) clades, and a poorly documented early fossil record.

Smithsonian, Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA2U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program - Eastern Branch, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 430, Reston, VA, 20192, USA3Food and Drug Administration, Molecular Methods and Subtyping Branch, Dividion of Microbiology, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 5100 Paint Branch Rd, College Park, MD, 20740, USA

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural HIstory, Dickinson Hall, Museum Rd. And Newel Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Ohio University, 315 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

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SOLTIS, PAMELA S.* 1, STULL, GREGORY W. 2, SCHORI, MELANIE 3 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E. 4

Character evolution in the early diversification of euasterids (Gentianidae)

entianidae (euasterids) are a major clade of asterid angiosperms including ca. 80,000 species divided somewhat evenly between two major clades (Lamiidae and Campanulidae). Relationships within Gentianidae (and particularly the Lamiidae subclade) have been difficult to resolve, hindering studies of character evolution in the early diversification of this major clade. However, recent studies have greatly clarified phylogenetic relationships within Gentianidae, in particular the branching order toward the base of the lamiid clade. Here we use our improved understanding of Gentianidae phylogeny to investigate early character evolution in this clade. Building on the phylogeny of Stull et al. (2015), we reconstruct the evolution of multiple characters previously emphasized in the classification of asterids (e.g., unitegmic vs. bitegmic ovules, crassinucellate vs. tenuinucellate ovules, cellular vs. nuclear endosperm, bicellular vs. tricellular pollen, presence vs. absence of iridoids, and distributions of specific iridoid compounds). We

discuss the significance of our reconstructions for identifying synapomorphies of major clades (e.g., Lamiidae and Campanulidae) and for establishing a context to investigate subsequent radiations within Gentianidae (e.g., the core lamiids, Lamiales, Asteraceae).

of data sets for both phylogenetic and dating analyses, and highlight avenues for future work. We also discuss the implications of our results for understanding the age, diversification, and biogeographic history of Icacinaceae and the basal lamiids.

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural HIstory, Dickinson Hall, Museum Rd. And Newel Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2 Plant Gateway, 5 Talbot Street, Hertford, SG13 7BX, UK3Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Identification and Naming, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA5University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville , FL, 32611, USA6University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19642University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural HIstory, Dickinson Hall, Museum Rd. And Newel Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3Ohio University, 315 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, USA4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

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SCHORI, MELANIE

Fruit Morphology and Anatomy in Icacinaceae

135

BYNG, JAMES W.* 1, LENS, FREDERIC 2 and STULL, GREG 3

ince 2001, molecular data have clearly separated the polyphyletic Icacinaceae s.l. into several different orders. Many taxa were placed in Stemonuraceae + Cardiopteridaceae (Aquifoliales), and these have recently been studied in terms of their fruit morphology and anatomy. However, fruits of Icacinaceae s.s. (Icacinales) have not been well studied anatomically, even though the family has a significant fossil record based on endocarps. As a group, Icacinaceae s.l. have been difficult to distinguish morphologically, although fruit anatomy has indicated possible synapomorphies for Stemonuraceae (e.g., xylem fiber bundles in mesocarp). Fruits may provide insights for Icacinaceae s.s. as well. Species of 17 of the 23 genera in the family will be embedded and sectioned, allowing comparisons among genera and families, and facilitating comparisons with fossil taxa as well.

Metteniusaceae: Towards a global monograph of the recently expanded family by integrating macro- and micromorphological characters

n the last couple of years molecular and genomic studies have changed the circumscriptions of orders and families in the basal lamiids. Most notably ten genera were transferred from Icacinaceae to the previously monotypic South American Metteniusaceae. The eleven genera now included in Metteniusaceae are poorly understood with varying numbers of species estimated in some genera (e.g. Apodytes, Emmotum, Rhaphiostylis) and in others distributions and ecological data are almost non-existent. Notable unique synapomorphies for the family as a whole are also lacking. Following extensive herbarium work and micro-morphological studies (including wood anatomy, palynology and pubescence structure) we present progress to date on a global monograph for the family.

Ohio University, 315 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

134

STULL, GREGORY W.* 1, BYNG, JAMES W. 2, UTTERIDGE, TIMOTHY M. 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E. 4, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 5 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 6

Plant Gateway, 5 Talbot Street, Hertford, SG13 7BX, UK2Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands3University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

Integrating genomic, morphological, and fossil data for phylogeny reconstruction in Icacinaceae

136

MANCHESTER, STEVEN R* 1 and STULL, GREGORY W. 2

ew studies have explored the feasibility of integrating morphological dataâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from modern and fossil taxaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; with genome-scale data sets, which are now readily available due to continued advances in DNA sequencing technology. We present a phylogenetic study of Icacinaceae (Lamiidae) based on ca. 100 nuclear genes, plastid genomes, and ca. 50 (primarily fruit) morphological characters, sampled from 110 extant species and up to 20 fossil taxa. Icacinaceae are a pantropical clade comprising 23 genera and ca. 150 species, phylogenetically positioned in Icacinales (following APGIV), which are sister to all other lamiids. The family is notable for having an extensive, diverse fossil record spanning a considerable geographic and stratigraphic breadth, making them well suited for this integrative study. Using a variety of analytical methods (including likelihood and novel Bayesian methods for including fossils), we evaluate the best approaches for integrating these types

Where are they hiding? Tracing the elusive fossil record of Lamiidae

ossil occurrences of the Lamiidae are spread around the globe and include representatives of most major subclades, but the record is spotty and the quantity of reliable fossil occurrences varies greatly across the phylogeny. Informative records of the early-divergent portion of the clade include members of Icacinaceae s.s. (extant and extinct genera based on fruits and pollen), Eucommiaceae (Eucommia known from fruits and pollen), and Metteniusaceae (Platea pollen). These fossils indicate a broader geographic range for these families in the past than is seen today. The core lamiid clade (Lamianae), which includes 97 percent of the modern diversity of the Lamiadae, is known only from scattered fossil

Symposia and Colloquia occurrences of Boraginales, Gentianales, Solanales, and Lamiales. The only convincing boranginalean fossil record is that of Neogene Lithospermum seeds. Gentianales are represented by Eocene and younger fruits and seeds of Rubiaceae, Bignoniaceae and Apocynaceae. Solanales are represented merely by fruit of Solanaceae (Physalis) and pollen of Convolvulaceae, wheras the Lamiales are best known in the fossil record from fruits of Oleaceae (Fraxinus). Although some modern genera of Lamiids can be traced back about 50 million years to the early Eoceneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;e.g. Eucommia, Iodes, Pyrenacanthaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;other Eocene Lamiids represent extinct character combinations that have led to the recognition of extinct genera (e.g. Palaeophytocrene, Sphaeriodes, Stizocarya). The fossil record of Lamiidae is primarily confined to the Cenozoic, and mostly younger than 60 million years. Why is it that so many extant genera of Lamiids are completely missing from the fossil record? Several factors are considered including preservation potential of diagnostic organs, geographic biases of paleobotanical field work, and lack of expert knowledge of diagnostic morphological characters. 1

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural HIstory, Dickinson Hall, Museum Rd. And Newel Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

137

TANK, DAVID C.* 1 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD G 2

Divergence time estimation in Lamiidae 1

University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA2University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, CAMPUS BOX 355325, SEATTLE, WA, 98195-5325, USA

Discussion Sessions of advice, information and ideas on this topic. For this reason, both experienced and inexperienced researchers are invited to attend. The Session will be moderated by individuals that have successfully integrated plant science and engineering to obtain funding from industry, the NSF, and the USDA. The discussion session will focus on questions and topics such as: - How can crossdisciplinary collaborations be used to attract research funding? - What are effective techniques for identifying collaborators? - Which funding mechanisms encourage cross-disciplinary research proposals? - How can cross-disciplinary research accelerate research progress? - How can cross-disciplinary research topics enhance student training? - What are some of the challenges and pitfalls of cross-disciplinary research? - How can these challenges and pitfalls be mitigated or avoided? Participants will leave this Discussion Session with new ideas and practical advice for establishing and maintaining successful collaborations with experts from other disciplines such as engineering, computer science, mathematics, etc.

Conference-Wide Discussion Sessions Sponsored by Botanical Society of America and BSA-wide.

138

PELL, SUSAN

Botanical Career Panel

here is a diversity of careers for people with botanical degrees, but our academic training has traditionally only prepared us for mostly academic options (research, teaching or both). Networking with professionals in a variety of botanical careers is an excellent way to discover and prepare for alternate careers to academia, or to solidify your academic career choice. This panel will include professionals with botanical degrees who will discuss their professional experiences (in, e.g., industry, government, non-profit, community college, university) and answer participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; questions. Our moderator will facilitate an open discussion designed to address opportunities in the post-undergraduate and post-graduate job markets. A networking event for panelists and participants will be hosted by the Torrey Botanical Society and attended by additional botanical professionals in the evening after the panel discussion.

New York University Abu Dhabi, Division of Engineering, PO Box 903, New York, NY, 10276, USA

141

DONOGHUE, MICHAEL

Plant Science Research Network: What the Heck is That? A Discussion Session seeking your feedback

70 I St SE, Apt 831, Washington, DC, 20003, USA

139

DIGGLE, PAMELA KATHLEEN* 1, CULLEY, THERESA 2 and TAYLOR, MACKENZIE L. 3

ome learn about the Plant Science Research Network, an RCN funded by the National Science Foundation that is dedicated to uniting and integrating the plant research community in order to harness its collective vision and broad expertise in areas such as big data, postgraduate education, and diverse careers/ broadening participation in the plant sciences. Founding members of the PSRN include the Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies, the American Phytopathological Society, the American Society for Horticultural Science, the Botanical Society of America, the Genetics Society of America and the Council on Undergraduate Research. This discussion section will provide an overview of this important project, the Plant Systems Initiative and solicit input from attendees. We will specifically be highlighting and seeking feedback on the upcoming PSRN-sponsored workshops on big data, postgraduate education and diverse careers/broadening participation. All are encouraged to attend. The more feedback we receive from our community, the better equipped we will be to engage in the upcoming PSRN meetings and workshops.

Are you being served? Come to a discussion with the Editors-in-Chief of BSA publications

ear about the latest plans for the journals, including new data deposition policies. And, we want to hear from you! Come to a wide-ranging discussion and share your views on all aspects of publishing, from requirements for submission, to peer review, to impact factors, and how journals can better serve science and scientists.

University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2University of Cincinnati, Biological Sciences, Cincinnati, OH3Creighton University, Department Of Biology, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA

140

COOK, DOUGLAS* and ROBERTSON, DANIEL JORDAN

Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 21 Sachem Street, PO BOX 208105, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

Involving other Disciplines in Plant Research: Advantages for Funding, Research Progress, and Student Training

he Plant Science Decadal Vision urged plant scientists to broaden the scope of student training and to establish cross-disciplinary collaborations. This Discussion Session is intended to facilitate the exchange

Bryology and Lichenological Section/ABLS

diverse archaeological work, they remained uninvestigated. Bryophytes have the incredible ability to generate a new organism from any viable cell (totipotency), allowing them to persist through extreme conditions. The regeneration of formerly ice-entombed vegetation would indicate that ice patches function as reservoirs of genetic diversity in alpine ecosystems. We initiated research at the Granger Ice Patch, SW of Whitehorse (YT) in August, 2015 and have compiled a rich data set on previously ice-entombed plant assemblages. Sampling within the vicinity of the ice margin has documented the extant diversity, and the plant succession with ice margin retreat. Preliminary results of in vitro cultures show a phenomenal regeneration capacity of previously ice-buried populations. Next generation sequencing (restriction site associated DNA sequencing) will be conducted to determine the genetic variation between regenerated subfossil plants and modern populations of the dominant taxa, Polytrichum hyperboreum. Our study explores the cyclical role of bryophytes from exhumed assemblages that contribute to establishment, revegetation, and maintenance of alpine ecosystems.

ORAL PAPERS 142

SMITH, ROBERT J* 1, JOVAN, SARAH and MCCUNE, BRUCE 1 2

Twenty-five years of climate indication in lichen communities from Alaska to California

ariation in epiphytic lichen communities can reveal how forests may respond to global changes because lichen responses integrate climate, air quality and forest disturbances. Here we explore lichen communities as climate indicators at 1118 sites in the US Pacific states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California, summarized in two analyses. Analysis 1, from USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) measurements, yielded a super-regional lichen-climate gradient model spanning thirty degrees of latitude. Site scores ("climate scores") from NMS ordination revealed associations between contemporary climate and the composition of epiphytic lichen communities. Changes in climate scores at sites resurveyed in the future could indicate climatic shifts. Select lichen indicator species were faithful and specific to climate zones (sites sharing similar temperature, moisture, seasonality, etc.), which suggests possible monitoring targets. Analysis 2 was a survey of historical data from 50 regional plots remeasured over 25 y in coastal southeast Alaska. For this subset of lichen communities, neither species richness, climate scores, nor indicator species changed more than random expectations over the period 1989-2014. This suggests that environmental monitoring with lichens could be improved by placing new plots across ecological thresholds where changes are most expected, by expanding the range of habitats surveyed to better represent regional variation, and by continuing to remeasure existing plots over extended time periods. As environmental monitoring in the western US continues, stakeholders can benefit from existing FIA information as well as from ongoing monitoring of epiphytic lichens to examine how climate will shape forest communities of the Pacific coast.

University of Alberta, Biological Science, B 213, Cryptogamic herbarium, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada

144

SCHUETTE, SCOTT* 1, ZIMMERMAN, EPHRAIM 2, PODNIESINSKI, GREG 3 and FUREDI, MARY ANN 4

The Role of Bryophytes in Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability of Peatlands in Pennsylvania

n Pennsylvania, peatlands are most common in the northern half of the state and include bogs, fens and some forested wetlands. These ecosystems are generally located at higher elevations with cooler climate conditions, some serve as the origin of headwater aquatic systems, and provide habitats for northern plants and associated communities, many of which are state conservation concern due to being at the southernmost limit of their range. Projected effects of climate change in Pennsylvania include higher temperatures and changes in patterns of precipitation that may alter wetland hydrology and subsequent downstream flow. Increasing temperatures may also directly impact species at or near their thermal tolerance resulting in the possible decline or loss of the current unique species and communities found in peatlands. Given the important ecosystem services provided by peatlands there is a need to provide increased protection, document changes, and mitigate human impacts to these wetlands. In 2010-2011, a monitoring network of 30 peatlands was established and baseline data collected from permanent plots and transects to better understand the effects of climate change and other disturbances on these ecosystems. The monitoring effort was focused more on climate change vulnerable plant species and communities, with a lesser emphasis on bryophyte composition. Seventeen species of Sphagnum, 35 other moss species, and 14 liverwort species were collected from the monitoring sites. Preliminary results indicated the most common Sphagnum species are S. magellanicum and S. fallax and most of

Oregon State University, Dept of Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-2902, USA2USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Portland Forestry Sciences Lab, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR, 97205, USA

143

MILLER, BRITTNEY* and LA FARGE, CATHERINE

Yukon Ice Patches: Role of Ice-entombed Bryophytes in Alpine Environments

ukon alpine glacial ice patches are rapidly disappearing, exhuming 8000 year old plant populations that have been preserved in pristine condition. A major component of the ice patch flora are bryophytes, which are critical to alpine ecosystems. However, relative to

Bryological and Lichenological new species, Usnea parafloridana from Wisconsin, USA, is morphologically similar to U. subfloridana but has norstictic acid and differs from its closest relative U. wasmuthii in both chemistry and branching frequency. These latter sets of findings emphasize that the same morphological/chemical characters may have taxonomic significance for some species/groups but not others in the same section, so ecological patterns may not be generalizable beyond groups.

the peatlands were characteristic of poor fens. However abundance and cover values, which are necessary values for determining climate change vulnerability indices, are unknown for the bryophytes species at these sites. What is the bryophyte community composition and is the composition indicative of peatland type? Are there suitable long-term bryophyte monitoring targets sensitive to changes in climate? What is the underlying suite environmental factors driving bryophyte species assemblages? To address these questions, monitoring sites were revisited this year with more intensive and systematic collection of bryophyte data with the purpose of identifying those species most vulnerable to ongoing climate change and highest probability of being conservation targets in peatlands of Pennsylvania.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison , WI, 53706, USA2University Of Tartu, Institute Of Ecology And Earth Sciences, Lai Street 38-40, Tartu, N/A, 51005, Estonia3Estonian Biocentre, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Tartu, Estonia4The Field Museum, Science and Education, Chicago, IL, USA5Stanford University, Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA6University of Tartu, Estonian Marine Institute, Tallinn, Estonia7The Field Museum, Department Of Botany, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage , 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States2Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage , 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, USA3PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Section, Bureau of Forestry, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17105, USA4Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry, PO Box 8552, Harrisburg, PA, 17105, USA

145

146

ST CLAIR, LARRY L* 1 and TRATEBAS, ALICE M 2

Impact of Wildfire on Saxicolous Lichen Communities

WILL-WOLF, SUSAN* , MARK, KRISTIINA 2, SAAG, LAURI 3, LEAVITT, STEVEN D. 4, NELSEN, MATTHEW P. 5, TêΜRRA, TIIU 6, SAAG, ANDRES 2, RANDLANE, TIINA 2 and LUMBSCH, H. THORSTEN 7

he impact of wildfires on saxicolous lichen communities is poorly documented. Following preliminary bio-deterioration studies examining the impact of lichens on ancient rock art panels in the Black Hills, Wyoming two large wildfires damaged 137 petroglyph panels. Subsequent lichen studies have focused on the relationship between panel integrity, fire-related impact on saxicolous lichen communities, and subsequent changes to panel surfaces as they related to fire-altered lichen community structure and recovery. Specifically, lichen-related responses to fire impact and thallus exfoliation are strongly related to growth form in general and degree of thallus contact with rock surfaces in particular. Other factors contributing to wildfire impact on saxicolous lichen communities include fire intensity, wind direction, and availability and quantity of fuel in close proximity to rock art panels. Survival and recovery of lichen communities, following wildfire, appear to be related to panel aspect, growth form, and availability of “safe sites” associated with rock surface micro-topography - cracks, depressions, and edges. Future monitoring of petroglyph panels will focus on recovery of saxicolous communities and effects of exfoliation of fire-killed lichen thalli and subsequent erosion of exposed rock surfaces.

Potential studies on ecological patterns are suggested for the recently diversified Usnea section Usnea

pportunities to study novel ecological patterns in Usnea (Parmeliaceae) are suggested from results of molecular studies by Mark et al. (2016; Org., Divers., Evol. v16. DOI 10.1007/s13127-016-0273-7) on section Usnea in Europe and North America. Based on six nuclear markers (ITS, IGS, beta-tubulin, MCM7, RPB1 and RPB2) sequenced for 144 samples from 18 species, several distinct clades formed clusters of two or more traditional species. Morphological variation within these clusters (synonymy not yet proposed for most) might thus reflect different current ecological conditions rather than phylogeny. These character sets are the most likely candidates for ecological studies within a group: 1) fertile vs vegetative reproduction and squamatic vs thamnolic acid in Usnea florida + U. subfloridana; 2) medulla density, shape of soralia, and production of papillae, fibrils or isidiomorphs in U. fulvoreagens + U. glabrescens + U. pacificana; 3) base color and production of papillae, fibrils or isidiomorphs in U. barbata + U. chaetophora + U. dasopoga + U. diplotypus; and 4) degree of fertility, thallus form, shape of soralia, and production of isidiomorphs in U. barbata + U. intermedia + U. lapponica + U. substerilis. Several distinct clades represented traditional morphologybased species (Usnea cavernosa, U. praetervisa, U. silesiaca, U. wasmuthii), supporting the taxonomic value of their distinguishing morphological characters. One

Brigham Young University, M.L. Bean Life Science Museum & Department of Biology, 2103C M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602, USA2Bureau of Land Management, Archaeology, New Castle Field Office, 1101 Washington Blvd, New Castle, WY, 82701, USA

147

STARK, LLOYD R* 1, GREENWOOD, JOSHUA L 2, BRINDA, JOHN C 3 and SLATE, MANDY 4

148

Suprasaturated Shoots of Syntrichia norvegica are not Constitutively Desiccation Tolerant: Assessing Rate of Drying and Equilibrating Relative Humidity

Desert terraria: Characterization of a Mojave Desert moss community under quartz rocks

BAUGHMAN, JENNA T.* , MILLETTE, KATELYN and FISHER, KIRSTEN M.

mportant ecosystem functions take place in dryland biological soil crusts, which are communities of lichens, microbes, and mosses living on and in the soil in arid environments. Desert mosses are extremely desiccation-tolerant and all their biological functions are limited to infrequent post-rainfall periods. We discovered that some Mojave Desert moss species find refuge under semi-translucent quartz rocks where moisture seems to persist for a longer period of time than in adjacent hyperlithic (above rock) environments. This study characterized the moss communities growing in quartz hyperlithic and hypolithic (below rock) microenvironments in a western, high-elevation Mojave Desert site in Sheep Creek Wash near Wrightwood California. Restriction of the hypolithic moss community to quartz rocks was first verified by pairing inspection under quartz rocks with inspection under non-quartz rocks of similar size within a randomly selected 2 m x 2 m quadrat. Study samples were then collected by sampling each unique moss species or distinct morphology in approximately 0.5 cm clumps around and under each quartz rock along two 15 m linear north-south transects. Collections were analyzed in the lab for species identification and length of previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth. Of the 53 total samples, 67.9% were Syntrichia caninervis (Pottiaceae), the dominant species of the Mojave Desert biological soil crust. Tortula inermis (Pottiaceae) accounted for 28.3% of the samples and 3.8% were Bryum argenteum (Bryaceae). Of note, T. inermis was significantly more likely to be found in hypolithic microenvironments while S. caninervis was more likely to be in hyperlithic environments (p-value < 0.01). Low light and lower evapotranspiration rates under quartz may be more conducive to T. inermis growth than conditions in adjacent hyperlithic positions. The previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoot growth of S. caninervis samples in hyperlithic and hypolithic environments also differed significantly: Recent growth of hypolithic shoots of this species was 62.2% longer than that of hyperlithic shoots (p-value < 0.001), perhaps due to higher water retention under the protection of quartz rocks. Additionally, hypolithic S. caninervis shoots appeared to have less of the characteristic brown or black pigment of that species. These results indicate that western high elevation Mojave Desert quartz rocks provide hypolithic environments for some moss species to flourish and that the hypolithic microenvironment is distinct from the surface one. Quartz rocks may prevent small, respiratory carbon loss-inducing rainfalls from ever reaching hypolithic mosses while allowing larger rainfalls to keep tissues hydrated for longer.

pecies of Syntrichia and even bryophytes in general have long been considered to exhibit an ecological strategy of constitutive desiccation tolerance (CDT) in vegetative tissues, i.e., capable of surviving any rate of drying to an equilibrating relative humidity (RH) of ~50% with minimal damage to shoots. Shoots of Syntrichia norvegica, a high elevation species, were cloned and cultured under growth chamber conditions to maturity from a single collection in Nevada. Shoots were maintained throughout development in a suprasaturated condition, i.e., in continuous contact with external water among the leaves in order to achieve unequivocal dehardened status with respect to DT. These deacclimated shoots were then blotted to full turgor without external water and subjected to drying at different rates at each of the following equilibrating RHs using saturated salt solutions: 0, 23, 54, and 75%. Variable rates of drying at each equilibrating RH were achieved using different volumes of water on filter papers within lidded, unlidded, parafilmed, or unparafilmed Petri dishes placed inside desiccators. Drying times ranged from 30 min (rapid-dry) to over 200 h (very slow-dry). Response measures included visible leaf damage, regeneration potential, and chlorophyll fluorescence. A complex pattern of recovery is indicated, where leaf damage (especially) and regeneration potential (less so) are mitigated as the rate of drying is extended and water content is increased. Equilibrating RH had a marked effect on shoot health, with much less recovery seen at RHs <50% despite longer drying times. Nevertheless, shoots remained viable across all treatments, indicating at least some vegetative cells are constitutively protected. For the first time, a species of Syntrichia is shown not to incorporate a strategy of constitutive DT, but rather to exhibit a complex strategy of recovery including elements of both inducible and constitutive DT, with the response dependent upon the rate of drying in conjunction with the equilibrating RH.

Department Of Biological Sciences, SCHOOL OF LIFE SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS, NV, 89154-4004, USA2UNLV, School of Life Sciences, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89154-4004, United States3Missouri Botanical Garden, Bryology, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166-0299, USA4University Of Montana, OBE, 1701 Stoddard Av, Missoula, MT, 59802, USA

California State University, Los Angeles, Biological Sciences, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA

Bryological and Lichenological 149

fuscum is about 10 times higher than can be accounted for in background levels of N; 2) annual primary production is related to annual variation in climate; 3) NPP remains relatively constant at low levels of deposition, but decreases over time at higher levels; and 4) this decrease in NPP is not related to linear growth, but rather a decrease in population density, which reduces stem bulk density. At higher levels of deposition, S. fuscum is unable to utilize all of the deposited N as a result of diminishing populations, which results in increased vascular plant NPP and abundance. Further decline of S. fuscum nitrogen assimilation may create a positive feedback loop on N availability to vascular plant production, ultimately creating more vascular plant litter. Decompositional differences between S. fuscum and vascular plant litter may influence future inputs to the peat column resulting in less deposition of organic matter.

GREENWOOD, JOSHUA L

Exposure to slowly applied desiccating conditions hardens Physcomitrella patens against subsequent rapidly applied desiccation stress

he project I am presenting is centered upon the ability of Physcomitrella patens, to undergo physiological hardening in response to hydration stress eliciting a response capable of surviving a rapidly applied desiccated state. I show for the first time that physiological hardening occurs in P. patens and describe the period for which this hardening lasts. Organisms were exposed to a hardening treatment of two rates of slow drying to 50% RH (one at 4 days in length and another at 8). Following rehydration from this hardening samples were given one, four, eight, or twelve days of constant hydration (deacclimation) followed by a rapid drying event in which samples were dried to 50% RH in under an hour. A rapid dry event is lethal to unhardened members of this species and serves as a test to examine whether the previous exposure to a slow drying has resulted in hardening. The length of time spent hydrated before the rapid drying event allowed for determination of how long the hardening would be maintained in the absence of stimuli promoting tolerance of desiccation. Evidence gathered so far indicates that hardening can be obtained by a slow drying event and that protection lasts up to four days following the initial stimuli. Survival rates between hardened and unhardened samples are dramatically different with survival much higher in hardened tissues compared against unhardened tissues when both were subjected to a rapid drying event.

Southern Illinois University, Department of Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

151

WOOD, JAMES* 1, PATTILLO, MERYOM 2 and FREEMAN, MARY 2

Organic Matter Retention and Insect Utilization of Seasonally Inundated Bryophytes in a Mid-order Piedmont River

ryophytes are increasingly being recognized for their role in supporting invertebrate biomass and for their influence on nutrient cycling and carbon balance in aquatic systems. However, substantially less studied is the structural and functional role of bryophytes growing in seasonally inundated habitats. We conducted a study on the Middle Oconee River, near Athens, Georgia, to assess invertebrate utilization and organic matter retention of the liverwort Porella pinnata. Porella pinnata is only submerged when water levels in rivers are high, and these habitats have rarely been considered important to aquatic invertebrates. We found evidence of insect utilization of P. pinnata in these habitats, as well as high retention of organic matter within the bryophyte mat. Results indicate bryophyte biomass is positively correlated with insect biomass and organic matter retention. This study can help inform river management by elucidating the role of seasonally inundated habitats in aquatic invertebrate life cycles.

UNLV, School of Life Sciences, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89154-4004, United States

150 JEREMY

VITT, DALE* and GRAHAM,

The responses of Sphagnum fuscum to a gradient of increasing atmospheric nitrogen: Results of a 5-year study

ogs, with a ground layer dominated by Sphagnum fuscum in boreal regions, have long been considered as acidic, nitrogen-limited ecosystems. The ground layer of Sphagnum mosses forms a dominant component of the developing peat column, and the production/decomposition dynamics of this layer are critical to future peat formation, and thus carbon sequestration. These production/decomposition dynamics are strongly influenced by variation in annual climate, wildfire regime, and levels of atmospheric deposition of nutrients, which are increasing across large areas of the boreal region. Here we address responses of S. fuscum to experimental five-year nitrogen additions. We added N at 5 to 25 kg ha-1 rates each growing season over the past five years and sampled the responses of S. fuscum in terms of growth, production (NPP), N-assimilation, decomposition, and abundance in a bog in NE Alberta, Canada. We conclude that 1) the annual nitrogen budget of S.

University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology, 140 E. Green St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA

152

KAMINSKY, BARRY* 1, MCDANIEL, STUART F. 2 and SMITH, MATTHEW 3

You can't hide your lichenize: Infidelity in the Leptogium cyanescens species complex and its associated Nostoc

ymbiosis, in which two or more organisms share scarce resources, is a ubiquitous but poorly understood phenomenon. How does selection in one organism favor alleles that benefit another unrelated organism? A classic example of a symbiosis is a lichen,

which is formed from an intimate relationship between a fungus (mycobiont) and photosynthesizing partner (photobiont). Currently lacking is an understanding of the degree of specificity between mycobiont and photobiont genotypes. We expect that lichens that reproduce asexually will show high specificity, because the two genotypes will be co-inherited in isidia that contain both partners. In contrast, sexually reproducing lichens should show lower specificity, because the sexual spores contain only the fungus, and the symbiosis must be reestablished each generation. Here we utilized the common lichen Leptogium cyanescens sensu lato to assess the degree to which fungal host phylogeny predicts photobiont (cyanobacteria in the genus Nostoc) phylogeny. We sequenced three fungal genes (MCM7, RPB1, RPB2) and three photobiont genes (nifv1, rbclX, rpoc2). Within the Leptogium cyanescens species complex we found four distinct mycobiont clades and two photobiont clades. Three of the mycobiont species (Leptogium species B, C and D) formed a clade and associated with one clade Nostoc, meaning that the mycobiont speciation occurred without photobiont speciation. An AMOVA partitioned by mycobiont species versus locality showed that, amongst these three fungal species, the population structure of the photobiont is best explained by collection site rather than host species. We also found evidence of recombination within Leptogium sp. C and D, which showed that fungal spores are produced and may provide an opportunity for the mycobiont to form a lichen with a different Nostoc genotype. Leptogium species A was sister to the other clade, and associated with only the sister clade of photobionts, consistent with high specificity at this phylogenetic depth. These results highlight the dynamism of inter-species associations and the need to consider multiple phylogenetic scales in genealogical analyses of symbiosis. 1

University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA2University of Florida, Biology Department, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3University Of Florida, Plant Pathology, PO Box 110680, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0680, USA

153

FLOWERS, NICHOLAS* 1, MERCED, AMELIA 2 and RENZAGLIA, KAREN 1

Callose presence in the spores of Phaeoceros carolinianus

ell wall polysaccharides are critical to the life and survival of plants on land. Therefore, it is important to identify cell wall components, especially as they relate to development. Callose, a Î˛-1-3 glucan, is a transient polymer that is utilized extensively in many embryophytes during important biological processes. Although callose is known to be involved in spore development and structure in liverworts and mosses, there are contradictory reports on callose in Anthocerotophyta, with the most recent studies reporting an absence of this polysaccharide during sporogenesis in the group. By corroborating data from fluorescent microscopy via aniline blue and transmission electron microscopy via immunogold labeling with anticallose antibodies, we show that callose is indeed present during sporogenesis in Phaeoceros carolinianus. These data provide evidence of the novel internalization of callose associated with the

intine and aperture of spores in P. carolinianus. Because it is a hydrophilic molecule, we suggest that callose may be involved in the imbibition and germination of spores in hornworts. 1

SIU, Department of Plant Biology, Life Science II, Mail Code 6509, Carbondale, IL , 62901-6509, USA2University of Puerto Rico, Institute of Neurobiology, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921, USA

154

PASICHE LISBOA, CARLOS JOSE* , DOERING, JENNIFER 2, BOOTH, TOM 1 , BELLAND, RENE 3 and PIERCEY-NORMORE, MICHELE 2 1

The dispersal dynamics of lichen and moss asexual propagules in boreal forests of northern Manitoba, Canada

ichens and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) have a high species diversity in Boreal forests that are maintained by the dispersal dynamics in the forests. Dispersal dynamics occur when the dispersal mechanisms (wind, water, and animal) move different quantities and sizes of fragments and sexually or asexually produced lichen and bryophyte propagules through the forests. However, the dispersal dynamics of lichen and bryophyte propagules relative to the habitat (forest stand type), microhabitat (logs and trees), and sides of the trees (aspect: N, S, E, W) in Boreal forests is unknown. The goal of this study is to understand the dispersal dynamics of lichen and bryophyte asexual propagules in Boreal forests around the northeast end of Payuk lake, Manitoba, Canada. Petri dishes were used as traps to capture the lichen and bryophyte asexual propagules (number and size) dispersed to the aspects of 10 trees, microhabitats (10 trees and 20 traps on logs), and through three stands in each forest type (white spruce, poplar, and balsam fir) during different seasons throughout the year (2015-2016). A nested KruskalWallis test was used to detect significant differences in the number and size of asexual propagules captured in each season, habitat, microhabitat, and tree aspect. The number of propagules captured were influenced by the season, habitat, and aspect, the season and habitat, as well as the habitat and microhabitat with more propagules being captured in the late fall than in late spring. Higher numbers of propagules were captured in balsam fir forests, than in white spruce forests, and the lowest number of propagules captured were in poplar forests. More propagules were captured on the trees than on the logs. Although the number of propagules captured in the forest was affected by the season, habitat, and aspect, overall, the tree aspect did not seem to influence the number of propagules captured. Larger propagules were captured during the late fall than during the late spring. Between forest stands captured propagules were the largest in size in white spruce forests and smaller in balsam fir forests; the smallest propagules were captured in poplar forests. In these forests, the microhabitat and tree aspect had no influence on the size of the propagules captured. The dispersal dynamics of Boreal forests show that different quantities and sizes of asexual propagules are dispersed from different forest types in each season, suggesting a differential establishment and maintenance of species in the forests.

Bryological and Lichenological 1

University of Manitoba, Biological Science, 66 Chancellors Cir, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada2University of Manitoba, Biological Science, 66 Chancellors Cir, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada3University of Alberta, Renewable Resources, 775 General Services, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H1, Canada

northern or southern distributions were found to also occur on granite outcrops, resulting in substantial range extensions. Among these eight species were three new state records: Archidium minus and Dicranum polysetum in Alabama and Hygrohypnum alpestre in Georgia.

155

RAHMATPOUR, NASIM* and GOFFINET, BERNARD

University of West Georgia, Biology, 1601 Maple Street, Carrollton, GA, 30118, USA

The genome of Funaria hygrometrica, insights of transcriptome on structure and evolution

157

CARR, MARIAH* and QUEDENSLEY, TAYLOR

Bryophyte Flora of Northwestern Missouri

he Funariaceae hold several species that have served as model taxa for developing our understanding of moss developmental and reproductive biology. Genomic resources are well established for Physcomitrella patens enhancing comparative genomics in land plants and also among moss taxa. However, the genomic resources for mosses remain scarce, and hence the developmental genetic networks remain known poorly. Here we are characterizing the transcriptome of the gametophyte of Funaria hygrometrica, a species related to Physcomitrella patens. Total RNA was extracted from 100mg tissue of gametophyte tissue including rhizoids, stem and leaves from three replicates, purified mRNAs were sequenced by NextSeq 500 Mid output afterwards the de-novo assembly of high quality reads was done by Trinity and the contigs of each replicate were clustered together, yielding 47,341 unique transcripts. We blasted contigs to NCBI non-redundant protein database with three maximum number of blast hit and also they were blasted against Swiss-Prot database to have a better functional annotation and Gene Ontology (GO). Here we characterize the diversity of gene families in Funaria hygrometrica, infer evidence of whole genome duplication and contrast this to those of Physcomitrella patens.

etween May 2015 and May 2016, we surveyed the bryophyte taxa at three State Parks and 11 Conservation Areas in Northwest Missouri. Preliminary results are indicative of a rich bryophyte flora in a relatively understudied region of our State. We collected over 400 specimens and have identified over 60 species, including 44 new county records, and one new state record, Brachytheciastrum velutinum (Hedw.) Ignatov & Huttunen. These results coupled with information of the lichen-forming fungi that are present at these sites will be used to promote conservation efforts in this region based on bryophyte and lichen community assemblages.

Missouri Western State University, Biology, 4525 Downs Drive, Saint Joseph, Missouri, 64507, United States

158

QUEDENSLEY, TAYLOR SULTAN* , MOORE, JAIME A. , DONALDSON, ANDREW M. and CARR, MARIAH

Cryptogamic Flora of Northwestern Missouri: Floristics, Discovery, and Applied Learning

University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States

lthough much in known regarding the vascular and non-vascular plant taxa throughout the United States, Northwestern Missouri presents a large gap in our knowledge of biodiversity and this project aims to inventory the bryophytes and lichen-forming fungi in a 19 county region of Missouri. As an Applied Learning institution, Missouri Western State University relies heavily on undergraduate students to complete research projects and between March 2015 and June 2016, we collected several hundred lichen and bryophyte specimens in seven counties in Northwestern Missouri. The results indicate a rich cryptogamic flora with hundreds of new county records and several new purported taxa for Missouri. Over the next four years we plan to complete the survey for all 19 counties, which will greatly enhance our understanding of the range of these understudied taxa in our region.

156 MORGAN, DAVID R.* , KRSTEC, LIDIJA and KORN, RANDI Variation in Moss Floras of Southern Piedmont Granite Outcrops

oss floras on granite outcrops in the Piedmont of Georgia and Alabama were studied by conducting inventories of 15 outcrops, with the objective of investigating variation in moss flora composition among granite outcrops of different sizes. Across all study sites 78 species were collected, with the number of species per site ranging from 23 at the smallest to 57 at the largest. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses comparing species number with area and with perimeter length showed that the power model produced the best fitting curves among the four models evaluated. In addition, species number was found to be more closely correlated with perimeter length than with area. Thirty-two of the most frequent species comprised the core group of granite outcrop mosses; they each occurred at 60-100% of the 15 sites and formed the bulk of the floras of all but the two largest outcrops. Eight species with primarily

Missouri Western State University, Biology, 4525 Downs Drive, Saint Joseph, Missouri, 64507, United States

159 JIMI 2

160

ZONA, SCOTT* 1 and SADLE,

WILLIAMS, NORRIS

Bryophytes and Lichens in Florida herbaria

Liverworts (Marchantiophyta) of Mahogany Hammock, Everglades National Park, Florida

verglades National Park (ENP) is known for its unique mixture of temperate and tropical vascular plant species. However, little published information on non-vascular plants within ENP ENP is available. Surveys for liverworts at a discreet site in central ENP (Mahogany Hammock) were carried out in 1955 and provide a valuable reference point for assessing potential changes that may have occurred in the liverwort flora. Changing climate, intense tropical cyclones and park management actions including installation of a boardwalk and exotic plant control have all affected Mahogany Hammock over the past 60 years. In this study, we collected 27 taxa, from Aneuraceae, Cephaloziaceae, Jubulaceae, Lejeuneaceae, Lepidoziaceae, Plagiochilaceae, and Radulaceae. The hepatic flora shows strong tropical affinities. One of the most remarkable finds is a species of Telaranea (Lepidoziaceae). Only one species, T. nematodes, is known from the eastern USA (including Mahogany Hammock), but our species is not that; on-going taxonomic studies will determine the identity of this taxon. Despite the presence of the boardwalk in the hammock and damage from two major hurricanes (Donna in 1960, Andrew in 1992), Mahogany Hammock still supports a rich hepatic flora that is very similar to that found in the 1955 survey. We found no evidence for invasion of xerophytic species, as was found for tropical hardwood hammocks near the coasts. We documented the presence of epiphyllous species at this location.

Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8 St., Miami, Florida, 33199, United States2Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL, 33034, USA

ur role as part of the consortium is to contribute to the digitization of the Florida collections that are important because they potentially fill gaps of the tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems that may be especially susceptible to climate change effects. We estimate that we will have to process and digitize 33,000 specimens in a year to complete the project in three years. The objective of the project is to digitize the label information images of North American lichen and bryophyte specimens (Canada, the continental United States, and Mexico). This project is a contribution towards the Lichens, Bryophytes and Climate Change NSF Thematic Collections Network. You can check more on the initiative at the following site: http://lbcc1.acis.ufl.edu/. We are going to image and process the specimens of the following Florida herbaria: FLAS, FTU, FTG, and USF (The FSU herbarium decided it would not participate in this project).

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

Bryological and Lichenological mocalyx (Braithw.) Limpr., and Andreaea) and two sections (Nerviae Card. ex Broth. and Andreaea). Due to its unique sporangium morphology some authors have treated the only member of subgenus Acroschisma (A. wilsonii Hook. f.) as a separate genus. Subgenera Andreaea and Chasmocalyx are each defined based mainly on characteristics of their perichaetial leaves, while the two sections of subgenus Andreaea are mainly differentiated by the presence or absence of costae in vegetative leaves. To examine the phylogeny of Andreaea and test the current infrageneric taxonomy (subgenera and sections), we sampled 39 specimens representing 22 different species, with an emphasis on the costate taxa, which represent approximately one third of the species in the genus. We added a nuclear region (ITS2) to previously sequenced plastid DNA regions, and demonstrated a high level of congruence between trees inferred from nuclear and plastid markers. None of the currently recognized infrageneric taxa are recovered as monophyletic, and the trees imply homoplasy in leaf costae. Andreaea wilsonii is well nested in the genus, but is distinct from other taxa and has an elevated substitution rate in both plastid and nuclear trees. An expanded plastid dataset for a sub-sample of five species representing the major lineages allows us to infer a well-supported root in Andreaeaceae.

POSTERS 161

JUTLA, SATPAL* 1, DELAVOI, CHARLES 1, GOFFINET, BERNARD 1, LIU, YANG 1 and MEDINA, RAFAEL 2

The phylogenetic structure in four chloroplast loci confirms the polyphyly of Physcomitrium pyriforme (Bryophyta) in North America

hyscomitrium pyriforme (Hedw.) Hampe (Funariaceae) is widespread throughout the Holarctic region, with disjunct occurrences across North America and western Eurasia. In its current concept, the species exhibits broad morphological variation, as reflected by the existence of 32 historic synonyms. In contrast with this synthetic concept, recent phylogenetic inferences suggest that the putative morphological species P. pyriforme is polyphyletic, however, the number, relationships, and circumscriptions of the lineages remain ambiguous. We sampled 58 populations from across the range of this moss, with an emphasis in the United States, and amplified and sequenced four chloroplast loci (atpB-rbcL; psbA-trnH; rps4; and trnL-trnF). Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses confirm that this morphospecies comprises at least three distinct, widely distributed assemblages. One clade includes accessions from the United States to Russia; the second clade comprises only populations from eastern to central United States; and the third lineage is highly structured into several subclades, one of which appears to be restricted to California. Whether any of the resolved assemblages could be morphologically diagnosed remains uncertain, but probable given previous taxonomic treatments in the group. This study reflects the need for closer inspection of relationships, even within species that are currently thought to be well understood.

University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, 3529-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada2Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

163

CLARK, THERESA AN

Can Arid Land Mosses Hide from Climate Change?

lthough many arid land mosses are renowned for their ability to survive in arid ecosystems by drying without dying (i.e. desiccation tolerance), laboratory research indicates the rate at which these small plants desiccate and the amount of time they spend hydrated after precipitation events are critical to preventing lethal damage. Current projections for further climate change predict that arid environments like the Mojave Desert Ecoregion, will become hotter and drier with altered rain patterns; such emerging climatic stressors have already been linked to increased mortality and reduced fitness in several Mojave Desert moss species. However, it has been hypothesized that habitat structure (topography and microhabitat) may lower the vulnerability of mosses to desiccation stress by protecting them from the brunt of climatic extremes, a process called habitat buffering. It follows that such protective buffering could prolong moss cushion hydration periods and slow their drying rates, potentially reducing desiccation stress. Therefore, we implemented a nested, three-scaled sampling design to quantify the capacity of elevational life zone, NNE vs SSW aspect, and sun exposure to (1) buffer the extremes of macroclimate experienced by common arid land moss species (Grimmia anodon, Syntrichia ruralis, and Syntrichia caninervis), and (2) to influence critical moss cushion water dynamics. Across a 2500 m elevation gradient, we systematically selected

University of Connecticut, 75 N Eagleville Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States2University Of Connecticut, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA

162

MONTGOMERY, SEAN 1, BELL, DAVID* , CHANG, YING 2 and GRAHAM, SEAN W. 1 1

Phylogenetics and taxonomy of the moss genus Andreaea

ndreaea Hedw., the only genus of the granite moss family Andreaeaceae (Bryophyta), is one of the major non-peristomate moss lineages and represents a very early split in moss phylogeny. The genus has a unique spore dispersal mechanism and is mainly distributed in high latitude and high altitude regions of both hemispheres, with greatest diversity in cool-temperate regions. It has traditionally been divided into two or three infrageneric subgroups at various ranks, with the most broadly adopted taxonomy in recent years including three subgenera (Acroschisma Hook. f. & Wilson, Chas-

48 moss microsites spanning the Joshua tree/black brush, pinyon-juniper, and ponderosa pine communities of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Using macroclimate data (from climate stations at each site) and microclimate data (from sensors placed adjacent to moss cushions), we estimated habitat buffering in several ways. Lastly, we recorded the length and frequency of moss hydration periods (i.e. hydroperiods) using time-lapse photography. In this poster presentation, preliminary data will reveal current trends characterizing (1) variation in mean microhabitat buffering at the three habitat scales (life zone, topographical aspect, microhabitat exposure), and (2) relationships between microhabitat type (soil vs rock), microclimate, buffering capacity, and the length of moss hydroperiod. Broad implications of my research include the potential importance of microhabitat buffering in the protection of other small, desiccation-tolerant microorganisms (e.g. algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and microinvertebrates) at risk from a changing climate. Our data will be used in future research to help inform predictions for moss species range shifts as part of a formal vulnerability assessment of these small but important plants in a changing natural world.

of New York College of Environmental Science and Fore, Environmental Biology, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, 13210 , USA3University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4University of North Texas, Biological Sciences, Denton , TX, 76201, USA5University of Connecticut, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville Road, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States6University of North Texas, Philosophy, Denton , TX, 76201, USA

165 ERIN A 2

MALONE, AMANDA* 1 and TRIPP,

Resurvey and Checklist of Hepatics in Colorado’s Comanche National Grasslands

ocumenting biodiversity is the first step to studying ecology, evolution, and changing biological distributions through time. This type of study remains critical as habitats and species disappear. In an effort to contribute to endeavors such as the Early Land Plants Today project, this research documents hepatic biodiversity at a local scale. The area surveyed, The Greater Comanche Grasslands, sits beside the Purgatoire Watershed on the east and lies in between the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rocky Mountains ecosystems. In addition to high plains grassland habitats there are hundreds of miles of isolated canyons in the reserve; the topographical relief, unique hydrology and geology signals a series of evolutionarily interesting niches. This resurvey found hepatics in the locations taken from herbarium records that date back to the late 1940’s. Certain species such as Asterella gracilis and Conocephalum conicum were not found upon the resurvey. Plagiochasma wrightii and P. rupestre were frequent finds. The xeric adapted Mannia pilosa was also uncovered. Riccia sorocarpa was a Southern Colorado record. The arid adaptations of these species might contribute to their persistence in this area. This study and resurvey hopefully added to understanding bryophyte biodiversity in Colorado and high plains grasslands as a whole.

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, Biology, 4505 S Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA

164

BEHLING, EMILY* 1, CAVINESS, TERRANCE E. 2, LEWIS, LILY R. 3, JIMƒNEZ, JAIME E. 4, GOFFINET, BERNARD 5 and ROZZI, RICARDO 6

Dispersal of bryophyte diaspores following ingestion by birds

he role of birds in the dispersal of seeds, as well as invertebrates, externally by means of attachment (ectozoochory) and internally via ingestion (endozoochory) has been well explored. The role of birds in dispersing bryophytes, however, has been largely overlooked. The plumage of migratory birds holds a diversity of diaspores, suggesting that bryophytes may be dispersed via ectozoochory. Whether endozoochory plays a role in shaping bryophyte distribution remains unexplored. We developed an efficient protocol for microscopically screening avian fecal samples for diaspores. On Navarino Island, at the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, we collected fecal samples from Chloephaga picata, the Upland Goose, and Attagis malouinus, the White-bellied Seedsnipe, both herbivores, and also from forest birds that feed on plants and insects. Recovered bryophyte diaspores were photographed, and some were placed on culture medium to test for their viability. We report the recovery of vegetative bryophyte diaspores in the fecal samples of the White-bellied Seedsnipe. Culture experiments are currently underway to determine if diaspores may remain viable after passage through the digestive tract of the White-bellied Seedsnipe. If viability of these fragments is confirmed, this evidence would highlight the role of birds in bryophyte dispersal via endozoochory.

University of Colorado Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 505 27th Way, Apt. 511 , Boulder, CO, 80305, USA2University Of Colorado Boulder, C105, Ramaley Hall, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

University of Connecticut, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville Road, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2State University

Developmental & Structural Section Developmental and Structural Section

controversial at that time, it has not been challenged again until recently (Guzmán et al., 2014; Fernández et al., 2016) and, as such, few studies have focused on analyzing the link between cuticle structure and chemical composition. With the aim of analyzing this link, we applied various analytical and microscopic techniques to the leaf cuticle of model species (e.g., Guzmán et al., 2014; Guzmán-Delgado et al., 2016). We found no specific cuticle structural patterns in association with internal lipid constituents, but instead with cellulose in the case of cuticles containing cutin as the major lipid polymer. The cell wall constituted the framework of these cuticles, which definitely contradicts the prevailing cuticle model. Selective chemical extractions of cutan are potentially required to observe the cell wall nature of cutan-containing cuticles. We hence suggest a re-interpretation of the cuticle as a lipidic region of the cell wall instead of as free of polysaccharides or with few polysaccharides stemming from the cell wall underneath. This new cuticle interpretation highlights the major physical and chemical heterogeneity of the cuticle, which limits our capacity to establish a relationship between cuticle structure and composition. Finally, the functional role of cuticle (or cell wall) polysaccharides should be considered in relation to, for example, the transport of substances through the cuticle. Fernández V, Guzmán-Delgado P, Graça J, Santos S, Gil L. 2016. Cuticle structure in relation to chemical composition: re-assessing the prevailing model. Front Plant Sci 7:427. Guzmán-Delgado P, Graça J, Cabral V, Gil L, Fernández V. 2016. The presence of cutan limits the interpretation of cuticular chemistry and structure: Ficus elastica leaf as an example. Physiol Plantarum, doi:10.1111/ppl.12414. Guzmán P, Fernández V, Graça J, Cabral V, Kayali N, Khayet M, Gil L. 2014. Chemical and structural analysis of Eucalyptus globulus and E. camaldulensis leaf cuticles: a lipidized cell wall region. Front Plant Sci 5:481.

ORAL PAPERS 166

GRASSO, MATTHEW* and LINTILHAC, PHILIP

Microbead encapsulation of living plant protoplasts: A new tool for the handling of single plant cells

he current understanding of plant development has been built predominantly on physiological and genetic insights. This is in part because inquiries into the role of biomechanical signaling during plant development have been limited by a lack of experimental tools. With the expansion of microfluidic technologies which can be adapted to produce novel biological research platforms there is the potential to address this problem. Here we introduce a protocol for the incorporation of individual plant protoplasts into precisely sized agarose microbeads. The method is based on the emerging field of droplet microfluidics. Living protoplasts obtained from BY-2 tobacco suspension cultures can be continuously incorporated into a stream of agarose microdroplets and then collected in cooled mineral oil as gelled microbeads. These cells can then be transferred to MS culture medium for further analysis. In this first report we show that spherical microbeads containing living protoplasts can be easily generated in quantity and that these encapsulated cells continue to grow and divide. Microbead encapsulation of protoplasts affords the opportunity to control the physical microenvironment of individual plant cells. y capturing individual protoplasts in agarose microbeads the cells are removed from the mechanical influence of surrounding cells and captured in a reproducible isotropic microenvironment. This makes it possible to observe how single cells respond to mechanical stimulus in a context where many physical variables have been controlled or removed. With ongoing advances in hydrogel engineering and microfluidics the technique presented here has the potential to become a powerful tool for researchers in the field of plant biomechanics and ultimately may facilitate novel studies.

University of California Davis, Department of Plant Sciences, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA2Technical University of Madrid, Department of Natural Systems and Resources, School of Forest Engineering, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, 28040, Spain3Universidade de Lisboa, Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisboa, 1349-017, Portugal

168 SELENA

University of Vermont, Dept. of Plant Biology, 63 Carrigan Dr., Dept. of Plant Biology, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA

SALVI, AMANDA M* and SMITH,

Effect of canopy shading on morphology, anatomy, and self-shading in spiral gingers (Costus)

167

GUZMÁN-DELGADO, PAULA* 1, FERNÁNDEZ, VICTORIA 2, GRAÇA, JOSƒ 3, GIL, LUIS 2 and ZWIENIECKI, MACIEJ 1

The cuticle as a lipidic epidermal cell wall region: a re-assessment of the prevailing model

he plant cuticle is commonly defined as a ‚hydrophobic’ layer that covers the epidermal cell wall of primary aerial organs, as based on the assumption of its (mainly) lipidic nature. This conception dates back to the first half of the 19th century and despite being

he avoidance of self-shading is a common adaptation in plants to increase the light capture efficiency of leaves. While most plants orient leaves as far away as possible from each other (most often, 120°-180°), the genus Costus (Costaceae, Zingiberales), which are tropical angiosperms known as spiral gingers, has a spiromonostichous phyllotaxy with divergence angles as low as 30°-50°. One hypothesis for why this unique morphology evolved is that the leaf arrangement is an adaptation to increase light availability through a decrease in self-shading. In order to better understand Costus vegetative morphology and the relationship between light availability, two Costus species—C. mal-

ortieanus and C. pulverulentus—were studied. Research was conducted in two wet tropical forests of northern Costa Rica: Bijagual Ecological Reserve and La Selva Biological Station. Whole plant morphology of individual Costus, including percent self-shading, internode length (IL), and leaf divergence angle (LDA), was compared to canopy openness overhead (range: 0.2-20.6% open). Leaf anatomical traits, including thickness of total leaf, spongy mesophyll, and hypodermis; stomatal density; and vein length per area (VLA), were compared to both canopy openness and location of leaf along the stem. The spiromonostichous phyllotaxy was confirmed to be a successful adaptation to limit self-shading, but selfshading did not decrease in shadier conditions, nor did morphological traits (self-shading, IL, and LDA) correlate strongly with light availability. Both canopy openness and self-shading were greatest in C. pulverulentus, which may reflect its habit (tall with narrow leaves, allowing apical leaves to reach direct sunlight when the plant grows taller than nearby competing plants ). In C. malortieanus, spongy mesophyll thickness and VLA increased with increased light availability (R2 > 0.7), suggesting a higher photosynthetic ability with more light availability. Although all traits increased statistically with increased canopy openness, no other traits were strongly correlated with light availability. In contrast, in C. pulverulentus leaf anatomy changed little, suggesting an evolutionary restriction to their shadier habitat. In both species, apical leaves experiencing little selfshading only differed in VLA and stomatal density from basal leaves with the greatest amount of self-shading, suggesting leaves along the stem do not differ in photosynthetic ability. These results suggest that Costus experiences little whole plant morphological response to light availability, but can show some anatomical response, and that the spiromonostichous leaf arrangement helps to maximize photosynthetic ability in different light levels for the lifespan of the plant.

with respect to bundle position (R2 values 0.42 - 0.82; slopes 1.53 - 2.63), suggesting that bundles in different positions vary in their contribution of transport of water relative to photosynthates. Total cross-sectional areas of xylem scaled positively for a given cross-sectional area (R2 = 0.57, slope = 0.86). Because xylem can function in both support and transport, we expected a tradeoff between fiber and xylem area. We found no evidence for such a tradeoff: structural support (cross-sectional area of fibers) did not scale with xylem cross sectional area (R2 = 0.25, slope = 0.82) but both fiber cross-sectional area (R2 = 0.38, slope = 0.89) and xylem-cross sectional area (R2 = 0.51, slope = 0.96) scaled positively with petiole cross-sectional area. Although petiole cross-sectional area is occupied by parenchyma, vessel number per square millimeter scales negatively with vessel diameter (R2 = 0.91, slope = -1.72), as predicted by the packing rule. We built bayesian linear regression models to determine whether petiole, stem and lamina anatomical characters could predict petiole morphometrics. The best model shows that lamina dry mass, petiole length and xylem cross-sectional area are able to predict petiole cross-sectional area. This study is the first to quantify positive allometric scaling of xylem relative to phloem within individual bundles as well as petiole cross sectional area. Several of these scaling relationships have been predicted, but this is the first time they have been quantified. 1

University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville Road Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 48 Echo Rd., Mansfield Ct., CT, 06250, USA

170

CARVALHO, MONICA* 1 and NIKLAS, KARL 2

University of Michigan , Earth & Environmental Sciences, 2534 CC Little Bldg, 1100 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-1005, United States

Geometric Scaling and Hydraulic Architecture of Xylem and Phloem in Poplar and Ginkgo Leaves

169

THIA S.

eaf vasculature mediates the effective export of photosynthate and constitutes a major portion of the water transpiration pathway in leaves. Fluid flow properties affecting the transport of water and sugars are determined by the spatial arrangement and geometry of conducing conduits. Even though topological properties that are inherent to hierarchical and reticulated leaf vascular patterns typical of angiosperms have been described, the geometric relations in these branching systems that determine flow dynamics remain poorly known. A direct analysis on conducing tissue cross-sectional areas in leaf veins is needed to better test for massconserving or energy-conserving branching systems on leaves, and to address the implications of vein branching geometry on transport within leaves. hloem conduit dimensions across vein orders in leaves of poplar are not consistent with energy minimization models (e.g. Murray’s Law) that have been observed for xylem in open systems such as branches and compound leaf petiolules. At a leaf-scale, the total conductive area of phloem in this reticulate vascular system increases disproportionately with vein order, suggestive of a system that maximizes the conductive area or ‚catchment’ area of collecting veins. Whether

RAY, DUSTIN* 1 and JONES, CYN-

Conduit packing and allometric scaling of tissues in petioles

etioles are understudied despite their importance in lamina support, leaf display, and transport of water and photosynthates. While petiole biomechanics has been well studied, the interaction of the vascular tissues and petiole structure has not. The packing rule for woody stems suggests that vessels will fill space that is not necessary for biomechanical support, but this has not been tested in petioles. We measured morphological and anatomical traits for laminas and petioles of 11 species of Pelargonium (L“Her ex. Aiton) to investigate scaling relationships between supporting tissues (fibers), conducting tissues (xylem and phloem), and lamina traits. We found scaling relationships at several different levels of petiole anatomical organization. For individual vascular bundles, phloem tissue area scales positively relative to xylem, but the relationship varies

Developmental & Structural Section this observation is an inherent property of reticulate leaf vascular systems, or a property specifically related to phloem tissues remains to be tested. Here, we evaluate and compare geometric scaling properties on xylem and phloem conduit dimensions in leaves of two model tree species with contrasting open dichotomous and reticulate leaf vascular topologies, Populus tremuloides x alba and Ginkgo biloba. Geometric relations between xylem and phloem conduits in each of these model species are used to estimate water transfer from xylem to phloem and consider the implications on phloem flow dynamics at the leaf level.

and the procambium tissue, respectively. The spacing and timing of differentiation events of the procambium have been determined for root tips of modern cultivars of Z. mays. We were interested in seeing if an anatomical analysis of primary root apical meristem organization among the subspecies of Z. mays known as teosinte could contribute to understanding how evolutionary processes and the domestication of modern maize varieties might have affected developmental patterns in the roots. Root tips of seedlings were prepared, embedded in appropriate resins, and sectioned for light and transmission electron microscopy. While evaluating the mexicana subspecies of Z. mays, we encountered a severe abnormality of xylem development among 4% of the 227 mexicana seedlings screened. We provide detailed data indicating that all metaxylem vessel elements in these abnormal roots collapsed and probably became non-functional shortly after differentiation began. We speculate that these seedlings suffered from a mutation that affected the timing of the cell death program that is required to produce functional xylem vessels.

Cornell University, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Department of Plant Biology, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States2Cornell University, Plant Biology, 412 Mann Library, ITHACA, NY, 14853-5908, USA

171 1

ROBERTSON, DANIEL JORDAN* and COOK, DOUGLAS 2

A Structural Engineering Perspective on the Functional Anatomy of Maize

Miami University, Department of Biology, 1601 University Blvd, Hamilton, OH, 45011, USA2Takushoku University, Department of Biotechnology, Tatemachi 815-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 193-0985, Japan

op scientific academies, governments and policy makers have urged plant scientist to accelerate research progress by collaborating with experts from other disciplines. This talk will present results from an engineering collaboration that has produced a promising new approach for addressing the long standing problem of maize stalk lodging (breakage of the stalk prior to harvest). Results from a comprehensive structural engineering analysis suggests modern maize varieties suffer from several structural weaknesses. In particular, geometric features located near the intercalary meristem can serve to increase mechanical stresses in the stalk and can cause premature stalk breakage. The collaboration has also led to development of a novel device that is able to accurately predict stalk strength without damaging the plant. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that this device predicts strength with four times the accuracy of the most widely used method of assessing stalk strength (rind penetration resistance). Recently, collected field data supports initial laboratory findings and suggest that the device may also be used to assess the strength of various plant species (e.g. sorghum).

173 STEVEN

MORRIS, HUGH* 1 and JANSEN,

New insights into the functional anatomy of wood parenchyma

arenchyma represents an important interconnected three-dimensional living tissue in secondary xylem of woody seed plants, with functions ranging from transport and storage to defence and biomechanics, along with less understood functions, such as in longdistance water transport. We lack a large-scale analysis of ecological traits associated with ray parenchyma (RP) and axial parenchyma (AP). Here, we explore global trends in the AP and RP fraction per cross-sectional wood area based on literature data, including 1,727 entries from three major biomes (temperate, subtropical and tropical). We found a 29-fold variation in RAP fraction, where temperature was found to be the biggest driver of RAP (RP+AP) levels, followed by precipitation, with the latter showing a significant but negative relationship with RAP, demonstrating an increase in RAP towards drier sites. RAP fractions were higher in tropical than temperate angiosperm trees (21.1 vs 36.2 %), respectively, where AP was found to be the most versatile parenchyma type resulting in the sharp rise of RAP in the tropics, while RP remained relatively constant. Succulents (including pachycauls) and lianas were found to have higher RAP fractions than non-succulent angiosperm trees and conifers, with the latter having the lowest RAP fractions, as expected. The observed trends were interpreted with respect to the various functions of RAP in plants. Some of the functions explored include: capacitance, embolism repair, pathogen defence, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs), and reponse to disturbance. We tested one of the hypotheses arising from the global analysis, and found RAP and/or living fibre levels in the juvenile stems and roots of a range of temperate species, to be the uppermost limit for NSC storage. This demonstrated that temperate species with higher RAP

New York University - Abu Dhabi, Mechanical Engineering, P.O. BOX 129188, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, N/A, NA, UAE2New York University - Abu Dhabi, Mechanical Engineering, Abu Dhabi, UAE

172

GLADISH, DANIEL K* 1, SAITO, SUSUMU 2 and NIKI, TERUO 2

Metaxylem vessel collapse during early development in primary roots of Zea mays ssp. mexicana

oot apical meristem histological organization in Zea mays has been carefully studied previously. Classical histology describes its system as having â&#x20AC;&#x153;closed organizationâ&#x20AC;? with three histogen layers, calyptrogen, dermatogen/periblem, and plerome, that produce the rootcap, the protoderm and ground meristem tissue,

and/or living fibre fractions could have a greater capacity for carbon storage. The same trend was not found for lowland rainforest species. Also, starch accumulation was equally distributed across both RP and AP (including contact cells) in most of the temperate species analysed at the onset of winter. In summary, our results form a strong basis in which to better understand the functional implications of the great anatomical variability in wood parenchyma.

and narrow multiseriate rays often including silica bodies. Abiotic conditions (soil type and precipitation) and growth habit (plant length)correlated with anatomical wood variation, especially in reference to multiseriate ray height and width, vessel diameter and presence of silica grains. The helical-banded fibre-sclereids that occur idioblastically in the pith and the cortex are synapomorphic for Nepenthes. Other typical Nepenthes characters, such as silica grains and bordered perforation plates, evolved convergently in different Caryophyllales lineages.

Ulm University , Institute for systematic ecology and botany, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, D-89081, Germany2Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, VinicnĂĄ 5, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic3Ulm University , Institute for systematic ecology and botany, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, Germany

Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, Leiden, 2333 CR, The Netherlands2Naturalis Biodiversity Center3Uppsala University4University of Vienna5Sabah Park Herbarium 6Hortus botanicus, Leiden7Swedish Museum of Natural History8Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9514, Leiden, N/A, 2300RA, Netherlands

174

SCHWALLIER, RACHEL M.* 1, GRAVENDEEL, BARBARA 2, DE BOER, HUGO 3, VAN HEUVEN, BERTIE JOAN 2, SIEDER, ANTON 4, SUMAIL, SUKAIBIN 5 , VAN VUGT, ROGIER 6, NYLINDER, STEPHAN 7 and LENS, FREDERIC 8

175

ABDUL GHAFFAR, MUHAMMAD AKBAR* 1, MEULIA, TEA 2 and CORNISH, KATRINA 1

Histological Study of Laticifer and Rubber Particle Ontogeny in Taraxacum koksaghyz Roots

Evolution of wood anatomical characters in Nepenthes and close relatives in Caryophyllales

araxacum kok-saghyz (TK) is being developed as a commercial crop in the US and Europe as an alternative to Hevea brasiliensis, the tree that produces industrial rubber. Both Hevea and TK contain pipe-like multi-nucleate vessels called laticifers which produce latex. As a potential new rubber crop, understanding laticifer origin and rubber particle ontogeny in TK will be useful in manipulating rubber production and yield. Thus, the objectives of this study are to gain a histological understanding of TK laticifer development and the ontogeny of rubber particles by characterizing the morphology and development of rubber-producing cells at both the seedling stage and in mature TK plants. Different microscopy methods were used to obtain high image resolution, and detailed analysis of early laticifer development and rubber particle ontogeny. The microscopic observations on the seedlings showed that rubber particles were produced before laticifers, as early as eight days after germination, beginning at the cotyledonary collar areas. Laticifers were first observed 14 days after germination in the cotyledonary collar area at the pericycle and outside of the primary phloem group. In mature TK, high laticifer numbers were recorded near the plant crown and the numbers decreased toward the root tip. Conversely, the laticifer density was highest when the root diameter was small. The rubber particles, which are spherical or ovoid, were not as easily identified in seedlings as they were in mature TK plants. However, these particles began to appear 10 days after germination. The mature plants exhibited similar rubber particle morphology to H. brasiliensis and Parthenium argentatum (guayule). In addition, laticifer plastids, membranous organelles found in the cytoplasm of laticifer cells, produced some of the rubber particles while other rubber particles were formed independent of this plastid. Also, two distinct rubber particle morphologies are found in TK. Rubber particles developed in the cytoplasm (plastidic rubber) are irregularly shaped prior

epenthes, a carnivorous plant genus from Southeast Asia, attracts wide attention with its spectacularly shaped pitchers, cultural value and horticultural curiosity. Despite the plantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; iconic intrigue, surprisingly little anatomical detail is known about the genus beyond its modified leaf tip traps. We investigated the wood anatomy of 40 Nepenthes species to (i) assess the evolution of these characters within the genus and within a broader Caryophyllales framework, and (ii) to relate wood anatomical characters with variation in developmental stages, growth habit and abiotic preferences. Wood anatomical observations were performed using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ancestral states of evolutionary significant wood and pith characters were reconstructed using an existing molecular phylogenetic framework for Nepenthes, the non-core Caryophyllales clade and beyond. Pairwise comparisons were assessed for possible relationships between wood anatomy and developmental stages, growth habits, substrates and ecology. For Caryohpyllales, silica grains, successive cambia, bordered perforation plate and helically banded idioblasts appear to be the results of convergent evolution. In fact, peculiar helical sculpturing patterns within various cell types occur within the insectivorous clade of non-core Caryophyllales. Nepenthes are no exception, harbouring unique helically-banded idioblasts in the cortex and occasionally in multiseriate rays. Amongst Nepenthes, occasional septate fibres and pith lignification appear plesiomorphic. Most Nepenthes have some level of pith lignification. The wood anatomy of Nepenthes is characterised by diffuse porosity, mainly solitary vessels showing simple, bordered perforation plates and alternate intervessel pits, fibres with distinctly bordered pits which occasionally show septa, diffuse-in-aggregates to banded axial parenchyma and a combination of uni-

Developmental & Structural Section to moving inside the vacuole. Once in the vacuole, the outer layer of the rubber particle becomes smooth (vesicular rubber). In conclusion, these findings have provided us with useful information on laticifer and rubber particle ontogeny that we can use further in studying and explaining the de novo site of rubber particles as well as to predict rubber production in TK roots.

a victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stomach contents is based on their anatomical characteristics.. This has contributed to the solution of many cases presented in criminal courts., the cells coming from the stomach contents of victims. This evidence has been used to link victims to places, to suspects, etc. and can contribute to considerations of time of death as well, an ongoing problem in many murder cases. Each January a notice appears asking for information concerning the murders of two young women in the Colorado Ski Country. It is known that they had their last meals in the same place. But neither was seen alive again. The remains of one were found a couple weeks after she had disappeared, the otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was found 5 months later months. The case is still open and unsolved. In plant anatomy cases, the evidence is identified and photographed using a light microscope with low or high power. This is inexpensive and readily accepted in Court.In addition to plant anatomy we have applied two other subdivisions of botany in criminal investigations: plant taxonomy and plant ecology. Using knowledge of how to identify plants can lead to a defendable scientific name for a plant taxon. In one case, the defendant claimed his vehicle had not been to the area where a victim was found, but plant species from that area were found in the window wells and bed of his truck. Plant ecology can have very wide application. An opposing expert said leaf shedding occurred in autumn, naming this time of year for a deposit of human remains, but leaf fall in semi-tropical setting occurs year round, not just in autumn. How do you become a forensic botanist? The first requirement is to have botanical knowledge. This can be either specialized or general, but studying botanical science should be a lifelong learning process through literature and scientific organizations such as the BSA. The second requirement is knowledge of the criminal justice system. You may work with include police, judges, defense and prosecuting attorneys and their staffs, private investigators and other experts who may figure heavily in the courtroom.

The Ohio State University, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Williams Hall,1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH, 44691, USA2The Ohio State University, Molecular and Cellular Imaging Center, Selby Hall,1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

176

SEAGO, JAMES L

Anatomical Traits of Hydrophytes

rom De Bary (1877) and Schenck (1885), through Conard (1905) and Arbor (1920), to Sculthorpe (1967) and Justin and Armstrong (1987), botanists have been fascinated with the structural features of hydrophytic plants. Hydrophytes, aquatic and wetland plants, occur in flowering plant groups from the basal angiosperms, Nymphaeales, to the monocots, Acorales to Poales, and the eudicots, Ranales to Asterales. While there are almost no common structural traits to these plants, there are anatomical features which are found in many, depending upon the situations within their hydrophytic habitats, ranging from shallow flowing streams to rivers, ponds, marshes, swamps, and roadside ditches, etc. Primary plant bodies of hydrophytes may exhibit root epidermis with or without root hairs and shoot epidermis with trichomes, glands and hydropoten. The cortex has an endodermis with wall characteristics varying somewhat with habitat and often a hypodermis with an exodermis, which may be the outermost layer of many plants. These barrier layers are also often present in stems of many species, especially those with stems normally under water or in saturated soils. Aerenchyma, in the forms of expansigeny, schizogeny, and lysigeny, is a very common feature, but some hydrophytes, almost uniquely, lack enlarged air spaces. Sclereids, crystals, and various idioblasts are common in cortex, and collenchyma, in particular, is rather common in peripheral ground tissue of stems, petioles, and even leaves. Vascular tissue varies widely, but, while extremely reduced amounts of xylem are found in roots of some species, other species have stems resembling roots and species with polysteles in stems are common in angiosperm hydrophytes. Phloem is often fairly abundant, and sclerenchyma is common among xylem elements of roots and rhizomes. Mycorrhizae may be present, but not many nodule bearing species are hydrophytes.

University of Colorado, Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box 0334, Boulder, Co, 80309-334, USA, 303-579-9739

178

XU, HENGPING 1, JONES, DANIEL S. , CHESNUT, JOSHUA 1, ANDERSON, SARAH 2, JOHNSON, CAMERON 2, KHANDAY, IMTIYAZ 2, SUNDARESAN, V. 2 and RUSSELL, SCOTT D.* 1 1

Control of Cell Cycle and Cellular Division in the Zygote of Oryza sativa

ell cycle control following sexual fusion of the egg and sperm cells involves an unusual interplay of the expressional contributions made by the two gametes and the emerging transcription of the zygote. This pattern of expression delineates the maternal to zygotic transition (MZT) and establishes the initial asymmetric division of the zygote that determines later cell fate. In the male and female gametes of Oryza sativa (rice), the cells that participate in forming the zygote are each at G1 at the time of gametic fusion. Therefore, the zygote undergoes expressional changes that potentially combine the maternal and paternal genome in assembling the complement of S-phase activated expression and

State University Of New York At Oswego, Professor Emeritus, P O Box 316, Minetto, NY, 13115, USA

177

BOCK, JANE H

Forensic Botany

orensic botany applies botanical sciences to legal matters. The cases here are homicides from throughout the US and other English speaking countries. I have worked on these presented here. First is evidence using plant anatomy. The identification of food plant cells in

subsequently triggering the genomic complement of the zygote to G2 at 9-12 hours after pollination (hap). A cyclin-dependent kinase (CDKA) occupies the central function of controlling the initiation of S-phase. Although the activation of CDKA is governed by changes in content of cyclin proteins, the advancement of the zygote into S-phase is inhibited by association with proteins called ICKs (inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases), which in plants are represented by Kip-Related Proteins (KRPs). In rice, these KRPs are likely targeted for removal and degradation by the association of F-box proteins that form skp1-cullin1-F-box protein (SCF) complexes, which are targeted for degradation in the proteosome, thus releasing the zygote from cell cycle inhibition. Recent analyses using yeast two-hybrid assays, cellular localizations and bimolecular fluorescence complementation of rice protoplasts provide evidence for the interaction of an F-box gene-encoded F-box/ LRR motif protein with KRP5 and KRP4 in rice. This research is directed to verifying the origin and expression of regulatory subunits controlling S-phase in the rice zygote and determining whether their expression may be affected by transcript abundance in the male and female gametes and whether their later expression is under paternal or maternal control during the early asymmetric division of the zygote to determine cellular differences.

angiosperm taxa examined, yet little is known about differences in surface abundance CPCs or morphology between plant species with predominantly outcrossing vs. selfing mating systems. We hypothesize that highly selffertilizing species will have significant reductions in the relative petal area covered by CPC and apical height of CPC cells compared to outcrossing species. We test this hypothesis by quantifying the percent petal area covered by CPC and the apical height of individual petal cells imaged using scanning electron microscope (SEM). We contrast these metrics in two selfing/outcrossing sister species pairs in the genus Collinsia (Plantaginaceae) [C. rattanii/C. linearis and C. parryi/C. concolor]. Our results show that the selfing species have a reduced percent area of CPCs and nearly exclusively flat petal cells compared to their outcrossing sister species. These results suggest that reduced CPCs may be an additional trait in the selfing syndrome. 1

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Knoxville, TN, USA2University of Pittsburgh, Department of Biological Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA, USA3University of California, Riverside, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Riverside, CA, USA

180

LIU, XIANG* , XIE, DEYU , FRANKS, ROBERT and XIANG, QIU-YUN (JENNY)

University of Oklahoma, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Norman, OK, 730192University of California, Department of Plant Biology, Davis, CA, 95616

GRANT, ALANNIE-GRACE* 1, CALLODONATO, REBECCA 2, LITT, AMY 3 and KALISZ, SUSAN 1

Down-regulating AP3 homolog expression showed floral and inflorescence changes leading to loss of the explosive pollen release in bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)

Is reduced apical height of conical petal cells a new trait in the selfing syndrome?

179

PETALA 3 is known to be a floral homeotic MADS-box protein regulating petal and stamen morphogenesis through interaction with PISTILATA in Arabidopsis. Mutations in either AP3 or PI resulted in replacement of petals by sepals and stamens by carpels. Constitutive expression of AP3 and PI from the CaMV35S promoter led to conversion of sepals into petals. Petal and stamen developments are clearly important to pollination success. In flowering plants with catapult mechanism for pollen release (e.g, Kalmia in Ericaceae and Cornus canadensis in Cornaceae), petal and stamen morphogenesis is crucial to the built-up of the elastic energy. In C. canadensis, the explosive pollen release depends on the formation of “X” structure of floral buds characterized by four connivent petals enclosing four mature anthers connected to bended and exerted filaments and a warn-like trigger on one of the petals. This feature and mechanism evolved uniquely in the bunchberry group of Cornus occurring in circumboreal regions where pollinators are scarce. Given the role of AP3 in Arabidopsis, one is curious about its potential role in the formation of this structure important to the bunchberries. We conducted experiments by down regulating the expression of AP3 homolog in C. canadensis using a hairpin structure and CaMV35S promoter through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. We found that the inflorescences from approximately ten plants of five transgenic lines exhibited abnormal structure of the flowers and inflorescences, mainly the loss of the X structure and extra petaloid bracts within the in-

nderstanding the morphological and functional changes that are associated with significant evolutionary transitions is a fundamental goal in evolutionary biology. One of the most common evolutionary transitions in angiosperms is from outcross-fertilization to self-fertilization. In many species a suite of morphological and functional changes accompanies the shift to selfing, collectively termed the “selfing syndrome.” These include traits that increase the efficacy of selffertilization, like the reduction of temporal and spatial overlap of reproductive parts and pollen-to-ovule ratios, as well as reductions in pollinator attraction traits: floral scent, nectar, and flower size. Such changes in floral attractive trait investment can result in reduced costs of flower production and potentially increased seed number and reproductive success for selfing species. A novel function of a floral trait, the presence of conical petal cells (CPC), has been identified in Antirrhinum. In a set of behavioral assays, it was determined that bees that visit wild type Antirrhinum flowers (wild type CPC expression) have increased foraging success relative to bees that visit mutant flowers that lack CPC expression (flat epidermal cells). Bees on flowers with CPCs retain a grip on the petals of large, showy, zygomorphic flowers, which facilitates outcross pollination. On petals with only flat epidermal cells, bees are unable to maintain their grip on flowers, which reduces outcross reproductive success. CPCs have been documented in ~80% of

Developmental & Structural Section florescences in addition to the four “involucral” petaloid bracts of the wild plants. However, in a few transgenic plants from two lines, these changes were not evident or vary among flowers of the same inflorescence. These experimental results suggest that the expression of AP3-homolg may be crucial to the formation of the “X” structure of flower buds, as well as to the suppression of bracts on the inflorescences. PCR and DNA sequencing confirmed the insertion of the hairpin structure. Further molecular characterization of the transgenic plants are being conducted to confirm the hypothesis.

inherited from the common ancestor of Orthopterygium and Amphipterygium.

North Carolina State University, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, United States

Anatomy and Pollination of Subterranean Cleistogamous Flowers of Benghal Dayflower (Commelina benghalensis, Commelinaceae)

Museo de Historia Natural UNMSM, Laboratorio de Sistematica y Diversidad Vegetal, Arenales Avenue 1256, Jesus Maria, Lima, LIMA 14, PERU2SUNY Oswego, Biological Sciences, 30 Centennial Drive, Oswego, NY, 13126, USA

182

HAYDEN, W JOHN* 1 and FAGAN, CAMILLE 2

181

HERRERA, MARIA DEL PILAR* 1 and BACHELIER, JULIEN 2

natomy and pollination of subterranean cleistogamous flowers of Benghal Dayflower (Commelina benghalensis) is described as a contribution to understanding its reproductive biology. Specimens studied were found on the University of Richmond (VA) campus in October 2012 as weeds among ornamental plants, the first recorded population of this federally listed noxious weed in Virginia. Plants were collected to local extinction and were rendered as herbarium vouchers and anatomical specimens preserved in formalinacetic acid-ethanol for anatomical study. Whereas above-ground chasmogamous spathes bear multiple flowers, subterranean stems bear one spathe per node, each enclosing a single cleistogamous flower. Only the three anterior stamens produce functional pollen; the posterior three stamens are staminodes, present merely as much-reduced filaments. Tapetum is amoeboid and endothecium is present. The three-carpellate superior ovary bears five dimorphic orthotropous ovules. Nearly mature flowers have straight to somewhat curved styles; at maturity, styles elongate and coil. The subterranean cleistogamous flowers and the spathes which envelop them remain closed throughout flower and seed development. In most cases for which the details are known, pollination in cleistogamous flowers involves germination of pollen grains in intact anthers, producing pollen tubes that eventually grow through the anther wall to the stigma. In contrast, our observations indicate that coiled style growth in mature subterranean flowers of C. benghalensis causes physical rupture of anthers, thus bringing pollen into direct contact with stigmas. Pollen tubes were observed only in styles that had previously undergone coiling; numerous pollen tubes were observed within mucilaginous secretions of the mature stylar canal. The subterranean cleistogamous flowers of Benghal Dayflower and their apparently unique mode of pollination, viewed together with reproductive capacity of its aerial chasmogamous flowers, underscore the complexity and flexibility of the reproductive biology of this troublesome weed species.

Comparative study of sexual dimorphism in the development of reproductive structures of Orthopterygium, a rare and endemic dioecious genus of Anacardiaceae

rthopterygium (A. Gray) Hemsl. is a monotypic and highly endemic genus of the western Andean slopes of Peru. Like its Mexican sister genus, Amphipterygium Schiede ex Standl., it is dioecious and has strongly dimorphic reproductive structures with lax male inflorescences referred to as “catkins”, and unique winged samaroid female inflorescences. Because of their very distinct and unusual female, both genera were first placed in their own family, Julianiaceae, and their systematic affinities were unclear. Historically, they have been compared and related to different families, such as Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, or Anacardiaceae. However, recent chemical and molecular phylogenetic studies confirmed that indeed, Amphipterygium and Orthopterygium were closely related to one another and forming a pair nested in Anacardioideae, the largest of the two subfamilial clade of Anacardiaceae. In addition, a successive comparative and developmental study later showed that the male and female flowers and ovules of A. adstringens shared strong morphological traits with those of Pistacia, but due to a lack of available reproductive material, still little is known about Orthopterygium since its initial description. In this study, we examined the development of flowers and inflorescences of Orthopterygium, and compared them with the reproductive anatomy and morphology of Amphipterygium. Our preliminary results show very little variation between the male structures of the two genera, and both have compact cymose inflorescences that become lax at maturity and hairy flowers with undifferentiated perianth lobes alternating with stamens. The female structures are also essentially similar to those of Amphipterygium, and differ mainly in the number of flowers per cymose inflorescence, and the development of the cupular involucre that surrounds them. Their perianthless female flowers are also essentially similar and have a pseudomonomerous gynoecium with a single syntropous, crassinucellate, and unitegmic ovule with a massive funicle per locule. Both genera thus share many characteristics which are unique or rare elsewhere in Anacardioideae and Anacardiaceae as a whole, and were likely

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, DEPT OF BIOLOGY, 28 WESTHAMPTON WAY, RICHMOND, VA, 23173, USA2University of Richmond, Department of Biology, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA, 23173, USA

POSTERS

183

ADE-ADEMILUA, OMOBOLANLE ELIZABETH* 1, OGUNDIPE, OLUWATOYIN 2 and OKPOMA, MARIAN M. 3

184 VID

Micropropagation of Peperomia pellucida

BOCK, JANE* and NORRIS, DA-

Botanical Applications to Forensic Science

n a bid to advocate for the cultivation of the weed, Peperomia pellucida, as a medicinal vegetable, the protocol for the tissue culture of the plant was developed to regenerate a clean population. Our study leveraged on previous protocol for formation of callus from leaf explants of other Peperomia species on solid medium. However, we further experimented with various combinations of hormones and MS salts in liquid media using temporary immersion systems to regenerate shoots and roots. The first of its kind protocol for regeneration of Peperomia pellucida was developed.

he US National Academy of Sciences (USNAS) has raised serious questions about the quality and validity of contemporary forensic science. The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and other relevant organizations are addressing these concerns by helping to set national standards in science expertise to be used in our justice system. One aspect of forensic science not addressed by the USNAS is lesser known, but well tested forensic botany. Our poster illustrates the strengths of forensic botany in homicide investigations throughout the US and outside it. This is based on the authorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personal experiences. Our purpose here is to attract the attention of botanists to this field and its consulting and career possibilities. Botanical evidence is readily accepted in Courts due to its well-documented, millennials long history. It readily passes Court tests (Daubert and Frye) for the admissibility of evidence. We illustrate how botanical evidence has multi-dimensional applications in criminal investigations based upon our experience in more than four dozen homicide investigations. Our poster stresses three aspects of botany: Plant Anatomy primarily with the use of light microscopy; Plant Taxonomy to accurately identify plant taxa; and Plant Ecology to answer questions concerning crime sites, victims and suspects. All three of these subdivisions of botany have been used to link victims and/or suspects and/or vehicles, clothing and other artifacts to each other in investigations. DNA evidence occasionally has proved useful. We will point out its strengths and weaknesses. The poster also touches on how some other subdivisions of botanical science can applied as well including palynology and diatomology. Algae, fungi, bryophytes, ferns and their allies, gymnosperms and flowering plants all have found uses in forensic work. Bockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence at the poster session will serve to answer questions about details of how powerful botanical contributions have assisted in both pre-trial and courtroom procedures.

University Of Lagos, Botany, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, N/A, 2341, Nigeria2University of Lagos, Botany, University of Lagos , Akoka, Lagos, Lagos, 2341, Nigeria 3University of Lagos, Botany, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science,, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, 2341, Nigeria

University of Colorado, Boulder

185

ORTIZ-HERRERA, MARIA ANGELES 4 and ARISTA PALMERO, MONTSERRAT 5

A new DNA plant bank for Southwestern Europe and North African Flora

he Servicio General de Herbario of the Universidad de Sevilla (S Spain) has recently created a DNA plant Bank to conserve the genetic diversity of Andalusian (SW Europe) and North African flora. These territories are particularly rich in plant species: about 4000 taxa occur in Andalusia and nearly 4500 in Morocco. The Herbarium contains about 300000 sheets and it is the third in important in Spain. So far, our DNA plant Bank (DNA Bank HER-SEV) contains more than 7000

Developmental & Structural Section leaf area.

samples obtained from the research activities of the botanists of the Universidad de Sevilla and it aims to grow significantly to become a world reference for the scientific community. The materials preserved in this bank could be used to establish plant species relationships, unravel evolutionary history of plant taxa and provide information on the genetic diversity of populations facing the conservation and management of threatened species.

Florida International University, Biology, Academic Health Center II 290, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, United States2Florida International University, Academic Health Center II 290, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, United States3University of California, Davis, Plant Pathology, 116 Robbins Hall, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA4University of California, Davis, Plant Pathology, 116 Robbins Hall, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, United States5Florida International University And Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 11200 SW 8th Street, Biological Sciences, Florida International University, OE 167, 11200 SW 8th Street, Biological Sciences, Florida , Miami, FL, 33199, USA

University of Sevilla, Servicio general de investigación de herbario, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, Sevilla, Sevilla, 41010, Spain2University of Sevilla, Servicio general de investigación de herbario, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, Sevilla, Sevilla, 41010, España3University of Sevilla, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Avenida Reina Mercedes nÂº6, Sevilla, Sevilla, 41010, Spain4Facultad De Biología, Apartado De Correos 1095, Sevilla, N/A, 41080, Spain5DPTO. BIO VEGETAL Y ECOLOGIA, APDO. 1095, Sevilla, N/A, 41080, Spain

187

GIFFEI, BRIDGET L.* 1, DANG, CHRISTIE L. 1, ALTRICHTER, KRISTINE M. 2, WILDEN, ANA E. 1 and TAYLOR, MACKENZIE L. 1

186

VALLS, REBECCA* 1, DACOSTACALHEIROS, EMMANUEL 2, MARQUES, EDWARD 2, RAHM, JOSEPH 1, VARMA PENMETSA, RAMACHANDRA 3, COOK, DOUGLAS 4 and VON WETTBERG, ERIC 5

Post-pollination development in Ruppia maritima (Ruppiaceae, Alismatales)

uppia is a cosmopolitan, aquatic, monocot genus found in saline, brackish or alkaline waters. The most widespread species, R. maritima, exhibits water pollination (hydrophily) in which pollen grains are transported across the water surface in pollen rafts. The transition to water pollination is known to be accompanied by modifications in pollen morphology and ultrastructure, but the consequences of the shift to hydrophily for reproductive development are not wellunderstood. In this study, we characterized reproductive development in R. maritima, focusing on the progamic phase, the life history phase that occurs between pollen germination to fertilization. Naturally-pollinated flowers were collected and the timing of stigma receptivity, anther dehiscence, and pollen reception, as well as pollen to ovule ratio and natural pollen load size were determined. Hand-pollinations and timed collections were conducted in order to determine rates of pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Stigma receptivity and pollen reception preceded and overlapped anther dehiscence. Pollen grains germinated within five minutes after hand-pollination and reached the ovule within an hour after pollination. Self-pollen germinated on R. maritima stigmas and pollen tubes grew through the style, indicating that plants can self. Rapid pollen germination and a short time to ovule entry in R. maritima are likely adaptive in an aquatic environment in which pollen can wash off the stigma. This study yields data that inform our understanding of the reproductive traits associated with water-pollination and the evolutionary consequences of the transition to hydrophily.

Effect of various nitrogen fertilizers on chickpea leaf and root morphology

hickpea (Cicer arietinum) is the second most important pulse legume crop in the world producing over 13 million tons in over 50 countries worldwide. Whether directly through consumption or by feeding livestock, chickpeas and other legumes provide 30% of our nutritional nitrogen; legumes accomplish this by creating symbiotic relationships with nitrogen fixing rhizobial bacteria within nodules found on the plant’s roots where the legume provides sugar in exchange for bioavailable nitrogen. Due to their nitrogen fixing ability, chickpeas are often grown in rotation with major agricultural crops like wheat and corn in order to reintroduce nitrogen and other nutrients into heavily depleted soils. Although it is widely observed that increasing nitrogen fertilizer applications on legumes inhibits their relationship with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, there is little information on how these limitations affect leaf and root morphologies across wild and cultivated lines of chickpeas. Wild chickpeas grow in extremely nitrogenlimited environments, while cultivated chickpea occurs in deeper soils with more naturally available mineral nitrogen. Root and leaf morphologies hold information regarding plant development, and understanding the plasticity of chickpeas in response to nitrogen level can help to increase efficiency in their agricultural production. We are interested in seeing how various concentrations of nitrogen fertilizer affect the morphology of both root and shoot development of both wild and cultivated lines of chickpeas. We plan to use several computational tools to analyze multiple measurements in the roots and shoot including: internode and petiole length, frequency of branching, leaf shape and root architecture. WinRHIZO (Analysis of Washed Roots and Arabidopsis Seedlings) will be used to study characteristics of roots, while Image J will be used to study characteristics of the shoot and leaves such as branching patterns and

Creighton University, Department Of Biology, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA2North Dakota State University, School of Natural Resource Sciences, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA

ferences between staminate and pistillate plants. Sexual dimorphism is rare in plants because most plants do not exhibit diocey or have sex chromosomes. One plant species that does contain sex chromosomes is Rumex acetosella, which is strictly dioecious. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to identify any secondary characteristics that would distinguish male from female indicating that sexual dimorphism exists in plants with sex chromosomes. Based on the herbarium collection at the National Museum of Natural History, seven secondary traits were chosen based on their practicality and were measured or surveyed accordingly. The traits include: cauline leaf size, root growth, flowers per node, date of flowering, height, inflorescence, and region. After running a student T-Test for each trait, a statistically significant difference was found for the inflorescence height of R. acetosella indicating that female (pistillate) plants had a longer inflorescence than male (staminate) plants. Though there were differences between male and females with the other traits, they were not statistically significant.

188

MICKLE, JAMES E* 1 and BARONE LUMAGA, MARIA ROSARIA 3

Habitat expansion without substantial niche shift in Stangeria

olecular based analyses have revolutionized our understanding of cycad evolution and phylogeny. Most importantly, molecular dating analyses have suggested that most of extant cycads species originated during the Miocene-Pliocene. Such recent radiation permits development of hypotheses on the interaction between recent environmental change and speciation in cycads. Stangeria eriopus was originally describes as a fern, and only the production of cones allowed its correct recognition as a cycad. Plants of this species present pinnate fern-like leaves with a prominent midrib, a subterranean, sometimes branching, trunk, and fleshy roots. Anatomical sections have shown that the pinnae midribs are comprised of several veins that seemingly diverge, originating dichotomizing lateral veins. This kind of structure may maximize light- gathering potential, which represents a useful adaptation to low-light conditions widespread under dense forest canopies. Also, the photosynthetic anatomy of the leaflet and some aspects of epidermal micromorphology seem to point toward a sophisticated adaptation to closed tropical environments. The appearance of open environments such as grassland veld after the last glacial period, then more intensely with anthropisation, opened new niches characterized by drier conditions with more intense solar radiation and frequent burning. This represented an opportunity for Stangeria to explore new ecological niches, for which it may have been preadapted. It is possible that characters that allow Stangeria to thrive in grassland are not dissimilar from those allowing ferns to survive in disturbed environments. Production of low-cost leaves, produced singularly and not in whorls result in reduced biological loss consequences for the plant. Moreover, the presence of underground buds kept, with high resprouting ability could further increase the ability of Stangeria to adapt to ecological constrains acting on a species otherwise highly adapted to a forest understory plant.

Howard , Biology, 415 College St. NW, Washington, DC, 20059, USA2Howard University, 415 College St. NW, Dept. Of Biology, Washington, DC, 20059, USA

190

HEYD, LAUREN* 1, SCHAFRAN, PETER and JONES, MARCUS 3 2

Effect of Food Additives on in vitro Germination of Calopogon pallidus (Orchidaceae)

or a long time, orchid growers have used unconventional food products in their growth media to increase germination. Calopogon pallidus Chapm. (Orchidaceae), a rare orchid in Virginia, benefits from ex situ conservation through cultivation. Here, four different additives- potato (Solanum tuberosum), banana (Musa acuminata), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and coconut water (Cocos nucifera)- were each added to Phytotech P723 orchid seed sowing medium. Percent germination was measured over time for each treatment group. Knowing which additives enhance germination may lead to better cultivation methods for both economic and research purposes. This will also aid our ex situ conservation of C. pallidus in Virginia.

North Carolina State Universtiy, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Campus Box 7612, 2115 Gardner Hall, Raleigh, NC, 276957612, USA2University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany, UniversitĂ¤tstrasse 2, Zurich, 8092 , Switzerland3Universita' di Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento di Biologia, Orto Botanico, via Foria 223, Napoli, 80139, Italy

Old Dominion University, Department of Biological Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529, USA2Old Dominion University, Department of Biological Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529-0266, USA3Old Dominion University, Kaplan Orchid Conservatory, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529-0266, USA

189

MANSARAY, JANET* 1 and BURKE, JANELLE M 2

191

Secondary characteristics indicating sexual dimorphism in the plant, Rumex acetosella (Polygonaceae)

CALDWELL, MORGAN* 1, KISS, JOHN Z. and VANDENBRINK, JOSHUA 3 2

Blue-Light Phototropism of Roots of Seedlings Grown in Simulated Microgravity

exual dimorphisms are the distinguishing characteristics in appearance between males and females beyond their reproductive organs due to inheritance through genetic material. With organisms like birds these distinguishing trait may be easy to spot, but for most flowering plants there are not many apparent dif-

he ability to successfully grow and cultivate plants will play a crucial role as part of bioregenerative life support systems for future exploration of the Moon and

Developmental & Structural Section multiple species of ants which, in turn, provide varying levels of protection from herbivores such as the caterpillar of the gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae). The mechanisms of secretion have been examined in the petiolar and laminar nectaries of several related species within this genus. In those species, sugars translocated to the nectary structures appear to be eccrine-secreted into the apoplastic space below the cuticle where they accumulate until nectar secretion. The present study attempts to build on this understanding of Passiflora extrafloral nectaries by examining the ultrastructure of nectary tissues and vasculature in Passiflora incarnata and comparing these to the structures previously documented in Passiflora auriculata, P. biflora, P. caerulea, P. edulis, P. helleri, P. ligularis, P. quadrangularis, P. seemannii, and P. warmingii. Extrafloral nectaries at various stages of development were collected from P. incarnata and sections were studied using light microscopy. These are compared and contrasted with the structures of similar species previously described.

Mars. Continued research is needed in order to better understand how gravity and light responses (gravitropism and phototropism, respectively) interact in plants. The relationship between these two environmental cues helps to direct plant growth and development. This research provides a ground-based analogue for spaceflight experiments aimed at understanding phototropic response in the absence of gravity. Here, we use a two-dimensional clinostat to attempt to reproduce the results from a spaceflight experiment. Spaceflight experiments are very costly and cannot be conducted at the same rate as they could be on the ground, necessitating the use of ground-based studies. Clinostats are currently used in ground-based experiments to simulate the microgravity effects of spaceflight by continuously changing the direction of the gravity vector. Investigation of the interaction between gravitropic and phototropic responses was conducted in three Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes, Lansberg wild-type and phytochrome A and phytochrome B mutants. Plants were rotated over a 48 hour period with a directional blue light treatment. The phototropic response or roots to unidirectional blue light was measured. When compared to the phototropic data from true microgravity conditions on board the International Space Station, there was no significant differences (p < 0.05) in the response of Lansberg wild-type, but significant differences (p > 0.05) in the phytochrome A and phytochrome B mutants. Each of these mutants had a smaller average root angle rate of change in the rotated samples compared to the spaceflight samples. These results are important in assessing the suitability of clinorotation as a ground-based analogue to true microgravity experiments. 1

University of Mississippi, Biology, 214 Shoemaker Hall, University, MS, 38677, USA2University Of Mississippi, Graduate School, 100 Graduate House, University, MS, 38677, USA3University of Mississippi, Biology, University, MS, 38677, USA

192

COOPER, TOBY* and KROSNICK, SHAWN ELIZABETH

Preliminary examination of extrafloral nectariferous structures in Passiflora incarnata L. (Passifloraceae)

he family Passifloraceae provides many notable examples of plant-animal coevolution, from complex parasite-host interactions to mutualisms between plant and pollinators. Within this family, the genus Passiflora is particularly rich in specialized adaptations to animal mutualists such as bats, hummingbirds, and numerous species of wasps and bees. Passiflora incarnata is a common representative of this genus in the southeastern US. A trailing or climbing perennial vine, P. incarnata grows quickly in open habitat, colonizing roadsides, agricultural sites, and other disturbed areas through a combination of sexual and vegetative reproductive strategies. P. incarnata possesses large, conspicuous, androgynophorous flowers particularly suited to pollination by large solitary bees such as Xylocopa or Bombus species. In addition to reproductive structures facilitating species mutualisms, the plant produces extrafloral nectaries on leaf petioles and the lamina of floral bracts. These structures secrete sugars that are known to attract

Ecological Section

194

ORAL PAPERS

Patterns of abiotic niche shifts in allopolyploids relative to their progenitors

MARCHANT, BLAINE* 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E 2 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 3

193

GERMAIN-AUBREY, CHARLOTTE* 1, ALLEN, JULIE 2, GURALNICK, ROBERT 3, LAFFAN, SHAWN 4, MISHLER, BRENT D. 5, NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 6, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3, MAJURE, LUCAS C. 7 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 8

olyploidy has extensive genetic, physiological, morphological, and ecological ramifications. While the patterns underlying the genetic and morphological consequences of polyploidy are being rapidly elucidated, the effects of polyploidy on ecological niche are still largely unknown. This study investigated 13 allopolyploid systems in North America using digitized natural history museum specimens. The abiotic niches of the allopolyploids were compared with those of their diploid progenitors using ecological niche modeling, niche analyses, and multivariate analyses. We identified four patterns of niche shifts in polyploids compared to their parental species: niche expansion, niche contraction, niche intermediacy, and niche novelty. The classification of these shifts depended on the amount of niche overlap and breadth between the polyploid and its progenitors. The most common niche shift was niche intermediacy in which the polyploid inhabited a geographic range between that of the progenitors and had a high degree of niche overlap. Each polyploid had at least partial geographic sympatry and abiotic niche overlap with one of its progenitors, suggesting that biotic and/or microclimate factors may play a larger role in polyploid establishment than previously hypothesized. This study provides a baseline for future comparisons of the diverse outcomes of genome merger and duplication on abiotic niche preference.

Using museum specimens to refine species distribution models: The Florida Plant Diversity Project

ith an estimated one billion specimens hosted in 1,600 collections in the USA, natural history museums and herbaria contain immense data on species distributions and ecology. The iDigBio portal, which currently serves data for 60 million records (and a corresponding estimate of at least 150 million specimens) grants anyone access to these specimens through a simple search engine. The scope of research questions that this resource will enable is unprecedented! Mapping biodiversity at the landscape level, organism traits, endemism or evolutionary history all are essential for conservation, ecological, phylogenetic and evolutionary studies. Florida hosts several biodiversity hotspots and is home to over 4,100 species of plants. Using, amongst other sources of data, herbarium collections, we took advantage of the historical data linked with the specimens to improve on the current methods for species distribution models. We report here new methods that can be applied to modeling using herbarium specimen data. To shift from a niche model to a species distribution model, we geographically restricted the training area of the models according to the number and location of occurrences. This study emphasizes the importance of museum collections in our ability to understand and predict future changes in biodiversity at the landscape level.

1 U Florida, Biology, USA2University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32605, USA3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

195

HODEL, RICHARD G* 1, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 2 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E 3

Projecting the potential future distributions of three mangrove species in Florida and beyond using ecological niche modeling

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson HAll, Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL, 61820, United States3Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall - Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States4University of New South Wales, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sidney, NSW, 2052, Australia5University Of California, Berkeley, DEPT OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY, 1001 Valley Life Science Building # 2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA6Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA7Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ, 05008, United States8University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

angroves are coastal trees occurring throughout the tropics and in portions of the subtropics. The coastal habitats they occupy are harsh; high salinity, frequent disturbances, and anoxic conditions surrounding roots are typical of the mangrove environment. Mangroves are characterized by a suite of traits that enable them to survive in these extreme conditions, including salt avoidance, tolerance, and/or sequestration, root adaptations to increase stability and allow access to oxygen, and some type of vivipary that promotes propagule dispersal. There are three species of mangroves native to the Neotropics: red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, Rhizophoraceae), black mangroves (Avicennia germinans, Acanthaceae), and white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa, Combretaceae). Each species has a different ability to tolerate salinity and flooding. Man-

Ecological Section groves have been negatively impacted by human activities, including increased shipping, coastal development, and sea level changes associated with anthropogenic climate change. In the last century, significant portions of mangrove forest have been lost worldwide, which can have far-reaching impacts. Mangroves provide a variety of ecosystem services, including water filtration, shoreline stabilization, and habitat for fish, birds, and marine invertebrates. It is important to use all available data and resources to protect mangrove forests. Several modeling approaches have been used to predict the impact of climate change on mangroves, ranging from ecological models to land cover analyses. Previous studies have reported that mangroves are projected to move poleward in certain areas of Florida, possibly invading grass-dominated salt marshes. However, these older modeling approaches could only make relatively coarse predictions, due to low spatial resolution, not being able to distinguish between the three species of mangroves, or being applied to a small geographical area. The recent increase in availability of digitized herbarium specimens and the development of ecological niche modeling techniques have improved our ability to project the potential future distributions of species. In this study, we project the potential future distributions of red, black, and white mangroves in Florida and beyond using ecological niche modeling. These fine-scale, high-resolution projections will be valuable for prioritizing conservation measures and for quantifying key differences between the three species’ habitats. Additionally, the ecological niche modeling results can be used to generate phylogeographic hypotheses that can be tested using genetic data—which we are currently collecting from samples obtained from locations across the Caribbean.

reasons for this are not clear, but possible explanations will be discussed in our presentation. Both the serpentine and non-serpentine sites studied were dominated by an overstory of Fagus grandifolia and Tsuga canadensis, with a sparse understory consisting mainly of Maianthemum canadense, Aralia nudicaulis, and Eurybia divaricata. Although there is one serpentine-endemic vascular plant species in western Massachusetts (Moehringia macrophylla), it is an exception rather than the rule. Interestingly, bryophytes characterized substrate more effectively than vascular plants, with the bryoflora of distant serpentine sites more similar than the bryoflora of adjacent rock types. Within serpentinite sites, cliff faces do seem to represent a distinctive habitat, hosting certain species (e.g., Asplenium trichomanes) lacking on cliff faces of other nearby lithologies, and lacking other species (e.g., Umbilicariaceae lichens) that are abundant on cliffs of other rocks. From a conservation perspective, serpentinite outcrops in Western Massachusetts represent a rare habitat (within the state) that is likely to experience significant change in the near future as insect and fungal pests alter the composition of the overstory. College Of The Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA

197

JANTZEN, JOHANNA* 1, WHITTEN, W. MARK 2, NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 3, MAJURE, LUCAS C. 4, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 2 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 1

The effects of taxonomic and spatial scale on measures of phylogenetic diversity using a test case in Florida

308A NW 2nd St, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19643University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32605, USA

he phylogenetic diversity in a community is often used to draw inferences about the local and historical factors affecting community assembly. Because measures of phylogenetic diversity (PD) are based on the topology and branch lengths of phylogenetic trees, these analyses are sensitive to changes in both taxonomic and spatial scale, which can alter or reverse the observed patterns. Branch lengths and topology are affected by the number and diversity of taxa included on the tree (taxonomic scale). The number of taxa from the tree that are included in PD analysis for a given community, based on how broadly circumscribed the community is, will also affect the measure of PD (spatial scale). To test the effect of taxonomic and spatial scale on measures of PD, we used barcoding sequences (rbcL and matK) from 572 taxa collected from the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS), University of Florida, representing approximately 95% of the estimated 600 species of vascular plants found at the site, to construct a community-level phylogeny for the OSBS. We took random subsamples of 300 taxa from this dataset, constructed phylogenies for each subset of taxa, and calculated PD indices for each of these trees to determine the effect of taxonomic scale on these measures of diversity. To determine the effect of spatial scale on these analyses, for the complete taxon dataset, we calculated PD for 14 individual communities within the OSBS relative to the overall OSBS

196

MEDEIROS, IAN* and RAJAKARUNA, NISHANATA

Serpentinite Outcrops Do Not Support a (Particularly) Distinctive Biota in Western Massachusetts

lthough serpentinite ("serpentine") outcrops are frequently thought of as edaphically stressful sites supporting a biota distinct from neighboring lithologies in both diversity and physiognomy, outcrops of serpentinite in western Massachusetts do not follow this pattern. We surveyed serpentinite and adjacent schist and amphibolite outcrops in Hampden and Berkshire Counties to assess soil chemistry and the diversity of vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. Despite soils which have the typical first-order characteristics of serpentinite-derived soils (Ca:Mg ration less than one, elevated Ni, and elevated pH), and despite foliar chemistry which indicates that plants growing on serpentinite outcrops take up higher levels of Ni and have a lower tissue Ca:Mg ratio than their non-serpentine counterparts, western Massachusetts serpentine sites support closed-canopy forest with few obvious vegetation differences relative to adjacent, non-serpentine areas. The

site, and for the OSBS site relative to the flora of the region. We used these comparisons to determine the effect of both taxonomic and spatial scale on PD. This study will inform taxon sampling for future community phylogenetic studies and allow for more accurate interpretation of results from these types of studies.

yle bonariensis is a C3 perennial that almost exclusively grows via runners although it does produce copious amounts of flowers in the summer and tiny seeds in fall. Past researchers have demonstrated that H. bonariensis seeds only germinate in the swale area of the barrier island ecoystem where water and nutrients are more plentiful. The traditional hypothesis is that from this foothold, H. bonariensis seedlings will asexually expand into harsher areas (backdune, dune and foredune) and that this represents an adaptive strategy. The present study was conducted along an eight-mile stretch of uninhabited barrier island at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area in NC (USA). The purpose of the study was to determine presence of H. bonariensis within different barrier island habitats and allocation of carbon and biomass to root, shoot, leaf and reproductive structures between habitats and across seasons. This information in conjunction with photosynthesis and water status data is used to develop a model of H. bonariensis life history strategy and to test the traditional adaptive strategy hypothesis.

University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19643Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA4Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA

198

PARK, DANIEL S.* 1 and DAVIS, CHARLES C. 2

Does mating system predict the breadth of a plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s niche?

ecent studies have demonstrated that plant species that reproduce by self-pollination have consistently larger geographic ranges than their outcrossing relatives. These selfing species are hypothesized to be superior colonizers of novel environments, however, this assumption remains untested. The actual explanation of this phenomenon may be more complicated because geographic range size does not always correlate with environmental niche breadth. By examining the climatic niches of hundreds of species pairs, we demonstrate that for numerous species, outcrossers have significantly larger climatic niches than their self-pollinating sisters despite having a more limited geographical distribution. We also examined the degree of niche overlap between sister species and identified that sister pairs where both species were self-pollinators had significantly greater overlap than sister pairs involving an outcrosser. This pattern was robust to divergence times between sister species, as the evolutionary time separating self-pollinating sister species were not significantly different from those between outcrossers and their sister species. This suggests that the climatic niches of selfers are slower to diverge on average, perhaps due to their relatively low levels of genetic diversity.

Middle Georgia State University, 100 University Parkway Drive, Macon, Georgia, 31206, United States2Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, 1000 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach, NC, 28449, United States

200

KOPTUR, SUZANNE* 1 and SALAS, ANDREA 2

Native and exotic Senna spp. (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae) of southern Florida: herbivore fauna in natural and urban areas

oliage and flowers of leguminous plants in the genus Senna, as well as Cassia and Chamaecrista, are food for a variety of arthropods. We systematically observed patterns of herbivory on native species in several natural areas and garden areas in the urban environment (Senna mexicana var. chapmannii, S. fasciculata, Chamaecrista deeringiana, and C. lineata var. keyensis), collecting arthropods on the plants, rearing larvae where required to determine the species of herbivores using the various hostplants. We also monitored non-native species (S. alata, S. bicapsularis, S. surratensis, Cassia fistula, and C. javanica) in natural and urban areas in Miami and the Florida Keys. All the Senna and Chamaecrista species have foliar nectaries, and ant visitors to these extrafloral nectaries; other predators, as well as parasitoids, also utilize the extrafloral nectar. We found that all these species serve as hostplants for sulfur butterflies (Pieridae), but stem-tip tying tortricid (Phyticinae) moth caterpillars are much more common on the native hostplant species. Differences in leaf longevity and flowering strategies may also affect the numbers of herbivores on these plants.

Harvard University, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, 22 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States2Harvard University, 22 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States

199

HANCOCK, THOMAS* 1 and AMICO, PATRICK 2

Life history strategy of Hydrocotyle bonariensis growing on a southeastern (USA) barrier island

Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA2Florida International University, Department of Earth and Environment, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

arrier islands of the southeastern United States are considered a physically controlled, harsh environment. Only a small, select suite of plants have traditionally been able to tolerate these extreme conditions. Within this small suite, plants exhibit a variety of functional groups or forms. An interesting species that can be found in several habitats within the barrier island ecosystem is Hydrocotyle bonariensis. Hydrocot-

Ecological Section 201 MARY

success, its good power of regeneration and greater ecological amplitude. The Simpson’s index of woody plant diversity for the communities was 0.769. The value was high indicating a low complex community. eywords: Identification, Conservation, Savann woodland, Kebbi State

WOOD, JAMES* 1 and FREEMAN,

Water Velocity Regulates Herbivory Pressure On A Widespread Riverine Macrophyte

K 1

Abubakar Tafaw Balewa University, Biological Sciences Dept, ATBU, PMB 0248, Bauch, 74005, Nigeria2Gombe State University, Biological Sciences, Tudun Wada, PMB 127 , Gombe, Gombe, +234, Nigeria3Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Biological Sciences Dept, PMB 0248, Bauchi, 74005, Nigeria4Federal College of Hoticulture, Horticulture and Landscaping Technology, Dadin Kowa, Gombe, Gombe, +234, Nigeria

odostemum ceratophyllum has been described as the ″Poster Child″ of river impairment in Piedmont rivers due to the widespread decline of the plant, however surprisingly little is known about the plant’s ecology and what loss of the plant means to riverine ecosystems. We conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment in the Middle Oconee River, GA, to investigate herbivory on Podostemum and how herbivory may be regulated by water velocity. We then further investigated the effect of herbivory by excluding macroconsumers for 77 days using electrified exclosures. Our results indicated topdown regulation of plant biomass and water velocitymediated herbivory pressure. Our estimates of yearly flux of Podostemum into the food web were similar to estimates for algal consumption, suggesting that this macrophyte can be an important basal resource. Developing a better understanding of how Podostemum is influenced by water velocity can inform river management strategies in regard to this important macrophyte.

203

DREZNER, TALY DAWN

Krakatau (Indonesia) eruption drives regeneration in the Sonoran Desert (Arizona): the interrelationships between geology, climate and plants

he saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is a Sonoran Desert keystone species that can live for over 150 years, but only establishes intermittently during favorable conditions (e.g., mild winters, cool summers) forming cohorts. The late 1800s to early 1900s was an extended period of successful establishment in several documented populations, a period which also experienced many volcanic eruptions such as Krakatau (1883), Mt. Pelée, Soufriere, Santa Maria (1902), Ksudach (1907), Katmai (1912), and others. Carnegiea experience near 100% mortality during the first few years of life, with mortality declining dramatically after. This time scale (2-3 years) coincides with the climatic changes (e.g. milder summers and winters) that follow volcanic eruptions. The Weighted Historical Dust Veil Index (WHDVI) is an indicator of climatically relevant volcanism. Two datasets representing more than a century each of Carnegiea regeneration were created, one from a marginal population, the other an amalgamated dataset from 30 populations spanning 50,000 km2 of the Sonoran Desert. Individual plant ages for sampled plants were calculated, and annual establishment variables were generated. Statistical analyses tested the relationships between year of establishment in the two databases and the WHDVI. This study demonstrates the interplay of geology, climatology, and ecology at global and local scales. The local eruption of Krakatau in 1883 (for example) altered global climate enough to create suitable conditions for regeneration on the other side of the world in Arizona, and the large cohort that established during that period persists today, representing a large fraction of the Carnegiea’s current populations. The peaks in Carnegiea establishment are significantly (P<0.001) related to global-scale volcanism (WHDVI) both in the marginal and regional datasets. The relationship between WHDVI and regeneration is particularly stunning in the marginal population that is closer to the species’ environmental limits. Assessing volcanism-climate relationships locally in the Sonoran Desert shows that winter precipitation, winter soil moisture, annual precipitation, and the crucial rainfall in the

University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

202

SAWA, FATIMA B.J.* 1, ZHIGILA, DANIEL ANDRAWUS 2, ABDUL, SULEIMAN 3 and CHIDIBERE, CHUKWU 4

Identity and Diversity of Woody species in Some Communities of Kebbi State, Nigeria

ebbi state is known for its rich agricultural landscape, beautiful savannah woodland and shelter belts but it is gradually turning into a desert due to destructive human activities. The hitherto bushy savannah that dotted the landscapes of Kebbi and environs have been combed by fuel wood vendors exposing the state to the vagaries of environmental degradation, particularly that of desertification. A study was carried out to identify and evaluate the composition of woody species and diversity of savannah woodlands in four Communities of Kebbi State with the view of devising means of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Random sampling technique was employed for the study. Four (4) quadrants measuring 50 m x 50 m (2500 sq m) were assessed from the manifold location to nearby settlements. The plant species sampled included all the saplings, shrubs and trees present in the study areas. The plant species were recorded per sampling quadrant and all species encountered were identified and listed. A total of 869 individual woody species belonging to 23 families, 17 genera and 37 species were enumerated. Gueira senegalensis recorded the highest total importance value (281.88), while Diospyros mespiliformis (2.49) had the lowest IVI in the four communities. The high IVI of G. senegalensis indicated its dominance and ecological

pre-summer rain period, are higher during periods with a high WHDVI (P<0.05 for all). The implications extend beyond Carnegiea; hundreds of species rely on this keystone species, and fluctuations in regeneration have broad implications for the whole ecosystem. It is likely that other species in other ecosystems are also affected by global scale, large geological events, but have not yet been identified.

205

MOORE, TIMOTHY* 1, SCHLICHTING, CARL 2, AIELLO-LAMMENS, MATTHEW 3, MOCKO, KERRI 4 and JONES, CYNTHIA S. 5

Trait-based ecology at regional scales needs an evolutionary context

York University, Department of Geography, Ross N430, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada

rait-based ecology seeks to provide generalizable predictions across geographic scales that are independent of taxonomy. Studies of global patterns of relationships between plant traits and, to some extent, relationships between traits and environments, provide some evidence that these relationships are caused by fundamental trade-offs, but the extent to which individual genera and species conform to these global relationships is poorly understood. Patterns of differentiation in trait-trait and trait-environment relationships at finer scales have important implications concerning the role of evolution in trait diversification, and affect our ability to make predictions about responses to future environmental change. Adaptive radiations provide ideal systems to test global predictions, because they often contain large amounts of morphological variation over steep environmental gradients. We examined patterns of trait-environment and trait-trait relationships in the genus Pelargonium, from the megadiverse Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) in South Africa. The genus displays remarkable diversity in growth form, life history and leaf-level traits distributed across 5 well-supported subclades. We sampled whole-plant and leaf-level traits of ~2500 individuals from 130 species from across South Africa. We employed Bayesian generalized linear mixed-effects models to test for trait-environment associations for each subclade. There were strong associations of traits with environments, but patterns of association varied among clades, including relationships in opposite directions among clades for some trait-environment associations. Environment strongly affected trait integration, but the strength and direction of these associations varied among clades. Evolutionary history has shaped the nature of trait variation and trait integration in response to climate. At regional scales, trait-based ecology grounded in phylogeny is likely to produce more accurate predictions of how lineages and floras will respond to future environmental change.

204

MITCHELL, NORA* 1, CARLSON, JANE 2 and HOLSINGER, KENT 3

The effects of climate on a microscale: testing for functional consequences in a Protea hybrid zone

lant functional traits covary with of environmental factors at the global and biome scales at among- and within-clade levels. But establishing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;functionâ&#x20AC;? of these traits requires direct measures of fitness, physiological performance, or stress tolerance. Hybrid zones provide an unusual opportunity to relate trait differences to functional differences, both because they provide a broad range of phenotypic values within a very small geographic area and because segregation in F2 and backcross progeny produces individuals with unusual combinations of traits. We use a natural, cryptic hybrid zone between two Protea species, P. punctata and P. venusta, in South Africa to examine local-scale relationships among traits, function, and environment. We use fieldcollected trait and environment data to relate traits and environment in a natural setting with individual functional response to water stress in a greenhouse experiment. We collected data on functional traits and fecundity on 150 plants in a single hybrid zone along a steep elevational gradient. We also recorded hourly temperature and humidity data at ten points across the zone in addition to collecting soil samples for nutrient analysis at these points. To understand trait-microclimate relationships, we used Bayesian linear modeling to relate traits to position in the hybrid zone and microenvironment data. To corroborate findings from the field data, we grew 450+ individuals derived from Protea seed collected from the hybrid zone in greenhouses. We imposed a drought stress through a drydown experiment on half of the plants after a period of establishment. We measured plant growth and stomatal conductance before and during the drydown, and we measured plant health, functional traits, and root/shoot biomass after. Our results show that different morphological species types respond to the microenvironment in different ways, providing further evidence that global patterns break down at finer geographic and taxonomic scales. We find a complicated relationship between maternal and offspring traits in a controlled setting, suggesting a role for ontogenetic or plastic responses in regulating these traits.

University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville, Torrey Life Science Building, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269-3043, United States2University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 43, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA3Pace University, Environmental Studies and Science, 861 Bedford Road , Pleasantville, NY, 10570, USA4University Of Connecticut, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, U-3043, 75 N. Eagleville Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA5University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Rd, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

University Of Connecticut, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Rd, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2Nicholls State University, P.O. Box 2021, Thibodaux, CT, 70310, USA3University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, U-3043, STORRS, CT, 06269-3043, USA

Ecological Section cies are likely to respond effectively, but even within species, this plastic ability will vary. In the mountainous Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa, intraspecific variation in plasticity may well be common, because conspecifics often experience distinct climatic conditions, and geography can limit gene flow. As such, evolution may produce populations with high or low plasticity, which would have a strong impact on extinction risk under forecasted climate warming and aridification. Theory suggests that populations having evolved under low environmental heterogeneity and/or colder, harsher environments will exhibit decreased capacity for plasticity. We experimentally tested these hypotheses using the evergreen shrub Protea repens, which has a distribution spanning much of the CFR. We collected seeds from 8 climatically-distinct wild populations and grew them for 5-months in a greenhouse. We estimated the capacity for plasticity in each population by subjecting maternal siblings to either regular watering or 12 days of drought and then comparing phenotypic values between treatments at 6 and 12 days. Phenotypic measurements included stomatal conductance, functional leaf traits, stem pigmentation, growth, and carbohydrate storage above and belowground. We also measured plasticity in gene expression, one of the rawest, most rapid forms of plasticity. Our results provided some support for the cold/harsh hypothesis, in that plants sourced from higher altitudes had lower plasticity for two variables: growth rate and a co-expressed gene network involving heat shock proteins. For two additional gene networks, however, plasticity was lowest in plants sourced from either low or intermediate elevations. Together, these results suggest that P. repens populations in cold, high elevation sites are characterized by low plasticity in growth and heat stress response, even if they have relatively high plasticity by other metrics. By lacking certain types of plasticity, high elevation plants may be particularly threatened by climate change in the region, thus highlighting the urgent need to account for differential plasticity when assessing species vulnerability in future climate scenarios.

206

BERNARDO, HOLLY* 1, ALBRECHT, MATTHEW 2 and KNIGHT, TIFFANY 3

Climate change alters the optimal management strategy of an endangered plant

any of our globally rare and endemic plant species live in habitats that are maintained by frequent disturbances. To preserve and restore these populations, demographic models are often used to quantify the optimal disturbance frequency of the habitat. There is recent concern that climate change will alter optimal management strategies, since drought might decrease the benefit of a recently disturbed habitat to these endemic species. We ask whether disturbance and drought interactively affect population dynamics and optimal management of Astragalus bibullatus, a Federally endangered legume endemic to Tennessee glades. First, we determined the independent and interactive effects of drought and management (via woody canopy cover) on plant vital rates. Then we used matrix population models to determine their effects on A. bibullatus’ probability of extinction, time to extinction and future population size. Under current drought frequencies, A. bibullatus’ probability of extinction was minimized with the most frequent management, since open habitats promote recruitment of new individuals. However, as drought frequency increases, the probability of extinction was minimized with less frequent management, since canopy cover protected adult individuals from death during drought events. Combining these results, we recommend managing disturbance-dependent habitats by: 1) creating microhabitat mosaics within sites to provide opportunities for increased reproduction and recruitment (open microhabitats) and to promote adult plant survival (closed microhabitats), and 2) varying management interval across the landscape to decrease species-wide risk by preventing a single drought from severely impacting all sites. Our study it the first demographic model to quantify how climate change influences optimal management, but the results should be applicable to edaphic plant species in other ecosystems.

Nicholls State University, P.O. Box 2021, Thibodaux, CT, 70310, USA2UC Davis, Plant And Environmental Sciences, One Shields Ave., DAVIS, CA, 95616, USA3UC Davis, Plant Sciences, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

Washington University in Saint Louis, Biology and Biomedical Sciences, 1 Brookings Dr., Biology Department, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA2Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, USA3Martin-Luther-University, Institute of Biology / Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Am Kirchtor 1, Halle, Salle, 06108, Germany

208

MOORE, TIMOTHY* 1, CRAMER, MICHAEL 2 and VERBOOM, G. ANOTHONY 2

The adaptive significance of leaf size and shape variation in Jamesbrittenia (Scrophulariaceae: Manuleae)

207

CARLSON, JANE* 1, AKMAN, MELIS 2 and LATIMER, ANDREW 3

he genus Jamesbrittenia (Scrophulariaceae: Manuleae) is widespread in southern Africa, where it occupies a diversity of environments and shows striking variation in leaf size and shape. This leaf form variation may reflect adaptation for leaf thermoregulation or water conservation in contrasting habitats. To evaluate these competing hypotheses, we correlated leaf form variation in Jamesbrittenia against a series of environmental variables (soil nutrients, rainfall and temperature). We also compared rates of water and heat loss in

Intraspecific divergence in plasticity, gene expression, and functional traits along steep environmental gradients in South Africa

nder rapidly changing climates, each species“ ability to persist in place will at least initially depend on its capacity to adjust via plasticity. Some plant spe-

potted plants representing a sample of Jamesbrittenia species of variable leaf size and shape. Although species showed significant variation in leaf temperature under experimental conditions, this variation was not correlated with leaf size. Whilst water loss per leaf area was greater in smaller-leaved species, the shoots of larger leaved species showed higher rates of water loss overall due to their higher leaf area per shoot length. Consistent with these results, interspecific leaf size variation in a clade of summer-rainfall perennial species was strongly correlated with rainfall received during the driest time of the year, even when comparisons were phylogenetically controlled. In contrast, leaf size was poorly correlated with environmental variables in the predominantly annual, winter-rainfall clade. Since reduced leaf size leads to reduced leaf area per shoot length in Jamesbrittenia, the evolution of smaller leaves represents an adaptation for reduced water loss during the dry season. 1

University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N Eagleville, Torrey Life Science Building, Storrs, Connecticut, 062693043, United States2University of Cape Town, Department of Biological Sciences, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7701, South Africa

209

OSHIRO, JULIET* 1, POTTS, STEPHEN 2 and FOX, LAUREL 3

Trait-based phenological responses to climate of plant communities in coastal California

limate often cues plant phenology, but types of phenological responses differ between species. We address whether species with similar phenological responses to climate have a similar suite of traits. Our research is based on a historical dataset of flowering observations from the 1990s along with resurveys from 2011 through 2015 of 10 sites within Santa Cruz County, CA. Santa Cruz County is located within the coastal climate zone, and the study sites represent two habitat types: four inland sandhills sites, and three maritime and three inland grassland sites. Year round, once per month surveys recorded first and last flowering date, and duration of flowering of all species at each site. We hypothesize that phenological responses to climate represent two adaptive strategies: avoidance versus tolerance of the Mediterranean climate’s lengthening hot, dry summers. Therefore we analyzed traits that characterize drought tolerance, heat tolerance, and blooming season. We also considered ecological traits such as life-history, functional group and nativity to California. Finally, we included taxonomic family and superfamily, and relative abundance to control for phylogenetic and population size biases. We used a random forest analysis to determine which climate variables best predicted first flowering date, then used generalized additive models to determine how first flowering date responds to the six most important climate variables for groups of species with similar traits. In response to temperature we found advancement in winter/spring blooming annuals at grasslands; and delays in summer/fall blooming annuals at grasslands, and winter/spring blooming annuals at sandhills. Precipitation only affected non-native species and late blooming season annuals at sandhills. This approach allows us to predict species’ responses to

climate based on their traits, and provides a mechanistic understanding of why species exhibit certain responses to climate change. 1

University of California Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, Ca, 95064, USA2Louisiana State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 103 Life Sciences Bldg, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA3University of California Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, Ca, 95064, United States

210 NANCY

LA ROSA, RAFFICA* and EMERY,

Plant adaptation to hydrologically variable environments

bstract: Species growing in variable environments may adapt through specializing to a subset of the conditions or evolving plasticity to tolerate a broad range of conditions. We studied three annual Lasthenia (goldfields) species (Asteraceae) that grow in different microhabitats in California vernal pool grasslands. The species occupy habitats that experience different hydrological regimes as the water levels fluctuate throughout the rainy season. A phylogenetic analysis of the hydrological tolerance curves of Lasthenia species from each of three habitat types (bottom, transitional, and upland) found similar optima for all species’ hydrological tolerance curves, which contrasts with the distinct patterns of segregation these species exhibit in their natural environment. Here, we tested the hypothesis that plant species may partition the environment based on its variance, in addition to its mean conditions. To evaluate this hypothesis, we focused on three Lasthenia species that occupy distinct microhabitats within common vernal pool landscapes and experience contrasting patterns of the mean hydrological environment (average days flooded, mean soil water content) and the variance (number of submergence events, variance in soil water content). We predicted that the three species would exhibit unique fitness and trait reaction norms that are adaptive in their respective microhabitats. We grew these three species at 5 different “depth” treatments, which manipulated the mean hydrological environment, and 3 different variance treatments, to test the relative importance of the mean and variance in hydrology in predicting plant fitness, and if each species is adapted to the level of variability that it experiences in the field. We measured lifetime fitness as the number of seeds produced and total biomass production, and measured potentially adaptive physiological traits such as stomatal density, aerenchyma production, and leaf shape. University of Colorado - Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 334 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

Ecological Section position was analyzed using nonmetric-multidimensional scaling and 2-way nonparametric MANOVA. Herbs/vines/shrubs composition differed by region and aspect; tree seedling composition differed only by region. Composition of herbs/vines/shrubs and trees differed by disturbance, but with a significant region interaction. Region and aspect were defined by several indicator species. No significant indicator species defined the controls. Four herbs/shrubs/vines (including Vaccinium stamineum and Epigaea repens) defined SB, 1 herb (Carex digitalis) and 1 tree (Betula sp.) defined DLC, and 9 herbs/shrubs/vines (including Rubus spp., Erechtites hieraciifolia, Phytolacca americana, and Verbascum thapsus) and 1 tree (Prunus pensylvanica) defined SHW. Epigaea repens C. digitalis V. thapsus were defined solely by disturbance. Though physiography was more important, some species served as disturbance indicators, differing by disturbance type. As disturbance-indicator species replace regional-indicator species (Rubus spp.), successional trajectories may deviate towards recovery of native species that benefit from low-level disturbance (E. repens) or towards systems vulnerable to invasion by exotics (V. thapsus).

POSTERS 211

WEINER, JACOB* 1, DU, YAN-LEI , ZHANG, CONG 2, QIN, XIAO-LIANG 3 and LI, FENG-MIN 2

Individual fitness and population yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

hile the role of group selection in evolution is controversial, several researchers have argued that plant breeding for agriculture should be based on group selection, because the goal in agriculture is to optimize population production, not individual fitness. The core hypothesis behind this claim is that crop genotypes with the highest individual fitness in a mixture of genotypes will not be the genotypes that produce the highest population yield, because fitness is often increased by "selfish" behaviors, which reduce population performance. We tested this hypothesis by growing 35 cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) in mixtures and monocultures, and analyzing the relationship between population yield in monoculture and individual yield in mixture (fitness). The relationship between population yield and fitness was unimodal, as predicted. The highest yielding populations were those of cultivars that had intermediate fitness, while cultivars with the highest fitness produced low yields as populations. It is unlikely that plant breeding or genetic engineering can improve traits that natural selection has been optimizing for thousands or even millions of years, but there may be great unutilized potential in traits that increase crop yield and/or sustainability by decreasing individual fitness, giving us the opportunity to find solutions that natural selection would never produce.

Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 180 Canfield St., Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA2West Virginia University, Forest Resources Management, Morgantown, WV, 26501, USA

213

GILLAND, KEITH E.* 1, CHAPMAN, JULIA I. 2 and DICKEY, MALLORY 3

Understory plant community response to edge type and Lonicera Mackii removal in an isolated urban woodlot

University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg, DK-1871, Denmark2Lanzhou University, Institute of Arid Agroecology, Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Ecology, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China3Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, College of Agronomy, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

212

HUEBNER, CYNTHIA D.* 1, MCGILL, DAVID 2 and MILLER, GARY 1

Comparison of Vegetation Composition in Response to Disturbance versus Local and Regional Physiography

lant community composition is tied to regional (climate/soils) and local (aspect) physiography. Changes in initial floristic composition after a disturbance may be severe enough to change the successional trajectory predicted by physiography. Which is more important, disturbance or physiography, in determining vegetation composition? We evaluated understory vegetation of plant communities exposed to 4 disturbances (control, single burn (SB), diameter-limit cut (DLC), and first-year shelterwood (SHW)) 3 years post-disturbance. Study sites were located within each disturbance type on northeast and southwest aspects within the Allegheny Plateau (AP) and the Ridge and Valley (RV) regions. Vegetation com-

mall mature woodlots are common in landscapes dominated by anthropogenic disturbances and may hold great biodiversity conservation potential. However, these areas are highly vulnerable to threats from exotic plant invasion and disturbance from recreational activity. Here, we sought to answer two questions related to the interaction of site characteristics and invasive species presence/removal on the herbaceous diversity of an isolated woodlot in Southwest Ohio. Specifically, we asked: 1) Does herbaceous plant diversity recover following bush honeysuckle removal in these types of forests?, and 2) Does edge type and distance from edge affect patterns of forest herb diversity? A systematic sampling protocol was implemented via a series of 1m2 permanent plots at the Armbruster Nature Preserve in Middletown, OH and sampled monthly throughout spring 2015 and 2016 following bush honeysuckle removal efforts in 2014 and 2015. Species richness (S), evenness (J), and Shannon diversity (H) was calculated for each plot at each sampling date, and correlation analysis was used to determine if relationships exist between honeysuckle abundance and plant community diversity. Weak negative correlations existed between honeysuckle abundance, Shannon diversity (r=-.17) and species richness (r=-.34) largely driven by the almost total removal of honeysuckle in many plots. Edge effects were no n-significant (P = 0.46). It appears that even isolated but mature second-growth forests may provide storehouses of biodiversity in the region and that simple invasive species removal may be sufficient

Oberlin College, Biology Department, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2Oberlin College, Biology Dept., 119 Woodland Street, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA

to restore spring ephemeral diversity in these forest patches. However, important questions remain to be answered regarding possible legacy effects of longerestablished honeysuckle populations on forest herb diversity in these isolated habitats.

215

CHAPMAN, JULIA* and MCEWAN, RYAN

Miami University, Statistics, 4200 N. University Blvd., Middletown, OH, 45042, USA2University of dayton, Biology, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA3Miami University, Biology, 4200 N. University Blvd., Middletown, OH, 45042, USA

Tree Functional and Phylogenetic Diversity Across Topographic Gradients in an Old-growth Appalachian Forest

214

LAUSHMAN, ROGER H* 1, BURG, ANIKA , LOKE, ELENA 2 and TAKAGI, YUTA 2

ver-increasing anthropogenic threats to biodiversity have created an urgent need to broaden our understanding of diversity and the factors that influence it. The widely used taxonomic approaches to quantifying diversity (e.g. Shannon index, species richness) treat every species as a unique entity, ignoring the morphological and physiological variations that may be differentially important to ecosystem function. Alternative approaches include phylogenetic diversity, which is based on the principle that closely related species tend to occupy similar niches due to their similar structure and function, and functional diversity, which relies on measurement of traits that are representative of certain aspects of speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; niches, such as shade- and droughttolerance. We utilized both phylogenetic and functional diversity measures to further understand the role of local topographic variation in structuring tree communities within an old-growth Appalachian forest. Decadal sampling data from 1979 and 2010 were divided into midstory (2.5-25 cm diameter at breast height) and overstory (>25 cm dbh) strata. Standardized effect sizes of Mean Pairwise Distance (MPD) and Mean Nearest Taxon Distance (MNTD) were calculated to represent phylogenetic diversity within each of 80 plots. Functional richness, evenness, and dispersion were calculated for each plot based on specific leaf area, maximum height, leaf nitrogen content, wood density, and seed mass. Multiple regression was used to test for relationships between these diversity measures and topographic variables (% slope, aspect, elevation) for each stratum and sampling year combination. In all but one regression model, phylogenetic diversity exhibited a significant relationship only with elevation (all r2 â&#x2030;¤ 0.34, P < 0.001), where higher elevation plots tending to have lower phylogenetic diversity. Aspect and elevation together were only significant in one phylogenetic diversity model (midstory 2010 MPD; model r2 = 0.29, P < 0.000001), and slope percentage was not a significant factor in any of the regression models. Functional evenness was not significantly related to any of the topographic variables at either time point for either stratum. Functional richness and dispersion displayed inconsistent relationships with the topographic variables across the four time-strata groupings, but where significant, both measures were negatively related to aspect and elevation, and positively related to slope. That is, functional diversity tends to be higher at low elevations, north-facing aspects, and on steeper slopes. Overall, our results suggest that the most xeric areas of our site exert an environmental filtering effect where mature communities contain species with similar adaptations for surviving in xeric conditions.

Ecology of Vitis riparia in a northeast Ohio forest: age-size distribution and recruitment

esearch on native temperate-zone vines (lianas) is rare compared to tropical species. Finding no published accounts of age-size distribution for Vitis riparia, we sampled vines in a northeast Ohio forest that was previously surveyed for tree, sapling, and seedling data four times (1974, 1986, 1998, and 2015). Thirtythree permanent study plots (each 20x20m with four 5x5m and four 1x1m subplots for trees, saplings, and seedlings, respectively) are within the Vermilion River Reservation of Lorain County Metro Parks. The site includes upland (with an old field area maintained as a playing field prior to 1950), slope, and floodplain habitats (last disturbed by a 250-year flood in 1969). Grape vines are common in the floodplain and upland sites, especially in the old field plots. We used increment core samples to determine the ages of 20 vines and to correlate age with size (r = 0.81; p = 2.84x10-5) and to generate an equation for estimating age based on vine diameter [age = 0.631 x diameter (mm) - 3.05]. We then sampled 20 vines in each of five sample plots (two floodplain, two upland, and one old field; vines were essentially absent from the slope plots), and recorded the species and diameters (DBH) of host trees. We found that vine size is positively correlated with tree size (r = 0.40; p = 1.7x104 ), with the oldest vines in the floodplain (10 - 86 yrs) where they are associated with Liriodendron tulipifera, slightly younger in the upland (10-70 yrs), associated with Acer saccharum, and youngest (10-40 yrs) in the old field plot. Because young vines regularly branch from older vines, we used information from sapling and seedling data of previous surveys to better understand how vine structure might be changing in this forest. The 1974 survey reported just a single Vitis sapling and no seedlings, while the 1986 survey reported eight saplings and one seedling. The 1998 and 2015 surveys reported no saplings or seedlings. In 1986, photographs were taken of each plot, which we used to count grape vines and compare with photos taken from the same positions in 2016. We found insignificant changes in vine numbers and distribution, with eight plots increasing, eight decreasing, and 17 remaining the same. Our observations support the understanding that disturbance is required for grapevine recruitment. Subsequent surveys will focus on disturbed areas associated with high ash loss due to the emerald ash borer.

University of Dayton, Biology, 300 College Park, SC 211, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA

Ecological Section 216 S.

canopy trees; but the impact of the shifting resources on ground flora is not fully known. We utilize long-term research plots developed as part the Ecological Research as Education Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Permanent Forest Plot Project as a basis on which to build additional protocols that examine the loss of overstory ash trees on the diversity of ground flora and dominance of woody seedlings and saplings. Our research includes sites in four locations in eastern North America where ash trees are present and have succumbed, are currently infested, or are not yet affected by EAB. reliminary results indicate that changes in diversity of ground flora from 2012 to 2015, as measured by the inverse Simpson Index, are minimal. In northwest Ohio sites, where most ash trees died by 2012, initial analysis indicates a negligible increase in diversity, from 0.90 to 0.93. This did not differ substantially from observations in southwest Pennsylvania, where diversity increased from 0.88 to 0.93, over the same period. Ash trees in southwest Pennsylvania were impacted by EAB but had not shown decline in canopy cover during the study period. Among the woody species, trends in species dominance varied by location. Fraxinus and Celtis occidentalis increased in the sapling layer in Ohio sites, while invasive species such as Celastrus orbiculatus, Euonymus, and Lonicera increased in Pennsylvania sites. In the seedling layer, both sites saw a decrease in Ulmus, while Acer saccharum and Carya cordiformis increased in Ohio and Crataegus and Prunus serotina increased in Pennsylvania. As EAB continues to spread through forests of eastern North America and data from additional sites are contributed to this collaborative project, we expect to further elucidate the role of other factors, including prior vegetation composition, soil differences, and geographic location.

DEVALL, EMERITA, MARGARET

Tree-Ring dating of a Louisiana antebellum plantation house

e examined tree-ring samples of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum L. Rich.) timbers from the Solitude Plantation house in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. The purpose of the study is to determine cutting dates of timbers used in the construction of the plantation house, both the original house and the later addition, in order to corroborate or disprove available historical and architectural evidence for the construction dates of the house. The house was built of handhewn cypress timbers which were put together with wooden pegs. It is thought that the house was built around 1788 or 1789 on unclaimed land. The Spanish government issued grants to the land in 1797 and 1798. We sampled the house in 2014-2016. We obtained 0.5 mm diameter tree ring samples and small crossections from timbers from the attic, walls, floors and wainscoting of the house. Cores were air-dried, mounted in clamps and sanded to a high polish. Several of the samples were radiocarbon dated and others were crossdated after identification of marker rings. Measuring of the rings and crossdating were accomplished with the assistance of the Dynaclim computer software programs. All of the timbers sampled were cut from baldcypress trees believed to have been growing in the nearby Cat Island Swamp. No samples with bark or a wany edge indicating the last year of growth have been found so far, but the study is still underway. The probable time of cutting of timber for the original house and the later addition will be discussed. We also wished to provide treering data to improve the temporal tree-ring record for the area. The historical samples will extend the length of tree-ring chronologies based solely on living trees. Practically all the older living cypress trees in the nearby Cat Island Swamp have heart rot caused by a Stereum sp. and only about 200 years of solid wood is available.

Washington & Jefferson College, Biology, 60 South Lincoln Street, Washington, PA, 15301, USA2The University of Findlay, Natural Sciences, 1000 N Main Street, Findlay, OH, 45840, USA

218

JONES, IAN MATTHEW* 1, KOPTUR, SUZANNE 2, GALLEGOS, HILMA R 3 , TARDANICO, JOSEPH P 3 and TRAINER, PATRICIA A 3

U.S. Forest Service, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, P.O. Box 227, Stoneville, MS, 38776, USA

Changing Light Conditions in Pine Rockland Habitats Affect the Outcome of Ant-Plant Interactions

217

KILGORE, JASON SCOTT* 1 and DOLAN, BENJAMIN JAMES 2

Driving changes: Exploring the influence of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) on the diversity of forest ground flora

ntroduction: Extrafloral nectar (EFN) mediates foodfor-protection mutualisms between plants and ants. Such mutualisms exist within a complex web of biotic interactions, and in a framework provided by the abiotic environment. Both biotic and abiotic factors, therefore, affect the outcome of ant-plant interactions. We conducted an experiment to determine the effects of ant activity, and light intensity, on herbivory rates, growth, and reproductive fitness in Senna mexicana var. chapmanii, a perennial legume native to south Florida pine rockland habitats. ethods: Forty plants were divided among four treatments in a factorial experimental design with two independent variables: ant activity and light intensity. Plants were divided equally

grilus planipennis (EAB) is an exotic, invasive insect, discovered in North America in 2002. The insect is native to temperate forests of eastern Asia, where its larvae feed on the phloem and inner bark of ash (Fraxinus spp.) without much noticeable impact. In EABâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introduced range, the impact is much more lethal: infested ash trees die within 3-5 years. As of 2015, the insect has spread to 25 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, and many ash trees in southern Michigan and northern Ohio have succumbed and fallen. Prior research shows that the decline of each tree provides resources that allow for increased growth of established

M 87

between sunny and shady habitats, and ants were excluded from half of the plants in each habitat type. Results: In shaded habitats, the presence of ants had no effect on herbivory rates, seed set, or plant size. In sunny habitats, however, plants with ants suffered less herbivore damage, produced more seeds, and grew larger over the duration of the one year study. Conclusions: Ants represent an important biotic defense against herbivores in S. chapmanii; however, their effects on plant fitness are dependent on light conditions. Pine rockland habitats in south Florida have been widely destroyed or mismanaged. In fragments that remain, disruption of fire regimes has led to increased canopy closure and shading of the understory. These changes will likely negatively impact ant-plant interactions. We highlight the importance of conservation efforts to preserve the pine rocklands and their many native plant species.

220

GREWELL, BRENDA J.* 1, DRENOVSKY, REBECCA 2, SKAER THOMASON, MEGHAN J. 1, FUTRELL, CARYN J. 1 and IANNUCCI, MARIA 2

Colonization ability of invasive Ludwigia congeners across resource gradients: diploid outperforms polyploid

nderstanding functional traits that underlie the colonization and niche breadth of invasive plants is key to developing sustainable management strategies to curtail invasions at the establishment phase. Emergent perennial Ludwigia species are among the world’s worst invasive aquatic plants, spreading rapidly by hydrochorous dispersal of asexual stolon or rhizome fragments. In a mesocosm experiment under static shallow water conditions, we evaluated the trait responses of two invasive Ludwigia congeners differing in ploidy (diploid, decaploid), when established as stolon ramets with contrasting soil nutrient availability (low, high) nested within light environments (shade, sun). Because polyploids are expected to have wider niche breadths than diploid ancestors, we predicted the decaploid species would have superior ability to maximize resource uptake and use, and out-perform a diploid congener. Counter to our predictions, the diploid congener out-performed the decaploid in the early stage of growth. Although growth was similar and low in the cytotypes at low nutrient availability, the diploid species had much higher growth rate and biomass accumulation than the polyploid with nutrient enrichment, irrespective of light environment. Additional aquatic mesocosm experiments were conducted to compare the trait responses of standardized stolon and rhizome fragments differing in ploidy (diploid, decaploid) and subjected to contrasting soil nutrient availability (low, high). In this establishment stage of growth, the expectation that the decaploid would produce more biomass than diploid congener from either stolon or rhizome fragments was not supported. Both cytotypes were most responsive to nutrient availability when sprouted from rhizomes. Polyploid rhizomes had twice the nonstructural carbohydrate reserves than diploids at the start of the experiment, yet the diploids were more efficient in utilizing stored reserves for biomass production. Diploid rhizomes produced much higher total biomass with increased nutrient availability than polyploid plants from either fragment type, irrespective of nutrient availability. However, the primary shoot length of the polyploid exceeded that of the diploid under high nutrient availability suggesting greater spatial foraging potential. Overall, our experiments suggest the diploid species has a superior ability to maximize resource uptake, use and allocation across contrasting resource gradients in the early, colonizing phase of growth. Management strategies should prioritize rapid response to newly colonizing diploid invaders, and reductions in nutrient loads to aquatic environments may be more effective toward controlling establishment of the diploid congener than the decaploid.

Florida International University, Biology, 2792 West Trade Avenue, Miami, FL, 33133, USA2Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA3Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

219

MORGAN, ERIC C

Indirect impacts of a non-native orchid, Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz, upon the native orchid flora of Long Island, New York

ith the increase in non-native plant species being introduced throughout the world in recent years, determining the impacts a species may have upon native ecosystems is often an arduous task. With the extensive research needed to document the impacts of an introduced species, many species often “miss the cut” of being designated as an invasive species due to a lack of documented impacts upon native ecosystems caused by these species. One such plant Epipactis helleborine, a non-native orchid introduced to the United States over a century ago, has shown a rapid increase in abundance throughout the Northeastern United States in recent years, and may have escaped criticism due to the unrecognized impacts upon the native orchid flora. While often regarded as a species with little or no impact upon the native ecosystem, data presented here shows E. helleborine to be a preferred food source of the Baridinae weevil, Stethobaris ovata, facilitating the impact of the weevils upon native orchids. To test whether this preference may be impacting the weevil populations, and therefore growth and fitness of native orchid species, a series of both field and laboratory experiments were performed. Food choice tests showed significant results in weevils preference towards E. helleborine, while survival experiments showed a significant increase in survival and feeding upon E. helleborine. A metapopulation based study has been initiated to analyze the seriousness of this impact with early results showing an increased weevil population size on E. helleborine with the likelihood of damage to native orchids significantly increased with the presence of E. helleborine in the area.

Farmingdale State College, Biology, 2350 Broadhollow Rd., Farmingdale, NY, 11735, USA

USDA-ARS Exotic & Invasive Weeds Research Unit, Dept of Plant Sciences MS-4, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA2John Carroll University, Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA

Ecological Section 221

tive species. In June and July 2015 a survey of QAL populations was performed on properties owned and managed by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Linda Loring Foundation and Nantucket Islands Land Bank, as well as other, public properties. Following this, a pollinator observation study was performed on QAL and a native species, Toothed White-top Aster (Sericocarpus asteroides, TWTA). Pollinators were observed for three hours per day and five days each for the 2 species individually and both species cohabitating together. Queen Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lace was found to be abundant across the island, with an average density of 12.2 plants/m2 and a high density of 109.4 plants/m2. While both plant species are generalist pollinated, QAL attracted 15 insect families and TWTA attracted only 8, the majority of each were flies and bees.

BLAIR, CHARLES E

Invasive Aquatic and Riparian Weeds and Mosquitoes; Challenges, Successes, and Importance of On-going Studie

he adverse effects of invasive aquatic and riparian weeds on water quality; hydrology, native plant communities, and wildlife habitat and their consequences for mosquito control efforts, public health and nuisance problems, have been often implied, but could be better articulated. This presentation will present some of these relationships and highlight collaborative activities among vector and weed control agencies. Invasive aquatic and riparian weeds result in several adverse changes in these settings. Displacement of native flora degrades habitat for fauna that feed on mosquito larvae and pupae. The use of biorational larvicides, some derived from bacterial sources that do not harm this fauna supplements the effectiveness of their predation, which can reduce or eliminate the necessity of aerial adulticide application. There are situations where the density of invasive flora has been shown to interfere with application of these agents. Mosquito breed in standing water, which can include still-water natural areas, such as ponds, and small lakes and also moving water areas streams and tidal areas with changing levels which leave isolated standing water areas. Manmade sources include landscaping, irrigation canals, ponds, storm drain holding areas, and wastewater recharge basins. Examples of specific problems in particular settings will be described: for still-water, Ludwigia spp ; for estuarine; Spartina spp.; and riparian, Arundo donax. Successful projects that can be applied elsewhere; lessons that can be learned from unsuccessful activities; and the need for continuing investigations will be discussed. Charles E. Blair, MD, Trustee, Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County and Member Southern California Vector Control Environmental Taskforce. 176 Alcor Ave. Lopmoc, CA 934361206 USA blairce@verizon.net

University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA

223

HANCOCK, LAURA* , WHEELER, JULIA and STINSON, KRISTINA

Metapopulation and source-sink dynamics of the invasive Alliaria petiolata

lliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) is an invasive herb in North America that is known to impact forest understory communities. Though largely restricted to edge habitats in the home range, garlic mustard invades intact forest understories - a novel habitat type - in the new range. Different environmental conditions and community compositions between edge and understory habitats could select for different traits, leading to divergence in characteristics and demography over time. Long-term monitoring of active invasions is rare and can provide insight into the invasion process. This novel study examines a metapopulation of garlic mustard distributed across forest edge, intermediate, and forest understory habitat types over a long-term time scale (13 years). We conducted a metapopulation field survey at the Harvard Forest (Petersham, MA) from 2003-2006, and again in 2015 to determine whether: 1) functional and fitness-related traits (height and number of fruits per plant) differ over time and between habitat types, 2) the edge habitat type supports higher densities of immature and reproductive adults than intermediate or forest understory habitat types, and 3) densities for immature and reproductive adults are increasing, stable, or in decline in each habitat type over a long time scale. Plants were taller and produced more fruit in the edge habitats, and traits did not differ within habitats from year to year. Immature garlic mustard density was typically higher in the edge habitats than in the forest and intermediate habitats. Reproductive adult densities were generally similar between all habitat types within the same year; unlike immature plants, edge habitat types did not have higher adult densities. There was also high

176 ALCOR AVE, LOMPOC, CA, 93436, USA

222 RAMSEY, ADAM JOSEPH* and MANDEL, JENNIFER R A Survey of Queen Anne's Lace on Nantucket and an Assessment of its Effect on Native Pollination ueen Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lace (Daucus carota, QAL) is a nonQ native plant species that was introduced to North America from Europe during the early colonial period,

and its presence on Nantucket has been documented since at least the nineteenth century. Research in other plant systems have investigated whether native pollination was affected by the presence of a non-native, and the results have been mixed. Depending on the system a native may be negatively affected, may not be affected or may be positively affected. As yet, there has been no survey of QAL on Nantucket, and no study known to the authors has investigated the effect of QAL on a na-

the stages that are most sensitive to effects of L. cuneata have relatively little impact on the rate of population increase (λ). Lespedeza cuneata may have a larger indirect effect on demography of P. canadensis by suppressing native hosts.

interannual variability in adult densities within habitat types, suggesting the metapopulation is following a biennial life-stage cycle with pulses of seedlings followed by adults in alternate years. Reproductive adult densities in edge habitat types have been similar over the 13-year period, showing little long-term variation, suggesting populations in edge habitats are not in decline. However, we saw declines in reproductive adult densities in forest and intermediate habitats in 2015 compared to earlier years. Since edge habitats also produce the most fruit, we speculate that the forest populations may not be sustainable over the long-term without an influx of seed from the source edge habitats. We will continue metapopulation and functional and fitness trait surveys in 2016 to establish a more complete picture of population dynamics in this species.

Illinois State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL, 61790-4120, USA

225

HARVEY, ALAN* 1, DORFZAUN, ALEXANDRA 1 and CORBIN, BRADLEY 2

Ecological role of post-floral nectaries in Richardia scabra (Rubiaceae)

any species of plants use extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) to enlist the help of aggressive, territorial ants as bodyguards against herbivores. EFNs are usually separated physically or temporally from floral nectaries in most plants, presumably to minimize antpollinator encounters, nectar robbing by ants, or both. EFNs also tend to be located closest to that part of the plant most vulnerable to herbivory, which increases the potential for negative ant effects when flowers or fruits are the most vulnerable to herbivory. In Richardia scabra, the same floral nectaries that attract pollinators continue to secrete nectar for several days after the corolla abscises, at which point they are visited by several species of sugar-loving ants (as well as dozens of other species of insects). The tightly packed inflorescences usually have floral and post-floral nectaries (PFNs) active simultaneously, bringing ants and pollinators into close contact. We are investigating whether these PFNs are ecologically equivalent to EFNs, and whether the presence of ants might incur costs for the plant either directly through agonism towards pollinators or indirectly through nectar robbing. The main herbivores we observed on R. scabra were seed predators (pentatomid stink bugs and the minute seed weevil Asperauleutes tachygonoides) on R. scabra fruits. Plants with Tanglefoot™ barriers that excluded ants and other non-flying arthropods suffered significantly greater rates of seed damage than did control plants. Agonistic interactions between potential pollinators and ants were occasionally observed on leaves but not on flowers. On most local plant species with EFNs, the tiny rover ant Brachymyrmex patagonicus ignores or avoids other insects, but on R. scabra it actively attacks and repels A. tachygonoides. The total number of seeds per inflorescence did not differ between treatment and control plants, implying that ant aggression towards pollinators did not significantly reduce seed set. Ants visited PFNs but not floral nectaries in the same inflorescence. Thus, PFNs in R. scabra appear to be ecologically equivalent to EFNs, with little evidence of costs to the plant due to pollinator repulsion or nectar robbing by ants.

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Environmental Conservation, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

224

BOROWICZ, VICTORIA A.

Impact of the exotic invasive legume Lespedeza cuneata on demography of Pedicularis canadensis, a native parasitic plant

reen parasitic plants (“hemiparasites”) acquire water, minerals, and organic compounds from neighboring plants via connections to the host vascular system. Hosts supply essential soil resources, but also cast shade, which can reduce photosynthesis and growth of hemiparasites. Together these positive and negative effects of neighbors can determine performance of individual hemiparasites. How such factors experienced by individuals affect hemiparasite population growth has received little attention. The goals of this study are to characterize the population structure of Pedicularis canadensis, a prairie root hemiparasite, and to examine effects of an exotic, invasive legume, Lespedeza cuneata, on P. canadensis demography. Pedicularis canadensis (wood betony) is a clonal, perennial, root hemiparasite found in open grasslands and woodlands of eastern and central US and Canada. This hemiparasite reaches high densities, especially on restored/reconstructed, nutrient-poor prairies. Once attaining a sufficient size, plants produce one to many inflorescences in April-May and senesce late in October. Host range is broad and includes L. cuneata. Lespedeza cuneata grows rapidly into dense stands that cast heavy shade and produce a thick layer of leaf litter rich in tannins. As a result of nitrogen fixation, L. cuneata may be especially valuable as a host for hemiparasites but also a strong competitor for light. In 2014, P. canadensis growing on a reconstructed tallgrass prairie were tagged and classified into one of five vegetative or 3 reproductive size classes. Plants were further classified as near (< 25 cm) or far from L. cuneata. The number surviving to spring 2015 was recorded and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured directly above each P. canadensis in July. Pedicularis canadensis located near L. cuneata experienced significantly lower light levels than hemiparasites more distant. Based on limited sample size and a single transition period, P. canadensis appears to be fairly resilient to shading by L. cuneata. Elasticity analysis suggests that

Georgia Southern University, Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA2Mercer University , School of Medicine, 1250 E 66th Street , Savannah, GA, 31404, USA

Bryological and Lichenological Section - ABLS 226

CHMIELEWSKI, MATTHEW* 1 and EPPLEY, SARAH 2

227

FERNANDO, THILINA* 1, HERLIHY, CHRIS 2 and WALCK, JEFFREY 3

Bryophytes on the Wing: First Evidence of Widespread Bryophyte Spore Vectoring on Bird Surfaces

Role of local adaptation to abiotic factors during seed germination stage in the maintenance of flower color polymorphism in Leavenworthia stylosa

ittle attention has been given to animals as potential vectors for bryophyte dispersal, despite experimental evidence that spore dispersal via air is often highly leptokurtic. The few studies addressing this phenomenon have focused on mammals or invertebrates mainly dispersing fragments of gametophytic tissue at the local level. Long distance dispersal by birds has been speculated, but the incidence of moss spore epizoochory has not been explicitly addressed. Given the close association of birds with mosses as nesting material as well as a reservoir of invertebrate food items, birds frequently come into contact with sporophytes that are actively releasing spores, many of which may adhere to the surface of bird feet and feathers. Avian behavior has the potential to vastly impact the ecological community composition of bryoflora at local and regional scales. Animal, and particularly avian dispersers are considered important vectors of seed plants due to their high vagility and preference for particular habitat locales. I hypothesized that bird surfaces would regularly harbor bryophyte spores, that these spores would belong to a variety of bryophyte taxa, be viable, and would be present across a variety of bird species. In addition, I hypothesized that prevalence of bryophyte spores would depend on avian behavioral group, with vector likelihood being dependent on ecological role rather than taxonomic similarity. Passerine birds were captured via mist nets in the Wind River Experimental Forest in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. I topically sampled the legs, feet, and rectrices of each bird using cotton swabs. The number of spores from each sample were determined via microscopy before being germinated on nutrient agar plates. Bryophyte species were identified by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing of the trnL region of the chloroplast genome. Abundance and species composition of spores were determined for each bird species, and comparisons made between birds with different ecological roles. These data provide the first evidence of the potential widespread avian-mediated dispersal of bryophytes. Given the influential role of birds on the dispersal of tracheophytes, this newly described relationship has the potential to fundamentally improve our understanding of how bryophyte communities are formed and maintained. This also provides an independent system in which the theories regarding the importance of vectors and modes of dispersal that have been developed in seed plants can be tested. Finally, understanding this relationship may enhance our ability to better project the development of epiphytic community recolonization in managed forested landscapes.

nderstanding the mechanisms that maintain variation among populations is a main focus of evolutionary biology. Flower color which varies across the geographic range is a striking feature in many plant species. In addition to pollinator mediated selection, a growing body of knowledge suggests that this type of geographic variation can be maintained by local adaptation to abiotic conditions. Early life history stages of a plant such as seed germination may be especially sensitive to abiotic conditions such as soil type or water availability. Our study species Leavenworthia stylosa is a cedar glade endemic winter annual herbaceous species which is restricted to the inner central basin of Tennessee. It has two main flower color morphs: yellow and white, with most populations containing only one flower color morph. The goal of this study was to determine if local adaptation to abiotic factors and differential responses to abiotic stresses during the seed germination stage can play a role in maintenance of this geographic pattern of flower color distribution. We conducted two reciprocal transplant experiments, one with dormant seeds and one with non-dormant seeds. Seeds were collected from two yellow-flowered and two white-flowered source populations. Seeds from all source populations were transplanted into each of these four populations. To assess the effect of edaphic factors on seed germination in these L. stylosa sites, seed germination success of yellow and white morphs was determined in soil from each of the four transplant sites in the laboratory. In addition, seed dormancy break of the two color morphs was studied under a relative humidity gradient. Seed dormancy loss and seed germination of both color morphs was highest in white transplant sites. However, in the laboratory, there was no significant difference between white and yellow seed germination in each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soils. Under low relative humidity conditions white morphs showed a higher dormancy break compared to yellow morphs. Overall, our results suggest that the geographic pattern of the flower color variation cannot be explained by local adaptation to edaphic conditions at the seed germination stage.

Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, USA2Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, United States

Middle Tennessee State University, Biology, P.O. Box 60, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, United States2Middle Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 60, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, United States3Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 East Main St, PO Box 60, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA

determine cues in breaking seed dormancy of P. lewtonii. Results/Conclusions Germination success has been low (mean 8.6%) but has ranged from <1% to 61%. A retrieval experiment yielded 61% germination of seeds sown at 5 cm depth retrieved after 12 months. In two separate experiments, seeds exposed to heat (>60°C) and burned seeds had similar germination (3% and 2% respectively) but were no different than controls (1-3%). Smoke exposure for five minutes in two experiments had higher germination (7% and 17%) than a third experiment soaking seeds in diluted smoke water (1% solution; 2-3% germination). Soaking seeds in water decreased germination (3-6%) compared to controls (9%). Removal of the elaiosome, a fatty appendage, decreased germination, although not always significantly (3-45% vs. 3-38% control). Scarification significantly reduced germination (8% vs. 35% unscarified) and spring/summer settings in a growth chamber doubled germination (14% vs. 6% winter conditions). Experiments with high germination have been associated with smoke or heat, intact seeds, and spring/summer conditions. Current experiments are focused on the effects of seed age and smoke treatments. Ultimately, two main factors associated with physiological dormancy need to be identified: 1) wearing of the seed coat to allow radicle emergence and 2) a cue to stimulate radicle growth.

228

KLIMCZAK, KORENA* 1, SCHAFRAN, PETER 2 and JONES, MARCUS 3

Use of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Commercial Medium when Germinating Cypripedium acaule (Orchidaceae)

lthough the importance of mycorrhizal associations to orchid germination is established, it remains unclear what specific nutrients the fungi provide. Commercial agar media attempt to replicate these nutrient provisions, providing orchid seeds with an environment where asymbiotic in vitro germination is possible. However, we hypothesize that the addition of symbiotic fungi could result in even more growth than using agar alone. To test this, we isolate symbiotic fungi from wild Cypripedium acaule Aiton (Orchidaceae), and seed is then germinated in the presence or absence of this fungus on one of four media, either Knudson C, Phytotech BM-1, Phytotech P723, or Phytotech T839. After three months, protocorm diameter, number of leaves and roots, and fresh and dry biomass are measured. Comparisons between the treatment groups may suggest the utility of incorporating symbiotic fungi when performing in vitro germination. Results could assist in further development of germination methods, improving conservation efforts using orchid cultivation, especially for rare and difficult to grow orchids.

Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Fl, 33960, United States

Old Dominion University, Department of Psychology, 250 Mills Godwin Life Sciences Bldg, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA2Department Of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 235290266, USA3Old Dominion University, Kaplan Orchid Conservatory, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA

230

HUGHES, WILLIAM

Constrained Evolution of Perenniality: Pleiotropic Effects of PEP1 on Seed Traits in Arabis alpina

229

KOONTZ, STEPHANIE M.* , WEEKLEY, CARL W. and MENGES, ERIC S.

n this work I discuss how pleiotropy affects tradeoffs between flowering traits (i.e. phenology) and seed traits (i.e. longevity and dormancy) in the perennial Arabis alpina (Brassicaceae). Why perenniality or annuality evolves is a key question in life history theory, and has implications for agronomy, since facilitating crop adaptation to drought and climate change requires characterizing traits affecting phenology, seed vigour and yield. Demographic models predict strong selection for high seed longevity and low seed dormancy in monocarpic annual species relative to polycarpic perennials, since annuals overwinter only as seeds, whereas perennials persist both as seeds and mature plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana—an annual—there is strong evidence to suggest that many genes pleiotropically regulate both flowering and seed traits. For example, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC)—which regulates flowering—is also expressed in seeds, and promotes germination at low temperatures. Such pleiotropy may make independent optimization of fitness traits impossible, and may affect the relative fitness of annual and perennial life histories. I report new data assessing the degree to which PERPETUAL FLOWERING 1 (PEP1), the orthologue of FLC in A. alpina, pleiotropically affects seed traits including seed dormancy and longevity.

Trials and tribulations of waking a seed from its dormancy slumber

ackground/Questions/Methods Seed dormancy is a common trait of plant species associated with fire dominated ecosystems. Numerous studies have demonstrated that smoke, heat and their combination are cues for breaking seed dormancy. Polygala lewtonii (Polygalaceae) is a Florida endemic herb found in longleaf pine/ wiregrass ecosystems maintained by frequent fire (2-5 year return interval). Fire kills P. lewtonii individuals but populations rebound quickly. Long-term demographic research has shown moderate year-round seedling recruitment with large pulses following prescribed fire or warm, wet winters suggesting seed dormancy is present in this species. Polygala lewtonii seeds have physiological dormancy with an inhibiting mechanism preventing radicle emergence. Since 2002, we have performed 14 experiments focused on identifying the factor(s) associated with breaking seed dormancy. Variables examined have included sowing depth, medium, season and seed age. We have exposed seeds to smoke, and heated and burned seeds. We have removed elaiosomes, and scarified and soaked seeds in water or smoke water. Here, we review variables tested, sowing methods, and seasonal effects on successful and not so successful germination experiments. Our goal was to identify what worked, what failed, and discuss future directions and variable combinations to

Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Carl von Linne Weg 10, Cologne, 50829, Germany

Ecological Section 232

CARLETON, JIM 1, DONOVAN, ELIZABETH 2, GARBER, KRIS 3, FARRUGGIA, FRANK THOMAS* 4, JONES, R. DAVID 5, KIERNAN, BRIAN 3, ODENKIRCHEN, ED 5, PECK, CHUCK 5, SANKULA, SUJATHA 6 and YOUNG, DIRK 7

POSTERS 231

RODGERS, VIKKI L* 1, GRIFFITH, ALDEN B 2 and DUKES, JEFFREY S 3

Audrey III - EPA's Tier II Plant Exposure Estimation Tool

Experimental test of the theory of fluctuating resource availability as a driver for invasion establishment

he United States Environmental Protection Agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office of Pesticide Programs Environmental Fate and Effects Division (EFED) is developing a replacement for the TerrPlant model, which is used to estimate pesticide exposures to plants inhabiting terrestrial and wetland habitats. Conceptually, this model considers pesticide transport via spray drift and runoff from treated areas into and onto adjacent non-target habitats. The new model, Audrey III, makes use of existing models currently employed for exposure estimate by EPA, including AgDRIFT, the Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM5), and the Variable Volume Water Model (VVWM). In Audrey III, the terrestrial exposure model is focuses on a conceptual Terrestrial Plant Exposure Zone (T-PEZ), whose width is determined by the distance from the edge of field traveled by overland sheet flow and whose depth is determined by the plant root zone. Within the T-PEZ, exposure is estimated separately for loading of pesticide entrained in runoff and sorbed to eroded sediment, and pesticide deposited directly onto foliage by spray drift. For areas outside of the T-PEZ, exposure is estimated for pesticide transported via spray drift only. A separate wetland conceptual model in Audrey III is based on a conceptual Wetland Plant Exposure Zone (W-PEZ), the dimensions of which will be determined using analyses conducted as part of the National Wetland Condition Assessment. Similar to the T-PEZ, concentrations will be estimated based on loadings from from runoff, eroded sediment, and spray drift; however, the W-PEZ will be modeled as two completely mixed compartments (variable volume water column and benthos) linked together via mass-transfer. The aquatic exposure model is also based on pesticide loading from runoff, erosion, and spray drift to a relevant aquatic plant habitat.

nderstanding the mechanisms that drive the success or failure of novel plant populations is central to invasion biology. In this study we experimentally tested the theory of fluctuating resource availability with an approach that quantitatively integrates environmental, physiological, and demographic datasets using integral projection models (IPMs). The supply of soil moisture in an old-field community was experimentally manipulated in situ at the Boston Area Climate Experiment (BACE; Waltham, MA, USA) with treatments consisting of 50%, 100%, and 150% of ambient precipitation. Within each precipitation treatment we manipulated the rate at which the resident community could deplete soil moisture by manually clipping background vegetation or leaving it intact. We invaded experimental plots in the autumn of both 2012 and 2013 with seeds of Persicaria lapathifolia, an annual herb that is common to the area, but largely absent from the plant communities at BACE. We recorded complete life-cycle demography for nearly 2,000 P. lapathifolia individuals, environmental variables such as soil moisture and soil inorganic nitrogen, and physiological variables such as leaf chlorophyll and tissue C:N. Overall, increases in soil resource supply and/or decreases in uptake promoted invasion by P. lapathifolia. Furthermore, plots that did not receive manipulations hypothesized to be favorable to invasion were entirely resistant to invasion in 2013 (i.e. total seed production near zero). This is broadly consistent with the theory of fluctuating resource availability, but amid substantial variability across microsites. Although P. lapathifolia in the drought treatment exhibited higher growth early in the growing season, low soil moisture in the summer was linked to reduced growth and survival that alone reduced annual population growth by roughly 40% compared to the high soil moisture treatment. This shift in demographic rates throughout the growing season suggests that antecedent drought may promote invasion in the spring (through a hypothesized negative legacy on background community resistance), but is later countered by the effects of concurrent drought.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, 7507P, Washington, DC, 204602U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, Washington, DC, 204603U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, 204604U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, 20460, United States5U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, VA, 204606U.S. Envi-

Babson College, Math And Science Division, 231 Forest Steet, Kriebel Hall, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02481, USA2Wellesley College, Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, Science Center, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA3Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

and interspecific ecological interactions for the species of interest. One approach to comprehensively and systematically developing such knowledge is through the process of building and using species-centered ecological models. This process, sometimes called Institutionalized Model Making (IMM), is complementary with the collection of field and physiological data and represents a means of synthesizing ecological knowledge from the deluge of incoming ecological data. The ultimate goal of the modeling process, when applied to species management, is to create simulations that can provide insights for adaptation and improved sustainability under a variety of future scenarios. Modeling and simulation methods are most useful in projecting the outcomes of scenarios with little precedent but extensive baseline data. In other words, data from ongoing field monitoring can feed into and is complementary to the futureorientation of modeling and simulation, in the sense that the latter can more rapidly provide a quantitative assessment of likely future ecological conditions. Under conditions where extensive baseline data is unavailable, models can be populated with best initial estimates. Sensititivity analysis allows the identification of which parameters are likely to have the strongest influence on the species of interest and/or entire system. Thus, modeling can also provide insights directing researchers towards further study of those "unknowns" most likely to reduce overall uncertainty. Since our planet has entered the Anthropocene, we now aim to understand how thousands of plant species and their coevolutionary counterparts are likely to respond to strong perturbations and increased local stochasticity in several key abiotic factors, including temperature, humidity, soil moisture. In this poster, I will provide examples of opportunities to employ systems modeling for managing plant species in situ under conditions of anthropogenic ecological change.

ronmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Mail Code 7101M, Washington, VA, 204607U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Mail Code 7101M, Washington, DC, 20460

233

GAMBA, DIANA* 1, MAGUIÑA, ROSSANA 1, CALDERÓN-ACEVEDO, CAMILO ANDRƒS 1 and MUCHHALA, NATHAN C. 1

Seed dispersal for the unusual inflated berries of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae)

xamining dispersal is critical for understanding the diversity of Andean-centered plant lineages, like Burmeistera (Campanulaceae). One-third of the species present an unusual inflated berry. Unlike the bright colours of non-inflated fruits in the genus, these fruits are typically dull-green; however, the fact that the seeds are loosely held in the placenta and easily removed when touched seems to suggest adaptation to animal dispersal. We studied two inflated-baccate species, Burmeistera glabrata and B. borjensis, with the aim of testing the non-exclusive hypotheses that their seeds are dispersed by 1) small mammals, 2) slugs, or 3) adult flies that develop inside the fruits. In two sites in the Ecuadorian Andes, we performed observations at dusk and dawn to examine the fate of fruits and seeds, recording fruit fall, formation of holes, and seed loss. We documented fruit visitors with cameras, and surveyed unopened fruits for presence of insect larvae and seed condition. Finally, we performed an experiment to examine the effect of holes and rain in germination. For both species, most fruits fell and decomposed beneath the mother plant. However, we found limited support for small mammal dispersal; videos and observations revealed that mice and squirrels are potential, but rare, seed dispersers. We found no evidence for slug or fly dispersal; fly larvae were common inside fruits, but acted exclusively as seed predators. Crickets and other insects often chewed holes in fruits on plants and on the ground. Holes did not have an effect in germination, which was induced with rain. We propose gravity as the primary mode of dispersal, with occasional primary or secondary dispersal by small mammals. Limited dispersal, coupled with rare events of mammal dispersal, may have played a critical role in driving the rapid diversification of Burmeistera.

Metropolitan State University, Natural Sciences Department, 700 East Seventh Street, St. Paul, MN, 55106, USA

235

SONG, GWANPIL 1, SEO, YEON OK , JUNG, SUNG-CHEOL 2, CHEONG, EUNJU 3 and KIM, CHAN-SOO* 1 1

Characteristics of natural habitats, annual growth and variation of taxonomic characters in wild Prunus yedoensis on Jeju Island, Korea

e investigated the natural habitats of Prunus yedoensis in Mt. Halla, Jeju and found 94 individuals in wild forest. The wild P. yedoensis were found in three types of places where open in the middle of forest or edges of the forest, deciduous forest, and evergreen broad-leaved mixed forest. On the aspect of the mountain, trees grow in deciduous forest on northfacing slopes and evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous mixed forests on south. Many of P. yedoensis on south slopes were not as good in conditions as ones on north-facing slopes due to the competition with evergreen broad-leaved species. Diameters (DBH) of woody species in the site were measured and results are as follow, P. yedoensis 52.4 cm, Carpinus tschonoskii 50.2 cm, Pinus densiflora 30.8 cm, Pinus thunbergii 36.3 cm,

University of Missouri - St. Louis, Biology, One University Blvd , 223 Research Building, St. Louis, MISSOURI, 63121, United States2Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Biology, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Quito, Pichincha, 17 01 21 84, Ecuador

234

TUOMINEN, L.K.

Systems Modeling as a Process-Based Planning Tool for Managing Plant Species in Situ

ffective species-centered management requires building and maintaining insititutional knowledge of favorable habitat conditions, life history, and intra-

Ecological Section 237

and Prunus spachiana 34.1 cm. The biggest tree of P. yedoensis was 15.5m high and 143cm wide in DBH. According to the IUCN Red List category in terms of the size of natural habitats and the number of individuals, the species is classified critical endangered species (CR, Critical). Characteristics of flowers, length and width of petal, length of style, stamen, pedicel and peduncle, number of flowers per inflorescence, and length of leaf and petiole, varied among the individuals. Annual diameter growth at breast height was analyzed with the core samples from 37 individuals. The average annual growth in diameter was 3.74mm/year and older trees had narrower rings. The DBH had a greatest influence (r=0.304) on the growth among the four factors, height, DBH, age and volume of tree. Five individuals were selected for analysis of relationships with the climatic factor. The average temperature of May of the year had a tendency of negative correlations with the average temperatures (from the previous August through following September). The results showed the characteristics of growth of the individuals in natural habitats, which will facilitate to establish conservation strategy to cope with climate change

PITTENGER, MADISON* 1, CAUDLE, KERI 2, BAER, SARA 3, JOHNSON, LORETTA 4 and MARICLE, BRIAN 5

Herbivory preferences among ecotypes of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

ig bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), a dominant prairie grass, exhibits a wide distribution with numerous genetically distinct ecotypes. Despite being within the same species, each ecotype uniquely adapts to abiotic and biotic factors within its own environment. These adaptations may prove more or less desirable to herbivores in the area. For instance, plants adapted to areas with greater rainfall tend to grow larger than those adapted to drier conditions. However, wetter conditions might result in greater numbers of herbivores, so ecotypes adapted to wetter conditions might have evolved greater herbivore defense mechanisms. We hypothesized that herbivores would display a preference for plants adapted to drier conditions. We tested this with feeding preference trials involving grasshoppers and leaves from five ecotypes of A. gerardii that represented plants adapted to wet and dry conditions. Scans of leaves before and after herbivory trials indicated the percentage of the leaf eaten. We also hypothesized that leaves with more mechanical tissue would be less preferable to herbivores. Physical strength of leaves was measured by mechanical measures of ripping and tearing. Following herbivory trials, 45 to 59 percent of leaf area remained, but no significant differences were detected among ecotypes regarding herbivory preference or physical strength measures. This likely resulted from duration of herbivore treatments; shorter treatments may have captured a true preference as opposed to leaf availability. However, these data also suggest that ecotypes of A. gerardii have evolved similar tolerances to herbivory. Perhaps different environmental factors are stronger selective pressures than herbivory.

National Institute of Forest Science, Warm Temperate and Subtropical Forest Research Center, 1253 Sanghyo-dong, Seogwipo, Jeju-do, 697-050, Republic of Korea2National Institute of Forest Science, Warm-Temperate and Subtropical Forest Research Center, 1253 Sanghyo-dong, Seogwipo, Jeju-do, 697-050, Republic of Korea3 Gangwon National Univ., Division of Forest Science, College of Forest and Environment Science, 1 Gangwondaehakgil, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, 24341, Republic of Korea

236

RORK, ADAM* 1, JOGESH, TANIA , SKOGEN, KRISSA 3 and KYRA, KRAKOS 1 2

The Chemical Ecology of the Missouri Native Glade Species Manfreda virginica and its Moth Pollinators

Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, USA2Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States3Southern Illinois University, Plant Biology and Center for Ecology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA4Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA5Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601-4099, USA

loral organic volatile (FOV) emissions can vary in composition both spatially and temporally within a flower, and impact plant-pollinator systems. In the glade species Manfreda virginica, a protanderous and fragrant nocturnal plant, we examined the FOV emission of flowers during its two reproductive stages using solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) techniques. We conducted olfactometer bioassays with naĂŻve and experienced visitors to determine the behavior of visitors in response to collected volatile compounds. We conducted pollinator observations, hand pollinations treatments, and fluorescent microscopy of pollen tube squashes to determine the primary pollinator of this plant, and whether or not it is experiencing pollen limitation. Early results indicate that this plant is pollinated primarily by moths in the families Sphingidae and Noctuidae.

238

PHILIPS, ROBERT W* 1 and BYERS, DIANE L 2

Competitive ability of Chamaecrista fasciculata from sand vs. tallgrass prairies

n the tallgrass prairie region there are >10 types of prairies based on glacial history, bedrock, soils, and distribution of plants and animals. Chamaecrista fasciculata occurs in two prairie types; tallgrass and sand prairies. While most of the plants in these prairies are perennials, C. fasciculata is an annual. Thus C. fasciculata is expected to have strong selection to quickly grow and reproduce, although the set of characteristics enabling

Maryville University, College of Arts and Sciences, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63141, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA3Chicago Botanic Garden, Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

for a week germinated significantly more than seeds that were sown fresh and soaked in their own juice and pulp for 24 hours. A separate experiment indicated that germination of smoke-treated seeds was significantly suppressed. In all cases, gibberellic acid was needed to stimulate germination as very little germination occurred without its use. An imbibition test suggests that S. beaugleholei possesses physiological dormancy of its seeds, similar to other closely related species. The potential for fire tolerant seed ecology of S. beaugleholei combined with observed vegetative re-sprouting of stems following fire infers that S. beaugleholei exhibits narrow fire tolerance through multiple strategies which aid its survival in the fire prone habitats of which it naturally occurs. This research identifies some specific fire tolerance thresholds that S. beaugleholei may withstand, which is important given the predicted regional increase of wildfire frequency in the years to come.

this plant to achieve success could be prairie-type specific. For example, tallgrass prairies have moist soil with dense vegetation, so plants will need to be able to tolerate competitors. In contrast, sand prairies have a well-drained soil with sparse vegetation, so plants will need to be drought tolerant. Given the differences in these prairies, I predicted that tallgrass prairies plants will be more tolerant of a competitor than sand prairie plants. To test if plants from sand vs. tallgrass prairies differ in their ability to grow and reproduce with a competitor (Schizachyrium scoparium) a greenhouse experiment was done where C. fasciculata seeds collected from either tallgrass or sand prairies were grown in pots with or without S. scoparium. To quantify potential differences in response to competition the following traits were measured: size (height and biomass), development (flowering time), and reproduction. To test if the seed source or competitor treatments impacted these measurements, we used a repeated measures ANOVA or a MANOVA. Growth declined in response to competition. The extent of this decline depended on the source population but tallgrass prairie plants were not the best competitors. Plants from tallgrass sources produced more aboveground biomass when grown alone, however both prairie types were equally negatively impacted by the competitor. Fruit production was greater by the sand prairies plants. Our data analysis does not find any evidence to support our hypothesis of greater competitive ability by the tallgrass plants. While no clear pattern in the greenhouse study was observed in sand vs. tallgrass prairies, differences of success in contrasting habitat types could be the result of the combination of abiotic and biotic factors of a prairie type acting on C. fasciculata. Our next step will be a pair of common garden field experiments that will test habitat characteristics collectively and assess the responses of plants from different types of prairies. Assessment of habitat specific responses in C. fasciculata would determine the necessity of habitat-specific seed source in prairie restorations.

Bucknell University, Biology, 701 Moore Ave., Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA2Bucknell University, 701 Moore Ave., Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States3Bucknell University, Biological Sciences, 203 Biology Building, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA

240

MATTHEWS, ELIZABETH* , GRILLO, MARISA and MORRISON, JANET

An account of Lonicera japonica, being aided by an invasive shrub while inhibiting a native herb, leading to its successful invasion

uburban forests are the primary connection to nature for many people, yet we know little of how they function and need to be managed. Interactions between native and non-native species are likely key to their structure and function. One prominent non-native species in mid-Atlantic suburban forests is Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), which vines up through the canopy. It also grows horizontally across the forest floor, where it may negatively affect co-occurring native herbs such as Aster divaricatus, by occupying physical space and competing for resources. In turn, Rosa multiflora, a non-native shrub that also occurs in these forests at high abundance, may positively affect L. japonica because it has woody branching that can support its viney growth form. We are conducting a field study in 32-40, 4x4 plots in each of six forested sites in central New Jersey. We estimated percent cover (5%, 15%, 25%, etc.) of all species in the plots’ herb layers in 16 1 quadrats scattered throughout each plot, and used the per-plot means for analysis. Regression revealed a weak negative effect of L. japonica on A. divaricatus in one forest (Baldpate, R2=0.051, P= 0.16). Lonicera had a strong positive relationship with R. multiflora in two of the forests (Baldpate, R2=0.179, P=0.007; Nayfield, R2=0.158, P=0.011) Field observations suggest that L. japonica wraps around the rose’s thorny branches, allowing for protection and a place to grow. We are next testing these species’ interactions in a new greenhouse experiment that compares A. divaricatus seedling growth with and without L. japonica cuttings, and L. japonica cuttings

IL State Univ, School Of Bio Sci, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL, 61790, USA2Illinois State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, CAMPUS BOX 4120, NORMAL, IL, 61790-4120, USA

239

GARANICH, MEGHAN* 1, CANTLEY, JASON 2, GAVALA, LACEY 2, JORDON-THADEN, INGRID 3 and MARTINE, CHRIS 2

Identification of fire tolerance thresholds in seeds of the Western Australian endemic bush tomato, Solanum beaugleholei (Solanaceae)

ollowing a bush fire in Windjana Gorge National Park in northern Western Australia, it was possible to collect affected fruits and experimentally test germination of Solanum beaugleholei seeds from fruits that were fully burned, partially burned, and unburned. Of the seeds germinated, those from unburned fruits showed the highest total germination followed by seeds of partially burned fruits, and then seeds of fully burned fruits. An ex situ whole fruit heating experiment indicated that seeds were tolerant of heat to up to 100°C, wherein total germination began to decrease. Moreover, it was determined that seeds dried

Ecological Section on soil N. Species richness had no effect on L. cuneata and no direct effects on any other variable. Omitting species number yielded a substantial improvement in AIC over the full model.

growing with and without R. multiflora cuttings. As an invasive vine, L. japonica may inhibit native herbaceous plants, but at the same time may be enhanced by nonnative shrubs leading to its successful invasion.

Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences, Normal, IL, 61790-4120, USA2Illinois State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL, 61790-4120, USA3University of Illinois, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences , Urbana, IL, 61810, USA

The College Of New Jersey, Department Of Biology, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA

241

JULIANO, STEVEN A.* 1, BOROWICZ, VICTORIA A. 2 and YANNARELL, ANTHONY C. 3

242

OMOREGIE, GLORIA* 1, IDU, MACDONALD 2 and ADEBAYO, ADEDOYIN 3

Direct and indirect effects of the hemiparasite Pedicularis canadensis on invasions of a prairie community by Lespedeza cuneata

Impact of Gas Flaring on leaf Anatomy of Carica papaya, Musa paradisiaca and Talinum Triangulare: A comparative Study

he factors contributing to successful invasion and impacts on native species by non-native organisms remain an important topic for understanding ecology in human-dominated landscapes. A prominent hypothesis is that species and functional diversity of the invaded community contribute to the resistance of the community to successful invasion and reduce impacts of invaders. The direct and indirect pathways by which species and functional diversity have these effects remain mostly unknown. Hemiparasites are photosynthetic plants that parasitize the roots of other plants, drawing water and mineral nutrition from their hosts. Hemiparasites as a functional group can have important effects on plant communities. We investigated the direct and indirect effects of the hemiparasite Pedicularis canadensis on invasion of Midwestern prairie communities by Lespedeza cuneata. We used structural equation modeling to test hypotheses that: 1) P. canadensis indirectly enhances invasion success of L. cuneata by suppressing dominant grasses and forbs; 2) Species richness (excluding P. canadensis) reduces invasion success of L. cuneata; 3) P. canadensis indirectly affects the community by increasing soil N via concentrating nutrients in its litter; and 4) P. canadensis affects soil microbial communities. We used data from 90 experimental plots. Measured soil variables were: NH4 and NO3; and Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling Scores describing microbial assemblages. Measured plant variables were: cover of grasses, forbs, and P. canadensis, and biomass of L. cuneata. There was strong support for direct effects of P. canadensis on its victims, though not on L. cuneata. There was no support for the hypothesis that P. canadensis indirectly facilitated L. cuneata by suppressing native species, largely because native grasses and forbs had little direct effect on L. cuneata. The hypothesis that P. canadensis has indirect effects via enriching the soil could not be formally tested because the data set was of inadequate size to estimate reciprocal causal paths from soil latent variables to the plant cover variables; however P. canadensis did have a significant positive direct effect on soil N. There was also no support for the hypothesis of strong competitive effects of L. cuneata on other plants. Indirect effects of L. cuneata on other plants via increasing soil N seem likely, as L. cuneata had a relatively strong positive effect

comparative morphological study for the leaf epidermal surface of Carica papaya, Musa paradisiaca and Talinum triangulare was carried out around a flow Station at Oben Village Edo State Nigeria. the aim of this research was to comparatively study and analyze the effect of Gas flaring on leaf anatomy of Carica papaya, Musa paradisiaca and Talinum Triangulare present in a gas flaring site and a non Gas flaring site. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics such as stomata type, epidermal type and cell shape patterns, epidermal cell length and width, number of epidermal cells per field of view, epidermal cell wall thickness and stomata length were studied. All measurement were made using a ligth microscope with a micrometer eyepiece. Results of the study showed that leaves were grossly affected by the flared gas when compared with plants from the non gas flaring site. The effect was seen in the cell almost fading, there were distortions or reduction in the number of stomata per unit area of the leaf Keywords: Gas flaring, caraca papaya, Musa paradisiaca, Talinum triangulare. 1

Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, Environmental Management and Toxicology , WARRI, DELTA STATE, 330102, Nigeria2University of Benin, Benin City, Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Benin City, Edo State, 30027, Nigeria3Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Environmental Management and Toxicology , Warri, Delta State, 330102, Nigeria

243 JOHN J.

LONG, JAMES* and SCHENK,

Determining sandhill plant assemblages and endemism based on plant diversity and distributions

andhills are unique ecosystems formed during the Miocene from either the remnants of coastal beaches that were caused by the rising and falling of sea level, or from the movement and accumulation of sands by wind and rivers. Sandhill ecosystems are characterized by dry, sandy soils and are noted to contain a unique assemblage of plants and animals. Similar to the larger long-leaf pine (Pinus palustris) and wire grass (Aristida

stricta) ecosystem that sandhills belong to, agriculture, development, and habitat modifications have caused sandhill ecosystems to become degraded and fragmented, putting many species at risk. Previous studies have focused on species diversity within individual sandhill sites, leaving us with an incomplete understanding of how these communities form, what species are sandhill endemics, whether endemic species are found across all sandhills, and how species have evolved and adapted to these communities. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of how these ecosystems assembled, we sampled across four sandhill sites of the Georgian Coastal Plain and compared species occurrences. Our preliminary assessment identified 240 species that occurred on sandhills, and as expected, species diversity was positively correlated with sandhill area size. Across all four sites, 147 plant species occurred on a single site, and of these species, 139 occurred on the two largest sites. Sixty-five species occurred on two sites and 10 occurred on three sites. Seventeen species were collected from all four sites, five of which we identified as only occurring on sandhill. The endemic composition of the sandhill flora makes up 13% of of the total species that occur in these habitats. Many of the non-endemic sandhill species opportunistically colonize these habitats from the surrounding areas and the colonization rate appears proportional to the habitat area. Our results further suggest that additional decreases in available sandhill habitats will have a negative effect on plant species diversity, which could lead to the loss of the small, but important endemic sandhill community.

245

LUFTMAN, NATHAN* , CANTLEY, JASON and MARTINE, CHRIS

Saltwater tolerance thresholds in the halophytic species Chenopodium oahuense (Amaranthaceae) including a new segregate taxon from the Island of Moloka‚i in the Hawaiian Islands

he Hawaiian Islands have been long identified as a hotbed of biodiversity, with widespread endemism across all islands. Chenopodium oahuense (Amaranthaceae), while endemic to Hawai‚i, has been recorded on all but one island of the archipelago. Populations of the taxon occur on sandy beaches, seacliffs, and in high elevation subalpine habitats that are isolated from sea spray. However, baseline information on seed ecology is not well know for this halophytic species. Therefore, to test if a differential response to salinity has developed between populations inland and on the coast, seeds of three populations (subalpine, beach, and seacliffs) were exposed to artificial seawater to assess possible increased germination rates in the presence of salt, which occurs for many other Chenopodium species. In a second experiment, germination and growth measurements were assessed when exposed to different concentrations of artificial seawater to simulate the effects of sea salt spray. The results and conservation implications from these experiments are discussed including the recognition of an undescribed taxon that has been only recently recognized from the seacliffs of Moloka‚i. Using live and herbarium material to assess morphological differences coupled with results from the sea water treatment experiments, we detail the distinctive characteristics of this new taxon for the first time. Primarily, the taxon is most noticeably different in its overall sprawling habit and semi-succulent leaves that may have evolved in response to environmental factors that occur in its habitats, which are the world’s tallest seacliffs.

Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA

244

BLAIR, CHARLES E

Invasive Aquatic Weeds: Implications for Mosquito and Vector Management Activities

Bucknell University, Biology, 701 Moore Ave, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

ealthy natural wetlands ARE FAR LESS LIKELY to be breeding areas for disease-carrying mosquitoes than degraded ones. Degradation of these bodies of water by invasive aquatic weeds and other influences can result in their being potential habitat for mosquitoes that can carry the West Nile Virus, encephalitis, and other diseases. Control of these invasive plants can be an important part of the Integrated Weed/Pest Management efforts of both Weed Management Areas and Mosquito and Vector Control Agencies. This poster focuses on continuing problems with control of Water Eveningprimrose, Ludwigia spp. Successes in on-going control of Smooth Cordgrass, Spartina spp., S. densiflora x foliosa, in the San Francisco Estuary will be shown. Presentations on the importance of Smooth Cordgrass in San Francisco Bay have been made at recent statewide Cal-IPC and Mosquito and Vector Control Conferences. Demonstration of these relationships can enhance both agency and public awareness of their importance. Invasive Aquatic Weeds: Implications for Mosquito and Vector Management Activities. Charles E Blair, MD*, Trustee, Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County (MVMDSBC) blairce@verizon.net

246

DIAZ, NICOLAS* 1, CANTLEY, JASON , WALSH, SEANA 2 and MARTINE, CHRIS 1 1

Using ecological niche models to inform delimitation of cryptic species in Hawaiian Coprosma foliosa Complex (Rubiaceae)

he taxonomy among Coprosma spp. (Rubiaceae) in the Hawaiian Islands is complex, making it difficult to properly identify taxa in the field or even with herbarium specimens. Of particular confusion are taxa of the Coprosma foliosa Complex, which currently includes four recognized species and many synonymized taxa. As currently recognized, the complex consists of C. menziesii on Hawai‚i Island, C. stephanocarpa and C. cordicarpa on Maui, and the widespread taxon C. foliosa on Kaua‚i, Lana‚i, Moloka‚i, and O‚ahu. Taxa of the C. foliosa Complex occur in both native and non-native dominated mesic forests and represent the lowest elevation distribution of the genus in the archipelago. Their form varies from

176 ALCOR AVE, LOMPOC, CA, 93436, USA

Ecological Section upright trees to lianas >15 meters in length. A recent excursion in March 2016 helped elucidate morphological and geographic differences garnered from morphometric analyses and field observations for two new taxa segregated from the C. foliosa Complex. These analyses are augmented by comparing environmental niche models among species within the Complex. Effectively, these taxa replace C. foliosa on the islands on Moloka‚i and Kaua‚i. The taxon from Moloka‚i is consistently a stout tree to over 10 meters in height, and most conspicuously differs in having two different sized seeds per fruit, earning it a tentative name of C. sp. ‚asymmetrisperma’. Asymmetry is also reflected in asymmetrical fruits. The fruit apex is the result of the largest seed bulging farther than the persistent calyx, shifting the calyx slightly offcenter. The newly understood Kaua‚i taxon, tentatively named C. sp. ‚longipedicellata,’ is different from other taxa in the Complex in being a many-stemmed shrubby liana. In addition, flowers and fruits occur on considerably long pedicels/peduncles, leaves are more pubescent, and stipule morphology differs slightly compared to other members of the Complex. Hybrids are thought to occur for both taxa on their respective islands, C. sp. ‚asymmetrisperma’ with C. pubens on Moloka‚i and C. sp. ‚longipedicellata’ with C. waimeae on Kaua‚i.

processed using a GC-MS with authentic standards to identify volatile peaks in resulting chromatograms. We predict the volatiles emitted by the starved pitchers will emit compounds attractive to Lepidoptera species and that these compounds will increase as the pitcher is starved. In pitchers with prey, we expect a shift from compounds associated with Lepidopteran species to a set of compounds typically associated with carrion attracted insects. This result would suggest a possible prey shift from Lepidopteran prey to Dipteran prey over the age of the pitcher. Finally, flowers and pitchers are expected to release significantly different volatiles, therefore mitigating prey-pollinator conflict. 1

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 306022Cornell University, E445 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA3Cornell University, W355 Seeley G. Mudd Hall, Ithaca, NY, 148534University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

248

HAYES, DANIEL* 1, CANTLEY, JASON 1, JORDON-THADEN, INGRID 2 and MARTINE, CHRIS 1

A successful Solanum spp. (Solanaceae) greenhouse growth model using integrated pest management

Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA2National Tropical Botanical Garden, Science and Conservation, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, Hawaii, 96741, United States

esearch greenhouse collections of Solanum are notoriously prone to pest infestations that often require the use of pesticides for sustained growth and pest management. The use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems as an alternative to pesticide use is not well-documented for Solanum. With the aim to grow Solanum for studies in reproductive biology and systematics without the use of heavy pesticides, an IPM system was implemented in our small Rooke Research Greenhouse in 2013. Most of our study species are native to subarid tropical habitats of northern Australia, but species from the Neotropics and temperate North America are also included in the collection. The number and density of individuals has varied depending on current research projects, but the greenhouse has supported nearly 400 individuals at its peak. Most study plants are maintained for more than twelve months and experience continuous growth. With the focus on control, not eradication, practices aimed to reduce pest establishment, reproduction, and dispersal have been successfully implemented. Biological control through the use of natural enemies—predators and parasites— of common pests, alongside cultural, mechanical, and physical controls have been carefully studied and adjusted for effectiveness and longevity. Observation of the beneficial insect and target pest population levels and seasonality has aided in establishing an economically and labor friendly IPM system. Plant growth and maintenance has been successful through active management of an IPM plan. Common pests are still present, and likely always will be in low numbers, but a vigilant and adaptive IPM plan focused on maintaining a sustainable predator-prey balance should continue to support our research agenda with few limitations.

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ROWE, PAMELA S.* 1, KESSLER, ANDRE 2, MALMBERG, RUSSELL 1, ROBERT, RAGUSO 3 and STEPHENS, JESSICA 4

Volatile emissions of leaves and flowers of the carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia leucophylla

arnivorous plants have evolved to attract, capture, and digest insects in order to cope with low nutrient habitats. Therefore, traits related to attracting prey are likely under strong selection. However, there should also be selection on traits that mitigate or alleviate capturing their pollinators. Here, we are interested in whether a particular trait, volatile emissions, varies between the leaves (i.e. pitchers) and flowers of Sarracenia leucophylla as a possible mechanism for these plants to avoid pollinator capture. In addition, we are examining how volatile cues released by the pitchers may attract specific prey and whether these cues change with prey decomposition. Sarracenia leucophylla is an ideal species to examine these hypotheses as an ongoing study has found it to specialize on Lepidopteran prey and flower and pitcher development overlap. To test the above hypotheses, pitchers on four individual S. leucophylla plants were prevented from capturing prey and flowers were covered with tulle to prevent pollination. Samples were collected once a week from one starved pitcher and one flower per individual for four weeks. To examine the influence of prey decomposition on volatile emissions, another pitcher on the same individual was fed 2 grams of moths and volatiles were collected for four weeks as prey decomposed. All samples were

Bucknell University, Biology Department, 1 Dent drive, Lewisburg, Pa, 17837, USA2University of California Berkeley, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

249

HOVE, ALISA A* 1, MAZER, SUSAN J 2 and IVEY, CHRISTOPHER T 3

250

Seed set variation in wild Clarkia populations: Teasing apart the effects of seasonal resource depletion, pollen quality, and pollen quantity

Seed germination requirements of four firerecruiter chaparral shrubs

n habitats that experience predictable, seasonal resource declines during the growing season, natural selection may favor individuals that flower early or engage in a mixed mating strategy that reduces dependence on pollinators for reproduction. Under such ephemerally favorable conditions, late blooming species may be particularly vulnerable to resource limitation of seed production. Nonetheless, late flowering may be adaptive if it ameliorates the negative effects of early-season pollen-limitation on fitness. In California (USA), a region prone to seasonal drought, members of the annual, self-compatible wildflower genus Clarkia are among the last herbaceous species to bloom in their plant communities. We compared pollen limitation of seed set and self-fertilization rates within seasons in two mixed-mating Clarkia taxa. For three years, we conducted a pollen supplementation experiment in multiple field populations of each taxon. We hand-pollinated one flower on each of 1240 individual plants Early (near the onset of flowering) and Late (near the end of flowering), and compared seed set to adjacent, open-pollinated flowers on the same stem. To assess the contribution of pollen quality to pollen limitation, we first (2008) used allozymes to estimate outcrossing rates of seeds produced by Early and Late open-pollinated flowers. Second (2009), we conducted an anther-removal experiment to estimate autogamous (within-flower), geitonogamous (between flowers on the same individual), and xenogamous (between individuals) pollen deposition. Seed set in C. unguiculata was not pollen-limited. Clarkia xantiana ssp. xantiana, however, was pollen-limited in 2008 and 2010, but not 2009. Pollen-limitation did not differ between Early and Late treatments, however, for either taxon in any year. Fruits from Early flowers consistently had higher seed set than Late flowers, but not because the latter were pollen-limited. Reproduction in both taxa was generally pollinator-dependent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; most pollen deposition was xenogamous and outcrossing rates were > 0.7 in both taxa â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but it did not differ between Early and Late periods. These results suggest that in the Clarkia populations studied here, pollen receipt and pollen quality (estimated as the proportion of selfed versus outcrossed offspring) remain consistent across the growing season. By contrast, within individuals, the resources necessary to provision seeds decline over the season, reducing the fitness benefits associated with resource allocation to ovules. 1

Warren Wilson College, Biology Department, PO Box 9000, Asheville, NC, 29915-9000, United States2University Of California Santa Barbara, Department Of Ecology & Marine Biology, 4119 Life Sciences Building, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA3California State University, CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY-INHS, California State University, Chico, 400 W 1st St., Chico, CA, 95929-0515, USA

MCCLAIN, KATHERINE 1, FUNG, VIVIAN 1 and DRENOVSKY, REBECCA E* 2

haparral ecosystems rely on fire for renewal and regeneration. As a consequence, many chaparral plants produce seed requiring wildfire-related cues, such as heat or smoke, to break dormancy. Additionally, maternal provisioning may influence seed behavior and seedling success. Our objective was to evaluate the relative impacts of germination cues and maternal effects on seed germination and seedling emergence. We studied four species of chaparral shrubs from the California Coast Range: Ceanothus cuneatus, C. jepsonii, Arctostaphylos manzanita, and A. viscida. Based on previous work with congener species, we predicted the Ceanothus species would require heat-related cues, whereas the Arctostaphylos species would need firerelated chemical cues in addition to acids mimicking herbivore gut conditions to break dormancy. Through a series of laboratory experiments, we determined that seed pre-treatments had stronger effects on seed germination than maternal effects. Additionally, all species required at least three months of cold stratification to promote seed germination. Both Ceanothus species responded most strongly to hot water treatments, whereas the Arctostaphylos species only responded to acid, not fire-related chemical, cues. Across all species, seedling emergence was low. Future work should focus on factors limiting this key life stage transition.

John Carroll University, Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, Ohio, 44118, United States2John Carroll University, Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA

251

MERRITT, BENJAMIN* 1, YADAV, SUNITA 1, CULLEY, THERESA 1, WITSELL, THEO 2 and KEPHART, SUSAN 3

Can ecological niche models be used to differentiate taxa? A test case using the wild hyacinth (Camassia spp.) in the eastern United States

pecies are deeply rooted within their environments such that it is possible to use biotic and abiotic variables to describe habitat suitability and potentially even differentiate species based on unique habitat types. The plant genus Camassia is a taxonomically complex group that provides an excellent opportunity to test the use of ecological niche modeling in differentiating closely related species. This genus consists of a number of taxa found across North America that inhabit diverse environments, ranging from open prairies to wet fields to shaded forests. Using a GIS-based approach, we used ecological niche models to construct distribution maps of the eastern taxa: C. angusta, C. scilloides, and a putative new Camassia taxon found in southern glades of the eastern United States. A one kilometer resolution DEM was used in concert with 19 WorldClim climatic variables, as well as slope, aspect, solar radiation, land-

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Ecological Section use land-cover, and the number of growing degree days to identify habitat suitability using field-collected occurrences in MaxEnt. Predictors found to be uncorrelated and useful in minimizing variance inflation were used to develop species-specific habitat suitability maps, narrowing the list to 13 abiotic variables. Ensembles of small models (ESM) were used to account for the limited number of verified presence records for each taxon. These ESMs were built using all bivariate combinations of the 13 abiotic variables. A weighted average of the ESMs was used to develop the final species distribution map for each taxon. Here we present preliminary findings of model comparisons that were used to differentiate species based on an ecological niche modeling approach. Our next steps include identifying additional variables that may increase model performance and subsequently validate the developed models. Ultimately, our goal is to determine whether ecological niche models are consistent with the current taxonomic classification of these taxa as based on morphological and genetic analyses. 1

University Of Cincinnati, Department Of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA2Arkansas National Heritage Commission, 323 Center St., Suite 1500, Little Rock, AK, 72201, USA3WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY, Department Of Biology, SALEM, OR, 97301, USA

252 TIM*

YAN, XUE QI 1 and DICKINSON,

Geographic parthenogenesis: what do allopolyploids get from their parents?

n geographic parthenogenesis (GP) in plants, apomictic allopolyploids may occupy larger ranges and possibly more varied environments than do outcrossing diploid sister taxa. We have examined leaf architecture in relation to range and environmental amplitude in black-fruited Crataegus series Cerrones (section Douglasia) of the central Rocky Mountains and the adjacent Great Basin. This small agamic complex comprises diploid C. saligna Greene and tetraploids C. rivularis Nutt. and C. erythropoda Ashe. Examination of plastid DNA sequence variation and ITS haplotype diversity in these and other hawthorns has shown that this agamic complex also includes the continentally distributed red-fruited tetraploids C. chrysocarpa Ashe (section Coccineae) and C. macracantha Lodd. ex. Loud. (section Macracanthae) as pollen parents of the Cerrones tetraploids. Leaf architecture has been characterized in terms of leaf area, major vein density, minor vein density, serration density, and the inverse of the dissection index. For each of these five species we sampled leaves from three to five specimens collected from across the range of each species. Leaves were cleared and stained, and measured using ImageJ and FIJI. Values of the Bioclim environmental variables were obtained for all of the specimen collection localities. Sexually reproducing C. saligna has small fruits, small leaves with densely arranged major and minor veins, and a range more limited than those of all the other species except C. erythropoda. The apomictic red-fruited tetraploids have large fruits, leaves with less densely arranged veins, and the

largest ranges of any North American hawthorn species. The apomictic Cerrones allotetraploids are intermediate in fruit morphology and leaf traits. The range of C. rivularis is more extensive than that of C. saligna and of C. erythropoda, and smaller than the ranges of C. chrysocarpa and C. macracantha. All three Cerrones species share approximately the same subsets of the climatic niches of the two red-fruited species. Hybridization between C. saligna and one or both of the red-fruited species conferred on the hybrids (1) apomixis and the breakdown of gametophytic self-incompatibility; (2) intermediate leaf venation characteristics; and (3) fruits that are intermediate in size. In C. series Cerrones it appears that GP is due to (1) and (3) rather than adaptive features of leaf architecture. 1

University of Toronto, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada2Royal Ontario Museum, Natural History, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6, Canada

253

BUIDE, M. LUISA 2 and WHITTALL, JUSTEN BRYANT 3

Effects of UV radiation and shading on anthocyanin accumulation and flower production in the shore campion

ne way to plants can adapt or acclimate to new environmental conditions is with the production of secondary metabolites. Anthocyanins, a group of flavonoids, may help plants to cope with the effects of a variety of biotic and abiotic stressors such as herbivory, pathogens, excess sun light radiation, cold, heat, drought or salinity. Anthocyanin pigments can be accumulated in every part of reproductive and vegetative plant organs, including petals, sepals, fruits, leaves or stems. Silene littorea is an annual plant with pink petals that grows in coastal populations from the Iberian Peninsula. In a previous study, we found a pattern of increasing accumulation of anthocyanins in petals, calyxes and leaves toward southern latitudes, which matches to a gradual increase of solar radiation and temperature, and a decrease of rainfall. Here, our aims are to investigate the role of solar radiation, including UV spectrum, in anthocyanin accumulation in reproductive and vegetative plant organs, and their relationship with flower and fruit production. We grow plants from four populations in a common garden experiment, located in a place with a solar irradiance similar to the maximum value found in natural populations. In a first experiment, plants were shaded to reduce 95% UV-PAR light. Open, fullsun plants showed at least two fold higher anthocyanin amount in calyxes and stems than shaded plants. In petals, anthocyanin production showed the same pattern, but differences were not significant. The total number of flowers of open plants was more than three times higher than those of shaded plants. In a second experiment, we carried out a UV filtration experiment using UVA+UVB transparent (methacrylate, transmittance > 280 nm) and UVA+UVB opaque (polycarbonate, transmittance > 380 nm) frames. In calyxes and stems, UV-present plants produced much higher amounts of anthocyanins than UV-absent plants. However, UVplants showed more than double flower production that UV-present plants. In conclusion, our findings suggest

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that anthocyanins in calyxes and stems of S. littorea are only accumulated in response to UVA+UVB light. Whereas non-shaded full-sun microhabitats are better to reach high levels of total flower production in this coastal species, the high UVA+UVB radiation occurring in these sites seems to produce a reproductive cost. Future studies are needed to disentangling whether anthocyanins play a direct role in the protection from UV light and their possible relationship with plant fitness. 1

Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Ctra. de Utrera, km 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain, Seville, Seville, 41013, Spain2University Pablo De Olavide, Ctra. De Utrera, Km 1, Sevilla, N/A, 41013, Spain3Santa Clara University, Department Of Biology, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA

254 JULIE

PRICE, TAYLOR* 1 and ZINNERT,

Plant functionality across an environmental gradient

ommunity assemblages provide insight into ecosystem processes, both spatially and temporally. They interact with biotic and abiotic factors that vary with habitat structure, influencing community composition. Ecological theory demonstrates that species have the potential for a wide fundamental niche, but habitat range may be restricted by factors exposed to species in their realized niche. In barrier island ecosystems, edaphic and environmental characteristics (e.g. elevation and distance to shoreline) are major drivers determining where and how plant communities establish. Physical stressors, such as salt stress and drought influence community grouping and can alter plant function within the environment. With projected increases in sea level rise and storm disturbance it is important to understand how plant communities are organized across barrier islands, as most studies are limited to dune habitats and not inland plant communities. I analyzed plant communities across environmental gradients on a Virginia barrier island from dune to marsh. I established transects on Hog Island and assessed soil characteristics (i.e. carbon, nitrogen, pH), species composition, percent cover and specific leaf area. Elevation and distance to shoreline were obtained using recent Lidar imagery. BrayCurtis ordination showed that position in landscape is an important driver in structuring dominant species such as the grasses Ammophila breviligulata, Spartina patens, and S. alterniflora. Elevation (r = -0.511) and distance to shoreline (r = 0.551) both show relationships with species composition and distribution across the island. Elevation was important in structuring dominant community types (i.e. dune building and marsh plants). Mantel test was used to determine if relationship exists between species cover and measured edaphic/environmental factors (r = 0.299, p > 0.0001). Percent carbon found in soil within plots was weakly related with distance to the inner portion of the island (r = 0.56). This reflects biotic processes that occur in interior portions of the island. There was no obvious relationship with percent nitrogen due to extremely low levels across the ecosystem. Understanding community structure across coastal ecosystems is necessary for predicting how shorelines and interior communities will be affected with projected sea level rise and increases in storm fre-

quencies. An updated understanding of how biotic and abiotic drivers of community composition will provide information into predictive modeling of plant community and ecosystem level responses to change. 1

Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1224 West Leigh St., Manassas, VA, 20112, USA2Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology

255

ECKERT, SCOTT* 1 and MORRISON, JANET 2

Juvenile trees in suburban forests: insights from structural equation modeling

uburban forests are exceptionally subject to invasion by non-native plant species such as Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt-grass), and to excessive herbivory from overabundant deer, making them novel ecosystems. Suburban forests are important communities, as they contain much of the biodiversity across vast regions, provide ecosystem services, and serve as a liaison between nature and the large sector of human society that lives in suburbs. The effects of invasion and deer overpopulation may work together in suburban forests to induce a greater effect than either would separately, following the invasive meltdown theory. Potential effects on native juvenile trees are particularly important because the future of the forest depends on their success. Using results from a factorial experiment across six suburban forests, with the factors of novel invasion by M. vimineum by addition and deer exclusion via fencing, along with a suite of other environmental variables, we did structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the drivers of native juvenile tree percent cover in the herb layer. The best model that fit the data (χ2 = 2.606 , P = 0.195) explained 40% of the variance in native juvenile tree cover, and included seven paths linking six variables (native juvenile tree cover in 2012 and 2015, years since hunting began, fencing presence or absence, an index of successional stage of each forest, and average M. vimineum cover). Key takeaways from the model are that 1) deer herbivory had two negative, direct paths to tree cover, 2) one negative indirect path, mediated through the initial tree cover, and 3) that M. vimineum cover had a negative effect on native juvenile trees and was not mediated by deer. Two of the paths (one direct and one indirect) connecting deer herbivory and native juvenile tree cover were due to chronic deer herbivory, measured by the time since hunting began, while the third path linking deer herbivory to the tree cover was from the current deer pressure level, measured by the presence/absence of fencing. Our results suggest that conservation of the native tree community in suburban forests will require joint management of deer and invasive plants. 1

The College of New Jersey, Biology, 2000 Pennington Rd, Ewing, NJ, 08618, USA2The College Of New Jersey, Department Of Biology, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA

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Ecological Section 256

LIMBIRD, ERIC* 1, WALCK, JEFFREY 2, PHILLIPS, NATHAN 3 and HIDAYATI, SITI 4

Using open top chambers to test winter conditions in redcedar woodlands of middle Tennessee

inters in middle Tennessee, and throughout most of southeastern United States, are mild with warm spells lasting a few days that are interrupted by cold snaps when soils freeze. While studying exotic woody plants, which are dominant in forests of middle Tennessee, we have found that: (1) their seeds are less dormant, (2) a few seeds germinate during winter warm spells in the field, (3) peak germination in the field occurs earlier (late winter to early spring) than native plants, and (4) seed viability can be greatly reduced with simulated warm spells. Although exotic seedlings tolerate freezing to -10Â°C, those that germinate during mid-winter do not survive late winter freezes but those that germinate in late winter do survive. Thus, we hypothesized that under simulated future conditions of warmer winters: (1) peak germination will shift to mid-winter for exotics, (2) seedlings of exotics that emerge during mid-winter will survive, and (3) seed viability will not be reduced with a warm spell. We used open top chambers (OTCs), which function as miniature greenhouses, to simulate milder winter conditions within a mostly redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) woodland in middle Tennessee. We sowed seeds into trays placed in the middle of OTCs and placed outside of OTCs (control) from four species that contrast in their seed ecologies: Euonymus fortunei (exotic, seeds are dormant and susceptible to freezes), Lonicera maackii (exotic, seeds mostly non-dormant and readily germinate), Celtis laevigata (native, seeds are dormant and germinate late), and Juniperus virginiana (native, seeds moderately dormant and germinate early). In addition, we placed seeds into nylon mesh bags and interrupted the ambient winter condition by placing them at 20/10Â°C for 3 days in an incubator. Although mean temperatures inside our OTCs did not differ from ambient (control) temperatures, maximum temperatures in the OTCs were higher than the ambient particularly when sunlight filtered through the redcedar canopy. Seed germination and viability of the four species did not differ between the OTCs and control. However, viability of the native, but not exotic, species was greatly reduced with a warm spell interruption during winter. The failure of our OTCs to warm above ambient conditions was probably due to the mostly shaded conditions of the woodland.

Middle Tennessee State University, 1500 Greenland Ave., Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA2Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 East Main St, PO Box 60, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA3Middle Tennessee State University, Agriscience and Agribusiness, 1500 Greenland Ave., Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA4Middle Tennessee State University, Biology, 1301 East Main St, PO Box 60, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA

257

ANSALDI, BETH* 1, FRANKS, STEVEN 1 and WEBER, JENNIFER 2

Abiotic predictors of breeding system variation in Triodanis perfoliata across a large geographic distribution

lant breeding systems can vary widely among populations, yet few studies have investigated what drives variation among populations across a geographic range. Investigating the relationship between environmental factors and breeding system variation can provide insight into the evolution of mixed mating systems, including dimorphic cleistogamy. This study represents one of the first large-scale studies of inter-population variation in reproductive allocation to cleistogamy. Dimorphic cleistogamous plants reproduce within both exclusively selfing (cleistogamous, CL) and facultative outcrossing (chasmogamous, CH) flowers. Previous studies have shown that cleistogamous species can preferentially allocate resources toward CH or CL reproduction, potentially as plastic responses to resource or pollination conditions. n this study, we examined the relationship between abiotic conditions (temperature, precipitation and soil characteristics) and Triodanis perfoliata breeding system variation, defined by total flower production, flower production by flower type and relative production of CH flowers. We examined 14 populations representing approximately 25% of the species range, and spanning 1500km of the U.S. eastern coastline. Average relative proportion of CH flowers varied among populations, ranging from 0.00362-0.576 (CH/Total flowers). We built conditional autoregressive models, which control for spatial autocorrelation, to elucidate environmental correlates of breeding system variation. Silt content, which influences water availability, was a significant positive predictor of CH, CL and total flower counts, but not relative production of CH flowers. Precipitation during the warmest annual quarter was a significant positive predictor of relative CH flowers. We did not detect a significant relationship between flower number or proportion of CH flowers and other factors such as latitude, longitude, or temperature. o our knowledge, this is the first study to link climatic and soil characteristics to variation in a cleistogamous breeding system across a geographic range. Our results provide some support for the idea that water availability is a limiting resource for CH flowers, which have a large exposed surface area and thus likely lose more water than closed CL flowers. To complement this large-scale perspective, future studies focusing on microclimate variables and biotic factors would be informative. Our complementary work has shown that pollinator environment affects variation in breeding system and our forthcoming work will quantify inbreeding depression in T. perfoliata. Together, these studies elucidate some of the most important ecological and evolutionary predictors of breeding system variation.

Fordham University Department of Biological Sciences, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, New York, 104582Southern IL University, Carbondale, Department of Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

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258

JOHNSON, LORETTA* 1, ALSDURF, JACOB 2, BELLO, NORA 3, SMITH, ADAM 4 and KNAPP, MARY 5

Phenotypic variation of the dominant prairie grass Andropogon gerardii and its predicted response to climate change across Midwest grasslands

ig bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is the ecologically dominant grass in tall grass prairies of the Midwest. With wide distribution across a west/east precipitation gradient (40-119cm/yr), and a south/north temperature gradient (15-5oC/yr), we expect ecotypic variation in drought and thermal tolerance. Understanding ecotypic variation will help predict how a dominant prairie grass may respond to current and predicted climate change. Current practice uses species distribution modeling to predict an organism’s response to climate change but fails to incorporate intraspecific ecotypic variation within a species. Our study utilizes phenotypic data from 37 geographically distributed populations across the Midwest to explore species-climate and phenotypic-climate relationships. For each of the 37 geographically distributed populations, we grew plants from seed under greenhouse conditions and measured phenotypes (blade width, height, biomass, and chlorophyll absorbance). Generalized mixed linear modeling was used to identify statistically significant differences among population phenotypes and principle component analysis was used to explore variance within data as related to climate variables. We used phenotype data to create a phenotypic distribution model using IPCC climate projections to predict current and future phenotypes across the Midwest. These predictions were compared to results from a species-level ecological niche model (Maxent).There was a significant main effect among population phenotypes (height, width, biomass, and chlorophyll absorbance all p<0.001). PCA analyses show a phenotypic cline across populations that can be partially explained by longitude, mean annual precipitation, and vegetation type. These results support evidence for ecotypic variation in drought tolerance of big bluestem across the climate gradient of the Midwest. Phenotypic distribution models, for the year 2070, show phenotypes from dry areas (short stature, low biomass, narrow leaves, increased chlorophyll absorbance) are predicted to expand through the Midwest, eclipsing phenotypes from wet areas (robust, wide leaves, decreased chlorophyll absorbance), provided adequate migration. This novel phenotypic distribution model greatly refines current species distribution models that assume no intraspecific ecotypic variation and may accurately predict species’ response to climate change. 1

Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA2Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan, SA, KS, 66506-4901, United States3Kansas State University, Statistics, Dickens Hall, Manhattan, SA, KS, 66506, United States4Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, MO, US5Kansas State University, Agronomy, Throckmorton Hall, Manhattan, SA, KS, 66506, United States

259 RODRIGUEZ-PENA, ROSA A.* 1 and KRON, KATHLEEN A 4 Reproductive biology and Population Genetics of Vaccinium (Ericaceae) in the Dominican Republic: preliminary results

he Caribbean Islands Hotspot is one of the most diverse places in the world; however, many species face a high risk of extinction due to human activity. Vaccinium ekmanii, the only endemic species of the genus Vaccinium, is critically endangered and restricted to small populations in the Cordillera Central as a result of urban expansion. In contrast, Vaccinium racemosum is a native species with widespread distribution. Because these species have a distinctive distribution and similar biology, we believe that comparative studies of their population genetics and reproductive biology can help us design conservation strategies that allow us to protect the species in the wild. To access the genetic structure of both species, we used 10 microsatellite markers previously designed for Vaccinium. We aimed to determine whether V. ekmanii and V. racemosum are self-compatible by isolating immature inflorescences and quantifying the percentage of the flowers that developed into fruits for each species. True pollinators of Vaccinium were identified using the standard procedure that included observations at different times of the day and the collection and identification of animals that visited the flowers. Germination assays included 90% of the population from both species. Seven populations (three V. ekmanii and four V. racemosum) were sampled; including 174 DNA samples, isolation of 46 inflorescences (830 flowers), and collection of 200 seeds. We have identified different visitors for each species. Vaccinium ekmanii is visited by honey bees (Apis mellifera) during the day and ants (Camponotus sp. and Pseudomirmex sp.) during the night. Vaccinium racemosum is visited by hummingbirds (Chlorostilbon swainsonii) and bananaquits (Coereba flaveola). Both species of Vaccinium are self-compatibles but the selfing rate is very low. Seed germination percentage is higher in V. ekmanii; however, the results are not statistically significant due to the small sample size. Once the data analysis is complete, we expect to find low genetic diversity in V. ekmanii in comparison with V. racemosum due to the negative effects of inbreeding, genetic drift, changes in pollinators’ behavior and anthropogenic activities. 1

Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA2Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Instituto de Investigaciones Botánicas y Zoológicas, Alma mater, Santo Domingo, 10205, Dominican Republic3Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Biology, Alma mater, Santo Domingo, 10205, Dominican Republic4Wake Forest University, Department Of Biology, 1834 Wake Forest Road, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, 27106, USA

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Ecological Section 260

WEAVER, WILLIAM* 1, PERSINGER, JESSICA 2, NATHANIEL, PINSON 2, NG, JULIENNE 3 and LAPORT, ROBERT 4

Testing Darwin’s Naturalization Hypothesis: Phylogenetic Relatedness Among Native and Non-Native Plant Species

arwin’s Naturalization Hypothesis states that nonnative species which are more related to native species are less likely to thrive in the same community. However, several studies have presented evidence suggesting that the opposite is true: introduced species which are more related to native species are more likely to be thrive in native communities. The purpose of this project is to better resolve Darwin“s Naturalization Hypothesis by examining numerous communities across the United States at a broader taxonomic scope than is typically analyzed. We used phylogenetic analyses of native and non-native plants surveyed from eight separate by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) to address two questions: (1) Are non-native species more closely related to native species in each NEON plot? (2) Do more species rich communities have fewer non-native species? We found that at each plot, non-native species were as genetically similar to native species as would be expected by chance, although there was a trend that non-native species were more genetically similar to native species. In addition, there was a negative correlation between the percent of introduced species that occurred at each plot and the overall species richness at each plot. 1

University of Colorado at Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 334 Ucb, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA2University of Colorado at Boulder, 334 Ucb, Boulder, CO, 80309, United States3University of Colorado Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA4University of Colorado-Boulder, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

261

TUNISON, ROBERT* 1, CULLEY, THERESA 2 and BECUS, MARJIE 3

Vegetational change during succession over 83 years as an old field reverts to a temperate deciduous forest in the Cincinnati Metropolitan area

any abandoned agricultural fields in the midwestern United States revert over time to natural forests through successional change. This gradual process, which happens over several decades, typically involves changes in the vegetational composition of the community - often from weedy, ruderal species to saplings and then to mature forest with a prominent shrub and herb understory. However within the context of a metropolitan matrix, the process of successional change is less clear as it may be affected by anthropogenic disturbances and invasion by non-native species. To examine the process of successional change within an metropolitan area, we conducted a long-term study of the Harris M. Benedict Nature Preserve, a 65-acre forest located today

within a residential and commercial matrix in northeastern Cincinnati, Ohio. The site was originally pasture and secondary forest when it was originally purchased in the early 1920’s and then maintained by the University of Cincinnati as a natural preserve over the next 83 years. Surveys across four different transects were conducted in 1927, 1980, and 2010 to examine potential changes in species richness, abundance, and composition at the site over time. Overall, plant species richness decreased from 1927 to 1980 at which point it remained relatively consistent after the forest canopy had formed. In contrast, the number and dominance of invasive species at the site dramatically increased from 1980 to 2010. This study indicates that normal successional processes do occur within this site but they are also complicated by external factors within the metropolitan landscape. 1

University of Cincinnati, Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA2University Of Cincinnati, Department Of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA3University of Cincinnati

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CHOI, JIYEONG* 1, MINCEY, KATHERINE 2 and BOYD, ROBERT STEVEN 3

Nickel concentrations of the high-Ni insect Melanotrichus boydi, a specialist on the Ni hyperaccumulator plant Streptanthus polygaloides (Brassicaceae)

he Ni hyperaccumulator Streptanthus polygaloides (Brassicaceae) is an annual herb endemic to the California Sierra Nevada mountain range. It consists of four morphotypes: yellow (Y), purple (P), yellow/purple (Y/P) and undulate (U). These morphotypes vary in sepal color, morphology and geographic location. This plant hyperaccumulates Ni from the soil at concentrations that vary depending on the morphotype. The highNi specialist insect Melanotrichus boydi (Hemiptera: Miridae) feeds on S. polygaloides via cellular disruption. This study compares Ni concentrations of M. boydi to other hemipterans collected from S. polygaloides plants. We also examined Ni concentrations of M. boydi to determine if insects collected from different host plant morphs varied significantly. We collected M. boydi specimens that were feeding on the four morphotypes of S. polygaloides. Additionally, non-Ni hemipteran herbivores were collected from some sites to compare the whole-body Ni concentrations of those hemipterans to M. boydi collected from the same sites. We used Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to analyze whole-body Ni concentrations of individual insects. Nickel concentrations of M. boydi (mean: 672 µg Ni/g) were more than 16-fold higher Ni than those of other hemipteran herbivores (mean: 38 µg Ni/g). In addition, one-way ANOVA revealed that Ni concentrations of M. boydi differed significantly depending on their host S. polygaloides morphotype. M. boydi from U morphotype plants had significantly greater Ni concentrations (1436 µg Ni/g) than M. boydi from P (486 µg Ni/g), Y/P (587 µg Ni/g) or Y (611 µg Ni/g) morphotypes. However, Ni concentrations of M.

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boydi from P, Y/P, and Y morphotypes did not significantly differ from each other. We conclude that M. boydi contain significantly more Ni than other hemipterans collected from S. polygaloides, confirming its status as a high-Ni insect species. In addition, concentrations of Ni in M. boydi differ due to their morphotype host. Future studies will explore Ni concentrations in the different morphotype hosts to determine their correlation with Ni concentrations in M. boydi. 1

Auburn University, Biological Sciences, 101 Rouse Life Science , Auburn, AL, 36830, USA2Auburn University, 1309 Gatewood Dr #1102, Auburn, AL - Alabama, 36830, United States3Auburn University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 101 ROUSE LIFE SCIENCES BLDG, AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL, 36849-5407, USA

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WELLS, JENNIFER* 1 and MORRISON, JANET 2

Japanese stiltgrass and garlic mustard:forest invasion and priority effects

ess is known about the interactions between cooccurring, non-native invasive species than those between non-natives and natives, yet invasive-invasive interactions may be among the most important factors structuring heavily invaded plant communities. We are examining interactions between native plant species, two co-occurring invasive plant species, and whitetailed deer in a factorial field experiment in six central New Jersey forests, starting in 2013. Establishment of one experimentally added invasive plant, Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass), has been variable but substantial in many plots (range 0-65%, mean 8.8%, median 2.5%, n=112). The other added species, Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), has had little success (range 0-3.8%, mean 0.2%, median 0%, n=112). Therefore, in March 2016 we added a second wave of garlic mustard seeds to the designated plots, which might cause temporal interactions that affect the invasion success of the two species. Experimental evidence from other studies showed that an initial plant invasion can affect a secondary plant invasion by suppressing native plants, litter accumulation, or soil conditioning. We are conducting a greenhouse experiment with Japanese stiltgrass and garlic mustard to determine if there is an effect by an initial invader on a later invader, through competition priority effects or soil legacies. We planted the initial invader at a range of three densities, and it was allowed to grow for a period of time before planting the second invader. We also examined soil legacies by removing the initial invader and planting the second invader in the same soil. Garlic mustard leaf diameters were significantly smaller when grown in a previously established low density of Japanese stiltgrass and even smaller when grown in medium and high densities, compared to no initial invasion of Japanese stiltgrass. A similar pattern occurred when garlic mustard was the initial invader and Japanese stiltgrass was the second invader. In two out of three blocks, Japanese stiltgrass percent recruitment was lower when planted in previously established medium and high densities of garlic mustard, compared to low density and no initial invasion. In the third block, there was no significant difference of Japanese stiltgrass percent recruitment between treatments. In both ex-

periments, removing a high density of the initial invader had no residual soil legacy effects on the growth of the added plant. Dry biomass data from the second invaders, taken at the experimentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conclusion, will indicate whether these patterns persist or intensify. 1

The College of New Jersey, Biology, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA2The College Of New Jersey, Department Of Biology, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA

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MADDEN, JULIE 1, KEEFOVERRING, KEN 2 and DURAN, KRISTY* 3

Correlation between dwarf mistletoe infection and monoterpene concentrations in Pinus Ponderosa

he rapid decline of conifers throughout the world has resulted from various parasitic species such as the bark beetles and dwarf mistletoe. In an effort to combat the attacks of these species, conifers have developed various host defenses including the production of allelochemicals. There has been an increasing amount of interest surrounding one class of these chemicals known as monoterpenes, because of their potential to affect the behavior and reproduction of parasitic species. One monoterpene, limonene has been shown to deter female bark beetles. On the other hand beta-pinene has been shown to be attractive to a number of bark beetle speices. Conifers are also susceptible to infection by dwarf mistletoe. It is possible that a correlation between mistletoe infection and monoterpene production may affect subsequent bark beetle attack. This study examines whether such correlation exists. Southwest dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum) is a hemiparasitic plant that primarily infects ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa) and has played a major role in reshaping the forest landscape of Colorado. In an effort to determine if the levels of monoterpenes varied in ponderosa pines infected with southwest dwarf mistletoe, gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector (GCFID) was employed. Samples were collected from the Zapata Subdivision in Alamosa, Colorado within a one hectare area. The samples consisted of pine needles, in which ten samples were taken from trees that were not infected with mistletoe and ten from trees infected with mistletoe. Various monoterpenes were extracted from the needle tissue with hexane and a quantitative analysis conducted using GC-FID. Total monoterpene concentrations were significantly higher in uninfected trees compared to infected trees (p = 0.017). Both limonene and (-) beta-pinene concentrations were significantly higher in uninfected than in infected trees (p = 0.002 and 0.021 respectively). Bark beetles respond differently to these two monoterpenes suggesting that infected trees may be more susceptible to bark beetle infection because of lower limonene concentrations. On the other hand, bark beetles may be more attracted to uninfected trees because of higher (-) beta-pinene concentrations. Therefore, trees infected with dwarf mistletoe and those not infected may be equally susceptible to infection by bark beetles.

1 Adams State University, Chemistry2University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Entomology3Adams State University, Biology and Earth Science, 208 Edgemont Blvd, Alamosa, Colorado, 81101, USA

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Ecological Section 265

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Arboretum trees minimally mitigate emissions by gas and electric utilities in an urban campus

Investigating a Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) plant-pollinator relationship using climatic niches

TOSKI, DANIEL* 1 and KILGORE, JASON SCOTT 2

rban trees sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), a dominant greenhouse gas attributed to global climate change, but their relative contribution to mitigating CO2 emissions is not well quantified. Furthermore, as more natural forests are developed, urban forests become a more important resource by storing carbon as biomass. College and university campuses are typically located in urban areas and contain landscape trees, thus they represent a useful resource to quantitatively link carbon sequestration and emissions. Using the Campus Arboretum at Washington & Jefferson College, located in southwest Pennsylvania, we calculated the aboveground biomass (AGB) for every campus tree (n=1200) and measurement period using a generalized allometric equation and more specific equations, when available, based on diameter (DBH). Carbon sequestration rate was calculated as the averaged difference in carbon stock, based on AGB, for each tree, summed across species and the entire campus. Based on species for which specific equations are available, cumulative AGB calculated with the generalized and specific equations differed by only 1.3%, with some species varying up to 57%. Using only the generalized allometric equation, the total AGB in 2015 was 631 metric tonnes (MT), or 230 MT of sequestered carbon, with an annual sequestration rate of 11.5 MT of carbon from CO2. Based on gas and electric utility emissions alone (Jan 2012 - Dec 2015), W & J College annually contributes 16,945 MT of carbon equivalent, which is 1473 times more carbon emissions through these two sources than sequestration by the campus trees. Other emissions sources like vehicles and sequestration sinks, such as turf, soil, and belowground biomass of trees likely have substantial but less important impacts on these results. However, these results should motivate colleges to evaluate their carbon footprint, recognizing that reducing emissions, likely through energy-efficient renovations and new construction, should have the most significant impact on campus carbon dynamics. Increasing carbon sequestration through planting more trees in this urban landscape would also help mitigate carbon emissions and provide other ecological and aesthetic values. 1

Washington & Jefferson College, Environmental Studies, 50 South Lincoln Street, Washington, PA, 15301, USA2Washington & Jefferson College, Biology, 60 South Lincoln Street, Washington, PA, 15301, USA

NG, MOLLY* 1, SPECHT, CHELSEA and SMITH, SELENA 1 2

eliconia (Heliconiaceae; the lobster claw flower) and hummingbirds are thought to have coevolved through their pollination relationship. One relationship in particular has been well documented in the Lesser Antilles with two species of Heliconia, Heliconia bihai (L.) and H. caribaea (Lamarck), and the sexually dimorphic purple throated carib, Eulampis jugularis. Heliconia bihai and H. caribaea are closely related species with different, sometimes overlapping, distributions. Heliconia bihai ranges from Central America to Southern Brazil while H. caribaea are found across the Caribbean Islands. Heliconia bihai has red-orange bracts with a green or yellow margin and long curved perianths corresponding to the long recurved bill of female E. jugularis. Heliconia caribaea has red or yellow bracts and short straight perianths that correspond to the short straight bill of male E. jugularis. The most novel parts of this relationship are the changes in floral morphology in Heliconia species. On the island St. Lucia where red-bracted short-flowered H. caribaea are lacking, two varying floral morphologies of H. bihai have been observed: green-bracted long-curved flowers or a reddish-green bracted shorter and less curved flowers. Heliconia bihai are thought to compensate for the lack of H. caribaea by producing these two floral morphologies. Meanwhile, on the island of Dominica, H. caribaea takes on two differing floral morphologies, with either yellow or red bracts while H. bihai inflorescences have yellow-striped red bracts. The H. caribaea red morph has a longer and more curved flower to mimic H. bihai. Here, H. caribaea competes with H. bihai by offering a higher nectar concentration than H. bihai in their long-flowered morph. Ecological niche models (ENM) were used to compare fundamental and realized niches to determine the distribution of each species. Comparison of fundamental and realized niches could lead to implications of ecological or climatic controls of plant-pollinator relationships. ENMs were also used to investigate climatic niche similarities between (1) plants and their pollinator and (2) the closely related Heliconia species, H. bihai and H. caribaea. ENMs showed that the fundamental niches of H. bihai and H. caribaea were realized, yet E. jugularis shows a distribution that may be limited by geographic barriers, suggesting that the plant-pollination relationship is not so tightly linked. Additionally, ENMs showed that all species have similar climate variables that contribute to the ENM but the niches are not identical, which further supports that the plant-pollinator relationship is not so tightly linked.

University of Michigan, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2534 CC Little Bldg, 1100 N University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1005, United States2University Of California Berkeley, 111 Koshland Hall, MC 3102, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

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BALKAM, NATALIE* 1 and KOELLING, VANESSA 2

Using niche modeling to analyze differences in life history traits in populations of Mimulus guttatus at high and low elevations

lants develop phenotypic and life history traits in response to their surrounding environment. Differences in these traits represent evolutionary pressures that have determined these traits to be most successful in a particular habitat. Annual and perennial plants have diverged in many traits such as flowering time, flower size, and allocation to vegetative or floral parts. These variations appear to be due to differences in availability of moisture in soil, which varies along elevational gradients. Annuals typically reside in areas with more limited water availability, whereas perennials live in areas with more continual moisture. Using the model organism, the common yellow monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus), I will measure these traits and compare between populations at high and low elevations. Populations of M. guttatus at higher levels are generally annual, with more rapid flowering times as well as allocation to more, but smaller flowers. Conversely, populations of M. guttatus at lower levels are generally perennial, characterized by later flowering time, larger flowers, and the growth of more vegetative parts such as stolons. As these traits are likely a response to ecological differences, I will utilize niche modeling systems non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) and principle component analysis (PCA), to determine if these measured traits can be modeled and demonstrated as evidence for divergence between annual and perennial populations.

University of Puget Sound, Biology, 1500 N Warner, Tacoma, WA, 98416, USA2University Of Puget Sound, Biology, 1500 N. Warner St., 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Tacoma, WA, 98416, USA

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ROMINGER, KODY

Dormancy Induction in Astragalus holmgreniorum (Fabaceae) Seedlings

stragalus holmgreniorum is a federally listed endangered plant that has a range restricted to within 10 miles of the city of St. George, Utah. This short lived perennial plant grows exclusively on the Virgin limestone member of the Moenkopi formation on the gravely slopes and aprons of mesas. A. holmgreniorum emerges in the late winter, flowers early to mid spring, and goes dormant in early summer. The survival of seedlings from the first year to second is only 17.4%, so their ability to go dormant (a period of slowed to no growth) is critical to their overall survival. Other geophytes and desert ephemerals that are dormant during all or part of summer generally go dormant in response to high temperature conditions or lack of precipitation. The purpose of this experiment is to understand what causes dormancy induction in seedlings. This was determined by exposing A. holmgreniorum seeds to different environmental conditions in a growth chamber (temperature, photoperiod, amount of available water). Four blocks of 20 seedlings were grown in growth chambers under ideal

conditions for seven weeks. At the seven week mark, three of the four blocks of seedlings was separated and exposed to different environmental conditions for three additional weeks. The fourth block remained under ideal conditions for control. The first block had a regular water regime, 12/12 hours of light/dark, but the temperature was increased from ideal to 30.7° C during daytime hours, and 22.1° C during nighttime hours. The second block had a regular water regime, and remained under ideal temperature conditions, but was exposed to 16/8 hours of light/dark. The third block was under ideal temperature conditions, 12/12 hours of light/dark, but had a very restricted watering regime, ½ as much as ideal. In order to distinguish which plants had gone dormant, and which had died, the plants were taken out of dormancy after ten weeks. Half of each of the blocks were put back into ideal conditions, and half of each of the blocks was placed into winter conditions of 5° C temperature, 10/14 hours light/dark, and a consistent water regime. Understanding the process of breaking dormancy for this species is very important for the protection of this endangered species. Utah Valley University, Biology, 800 S University Pkwy, Orem, UT, 84058, USA

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HAAS, ALEXIS SUZETTE

A comparison of morphology and breeding system of Camassia scilloides between different habitats

he reproductive biology of a plant species can be habitat specific. This study compares the reproductive biology of Camassiascilloides, a MO native species, in glade and wetland populations. Morphological measurements, visitation pattern observation and hand pollination experiments were conducted in each habitat. Results show that glade and wetland plants significantly differ in height, flower number and stamen length. In both habitats the main pollinating visitor was Halictidae. The glade population of C. scilloides is self-compatible, not negatively impacted by geitonogamy and not experiencing pollen limitation. Our results do not indicate that variation in morphology impacts pollination services. Further studies are needed to establish possible temporal variation of the pollination in the two habitats. Maryville University , Biology , 650 Maryville University Dr , St. Louis , MO, 63141, USA

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DIMARIA, STEPHEN

Finding a sense of self: The evolution from outbreeding to selfing in morning glories

he evolution from outbreeding to selfingis typically associated with various morphological changes: reduced pollen production, reduced nectar volume, reduced anther-stigma Poster presentation abstractsseparation, and decreased corolla length and width. Since these traits have appeared convergently in many independent selfing lineages, the genetic and selective reasons for these changes warrant further attention. Our understanding of the genetics remains in its early days. A better understanding of the genetics will provide

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Economic Botany Economic Botany ORAL PAPERS 271

PUENTE, CAROLINE* 1, AMITH, JONATHAN D. 2, SALAZAR, GERARDO A. 3, CABRERA, LIDIA 4 and KRESS, JOHN 5

bia, 20560, United States2Gettysburg College, Anthropology, 300 N Washington St, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, United States3INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA, UNAM, INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA, UNAM, APARTADO POSTAL 70-367, MEXICO, D.F., N/A, 04510, Mexico4Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia, Apartado postal 70-367, Mexico City, D.F., 04510, Mexico5Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, PO Box 37012, WASHINGTON, DC, 20013-7012, USA

Documenting traditional ecological knowledge about plants in Puebla, Mexico, using DNA Barcoding

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Toward a global view of breadfruit genetic diversity and domestication using microsatellites and hyb-seq data

he Sierra Nororiental of Puebla, Mexico, comprises 2,668 sq. km., across an altitudinal gradient of 100 to 3100 m. This region includes some of the most endangered montane forests and high priority ecosystems for biological research and conservation found in northeastern Mexico. Moreover, about one-third of its half-million inhabitants speak an endangered language: Nahuat or Totonac. To date, the flora of the Sierra Nororiental and the traditional indigenous knowledge of these plants have been poorly studied. Thus this region is most propitious for ethnobotanical and linguistic research in endangered language communities. Furthermore, the remarkable level of collaboration that has been established between botanical researchers and indigenous organizations and communities offers an exceptional opportunity to evaluate the utility of DNA barcodes not only for plant identification but for broad interdisciplinary research on culture and biodiversity. The Plant DNA Barcode Project, based at the Department of Botany at the Smithsonian“s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), in collaboration with the NMNH Department of Anthropology and the Instituto de Biologia at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), is currently creating a botanical and cultural reference library of the Sierra Nororiental flora through extensive plant field collections and DNA barcoding of all regionally documented vascular plant taxa. Moreover, this project provides a highly synergistic partnership between botanists, linguists, anthropologists, and Indigenous communities. The construction of the DNA barcode library involves three years of comprehensive botanical and ethnobotanical fieldwork throughout the Sierra, identification of fertile specimens by expert taxonomists, and DNA barcoding (using rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA, and ITS) of >3,500 fertile plant specimens. Additional (fertile and sterile) specimens will be collected through community-specific ethnobotanical research and sequenced to compare the resulting DNA barcodes against those of the reference library with the aim of streamlining species identification. We will present preliminary results on the botanical and ethnobotanical field collections, as well as the progress on the regional DNA barcode library and phylogenetic analyses of local plant communities. We predict that these results will lead to the discovery of new species, an understanding of the composition of plant assemblages, the significant extension of the geographical distribution of many plants species, and the creation of extensive and comparative ethnobotanical documentation.

ZEREGA, NYREE J.C.* 1, GARDNER, ELLIOT 1 and RAGONE, DIANE 2

Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Dr., Hogan 2-144, Evanston, IL, 60208, United States2National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI, 96741, USA

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BULLARD-ROBERTS, ANGELLE* and BENNETT, BRADLEY 2

Historical Ethnobotany of the Antidiabetic Remedies of Trinidad and Tobago Knowledge Conservation or Innovation?

uring the colonization of the Americas, the transmission of medicinal plant knowledge among migrant cultures and between migrant and indigenous groups produced varied local pharmacopoeias. In some cases, the ancestral ethnobotanical knowledge was conserved while in other cases migrant knowledge was modified to align with cultural or ecological demands. This study analyzes the ethno-pharmacological knowledge of diabetes remedies in Trinidad and Tobago (T & T). We compare the T & T pharmacopoeias with those in India and West Africa—the origins of most of the T & T population—as well as with pharmacopoeias in the greater Caribbean Basin. Forty-eight plant species have been documented as T & T antidiabetics. Several of these species share similar uses in other regions, including three Caribbean Basin countries which have over 20% species similarity. Social network analysis of 150 genera used as antidiabetics across the Caribbean reveal the importance of language as a bridge in knowledge transmission even in spite of significant intercountry distances. We discuss likely explanations for low levels of knowledge conservation and higher levels of innovation in T & T’s antidiabetic pharmacopoeia. Our results can aid in the conservation of ethnobotanical knowledge and help the people who still rely on plant medicines. 1

Florida International University, Biological Sciences / Ethnobotany Lab, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, FL, 33199, USA2Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th Street, Ethnobotany Lab, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Botany, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, District of Colum-

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274

PANDEY, VASHIST

Fomeag Cafeteria : A New global Perspective towards Utilization, Conservation of Biodiversity and Biodiversity-Climate link

lant biodiversity is natural boon for the biological system on this planet i.e. they govern all biofunctions, distribution and climatic link of different habitat of this world. Biofunctional plants (BPs) are live telecast of our mother planet growing naturally as well as cultivated in different parts of the world since ancient times. The biofunctional plant deals with the direct relationship with Biodiversity of plants and man. These plants have specific biofunctional quality and growing in biospecific regions (BRs) of the world and commonly known as Biospecific region plants (BRPs).Oxygen, Water, Food and Medicine are important aspects of life, is mainly provided by natural plant resources all over the world. The natural region of the world harbours specific type of plants vegetation with their specific characteristics on the basis of plant type, habitat and climate condition. The specificity of the region is directly or indirectly governed by plant vegetation, local specific region and climate conditions. Biodiversity of medicinal and Nutraceutical plants were surveyed for their sustainable utilization, bioprospection, and conservation of plants in different regions. In the present paper 129 nutraceutical plants belonging to fifty four families were collected, processed and identified for their utilization from the area under study. Out of them 89 ethnonutraceutical and 40 ethnomedicinal plants and their biofunctional parts were collected and identified with rigorous interaction with natives, tribals, taungya and rural people and inhabitants of locality for confirming their day to day use in their primary health care. These plants were localized in different region of the terai belt. These plants have enormous biofunctional potential including food and medicine for the welfare of human being, animals, nature, environment and climate condition. These plants were also identified with their ethnobotanical utilization and biofunctional potential for maximum and minimum of biofunctional molecules in their different parts, organized tissue/ parts in general language regarded as Bark (Chhal), Root, Rhizome, Tuber, Fruit, Flower, Stigma, Seed, Extract, Liquor, Leaf and Fleshy Parts. The natural treasure of biofunctional plants have naturally created pressure on the civilized world to explore their immense potential in the form of biological, natural and environmental security for all living world of this planet. Considering these facts there is an urgent need to explore, manage and conserves Biodiversity, Biodiversity-Climate link through FOMEAG ( Fo = Food/Fodder, Me = Medicine and AG=Arboretum Garden (Forest) / Agricultural Garden /Aquatic Garden) CAFETARIA for the present and future generation.

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AKINNUBI, FUNMILOLA MABEL* 1, OLADIPO, OLANIRAN TEMITOPE 2 and AKINLOYE, AKINWUMI JOHNSON 2

Ethnobotanical and Floret Studies of Twelve Species of The Family Asteraceae in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

thnobotanical and floret studieswere carried out on 12 species of family Asteraceae in Ile-Ife, Osun state, Nigeria. The aim was to assess the extent of use of medicinal plants by the tribal and local people and to determine the importance of floret number in the taxonomy of the members of family Asteraceae. Data were gathered through interviews and structured questionnaire to show that the tribal and local people utilize different plant species for treatment of diseases. In this study, 12 species with ethnobotanical values were identified as being used by the local people as food, fuels, and medicine. Floret study was done by studying 25 capitula each from 20 plants of each species. Capitula at anthesis were harvested randomly from the species planted in garden and screen house. Each capitulum was dissected by means of a pair of forceps and mounting needle to detach the florets from the receptacle. The detached florets were counted to know the number of florets contained in each capitulum.Data were subjected to Analysis of Variance 1 (ANOVA 1)with Post hoc test for significant differences among the species at p<0.05. Tere was overall significant reduction in te availability of these plants.The result of study indicate that the 12 species of the family Asteraceae studied were commonly used as food, fuel and medicines

Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa , Biological Sciences , Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, P.M.B. 353, Okitiipupa-Igbokoda road, Okitipupa , N/A, 234, Nigeria, +23480691840172Obafemi Awolowo University, Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Ile-Ife, OS, 234

DDU Gorakhpur University, Botany, Experimental Botany and, Nutraceutical Lab., Gorakhpur, UP, 273009, India

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Economic Botany POSTERS 276

in other countries including the United States. Once microbes grow into well-developed biofilms, cleaning and sanitation become difficult. To prevent any potential contamination, the interior surface biofilm microflora in the ice machine must be sanitized regularly. A collaboration between the West Texas A & M University2 and Air Oasis3 developed Plasma nanotechnology that has been successfully implemented in the Bi-Polar unit. We evaluated the Bi-Polar unit by Air Oasis in sanitizing the ice machine surface. The Bi-Polar creates cold plasma discharge which consists of positive and negative ions from water vapor in the air. Positive and negative ions attach to particles which cluster together to create inactivated larger particles. Two sets of petri-plates were inoculated with sterile cotton swab with the inoculum collected from the ice-maker surface at the time intervals of 24, 48, 72, 120 and 168 hours. Developed colonies were observed after 24 hours of incubation at 37o Celsius. Bacterial and fungal colonies were micrographed and distinguished using a SZ-40 stereo-scope attached to a DVC digital camera attached to computer. Prepared slides from bacterial colonies stained with Gram staining and fungi with Lacto-Phenol Cotton Blue stain were observed and micrographed at 100X with a Leica DM750 microscope. After running the Bi-Polar 168 hours, there was a significant reduction in microbial entities.

TODOROV, TOMA , ZAUNER, RANAE* 2 and OLGA, KOPP 3

Astragalus: A review of its medicinal uses and health effects

stragalus is considered the largest genus of the Fabaceae family, comprising approximately 3,000 species distributed throughout the world. In Asia alone about 2,500 species of Astragalus have been described. In North America there are approximately 400 species, and additional species have been described in Africa and South America. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Astragalus is considered one of the most important herbs for the treatment of nephritis, diabetes, uterine cancer, and leukemia. In addition, it is frequently used as a dietary supplement and foodstuff (soups, teas). Studies of extracts of different Astragalus species have shown a variety of activities, acting as an antioxidant, diuretic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotector, neuroprotector, analgesic, immunoregulator, expectorant, and gastrointestinal protector. Some Astragalus extracts have also been shown to be antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory. A diverse group of pharmacological compounds have been isolated from Astragalus roots, leaves, shoots, and seeds. The active constituents reported include polysaccharides, galactomannans, saponins, amino acids, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, alkaloids, trace elements, astragalosides, and terpenes (among others), indicating the great pharmacological potential of this genus. The purpose of this paper is to review the medicinal uses of Astragalus, clinical trials, its effects on human health, and the potential side-effects resulting from its use as complementary and alternative medicine.

West Texas A&M University, Department of Life Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2403 Russell Long Blvd, Canyon, Texas, 79015, USA2Air Oasis, R&D, Amarillo, Texas, 79118, USA3Allergy ARTS, R&D, Amarillo, Texas, 79124, USA

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HERRON, STERLING* , CIOTIR, CLAUDIA and MILLER, ALLISON

Crops of the Future: Identifying Wild Herbaceous Perennial Legumes for Prebreeding and Domestication

Utah Valley University, 800 West University Parkway, Orem, UT, 84058, USA2Utah Valley University, Biology, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT, 84058, USA3Utah Valley University, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT, 84058, United States

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GHOSH, NABARUN* 1, BENNERT, JEFF , VELOZ, MITSY 1, BENNERT, JON 2 , REVANNA, CHANDINI 1 and SAADEH, CONSTANTINE 3

he vast majority of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grain and cereal crops are annual species (rice, corn, wheat, beans), which have historically been chosen due to their swift generation time and rapid response to artificial selection and breeding. However, these systems also require yearly chemical input and often tilling, which results in runoff of nonrenewable topsoil. In this regard, the adoption of perennial crops offers several advantages: retention of soil, water, and nutrients by roots, as well as fewer fertilizer and pollutant inputs into soil. Legumes (Fabaceae) offer the additional advantage of fixing nitrogen in the soil, an essential nutrient for photosynthesis. Working with The Land Institute (Salina, KS) and the Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, MO), this project has two goals: 1) to systematically inventory wild, perennial, herbaceous legumes and to construct a searchable, on-line database for these taxa; 2) to evaluate wild legume species based on a series of agricultural, ecological, ethnobotanical, and morphological traits, and to use these data to identify strong candidates for pre-breeding and ultimately domestication. To date 12 legume genera containing compatible herbaceous, perennial species have been identified: Cajanus, Cicer, Glycine, Lathyrus, Lupinus, Medicago, Mellilotus, Phaseolus, Trifolium, Vavilovia, Vicia, and Vigna. Promising spe-

Microflora in ice-machine, Plasma nanotechnology to obtain clean ice using a Bi-Polar unit

acteria that adhere to any equipment can encase themselves in a hydrated matrix of polysaccharide and protein thus forms a slimy layer known as a biofilm. Biofilms are the collections of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, growing together in a matrix of polymers secreted by the microorganisms. With the advent of moisture and organic media biofilms are formed on the walls of the ice makers and refrigerators. Scientific tests done in UK revealed that ice from many restaurants had higher levels of bacteria than samples of water taken from their lavatory bowls1. Dirty ice machine causing contamination via ice cubes is also a major health problem

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cies will be selected from this list for targeted seed collection and germination and growth trait trials, utilizing both greenhouse and field studies. This study will identify species that will best be suited for future breeding investments and a more sustainable perennial legume based agricultural system. Saint Louis University, Department of Biology, 3507 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA

279

MAVENCAMP, CHELSEA N* 1 and HILDEBRAND, TERRI J 2

The effects of silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana, Asteraceae) amended feed on chicken growth and tissue protein content

n north central Montana, silver sagebrush (A. cana) is abundant, an important component of ecosystem functioning, and used by wildlife (e.g., sage grouse and antelope). Various Artemisia species are common components of many prairie and shrub habitats. In contrast, the shrub has no commercial value and is not used as forage for domesticated livestock. Many species of Artemisia (Asteraceae) have high leaf protein content as well as antibacterial properties. Previous research examined the growth and medicinal properties of A. annua amended feed in coccidiosis infected chickens, but did not look directly at how sagebrush amended diet affects tissue protein content in uninfected animals. This study investigated the development of chickens fed a diet of 80% commercial feed amended with 20% silver sagebrush (A. cana). In addition, we determined breast tissue percent crude protein content and organ to body mass ratios for each bird. We hypothesized that birds receiving sagebrush amended feed would show significantly greater growth and tissue protein content. This study followed 62 broiler chickens, 30 control and 32 treatment birds. Weekly growth (biomass) and food consumption was recorded. After 12 weeks, chickens were harvested, breast meat samples taken and organ (liver, heart, and kidney) biomass data collected. Tissues and organs were immediately frozen (-20 °C). The Kjeldahl method was used to determine percent crude protein content of breast tissue samples. As expected, larger chicks produced larger chickens. Initially, both bird groups showed weight gains, but treatment birds experienced a steep decline in weeks 3 and 4 compared to their control counterparts. By week 9, treatment animals rebounded with growth increases exceeding control birds. At the time of harvest, treatment animals had a slightly greater growth rate. Overall, birds on the sagebrush amended diet were smaller (p < 0.001) at the end of the 12 week period which did not support our hypothesis. When organ size was standardized for biomass, treatment birds showed larger kidneys, livers, and hearts than control birds (p < 0.001 for all), contradicting the earlier study that examined sagebrush amended feed. There was not a significant difference in growth or

organ size between males and females. Initial analyses show a trend of increased percent crude protein content in the breast tissue of birds receiving sagebrush amended feed and further analyses may provide support for this portion of our hypothesis. 1

Montana State University - Northern, 300 13th Street West, P. O. Box 7751, Havre, Montana, 59501, United States2Montana State University - Northern, 300 13th St. West, P.O. Box 7751, Havre, MT, 59501, USA

280

STRUWE, LENA* 1, CALAMIA, ALEX 2, PITT, MACKENZIE 3 and NUCCI, MARY L. 3

The love and hate of weeds - an interdisciplinary analysis of opinions in media, metaphors and biological facts

eeds are spontaneously occurring plants that are unaided by humans in their survival, in fact, they are often hated for competing with human interests. Weeds are also beloved cultural memories, important medicinal plants, and have large positive (or negative) ecological effects. This study focused on how weeds were portrayed in a selection of geographically disparate US daily newspapers during the last five years (The New York Times [NYT; NY], Washington Post [DC], Chicago Daily Herald [IL], Orange County Register [Santa Ana, CA), St Louis Post Dispatch [MO]). To find articles we searched for articles that only included the word “weeds”, as using the keyword “weed” had a high correlation with articles related to marijuana (not our focus). Our focus was to identify potential correlations in expressed media opinions and value statements between geography, specific biological topics, and main financial and societal interests in the particular geographic region of the newspaper (agriculture, financial sector, political center, etc.). Each article was first evaluated and coded based on whether it included the word “weeds“ only as a metaphor (e.g., “stuck in the weeds“), or if it included actual weedy plant news and discussion. All articles were also coded for the implied positive/negative value of weeds in society, and articles about actual plants were coded for presence of special topics (law and policy, agriculture, urban weeds, invasive species, gardening, edible species). Preliminary results show great difference in the number of articles mentioning weeds from different types of newsp apers and different geographic regions. Preliminary data from NYT shows that “weeds“ is used as a metaphor (i.e., not for biological organisms) in 20% of articles, with 43% of these in articles related to politics. When used as metaphors, “weeds“ are used as a negative term in 18% of cases, neutral in 71%, and positive in 10%. Most articles in NYT focus on actual living weedy plants, and of these, 62% have a negative connotation, 22% as neutral, and 16% as positive. The difference in the negative value of the word ‚weeds’ between its use as a metaphor versus living plants (62% versus 18% in preliminary analyses) is striking. Are we, the media and the public, more positively inclined to the

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Economic Botany idea of weeds than to actually having weeds in our home garden? This research was partially done by undergraduates in an interdisciplinary science communications class at Rutgers University. 1

Rutgers University, Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources & Dept of Plant Biology and Pathology, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA2Rutgers University, Dept of Environmental Sciences, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA3Rutgers University, Department of Human Ecology, 55 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901

281

EVENSEN, ARTHUR* and BELNAP, CAMILLE

A study of the effect of locular gel removal on Solanum lycopersicum seed germination

he United States is the second largest producer of tomatoes in the world, and the tomato producing industry has a vested interest in high germination rates of their seeds (USDA 2012). Seeds are dormant plant offspring that are only induced to grow when environmental conditions are favorable. The timing of germination, or breaking of dormancy, is carefully controlled and essential for plant growth success. The mechanisms that delay germination allow for seed dispersal and increase the likelihood that a seedling will establish itself successfully. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds are covered in a locular gel layer that develops prior to ripening of the pericarp. Because this gel may inhibit germination, seed producers remove the locular gel from tomato seeds before drying and storing them for future planting. The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether the presence of locular gel around tomato seeds did, in fact, inhibit germination. Utah Valley University, Botany, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, Utah, 84058, USA

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Genetics Section Genetics Section

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JOHNSON, LORETTA* 1, GALLIART, MATTHEW 2, BELLO, NORA 3, POLAND, JESSE 4, ST AMAND, PAUL 5 , KNAPP, MARY 6, MARICLE, BRIAN 7, BAER, SARA 8 and GIBSON, DAVID 8

ORAL PAPERS 282

MEYER, RACHEL

Domestication history and geographic adaptation inferred from a SNP map of African rice

frican rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) is a cereal crop species that shares a common ancestor with Asian rice (O. sativa L.) but was independently domesticated in West Africa. African rice is rarely grown outside subSaharan Africa, and is of interest because of its tolerance to abiotic stresses.Here we describe a map of 2.32 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of African rice from whole genome re-sequencing of 93 landraces. Population genomic analysis reveals a population bottleneck in this species that began ~13-15 thousand years ago (kya), with effective population size reaching its minimum value ~3.5 kya, suggesting a protracted period of population size reduction likely commencing with pre-domestication management and/or cultivation. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with 6 salt tolerance traits also identify 11 significant loci, four of which overlap or are within ~300 kb of genomic regions that possess signatures of positive selection, suggesting adaptive geographic divergence for salt tolerance in this species. Arid coastal regions, where many tolerant lines originated, are exposed to high salinity, and people continue to select and maintain salt tolerant landraces.

Adaptive Ecotypic Variation and Genetic Divergence of an Ecologically Dominant Prairie Grass across the Great Plains’ Precipitation Gradient

ocal adaptation is fundamental to evolution, conservation, and climate change. Andropogon gerardii, big bluestem, a C4 warm season grass, represents ~70% of Great Plains prairie biomass. Big bluestem has a wide geographic distribution across a precipitation gradient (500-1200 mm/yr, western KS to IL) and is hypothesized to have adaptive variation in response to climate. Objectives were to use reciprocal gardens to investigate differences among ecotypes in phenotypic traits, gene expression, and genetic divergence. Ecotypes (CKS, EKS, and SIL, derived from central, eastern KS and southern IL, respectively) were reciprocally planted in Colby, Hays, and Manhattan, KS, and Carbondale, IL. We evaluated ecotype differences in vegetative and reproductive traits, utilized RNASeq to investigate differential gene expression and Genotyping-by-Sequencing to characterize genetic divergence. Canopy area and height increased from west to east, with no ecotype differences in western KS (all plants dwarfed). In Carbondale and Manhattan, the xeric ecotype (CKS) flowered approximately 20 days earlier than other ecotypes. Morphology was primarily associated with seasonal mean temperature and seasonal mean precipitation. Gene expression analyses indicated that genes involved with water stress and were upregulated in the mesic ecotype (SIL) under dry conditions. Using UNEAK, we identified 4,641 SNPs. Outlier analysis identified 373 SNPs showing divergent selection, putatively associated with seasonal diurnal temperature variation and seasonal precipitation. SNPs were aligned to the Sorghum bicolor genome for gene annotation. Candidate genes identified as outliers include: glutamate synthase (nitrogen assimilation), GA1 (internode length), and WUSCHEL transcription factor (development). Results provide insight into candidate genes responsible for adaptive divergence among ecotypes. Ultimately, this research will inform land managers as to what ecotypes are best suited for prairie conservation and restoration for drier climates. Such studies are crucial to understand big bluestem response to climate, particularly with the recent drought in 2012, the worst in ~50 years.

New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA

283

GROSS, BRIANA

Exploring apple domestication genetics

ur understanding of the genetics of plant domestication have historically been based on studies conducted in annual plants, due to their tractability for crossing and economic importance. However, new techniques have allowed a recent focus on the domestication genetics of perennial plants, and have revealed that patterns and consequences of domestication differ substantially across the perennial/annual divide. Here, we explore the domestication genetics of apple (Malus x domestica) as compared to its wild relatives (Malus sieversii) by examining patterns of nucleotide diversity in a set of candidate domestication and randomly selected ‚background’ genes from across the genome. Genes were targeted using a sequence capture by hybridization method followed by paired-end Illumina sequencing; 49 candidate domestication genes and 68 background genes were included in the sequence-capture approach. Reads were mapped to the Malus x domestica reference genome and also assembled using a reference-free approach, followed by comparisons of nucleotide diversity across species and gene types.

Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA2Kansas State University, Biology,, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan, SA, KS, 66506-4901, US3Kansas State University, Statistics, Dickens Hall, Manhattan, SA, KS, 66506, United States4Kansas State University, Plant Pathology, Throckmorton Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, United States5Hard Wheat Genetics Resource Center, USDA-ARS, Manhattan, SA, KS, 66506, United States6Kansas State University, Agronomy, Throckmorton Hall, Manhattan, SA, KS, 66506, United States7Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 676014099, USA8Southern Illinois University, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, US

Univerisy Of Minnesota Duluth, Department Of Biology, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA

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285

ELLWANGER, CLAIRE* 1, STEGER, LAURA 2 and FANT, JEREMIE 2

Genetic assessment of management and restoration practices of the federally threatened orchid, Platanthera leucophaea (The eastern prairie fringed orchid)

or species at risk of extinction, successful execution of recovery plans based on proven restoration and management techniques are their last chance at continued survival. Platanthera leucophaea is a federally threatened species which has experienced major habitat loss and decline in both population size and number. Current management practices include hand pollination of flowers to increase seed set and seed dispersal between neighboring populations to prevent inbreeding. We are investigating genetic patterns and change in this species, which has documentation for over twenty years of management. A comparison of DNA samples collected prior to the start of new management techniques (1998) and samples collected in the current day (2015) will measure the impact of 17 years of management. In addition, we have genotyped 32 populations across the range of the species to evaluate the extent of long distance pollen dispersal by its pollinators (hawkmoths) and identify areas within the range of conservation priority. These data are paired with measurements of fruit set and seed viability at specific populations to look for evidence of inbreeding depression at these sites. To assess the impact of population loss, we have also sampled over 100 herbarium specimens from the late 1800s to mid-1900s. This comparison of genetic rescue techniques and range-wide study with historic context offers the rare opportunity to assess a long history of well documented restoration and management that is widely applicable to other species facing reduced reproductive success in isolated habitats.

Chicago Botanic Garden/Northwestern University, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States

286

MICKLEY, JAMES* and SCHLICHTING, CARL

Variation, heritability, and correlated selection in Phlox petal number

majority of Eudicot species, especially within the superclade Pentapetalae are predominantly fivepetaled, encompassing a large portion of angiosperm diversity. Many of these species are considered to have fixed for the five-petaled phenotype, yet in some cases low levels of natural variation in petal number have been documented, particularly in the Polemoniaceae. In addition, many floral traits show patterns of phenotypic integration and floral part numbers are known to be correlated, suggesting common genetic controls. Together, these two aspects provide tools for examining the genetic basis of the five-petaled phenotype and may help answer questions as to why or how this phenotype became so common. Phlox drummondii is one such species within the Polemoniaceae that has natu-

ral within-individual variation in petal number. Here, I test for a genetic basis underlying this variation by performing artificial selection experiments to increase petal number, decrease petal number, and to decrease variation in petal number, all while simultaneously examining the correlated selection response in sepals, stamens, and carpels. My results show that the direction of petal number variation has a strong genetic component, though variation itself cannot be reduced. Furthermore, several differences exist in the results between selection for 4- and 6-petaled flowers which suggest that gains and losses of petals may not be equivalent and may be under separate control. This work provides insight into the genetics and development of floral petal number, providing a starting point for closer examinations of what factors cause flowers to become five-petaled. University of Connecticut, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, United States

287

SCHWOCH, JAIME A

Clonal Adaptation in Mimmulus guttatus

t is known that mutations accumulate during vegetative growth but they are often assumed to be deleterious and result in decreased fitness. We propose that the accumulation of beneficial mutations is likely and due to cell lineage selection where deleterious mutations are selected out before the formation of pollen and ovules (K. Monro 2009). The idea of somatic mutation accumulation may provide insight to rapid adaptation in novel environments in plants (K. bobiwash 2013). In a previous experiment, several genets of Mimulus guttatus, were pollinated using autogamy (pollen onto same flower) and geitonogamy (pollen onto different stem) in which the progeny were grown and their fitness was quantified. The results of this experiment provided inspiration to our current methods because it suggests that clonal evolution in plants may contribute to their adaptation to novel environments and have implications for the evolutionary advantages of autogamy. Several genets of M. guttatus were grown in a saline hydroponics system to impose harsh selection and favor mutation during vegetative growth. Plants were allowed to grow in an incrementally increasing saline environment and later planted into soil where they will be pollinated using autogamous and geitonogamous methods. Selfing increases the rate of homozygosity and therefore increasing the expression of novel somatic mutations. We expect that the surviving clonal progeny of autogamous pollinations will have a higher expression of beneficial mutations making them well adapted to a high saline environment.

Portland State University, Biology, Portland, Oregon, 97207-0751, USA

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Genetics Section 288

289

TRIPP, ERIN A* 1, ZHUANG, YONGBIN 2 and STONE, HEATHER 2

RANATHUNGE, CHATHURANI* , WHEELER, GREGORY 2, PERKINS, ANDY 3 and WELCH, MARK 4

Microsatellites as tuning knobs of adaptation: A study on the enrichment of microsatellites in differentially expressed genes across latitudinal populations of common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

atural populations of widely distributed common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) are highly adapted to their local environments. In this study, seeds from six natural populations of common sunflower from two latitudes in Kansas and Oklahoma were grown in a common garden to test a potential gene regulatory role for transcribed microsatellites. The common garden experiment demonstrated that phenotypic variance among populations is largely explained by underlying genetic variation. An RNA-Seq experiment was conducted on 95 individuals and differential gene expression was inferred using DESeq and edgeR programs. Differentially expressed (DE) genes commonly identified by both programs and non-differentially expressed (NDE) genes were both mined for the presence of transcribed microsatellites using the SciRoKo program to assess microsatellite enrichment in both gene groups. A custom perl script was used to identify the abundance of different microsatellite motif types in the DE and NDE gene groups. A gene ontology (GO) analysis was conducted on the microsatellite containing DE genes. RNA-Seq produced an average of 42.8 million reads per individual. DESeq and edgeR identified 1521 and 1955 significantly differentially expressed genes respectively. Both programs identified 825 common genes as significantly differentially expressed among the two latitudes. SciRoKo results revealed the presence of 25% and 23% microsatellite containing genes in DE and NDE gene groups respectively. The DE genes showed a significant enrichment for mononucleotide repeats while they were significantly depauperate in trinucleotides. The GO analysis revealed the presence of microsatellites in genes related to developmental processes and stress response in plants. The distinct patterns of microsatellite evolution observed within DE genes among populations grown in a common garden are consistent with a proposed causal role for these microsatellites in locally adapted populations of common sunflower. The study provided empirical evidence to test the role of transcribed microsatellites as cis-regulatory elements in gene expression regulation. 1

Mississippi State University, Biological Sciences, 219 Harned Hall, 295 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA2Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, 318 W 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA3Mississippi State University, Computer Science and Engineering, 302 Butler Hall 665 George Perry Street, Mississippi State, Starkville, MS, 39762, United States4 Mississippi State University, Biological Sciences, 219 Harned Hall, 295 Lee Blvd, Mississippi State, Starkville, MS, 39762, United States

Interspecific hybridization between two divergent Ruellia species yields firstgeneration hybrids that express novel Anthocyanin Biosynthetic Pathway genes

ew combinations of divergent parental genomes can yield novel genetic functions in resulting hybrid progeny, and such functions may contribute to hybrid viability and evolutionary longevity. Recent studies that have used transcriptomes to compare gene expression data between parental species and their F1 hybrids and have documented additive molecular variation in the F1 hybrids as well as transgressive (non-additive) variation. In plants specifically, the degree to which transgressive genotypes contribute to floral novelty and diversification and whether this variation is arranged into genomic hotspots remains a question of key interest. The anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway has been characterized extensively and represents an excellent model for testing the potential importance of transgressive variation in floral evolution. We produced an artificial F1 hybrid between the red-flowered Ruellia elegans and yellow-flowered Ruellia speciosa and then generated corolla and vegetative transcriptome data for the two parents plus the hybrid. RNAseq data assembled using Trinity and anchored via a newly developed and fully annotated nuclear genome of Ruellia speciosa yielded ~70,000 unigenes. We found numerous unigenes present in the F1 hybrid but absent from either parent, suggesting the possibility a role for transgressive gene expression in floral divergence. Some of these transgressive unigenes are floral specific and belong to a group of MYB transcription factors known to be important regulators of anthocyanin expression. Continued studies across the genus Ruellia (~350 spp.) will contribute insight into genomic mechanisms and rearrangements that yield evolutionary novelty. 1

University Of Colorado Boulder, C105, Ramaley Hall, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA2University of Colorado, EBIO

290

BARTHET, MICHELLE MARIE* and PIERPONT, CHRISTOPHER LOGAN

The impact of RNA editing and position of N-terminus on MatK maturase activity

atK, the protein product of the plastid matK gene, is postulated to function as the only plastid-encoded group II intron maturase in the plant cell. Maturases are enzymes that remove introns from precursor RNAs and, thus, play a significant role in the process of gene expression. Unlike prokaryotic maturases which typically bind to and excise a single target intron, the MatK maturase binds to seven target introns. These introns reside within transcripts for essential RNAs and proteins of the plastid translation complex implicating MatK as a vital enzyme of the plant cell. Contrary to the importance of MatK in plastid function, the matK gene has a remarkably high synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rate for a protein-coding gene. In addition,

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the N-terminus of MatK has been found to be variable in some plant families such as the Orchidaceae. These unusual characteristics, high substitution rate, variable N-terminus, and unique ability to bind multiple-intron targets, suggest altered mechanisms for expression and function of this important maturase. The goals of the current investigation are to discern the impact of RNA editing, as well as length of N-terminus, on MatK expression and activity and determine associated factors required for complete group IIA intron removal in the plant plastid. We have identified up to five RNA edited sites in matK cDNA from Oryza sativa which may combat otherwise deleterious nucleotide changes from genomic DNA. matK cDNA containing various levels of RNA editing as well as altered N-termini have been cloned to test the impact of these alterations on MatK protein expression and function. Results of this work will be discussed along with future implications of MatK in plastid splicing processes.

University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211-7310, USA2Cornell University, Plant Breeding and Genetics, 310 Bradfield Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA3USDA ARS, Plant Genetics Research Unit, 630 W. North Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA

Coastal Carolina University, Biology, 111 East Chanticleer Drive, Conway, SC, 29526, USA

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291

BIRD, KEVIN* 1, BASEGGIO, MATHEUS 2, GORE, MICHAEL 2, ROBERTSON, LARRY 3, PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 1 and LABATE, JOANNE 3

Population Genetics and Association Mapping of Nutritional Traits in the Vegetable Crop Brassica rapa

iofortification - the enhancement of crop nutritional quality through plant breeding - is potentially a sustainable and cost-effective strategy for addressing micronutrient deficiencies throughout the world. Success of biofortification depends on the identification of key genes associated with nutritional quality, followed by increasing the nutritional value of locally adapted varieties by selecting favorable alleles in breeding populations. Without connection of phenotype to genotype, biofortification will likely be ineffective for improving targeted nutritional traits. Brassica rapa L. is an agriculturally important vegetable crop, with 100 million tons harvested globally in 2012. It is a source of numerous essential mineral nutrients including - the most commonly deficient micronutrient in human populations. Plants in the Brassicaceae family also contain a unique class of sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates that show anti-carcinogenic activities. Successful genetic dissection of these traits requires knowledge of the genetic diversity of the species and implementation of quantitative genetic methods like genome-wide association study (GWAS). We GBS sequenced 364 accessions of Brassica rapa and grew them in an augmented block design at the USDA fields in Geneva, NY for metabolite sampling. Fresh leaf tissue was sampled for HPLC and ICP-MS analyses to measure glucosinolate and mineral nutrients, respectively. Analysis of population structure based on STRUCTURE and ADMIXTURE software suggests five to eight main subpopulation groups comprise this Brassica rapa diversity panel. Genetic diversity analyses indicate minor population differentiation between subspecies with an average Fst of 0.16, and the most genetically distal subspecies being the oilseed type

yellow sarson (subsp. trilocularis). Inbreeding coefficients suggest this may be due to high outcrossing in the sampled accessions. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed most genetic variance to be within populations (83%) compared to among populations (17%). Selective sweeps were computed by Fst outlier and composite likelihood ratio to identify loci under positive and balancing selection. The results of selective sweeps were compared to genomic regions identified via GWAS to be associated with glucosinolate and mineral content across the species. This study is one of the most comprehensive genetic diversity analyses of Brassica rapa and the first GWAS in this species. 1

WARNER, MONICA* 1, THEISS, KATHRYN 1 and KEPHART, SUSAN 2

Evaluating species differentiation in endangered rush lilies using population genetics

he taxonomy of the closely-related rush lilies (Hastingisa; Agavoideae; Asparagaceae) has recently been a point of contention. Morphological comparisons and reproductive biology studies have led to contradictory conclusions on the taxonomic status of the threatened Hastingsia atropurpurea and H. bracteosa. Becking (1986) split H. atropurpurea from H. bracteosa based on morphological distinctiveness and lack of hybridization. Lang and Zika (1997) argued any distinctions were insignificant and therefore, separation of the taxa, unjustified. Our objective was to explore their species differentiation at the population genetic and morphological levels. We collected leaf tissue samples of a total of 160 of individuals from the two taxa in eight populations in southwestern Oregon. All populations showed sympatry with H. serpentinicola, but we did not find populations that were sympatric for our two taxa of interest. Genomic DNA was extracted and we genotyped the samples using 12 microsatellite loci previously developed for the sister genus Camassia. We analyzed the results for genetic structure across the putative taxa and compared this to morphological data. We also looked for evidence of gene flow between populations, although we found very little morphological evidence of hybridization. We hope that these analyses will help land managers evaluate the connectivity of the different populations and make appropriate conservation decisions. Future studies include a phylogenomic study of both Hastingsia and its sister genus Camassia to evaluate the evolutionary relationships among these taxa. 1

California State University Dominguez Hills, Biology, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA, 90747, USA2Willamette University, Biology, 900 State St., Salem, OR, 97301, USA

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Genetics Section POSTERS

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RODRIGUEZ-PENA, ROSA A.* 1, WOLFE, ANDREA D. 1, ROBBINS, M.D. 2, JOHNSON, ROBERT 3, L.A, JOHNSON 3, C.D., ANDERSON 4, N.J., RICKS 4, K.M., FARLEY 4 and M.R., STEVEN 4

294 LOGAN

PIERPONT, CHRISTOPHER

Functional Characterization of an Essential Chloroplast Protein

Population genetics and geographic patterns among varieties of Penstemon scariosus

enstemon scariosus is a complex of four varieties (var. albifluvis, var. cyanomontanus, var. garrettii, var. scariosus) with narrow morphological boundaries. This species occurs mostly in central to northeastern Utah with a few scattered populations of var. garrettii just over the border into southern Wyoming and slightly more populations of var. cyanomontanus and var. albifluvis just over the border into northwest Colorado. Penstemon scariosus var. garrettii is the taxon with the widest distribution and the largest populations. In this study, we used 10 microsatellite markers and AFLP data to investigate the population genetic structure of P. scariosus. We sampled a total of 422 individuals (172 of var. albifluvis; 32 of var. cyanomontanus; 152 of var. garrettii, and 65 of var. scariosus). Our results indicate that genetic differentiation among populations is generally low. The highest FST value (0.22) and the lowest Nm (1.79) were found between P. scariosus var. cyanomontanus and var. scariosus, and the lowest FST (0.08) and Nm (5.8) were between P. scariosus var. cyanomontanus and var. garrettii. The AMOVA shows that most of the genetic variation is within populations (86.6%). Inbreeding coefficients (Fis) were high in P. scariosus var. garrettii (0.32) and P. scariosus var. scariosus (0.34). The Bayesian analysis STRUCTURE identified 3 distinct clusters; the first cluster included all populations identified as P. scariosus var. albifluvis, the second cluster included all individuals of P. scariosus var. cyanomontanus in addition to 30 individuals from P. scariosus var. garrettii, and the third cluster has the rest of the individuals identified as P. scariosus var. garrettii and all individuals of P. scariosus var. scariosus. A MEMGENE analysis reveals a positive correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance (r2=0.30, P-value=1e-04) indicating that a high proportion of the genetic variation is due to geographic distance. Finally, this study provides insight into variety delimitation that could be used in conservation efforts.

aturases are a group of enzymes which catalyze the removal of introns from pre-mRNA transcripts during post-transcriptional processing. They are arguably involved in one of the most important processes of the cell, as the splicing of introns is crucial for proper protein synthesis. In prokaryotes, maturases are home-target specific in that the enzyme is normally encoded within the intron which it splices. Maturase K, or MatK, is proposed to be the only plastidencoded maturase of land plants. An RNA-level assay has shown that MatK associates with several introns within the plastid, similar to the splicing machinery of the nucleus. Because of this, MatK could potentially be part of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;proto-spliceosome.â&#x20AC;? However, though it has been shown that MatK is an essential protein for plastid function, and that it does indeed associate with introns, maturase activity has not been clearly demonstrated. A direct, in vitro, protein-level assay would not only allow for the simple demonstration of maturase activity, but would also provide a certain level of manipulation for analytical testing. An assay such as this would help characterize MatK function at the molecular level, as well as aid in determining associated factors required for splicing activity in the chloroplast. The aim of this project is to successfully design such an assay, and demonstrate maturase activity of MatK over the introns it associates with. Thus far, four of the seven intron substrates that MatK associates with have been successfully cloned into a bacterial system, and MatK expressed. Progress of activity tests will be discussed.

Coastal Carolina University, Biology, 11 East Chanticleer Drive, Conway, SC, 29526, USA

Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA2United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, 690 N. 1100 E, Logan, UT, 84322 , USA3Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences , 3115A Monte L. Bean Museum, Provo, UT, USA4Brigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences , 5131 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, USA

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Historical Section Historical Section

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ORAL PAPERS

Calcutta Botanical Garden and making of the modern world

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FLANNERY, MAURA C.

Humphry Marshall and the Pennsylvania Botanical Circle

umphry Marshall (1722-1801) published his Arbustrum Americanum: The American Grove in 1785 in Philadelphia, making it the first botanical book written by a native-born American on American plants and produced in America. Marshall was a Quaker who lived in West Chester, Pennsylvania and was encouraged to investigate botany by his cousin, John Bartram (1699-1777). In the 1840s, another West Chester native and botanist, William Darlington (1782-1863), was entrusted with both Marshall’s and Bartram’s correspondence. He had intended to write about these men for years, since discussing the project with his friend and fellow Pennsylvania botanist, William Baldwin, before the latter’s death in 1819. It is difficult to treat any of these individuals without tugging on an intricate web of relationships among them. However, in this presentation I“ll focus on Marshall and why Darlington saw him as significant enough to include Marshall in his memorial of John Bartram. Like his cousin, Marshall collected plants and seeds and sent them to Europe, making a business of his botanical hobby. His nephew Moses Marshall joined him in this endeavor, and they went on collecting trips to broaden their stock. Humphrey Marshall not only wrote about North American trees but grew many of them in the botanical garden he started to develop on his property in 1773 and left was left to Moses Marshall. While the garden is long gone, the house survives and is part of an historic district called Marshallton. Examining the lives of those interested in botany in the early years of the Republic enlivens American history in a way that is relevant to today’s environmental concerns. It also suggests the importance of webs of relationships in maintaining interest and commitment to plants. It should be noted that among the individuals in this Pennsylvania web were Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, who both owned copies of Marshall’s book. He also corresponded with such notables of British botany as Joseph Banks and John Fothergill. As we work to preserve native species that are rapidly moving toward extinction, it behooves us to also nurture historical memory because the two are inextricably linked. For example, Moses Marshall went in search of the tree that John Bartram had discovered, Franklinia Alatamaha. The expedition to Carolina and Georgia in 1790 yielded specimens of the species from along the banks of the Alatamaha River, but it hasn’t been found in the wild since 1803.

SENGUPTA, ANIKET

stablished over two centuries ago by the British East India Company, the botanical garden in the former capital of British India played an important role in development of science, culture, and religion of the colonial world. Shipping around two hundred thousand specimens annually to two thousand international institutes, the garden helped European biologists appreciate the patterns in variation and distribution of plant forms, filling in what would otherwise have been gaping holes in a temperate-centred knowledge of plant diversity. So impressive was the collection, that celebrated botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker was commissioned by a foreign government to acquire a set from the garden. Cultivation of several cash-crops were also undertaken by the garden, and this eventually helped Britain become a country of tea-drinkers. However, by establishing medicinal cinchona plantations in India for malaria, sadly, it also helped the empire expand into eastern Africa. The garden itself became a centre of pilgrimage for Europeans visiting India who revered it as the realization of Milton’s idea of Paradise. The idyllic garden, luxuriantly dotting the shores of Ganges across a bustling city, attracted many native seers and philosophers as well. The greatest among these savants was Debendranath Tagore. Restless with deep existential questions, rich and influential Debendranath, like many oriental thinkers before him, decided to cross a river, and sit under a tree to meditate. Debendranath often spent contemplative hours in a less-frequented spot in the garden. He later went on to found the reformist Hindu movement, the Brahmo Dharma. The society was fundamental to the eighteenth century Bengali and Indian renaissance. On one hand it successfully battled social evils like untouchability, dowry, and oppression of women, and on the other it ushered fresh liberal intellectualism into the moribund Indian academia. Undoubtedly, the greatest fruit of this re-awakening was the towering cultural icon of modern India, Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to be awarded a Nobel Prize, and later, the only author of national anthems of more than one nation. To Gandhi, Rabindranath was his spiritual guru, and to W B Yeats, the Indian civilization itself. Centre of such silent scientific, cultural, and social upheaval a century ago, the garden continues to be a major botanical institute to this day. A rich storehouse of old botanical icones and lithographs, the associated herbarium with two million specimens has been declared by the Indian Government as the Central National Herbarium of India.

Kansas University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 8022 Haworth Hall, 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA

28 Atlas Ave., Malverne, NY, 11565, USA

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DAVENPORT, LAWRENCE J

From Cro-Magnon to Kral: A History of Botany in Alabama

ue to its great diversity of both freshwater and terrestrial habitat, Alabama supports an inordinate number of species, including nearly 4000 vascular plants. These species are distributed, from north to south, across the Interior Plateau, Piedmont, Southwestern Appalachian, Ridge & Valley, Southeastern Plains, and Southern Coastal Plain ecoregions. Alabama's plant life has been studied and utilized since ancient times. Such studies began with Paleo-Indians, Native Americans, and European explorers. During the early 1800s, the major botanical "players" were pioneers, settlers, travelers, academics, and medical doctors. The latter half of the 19th century was defined by the works of Mobile pharmacist Charles Mohr, culminating in his 1901 magnum opus, Plant Life of Alabama. Roland Harper, working mainly through the Geological Survey of Alabama, dominated the first half of the twentieth century. Floristic studies have taken hold since 1950, with "hotbeds" for such studies established at each of the state's universities. No current botanist stands as tall as Robert Kral. His voluminous knowledge of Alabama's flora has been recorded in monographs, revisions, Federal reports, floristic accounts, checklists, and websites. His thousands of Alabama specimens, now housed at BRIT, constitute a botanical treasure of inimitable value.

and then to Biltmore Estate. The remaining portion found safe harbor during the early 20th century under the vigilant management of Elizabeth Williams, a biology professor. Numerous annotations from this era are evident throughout the collection. After a long period of dormancy, the collection was eventually transferred to the A. C. Moore Herbarium (USCH) at the University of South Carolina where it has been restored and digitized. Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities supported a collaborative project to rejoin Ravenel’s herbarium specimens and his handwritten journals held in the South Caroliniana Library. Other archival materials, including letters and photographs, were included from collections at Clemson University, Converse College, the University of North Carolina, and USC. Digital collections staff at USC hand-checked OCR from typescripts and developed metadata with special attention toward matching Dublin Core fields to Darwin Core fields used for herbarium records. Programmers from the Center for Digital Humanities developed a website that allows visitors to search three separate databases (2 CONTENTdm, 1 Symbiota) with apparent seamless operation. Search and Browse features return results from Journals, Letters, Specimens, and Photographs. The Plants & Planter website (http:// ravenel.cdh.sc.edu/) debuted on May 19, 2016 and includes maps of travel and correspondence among other interpretive features. 1

SAMFORD UNIVERSITY, Department Of Biology, 800 Lakeshore Drive, BIRMINGHAM, AL, 35229-2234, USA

A. C. Moore Herbarium (USCH), Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA2Digital Collections, University Libraries, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA3Center for Digital Humanities, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

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BROWN, HERRICK* 1, BOYD, KATE 2 and KNOX, JOHN 3

299

A Hay-Maker’s Hardships: Mending the Fragmented Collections of a 19th-Century Southern Botanist through Collaborative Digitization

Out of the Cold Room and Into the Light - Unidentified Legacy Collections at the New York Botanical Garden

uring his time, Henry William Ravenel (1814-1887) was not only a prominent botanist, but perhaps the premier mycologist in North America. An ardent student of botany and an indefatigable field collector, through the labors of his lifetime Ravenel amassed a collection of 10 to 12 thousand species. His pursuit of plants was fueled by his “love to follow them in their haunts, in the deep forests watch their development, and then to study their ‚ways’,” and this led him to endure the harsh summer climate of the southern fields and forests while slogging through the malarial swamps of the Santee region. His vascular plant collections contain several species not since observed in South Carolina, and some of his mycological specimens formed the nucleus of what is now the National Fungus Collection. Despite his efforts to keep his collection intact (which he managed to do through the Civil War), it was fragmented posthumously. First purchased by a distant relative to be used as a teaching instrument for the foundling women’s college (Converse) in Spartanburg, SC, portions of the collection were soon sold by the administration in an effort to alleviate financial strains to the British Museum

TARNOWSKY, NICOLE and WEISS, AMY*

ow in its 125th year, the New York Botanical Garden has had a long tradition of worldwide expeditions; with the last fifty years focused on regions of high diversity and endemism in the New World Tropics. The Garden has taken great care to process the collections made on these trips and have them identified by the world’s specialists; routinely sending them on loan, as gifts for identification, or having them examined by in-person visitors. Even with these efforts, we are left with a large legacy of specimens yet to be determined. These tend to be the most difficult specimens to identify as a result of gaps in expertise, and in some cases because the specimen does not match any known species. A recent study suggests that 50% of the estimated 70,000 species of plants yet to be described are already represented in herbaria as unidentified or misidentified collections (Bebber et al. 2010). Our best practices in herbarium management have been to avoid distributing duplicates until a collection has been fully identified to species. In an era before databases, this ensured the most organized and efficient way to handle determinations. Also, the value of a duplicate is greatly enhanced if it has been accurately named by an expert, especially when sent to local herbaria. The drawback is that specimens

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Historical Section stored in a cold storage room separate from the accessioned herbarium are not seen by the wider botanical community who could possibly help in identification. With such a large, actively growing herbarium, it begs the question, how long do you wait for a determination before distributing an unidentified collection? The last twenty years have continued to show us new ways databases can aid our work; now allowing us to change our protocols and get more legacy collections out of the cold room. Utilizing our database we can analyze the plant groups that comprise these collections and expand our search for specialists, while also searching for existing determinations in other online databases and literature. Recording where we distribute unidentified collections in the database has allowed us to easily keep track of each duplicate and report future determinations to the receiving institutions.

POSTER 301

MUMICH, MARY MARGARET* 1, REEDS, KAREN 2 and STRUWE, LENA 3

Women of the Chrysler Herbarium: Barbara F. Palser and Erica M. Frank

s women have become more prominent in plant sciences, it is important to recognize the contributions of earlier women scientists who broke the ground for women who followed. This poster highlights the works and lives of two women botanists who contributed important collections to Chrysler Herbarium at Rutgers University: Barbara F. Palser and Erica M. Frank. Palser (1916-2008), a collector of primarily Ericaceae specimens and a plant anatomist, was at first the Secretary of the Botanical Society of America. Forty years ago, in 1976, she became the fourth female President of BSA since the society’s founding in 1894. She also received the Centennial Award from the Botanical Society of America, as a “[b]otanist and plant anatomist of many talents, editor, writer of handbooks, [and] adviser of students.” Her Ericaceae collections reflect her national and international travels, with specimens ranging from the United States to New Zealand, India, and Australia. Frank is represented in Chrysler Herbarium by 1736 specimens of lichens and 1626 specimens of bryophytes, mostly collected in the summer months of 1960 through 1985 in Canada, the UK, and across the United States, comprising nearly half of the Chrysler’s total lichen and moss collection. While the Chrysler files give no information about Erica Frank“s career, the most likely candidate is Erica Moore Frank, PhD (1921-2013), whose obituary identifies her as a biology teacher at Centenary College, Hackettstown NJ, who received her doctorate in botany at the University of Wales before coming to America. As Frank was a much less prominent botanist than Palser, much of her career still needs to be explored. All of Frank’s and Palser’s specimens at Rutgers have been digitized as part of NSF-funded research projects. Frank’s collections are available in the open access databases Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria and Consortium of North American Bryophyte Herbaria. This poster is the first stage in an undergraduate honors research project. The project aims to document Palser and Frank’s work, evaluate their scientific collections and accomplishments, and bring wider recognition of their work through websites, presentations, and publications for audiences in botany, history of science, and gender studies.

The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

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KASS, LEE B

On Losing our History in the Digital Dark Age

ill future historians look back at our time and find nothing? Will computer programs be unreadable, and worthless to historians? Are current digital online volumes and journals misleading? Have archives of digital content already been lost? These and similar questions have recently been broached by Vint Cerf, a "father of the internet", who predicted that all the images and documents we have been saving on computers will eventually be lost. Cornell University Archivists believe “electronic files will be lost and some of them will be very important.” And Cornell IT staff told me that the only way to safely save documents is to print them out. I will present current examples of digital losses already encountered for Academic Journals, misleading publication dates, loss of email correspondence and databases, caused by computer program changes.

Cornell University and West Virginia University

Rutgers University, Dept. of Womenâ€™s and Gender Studies, 162 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA2Princeton Research Forum, 19 Woodland Drive, Princeton , NJ, 08540, USA3Rutgers University, Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources & Dept of Plant Biology and Pathology, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

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Paleobotanical Section Paleobotanical Section ORAL PAPERS 302

PFEILER, KELLY C.* and TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU

An anatomically preserved Early Devonian rhyniopsid from the Battery Point Formation (Gaspé, Canada)

he Battery Point Formation (Gaspé Peninsula, Québec) hosts a rich Early Devonian (Emsian) flora including plant compressions and permineralizations. The latter represent one of the rare occurrences of anatomically-preserved Early Devonian plants and rival in diversity the classic Rhynie chert permineralized flora. Among the anatomically-preserved plants of the Battery Point Formation, a type of tracheophyte that had not been identified previously is represented by >10 axes. Axes of this plant are up to 2.1 mm in diameter and 2.5 cm long. The central xylem strand is 0.5-1.9 mm in diameter, surrounded by a thin layer of tissue with thin-walled cells, interpreted as phloem. This layer, ca. 50 µm across, is 3-cells thick, with elongated cells. Outside the phloem, the cortex consists of thicker-walled cells often exhibiting dark content (which is also seen in some phloem cells). Cortical cells are elongated and 25-50 µm in diameter. The thickness and topography of the cortex vary widely. Some of the thicker axes have a thin cortical layer, ca. 120 µm and 3-4 cells thick, with an outer surface forming squat deltoid protrusions (410 µm wide at base and 190 µm tall). Other thick axes, as well as the thinnest specimen exhibit a cortical layer with prominent protrusions that can exceed 1 mm in height and have irregular shape and arrangement. The most striking feature of this Gaspé plant is the color of its xylem, which is a lighter brown hue compared to that of other plants in the assemblage, suggesting different cell wall chemistry. The xylem has centrarch maturation, with round to oval tracheids reaching 70 µm in diameter close to the periphery (although size decreases slightly in the outermost tracheids). Tracheids exhibit very robust S-type wall thickenings forming a helical pattern with gyres 20 µm or more apart. Thickenings are 12 µm wide at the base and protrude into the tracheid lumen ca. 7 µm. S-type tracheids characterize a group of rhyniopsids - Rhynia, Stockmansella, Huvenia, Taeniocrada dubia, Sennicaulis, and Sciadophyton. The Gaspé plant is very similar in its terete centrarch xylem strand and the overall tracheid wall thickening pattern to all these taxa, but differs from each of them in specific details of the structure and size of anatomical features. Furthermore, all these rhyniopsids have much higher axis:xylem diameter ratios (4:1 to 15:1) than the Gaspé plant (axis:xylem diameter 1:1 - 2.5:1), which probably represents a new type of rhyniopsid. Humboldt State University, Biological Sciences, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA

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TOLEDO, SELIN* and TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU

The rise of euphyllophyte structural complexity - a conceptual framework and updated timeline

he beginning of the Devonian witnessed the initial phases of the tracheophyte evolutionary radiation that generated, by the end of the Devonian, all major vascular plant lineages (except for angiosperms). The events and processes of the evolutionary transition that led from the small, simpler plants of the Early Devonian to the structurally complex plants seen later in the Devonian comprise one of the major unanswered questions in plant evolution and hold the key to the origins of extant tracheophyte diversity. Within the euphyllophytes, a plexus of plants that share deeply lobed mesarch protosteles characterize the early phases of this transition, starting close to the base of the Middle Devonian. These plants foreshadow the structural complexity seen in Late Devonian euphyllophyte lineages and raise two fundamental questions: (1) how can structural complexity, an emergent property, be recognized in its early stages; and (2) can basic fingerprints of structural complexity be used to trace the origins of major euphyllophyte lineages among plants of the Middle Devonian plexus? While emergent properties are difficult to reduce to simpler components, a set of basic features that represent facets of structural complexity provide criteria for recognizing stages in the evolution of this property and reconstructing its evolutionary trajectory along different tracheophyte lineages. These fingerprints of structural complexity include: overall size; anisotomy; ultimate appendage planation and adaxial-abaxial differentiation; anisotropy of radial tissue patterning; protoxylem architecture; tissue heterogeneity; secondary growth. Consistent with their intermediate position, plants of the Middle Devonian plexus exhibit different combinations of structural complexity features and their systematic position has often sparked debates. A subset of these Middle Devonian taxa have been traditionally involved in discussions of the origin of seed plants, with which they share some features (lobed protosteles, mesarch and radiate protoxylem strands). While some of these plants are assigned to the progymnosperms (Aneurophytales), others are either placed in the enigmatic Stenokoleales or have controversial systematic placements. A closer look at the distribution and association of the different fingerprints of structural complexity across members of the Middle Devonian plexus may help untangle their systematic relationships and offer insights into the patterns and tempo of early euphyllophyte morphological evolution. In this context, a few Early Devonian taxa that exhibit complex anatomy mark the earliest occurrences of structural complexity in the lineage and provide important datapoints for calibrating timescales in discussions of evolutionary tempo, and for polarizing transformational series in discussions of evolutionary trajectories. Humboldt State University, Biological Sciences, 1, Harpst St., Arcata, CA, 95521, USA

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FRYER, EMMA R.* and TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU

305

Conifer wood from the Lower Cretaceous of northern California: implications for Protocedroxylon taxonomy

An anatomically preserved marsileaceous sporocarp from the Lower Cretaceous of northern California (Budden Canyon Formation, Barremian-Aptian boundary)

rotocedroxylon is a genus of fossil conifer wood established by Gothan in 1910. Characterized by an unusual combination of araucarioid radial tracheid pitting, transverse ray cell wall pitting (abietineentÜpfelung), simple crossfield pitting, and absence of resin canals, the genus has since been reported from across Laurasia and grown to over 25 described species. Over time, features contributed by new species have expanded the range of morphological variation well beyond that of the type species, for numerous characters, such as radial tracheid pitting seriation, tangential tracheid pitting, ray tracheids, traumatic resin canals, crossfield pit types, axial parenchyma, and tracheid septations, all of which now vary broadly within the genus. The concept of this genus has, thus, expanded to a significant degree, which led to problematic situations where Protocedroxylon species overlap partially with those of other fossil conifer wood genera and some features distinguishing species within Protocedroxylon are not always diagnostic. Two Early Cretaceous wood types from the Budden Canyon Formation of northern California share a number of features with one another and are relevant to the Protocedroxylon discussion. The first, a type assigned to Protocedroxylon, shares araucarioid radial tracheid pitting, abietineentÜpfelung, an absence of resin canals, and crossfield pit morphology with Gothan’s concept of the genus. The second type shares several significant features with Palaeopiceoxylon, including mixed radial tracheid pitting, crossfield pitting, abietineentÜpfelung, and non-traumatic resin canals. However, although both Protocedroxylon and Palaeopiceoxylon are valid genera, the differences in anatomy between the two Budden Canyon wood types fall well within the range of continuous variation in several characters spanned by species assigned to Protocedroxylon. This is due in large part to a proliferation of Protocedroxylon species as a result of taxonomic decisions based on characters that are known to vary within species and even within individuals. This situation has been compounded by longstanding lack of clarity in the terminology of some features and by international communication barriers. Recent efforts to address broader issues of similar nature in fossil wood studies have made progress with other genera, but efforts to establish the identity of the Budden Canyon woods highlight problems persisting within Protocedroxylon and the necessity of updating taxonomy within this genus. Reevaluation of currently described species to identify the types of characters used to distinguish them and to verify their suitability will enable the establishment of a more representative and functional taxonomic scheme for Protocedroxylon. Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, California, 95521, USA

ABIDI, SHAYDA* and TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU

he Budden Canyon Formation is an Early Cretaceous marine unit exposed in northern California that contains plant fossils. The age of this unit is Valanginian-Turonian, based on invertebrate and radiolarian biostratigraphy. Layers of the Budden Canyon Formation dating to the Barremian-Aptian boundary (ca. 125 Ma) have yielded a rich anatomically-preserved flora near the town of Ono. This fossil flora includes bryophytes, fungi, gymnosperms, as well as pteridophytes. One of these fossils represents a thick-walled reniform reproductive structure ca. 3.1 mm long and 1 mm wide. The wall of this specimen consists of two layers with differing anatomy. The thick outer layer is a sclerenchymatous palisade layer with cells ca. 30 µm across and 90-150 µm tall. The inner layer, often compacted, is 2-3 cells thick and consists of small parenchyma ca. 6-8 µm across. Inside this reproductive structure, incomplete thin partitions protrude 80-500 µm from the wall toward the center. These partitions consist of thin elongated cells and most of them are bifurcated. The specimen shows evidence of a longitudinal slit, suggesting bi-valvate dehiscence. Additionally, the fossil features a conical protrusion at one end, in a region where the wall is much thicker. The protrusion is located above the site where the wall is traversed by a fine vascular bundle of scalariform tracheids surrounded by parenchymatous tissue. Although devoid of content, this reproductive structure is similar in morphology and wall anatomy to marsileaceous sporocarps. Like in the latter, fine, inconspicuous veins are present in the inner wall layer. Fossils of marsileaceous affinity can be traced to the base of the Cretaceous and few - represented by spores - cross into the Late Jurassic. Sporocarp records are sparse and known only from the Late Cretaceous onwards, with the notable exception of a Regnellites sporocarp occurrence from Japan, dated to the Late Jurassic - earliest Cretaceous. Anatomically preserved sporocarps are known only in two pre-Cenozoic taxa, Regnellidium and Rodeites from the Late Cretaceous. The Ono sporocarp is similar in its bi-valvate dehiscence to Marsilea, Regnellidium, and Rodeites and, like some species of Marsilea, it features an inferior tooth. However, unlike these genera, it has a palisade layer only one cell thick. The Ono sporocarp is the second pteridophyte component in the anatomically-preserved flora of the Early Cretaceous Budden Canyon Formation. This is only the second marsileaceous sporocarp occurrence that pre-dates the Late Cretaceous and the oldest to yield anatomical preservation. Humboldt State University, Biological Sciences, 1 Harpst St, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA

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Paleobotanical Section 306

CONTRERAS, DORI* 1 and DOYLE, JAMES A 2

307

A new whole-plant reconstruction of a cupressaceous conifer from the Early Cretaceous at Dutch Gap Canal, Virginia (Potomac Group)

Initial radiation of asterids: earliest cornalean fossils

upressaceae sensu lato are the most geographically widespread and arguably morphologically diverse living conifer family. Basal lineages (former Taxodiaceae) are known for their rich fossil record, which has been greatly expanded in recent decades and extends back at least to the Early Jurassic. Yet, there are relatively few records based on multiple vegetative and reproductive organs from a single locality. Here we provide a new whole-plant concept for a cupressaceous conifer from a large clay ball embedded in coarse sands and gravels exposed on the south bank of Dutch Gap Canal (lower Zone I, Aptian). Specimens are preserved as impressions and compressions and consist of up to three orders of foliated axes, organically attached and isolated pollen and seed cones, pollen, and seeds. Branching is irregular, with all axes covered by spirally arranged, imbricate scale-like leaves. Leaves are decurrent, dorsiventrally flattened, and closely appressed to the stem. The visible portion is ovate to rhomboidal, with a rounded abaxial keel and an acute apex. Epidermal cells are rectangular and organized in longitudinal files, with 1-2 cutinized papillae per cell near the leaf margin. Stomata have longitudinally oriented apertures and 4 (rarely 5) subsidiary cells that are similar to normal epidermal cells in morphology and insertion level. Pollen cones are single and terminal on ultimate shoots, with spirally arranged, imbricate microsporophylls bearing two abaxial pollen sacs that are free from the stalk. They contain spheroidal, non-saccate pollen grains, typical of â&#x20AC;&#x153;taxodiaceousâ&#x20AC;? Cupressaceae. Seed cones are single and terminal, with 35-45 helically arranged, imbricate, dorsiventrally flattened ovuliferous complexes that are spathulate in shape with a broad obtuse apex. Ovuliferous complexes consist primarily of a bract, with no discrete ovuliferous scale or adaxial swelling. The adaxial surface is slightly concave distally, with 5-6 impressions interpreted as seed scars. Associated seeds have two small, lateral integumentary wings. This fossil represents the most completely known conifer from the Potomac Group, and it shows how the association of multiple organs can reveal novel combinations of seed cone, pollen cone, and foliar characteristics. Its character combination indicates a phylogenetic position near the base of Cupressaceae s.l. It shares a mosaic of characteristics with the extant genera Taiwania and Athrotaxis, but it is most comparable to Potomac specimens described as Sphenolepis kurriana and Athrotaxopsis. We discuss its phylogenetic position within Cupressaceae and implications for character evolution in different organs.

ATKINSON, BRIAN A* , STOCKEY, RUTH A and ROTHWELL, GAR W

ur current understanding of eudicot phylogeny suggests that Cornales is the earliest diverging lineage of asterids. Molecular divergence-time analyses suggest that Cornales diverged and rapidly radiated sometime during the mid- to Late Cretaceous. This rapid radiation has made it difficult to resolve deep-node relationships. Cornalean fossils from Late Cretaceous deposits have the potential to improve our understanding of the initial radiation of the order, but the Cretaceous record of Cornales is sparsely sampled. The most ancient cornalean fossils consist of fruits, Hironoia fusiformis from the early Coniacian (89 Ma) of Japan. Here we report three additional permineralized cornalean fruit types from the early Coniacian of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Each morphotype has thick-walled woody endocarps with elongate germination valves, one apically attached seed per locule, and lacks a central vascular bundle, thus, confirming their cornalean affinities. All three morphotypes have several vascular bundles in each septal arm. Each morphotype differs, however, in several morphological and anatomical characters. Morphotype 1 is characterized by ellipsoidal endocarps with three to five locules composed mostly of isodiametric to somewhat transversely elongated sclereids. However, there is a thin layer of longitudinally elongated fibers lining each locule. Germination valves have distinct longitudinal ridges on the exterior surface. Morphotype 2 is characterized by spheroidal endocarps with a relatively long persistent style. Two specimens are preserved with parenchymatous mesocarp still attached. There are consistently three locules per endocarp, and germination valves have a smooth exterior surface. The endocarp is composed of sclereids with an inner, multiseriate layer of narrow transverse fibers that are circumlocular. Morphotype 3 is characterized by relatively large endocarps composed of isodiametric sclereids and germination valves that lack exterior ridges. Each morphotype has a unique combination of characters indicating that the specimens represent three distinct new taxa. These cornalean fruits are synchronous with the earliest cornalean fossil, Hironoia; however, they differ from Hironoia in several important characters. Morphological diversity of cornalean fruits during the earliest Coniacian and extreme geographic disjunction among the fossils support hypotheses of a rapid initial cornalean diversification in the Northern Hemisphere and that the order arose earlier in the Cretaceous.

Oregon State University, Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall , Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

University of California Berkeley, Integrative Biology, UC Museum of Paleontology, 1101 Valley Life Sciences Bldg, Berkeley , CA, 94720, USA2University Of California Davis, DEPT OF EVOL & ECOLOGY, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616-8537, USA

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MATSUNAGA, KELLY* 1, SMITH, SELENA 1, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 2 and KAPGATE, DASHRATH 3

Revisiting Viracarpon, an enigmatic fossil monocot from the late Maastrichtian-early Danian Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India

he Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India host a rich and well-studied fossil flora, known from over 50 localities in western, central, and southeastern India. Plant fossils are permineralized in cherts and include the exquisitely preserved remains of algae, bryophytes, fungi, pteridophytes, conifers, and angiosperms. The cherts formed during quiescent periods between major basalt eruptions of the Deccan volcanic province during the Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene (MaastrichtianDanian), at a time when the Indian subcontinent was geographically isolated and situated in the southern hemisphere tropics. The flora, in which angiosperms dominate, includes several monocotyledonous taxa for which systematic affinities remain elusive. One such fossil is Viracarpon, which comprises infructescences known from five localities in central India. Five species of Viracarpon have been described since this extinct genus was first documented over a century ago. However, opinions differ on the interpretation of morphology, whether all described species represent distinct taxa, and on family-level affinities. In the present study we reinvestigate the morphology of Viracarpon, aided by X-ray micro-computed tomography, in an effort to resolve its taxonomic affinities. In all species flowers/fruits are sessile and have a compact helical arrangement on the axis, forming alternating vertical rows. The axis contains scattered vascular bundles, supporting monocot affinities. The ovary is semicarpous to syncarpous, hexalocular, with a single seed per locule. At least two species can be distinguished, Viracarpon hexaspermum and Viracarpon elongatumÂ¸ the latter having also been described under the name Shuklanthus superbum. The inflorescence axis in V. hexaspermum is more robust, 5-6mm wide and up to 3.5cm long, with 8-12 vertical rows of fruits (4-6mm wide, 5mm tall). In contrast, the axis of V. elongatum is 1.5-2mm wide, up to 6.8cm long, and bears 5-6 rows of fruits (~2mm wide, 1.5mm tall). The perianth is composed of six petals, which are positioned opposite the locules and are partially fused to the ovary, and ~6 free sepals. A central longitudinal ridge is present along the adaxial surface of the petals. It is vascularized and could represent the filament of an epipetalous stamen or staminode. At least in V. hexaspermum, this ridge and the adaxial surface of petals are densely hairy. Affinities with several angiosperm families have been proposed for Viracarpon and include Araceae, Cyclanthaceae, Moraceae, and Pandanaceae. Preliminary comparisons reveal no perfect match with any extant families, but the closest similarities are seen with Pandanaceae and multilocular members of Arecaceae. 1

University of Michigan, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2534 CC Little Bldg, 1100 N University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1005, United States2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3J.M. Patel College, Department of Botany, Bhandara 441904-M.S, India

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ALLEN, SARAH

Reconstructing the local vegetation of the Early Eocene Blue Rim site of southwestern Wyomingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;incorporating new data from fossil woods

he Blue Rim escarpment of the early Eocene (~49.5 Ma) Bridger Formation in southwestern Wyoming preserves fossils of leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, permineralized wood, and dispersed pollen. Each component of the flora provides a slightly different view of the diversity and environment, but taken as a whole, a more complete picture of the landscape is revealed. Fossil wood specimens, including occasional in situ stumps, have been recovered from multiple Blue Rim localities. A single conifer specimen of Pinaceae had large uniseriate tracheary pits and intercellular canals. This find is significant because no other conifer macrofossils have been found at Blue Rim, even though dispersed pinaceous pollen is common. Angiosperm woods include diffuse porous types with affinities to Fabaceae, Canellaceae, and Anacardiaceae. The fabaceous wood lacks storied structure and is characterized by paratracheal axial parenchyma ranging from vasicentric, to aliform, and confluent. The specimen assigned to Canellaceae, can be distinguished as the only Blue Rim wood with scalariform perforation plates, predominately uniseriate rays, and mostly solitary vessels. To date, no leaves or other fossils of Fabaceae or Canellaceae have been documented from Blue Rim. Numerous specimens with radial canals and regular prismatic crystals comprise a wood type similar to or perhaps representative of the fossil genus Edenoxylon, assignable to Anacardiaceae. Fruits and likely leaves of Anacardiaceae have been recognized at Blue Rim. The Blue Rim wood assemblage has significantly lower taxonomic diversity than the leaves, reproductive structures, and dispersed pollen. At least twenty morphotypes of both leaves and reproductive structures have been recovered including Populus, Macginitiea, and Landeenia. While not all macrofossils have been examined, numerous taxa (e.g., Ephedra, Chenopodium, Alnus, Carya, Tilia, Asteraceae) are present only in the dispersed palynoflora and may be more representative of the regional rather than the local flora. Nine wood specimens whose full diameter (ranging from 20-55 cm) could be measured were used to estimate tree height. These trees reached ~16-28 m tall and likely represent some of the larger trees on the landscape. Self-supporting taxa would have been essential for climbers such as Iodes, Vitis, and Lygodium present in the same flora. Characters observed in the Blue Rim woods including diffuse porosity, absent or indistinct growth rings, and rare scalariform perforation plates suggest climate conditions were warm with limited seasonality. These findings are in agreement with paleoclimate estimates from leaf physiognomic methods and the presence of frost-intolerant taxa like Phoenix. University of Florida & Florida Museum of Natural History, Department of Biology, P.O Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

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BIPPUS, ALEXANDER COLE* 1 and TOMESCU, ALEXANDRU 3

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Tiny ecosystems: bryophytes and other biotic interactions around an osmundaceous fern from the Eocene of Patagonia

Eocene Osmunda L. fossil fronds, sporangia and spores from South China and their implications for biogeography

he Eocene La Huitrera Formation is well-known for its remarkably diverse angiosperm-dominated compression flora, including the classic locality Laguna del Hunco. In addition to this, recent collections from this rock unit in the vicinity of Laguna del Hunco have uncovered anatomically-preserved plant fossils, including numerous wood and vascular plant fragments. One of these fossils is a well-preserved Todea (Osmundaceae) rhizome. Thin sectioning of this rhizome reveals a mat of densely arranged small leafy plants around its periphery. The small size of these plants, together with their organization and the lack of lignified tissue, indicate that they are bryophyte gametophytes. Additionally, the intimate association between these bryophytes and the Todea rhizome suggests that they are in situ epiphytes. Large patches of bryophytes are found between and around the outer surface of the leaf bases. Aggregates of fungal hyphae and trails of small coprolites strongly resembling those of oribatid mites are also interspersed throughout both the bryophyte mat and the Todea leaf bases. Our samples contain a minimum of 250 bryophyte shoots associated with this rhizome. The shoots are 0.3 mm in diameter and at least 2 mm long. Stems, 80 µm in diameter, consist of small rectangular cells (12 x 65 µm) and bear very thin (12 µm) leaves with opposite insertion. Many of the shoots are branched, several exhibiting extensive pinnate branching. Leaves are up to 500 µm long, with incompletely preserved apices. The opposite phyllotaxis and highlybranched architecture, along with the extremely thin leaves (probably unistratose and ecostate), suggest that these epiphytic bryophytes are leafy liverworts. However, incomplete leaf preservation precludes narrower taxonomic circumscription. Despite the lack of taxonomic precision, these fossils substantially augment the bryophyte fossil record. They are among the very few fossil bryophytes described from South America, and the first described from La Huitrera Formation. This discovery also expands the fossil record of epiphytic bryophytes, represented currently by only three reports of epiphyllous moss protonemata. Thus, this bryophyte mat is the first account of mature bryophyte gametophytes as epiphytes and the first report of epiphytic liverworts in the fossil record. More generally, this fossil association records biotic interactions between a fern, bryophytes, fungi, and arthropods. This information may help to better understand the immediate growth environment of these organisms and contributes to the growing body of evidence documenting the evolution of complex interactions between epiphyte communities and host plants.

LIU, XIAOYAN* 3, WANG, YONGDONG 2 and JIN, JIANHUA 3

smunda L. is well known from the Mesozoic to Cenozoic of both hemispheres. So far, the vast majority reports for the genus have focused on the numerous rhizomes, leaf venation and dispersed spores, with fewer studies on fronds, sporangia and spores in situ. Additionally, previously described taxa are mainly from high latitude regions in the northern and southern hemispheres with no relatively documents in lower latitude of tropical and subtropical areas of South China. In this study, we firstly studied Osmunda lignita (Giebel) Stur. recovered from the Eocene of Changchang Basin, Hainan Island and Maoming Basin, Guangdong based on the leaf cuticles, sporangia and spores in situ. Sterile fronds are up to 18 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, slightly or deeply pinnatifid. The pinna rachis ranges from 0.5 to 1 mm in width. Pinnules are 0.7-1.2cm long and 0.3-0.8 cm wide. Branching of the pinnae occurs at the angle of 45º-65º. Pinnule veins usually branch once dichotomously with 6-9 and 5-7 veins on the basal and apical side, respectively. The first branch on the basal side generally starts from the rachis. The cuticle is hypostomatal. The regular epidermal cells between veins on both sides are jig-saw-puzzle-shaped, consistently in size of 53-89 µm in diameter. Those on the veins are linear with the length of 80-120 µm. Stomata are rounded or elliptical, 39-42 µm long and 25-34 µm wide, consisting of two subsidiary cells. Sporangia are elliptical with average diameter 500 µm. Spores in situ are rounded, about 42 µm in diameter. Spores are characterized by trilete with strumae or tuberculate sculptures on the surface. The comparison between fossil and living species in morphology and anatomy suggests that the present species is assignable to Osmunda subgenus Plenasium and closest to extant Chinese species, O. banksiifolia (Presl) Kuhn. This is the first record of Osmunda with cuticle, sporangia and spores in situ in China; furthermore, our Osmunda specimens occurring in South China indicates that the genus has reached to the lowest latitude of the northern hemisphere at least in the Eocene. 1

Sun Yat-sen University, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, No.135 Xingangxi Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China2Chinese Academy Of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, No. 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China3Sun Yat-sen University, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, No.135 Xingangxi Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China

Humboldt State University , Biology, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata , CA, 95521, USA2Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Ave. Fontana 140, 9100, Trelew , Chubut, Argentina 3Humboldt State University, Biology, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA, 95521, United States

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NELSON, CHRIS W.* 1 and JUD, NATHAN A 2

A new species of Mammea (Calophyllaceae) from the lower Miocene of Panama with comments on biogeography and phylogeny

alophyllaceae (formerly part of Clusiaceae) is an important pantropical family of trees and shrubs comprising approximately 500 species. Here we present the earliest neotropical fossil evidence of Mammea, one of the largest genera in the family, in the form of a permineralized stem from the lower Miocene (19 Ma) of Panama. The fossil specimen is characterized by axial canals in the secondary phloem and pith, radial canals in the secondary xylem, ubiquitous pitting in the fibers and parenchyma, vasicentric tracheids, simple perforation plates, and narrow rays. The only other fossil evidence of Mammea is a permineralized wood from the MioPliocene of Ethiopia, and the modern center of diversity for the genus is Madagascar. The distribution and phylogeny of extant Mammea species suggest an oldworld origin for the genus, and the new fossil provides a minimum date for dispersal to the Neotropics. Previous molecular-clock analyses of the larger clusioid clade as a whole were calibrated using a single fossil (Paleoclusia) and estimated the origin of crown-group Calophylleae between 40 and 16 Ma. The presence of anatomicallyrecognizable Mammea in Panama by the early Miocene suggests the origination of the crown-group Calophylleae was probably closer to the former date. The biogeographic history of Mammea can be compared and contrasted with that of other taxonomic groups represented by fossils at the same locality, such as Parinari (Chrysobalanaceae), which likely dispersed from Africa, and Humiriaceae, which likely originated and diversified in the Neotropics. Finally, a new morphological phylogenetic analysis incorporating the new fossil and 15 new wood characters yields a topology broadly similar to that of recent molecular analyses while also highlighting some alternative hypotheses concerning the closest relatives of Mammea. The new Mammea fossil is thus only the most recent example of a growing number of paleobotanical studies that enrich our understanding of the diversification, evolution, and biogeographic history of Neotropical plant families.

Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Florida, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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STROTHER, PAUL

Cryptospores record the canalization of meiosis in the evolving sporophyte

tudies in classical morphology by Bower and in modern bryophyte sporogenesis by Brown & Lemon both indicate that the evolution of the plant sporophyte began with spores and that the vegetative plant body evolved later. These observations are consistent with the direct reading of the fossil record of cryptospores which precede the first occurrence of sporangiate plant axes by tens of millions of years. Cryptospores comprise

the miospores of early land plants which do not posses a trilete mark and are typically dispersed as dyads and tetrads. But they also include the meiotic products (diaspores) of algae that were evolving in response to selection in subaerial habitats during Early Paleozoic time. The recently described Cambrian cryptospore, Adinosporus, possesses laminated sporoderm which appears homologous to the primitive condition in crown group embryophytes. Adinosporus does not form regular meiotic tetrads. Instead, it is derived from a sporocyte in which karyokinesis and cytokinesis are decoupled to produce irregular combinations of enclosed dyads. Adinosporus joins Agamachates and other newly-described Cambrian genera, Spissuspora and Vidalgea in their common lack of geometrically regular configurations of attached spore-bodies. In fact, consistently regular combinations of meiotic dyads and tetrads are not found in the fossil record in strata older than Darriwilian (midOrdovician). Therefore, cryptospores s.l. appear to record a shift in sporogenesis in which karyokinesis and cytokinesis become more tightly coupled, resulting in the production of pairs of isomorphic dyads (Dyadospora and Didymospora) and tetrads (Cryptotetras and Tetrahedraletes). Cryptospores of Darriwilian age have long been considered to be the spores of the earliest embryophytes, and, consequently, to record of the origin of land plants. However, the stratigraphic first occurrences of these taxa is really a record of the canalization of meiosis in diploid sporocytes. There is some evidence from spore wall architecture to indicate that these sporocytes were derived from a unilocular sporangium which possessed a tapetum, but even this stage in sporophyte evolution could have occurred very early on in the evolutionary path to embryonic development in plants. A literal reading of the fossil record in the context of the Bower model would indicate, therefore, that spores began in the Cambrian, by mid-Ordovician time, spores were produced in a sporangium comprised of diploid tissue, but that the remaining structural features of the plant sporophyte (including the embryo, itself) were yet to evolve. Boston College, Paleobotany Laboratory, Weston Observatory, 381 Concord Road, Weston, MA, 02493, USA

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TAYLOR, THOMAS N 2

Life after arbuscules: Interfungal interactions from the Devonian Rhynie chert

rbuscular mycorrhizas are among the most important symbioses on Earth. The physiological interface occurs in the form of special structures termed arbuscules, which are formed by the fungus in selected cells of the host plant. However, arbuscules are ephemeral structures that collapse after only a few days. This is in contrast to other parts of the mycorrhizal fungus (e.g., trunk hyphae, vesicles), which appear to remain intact for some time after arbuscule senescence. Few studies have addressed the fate of vesicles and trunk hyphae in roots without active arbuscules. The Early Devonian Rhynie chert has yielded multiple specimens of mycorrhizal land plant axes displaying post-arbuscule states of the mycorrhizal fungus. These specimens indicate that trunk hyphae may become segmented, with

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Paleobotanical Section the individual segments perhaps functioning as propagules. On the other hand, vesicles regularly act as hosts for a diverse suite of microfungi, which may occur as mycelia, spores of varying diameters, and amorphous residue. Based on structural features and developmental sequences gathered from >500 specimens, the vesiclecolonizing microfungi in the Rhynie chert fall into three major groups: (1) clusters of spheroidal spores (8-50 μm diam) developing in pairs from short hyphal branches, which are given off from a central hypha; (2) clusters of spheroidal spores (5-25 μm diam) developing simultaneously with a mycelium; (3) membrane-bounded, sac-like structure within which occur dark amorphous matter and one to several thin-walled spores ~10 µm diam. The spores appear to form as a result of the partitioning of the amorphous matter. The abundance of microfungi in glomeromycotan vesicles in the Rhynie chert suggests that the vesicles in some way positively affected sporulation or spore development in these microfungi, perhaps as a result of confined space and certain nutrients, or that the vesicles provided protection from some degradative agent. The systematic assessment of the microfungi colonizing glomeromycotan vesicles in the Rhynie chert contributes to our understanding of the multiple levels of organismal interactions that sustained early non-marine ecosystems. 1

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, and SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, Munich, 80333, Germany2University Of Kansas, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045-7600, USA3Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, and SNSBBayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, Munich, 80333, Germany

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GENSEL, PATRICIA G

More “woody” plants from the Early Devonian

vidence is building that either there are several plants or several occurrences of a small number of plants with an early type of secondary xylem. The two currently described ones are Armoricaphyton chateaupannense from the Pragian of France (Gerrienne et al., 2011 and Strullu-Derrien et al, 2014) and Franhueberia gerriennii from the Emsian of south shore of Gaspé Bay, Quebec, Canada (Hoffman and Tomescu, 2013). These plants, as well as the ones surveyed below are comparatively narrow in width (less than 1 cm) and exhibit P-type secondary wall thickenings in their tracheids, suggesting they may represent basal euphyllophytes. Gerrienne et al. (2011) included information about a third, as yet undescribed taxon from the Emsian of New Brunswick, Canada for which some data are presented here. Fairly short lengths of 3-5 mm wide ribbed axes exhibit both equal and unequal branches. Preserved xylem consists of an elongate-oval primary xylem strand with a central region of protoxylem. This stele exhibits lateral trace departure from either end. Some axes exhibit both primary and secondary xylem. The secondary xylem consists of regular rows of up to 24 tracheids, interspersed by spaces interpreted as rays, and evidence of multiplicative di-

visions. Permineralized isolated nodules from the same locality but showing no morphology also yield axes with poorly preserved primary xylem and extensive secondary xylem. The axes divide isotomously. Comparison with previously known taxa is difficult but tentatively, these axes are somewhat similar to Franhueberia. Alternatively, they may be more similar to roots (unusual in the Early Devonian), represent more mature regions of the plant above or a very different taxon. To better determine affinity, more details of the primary xylem are needed Lastly, some slender axes from the Emsian of the north shore of Gaspé, strongly resembling Psilophyton, exhibit a haplostele with centrarch primary xylem and possible secondary growth, being rather similar to Armoricaphyton. Long sequences, including regions of branching, are being studied. Clearly much more needs to be learned about variability in stelar organization and presence/absence of secondary xylem in plants which, on the basis of characters currently available, appear to represent part of the basal euphyllophytes. Their significance relative to evolution of progymnosperms and/or early seed plants is presently unclear, but they may indicate an early establishment of lignophyte characters. University Of North Carolina, Department Of Biology, 414 Coker Hall, University Of North Carolina, CHAPEL HILL, NC, 275993280, USA

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SCHWENDEMANN, ANDREW BENJAMIN

A leaf economic analysis of high latitude Triassic plants from Antarctica

lant resource use can be measured in many ways, but not all of these methods are suitable for fossils. Leaf mass per area (LMA) analysis is a measure of leaf economics that can be applied to fossil plants. The LMA of fossil plants can be estimated by measuring the surface area of the leaf and using the petiole width as a proxy for leaf mass. Plants with a high LMA typically grow more slowly than low LMA plants and retain their leaves for a longer time. Plants with low LMA strategies invest less resources in their leaves and are more susceptible to herbivory. Although many high latitude plants are assumed to have been deciduous due the unique environmental conditions under which they grew, recent research suggests that plants of the Petriellales were small evergreen plants. These evergreens lived in the shadows of larger deciduous plants, such as Dicroidium and Telemachus. This current study examines the leaf economic strategies of these, and other, Triassic plants from Antarctica.

Lander University, Biology, 320 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, SC, 29649, USA

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RYBERG, PATRICIA ELIZABETH

A Permineralized Ovulate Cone from the Fremouw Formation of the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

he Middle Triassic of Antarctic was a period of expansive diversity after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Antarctic localities from across the Trans-

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antarctic Mountains indicate a diverse landscape that contained representatives of; lycopsids, ferns, seed ferns, cycads, ginkgoes, and conifers. The diversity of Antarctic conifers is known from isolated leaves, pollen cones, ovulate cones, and seeds. To date, two ovulate cones are known, Parasciadopitys and Telemachus, which have recently been suggested to be the same conifer group, but of different preservation types. The Middle Triassic Fremouw Peak locality of the central Transantarctic Mountains contains the most diverse assemblage of plant fossils of both impression/compression and permineralized specimens in Antarctica. The permineralized cone Parasciadopitys is know from this locality and in this study, a new smaller permineralized cone has recently been found. Bract/Scale complexes are helically arranged on an axis. The bract is tri-lobed, the middle lobe has an acuminate apex with the elongated tip measuring 1.3 mm long. The scale is parenchymatous with isodiametric sclerified cells three to five layers thick along the margins. A single vascular bundle with scalariform thickenings extends the entire length of the ovuliferous scale. Two to three ovules appear to be embedded within the ovuliferous scale. Ovules measure 2-3 mm in length and 0.8 mm in width at the widest point. The integument is approximately 70 μm thick and the nucellus is free for the majority of the ovule length. This ovulate cone contains features of both Parasciadopitys and species of Telemachus, but is much smaller than either genus indicating that it is possibly new species of this conifer group. The cone/scale complex of both genera are between one and three cm long while this new cone’s scales measure only 5.5 mm in length. The sclerified margins of the ovule scale are similar to those of Parasciadoptyis, but the elongate acuminate apex of the bract is more like Telemachus. Studies on Telemachus species indicate that there are a variable number of ovules of this conifer group from two to five. This permineralized cone from Fremouw Peak presents features of both of these genera and enhances the links between Parasciadopitys and Telemachus providing support that these are members of the same natural genus. Park University, Natural and Physical Sciences, 8700 NW River Park Drive, Parkville, MO, 64152

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DECOMBEIX, ANNE-LAURE* 1, SERBET, RUDOLPH 2, TAYLOR, EDITH L 3 and TAYLOR, THOMAS N 3

Triassic trees with epicormic shoots from Gordon Valley, central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

uring the 2010-2011 austral field season, Triassic silicified wood and peat blocks were collected in the Antarctic locality of Gordon Valley, in the central Transantarctic Mountains. They occur within the upper Fremouw Formation, above the level from which an in situ corystosperm fossil forest was discovered in 1990-1991. Among the specimens are large pieces of decorticated gymnosperm trunks showing numerous small branch scars on their outside. Analysis of three specimens through peel-sections shows that they each had over 50 growth rings and thus represent mature trees. In transverse section, numerous epicormic shoots,

some of them branching, cross the secondary xylem with a horizontal to oblique course. The center of the trunks is missing but information on the anatomy of the pith and primary xylem is available in the shoots. The pith is composed of parenchyma and conspicuous sclerotic nests. Only one large sclerotic nest can be seen on a given transverse section, and successive nests are regularly spaced when seen in longitudinal section. The secondary xylem is composed of tracheids and parenchymatous rays that are uniseriate and low. The radial walls of tracheids typically have one row of circular pits which are relatively crowded (araucarian) and have an oblique aperture. Cross-fields contain several crowded pits. All three specimens show some evidence of frost rings, sometimes with several in the same trunk, typically located within the earlywood. Our preliminary observations suggest that the trunks differ from arborescent taxa previously reported from the Fremouw Formation. Specifically, they can be distinguished from the conifer Telemachus/Notophytum by their wood and pith anatomy, and from the corystosperm Kykloxylon (=Jeffersonioxylon) by the lack of tangential and radial parenchymatous zones in their wood. The possible affinities of the trees will be discussed, as well as the new information they bring on epicormic shoots in extinct taxa and on Triassic paleoclimates of Antarctica.. 1

CNRS, UMR AMAP, C/o CIRAD, TA A51/PS2, Bvd De La Lironde, Montpellier, F-34398, France2University Of Kansas, Division Of Paleobotany, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA3University Of Kansas, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045-7600, USA

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SERBET, RUDOLPH* 1, DECOMBEIX, ANNE-LAURE 2, GULBRANSON, ERIK L 5, TAYLOR, EDITH L 6 and TAYLOR, THOMAS N 7

A diverse Late Triassic flora from the Allan Hills (Lashly Formation), southern Victoria Land, Antarctica

uring the 2014-2015 austral field season, a new locality (“Escapa Heights”) yielding Triassic plants was discovered in Allan Hills, south Victoria Land, Antarctica. The plants are preserved as compressions/ impressions and most of the specimens correspond to leaves and fertile reproductive organs. They occur within the Upper Triassic member C of the Lashly Formation, in a siltstone matrix associated with an abandoned channel of a meandering stream system. The intact nature of the majority of compressions/impressions suggests minimal transport, thus the fossil assemblage is likely affiliated with a riparian niche. About 1,300 blocks were collected, typically with several different taxa on each rock surface. Although sphenophyte remains and osmundaceous fronds are present, gymnosperms are by far dominant, both in abundance and in taxonomic diversity. Cycadophytes are the most rare gymnosperm group, with only a few leaves and possible ovulate cones. Strap-shaped leaves assigned to Taeniopteris might represent an additional cycadophyte, but the affinities of this genus are unclear and leaves may belong to the Ben-

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Paleobotanical Section nettitales or Pentoxylales. Ginkgophyta leaves (Baiera) are relatively common, while Heidiphyllum and Rissikia leaves indicate that at least two conifer taxa were present. Among the pteridosperms, Lepidopteris (Peltaspermales) fertile axes are reported for the first time from Antarctica. Corystospermales are the dominant group in terms of diversity and abundance, as demonstrated by the numerous Dicroidium species, i.e., D. crassinervis, D. coriaceum, D. dubium, D. elongatum, D. lineatum, D. odontopteroides, D. superbum, and D. zuberi. Some of these leaves have an aberrant morphology (sensu Anderson & Anderson), with a double dichotomy that had previously been reported in several Gondwanan assemblages but never in Antarctica. Reproductive structures of the Corystospermales are diverse, with 2-3 Pteruchus species and 2-3 Umkomasia species, the highest diversity observed at a single Antarctic locality. The assemblage also includes several morphotypes of seeds, and specimens of Dordrechtites, belonging to a putative gymnosperm ovulate organ. The diversity at this site is completed by remains of unknown taxa, such as highly reticulated leaves similar to the genus Chiropteris. In addition, some leaves show evidence of plant-arthropod interactions (e.g., chew marks, galls). Fossils from this locality constitute by far the most taxonomically diverse Triassic compression/impression assemblage yet described from Antarctica. As such, they provide an opportunity not only to reconstruct whole-plant taxa but also to better understand the ecology of high-latitude floras during the Triassic. 1

University Of Kansas, Division Of Paleobotany, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA2CNRS, UMR AMAP, C/o CIRAD, TA A51/ PS2, Bvd De La Lironde, Montpellier, F-34398, France3Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Avenida Fontana 140, Trelew, 9100, Richard-WagnerArgentina4Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaät, Straße, Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geolo, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333, Munich, 80333, Germany5University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Geosciences, 3209 N. Maryland Ave, Lapham Hall 366, Dept of Geosciences, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA6University of Kansas, KU Biodiversity Institute, 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States7University of Kansas, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, KU Biodiversity Institute, 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

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DOYLE, JAMES A

Stem, crown, and real and apparent conflicts between fossils and molecular dating

here have been many claims that fossils and molecular dates for taxa contradict each other, but some conflicts are more apparent than real. All clades recognized in molecular dating analyses are crown groups (living representatives of a line, their most recent common ancestor, and extinct derivatives of this common ancestor), whereas fossils may represent stem relatives of crown clades (forms on the stem lineage connecting the crown group and its common ancestor

with its living sister group, and extinct branches of this lineage). Fossil members of a crown group should have all the synapomorphies of the living members, but if all these synapomorphies in preserved organs arose early on the stem lineage, modern-looking stem fossils may be much older than the crown group. Fossils can only be assigned to a crown group if they share synapomorphies with one of its subgroups. For example, Early Cretaceous seeds resembling extant Ephedra were initially thought to contradict molecular analyses that dated the radiation of Ephedra as Tertiary. However, analysis of characters of the seed envelope implied that the fossils were probably stem relatives of Ephedra. Hence they do not conflict with a Tertiary radiation; instead, they provide evidence for morphological stasis through the Cretaceous. Similarly, Early Cretaceous flowers with Asteropollis pollen are essentially identical to modern Hedyosmum (Chloranthaceae), which molecular analyses date as radiating in the Tertiary. They have no features that place them in the crown group, but none that are recognizably more plesiomorphic than those of the crown group either. They could therefore be branches of a stem lineage that remained static in known characters until the Tertiary, but data from new organs or new characters of the flowers or pollen are needed to test this. The Early Cretaceous flower Monetianthus was originally compared with Nymphaeaceae, which would contradict a molecular analysis that dated Nymphaeales (represented by Cabombaceae and Nymphaeaceae) as Tertiary, and this was taken as evidence that the fossil was a stem relative of the order. However, phylogenetic analyses firmly place Monetianthus within crown Nymphaeaceae, and character optimization indicates that a stem relative of Nymphaeales would look quite different. This case therefore presents a more serious conflict between fossils and molecular dating, due either to failure of phylogenetic methods or to incorrect assumptions of molecular dating analyses. University Of California Davis, DEPT OF EVOL & ECOLOGY, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616-8537, USA

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NIXON, KEVIN 1, WEEKS, ANDREA and CREPET, WILLIAM* 3 2

A New, Densely Armored Ericalean Floral Taxon from the Turonian of New Jersey USA

new fossil angiosperm flower is described based on three dimensionally preserved fusainized flowers from Cretaceous (Turonian) deposits from Sayreville, New Jersey USA. This site is notable for its rich flora that includes mosses, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms as well as some insects. The new taxon is represented by several fossil specimens. It is characterized by a pentamerous perianth, eight stamens alternating with eight staminodes, tricolporate finely rugulose pollen, a tricarpellate ovary, a distally three lobed style, slight bilateral symmetry, and a highly distinctive indumentum of peltate trichomes that cover all of the floral parts. Various phylogenetic analyses based on morphology alone or using a molecular scaffold suggest the fossils are part of the broadly-defined ericalean clade. Within

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Ericales, fossils share distinctive floral trichomes with modern Styracaceae. This fossil taxon brings into focus the impressive array of glandular and non-glandular trichomes found in Turonian and Santonian Ericales and raises questions about their functional roles at this early stage of asterid radiation. 1

Cornell University, L. H. BAILEY HORTORIUM, 408 MANN LIBRARY, ITHACA, NY, 14853-4301, USA2George Mason University, 4400 University Drive MSN 5F2, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA3Cornell University, Department Of Plant Biology, 413 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

322

GANDOLFO, MARIA A* 1

Antarctic- Patagonian Plant Diversity during the Cretaceous-Tertiary

n the Modern World the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is characterized by its continentality whereas the Southern Hemisphere (SH) is characterized by its oceanicity. This results in completely different scenarios for plant distributions, since the continentality of the north and the oceanicity of the south have considerable effects on the corresponding climates. Interestingly, the SH is more diverse than the NH, in particular Patagonia, which is considered an area of high endemism. In general, peaks in diversity started with the beginning of the fragmentation of Gondwana during the Jurassic followed by the appearance of the angiosperms during the Cretaceous and increasing dramatically in the Tertiary (mostly during the Paleogene - Miocene). The fossil record indicates 1- that equatorial peaks in species richness are typical of terrestrial plants, 2- that diversity and equatorial peaks increased during the Cenozoic, and 3- that several vicariant events that occurred during the Neogene were fundamental for the creation of high diversity centers. The main goal of this contribution is to present a comprehensive analysis of plant diversity for Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula from the Late Cretaceous to the Miocene. Although, the NorthSouth America pathway is not strongly detected in the plant fossil record at this point a route from the NH is emerging as boreotropical elements (such as Ulmaceae, Juglandaceae, Azolla, Marsileaceae, and Nelumbo) were found in Cretaceous and Paleocene sediments of Patagonia while the Antarctic route allowed the movement of Gondwanan elements (such as Cunoniaceae, Myrtaceae, Nothofagaceae, Proteaceae and Casuarinaceae) during the Tertiary. As the climate changed, some elements became extinct but others survived and are now members of the extant floras. Although today 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice, during the Cretaceous Oligocene the Antarctic Peninsula vegetation was similar to the one found today at the Valdivian Forests of the west Patagonian Andes. The eastern vegetation of Patagonia is a typical steppe or grassland. Undoubtedly, both routes influenced the composition of the extant floras and are central for explaining modern austral vegetation and the high Patagonian endemism.

Cornell University, L. H. BAILEY HORTORIUM, 410 Mann Library Building, ITHACA, NY, 14853-4301, USA2Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ecología, Genética y Evolución IEGEBA (CONICETUBA). , Intendente Güiraldes 2620, Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Argentina

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ROTHWELL, GAR W* and STOCKEY, RUTH A

Will the real Corystospermales please stand up

he Corystospermales is a distinctive order of Mesozoic seed ferns that is well represented by both compressed fossils and anatomically preserved remains. Based upon widely distributed ovulate fructificatons (Umkomasia spp.), pollen producing fructifications (Pteruchus spp.), and leaf fossils (Dicroidium spp.), as well as an organismal concept of the “Dicroidium” plant from Antarctica, the order is well characterized and considered to typify many Triassic floras of Gondwana. Wider stratigraphic distribution of the clade in both Northern and Southern Hemisphere biotas also has been proposed on the basis of less diagnostic evidence, including two recent reports of Early Cretaceous ovulate structures from the Northern Hemisphere. These are the anatomically preserved uni-ovulate cupules from Vancouver Island, Canada described as Doylea tetrahedrasperma Stockey & Rothwell and the lignified ovulate bract/scale complexes described as Umkomasia mongolica Shi, Leslie, Herendeen, Herrera, Ichinnorov, Takahashi, Knopf & Crane from Mongolia. The discovery of D. tetrahedrasperma ovules attached to a compact seed cone of compound structure provides evidence that these two Northern Hemisphere taxa are extremely similar to one another, and reveals diagnostic details of the ovulate organs, pollination biology, cupule homologies, post-pollination cupule development, and dispersal biology for the plants they represent. A distinctive combination of concordant characters demonstrates that these two Early Cretaceous, Northern Hemisphere taxa are unlike fossils assignable to the Corystospermales or any other well-known clade of spermatophytes, and that they represent a previously unrecognized order of seed plants. Results of phylogenetic analyses using morphological characters place this clade on the stem of the seed plant tree between the levels where cordaites/conifers and gnetophytes are attached. Careful reevaluations of other Permian-Cretaceous corystosperm fossils are required to determine whether the order is restricted to the Triassic of Gondwana, or if it has much broader stratigraphic and geographic distributions. The latter data also will help clarify possible sister group relationships of Corystospermales to flowering plants. Oregon State University, Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall , Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

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WHEELER, ELISABETH* 1, SRIVASTAVA, RASHMI 2, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 3 and BAAS, PIETER 4

Revisiting the Deccan Intertrappean Woods

ince the 1920s numerous petrified woods have been reported from the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India. Most were described and named during the 1950s to 1980s. At that time, it was thought the Deccan Traps were younger (Eocene) and so, not surprisingly, the woods were identified by their general similarity with

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Paleobotanical Section present-day Indian woods. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s known that the Deccan Intertrappean Beds are older (ca. 67-64 Ma, i.e., late Maastrichtian - early Danian). We examined thin sections, most of holotypes, of 43 species of Deccan woods and have been reassessing their affinities by more broadly comparing them anatomically with extant woods worldwide. At least 4 have features generally agreeing with the assigned generic name (Ailanthoxylon - Simaroubaceae, Garcinioxylon - Clusiacae, Leeoxylon - Vitaceae, Oleoxylon - Oleaceae) and represent the oldest known occurrence of woods with features of those genera. Others have combinations of features consistent with belonging to the family they were originally assigned, but the features are not unique to the genus implied by the name, e.g., Polyalthioxylon (Annonaceae), Barringtonioxylon (Lecythidaceae), Grewioxylon, Sterculioxylon (Malvaceae), Artocarpoxylon (Moraceae), Callistemonoxylon (Myrtaceae). Some have features of more than one family with the families belonging to the same order as the original assignment, e.g. Bischofinium, Bridelioxylon (Malpighiales); Burseroxylon, Heyneoxylon (Sapindales). Others we could not verify the suggested affinities or suggest reasonable alternatives, either because of poor preservation or the sample has a combination of features found in other families and orders. The woods we examined came from multiple localities. Taken as a group, the range of specific gravities of the Deccan woods appears comparable to presentday woods, ranging from very low to high. India had a nearly equatorial position during the latest Cretaceous; almost all other Maastrichtian and Paleocene wood localities are at higher latitudes. Today there is latitudinal variation in incidence of perforation plate type and axial parenchyma abundance. The Deccan woods indicate that there was also latitudinal variation in late Cretaceous angiosperms. They differ from Maastrichtian woods of the rest of world by having higher incidences of simple perforation plates (97% vs. 45%) and obvious axial parenchyma (41% vs. 15%).

montane forests. Seed cones of these genera bear helically arranged bract-scale complexes, but their cone scales differ in the absence of a free and conspicuous ovuliferous scale in Taiwania. The early fossil record of Cupressaceae shows a high diversity of Cunninghamia and Cunninghamia-like seed cones, while seed cones with Taiwania features are less common. Two new lignified and well-preserved seed cone taxa are described from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) Tevshiin Govi deposit of Mongolia. One of the seed cones is found attached to helically arranged falcate and amphistomatic leaves with two narrow lateral stomatal bands; the seed cones are up to 32 mm long, solitary and terminally borne with 30-70 helically arranged bract-scale complexes, which lack a conspicuous and free ovuliferous scale. Overall, various morphological features suggest a close relationship with Taiwania. However, up to four inverted winged seeds are borne on the bractscale complexes, contrary to the commonly two-seeded scales seen in living Taiwania. In Addition, anatomical features such as the absence of a branching resin canal system in the bract-scale complex in the new fossil separate the new seed cone from Taiwania. The second new seed cone from Tevshiin Govi is up to 7 mm long with approximately 25-30 helically arranged, papery bractscale complexes; the margin of the bract-scale complexes is minutely toothed; the adaxial side of the cone scales reveals a denticulate and free ovuliferous scale tip and five diminutive thin winged seeds. The presence of a free ovuliferous scale tip suggests a close relationship with Cunninghamia. A cunninghamioid cupressaceous cone was previously described from a coeval lignite deposit in Mongolia, Elatides zhoui. All these seed cones and leaves from Mongolia provide additional evidence of the remarkable morphological diversity of basal taxodiaceous conifers during the Early Cretaceous. In addition, the extinct Mongolian fossils show that permanently flooded environments were perhaps more ecologically important than in living basal Cupressaceae taxa.

DEPT OF WOOD & PAPER SCIENCE, 710 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA2Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow, 226 007, India3Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall;1659 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA4Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Herbarium Division, PO Box 9517, LEIDEN, 2300 RA, Netherlands

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HERRERA, FABIANY* 1, SHI, GONGLE 2, KNOPF, PATRICK 3, LESLIE, ANDREW 4, ICHINNOROV, NIIDEN 5, TAKAHASHI, MASAMICHI 6, CRANE, PETER 7 and HERENDEEN, PATRICK 8

Diversity of taxodiaceous Cupressaceae seed cones from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia

ine taxodiaceous genera compose the most basal clades of the Cupressaceae s.l. Among these living genera, Cunninghamia with two species is sister to the rest of the family. The monotypic genus Taiwania appears one step up in the phylogenetic tree. Both genera are restricted today to eastern Asia where they grow in

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science Center, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Il, 60022, USA2Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, China3Botanischer Garten Rombergpark, Germany4Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, USA5Institute of Paleontology and Geology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Mongolia6Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Niigata Uni, Japan7Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, USA8Chicago Botanic Garden, Senior Scientist, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

326

LAI, YANGJUN 1, GANDOLFO, MARIA A 2, CREPET, WILLIAM* 3 and NIXON, KEVIN 4

Altingiaceae fossils from the Turonian (Late Cretaceous) of New Jersey, USA

this contribution, we report on a new genus with affinities to the modern family Altingiaceae from the Turonian (Late Cretaceous ca. ~90 Million Years), Raritan Formation outcrops in New Jersey, USA. The fossils are tiny, charcoalified pistillate inflorescences and infructesences with three dimensional preserva-

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tion that includes cellular details. The suite of preserved characters--solitary capitate infructescence, syncarpous bicarpellate ovary with two locules, and the presence of unique sterile phyllomes--indicates close affinities to modern Altingiaceae. The fossils were compared with the previously described Microaltingia apocarpela which was collected from the same sediments. Significant differences between Microaltingia apocarpela and the new genus exist in the morphology and position of the phyllomes: the gynoecium of Microaltingia is surrounded by two whorls composed of numerous short, sterile phyllomes, while the new genus is characterized by the presence of only one whorl. Interestingly, based on the features preserved, it is clear that the new genus comprises two species. One is characterized by its loose florets, granular phyllomes and the presence of hairs at the base of the style, and the other by densely packed florets, triangular phyllomes longer than the style, and the lack of hairs on the style. The relationships of this new genus were explored by analyzing it in a phylogenetic framework. The fossils were included in a combined matrix composed of molecular sequences and morphological data for modern and fossil taxa. These analyses placed the new fossil within the clade that includes modern Altingiaceae. 1

Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, , Nanjing 210008, China2Cornell University, L. H. BAILEY HORTORIUM, 410 Mann Library Building, ITHACA, NY, 14853-4301, USA3Cornell University, Department Of Plant Biology, 413 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA4Cornell University, L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Section of Plant Biology, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

327

SERBET, RUDOLPH* 1 and ROTHWELL, GAR W 2

Developing an organismal concept for the Late Cretaceous cupressaceous conifer Drumhellera Serbet and Stockey

rumhellera kurmanniae Serbet et Stockey was originally described as permineralized conifer branching systems with helically arranged pollen cones attached in the axils of needle-like leaves from the extremely diverse Late Cretaceous floras (CampanianMaastrichtian) that crop out in the badlands around Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. Subsequent collections of additional material from several stratigraphic levels within the Drumheller sequence have provided abundant material to develop a whole plant concept for the species, and to assign it to the subfamily Sequoioideae. Stems are woody with a parenchymatous pith and cortical resin canals. Leaves are linear, helically arranged and have two abaxial rows of stomata. Each leaf has a single resin canal abaxial to the vascular strand. Pollen cones are subtended by a single linear leaf and consist of an axis that bears helically arranged sporophylls, each of which has two to three abaxially attached pollen sacs. Pollen is non-saccate, 12-16 Âľm in equatorial diameter, with a slightly protruding distal leptoma, circular to elliptical aperture, scabrate sexine, and multi-lamellate nexine. Seed cones are terminal and ellipsoidal, 2 - 3 cm long and 1.7 to 2.3 cm in diameter, with up to 27 helically arranged bract/scale complexes. Bract-scale complexes are peltate to rhomboidal in dorsal view, 1.2 cm long, 1.6 to 1.9 cm wide and 6 mm thick, and up to 70

vascular strands per bract-scale complex. Up to 13 seeds arranged in two rows are attached adaxialy to the peltate bract/scale head. Seeds are inverted, up to 5 mm long and 4 mm wide, with two lateral wings. Drumhellera shows a variety of features that can be found in both extinct and extant taxodioid-grade conifers of the Cupressaceae. Bract-scale complexes are most similar to extinct Metasequoia milleri and Parataxodium wigginsii, and to living Sequoiadendron giganteum. Organismal concepts for extinct taxa document greater species richness of extinct basal Cupressaceae than is found in extant flora, and provide vital data for reconstructing the ecological complexity of western North American Cupressaceae during the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene. 1

University Of Kansas, Division Of Paleobotany, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA2Oregon State University, Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall , Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

328

WILF, PETER* 1, STEVENSON, DENNIS WM. 2 and CUNEO, N. RUBEN 3

The Last Patagonian Cycad, an Extinct Genus of Zamiaceae (Tribe Encephalarteae) from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco Flora, Chubut, Argentina

he cycads pose classic problems in evolutionary biogeography due to their far-flung extant distributions and the sparse fossil records of living genera. A noteworthy example is Tribe Encephalarteae of Family Zamiaceae, today consisting of Encephalartos (Africa) and the Australian genera Lepidozamia and Macrozamia. Numerous petrified trunks of Encephalarteae described from the Cretaceous of Patagonia, Antarctica, and India indicate far larger past distributions across Gondwana and subsequent extinctions. The only fossils close to the current range are Paleogene leaf fragments with cuticle from Australia assigned to Lepidozamia and Macrozamia. We report a large frond piece and several isolated leaflets of a compressed cycad, along with an associated spiny petiole, from the late-Gondwanan, 52.2 Ma Laguna del Hunco flora of Patagonia, Argentina. We propose that the fossils belong to a new, extinct genus of Encephalarteae that has the novel combination of an Encephalartos-type frond and Lepidozamia-type cuticle. Similarly, the Australian Lepidozamia fossils, widely used for molecular dating calibrations, have unknown frond morphology and could also represent an extinct genus. The new fossils demonstrate survival of the Encephalarteae in Patagonia and presumably across Gondwana until its terminal phase, adding a striking new component to the growing list of South American plant extinctions associated with Antarctic separation and related climate changes. 1

Penn State Univ., 537 Deike Bldg., UNIVERSITY PARK, PA, 16802, USA2New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, NY, 10458, USA3MEF AV. FONTANA 140, TRELEW-CHUBUT, N/A, 9100, Argentina

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Paleobotanical Section 329

STOCKEY, RUTH A* 1 and MINDELL, RANDAL A. 2

Permineralized Sloanea (Elaeocarpaceae) from the Eocene of North America

seed bearing, valvate capsule of Sloanea (Elaeocarpaceae) has been recovered from the Middle Eocene Appian Way locality, on Vancouver Island south of Campbell River, in British Columbia, Canada. The fruit is nearly quadrangular in cross section, 2.1 cm in diameter, with four carpels, each containing one or more seeds. The outer fruit wall is 2 mm thick from which emerge elongate spines that are circular in cross section and at least 1.5 mm long in places where the fruit is less abraded. The inner fruit wall is composed of narrow, transversely, elongated cells, that are circum-locular in cross section. The carpels are separated by a thin, four-armed, parenchymatous central axis. Carpels open by loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds are circular in cross section with an integument containing a thick-walled palisade of densely pitted sclerenchyma, underlain by a zone of more isodiametric sclereids. The seed is surrounded by an external layer of very thin-walled cells, 4-5 cells thick, that may represent an aril. A zone of copious, cellular endosperm surrounds the embryo which is mostly infiltrated with pyrite and not well preserved. Fungal hyphae and sclerotia are common in some of the fruit tissues. This fruit is the first reported permineralized fruit of Sloanea from North America, a genus that until recently was thought to have originated in the Southern Hemisphere tropics. The possible aril suggests the presence of modern dispersal systems for Sloanea by the Middle Eocene. This fossil provides additional evidence for the hypothesis that Elaeocarpaceae may have originated in the Northern Hemisphere. 1

Oregon State University, Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall , Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA2Douglas College, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 700 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC, V3M 5Z5, Canada

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DEVORE, MELANIE* 1 and PIGG, KATHLEEN B 2

Alternative analogues for the evolutionary mechanisms that drive diversification of some upland Rosaceae

he latest early Eocene Republic locality of Washington, in concert with those of the other Okanagon Highlands sites in British Columbia, provide a record of high elevation floras with temperate elements that is contemporaneous with tropical coastal forests of the Eocene thermal maximum. Well represented in these fossil floras is the Rosaceae, a family predominately distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere today. However, their current distribution is not a good analogue for investigating the drivers of evolutionary mechanisms within Rosaceae. Instead, tropical highland floras in both the New and Old Worlds provide a better backdrop for interpreting the variation within fossil Rosaceae of the Pacific Northwest. Based on the autecology and breeding systems of taxa present within the floras of the Northern Andes and the Virun-

ga Mountains of central eastern Africa, we see at least three interesting patterns within the family. First, floras of both continents have suites of Rubus populations actively hybridizing within high elevation vegetation zones today, a pattern that we have documented for the Okanogan Highlands. Secondly, the presence of Prunus africanus at high altitudes in the Virunga Mountains, suggests that it is a relictual element of a taxon known to be more widely distributed during the Paleogene. Finally, both the Northern Andes and Virungas host endemic, woody rosaceous taxa with compound leaves in montane ecosystems. In both the case of Hagenia (Africa) and Polylepis (Andes) these arborescent taxa originate from herbaceous ancestors. We see a similar pattern of highly dissected to compound leaves attributed to Rosaceae such as the extinct genus Stonebergia in the Eocene of western North America. These taxa also may represent endemic forms that descended from herbaceous ancestors. The mechanisms of diversification of this third group of Rosaceae lie in sharp contrast to such long-lived hybrid complexes as Rubus or taxa like Prunus, which persist because of their superb dispersal potential. 1

Dept Of Biology & Env. Science, GC & SU Campus Box 81, MILLEDGEVILLE, GA, 31061-0001, USA2Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences and BioKIC, PO Box 874501, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-4501, United States

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JUD, NATHAN A

Fossil woods from OcĂş Panama

n 1963 Stern and Eyde published a short report in Science introducing a newly recognized fossil forest from Panama. The silicified woods were collected near the town of Ocu, Panama and many are very well preserved. Since the initial study, there has been essentially no further research on these woods, despite their potential significance for understanding climate and forest composition following the uplift of Central America in the Late Paleogene and earliest Neogene. I investigated new collections from the same area and recognize 10 new dicot wood types and one palm stem. Affinities at the Family/Order level include Ericales, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Lauraceae, Moraceae, Sapindales, and Sapotaceae. Analysis of functional traits supports the conclusion that these woods grew under tropical rainforest conditions. The woods lack distinct growth rings, some have very large mean vessel diameters (>200 micrometers), very large vulnerability index values, and a wide range of specific gravity values. The woods are found as abundant isolated pieces weathering out of topsoil (many over than 30 cm in diameter). To date, they have not been found intact within the host sediment, so the geologic age has been difficult to pin down, but field work is ongoing. Nevertheless, the large size of the logs, their angularity, and their rare earth element profiles all suggest autochthonous to parautochthonous preservation, and an in-situ forest may be awaiting paleontologists in the field. Together, these attributes are consistent with a moist to humid lowland tropical forest in Panama during the late Eocene-early Miocene.

University of Florida, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

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332

ROZEFELDS, ANDREW* , DETTMANN, MARY and CLIFFORD, TREVOR

Cenozoic macrofloras of northern Australia - new floras, new taxa and new approaches

he Cenozoic fossil floras of northern Australia remain poorly known. Although the earliest descriptions were undertaken by Constantin von Ettingshausen in the late 19th century, there has been little subsequent research undertaken. An overview of the Cenozoic floras of northern Australia, i.e. above 28oS, is presented. Three principal floral assemblages will be discussed: The oldest floras (Paleogene) are from Dinmore; Australia being still joined to Antarctica. Only the ferns in the Dinmore site have been studied in any detail. Three taxa are recognized, the climbing fern Lygodium (Schizaeaceae), aquatic fern Tecaropteris (Pteridaceae) and a third undescribed taxon. Spores extracted from sporangia of the same Lygodium species, collected from southern Australian sites, have been referred to Cyathidites splendens Harris 1965. The Dinmore site also includes a diverse angiosperm flora. Younger Oligo-Miocene floras are associated with small sedimentary basins related to hot spot volcanic activity. Australia was at this time separated from Antarctica, becoming the â&#x20AC;&#x153;islandâ&#x20AC;? continent. The most studied flora, from Capella, is Late Oligocene/early Miocene in age and includes 3D preserved (silicified) seeds and fruits. The Capella flora consists of trees - Elaeocarpus spp. (Elaeocarpaceae), Wilkinsonia (Proteaceae), Spondylostrobus and Pleiogynium (Anacardiaceae), Fontainocarpa (Euphorbiaceae), conifers, lianas (Vitaceae, two species) and Menispermaceae, and ferns. Using a nearest relative approach, the flora is interpreted as a complex mesophyll/notophyll rainforest with lianas. New floras have been found recently. Miocene impression floras from the Mount Warning Shield Volcano provide credible evidence of Eucalyptus and rainforest taxa including Nothofagus, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Proteaceae and legumes in the same site. The flora is associated with Miocene volcanics dated using 40K/39Ar to between 23-26 m.y. B.P. A flora from Moranbah, Central Queensland has yielded a new species of Lygodium with spores referable to Crassiretitriletes vanraadshovenii Germeraad, Hopping & Muller 1968, Gymnostoma staminate and pistillate cones and foliage (Casuarinacaeae), Nothofagus leaves, other flowering plants and conifers. Miocene sites in kaolinite from the Kingaroy area in southern Queensland have also additional evidence of Gymnostoma. Amber from Cape York Peninsula, of uncertain age, has yielded Acacia-like flowers, fungi and bryophytes. An overview of the taxa recorded from northern Australia is provided highlighting some recent discoveries. These studies collectively provide additional information on the origins and history of the modern Australian flora. Computer tomography and synchrotron imaging is providing new insights into the silicified fruits from the Capella flora. Queensland Museum , Geosciences , 122 Gerler Road , Hendra, Brisbane , Queensland, 4011, Australia

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STULTS, DEBRA* 1, AXSMITH, BRIAN , MCNAIR, DANIEL 3 and ALFORD, MAC 4 2

Preliminary investigation of a diverse Miocene megaflora from the Hattiesburg Formation, Mississippi

ur understanding of Miocene plant evolution in the southeastern United States is hampered by the rarity of productive sites with well-preserved fossils. Berry (1916) briefly described a poorly preserved palm (Sabalites apalachicolensis) and leaves of Ulmus floridana from the Miocene Hattiesburg Formation in southeastern Mississippi. In 1944, a few plant fossils from the Hattiesburg Formation were identified by Roland Brown as a probable Taxodium (possibly T. distichum), Salix, either Morus or Celtis, and fragments of some type of monocot. None of these fossils were described in detail or figured. Recently, an extensive megaflora has been recovered from the upper part of the Hattiesburg Formation along the Bowie River in Mississippi. Ferns are represented by specimens of Salvinia with attached sporocarps, a probable Woodwardia s.l. based on a pinnatifid frond, and a possible Osmunda cf. regalis pinna. Conifers are represented by branchlets of Taxodium with preserved cuticles. Angiosperms include leaves attributable to the Lauraceae based on venation pattern, oil bodies in the mesophyll, and paracytic stomata. Platanus (Platanaceae) is commonly associated with palms, and recognized from leaves, fruits, and large logs. Leaflets of Sambucus (Adoxaceae) are common. Cercis (Fabaceae) is recognized from leaves with palmate venation and pulvini. Leaves of Quercus (Fagaceae) sections Lobatae and Quercus have been recovered. The Juglandaceae include fruits of Juglans section Rhysocaryon, and two species of Carya section Apocarya. Morus (Moraceae) is known from leaves, as are Populus and Salix (Salicaceae). Of particular interest is an endocarp of Sargentodoxa (Lardizabalaceae), being the first record of this Chinese endemic from the southeastern coastal plain, and only the third occurrence in North America. Monocots include Cyperus (Cyperaceae) based on spikelets with achenes, and two types of palm (Arecaceae). One type of palm is costapalmate, the other palmate. Two palmate specimens have robust, recurved spines on the petiole, the first record of this type of fossil palm from North America. Ongoing research is focused on refining identifications, paleoclimate, and constraining the Miocene age of the site. The Hattiesburg Formation megaflora is now one of the most extensive in eastern North America, and along with the Brandon Lignite of Vermont, the Alum Bluff flora of Florida, the Brandywine flora of Maryland, and the Gray Fossil site of Tennessee, helps to fill a major temporal and biogeographic gap in our understating of Miocene plant evolution in eastern North America.

University of South Alabama, Biology, Mobile, Alabama2University Of South Alabama, Biology Department, 5871 USA Drive North, Room 124, MOBILE, AL, 36688-0002, USA3The Center for Plant Diversity, Plant Sciences, Mail Stop 7, One Shields Ave, Davis, California, 956164University Of Southern Mississippi, Department Of Biological Sciences, 118 COLLEGE DRIVE #5018, HATTIESBURG, MS, 39406-0001, USA

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Paleobotanical Section 334

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Exquisitely preserved xylariaceous fungal fruiting bodies from the Early Miocene of Panama

Applications of a novel model (CRACLE) for the estimation of >30,000 years of paleoclimate using packrat (Neotoma sp.) midden plant macrofossils from the American Southwest

HERRERA, FABIANY* 1, MULLER, GREGORY 1, HUHNDORF, SABINE 2, SORIANO, CARMEN 3, MANCHESTER, STEVEN 4 and JARAMILLO, CARLOS 5

he Xylariaceae are a diverse and cosmopolitan family of ascomycetous fungi with at least 76 genera, currently comprising more than 1300 species. The group is most diverse in tropical to sub-tropical wet environments, but many species are found in temperate regions. Fungi of this group are important wooddegraders and many species are commonly found with conspicuous stromata on standing dead tree trunks or fallen logs. Although fruiting bodies of Xylariaceae are relatively common in present-day wet environments, stromata fossils are extremely rare. Cretaceous to Quaternary ascospores of Hypoxylonites, which are characterized by an elongate germ slit that parallels the long axis have been commonly associated to several Xylariaceae genera. Here, we report exquisitely preserved and abundant permineralized fruiting bodies attributable to Xylariaceae from the Early Miocene, Cucaracha Formation of Panama (~19 million years old). The fossils are preserved as calcareous cellular permineralizations in poorly sorted volcaniclastic sandstones. Several fossil stromata were cut longitudinally and then serially sectioned using the cellulose acetate peel technique. Acetate peels were mounted in Canada balsam or analyzed under scanning electron microscopy. Fruiting bodies were also studied by X-ray propagation phase contrast tomography (PPCÂľCT). At least two morphotypes are recognized. One of them is characterized by a spherical to hemispherical stromata, containing abundant perithecia with conspicuous perithecial mounds, perithecia spherical-wide to obovoid, ostioles encircled with a disc, ascospores unicellular and ellipsoidal with a straight germ slit on the dorsal side. The second morphotype is characterized by applanate stromata, with perithecia immersed, perithecia narrow, more or less elliptical and tightly packed. The fossil fungi are found together with a rich and diverse carpo- and wood- flora, mostly composed of Neotropical angiosperm taxa. Many of the fruiting bodies are found attached to permineralized angiosperm wood and log remains suggesting saprotrophic nutrition. The new Panamanian fossils represent one of the best opportunities to study the history of xylariaceous fungi in a Neotropical setting. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science Center, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Il, 60022, USA2Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Il, 60605, USA3Argonne National Laboratory, 4X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne, Il, 60439, USA4University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA5Smithsonian Tropical Reserach Institute, Ancon, Panama

HARBERT, ROBERT S 1 and NIXON, KEVIN* 2

lant distributions have long been understood to be correlated with the environmental conditions to which species are adapted. Therefore, it is expected that the plants coexisting in a community are reflective of the local environment, particularly climate. The CRACLE method will be reviewed as a novel approach to the estimation of climate from local plant taxonomic diversity data. CRACLE, implemented in R, is a likelihood-based method that employs specimen collection data at a global scale for the inference of species climate tolerance. CRACLE calculates the maximum joint likelihood of coexistence given individual species climate tolerance characterization to estimate the expected climate. Several modern datasets have been analyzed using CRACLE and these results show that highly accurate, quantitative estimates of climate can be generated from lists of >5 taxa in a community. Recently, CRACLE has been used to reconstruct late Pleistocene and Holocene paleoclimate of the American Southwest using packrat (Neotoma spp.) midden plant macrofossil data to create a ~30,000 year climate record.

Cornell University, Plant Biology, 2210 Ellis Hollow Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850, United States2Cornell University, 412 Mann Library, Ithaca, New York, 14850, United States

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BRIGHTLY, WILLIAM* 1, STROMBERG, CAROLINE A. E. 2, OSBORNE, COLIN 3 and HARTLEY, SUE 4

Exploring the Adaptive Role of Biogenic Silica in Poaceae, a Phylogenetic Approach

he deposition of biogenic silica in tissues, mainly in the form of solid phytoliths, is widespread among vascular plants. This deposition is controlled by both genetic and environmental factors (e.g., rates of evapotranspiration), resulting in variable gross silica concentrations among taxa and individual plants. The role of silica is especially well studied in the grass family (Poaceae), because of its economical and ecological importance, and because of the relatively high biosilica concentrations of many grasses. Several biological functions for grass phytoliths have been proposed, including mechanical support and drought resistance. In particular, much research has focused on the role of phytoliths as herbivore defense. A longstanding idea within the field of Paleontology holds that open habitat grasses, particularly C4 grasses (which came to dominate grass communities at low-mid latitudes), evolved increasingly higher concentrations of phytoliths as large, mammalian grazers diversified during the Neogene. This, along with empirical observations, has lead to the general hypothesis

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that C4 grasses possess higher biosilica concentrations than C3 grasses. However, tests of this hypothesis have yielded contradictory results, in large part because these studies have not adequately accounted for phenotypic plasticity (i.e., by comparing grasses that may have experienced different levels of evapotranspiration). Here we test the hypothesis that C4 grasses produce higher concentrations of phytoliths than C3 grasses using material collected from individuals grown under the same environmental conditions, thus controlling for the potentially confounding effects of environmental variation. Material from 248 species of Poaceae was collected from the University of Sheffield and sampled for both phytolith extraction and silica concentration analysis. Silica concentration data were collected for a total of 133 species using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, at the University of York. Phylogenetic generalized least squares analysis was then used to explore the relationship between silica concentration and photosynthetic pathway. Preliminary results suggest that there is no significant difference in biogenic silica accumulation between C3 and C4 grasses, calling into question the idea that the diversification and dominance of large, grazing mammals selected for higher silica concentrations across C4 grasses. Future analyses will further explore this hypothesis by investigating the relationship between silica concentration and habitat openness, ecological dominance (in both C3 and C4 species), and herbivore pressure more directly. Examination of the phytolith assemblages of the species investigated herein will also be used to test for phylogenetic patterns in silica allocation among open-habitat grasses. 1

University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, United States2University Of Washington, Department of Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, Washington, 98195-1800, United States3University of Sheffield, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom4University of York, Biology, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom

POSTERS 337

BRONSON, ALLISON* , DENTON, JOHN and MAISEY, JOHN

Platylithophycus: A taxonomic journey through three phyla

isidentified fossils are common in paleontology, but Platylithophycus has experienced a particularly problematic series of descriptions. The fossil in question is a 50 cm by 25 cm chunk from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Kansas. It was named according to the rules of botanical nomenclature, by Johnson and Howell (1948), who described it as a calcareous green alga, based on the fossil’s surface texture. Later, Miller and Walker (1968) re-identified it a coleoid cephalopod, based partly on a comparison of microstructure between Platylithophycus and the internal pen of modern sepiid squids. The fossil was kept in the teaching collection at the University of Nebraska, where, according to paleontological legend, an undergraduate student suggested that the fossil might be part of a cartilaginous fish, based on the fossil“s tessellated surface. However, that interpretation has not been formally proposed until now. Utilizing computed tomographic scanning and modeling techniques, and based on both its textural qualities and overall morphology, the holotype of Platylithophycus is re-described as part of the branchial endoskeleton of an elasmobranch.

American Museum of Natural History, Division of Paleontology, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA

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STROMBERG, CAROLINE A. E.* , ABOULAFIA, ELIE 2, BRIGHTLY, WILLIAM H 1, CRIFÒ, CAMILLA 1, MCMANUS, BRITTANY 2, O'KEEFE, CASEY 1, SCHORR, ANNA 1 and SENSKE, ASHLY 1

Grass phytolith shape: towards a key to the evolution and paleoecology of grasses and grasslands

hytoliths are microscopic bodies made up of opal-A that are precipitated in the tissues of many vascular plants. Grasses in the family Poaceae produce a diverse range of phytolith shapes, including so-called grass silica short cells (GSSC), which are unique to grasses. It has long been known that GSSC shape variation broadly correlates with grass classification, and these differences have been used in paleontology and archaeology to reconstruct, among other things, evolutionary divergences within the grass family (Poaceae), grass community composition in Cretaceous to Holocene ecosystems, and human domestication of grasses. Nevertheless, it remains unclear just how well GSSC morphology reflects relatedness among grasses in light of the new, molecular-based Poaceae phylogenies, which have substantially altered traditional views of grass relationships. In addition, previous work on the phylogenetic significance of GSSC shape have focused mainly on two-dimensional GSSC shape categories, rather than

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Paleobotanical Section trying to assess three-dimensional shape quantitatively. To solve this issue, we are attempting to establish a phylogenetically-based, morphological phytolith “key” for more robust assessment of the phylogenetic affinities of fossil phytoliths. This phytolith key focuses on extracted phytolith assemblages, rather than GSSCs in situ in the epidermis, and considers primarily (1) the relative abundances of GSSC shape categories (rondel, pyramidal, crenate/polylobate, saddle, bilobate, cross) produced by grass species, and (2) the detailed threedimensional shape variation within these categories, although the orientation of GSSCs in the epidermis will also be taken into account. To do so, we study phytolith assemblages extracted from modern grass species from across the Poaceae phylogeny. For each grass species, we first classify the GSSCs into shape categories and calculate the relative abundance distribution of these categories. Second, we use high-resolution light-microscopy images to collect landmark- and semilandmark data to quantitatively compare shapes within each shape category. Preliminary data indicate that both distribution of GSSC shape categories and detailed variation within shape categories provide at least coarse distinctions between clades. Work is ongoing to refine the method and add taxa to determine the phylogenetic resolution of GSSC phytoliths and test hypotheses about GSSC shape evolution. 1

University Of Washington, Department of Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, Washington, 98195-1800, United States2University Of Washington, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Johnson Hall Rm-070, Box 351310, Seattle, Washington, 98195-1310, United States

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CLEVELAND, CLAIRE

What are early signals of Patagonian paleofloral response to Eocene cooling and initial stages of South America’s separation from Antarctica?

ossil floras from South America, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand support an extended rainforest biome spanning much of the Late Cretaceous Southern Hemisphere. However, global cooling and separation of South America from Antarctica resulted in significant climatic and ecological change in Paleogene Patagonia. Fossil floras from Rió Pichileufú (RP) and Laguna del Hunco (LH) in Patagonia, South America, provide a unique opportunity for comparative analysis of two fossil floras bracketing the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. LH (52.22 ±0.22 Ma) and RP (47.74 ±0.05 Ma), separated by just 4.5 Ma and 160 km, share significant similarities. Both fossil floras were quarried from tuffaceous caldera-lake sediments in the Huitrera Formation less than 15° latitude north of the Drake Passage. Research in the literature indicates that although many plant taxa are found at both sites, including Dacrycarpus and Agathis, RP lacks many of the taxa observed at LH, including Eucalyptus and Gymnostoma. Additionally, new taxa observed at RP are not represented at LH, including the oldest known macrofossil of Asteraceae. Qualitative evidence from EW Berry’s 1938 RP type and cohort collection at the National Museum of Natural History, will be considered with quantitative evidence from recent RP collections at the Museo Paleontologico

Egidio Feruglio in Trelew, Argentina. Through multivariate analysis of composition and relative abundance, the recent RP collection and published LH data sets will be compared in the context of the earliest stages of biogeographic isolation of South America, change from greenhouse to icehouse conditions, and signals of refugium versus extirpation. I predict that net loss of ancient Gondwanan rainforest associations and net gain of new occurrences, as well as shifts in relative abundance, will be observed through comparison of the recent RP and LH fossil collections. This research may help provide insights into early transition from Old World Gondwanan rainforest assemblages to New World Patagonian floral assemblages. Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, 236 Deike Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

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BAGHAI-RIDING, NINE LUCILLE* 1, AXSMITH, BRIAN 2 and DAVIS, KENDAL 3

Paleoclimate and Taphonomic Implications of a Palynological Sample from the Bucatunna Formation

he Bucatunna Formation (early Oligocene, 30.530.3 Ma) outcrops from Vicksburg, Mississippi into Alabama and occurs in the subsurface of western Florida. This formation is regarded as a coastal/nearshore, low energy, marine depositional environment comprising of sparsely to nonfossiliferous, dark, lagoonal, bentonitic, carbonaceous clays. Recently, assorted megafossils of Lauraceae and Quercoid leaves, and other undescribed morphotypes of leaves, fruits and flowers have been reported from several clay lenses in the upper part of this formation. One random palynological sample was acquired from one of the rich megafossil leaf sites in Monroe County, Alabama. Well-preserved palynomorphs obtained from this sample are suggestive of an oak-hickory, riparian, coastal vegetation forest. Some palynomorphs were acquired from longdistance airborne transport, others had characteristics of plants growing along local river banks, and several palynomorphs were indicative of a marine influence. In a 300 point count, angiosperms represented 79.5%, conifers 5.3%, pteridophyte spores 13.6%, and dinoflagellates cysts, acritrachs and freshwater algal forms 1.7%. Dominant pollen types include Alnus, Carya, Ilex, Juglans, Nyssa, Pinus, Quercus, and Tilia. Common sporomorphs are assignable to Cyatheaceae, Lycopodiaceae, Polypodiaceae, Schizeaeceae and Dictyophyllum. Some of the more common dinoflagellate cysts include Homotryblium plectilum, Cleistosphaeridium placacanthum, and Spiniferites. Overall the palynological assemblage is considerably different from the regional vegetation implied by the megaflora. The palynomorphs may be indicative of more time-averaging and help signify what the local vegetation comprised of during the early Oligocene. 1

Delta State University, Biological Sciences, Caylor Hall, room 234B, Cleveland, MS, 38733, USA2University Of South Alabama, Biology Department, 5871 USA Drive North, Room 124, MOBILE, AL, 36688-0002, USA3Delta State University, Biological Sciences, Cleveland, MS, 38733, USA

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LOCKLEAR, JARED and MICKLE, JAMES E*

Pleistocene-age fossil wood from the Atlantic Coastal Plain of southeastern North Carolina, USA

recently discovered locality in an open aggregate mine pit near Wilmington, North Carolina, has produced abundant macrofossil remains that show a wide range of diversity. The material is preserved in loose, sandy clay and was recovered from the spoil heap. The exact environmental setting is uncertain, but appears to be channel fill, lacustrine or overbank deposits. Palynological analysis indicates a Pleistocene age, and suggests a Sangamon age for the sediments. Macrofossil specimens were recovered by maceration and include abundant well preserved seeds, fruit, flowers, cones, insects and conifer wood. Conifer wood specimens range from twigs to small logs. Specimens identified compare to taxodioid and cupressoid species of Cupressaceae (including the Taxodiaceae), based on bordered pitting patterns. Cross-field pits are mostly taxodioid, sometimes cupressoid, or taxodioid and cupressoid. Margins of the tori are not crenate, more so rounded. Wood in the specimens shows distinct growth rings and an absence of resin ducts. Rays are mostly uniseriate; ray tracheids are present. The wood is classified as Cupressaceae, and Taxodium is the only genus that fully characterizes the taxodioid type. This is corroborated by the abundance of Taxodium seeds identified from the locality. This represents one of the few records of wood identifications in the Pleistocene of the Atlantic Coastal Plain North Carolina State University, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Campus Box 7612, 2115 Gardner Hall, Raleigh, NC, 276957612, USA

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Phycological Section Phycological Section POSTER 342

NOWRUZI, BAHAREH

A proposal for the unification of two strains of cyanobacteria genus Nostoc to the same species

tudies of cyanobacteria are important to the global scientific community because of their ecological and applied importance. Amongst the different cyanobacterial orders, the Nostocales and Stigonematales orders are especially important as they fix atmospheric nitrogen and thus contribute to the fertility of agricultural soils worldwide. However, in spite of their ecological importance and environmental concerns, their identification and taxonomy is still problematic and confusing, often being based on current morphological and physiological studies, which generates confusing classification systems based on plastic characters that vary with the environmental and cultural conditions.. The present research aimed to investigate through a polyphasic approach, the differences in morphological and genotypic features of two cyanobacteria strains isolated from paddy fields of Iran, belonging to the family Nostocaceae (subsection IV. I). Based on the description of the morphology provided by Desikachary (1959), the two strains were identified as Nostoc ellipsosporum and Nostoc muscorum. Challenges arose when the two Nostoc strains could not be discriminated by 16S rRNA and ITS genes sequencing. The results of sequencing of the cloned bacterial 16S rRNA fragment strongly indicated that the current morphological classification of the two Nostoc species is invalid. Moreover, phylogenetic study of these two Nostoc strains has demonstrated that genetic relationships are in conflict with the morphological classification. Besides, after doing DNA-DNA reassociation experiments, we concluded that the two Nostoc strains investigated might possibly be united into one species.

Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad Unive

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Physiological Section Physiological Section ORAL PAPERS 343

THORHAUG, ANITRA* 1, POULOS, HELEN MILLS 2, LOPEZ-PORTILLO, JORGE 3, KU, TIM C.W. 4 and BERLYN, GRAEME P. 5

The Organic Sedimentary Carbon Losses from Seagrass in the Gulf of Mexico

he present seagrass extent in Gulf of Mexico is 9500 km2 from 25,000 km2 seagrass in North America while the Eastern Atlantic seaboard contains approximately 10000 km2. Carbon in GOM is estimated at 45% of USA carbon and Eastern seaboard about 50%. Anthropogenic activities have decimated carbon worldwide and presently continue. Our objective was to measure how much carbon was lost throughout the Gulf of Mexico during the last century of development. We invented a new method for examining carbon loss, which utilized seagrass restoration done over the last 43 years and their control areas (which had not been restored ) at a series of GOM sites previously impacted, then restored. We sampled two controls (continually-barren plus sites with pollution killing seagrass then remaining barren), the natural seagrass and restored seagrass at 11 sites. Evidence of impacting incident was usually clear in the cores. The 11 sites including 2 in Mexico, 4 replicate cores taken at each of continually barren naturally, after kill-still-barren sites, natural seagrass sites, and restored seagrass sites of various restoration ages, and types of pollution. These were analyzed for organic and inorganic carbon and compared. 20.0 (+ 6.9) Mg Corg ha-1 was found as an average loss. The losses of continually polluted areas were greater than one-time disturbance, then conserved. The estuary by estuary extent and loss had already been estimated by state and federal seagrass spatial extent researchers. This basin wide loss will be presented. Although IPCC “ Blue Carbon” mitigation strategies should include seagrass restoration, IPCC 2014 voiced uncertainties based on few data quantifications about seagrass carbon loss. 1

Yale University , School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 390 Prospect , new Haven , CT , 00561, USA2Wesleyan University, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Middletown , CT, USA3Inecol -Xalapa, Ecological Sciences, Xalapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico 4 Wesleyan University, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, 522 Walker Building, Middletown , CT, Usa5Yale University, School Of Foresty & Evironmental Studies, GREELEY LAB-370 PROSPECT ST, NEW HAVEN, CT, 06511, USA

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THORHAUG, ANITRA* 1 and POULOS, HELEN MILLS 2

Effect of Rivers on tropical seagrass: South Central Puerto Rico

study was undertaken to ascertain the sustainability of seagrasses as influenced by the following South Puerto Rico rivers: Rios Loco, Mathilde, Portugues, Buccano, Descalabrado, and Coamo from Guanica in west to Santa Isabel in east. We first created a remote mapping with resultant “normal” plumes and “extreme “ plume (which was a high wind event over 110mph with associated precipitation events such as hurricanes). The field study included spectral reflectance of each site/station seagrass to ascertain health, biomass, abundance of seagrass and abundance and species of associated macro-algae. This was sampled at 5 stations within each site: at river mouths, half-way to “normal” plume edge, near normal plume edge, near “high wind event” edge and at a control beyond the plumes. The results throughout showed differences among “normal plume” river effected and the unaffected areas beyond the river’s impact. The biomass, abundance, species composition and health differed significantly. The amount of seagrass effected by the 6 riverine output will be discussed. A further study was undertaken to ascertain where corridors to sustain seagrass-coral habitat interaction might be established for sustaining both foundation habitats for potential fish and invertebrate combined habitat. These results were presented and discussed with a series of suggested measures for sustaining seagrass with several types of stakeholders to whom this information should be useful : the State and Federal resource managers, infrastructure and land managers in Puerto Rico, industries and mining, municipalities, agriculture (including coffee and row crop growers), and citizens and citizen groups. Some of these groups are in process of discussions in terms of activating solutions to sustaining seagrass and their related coral. 1

Yale University , School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 390 Prospect , new Haven , CT , 00561, USA2Wesleyan University, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Middletown , CT, USA

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VANDENBRINK, JOSHUA* 1 and KISS, JOHN Z. 3

A Novel Phototropic Response of Arabidopsis thaliana Roots to Blue Light Identified in Microgravity

ue to their sessile nature, plants have evolved mechanisms to response to changes in environmental factors. Growth-mediated responses, or tropisms, to environmental stimuli direct growth towards or away from a stimulus. Two environmental cues that play a large role in plant growth and development are light and gravity. However, currently very little is known about the interaction between these two tropistic movements. Utilizing the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) on board the International Space Station, we investigated the interaction between phototro-

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pic and gravitropic responses in three Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes, Lansberg wild-type and phyA and phyB mutants. Utilization of centrifuges on board the EMCS allowed for the simulation of fractional or reduced gravity vectors ranging from 0.1 to 1 g. Under conditions of microgravity, a previously uncharacterized positive blue-light phototropic response was observed in roots exposed to blue light. This phototropic response was attenuated at the onset of gravity (0.1 g). In addition, a red-light positive phototropic curvature was observed in roots exposed to red light. Unlike the blue-light phototropic response, red light curvature of roots showed a gradual decline in curvature in response to increasing the gravity vector. This relationship between magnitude of red light phototropic curvature and the increasing gravity vector appears to be linearly correlated. In addition, the previously characterized red light positive curvature of hypocotyls was confirmed. To our knowledge, this is the first characterization of this positive blue light phototropic curvature in Arabidopsis roots, as well as description of the relationship between these phototropic responses and fractional gravity. 1

University of Mississippi, Biology, University, MS, 38677, USACentro de Investigaciones Biológicas , Madrid, Spain3University Of Mississippi, Graduate School, 100 Graduate House, University, MS, 38677, USA 2

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ROBERTSON, DANIEL JORDAN* 1, JULIAS, MARGARET 2 and COOK, DOUGLAS 2

Geometric and Material Effects of Crowding Stress in Maize

ubstantial increases in maize production have been achieved in the past 50 years through the development of varieties that are tolerant of crowding stress. Unfortunately, stalk lodging (breakage of the stalk prior to harvest) is positively correlated with crowding stress. To investigate the structural effects of crowding stress, 2 replicates of 5 commercial varieties of maize were sown at 5 planting densities in 2 locations. A sample of 1000 stalks were analyzed via micro-CT scanning followed by mechanical testing (bending strength). Geometric and material effects were quantified and investigated. It was observed that increased crowding stress resulted in a decrease in cross-sectional diameter, rind thickness and stalk strength. However, tissue density and stalk eccentricity was observed to increase with planting density. Test revealed that the area moment of inertia of the stalk was highly predictive of stalk strength. In particular, area moment of inertia accounted for over 70% of the observed variation in strength. Future varieties of maize could be improved by breeding for increased area moment of inertia in the presence of crowding stress.

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COOK, DOUGLAS* , JULIAS, MARGARET and ROBERTSON, DANIEL JORDAN

Forensic Analysis of Maize Stalk Lodging

talk failure causes damage and often death of the plant. This topic is particularly relevant in agriculture, but the basic biomechanics behind the initiation and progression of stalk failure are poorly understood. This study describes a multi-modal failure analysis including forensic examination, image analysis, and structural engineering to gain new insights on stalk failure in maize. Maize stalk failure samples were carefully examined at several locations in North America and Africa during 2010, 2012, and 2014. To reduce the number of potential confounding factors, only stalks with no visible presence of disease or pest damage were included in this study. X-ray computed tomography was performed to obtain high-resolution geometric information of maize stalks at resolutions ranging from 78μm to 90μm per voxel. Customized computer code was developed to perform automatic analysis of the geometric features of stalk cross-section. Finally, tissue structures were investigated using stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Maize stalks were found to fail in just three modes, including tensile snapping, longitudinal splitting, and buckling/creasing (see Figure 1). This is the first detailed description of maize stalk failure modes in the scientific literature. Overall, 91% of all failed samples exhibited creasing failure. Creasing was commonly aligned with the major diameter of the stalk cross-section, and the predominant direction of failure was in the direction of the minor diameter of the maize stalk (Figure 1). Furthermore, 89% of creasing failures occur within 3 cm of a junction between adjacent sections of the stalk (Fig. 2). These results indicate strong connections between maize stalk physiology and failure. An analysis of maize stalk geometry (Fig. 3) revealed that extreme changes in stalk geometry occur at nodal junctions, possibly acting as a stress concentrator. SEM and CT imaging revealed that tissue delaminations (a phenomenon often occurred in composite materials) were frequently observed under the rind surface at the failure region (Fig. 5). As the intralayer delamination grows within the stalk, severity of failure increases, which ultimately lead to complete destruction of the stalk. The application of engineering failure analysis revealed distinct patterns in failure type, direction, and location. This new information resulted in a new model of stalk failure initation and progression.

New York University Abu Dhabi, Division of Engineering, PO Box 903, New York, NY, 10276, USA

New York University - Abu Dhabi, Mechanical Engineering, P.O. BOX 129188, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, N/A, NA, UAE2New York University - Abu Dhabi, Mechanical Engineering, P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, NA, UAE

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Physiological Section POSTERS 348 JOSHUA

FLYNN, COLLEEN* 1 and PUZEY,

Springy Tendrils: A Comparative Study of the Biomechanics of Coiling Tendrils

any plant species exhibit tendrils that, after attaching to a fixed point, coil into a helical structure. Gelatinous fibers, also found in reaction wood, have been shown to control this action and allow the tendril to maintain its coiled shape. Although these gelatinous fibers are common in species with coiling tendrils, different species exhibit variations in its end morphology (be it handedness, presence of a perversion, or other), suggesting that the species may exhibit varying physiology that allows the coiling to occur. This study takes a comparative approach to examine two things: the role of gelatinous fibers in driving tendril coiling in independently evolved climbing plants, and the relationship of gelatinous fibers to the mechanical properties of the resulting tendril. We expect that there will be a marked difference between different speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; morphology that can be directly correlated to variations in their movement. In particular, we believe that the pattern of cellulose banding in the gelatinous fiber will have a significant affect on the tendrilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coiling habits and mechanical properties in each species. Knowledge of the coiling structures of tendrils can help further not only a better understanding of plant movement but also a more advanced biomimetic spring that may have real-world applications.

College of William and Mary, 110 Sadler Center, CSU2423, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185, United States2College of William and Mary, Dept. of Biology, 540 Landrum Dr., Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA

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BUCIOR, DANIELLE

Comparison of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Terrestrial and Aquatic Plants from Vieques, Puerto Rico

ccording to recent studies (Mattina et al., 2003), plants have been found to be reliable biological indicators for detecting toxins and heavy metals in their immediate and surrounding environments. Upon contact, both terrestrial and aquatic plants will bioaccumulate heavy metals in their roots and shoots indicating the presence of specific contaminants found in the soil and water. The Vieques Naval Training Range is located on the island of Vieques, just south east of the main island of Puerto Rico. The training range encompasses about half the area of the island and was used for artillery missile training from 1941 until 2003. This area has since been converted to a National Wildlife Refuge lands. To explore the presence of heavy metals from exploded and undetonated artillery in these ecosystems today, we have collected plant leaves, fruits, and roots. Samples were collected from 4 species of terrestrial and aquatic plants from publically accessible beaches in the National

Wildlife Refuge near bombing sites in Vieques. Using an X-Ray Fluorescent spectrometer and an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer, we identify the type and quantity of heavy metals found within the three plant species: Dune-dwelling Fan-flowers (Scaevola taccada, Scaevola plumieri), Bay Cedar (Surania maritima), and the aquatic seagrass Thalassia testudinum. We compared the specificity of metal uptake in each plant species. Using these plants as primary indicators, we will generate information regarding health, toxicity and contamination of the ecosystem, allowing us to provide remediation recommendations and assess the impacts these metal levels may have on other flora and fauna present. Ithaca College, Biology, 953 Danby Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA

350

MILLARD, AVERY* , CARVER, MICHELLE , DUNN, MICHAEL , SMITH, JESSICA and BORER, CATHERINE

Evaluation of crystalline calcium in dried foliage samples

alcium is an essential plant macronutrient, important as a structural component of cell walls and membranes, and as a second messenger to initiate physiological responses to a range of environmental signals. To allow for these functions, calcium must be maintained at low cytoplasmic concentrations, and is commonly pumped into organelles or into the apoplast. Plants can also crystallize excess foliar calcium in a physiologically unavailable form, such as calcium oxalate. In previous work, we have evaluated physiologically relevant pools of foliar calcium using sequential acidic extractions of dried plant foliage. The purpose of this study was to adapt a method that is used to analyze crystalline calcium in fresh plant foliage, and determine whether it may also be used to assess crystallized calcium in dried plant tissues. We used this method to more directly evaluate the physical form of chemically sequestered foliar calcium, and its role in calcium tolerance of plants growing at sites with high calcium availability, such as the gypsum soils at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Freeze dried and ground foliage samples were treated to release crystalline calcium, and samples were evaluated via differential interference contrast microscopy. Samples were separated into three groups, based on their relative amounts of chemically sequestered foliar calcium, as determined in a previous study. We found that the relative abundance of crystals, determined via microscopy, was consistent with species groupings of chemically sequestered calcium reported in the previous study. This comparatively simple visual method provides a reasonable estimate of the relative abundance of crystalized calcium in freeze-dried foliage samples, and helps elucidate physiological strategies of tolerance utilized by plants growing at a high calcium site.

Berry College, Biology, P.O. Box 490430, Mount Berry, GA, 30149, USA

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351

TZIVION, AMIT* 1, VANDENBRINK, JOSHUA 2 and KISS, JOHN Z. 3

The Phototropic Response of Roots and Shoots Under Differing Circadian Light Cycles

nlike animals, plants cannot flee from threats or stressors. Thus, plants have evolved the ability to respond to their environment in the form of tropisms. Tropisms are growth-mediated movements in response to an external stimulus. Phototropism is the ability to respond to light by growing either toward (positive) or away (negative) from the light source. Previous research in microgravity has shown that the shoots of plants tend to display negative phototropism in the presence of red light. Previous studies have shown that the roots of plants display positive phototropism upon exposure to red light. Exposure to blue light has been shown to have the opposite effect. In ground-based research, plants tend to display positive phototropism in the shoots in response to blue light and negative phototropism in the roots. The plant shade-avoidance response, which has been shown to be regulated by red light, is regulated by the plant’s circadian rhythm. Thus, we investigated the relationship between phototropic response and light cycles by disrupting the circadian rhythm of Arabidopsis seedlings by exposing the seedlings to differing light and dark cycles, followed by exposing the plants to 48 hours of either red or blue light. By exposing Arabidopsis seedlings to 90 hours of continuous white light prior to red light exposure, we saw negative phototropism displayed in both the shoots (-13.2°) of the plants and the roots (-13.5°). When exposing plants to a 12 hour light and 12 hour dark light cycle, we saw negative phototropism in the shoots (-19.5°) and in the roots (-64.0°). We observed the same results upon exposure to red light when alternating between 18 hour light and 6 hour dark cycles during germination: negative phototropism was seen in the majority of the shoots (-18.0°), while negative phototropism was seen in almost all of the roots (-38.5°). Although disrupting the circadian rhythm did not reverse the phototropic effects, we did see a trend in decreased phototropic response in plants whose circadian rhythm was disrupted. In the plants whose light cycles during germination exceeded 24 hours, phototropic effects both towards and away from the light source decreased on average. These studies also represent important experiments for our upcoming research project on the International Space Station in 2017.

352

DURAN, KRISTY* 1, SHANKS, KEVIN , ORTEGA, STEFAN 2 and DURAN, CODY 2 2

Effects of nitrate on the root hydraulic conductivity in legumes with and without Rhizobium symbiosis

itrogen is a limiting nutrient in plants that is essential for many cellular and molecular functions. Nitrogen is acquired from the roots of the plant as nitrate, and usually taken into the plant with water via aquaporins. Leguminous plants form an association with symbiotic bacteria that are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and are housed within nodules formed on the host root. Previous studies show increased root hydraulic conductivity in response to high nitrogen in non-leguminous plants. This study examines effects of nitrate on root hydraulic conductivity in the legume, Phaseolus vulgaris, at two, four, and six-week seedling. We also examine whether the symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium affects these results. A split root experiment was used to examine the differential uptake of water in response to the addition of a high nitrate solution. Fifteen plants were inoculated with the Rhizobium and fifteen were not. Five plants of each treatment were grown for two weeks after germination and, five plants of each treatment were grown for four weeks, and five plants of each treatment were grown for six weeks in a low nitrate solution. Two-week seedlings from both inoculated and un-inoculated plants took up more of the low nitrogen solution. At four-weeks, the inoculated plants continued to take up the low nitrate solution, however, there was no difference in water uptake between low and high nitrate levels. At six weeks, the inoculated plants continued to take up the low nitrate solution, but the un-inoculated plants took up more of the high nitrate solution. These results may be explained by the symbiotic relationship between legumes and Rhizobium. Plants with Rhizobium may have a mechanism to limit the amout of water they acquire. On the other hand, legumes may have also mechanism that allows them to take up more water and therefore more nitrogen at later growth stages in response to high nitrogen when lacking the symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium. 1

Adams State University, Biology and Earth Science, 208 Edgemont Blvd, Alamosa, Colorado, 81101, USA2Adams State University, Biology and Earth Science

University of Mississippi, Department of Biology, University, MS, 38677, United States2University of Mississippi, Biology, University, MS, 38677, USA3University Of Mississippi, Graduate School, 100 Graduate House, University, MS, 38677, USA

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Pteridological Section Pteridological Section ORAL PAPERS 353

CHAMBERS, SALLY* 1, BAISER, BENJAMIN 2 and SESSA, EMILY BUTLER 1

Distributions and environmental divergences of Floridian ferns

lorida is a peninsular state in the southeastern United States characterized by subtropical and tropical climates. The state spans a latitudinal gradient that generates natural variation in climatic conditions, such as annual temperature and precipitation. Currently, there are roughly 150 fern species known to occur in Florida, with most of the species diversity occurring in the southern portion of the state. This is likely because tropical ferns found in Central and South America can extend their ranges into similar climate regimes that characterize south Florida. Species distribution models can be used to examine the contemporary geographic ranges of these species and the climatic factors that may be responsible for these distribution patterns. These models can also be used to forecast anticipated shifts in distribution in response to global climate change. We are using species distribution models to quantify the climatic niches of all fern species found in Florida, and to examine what environmental factors are driving the distribution of each species. We are also projecting these distribution models into the future to predict species’ responses to future climatic changes. Preliminary results from a principal components analysis indicate that species diverge in their tolerance for warmer temperatures and greater amounts of precipitation. These divergences display a phylogenetic pattern of niche conservatism, with species from the same genus occupying similar temperatures or precipitation regimes. Thus far, projected distributions for the year 2070 indicate that very few species will expand their distributions in the future, but the vast majority of Floridian fern species will experience severe reductions in their geographic distributions.

University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Florida, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, PO Box 110430, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

354

PINSON, JERALD* , CHAMBERS, SALLY and SESSA, EMILY BUTLER

Florida’s Sinkholes, and the Separation of Generations in Ferns

erns and lycophytes are the only lineages of plants in which both stages of the life-cycle, the sporophyte (diploid) and gametophyte (haploid), are independent and free-living. In approximately 10% of ferns, the gametophytes can also be long-lived, and ~30 of these species have also been identified as having a spatial separation of the two generations, in which the gametophytes never produce sporophytes in at least part of their range.

There are several such species in eastern North America that likely haven’t produced a viable sporophyte for thousands of years and yet still maintain large ranges throughout several states. It is currently unknown what inhibits the production of sporophytes in fern species that show a spatial separation of generations, but there is evidence to suggest that fine scale micro-climatic conditions may be driving this pattern in several species. n southern Florida, Lomariopsis kunzeana is known to grow as gametophytes in the moist crevices of solution, some of which support sporophytes and some of which do not, making it an ideal system in which to study the affects of environmental conditions on sporophyte production. Additionally, due to the cryptic nature of gametophyte morphology, and the relatively high number of taxa with long-lived gametophytes in Florida, there is a strong possibility that there are other species with this pattern growing in the area, as yet undocumented. We will measure light intensity and temperature levels throughout the course of a year by placing data loggers in several solution and sinkholes throughout Florida, both those that have sporophytes and those that do not for a given species. We will quantify microclimatic conditions along vertical gradients within these holes, some of which can be tens of feet deep. We will then collect and sequence fern tissue to identify gametophytes and sporophytes to species and determine a presence/absence count with depth and microclimatic conditions, and collect tissue at locations along a vertical gradient to determine if sporophyte production varies with depth.

University of Florida, Biology, 876 Newell Drive, 521 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

355

SOSA, KARLA* 1, WINDHAM, MICHAEL D. 1, HUIET, LAYNE 2, YATSKIEVYCH, GEORGE A. 3 and PRYER, KATHLEEN 1

A case of mistaken identity revealed as a new species of Cheilanthes s.s. (Pteridaceae)

uring our ongoing studies of cheilanthoid ferns, we have encountered herbarium specimens from Ecuador identified as Cheilanthes rufopuncata Rosenst. If correctly identified, this would be a remarkable range extension given that C. rufopunctata has been reported previously only from Bolivia and southern Peru. Morphological comparisons to bona fide specimens of C. rufopunctata quickly revealed that the Ecuadorian collections did not belong to that species. Cheilanthes rufopunctata has much larger, more divided leaf blades that are nearly glabrous, whereas the Ecuadorian collections are quite pubescent. They are more reminiscent of C. pilosa, but differ from that species in their hair length and glandularity, and their broad, light brown petiole scales. Molecular analyses do not support a close relationship of these specimens to either C. rufopunctata or C. pilosa. Instead, our plastid data reveal that the Ecuadorian collections are sister to C. micropteris, the generitype of Cheilanthes. This is somewhat surprising given the significant morphological disparities between these two taxa. Because the Ecuadorian plants do not match

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any previously described taxon of Cheilanthes, we propose to recognize them as a new species—Cheilanthes ecuadorensis—currently known from just two collections gathered in Loja Province. Despite the dissimilarity between C. micropteris and C. ecuadorensis, we have obtained viable hybrids from artificial crossing experiments. These hybrids may prove invaluable for understanding the genetics of morphological divergence and convergence in cheilanthoid ferns. 1

Duke University, Biological Sciences, 137 Bio Sciences Building, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA2Duke University, Biological Sciences, 137 Bio Science Building, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA3The University of Texas at Austin, Plant Resources Center, Main Building, Room 127, 110 Inner Campus Drive Stop F0404, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

356

PRYER, KATHLEEN* 1, WINDHAM, MICHAEL D. 1, HUIET, LAYNE 1 and ROTHFELS, CARL 2

A small new genus uniting surprisingly disparate cheilanthoid ferns (Pteridaceae)

heilanthoid ferns are notorious for large, poorly defined genera that are routinely proven to be nonmonophyletic (e.g., Cheilanthes, Doryopteris, Notholaena, Pellaea). Morphological convergence is certainly the rule, rather than the exception, among these xeric ferns. Generic affinities remain particularly vexing for a small group (~5 species) informally known as the “skinneri complex” that is endemic to Mexico and Central America. Most recently included in Cheilanthes, some researchers argue this group is better placed in Pellaea. Adding an especially bizarre twist, it has been proposed that one of these species (appropriately named gryphus) is an intergeneric hybrid between Cheilanthes and the distantly related genus Hemionitis. To address this conundrum, we assembled macro- and micromorphological observations, cytogenetic data, and both plastid and nuclear DNA sequences. We confirm that the traditional core species of the skinneri complex are monophyletic, together with the proposed hybrid and the enigmatic taxon currently called Hemionitis subcordata. This clade is phylogenetically distant from both Cheilanthes and Hemionitis and should be included in neither; it warrants recognition as a distinct genus.

Duke University, Science Drive, Durham, NC, 27708-0338, USA2University of California Berkeley, University Herbarium and Dept. of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

357 LI-BING

ZHOU, XINMAO* and ZHANG,

Phylogenetic relationships in lycophyte genus Selaginella based on the 18S-5.8S26S rDNA

he largest lycophyte genus Selaginella (Selaginellaceae) contains ca. 800 species. It has cosmopolitan distribution but its highest species diversity is apparently found in tropical and subtropical regions. Although phylogenetic relationships and infrageneric classification of Selaginella are now relatively well established, these results are mainly based on plastid data and there are unresolved issues not addressed by plastid data. In this study phylogenetic relationships of Selaginella are explored based on nuclear 18S-5.8S-26S rDNA genes (> 2800 bp) with the goals: (1) to test the phylogenetic hypotheses based on plastid data; and (2) to gain new insights into the evolution of diagnostic morphological characters in some subgenera/sections of the genus. Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O.Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166, USA

358

JORGENSEN, STACY A* 1 and BARKER, MICHAEL S 2

Evolutionary history and population genomics of the allotetraploid lycophyte Selaginella rupincola

elaginella is a lineage of vascular land plants comprising ca. 700-800 species and is characterized by obligate heterospory, a dominant and complex sporophyte stage, and a lignified vascular system. This lycophyte group originated approximately 400 MYA, and is an emerging model system integral to understanding the evolutionary history of land plants. Selaginella rupincola is a native of the Madrean Sky Islands of the southwestern United States and the Sierra Madre of Mexico. It is an allotetraploid (n=20), with a much broader range than is hypothesized progenitors. Among its xeric-adapted features is a resurrection phenotype associated with a radiation of Selaginella species in arid western North America. Here, we use a combination of approaches to investigate the hybrid history and population genetics of S. rupincola. Previously published Sanger sequence data and newly generated transcriptome data provide insights into the parentage of this allopolyploid. Double digest restriction-associated DNA sequence (ddRADseq) data are used to sample S. rupincola genomes at the population level. In our pilot study, we sampled five Sky Island populations in order to estimate population parameters at a genomic scale. Moving forward, we hope to improve spatial sampling of S. rupincola throughout its range, and to sample the genomes of the hypothesized progenitors.

University of Arizona, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1041 E Lowell St, PO Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA2University Of Arizona, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

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Pteridological Section 359

SUNDUE, MICHAEL A* 1 and POINAR, GEORGE O. 2

An extinct grammitid fern genus from Dominican amber, with revision of Grammitis succinea

ecent discoveries of fossils in amber are rapidly changing our understanding of the pace of fern evolution. We report the second record of a grammitid fern from Tertiary Dominican amber. The fossil comprises a single fertile pinna with excellent preservation, thus allowing a clear view of unaltered morphological characters. Venation, indument, and sori match the protologue of the previously described species from Dominican amber, Grammitis succinea L. D. Gรณmez, so we assign our fossil to that species. Characters of both specimens of G. succinea are sufficient to place it within the grammitid clade of the Polypodiaceae. However, it does not agree with Grammitis as it is currently circumscribed. We explore possible relationships between the fossil and other extant grammitid genera through Principal Coordinates Ordination (PCOa) of 109 morphological characters and through phylogenetic analysis of combined morphological and plastid DNA sequence data. Character combinations found in the fossil are inconsistent with those of any extant genus and our PCOa analysis did not suggest a clear affinity with any extant genus. This uncertainty is also reflected in the results of our phylogenetic analyses, which find multiple most-parsimonious positions for the fossil within the grammitid clade. Based on these results, we suggest that the fossil belongs to an early divergent lineage of grammitid ferns, and cannot be assigned to any extant genus. Consequently, we place both specimens in a newly described fossil genus, and make a new combination for G. succinea within it. Discovery of extinct lineages not attributable to any modern genus from OligoceneMiocene deposits is important because it demonstrates that extinction has occurred even among these relatively young lineages. 1

111 Jeffords Hall, 63 Carrigan Dr., Burlington, VT, 05405, USA2Oregon State University, Department of Integrative Zoology, Corvallis, OR, 97331

360

ZHANG, LI-BING* 1, ZHANG, 2 LIANG , SCHUETTPELZ, ERIC 3, ROTHFELS, CARL 4, ZHOU, XINMAO 5 and GAO, XIN-FEN 6

Circumscription and phylogeny of the fern family Tectariaceae based on plastid and nuclear markers, with the description of two new genera: Draconopteris and Malaifilix (Tectariaceae)

he circumscription and the phylogeny of the fern family Tectariaceae have been controversial. Previous molecular studies have supported the monophyly of this family, with 4-5 genera. However, these studies were exclusively based on plastid markers and relatively small sampling, especially of the non-Tectaria genera. In the

present study, DNA sequences of eight plastid and one nuclear markers of 25 accessions representing 18 species of Tectaria and 58 accessions representing ca. 90% of the non-Tectaria species in the family (including Arthropteris) were used to infer a phylogeny using maximum likelihood (ML), Bayesian inference, and maximum parsimony. Our major results include: (1) Tectaria as currently circumscribed is not monophyletic and can be divided into three genera: Tectaria s.s., Draconopteris (gen. nov.) from Central to South America, and Malaifilix (gen. nov.) from Malesia; (2) Draconopteris and Malaifilix, the two new genera, together with Pteridrys, form a strongly supported clade; (3) in our ML analyses, the clade containing Draconopteris, Malaifilix, and Pteridrys (the DMP clade) is resolved as sister to the rest of Tectariaceae and Arthropteris is sister to Tectaria + (Hypoderris + Triplophyllum), suggesting that Arthropteris should be treated as a member of Tectariaceae, and thus Tectariaceae contains seven genera: Arthropteris, Draconopteris, Hypoderris, Malaifilix, Pteridrys, Tectaria, and Triplophyllum; (4) with the well supported relationships among the members of Tectariaceae, anastomosing venation in the family is inferred to have evolved independently at least three times; (5) Nephrolepis is strongly supported as sister to a clade containing Cyclopeltis, Dracoglossum, and Lomariopsis, and thus we advocate that Lomariopsidaceae include these four genera (plus the unsampled Thysanosoria); and (6) intercontinental dispersal appears to have played an important role in shaping the extant distribution of Tectariaceae. 1

Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O.Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166, USA2Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China3Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 200134University of California Berkeley, University Herbarium and Dept. of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA5Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu, Sichuan , 610041, China6Chengdu Institute of Biology, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China

361 LI-BING

XU, XIAOGANG* 1 and ZHANG,

A revison of the fern genus Pleocnemia (Dryopteridaceae)

he circumscription, taxonomy, and phylogeny of the Old World fern genus Pleocnemia Presl (1836) have been confusing. It was often been treated as a member of Tectariaceae, while recent molecular data resolved it as a member of Dryopteridaceae. Many species in Pleocnemia have been transferred to various genera, e.g., Dictyopteris, Tectaria (incl. Aspidium). Different authors recognized various numbers of species in the genus. A taxonomic revision based on literature and herbarium studies shows that the synapomorphies of the genus include: (1) presence of areoles of venation; (2) the unicellular yellow or orange glands; (3) a distorted form of vascular anatomy of stpies; and (4) chromosome n = 41. The important taxonomic features include: presence or absence of sinus-teeth that project

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out of the plane of a pinnule, and morphology of the unicellular yellow or orange glands. About 23 species are recognized in this revision, of which P. acuminata, P. andaiensis , P. brongniartii, P. conjugata, P. irregularis, P. nesiotica, P. seranensis are mainly distributed in southern part of the areas, and P. winitii, P. hamata, P. kwuangsiensis, P. submembranacea, etc. are mainly distributed in northern part of the areas. 1

Nanjing Forestry University, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China2Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O.Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166, USA

362

NAGALINGUM, NATHALIE S.* 1, GARDNER, JESSICA 1 and PERRIE, LEON 2

Phylogenetic identification of select lastreopsid ferns (Dryopteridaceae)

he genus Lastreopsis s.l. (Dryopteridaceae) is paraphyletic with respect to Megalastrum and Rumohra. Recent efforts to address this problem have resulted in segregation of Lastreopsis s.l. into Lastreopsis s.s. and Parapolystichum; furthermore Lastreopsis s.s. has been split into the subgenera Lastreopsis and Rhopalotricha. Notably, as the two genera are morphologically indistinguishable, species can only be assigned to them based on DNA sequence data. The majority of Lastreopsis s.l. species have been assessed using DNA, but there remains nine species that are incertae sedis. We generated sequence data for six of these incertae sedis species to permit placement in either Lastreopsis s.s. or Parapolystichum. We also assessed the phylogenetic position of one species that was assigned to Lastreopsis s.s. in the absence of sequence data, and present new accessions for seven previously studied species. The phylogenetic results indicate that several species require new taxonomic combinations into Parapolystichum. Additionally, the inclusion of new species necessitates reassessment of the subgenera of Lastreopsis. All of the species in this study derived from Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand and the Pacific, significantly enhancing the understanding of biogeographic patterns across the phylogeny.

363

SCHUETTPELZ, ERIC* 1 and SCHNEIDER, HARALD 2

Toward a community-derived classification for lycopods and ferns

hylogeny has long informed pteridophyte classification and, as our ability to infer evolutionary trees has improved, classifications aimed at recognizing natural groups have become increasingly predictive and stable. The ordinal and familial classification of ferns by Smith et al. (2006), which was founded on the principle of monophyly, but also recognized the importance of maintaining established names, has been generally wellreceived by the pteridological community. However, over the past decade, important advances have been made in our understanding of relationships, which were not accounted for in this or subsequent classifications. To this end, we proposed the establishment of a Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG) tasked with updating the classification of lycopods and ferns following the main tenets of Smith et al. (2006), but utilizing a communitybased approach. Here, we present a summary of progress to date and our vision for the future.

Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, MRC 166 PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, USA2Sun Yatsen University, Centre of Ecology and Evolution, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia2Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington , 6011, New Zealand

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Pteridological Section POSTERS 364

HOLMLUND, HELEN* 1, LEKSON, VICTORIA 2, GILLESPIE, BREAHNA 3 , NAKAMATSU, NICOLE 4, BURNS, AMANDA 5, SAUER, KAITLYN 4, PITTERMANN, JARMILA 6 and DAVIS, STEPHEN 4

Differential Response of Eight Fern Species to Severe Drought in California

outhern California has experienced unprecedented drought for the last three years. During this time, we characterized seasonal water relations in eight fern species in the Santa Monica Mountains. We predicted differential water utilization among the eight fern species based on differences in microhabitat and life history traits. We monitored seasonal changes in midday water potential and midday dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence, and also compared pressure-volume parameters, including osmotic potential at saturation and osmotic potential at the turgor loss point. We further compared stipe hydraulics and vulnerability to xylem cavitation in two evergreen species occupying moist and dry microsites (xylem-specific conductivity, leaf-specific conductivity, and water potential at 50% loss of conductivity). Significant differences in water relations were observed among the eight species examined. Seasonal water potential and fluorescence indicated four life history types relative to frond water utilization: evergreen, summer deciduous, fall deciduous, and resurrection. Evergreen species maintain functional fronds all year. Summer and fall deciduous species experience frond dieback at the beginning of the summer and fall, respectively. The fronds of the resurrection ferns abruptly desiccate at the onset of the dry season and revive following small rain events, as little as 5 mm. The two evergreen species exhibited the greatest difference in seasonal water utilization, with dehydration-tolerant Dryopteris arguta repeatedly exceeding midday water potentials of -8 MPa and dehydration-sensitive Woodwardia fimbriata never dropping below -2 MPa. These two species also showed significant differences in resistance to water stress-induced embolism of stem xylem. The water potential at 50% loss of conductivity was -4.3 MPa for D. arguta and only -2.5 MPa for W. fimbriata (P < 0.01). These differences in the water relations, life history traits, and microhabitats appear to facilitate coexistence of the eight species in the same watershed in the Santa Monica Mountains. We anticipate differential mortality among these fern species as future drought events in California intensify, with desiccation-tolerant resurrection ferns being the most resistant and evergreen dehydration-tolerant ferns the most vulnerable.

University of California, Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA2Pepperdine University, Natural Science, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA, 902633San Diego State University, Ecology, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 921824Pepperdine University, Natural Science, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA5Berea College, Biology, 101 Chestnut Street, Berea, KY, 404036University Of California, Integrative Biology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA

365

LUDWIG, THOMAS* 1, CATRON, ASHLEY and LINK-PEREZ, MELANIE 2 1

Identifying Hybrid Origins of Species in the genus Adiantopsis FĂŠe using Recombinant DNA and Cloning

t is a common occurrence among ferns for hybridization to lead to allopolyploid species. One genus in which this likely has occurred is Adiantopsis FĂŠe, a genus of 30-40 species in the Pteridaceae. Within Adiantopsis are several taxa, such as A. lindigii and A. pentagona, which published data suggests have hybrid origins, while other species are hypothesized to be contributing to the formation of hybrids. These hypotheses are based on morphological data, such as spore size compared to known diploids and intermediate phenotypes, and molecular data that place some species in phylogenetic positions that are suggestive of reticulate evolution. To investigate the possible role of hybridization and polyploidy in the origin of species in Adiantopsis, we are amplifying three nuclear genes followed by cloning. These techniques allow us to isolate various forms of genes, if various forms exist, and identify progenitor taxa. The target genes are gapCp, CRY, and SQD, which code for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, cryptochrome, and sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol, respectively. Preliminary results for both gapCp and CRY support several hypotheses relating to Caribbean taxa and are revealing some surprises for several South American species, such as A. hickeyii (ined.). We currently are collecting data for SQD and will present highlights from all three datasets. 1

Armstrong State University, 11935 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31419, United States2Armstrong State University, Biology, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA, 31419, USA

366

BOLIN, JAY F.* 1, MANDUJANO, VIRIDIANA 2, NOYOLA-ALONSO, KARINA 2 and ELDER, MORGAN 3

Identification of mycorrhizae associated with the aquatic plant Isoetes (Isoeteaceae)

quatic plants form a variety of associations with arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) but those associations are understudied relative to terrestrial plants. The Lycophyte genus Isoetes represents an ancient lineage and may provide insight into the evolution of AM associations. Fossil data from Carboniferous era ancestors of lycophytes demonstrate that the co-evolution of lycophytes and AM dates to at least 300 million years before present. Only a handful of Isoetes spp. have been evaluated for the presence of AM and no studies have been conducted in the New World. We collected Isoetes melanopoda subsp. sylvatica and Isoetes engelmanii from the central piedmont of North Carolina to determine the presence of AM, and if present to identify the AM species. We used Glomus specific AML1 and AML2 PCR primers to amplify AM fungi from whole root DNA extracts. Preliminary sequence data from

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cloned PCR products indicate the presence of Glomus AM associates in 100% of root samples analyzed (n=6). Epiflourescence microscopy showed hallmarks of AM infection, including fungal vesicles and hyphae in all Isoetes root samples observed. 1

Catawba College, Botany Department, 209 CENV, 2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, NC, 28144, USA2Catawba College, Department of Biology, 2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, North Carolina, 28144, United States3Catawba College, 2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, North Carolina, 28144, United States

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Systematics Section/ASPT Systematics Section/ASPT ORAL PAPERS 367

SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E* 1, SUN, MIAO , GERMAIN-AUBREY, CHARLOTTE 2 , SMITH, STEPHEN 3, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 4 , CHEN, ZHIDUAN 5, FOLK, RYAN 6 and GURALNICK, ROBERT 1 1

Wrestling with the rosids II: too big to nail-challenges in conducting comprehensive analyses in the angiosperms

ith the exception of grasses, perhaps no other angiosperm clade plays a more important terrestrial ecological role than rosids, with 87,500 species and a worldwide distribution. Rosids are hyper-diverse in morphology, habit, and chemistry. Most dominant forest trees are rosids, and many arctic/alpine systems are rosid-dominated. The rosid radiation 115 - 93 Mya represents the rapid rise of angiosperm-dominated forests, dramatically altering the fate of other terrestrial lineages (e.g., insects, amphibians, ferns) that co-diversified in their shadow. Using the rosids as an exemplar, we illustrate how problematic it is to conduct comprehensive distribution and phylogenetic analyses for major clades of angiosperms. This observation contrasts with well-studied (and much smaller) animal groups (birds, mammals) for which near-complete sampling is available, enabling researchers to examine in detail the “layers of life”. Despite the ecological, paleobotanical, economic, and genomic importance of rosids, our knowledge of this clade is remarkably limited along any metric. Efforts to understand rosid biology have been hampered by the lack of a comprehensive phylogeny as well as disparate and scattered resources. We have found only ~29,400 of ~87,500 species with phylogenetically usable DNA data in GenBank (34%). This is in stark contrast to better-sampled clades such as vertebrates (56%) and butterflies (42%). Current DNA sampling is not random but highly biased toward certain subclades, with major portions of the tree remaining dark. The most poorly sampled larger subclades are Myrtales, Malvales, and Celastrales (25-32% coverage). Using comprehensive biodiversity databases with centuries of accumulation (e.g., the Catalogue of Life, OTL, GBIF, iDigBio, and GenBank), we wanted to assess if it is possible to conduct comprehensive phylogenetic and biogeographical distribution analyses for the rosids. We found that only 12,393 species have at least 30 spatial records, and these are biased toward the temperate zone with tropical species poorly characterized, meaning that attempts at niche modeling are severely hampered. Despite the biological importance of the rosid clade and centuries of significant study, available data for synthetic studies of rosid biodiversity are too limited for meaningful analysis, emphasizing how little we know about even ‚well-known’ clades. This also hinders grand synthesis given that other lineages have diversified in response to the rosids.

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32605, USA2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson HAll, Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19645Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , 100093, China6University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

368

BYNG, JAMES W.* 1, AHMAD, BERHAMAN 2, BAIDER, CLÁUDIA 3, BERNARDINI, BENEDETTA 1, BIFFIN, EDWARD 4, BRAMBACH, FABIAN 5, BURSLEM, DAVID 6, CHANTARANOTHAI, PRANOM 7, CHRISTENHUSZ, MAATEN 1 , FLORENS, VINCENT 8, LUCAS, EVE 9, RAHAJOE, JOENI 10, RAY, AVID 11, RAY, RAJASRI 12, SMETS, ERIK 13, SNOW, NEIL 14 , SOH, WUU KUANG 15, STRIJK, JOERI 16, SUNARTI, SITI 10, WIDODO, PUDJI 17 and WILSON, PETER 18

Syzygium (Myrtaceae): Monographing a taxonomic giant via 22 coordinated regional revisions

yzygium Gaertn. is the largest woody genus of flowering plants in the world. Unpublished but extensive recent herbarium surveys suggest 1200 to 1800 species distributed throughout the Old World tropics and subtropics. Until recently, Syzygium exemplified a recurring taxonomic impediment among megadiverse genera, wherein few taxonomists worked on the group in any sustained manner, a majority of the herbarium specimens remained undetermined or misidentified, few if any attempts were made to look at the genus globally, and limited or no molecular studies were available to provide a predictive phylogenetic context of the genus. Taxonomic outputs on Syzygium also have been increasing across its range with the description of new species, resolution of nomenclatural and typification issues, and some regional revisions being initiated or updated. However, virtually all regional treatments (which some areas lack) need urgent revision because they are severely outdated, have limited molecular sampling and are error-ridden. We are coordinating a genus-wide taxonomic update of Syzygium through a series of 22 regional revisions, including 9 in the Flora Malesiana region. Each treatment will include a phylogenetic framework with species descriptions, type information, synonymy, distributions, ecological notes, and keys. Field images and/or line drawings will be included with the goal of every species being illustrated. This paper outlines our progress to date, with a particular emphasis on the Malesian region, and recent biogeographic and phylogenetic insights into the genus.

Plant Gateway, 5 Talbot Street, Hertford, SG13 7BX, UK2Universiti

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Malaysia Sabah, Jalan, Malaysia3Mauritius Herbarium, Reduit, Mauritius4University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia5Georg-August-University Gottingen, Gottingen, 37073, Germany6University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences, Aberdeen, UK7Khon Kaen University, Department of Biology, Khon Kaen, Thailand8University of Mauritius, Department of Biosciences, Reduit, Mauritius9Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK10Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Research Center for Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia11Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru, India12Indian Institute of Sciences, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Bengaluru, India13Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands14Pittsburg State University, Department of Biology, 1701 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS, 66762, USA15Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland16Guangxi University, Guangxi, China17Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia18Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia

369

KRIEBEL, RICARDO 1, BARRETT, MARISSA 1, ROSE, JEFF 1, VANEE, BENJAMIN 2, BERRY, PAUL 3 and SYTSMA, KEN* 4

Floral shape evolution in Fuchsia (Onagraceae): combining phylogenetics, morphospace, and pollinator niches

uchsia (Onagraceae), comprising 110 species, ranges from Mexico to the southern Andes with a disjunct distribution in New Zealand and Tahiti and displays remarkable variation in floral form, breeding systems, and pollinators. We combine morphometric data and a more comprehensive, time-calibrated phylogenetic framework to investigate floral evolution in Fuchsia. We include linear measurements of floral parts as well as outlines of the hypanthia to calculate shape variables for the floral tubes. We unite the morphometric and morphospace data and subject it to Principal Components Analysis in a phylogenetic framework to examine floral variation and its evolution across Fuchsia. We test the hypothesis that hummingbird-pollinated flowers and insect-pollinated flowers exhibit different morphologies due to selection by the morphologies of their pollinators. Furthermore, we test the hypothesis for Fuchsia that the hummingbird pollination syndrome is in fact more variable than a single category implies. Using novel approaches to detect shifts of continuous variables on phylogenies, we test for shifts in floral form using both PC scores as well as all raw variables. We find shifts within hummingbird-pollinated groups and demonstrate the presence of convergent floral evolution in different clades of hummingbird-pollinated species. 1

University of Wisconsin, Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez3University Of Michigan, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA4University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

370

GRUBBS, KUNSIRI CHAW

Examining the Origin of Edible Lansium domesticum CorrĂŞa

ansium domesticum, Meliaceae, an edible fruit from Southeast Asia grows wild and has also been cultivated by farmers in the region. Few studies have examined the origin of L. domesticum. In this study, the morphological traits and genetic diversity were analyzed from three major sites in Thailand. The single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) technique was used to analyze the relationship among varieties of L. domesticum. Three specific primers of glyceraldehyde 3 phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), abscissic acid insensitive3 (ABI3), and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) showed high polymorphism. The results indicate that though most of the overall features of this type of L. domesticum were quite similar, there were some distinguishable differences in the fruit anatomy. The results show that edible L. domesticum varieties are heterozygous and triploid. The chloroplast molecular markers indicate that most edible L. domesticum varieties share the same maternal plant. However, the paternal side of this group has not yet been established. Future studies should examine more levels of genetic diversity by collecting more plant samples from similar or closely related species around the Indo-Malaysian Peninsula.

Winthrop University, Department Of Biology, 202 Dalton Hall, Rock Hill, SC, 29733, USA

371

WHITLOCK, BARBARA A.* 1

Contribution of mid-latitude lineages to the latitudinal gradient of diversity in Malvaceae

alvaceae are a primarily tropical family, with few lineages (e.g. Tilia and Malvoideae) occurring at high latitudes and high altitudes compared to other families of similar age and size. However, several lineages of Malvaceae occur at mid-latitudes, in arid, warm and Mediterranean-climate regions. Here, we use information from the taxonomic and floristic literature, combined with curated GBIF data, to identify lineages of Malvaceae that have expanded out of the tropics, including into mid-latitudes, to obtain a more detailed picture of the geographic distribution of species diversity. We identify at least nine lineages that extend beyond the tropics, primarily into the warm mid-latitude regions. We estimate diversification rates using a recently published time-calibrated phylogeny of Malvaceae and find that many mid-latitude lineages have higher diversification rates compared to their closest tropical relatives. The shift to higher latitudes often coincides with changes in growth form of the plants. These results are consistent with the conclusion that the latitudinal gradient in species diversity in Malvaceae is the result of a greater number of tropical lineages occupying more space for a longer period of time, rather than greater diversification rates in the tropics. They also suggest that the mid-latitude lineages contribute substantially to diversity in Malvaceae.

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Systematics Section/ASPT 1

University of Miami, Department of Biology, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA2Jardín Botánico de Cartagena "Guillermo Piñeres", Turbaco, Bolívar, 131007, Colombia3Universidad del Rosario, Programa de Biología, Bogotá, Colombia

372

SHARBER, WYATT* 1 and WHITLOCK, BARBARA A. 2

Independent evolution of trithecate anthers in Ayenia and Megatritheca (Malvaceae: Byttnerioideae)

stimating the frequency and direction of changes in stamen number is essential to understand the evolution of floral morphology and pollination ecology. The Byttnerioideae exhibit remarkable variation in androecial structures, including stamen, theca, and staminode number. Two genera with particularly striking androecia are Ayenia and Megatritheca, both with unusual trithecate anthers. Although Ayenia and Megatritheca have long been recognized as closely related to the dithecate Byttneria and Rayleya, relationships among species in the four genera are unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that Ayenia and Megatritheca are sister taxa, and that trithecate anthers evolved once within Byttnerioideae. Phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast DNA sequences indicate that Megatritheca is sister to a clade containing Ayenia, Byttneria, and Rayleya. Furthermore, Ayenia is nested within Byttneria. Thus, trithecate anthers evolved independently in the Ayenia and Megatritheca lineages. We hypothesize that the transitions to trithecate anthers may be related to parallel increases in flower size in Ayenia and Megatritheca relative to Byttneria and Rayleya. We investigate correlations between flower size, thecae number, and theca size.

Additionally, we will discuss the results of our divergence dating and diversification analyses. 1

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, Cofrin Center from Biodiversity and Dept. of Natural & Applied Sciences, 2420 Nicolet Dr., Green Bay, WI, 54311, USA2Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, National Museum Of Natural History, MRC 166, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA3Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, MRC-166/ Botany, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA

374

ROALSON, ERIC H* 1 and HALL, JOCELYN C 2

Revising generic concepts and interpreting patterns of adaptation and diversification in Cleomaceae 1

Washington State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Abelson Hall 339, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA2University Of Alberta, Harvard University Herbaria, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

375

SOZA, VALERIE LYNN* 1, RAMAGE, ELIZABETH 2, TWYFORD, ALEX 3, ARGENT, GEORGE 4 and HALL, BENJAMIN 2

Elucidating the tropical diversification of rhododendrons using RADseq

University of Miami, Department of Biology, 1301 Memorial Dr., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States2University of Miami, Department of Biology, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA

373

HORN, JAMES W.* 1, WURDACK, KENNETH J. 2 and DORR, LAURENCE J. 3

Phylogeny and diversification of Malvales

espite important, recent advances in understanding angiosperm phylogeny, many basic gaps exist in current understanding of relationships within Malvales. This rosid order includes ~6000 species, which are very unequally distributed among 10 clades recognized as families, and it has a relatively rich fossil record. To estimate a dated phylogeny for the order, we sampled three molecular markers for generic exemplars of all subfamilial lineages and, further, obtained nearly complete generic sampling outside of Malvaceae and Thymelaeaceae subfamily Thymelaeoideae. Neuradaceae are well supported as sister to all other Malvales, and all families that have seeds with a histologically complex chalaza resolve as a supported clade (‚bixoid chalaza’: Sphaerosepalaceae, Bixaceae, Cistaceae, [some] Sarcolaenaceae; lost from lineages with indehiscent fruits, e.g. Dipterocarpaceae subfamily Dipterocarpoideae). The Guiana Shield endemic Pakaraimaea dipterocarpacea is strongly supported as sister to Cistaceae, contrasting with its traditional classification in Dipterocarpaceae.

University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, BOX 351800, SEATTLE, WA, 98195-1800, USA2University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, United States3The University of Edinburgh, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh , EH9 3FL, UK4Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh , EH3 5LR, UK

376

KRON, KATHLEEN A* 1 and GHANDFOROUSH, TITIAN 2

Phylogenetic Relationships of Caribbean and Central American blueberries (Vaccinieae, Ericaceae)

he tropical and subtropical islands of the Caribbean are home to many endemic species of Ericaceae, yet these are often overlooked or poorly sampled in phylogenetic studies that analyze relationships broadly across the Neotropics. In this study we investigated the evolutionary relationships of Caribbean Vaccinieae with a focus on species endemic to the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Previous analyses of Neotropical blueberries have had very limited sampling from Vaccinium species that are recognized as endemic to Hispaniola and Cuba (e.g., V. bissei, V. cubense, V. ekmanii) and taxa such as Symphysia racemosa and Vaccinium poasanum have not

157

been sampled from more than one locality. Relationships of these taxa are also confusing because of differing classifications or repeated taxonomic changes, e.g., the transfer of Symphysia racemosa to Vaccinium and/ or the recognition of several species of Symphysia due to transfers from Vaccinium to Symphysia. These species and representatives of other Caribbean Vaccinieae were analyzed in combination with Vaccinieae from Central America, e.g., Vaccinium talamancense and Didonica subsessilis. Representatives from the major clades of South American Vaccinieae together with those of Asian tropical and Northern Hemisphere taxa were included in the analyses to provide a broad evolutionary context. DNA sequence data was obtained from coding and non-coding regions in the chloroplast and nuclear genomes. Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods were used to analyze partitioned and combined data. Results support the monophyly of the MesoAmerican clade and its sister group, the Andean Clade. Relationships of Caribbean and Central America endemics indicate a complex evolutionary history, especially among species currently recognized as members of Vaccinium. These results mirror the complex biogeographic history of the Caribbean region and provide further evidence for the polyphyly of the currently circumscribed genus Vaccinium. 1

Wake Forest University, Department Of Biology, 1834 Wake Forest Road, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, 27106, USA2Wake Forest University, Biology, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA3Jardín Botánico Nacional, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

377

PUENTE, CAROLINE* 1, BROWN, ELIZABETH A. 2 and CRAYN, DARREN M. 3

Evolution of variable sterility and pollen diversity in the Australian Ericaceae

he fleshy-fruited epacrids (tribe Styphelieae) comprise more than 350 species of plants. It is the largest and most widely distributed of the seven tribes within the subfamily Epacridoideae Arn. (Ericaceae Juss.). Members of this tribe are woody plants with drupaceous fruit that range from prostrate shrubs to small trees. Their habitats vary from heathlands and sandplains to montane forests. Styphelieae are morphologically very diverse and member species frequently represent an important component of the Australian native flora, particularly in southern and eastern Australia. Small numbers of Styphelieae species are also present as minor components of the vegetation in Indonesia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Hawaii and other Pacific islands. Styphelieae are atypical with regards to their pollen structure. Even though the pollen grains are shed in tetrads as in the majority of the Ericaceae, they show patterns of variable sterility that range from full normal tetrads to pseudomonads, including triads, dyads, monads, or more rarely, nullads. Although the ontogeny of the pollen types has been well studied, their origin and evolution in the tribe remain unclear. We conducted a comprehensive pollen survey using SEM with the aims of characterizing the diversity of pollen morphology in the fleshiy-fruited epacrids, and assessing the homology of pollen morphological characters and structure against the molecular phylogenetic trees. Our results show that pollen morphology and patterns of variable sterility are fairly homogeneous within the tribe, but become highly variable in the recently re-circumscribed genus Styphelia. We discuss the evolution

of these traits in a phylogenetic framework and the implications for the biology of the group. 1

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Botany, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, District of Columbia, 20560, United States2National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia3James Cook University, Cairns Campus, Australian Tropical Herbarium, Sir Robert Norman (E2) Building, PO BOX 6811, Cairns, QLD, N/A, 4870, Australia

378

MCDONNELL, ANGELA JEAN* and FISHBEIN, MARK

Phylogeny and evolution of New World milkweed vines (Asclepiadoideae, Gonolobinae): a genome skimming and targeted enrichment approach

ilkweed subtribe Gonolobinae is diverse (~475 spp.) and has an origin in the Neotropics, but has undergone significant radiation in the seasonally dry grasslands and savannas of subtropical and temperate North America, making it an ideal group for exploring little known milkweeds of the temperate North American flora. A useful classification and an understanding of evolution within the American milkweed vines have been evasive to botanists due to extensive floral variation within the group. To address this problem, we use a genome skimming and targeted enrichment approach to obtain sequence data for hundreds of nuclear loci as well as complete plastomes and nrDNA cistrons to investigate the evolutionary relationships among a broadly-sampled (90 spp.) subtribe.

Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States

379

MCDONNELL, ANGELA JEAN* and FISHBEIN, MARK

Phylogeny and evolution of the enigmatic flat milkweeds of Matelea subgenus Chthamalia (Asclepiadoideae, Gonolobinae)

atelea is one of the largest genera of the milkweed subtribe Gonolobinae. However, it is also recognized as a lineage that is paraphyletic to much of the rest of the subtribe. One candidate for segregation from Matelea, subgenus Chthamalia (the “Ch” is silent, ~30 spp.) is comprised mostly of prostrate perennial herbs distributed from the southern parts of the United States and throughout northern and central parts of Mexico. In this study, we sample multiple individuals of species of Chthamalia and apply a genome skimming and targeted enrichment approach to reconstruct a specieslevel phylogenetic hypothesis of the clade. Character reconstructions of growth form and floral morphology, placement of Chthamalia within Gonolobinae, and taxonomy are also discussed. Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States

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Systematics Section/ASPT 380

GROFF, PAUL A.* 1, TIEHM, ARNOLD 2 and WHITLOCK, BARBARA A. 3

Gentianopsis and Gentiana in Nevada: old collections, new localities, and a new species

e review several old mysteries in the collections and literature of Gentianaceae in Nevada. We have solved some of these, including the little-known collecting detour of Coville and Leiberg into the state and their “Boat Corral,” locality, which has been in question since Gillett’s 1957 monograph of Gentianella. We report on additions to the flora of the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge and review the evidence for a new species of Gentianopsis to be named after Hugh Iltis.

University of Miami, Biology, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA2University of Nevada at Reno Herbarium, 1664 N.Virgina St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA3University of Miami, Department of Biology, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA

381

STRUWE, LENA* 1 and POINAR, GEORGE O. 2

Hidden in collections: Strychnos electri, the first asterid fossil found in neotropical amber

mber is famous for yielding large amounts of well-preserved arthropod fossils, but exquisitely preserved plant fossils are less common. We recently published the new species Strychnos electri (Loganiaceae), the first known asteroid from neotropical amber, from fossilized flowers found in the Dominican Republic. This species is only known from two separate specimens including corolla, stamens, and style. Other plants in this geologic amber strata have made it possible to reconstruct this 15-20 million year old composition of this tropical forest. The description of the species was dependent on comparison with extant herbarium material and taxonomic revisions published in the last 75 years, highlighting the value and absolute dependence of scientific collections and long-term taxonomic research for full understanding of world’s extinct and extant biodiversity. We will discuss the methodology of our research (from collecting to photography to comparative morphology) and the scientific relevance of this fossil for the understanding of asterid evolution. This paper would not have been possible without the use of the internet, e-mail, and digital cameras - all tools that make long-distance, interdisciplinary collaboration possible in new ways to ask old questions. The publication resulted in worldwide media coverage, and we will also give some advice and pointers on how to get your research results to be of higher interest to journalists in this day and age of digital and social media. 1

Rutgers University, Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources & Dept of Plant Biology and Pathology, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA2Oregon State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

382

WORCESTER, LINDSEY* 1 and FISHBEIN, MARK 2

Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Podostemm Clade, Asclepias L. (Apocynaceae), Based on Three Putative Low Copy Nuclear COSII Loci

he Podostemma clade includes seven species of milkweeds in the genus Asclepias L. (Apocynaceae). Previous work revealed that the Podostemma clade was well-supported in the plastid phylogeny, though relationships within the clade were poorly resolved. The biogeographic history of this group was also investigated. The Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) separates closely related milkweed species in the Podostemma clade of Asclepias. In this study, three conserved nuclear loci (COSII) were sequenced for the seven species of Podostemma milkweeds and outgroups. Gene trees for each locus were estimated using maximum likelihood and a species trees was estimated in a multilocus coalescent framework using *BEAST2. Relationships among early diverging species in the Podostemma clade conflict with results from the chloroplast phylogeny, with Asclepias arenaria placed as sister to the remainder of the clade. Relationships among five of species are unresolved due to incongruent patterns of allele sharing between species, likely due to incomplete lineage sorting or introgression. Species do not form eastern and western clades, which does not support a vicariant event involving the SMO. 1

Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States2Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States

383

HASENSTAB-LEHMAN, KRISTEN* 1 and MCDADE, LUCINDA 2

Leaf anatomy and micromorphology in the genus Varroia (Cordiaceae)

he genus Varronia (Cordiaceae), comprised of ca. 125 species distributed from Arizona to Argentina, occurs in a variety of biomes. Species richness is especially high in biodiversity hotspots in Mexico, Brazil, and the tropical Andes. Taxonomy within the genus has relied on inflorescence morphology to delimit sections within the genus; however, previous work has demonstrated the need to search for alternative morphological characters for revising sectional level taxonomy of the genus. In this study, 85 species of Varronia were examined for leaf structure and micromorphology. Ancestral states of these characters along with habitat types were reconstructed to evaluate the relative importance of evolutionary and ecological forces in shaping diversity among species. Results demonstrate that much of the foliar variation documented corresponds to changes in habitat type, and not with phylogenetic relationships. 1

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Research, 1500 N College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA2Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Research, 1500 N College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711

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384

KIM, SEON-HEE 1 and KIM, SEUNG-CHUL* 2

New insight into the evolutionary and biogeographic history of golden bells (Forsythia; Oleaceae)

he genus Forsythia comprises of 13 species and is restricted to the temperate region of Eurasia, especially northeastern Asia and eastern Europe. It represents one of the most popular shrubby spring flowers and many wild species and several cultivars are widely cultivated in this region. All but one species, F. europaea, occur in east Asia and the northeastern Asia is considered as the center of diversity. Despite of its horticultural importance, very little is known about phylogenetic relationships among wild species within the genus. In addition, the delimitation of several species is controversial due to highly variable vegetative and reproductive characters. In this study, we sampled all but one species of Forsythia (i.e., total 86 accessions) and sequenced for both nuclear ITS and four chloroplast noncoding regions (rps16-trnQ, rpl32-trnL, rpl32-ndhF, and psbJpetA). For phylogenetic analysis, we conducted maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian Inference (BI) analyses. Furthermore, molecular dating using BEAST program was performed to estimate the age of genus Forsythia and major lineages within the genus. The ITS phylogeny is somewhat poorly resolved with weak supports. Nevertheless, it suggests that Abeliophyllum, a monotypic and endemic genus in Korea, and Forsythia are reciprocally monophyletic and two major lineages were identified in genus Forsythia. Non-monophyly of several species is apparent, requiring careful evaluation of their morphological characters. The cpDNA phylogeny based on four combined regions suggested that the species from China diverged first followed by the divergence of two lineages; one lineage with lanceolate-leaved species and other with ovateleaved species. Although two major lineages within Forsythia correspond to their vegetative and floral morphology, species relationships within each lineage were poorly resolved. The combined analysis of ITS and cpDNA data sets provided somewhat better resolutions than separate analysis. The molecular dating based on the combined data sets suggested that the split between Fontanesieae (Fontanesia) and Forsythieae (Abeliophyllum and Forsythia) occurred during Eocene. However, the crown age of Forsythieae is relatively young (i.e., late Miocene) and subsequent divergence of major lineages within Forsythia occurred recently during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. The results of biogeographic analysis and some species delimitation problems within Forsythia will be presented in detail. 1

Sungkyunkwan University, Biological Sciences, 2066 Seobu-ro, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 440-746, Korea2Sungkyunkwan University, Biological Sciences, 2066 Seobu-ro, Suwon, 16419, Korea

385

CLAVIJO, LAURA* 1, CLARK, JOHN L. 2 and ZULUAGA-TROCHEZ, ALEJANDRO 3

Molecular phylogeny and character evolution of the Neotropical genus Drymonia (Gesneriaceae)

obust phylogenetic hypotheses are fundamental to infer evolutionary patters, and to address hypotheses of character and range evolution at different time and space scales. The genus Drymonia, with 76+ species is the third largest genera of Neotropical Gesneriaceae, and encompasses remarkable variation in floral, fruit and growth habit traits. Here, we present an extensive taxon sampled species-level phylogeny for Drymonia and its closest relatives, which are part of the core Andean-centered clade. We test the monophyly of Drymonia and the infra-generic classification. We characterize the patterns of evolution of pollination syndromes, corolla shape, fruit type, and growth habit. Drymonia is supported as monophyletic, while the infra-generic classification is not. Phylogenetic relationships within the core Andean-centered clade and within Drymonia are poorly resolved. We show that open, funnelform/campanulate corollas are supported as the ancestral state for Drymonia, with multiple independent origins of constriction in the corolla tube. Additionally, the ancestral states for Drymonia are estimated to be entomophilous syndrome, anther dehiscence by basal pores, fleshy capsules, and climber growth. Independent origins of ornitophilous corollas, berries, and epiphytism suggest a very dynamic pattern of morphological evolution in the genus. The narrowing in the corolla tube, and the shift in anther dehiscence in species pollinated by hummingbirds suggest these traits may have evolved to facilitate pollination by birds or limit the visitation by bees We suggest that interactions with different functional pollinators and dispersal drivers have played a primary role in the diversification of this Andean-centered clade. 1

University Of Alabama, Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 870345, 425 Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0345, USA2The University of Alabama, Biological Sciences, Box 870345, Tuscaloosa, ALABAMA, 35401, United States3Universidad del Valle, Biology, Calle 13 # 100-00, Cali, Columbia

386

WOLFE, ANDREA D. 3

Taxonomic revision of Penstemon section Fasciculus (Plantaginaceae) from Mexico

enstemon Mitch. is the largest plant genus endemic to North America, having ca. 280 species. The genus is widely variable in morphological characters, and much of this diversity is associated with evolutionary adaptations such as specialization for pollinators or ecological niches. Phylogenetic analyses for the genus used ITS and cpDNA spacer regions provided some insights into the phylogenetic relationships within the genus. However, phylogenetic relationships were not always consistent with current taxonomy, and relationships within strongly supported clades were largely unresolved. In the case of the Mexican species of Penstemon,

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Systematics Section/ASPT the sampling was limited. In particular, section Fasciculus in which are included about 50 % of the Mexican species was represented by very few species. The section Fasciculus consists of 27 taxa, most of which are endemic to Mexico. A revision of Penstemon section Fasciculus has been carried out in Mexico in order to provide a uniform taxonomic treatment of its representatives. Specimens from 18 Mexican herbaria were studied and field work was carried out throughout its distribution area in Mexico. In addition to the morphological descriptions, information about habitat and distribution of each species is also incorporated. Keys for the identification of species, subsections, and sections are provided, as well as a key to all Penstemon subgenera. Distribution maps and photos are also included. The present treatment is the first one since the revision of Straw (1962, 1963) and Crosswhite (1970), and it is based on a molecular phylogeny of Penstemon section Fasciculus, especially to resolve the circumscription of doubtful taxa. 1

Instituto de Ecología, A. C., Biodiversidad y sistematica, Av. Lázaro Cárdenas 253, 61600, , Pátzcuaro, Michoacan, 61600, Mexico2Instituto de Ecología, A. C., Av. Lázaro Cárdenas 253, 61600,, Pátzcuaro, Michoacan, 61600, México3Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA

387

WOLFE, ANDREA D.* 1, BLISCHAK, PAUL 2, WENZEL, AARON 3 and KUBATKO, LAURA 4

Inferring the evolutionary history of Penstemon (Plantaginaceae) from phylogenetic analysis of next-generation sequence data

enstemon 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. 1

Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 432101293, USA2Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA3Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA4Ohio State University, Statistics, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

388

FOWLER, RACHAEL M* 1, BAYLY, MICHAEL J 1 and MURPHY, DANIEL 2

The genus Eremophila (Scrophulariaceae, Myoporeae) in Australia's arid zone: phylogeny and biogeography using the chloroplast genome

remophila is a diverse Australian genus of plants with over 200 described species and a growing list of undescribed taxa. Commonly known as emu bushes, Eremophila species are significant, often dominant, components of the Australian arid and semi-arid zone flora, where they tolerate harsh, dry and saline conditions and provide food and shelter for a wide range of insect and bird species. Currently species relationships in Eremophila are unclear and classification is based on morphology alone. With next generation sequencing methods, we now have the opportunity to study evolution of this group using substantial genomic datasets. The aims of this study are to discover the evolutionary relationships of Eremophila, in order to re-assess classification of the group using morphological and molecular data; to infer the biogeographic history of the group in arid Australia; and to investigate the relationships of Eremophila to other members of tribe Myoporeae, some of which are distributed outside Australia. To address these aims I have sampled ~ 95% of described Eremophila species from across the Australian continent, and sourced representatives from five of the six related genera including species of Myoporum from across the Pacific region and Bontia daphnoides from the Caribbean. Using whole genome shotgun sequencing, I have assembled and aligned entire chloroplast genomes to reconstruct a well-supported phylogeny of Eremophila and relatives.

The University of Melbourne, School of BioSciences, Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia2Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Plant Sciences, Private Bag 2000, South Yarra, N/A, 3141, Australia

389

KIEL, CARRIE A.* 1 and MCDADE, LUCINDA 2

The evolution of androecial, pollen and stigma morphology in New World Justicia

he monophyletic New World ‚justicioid’ lineage includes all members of Justicia (ca. 500 spp.) and five smaller New World genera: Cephalacanthus (1 sp.), Poikilacanthus (14 spp.), Megaskepasma (1 sp.), Clistax

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(3 spp.), and Harpochilus (2 spp.). Floral morphological diversity is extremely remarkable among NW justicioids. In particular, the anthers demonstrate high variability: the two stamens may have thecae that are parallel, equal and unappendaged or that have expanded connective tissue and are unequal and/or displaced, and appendaged in various ways. Our phylogenetic results strongly suggest that this morphological disparity is correlated with pollination syndromes. NW Justicia with hummingbird-pollinated flowers or floral morphology consistent with hummingbird pollination often have thecae that are parallel or nearly so whereas Justicia from the OW, where hummingbirds do not occur, lack this arrangement. Insect pollinated Justicia tend to have highly modified anthers with expanded connective tissue, often with spur-like structures and varying degrees of super-positioning of the thecae. Morphometric analyses of androcial traits support this hypothesis. We also examine correlations between these anther traits and linked micromorphological characters important in pollination such as pollen and stigma lobe variability. Finally, we present preliminary results from Hyb-Seq data represented by species pairs with different pollination systems and different anther morphologies. 1

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 North College Ave., Claremont, CA, 91711, USA2Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Botany, 1500 North College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States

390

RAGSAC, AUDREY* 1, HEYDLER, SUSAN G 2, CRAMER, RAINIER 3, LOHMANN, LUCIA G 4 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD G 5

An update on the Bignoniaceae phylogeny: progress on Jacarandeae, Crescentieae, and Tecomeae 1

University Of Washington, Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA2University of Washington, Biology, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA3University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States4Universidade De Sao Paulo, Insituto De Biociências, Departamento E Botânica, Rua Do Matao, 277, Sao Paulo, N/A, 05508-090, Brazil5University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, CAMPUS BOX 355325, SEATTLE, WA, 98195-5325, USA

391

GARCIA, NICOLAS* 1, THARPE, EMILY 1, BUELL, C. ROBIN 2, DUDAREVA, NATALIA 3, GODDEN, GRANT 2, HENRY, LAURA 3, KAMILEEN, MOHAMED OMAR 4 , SCHUETTE, SCOTT 4, O'CONNOR, SARAH 4, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 1 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 1

Preliminary analyses of genome size and secondary metabolite evolution in Lamiaceae

he mint family (Lamiaceae), with ca. 236 genera and 7200 species, is the sixth largest angiosperm family. This clade has a cosmopolitan distribution and is incredibly diverse morphologically with a broad range of growth forms (e.g., ephemeral herbs, vines, shrubs, long-lived trees) as well as diverse ecological niche preferences (e.g., rainforest canopy dominants, high alpine scree, desert halophytes). Mints are also well known for extensive chemical diversity that contributes anti-herbivore defenses. Lamiaceae are of major economic and cultural importance worldwide and include numerous widely used culinary and medicinal herbs, ornamentals, and economically important trees. Collectively, the agronomic utility of Lamiaceae species is primarily attributable to their diverse set of secondary metabolites. Prevalent chemical classes found within mints include monoterpenes, iridoids, and sesquiterpenes. As part of a comprehensive analysis of mint chemistry, gene expression, and genomics, we analyzed the evolution of mint chemical diversity and nuclear DNA content in a phylogenetic context. We sampled 47 species, representing all major lineages of Lamiaceae, from the Mint Genome Project greenhouse collection. Three main chemical classes - monoterpenes, iridoids, and sesquiterpenes - were screened through mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. Nuclear genome sizes were estimated through flow cytometry using chicken erythrocyte nuclei (2.5 2C/pg) as internal standard. Using transcriptomes for these 47 species, we will assemble a mint framework phylogeny. Ancestral reconstructions will be conducted for the presence/absence of the main chemical classes and for each compound, and for continuous variation of genome sizes. 1

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville , FL, 32611, USA2Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Rd., Plant Biology Laboratories, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA3Purdue University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, 625 Agriculture Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA4John Innes Centre, Department of Biological Chemistry, Norwich NR4 7UH, Norwich, UK

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Systematics Section/ASPT 392

FRAGA, NAOMI

Diversity, endemism and conservation of California monkeyflowers (Phrymaceae): a case study in Erythranthe section Paradantha

lants placed in the genus Mimulus L. (Phrymaceae), as traditionally defined, are commonly known as monkeyflowers. These charismatic plants are exceedingly diverse in western North America with over 150 of the nearly 200 species worldwide occurring here. Nearly 60% (ca. 100) of the species native to western North American occur in California. However, Mimulus has recently undergone significant changes in taxonomy leaving the name Mimulus virtually absent from the California flora. Two genera that have been resurrected; Erythranthe Spach and Diplacus Nutt., account for nearly all of the species diversity in western North American Phrymaceae. Erythranthe is the most diverse of the genera segregated from Mimulus s.l., with 120 species currently recognized. Erythranthe section Paradantha (Phrymaceae) has recently been a source of floristic novelty, with five new species described from California and Nevada. Erythranthe section Paradantha is a relatively species rich lineage within which species identification has been challenging resulting in disagreement among taxonomic authorities. In this study, I examine species boundaries and relationships in Erythranthe section Paradantha in a phylogenetic context using a dense sampling scheme that benefits from extensive fieldwork. Results of this study will inform a taxonomic revision that also incorporates evidence from morphology and ecology.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA, 91711

393 VID C.

GILMAN, IAN* 1 and TANK, DA-

Comparative phylogenetics of niche condition in Cordylanthus and Pseudocordylanthus (Orobanchaceae) 1

University of Idaho, Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, Idaho, 83844-3051, USA2University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA

394

HORN, CHARLES

A new hybrid of Asimina (Annonaceae) in the southeastern USA

wo species of the genus Asimina (Annonaceae), A. triloba and A. parviflora, are well known and common in the southeastern United States. Field and laboratory work investigating morphological variation in leaf and flower morphology as well as habitat of the genus in South Carolina has shown that a hybrid between the two species exists. The differences in the three taxa are best related to growth form, habitat, peduncle length, and outer petal length and width. The hybrid has a longer peduncle, and larger outer petal length than A. parviflora while the hybrid peduncle length and outer petal width are less than on A. triloba. Relative to habitat, the hybrid is commonly found as clones at the base of slopes above floodplains with individual stems about 1.5 meters tall. In comparison A. parviflora commonly grows as small individual stems near ridge tops and A. triloba is a large clonal tree on the floodplain proper. This new hybrid, Asimina Ă&#x2014; piedmontana, has been documented in the piedmont of South Carolina (6 populations) and North Carolina (1 population), but is likely to be present where distribution of the two parent species overlap in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Newberry College, Biology, 2100 College Street, Newberry, SC, 29108, USA

395 CHIEN

LU, PEI-LUEN* 1 and LEE, SHIH-

The Identification of Nucleotide Sequence Polymorphisms and Gene Resources for Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh. Based on ITS2 and Chloroplast DNA Sequences

he present study attempts to identify the gene resources of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh. (CO) by analyzing the nucleotide sequences of the partial non-coding internal transcribed spacer 2 (pITS2) of the ribosomal DNA and the trnL-trnF chloroplast genome. Seventy-three geographical strains of CO, preserved in the Lien Hua-Chin Research Center of the Forestry Research Institute and the Hua-Lin Forestry Center of Chinese Culture University, were collected and analyzed by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing to study the genetic diversity and nucleotide sequence polymorphisms of the tested specimens. Our results allowed us to accurately identify the lineage of CO and to conclude that the strains belonging to the Lien Hua-Chin Research Center had much higher genetic diversity than those preserved in the Hua-Lin Forestry Center. Multiple sequence alignments demonstrated that the variability of the nucleotide sequence polymorphisms for the pITS2 region was higher than those of the trnL intron and trnL-trnF IGS regions among the 73 tested specimens of CO. Cluster analyses, using the neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony methods, for the 73 tested geographical strains of CO and species of Cinnamomum registered in the GenBank and EMBL

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databases were performed to demonstrate the genus and species distribution of the samples. Here, we describe the use of pITS2 polymorphisms as a genetic classifier and report the establishment of a DNA sequence database for CO gene resource identification. The sequence database described in this study can be used to identify CO specimens at the inter- or intra-species level using pITS2 DNA sequences, which illustrates its value in gene resource identification. 1

Da-Yeh University, Department of BioResources, No.168, University Rd., Dacun, Changhua, Taiwan, 51591, Taiwan2Da-Yeh University, Department of Bioindustry Technology, No.168, University Rd., Dacun, Changhua, Taiwan, 51591, Taiwan

396

MCDANIEL, JAMES* and CAMERON, KEN

The Power of Movement in Orchids, a Kinematics Study of Porroglossum (Pleurothallidinae)

fter publishing On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin set out to provide evidence for his theory of evolution by natural selection which led him to become fascinated by the power of movement in plants. In particular, Darwin had a strong interest in the various types of climbing plants, leaves exhibiting sleep movements, and insectivorous plants exhibiting fast-action snap-traps. Within Orchidaceae, Darwin even labeled Catasetum as “the most remarkable of all orchids” due to the mechanism by which male flowers of the genus eject their pollinia in response to a physical stimulus. Had Darwin known about the orchid genus Porroglossum, surely he would have considered these small plants of subtribe Pleurothallidinae equally remarkable because physical stimulation of the flower’s labellum causes it to actively snap inward thrusting pollinators against the column. Porroglossum is composed of 53 described species, most of them endemic to Ecuador, that are distributed throughout the Andean cloud forests of South America. In August of 2014 and 2015, we recorded high-speed videos (60fps) of the active, floral snap-trap at the orchid nursery Ecuagenera in Gualaceo, Ecuador. For each video, we included a scale bar (e.g., a ruler), applied a single stimulus to the callus of the labellum, and did not cease recording until the labellum of the flower was fully closed. As a result, we obtained >900 videos spanning 30 species of Porroglossum (>20 samples per species). By utilizing the program Tracker, we were able to calculate the average time to snap-trap closure for each species as well as the average velocity and acceleration of the snap-trap for each species. Furthermore, we implemented statistical methods in R to map the aforementioned continuous traits for each species onto a fully-resolved phylogenetic tree produced through genotyping-by-sequencing and calculate phylogenetic signal. By doing so, we documented strong phylogenetic signal when using both Pagel's λ (λ = 1.0840, p = 0.0014) and Blomberg's K statistic (K= 1.7001, p = 0.0027) indicating that closely related species resemble each other more than expected by chance in relation to time, velocity, and acceleration. Graphically, the same results were documented where all of the species of a clade either exhibit warm colors (indicating

fast-action snap-traps) or cool colors (indicating slow snap-traps) with the most rapidly moving snap-traps evolving independently in the Porroglossum phylogeny on more than one occasion. University Of Wisconsin - Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

397

UNRUH, SARAH* 1, MCKAIN, MICHAEL 2, PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 3 and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 4

Genome Evolution in Orchidaceae

rchidaceae is one of the largest families of flowering plants with an array of unique traits and adaptations. The recently published genomes of Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium have suggested a paleopolyploid event shared by these species, but the exact placement of this whole genome duplication (WGD) is currently unknown. We hypothesized that the event was shared by all orchids, and, may have facilitated the evolution of many adaptive traits found in the orchid family. We used transcriptome data to estimate a species tree and to investigate the incidence of WGD in the context of these relationships. We identified 777 single copy gene families and reconstructed species relationships. Our phylogeny recapitulated previously published relationships but increased support in areas with short branches, such as Cypripedioideae. We reconstructed gene trees for 3181 multi-copy gene families and used the PUG software to identify nodes of the trees with bursts of gene duplication. We identified two nodes of the tree with bursts of gene duplication, one that includes all orchids and one that include all sampled monocots (not including Alismatales). Ks frequency plots corroborated the gene trees, indicating one putative event shared by all orchids and one shared by sampled monocots, which has previously been identified as tau. The identification of an orchid-wide polyploid event has great implication for the role of WGD in the evolution of unique orchid biology. Additionally, the core ortholog set presented here represents a conservative list of single-copy genes that will be highly useful for target enrichment studies designed to shed light on the evolution of difficult to delineate orchid clades.

University of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 1201 E Rollins St, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA2Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Plant Biology, 975 N. Warson Rd., St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA3University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211-7310, USA4University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 3111 Carlton St, 4505 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602

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Systematics Section/ASPT 398

FREUDENSTEIN, JOHN V.* 1 and YUKAWA, TOMOHISA 2

Analysis of relationships among Calypsoinae (Orchidaceae), a small group with diverse floral and trophic strategies

alypsoinae are a small, largely temperate subtribe that are diverse with respect to trophic strategy (with an unusual winter leaf and several leafless species) and pollinium stalk morphology. We analyzed ITS and matK sequences from all accepted genera using maximum likelihood and parsimony on individual and combined data sets. The only supported disagreement among trees was between the combined ML and parsimony analyses for the placement of Dactylostalix and Ephippianthus; one analysis reflected the nuclear pattern, while the other resembled the plastid pattern. Overall, a group of genera related to Calypso, and one related to Corallorhiza, were resolved. The recently proposed Yunorchis is shown to be a species of Yoania. Examining leaf morphology on the tree revealed two originations of the winter leaf morphology and four losses of leaves (and shifts to mycoheterotrophy). Pollinium stalks evolved along three axes, two of which resulted in epidermally-derived stalks (tegulae) and one of which comprised the entire rostellum (a hamulus). Biogeographic analysis suggests a New World origin for the subtribe, with two major shifts to the Old World and one shift back to the New World.

Ohio State University Herbarium, Dept. of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, 1315 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH, 43212, USA2National Museum Of Nature And Science, Department Of Botany, 1-1, Amakubo 4, Tsukuba, N/A, 305-0005, Japan

399

PACE, MATTHEW CHARLES

What is the evolutionary significance of hybridization in North American Orchidaceae?: Evidence from Spiranthes and Platanthera

piranthes and Platanthera are the two largest orchid genera in North America, and hybridization is hypothesized to play a major role in the species-level evolution of both. However, molecular evidence to test this hypothesis has only begining to be explored. I will present new research into the Spiranthes cernua species complex and other groups which indicates hybridization has indeed ocurred, but not in the exact way as previously hypothesized. This research also indicates the species boundaries of some species are in need of realignment.

New York Botanical Garden, Herbarium, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

400

WILSON, CAROL A

Recovered clades change our understanding of relationships in the Eurasian bearded Iris (subgenus Iris)

ubgenus Iris is wholly Eurasian, distributed in temperate regions from western China to eastern and southern Europe. They are found in mountainous and/ or dry rocky sites from near sea level in the eastern Mediterranean to elevations of 4500 m in the Himalayas. These species have an easily recognized synapomorphy, a multicellular beard on each petaloid sepal. The current classification recognizes two large and relatively well known and four smaller and less known sections in the subgenus. Seventy-two taxa representing each of the six sections and about 80% of the recognized species in subgenus Iris and 11 outgroup taxa were included in the study. Phylogenetic analyses of sequence data recovered six major clades but not all clades correspond to recognized sections. Instead three of the four smaller sections are not monophyletic as currently circumscribed. Support for clades recovered include several morphological characters and biogeography. The sister clade to subgenus Iris has two beardless species that occur in Asia and the next sister group is from the eastern USA and has sepal pubescence but not a beard of multicellular trichomes.

University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA

401

GARCIA, NICOLAS* 1, MEEROW, ALAN W. 2, CHAMALA, SRIKAR 3, GITZENDANNER, MATTHEW 1, OLIVEIRA, RENATA S. 4, FOLK, RYAN 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 1 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 1

Revisiting incongruence in the diploid phylogeny of Amaryllidaceae tribe Hippeastreae (Asparagales): hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting?

maryllidaceae tribe Hippeastreae constitute a horticulturally valuable group of approximately 180 species of American petaloid monocots, characterized by dysploidy and polyploidy. A recent hypothesis based on ITS and chloroplast sequence data states that Hippeastreae experienced ancient diploid hybridization(s) that preceded the radiation of the major subclade, Hippeastrinae. Target-enriched DNA libraries were sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform for 35 ingroup taxa (representing only diploid taxa) plus five outgroups. Gene trees and coalescent-based species trees were estimated using 18 nuclear loci. Species tree and concordance analyses suggest two major clades within Hippeastrinae, one characterized by 2n = 22 (Tocantinia, Hippeastrum) and another by 2n = 12, 14, and 18 (Eithea, Habranthus, Rhodophiala, Zephyranthes). Whole chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequences were extracted from Illumina reads, and we analyzed an edited alignment of ca. 130,000 bp (after removing one in-

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verted repeat and problematic regions) with 2% missing data. A strongly supported cpDNA tree was obtained, albeit strongly conflicting with the nuclear species tree regarding relationships in Hippeastrinae. Network analyses were performed to summarize conflicts among nuclear loci and between nuclear and cpDNA data. The source of incongruence was explored with JML (posterior predictive approach) and coalescent simulations. The resulting phylogenetic framework will serve as a basis for understanding patterns of character evolution in Hippeastreae and for reclassification of the tribe at the generic level. 1

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2USDA-ARS-SHRS, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 13601 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL, 33158, USA3University of Florida, Department of Pathology, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA4Universidade de Sao Paulo, Departamento de Botanica, Instituto de Biociencias, Rua do Matao 277, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

402

ABDUL, SULEIMAN* 1, SAWA, FATIMA B.J. 2, ZHIGILA, DANIEL ANDRAWUS 3 and CHIDIBERE, CHUKWU 4

Interspecific Comparisons using phenotypic features among varieties of onions (Allium cepa L.) in Nigeria

fï¬Â cient utilization of plant genetic resources for nutrition and crop improvement requires systematic understanding of the important traits. Onion varieties are distributed worldwide with an interesting diversity of varieties whose leaves and bulbs are consumed. Despite the potential of onion to enhance food security and economic livelihoods, information about its phenotypic features by farmers in sub-Saharan Africa is scanty. A field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of Federal College of Horticulture Dadin Kowa, Gombe State, Nigeria to compare the phenotypic features and the performance of eight onion varieties namely Ex-Dutsi,Ex-Gombe, Ex-Huguma, Ex-Kudan, Ex-Kura, Ex-Kwadon, Ex-Romi and Wuyan Bijimi under field conditions. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with five replications. Results obtained showed that onion varieties were significantly different for both qualitative and quantitative morphological characters. Variety ‚Wuyan bijimi’ recorded the highest leaf index (63.61±5.48 %), while variety Éx-Kwadon’ had the lowest leaf index (44.74±5.46 %). Ex-Gombe recorded the largest pseudostem diameter (4.76±0.74cm) and number of leaves (8.71±0.02), plant height (77.45±3.45 cm), in addition to the greatest yields (86.56Kg/5m2) compared to ‚Ex-Romi’ with 31.57Kg/5m2 which were significantly (p≤0.05) reduced. There was no significant difference recorded in the bulb polar length, peduncle length, number of anther and leaf dry weight among the varieties. Multivariate analysis of the phenotypic characters showed the ï¬Â rst three principal components contributing 61.53% of observed variability, while cluster analysis yielded two groups (Ex-Gombe, Ex-Kura, Ex-Romi and Wuyan bijimi in cluster 1 while Ex-Dutsi, Ex-Huguma, Ex-Kudan and Ex-Kwadon formed cluster 2) at 74.7% similarity coefï¬Â cient. Varieties in the different clus-

ters as obtained can be exploited for desired nutritional traits. 1

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Biological Sciences Dept, PMB 0248, Bauchi, 74005, Nigeria2Federal College of Hoticulture, Admininstration, Dadin Kowa, PMB 108, Gombe, Gombe, +234, Nigeria3Gombe State University, Biological Sciences, Tudun Wada, PMB 127 , Gombe, Gombe, +234, Nigeria4Federal College of Hoticulture, Horticulture and Landscaping Technology, Pmb 108, Dadin Kowa, Gombe, Gombe, +234, Nigeria

403

HOWARD, CODY* 1 and CELLINESE, NICO 2

Combing Africa: preliminary attempts at untangling the historical evolution of the Ledebouriinae (Scilloideae, Asparagaceae)

he Ledebouriinae (Scilloideae, Asparagaceae) are a group of bulbous monocots distributed throughout arid to semi-arid habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Madagascar, Socotra, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Sri Lanka. Historical taxonomic treatments based on morphology led researchers to delimit three separate genera: Ledebouria, Drimiopsis, and Resnova. Past morphological phylogenetic analyses corroborate this classification, whereas molecular analyses show Drimiopsis and Resnova being nested within a paraphyletic Ledebouria, which led to an expanded classification of Ledebouria. However, these molecular analyses fail to provide support for this conclusion due to low resolution along the backbone of the clade. This is potentially due to low taxon sampling combined with the use of slowly evolving molecular markers. In this study, we show that adding more taxa to the currently available plastid dataset is insufficient in resolving relationships within this group and among its three putative lineages. However, using five Asparagales fossil calibrations we provide age estimates for the clades within the Scilloideae, with special focus on the Ledebouriinae. Knowledge of this group’s evolutionary history will contribute to our understanding of processes and trait evolution in harsh environments, especially in the context of increasing aridification. 1

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Florida, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NAT. HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA

166

Systematics Section/ASPT 404

KIM, CHANGKYUN 1 and KIM, JOO-HWAN* 2

Molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography, and divergence timeestimates of Maianthemum sensu stricto (Asparagaceae)

aianthemum sensu stricto, as currently circumscribed, contains three species, i.e., M. bifolium, M. canadense, and M. dilatatum, which have a disjunct distribution in eastern Asia, Europe, and North America. The species of Maianthemum s.s. have variable morphological characters and a wide and often partly overlapping distribution, which makes the identification within and between this group and other Maianthemum species difficult. To clarify the systematic classification and biogeographical history of Maianthemum s.s., a phylogenetic reconstruction based on one nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and five chloroplast DNA regions (ndhF, rpl16, rps16, trnL-F, and psbAtrnH) was conducted. Our molecular phylogeny suggests that Maianthemum s.s. is monophyletic. However, the accessions of M. dilatatum are divided into two well-defined lineages: one composed of western North American accessions, and the other composed of northeast Asian accessions. The latter is the sister clade of the M. bifolium and M. canadense clade. Molecular dating and biogeographic reconstructions suggest a northeast Asian origin of Maianthemum s.s. and that a complicated divergent evolution began approximately in the late Miocene. Intercontinental disjunctions of Maianthemum s.s. in the Northern Hemisphere appear to have spread during at least two geologic periods: one occurred during the late Miocene between East Asia and western North America, and the other may have occurred during the Pliocene, with relatively recent separations between Eurasia and eastern North America. Based on our results, a new classification of Maianthemum s.s. inferred from a molecular phylogeny is required. We propose to merge the three Maianthemum s.s. species to ensure monophyly at the species level. The biogeographic patterns of Maianthemum s.s. with molecular dating suggest both vicariance and longdistance dispersal events as key mechanisms for its diversification. 1

Gachon University, Life Science, 1342 Seongnamdae-ro, Sujeonggu, Seongnam, 13120, KOREA2Gachon University, Dept Of Life Science, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Bokjeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, N/A, 461-701, Korea

405

FLODEN, AARON J

Updated analyses of the axillary-flowered Polygonateae (Asparagaceae): Disporopsis, Heteropolygonatum, and Polygonatum

isporopsis, Heteropolygonatum, and Polygonatum have recently all had novel species described or transferred from other genera. Systematic investigations into the generic boundaries of Heteropolygonatum and Polygonatum have corroborated the monophyly of the former and resulted in an increase of species number in both genera. Heteropolygonatum now has 10 species and Polygonatum has more than 73, with a high likelihood for additional novelties. Expanded molecular phylogenetic analyses of all three genera using chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear loci are presented. These data combined with field work and morphological data have resulted in the description of two Disporopsis, five Polygonatum, the transfer of one Polygonatum to Disporopsis, four Polygonatum to Heteropolygonatum, resulted in the reinstatement of P. govanianum, and revealed numerous as yet unresolved taxonomic problems in several species groups. The results of these studies highlight the need for further taxonomic investigation into the alpha level diversity of understudied and speciesrich genera in the biodiverse regions of southeastern Asia. University Of Tennessee, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

406

MORTIMER, SEBASTIAN 1, KEPHART, SUSAN* 1, CULLEY, THERESA 2 and TUNISON, ROBERT 3

Genetic Structure and Trait Differentiation of Camassia Species in the Snake River Watershed of Northeastern Oregon and adjacent Western Idaho Camassia

he genus Camassia, endemic to North America, consists of perennial geophytic herbs that occur primarily west of the Rocky Mountains. Totaling six species and ten subspecies, the diversity of Camassia has been problematic for systematists as many taxa are morphologically, ecologically, and genetically similar, creating an excellent opportunity to explore multiple, integrative techniques for species differentiation. Recent studies have resolved major clades within Camassia, but contentious populations remain within the Snake River drainage and adjoining areas east of the Cascade Range. Populations of C. cusickii, C. quamash subsp. utahensis, and C. quamash subsp. breviflora, whose placement within cpDNA and nrDNA phylogenies is inconsistent, have also been independently identified as different taxa within Camassia by their morphological characters. We used 16 microsatellite markers sampled from over 10 populations to determine the genetic structure of this taxonomically troublesome subset of the genus Camassia. These data complement a morphological analysis to ensure a robust and biologically relevant species de-

167

limitation of taxa in the Snake River drainage of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho. The diverse array of broad ranging and endemic species in Camassia and their potentially recent diversification provide opportunities for examining speciation events within the genus. 1

Willamette University, Biology, 900 State St., Salem, OR, 97301, USA2University Of Cincinnati, Department Of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA3University of Cincinnati, Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA

407

VARGAS, OSCAR M* 1 and SIMPSON, BERYL 2

Reticulate evolution and recent diversification in Andean Compositae (Astereae: Diplostephium)

apid diversification events are often associated with the colonization or emergence of new habitats such as island systems or mountain ranges. These landscapes provide opportunities for lineages to diverge rapidly via allopatric and ecological speciation. Taxa in which recent diversifications events have occurred are usually characterized by low molecular divergence and high morphological variation. The recency of these events poses a challenge to the phylogenetic inference of such lineages because of the low divergence expected in their DNA sequences. With a complex topography and a recent orogeny (5-20 my), the Andes Cordillera is a hotspot for plant biodiversity and an ideal region to study recent plant speciation events. The genus Diplostephium s.l. is a main component of the high Andean flora comprising 111 species of shrubs and small trees. The present study elucidated the phylogenetic patterns of Diplostephium and its allies using genome skimming sequencing. We sequenced a total of 91 samples, 74 from Diplostephium species, 13 from allied genera, and 3 from outgroups. A bioinformatic workflow adjusted specifically to the characteristics of each genomic region was used to construct three matrices: the complete nuclear ribosomal cistron, the complete chloroplast genome, and a partial mitochondrial genome. All the topologies obtained are generally well resolved and with high support. We found significant incongruences between the three datasets suggesting that they represent different genome histories. We attribute the major incongruences between datasets to reticulate evolution resulting from multiple events of hybridization and introgression for which morphological and geographical support is present. These events primarily biased the uniparentally non-recombinant chloroplast and mitochondrial genome histories confounding their phylogeny from the species tree. Therefore, of the three datasets, we propose the nuclear ribosomal phylogeny as the best species-tree hypothesis. The nuclear ribosomal phylogeny revealed that Diplostephium s.l is polyphyletic with most species comprising two large well-supported distantly related clades. Finally, our results suggest recent acceleration of diversification rates driven by isolation and ecological divergence. We conclude that reticulation played an important role in the evolutionary history of Diplostephium s.l. and its allies; chloroplast and mitochondrial phylogenies are biased

due to processes of hybridization and introgression in relation to the species-tree; and isolation and ecological divergence worked synergistically to accelerate rates of diversification after Andean uplift. 1

The University of Texas at Austin, Integrative Biology and the Plant Resources Center, 1 University Station C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, USA2University Of Texas, Section Of Integrative Biology, 205 W 24th St, Mail Stop C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

408

DELLINGER-JOHNSTON, REBECCA 1 and KIRCHOFF, BRUCE K* 2

Controlled Experiments Demonstrate that a Visual Identification Key is Superior to an Illustrated Key

axonomic keys are essential tools for species identification, yet most are difficult to use for both novices and experts alike. This difficulty is in sharp contrast to an expertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to recognize even very similar species at a glance. Students can rapidly acquire these basic recognition skills, but often still have difficulty using standard, and even illustrated keys. In order to advance the science and practice of plant identification we created and tested a completely visual key to the 43 species of the genus Quercus in the southeastern United States. Sets of standardized photographs of the 43 species were taken, and used in human subject trials to create pairwise similarity matrices based on both novice and expert assessments of the photographs. For each assessment, a user was shown a pair of standardized photographs of leaves and asked to rate their similarity on a 7 point scale. Ten novice, and 10 expert ratings were collected for each pair of leaves (903 pairs). These similarity ratings were averaged and used to a construct novice and expert dendrograms, which served as models for the visual key. The key was created in html and deployed on the webspace of the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Testing was carried out against an existing illustrated key, the Forest Serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Field Guide to Native Species of Oaks of Eastern North America, which was converted to html for this purpose. Both keys were tested by both UNCG undergraduate students and members of the International Oak Society who attended their 2015 annual conference. Each participant was asked to key out 10 species using each key. The students were tested in control (Forest Service) and experimental (our visual key) groups, while a withinsubjects design was used for the experts. Both experts and novices identified between 20-30% more species correctly while using the visual key (p<<0.001) - demonstrating the effectiveness of the visual approach. Using this method, innovative keys could be constructed for students and professionals in both botany and in other fields of research. 1

UNC Greensboro, Department Of Biology, P. O. Box 27402, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA2University Of North Carolina At Greensboro, Department Of Biology, PO BOX 26170, GREENSBORO, NC, 27402-6170, USA, 919-304-2991

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Systematics Section/ASPT 409

SCHAFRAN, PETER* 1, ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 2, TAYLOR, W. CARL 3 and MUSSELMAN, LYTTON 4

Molecular phylogeny of diploid Isoetes (Isoetaceae, Lycophyta) in the southeastern United States based on low-copy nuclear markers and whole chloroplast genomes

he systematic treatment of Isoetes L. in eastern North America afflicts taxonomists, especially with the discovery of several new taxa in the 1990s and 2000s. These elusive lycophytes have few variable morphological features to provide insight into the evolutionary history of the group. DNA sequences from multiple nuclear markers and whole chloroplast genomes provide a set of data to infer a phylogeny of the thirteen known basic diploid taxa of Isoetes in the southeastern US. Within the region several large clades are resolved, though relationships among many species are still unclear. Discordance between molecular datasets may indicate a history of introgression and incomplete lineage sorting in this young and promiscuous clade of Isoetes. 1

Department Of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529-0266, USA2Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-70123Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, USA4Old Dominion University, MARY P HOGAN PROF OF BOTANY, Department Of Biological Sciences, Norfolk, VA, 23529-0266, USA

410

BRUNEAU, ANNE 2

Biogeography of the genus Crudia (Detarieae, Leguminosae)

elative importance of long-distance oceanic dispersal vs. ancient continental pathways is a prevalent question in the biogeographical history of tropical post-gondwanian lineages. We test these hypotheses by reconstructing a phylogeny of the genus Crudia Schreb., a genus nested in the Detarieae, one of the first diverging lineages in the large family Leguminosae - a postgondwanian family, dated from 64 My. Most of the 82 genera of Detarieae are found exclusively in Africa. However, Crudia, with about 55 species, occurs on three continents in West Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. This genus is morphologically homogenous (alternate leaflets, twisted petiolules, apetalous flowers) and all species grow along tropical rivers banks. Furthermore, it is one of the three most species-rich genera within Detarieae, where the majority of genera have fewer than ten species. To reconstruct the biogeographical history of Crudia, six nuclear markers (ITS, ETS, AIGP, AGT1, MMK1, CALTL) and two plastid markers (spacer trnH-psbA and trnD-E) were sequenced, for an unprecedented taxonomic sampling of this group. Our analyses include all 10 American species, 70% of the 10 African species and more than 50% of the 35 Asian species. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted on individual matrices to check the congruence between

the several markers and on a concatenated matrix of the eight loci using a Bayesian approach. The nuclear loci and plastid matrix were compared for evidence of contradictory phylogenetic signals. Biogeographical analyses were conducted with a reduced number (3) vs. a higher number (6) of hypothetic ancestral areas, to test how dispersal routes could be highlighted with a variable areas number. Phylogenetic analyses resolve the widespread genus Crudia as monophyletic. Our analyses recover a strongly supported clade of all Asian species, in all independent analyses of the loci, and another clade of all American species. However, the African species are not resolved together in a monophyletic group, occurring instead as many small clades spread across the phylogeny. Preliminary biogeographical results suggest that Africa is the ancestral distribution area for Crudia species. From there, a split between Asian species and all other species occurred, followed later by a second dispersal event from Africa to America (occurring during Eocene, according to a 45 My old fossil of Crudia found in North America). Based upon known environmental factors and intrinsic morphological features, we surmise that this distribution could be explained by oceanic long distance dispersal rather than continental dispersal, during the Eocene. 1

Université de Montréal - Institut de Recherche en Biolog, Biological Sciences, 4101 Sherbrooke Est, Montreal, QC, H1X2B2, CANADA2INSTI DE RECHERCHE BIO VEGETAL, 4101 CUE SHERBROOKE EST, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada

411

COOPER, BENJAMIN* 1, MOORE, MICHAEL 2, WICKETT, NORM 3, OVERSON, RICK 4, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 5 and SKOGEN, KRISSA 6

Using target enrichment methods to resolve the phylogeny of Oenothera sect. Calylophus (Onagraceae) with 322 nuclear loci

he Sundrops (Oenothera sect. Calylophus) are a group of 13 recognized taxa in the Evening Primrose family (Onagraceae) with a center of diversity in the south western United States and northern Mexico. Section Calylophus is an important study group because it offers an interesting opportunity to investigate functional trait evolution and reticulate speciation in plants. Within Calylophus, taxa fall into two clearly recognizable subsections. Between the subsections there appears to have been independent origins of gypsum endemism and two independent shifts in pollination from sphingophily (hawkmoth pollination) to melittophily (bee pollination) that were accompanied by transitions from vespertine to diurnal flowering. However, the current morphologically based circumscription of Calylophus is obscured by a pattern of overlapping variation suggestive of reticulate evolution. Section Calylophus is part of a larger radiation of Onagraceae endemic to the Madrean floristic region that likely underwent a rapid diversification during the Paleogene. Furthermore, the observed pattern of reticulate relationships suggest the basal radiation of the section was followed by glacial vicariance during the Quaternary period. As a result, prior

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phylogenetic attempts at reconstructing relationships among Calylophus using only a few loci revealed low haplotype diversity and little support for species relationships. Here, we use a target enrichment approach to produce the first well-supported molecular phylogeny of sect. Calylophus. This high-throughput approach has been shown to be particularly effective for phylogenetic applications at shallow evolutionary timescales. To provide a robust test for phylogenetic hypotheses in spite of possible reticulate species relationships, we sampled taxa across the geographic and morphological range of each of the 13 currently recognized taxa. Barcoded genomic DNA libraries were enriched for 322 highly conserved, low-copy nuclear loci using custom biotinylated baits. In order to maximize phylogenetic information within the section, we use HybPiper, a recently developed bioinformatics pipeline for targeted sequencing, to extract exons and flanking intron sequences from high-throughput sequencing reads. Multiple phylogenetic methods are used here to 1) Test the current phylogenetic hypothesis; 2) Revise the current taxonomy as needed, and; 3) Test hypotheses of reticulate evolution, glacial vicariance, pollinator shifts and independent origins of gypsum endemism. These data will provide an important resource for future studies investigating floral trait evolution and reticulate speciation in plants. 1

Northwestern University/Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Biology and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Plant Science, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA2Oberlin College, Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA3Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Plant Science, Glancoe, IL, 60022, USA4Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Plant Science, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA5Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States6Chicago Botanic Garden, Conservation Scientist, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

412

FREYMAN, WILLIAM A.* 1, Hâ&#x20AC;Ś HNA, SEBASTIAN 2 and BALDWIN, BRUCE G. 1

Phylogenetic models of chromosome number evolution and chromosomal speciation

hromosomal changes play a fundamental role in evolution. Dysploid gains and losses in chromosome number, as well as polyploidization events, may drive reproductive isolation and lineage diversification. The recent development of probabilistic models of chromosome number evolution in the groundbreaking work by Mayrose et al. (2010) have enabled the inference of ancestral chromosome numbers over molecular phylogenies and generated new interest in studying the role of chromosome changes in evolution. However, these models assume all changes occur anagenetically (along branches), and do not model events that are specifically cladogenetic and may be expected if chromosomal changes result in reproductive isolation. Here we present a new class of models of chromosome number evolution that incorporate both anagenetic and cladogenetic change. These models allow us to determine the mode of chromosome number evolution; is chromosome evolution occurring primarily within lineages, primarily at lineage splitting, or in clade-specific com-

binations of both? Furthermore, we can estimate the location and timing of chromosomal speciation events over the phylogeny. We test our modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accuracy with simulations and re-examine chromosomal evolution in Aristolochia, Carex section Ovales, Helianthus, Mimulus sensu lato, and Primula section Aleuritia. 1

University of California Berkeley, Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg. #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA2University of California Berkeley, Department of Statistics, 367 Evans Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA

413

ARBIZU, CARLOS* 1, ELLISON, SHELBY , SENALIK, DOUGLAS 2, SIMON, PHILIPP 2 and SPOONER, DAVID 3 1

Genotyping-by-sequencing provides insights into the classification of the subspecies of Daucus carota

remise of study: The taxonomic classification of the subspecies of Daucus carota is unresolved. Intercrosses among traditionally recognized has been welldocumented, as have intercrosses with other Daucus species containing 2n = 18 chromosomes (D. sahariensis and D. syrticus). A previous study using 94 nuclear orthologs and another study using morphology were unable to clearly distinguish the subspecies of D. carota. In this study we explore the utility of a large number of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to infer the phylogeny of the subspecies of D. carota. Methods: We used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to obtain SNPs covering all nine Daucus chromosomes. We examined 162 accessions of Daucus and two related genera. To study Daucus phylogeny, we scored a total of 10,814 SNPs with a maximum of 10% missing rate; and to classify the subspecies of Daucus, we employed two data sets containing 144 accessions: (i) rate of missing data 10% with a total of 18,565 SNPs, and (ii) missing data of 30% totaling 43,713 SNPs. Missing data were imputed using Beagle software. Key results: Consistent with prior results, the topology of both data sets separated the 2n = 18 chromosome species from all other species examined. Our results place all cultivated carrots (D. carota subsp. sativus) in a single clade, but in contrast to a recent study using 3,326 transcriptomic SNPs generated by KASPar genotyping; our study places the wild members of D. carota from Central Asia together with eastern members of subsp. sativus, but does not recover a subsp. sativus monophyletic clade with other subspecies of D. carota as a sister. Rather, the other subspecies of D. carota were clustered into four geographic groups as follows: (1) the Balkan Peninsula and the Middle East, (2) North America and Europe, (3) North Africa exclusive of Morocco, and (4) the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. Conclusions: Our study, combined with prior morphological data suggests that (1) the morphotypes identified as D. carota subspecies gummifer, are all confined to areas near the Atlantic and Mediterranean Oceans, and have separate origins from geographically contiguous members of other subspecies of D. carota, (2) indicates

170

Systematics Section/ASPT that the eastern cultivated carrots have origins closer to wild carrots from central Asia than western cultivated carrots, and (3) large SNP data sets are suitable for lowlevel phylogenetic studies. 1

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Horticulture, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA2USDA Agricultural Research Service; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Horticulture, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA3USDA Agricultural Research Service; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Horticulture, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

414

OROZCO, JESSICA

A Vascular Flora of the South Fork Tule River, Southern Sierra Nevada, Tulare County, California

he southern Sierra Nevada is part of the California Floristic Province and is characterized by high rates of plant endemism, rare species and total floristic composition. While the southern Sierra Nevada is biologically diverse, it is relatively understudied and represents a botanical “blackhole”. Continued progress in the study of the California flora will depend on floristic inventories and systematic sampling of poorly known geographic areas. For my master’s thesis I conducted a floristic study of the South Fork Tule River watershed located within the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare County, California. The objectives of this floristic study were: 1) document and catalogue all the vascular plant taxa that occur in the watershed, 2) describe the vegetation communities, 3) analyze the flora and its affinities with neighboring floristic areas. The upper reaches of the South Fork Tule River originate on the western slopes of Slate Mountain in the Sequoia National Forest and drain west through the Tule River Indian Reservation into Lake Success reservoir. Historically, field studies involving Indian reservation and tribal trust lands have been few and far between, and seldom are floristic inventories carried out. Poorly documented plant diversity on tribal trust lands, speaks to the need for more collaboration with Native American communities as we work towards a greater understanding of the California flora. I worked with the tribal forestry and environmental departments to create a study that would generate information beneficial to the tribe as well as contribute to our understanding of the Sierra Nevada flora as a whole. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Botany, 1500 North College Ave, Claremont, CA, 91786, USA

415

THAPA, RAMHARI* 1, BAYER, RANDALL 2 and MANDEL, JENNIFER R 3

Reconstruction of Phylogenetic Relationship in Antennaria (Asteraceae) using Data from Hundreds of Loci

he phylogenetic relationships among amphimictic, sexually reproducing Antennaria (Asteraceae) species are poorly understood. Antennaria is a genus of dioecious, perennial herbs with a broad distribution in

the Holarctic region except for the three species found in the Andes of South America. Previous morphologybased cladistic approaches and also molecular work utilizing data from nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS) did not produce a well-supported phylogenetic tree. We employed a novel target enrichment method using a set of custom capture probes designed to work in species across the entire Asteraceae family, coupled with next generation sequencing (NGS) to gather phylogenetic information from hundreds of nuclear loci. We sequenced thirty-four amphimictic Antennaria species including newly discovered species A. sawyeri and several outgroup taxa, and used bioinformatic and phylogenetic programs to produce a phylogenetic tree to understand the evolutionary history in the group. We also assembled partial chloroplast genomes for these species using the off-target reads to strengthen support for major relationships. Most areas of the tree are well-resolved with this approach, however some relationships are still unknown, and we are continuing to address these areas. The successful reconstruction of phylogeny across the genus would be a valuable tool to provide a framework for future evolutionary studies including species diversification, and the origination of polyploidy in Antennaria. 1

University of Memphis, Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis,, TN - Tennessee, 38152, USA2The University Of Memphis, Department Of Biological Sciences, 3700 Walker Avenue, 201 Ellington Hall, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA3University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA

416

EVERETT, AMANDA* and SIMPSON, MICHAEL

The Phylogeny of Pogogyne (Lamiaceae): An Evolutionary Analysis Comparing Two Next Generation Sequencing Methodologies

ogogyne is a small genus (eight described species) of annuals in the mint family (Lamiaceae). The etymology of the name ‚Pogogyne’ derives from Greek roots, and means “bearded woman”. Indeed, these intoxicatingly pungent little herbs all have a style that is lined with trichomes. Pogogyne species are specialists within ephemerally wet habitats, such as vernal pools or seasonally wet meadows, and are distributed throughout such habitats within the California Floristic Province. The genus is a monophyletic lineage estimated to have diverged roughly 0.9 to 1.9 mya. Phylogenetic research places Pogogyne sister to Acanthomintha and Monardella within sub-tribe Menthineae, subfamily Nepetoideae. Our understanding of the relationships within Pogogyne has been previously obscured by the limited availability of markers with adequate phylogenetic signal. In the only phylogenetic study of this genus 30 nodes are recovered, although about half are strongly supported. As Next Generation Sequencing becomes more commonly used, sequence alignments are reaching sizes that were previously inconceivable. As a result, many recalcitrant phylogenies are being revisited with new data and bioinformatics. Here, using sequence data obtained with ddRADseq, the phylogeny of Pogogyne is revisited us-

171

ing Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference. The resulting tree is compared with trees produced using the same phylogenetic methods applied to genome skimming data. Both data types yield trees with the majority of nodes having high support. The trees derived from plastome and cistron genome skimming data conflict, however, while the concatenated ddRADseq supermatrix produces a single tree with better support values than the preliminary genome skimming analysis. Phylogenetic results from the ddRADseq dataset are then used to infer biogeographical patterns and to reevaluate divergence times. Multiple new, geographically restricted taxa are uncovered by this analysis. Findings will also contribute to the understanding of evolution and biodiversity in the vernal pool habitat, which is in critical decline. San Diego State University, Biology, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA

417

STOUGHTON, THOMAS

Evolution and Systematics of Claytonia lanceolata sensu lato (Montiaceae)

uberous perennial spring beauties, genus Claytonia L. (Montiaceae), grow in both North America and Eastern Asia. At least in western North America, these captivating geophytes are exceptionally variable (cyto)genetically, edaphologically, and morphologically. Claytonia lanceolata Pursh was considered the most enigmatic of the North America perennial species by some early taxonomists. Overall diversity is not well understood in the genus, owing at least in part to the ubiquity of polypoidy, putatively stemming from repeated bouts of secondary contact, hybridization, and introgression during Pleistocene pluvial oscillations. Claytonia recently underwent significant taxonomic review, resulting in a useful monograph that provides extremely helpful summary information about Claytonia, but lumps significant variation among other western North American species into the single taxon, C. lanceolata (with numerous synonyms). In the current study, a thorough review of C. lanceolata sensu lato is conducted, including extensive field, molecular, morphological, and edaphological investigations, to bolster our understanding of species boundaries for enhanced taxonomic circumscription. Analyses include: (1) phylogeny estimation using Sanger and Next Generation Sequencing data (ddRAD, genome skim), (2) morphometric analyses, including elliptical fourier analysis of leaf shape, and (3) soil chemistry assays to determine degrees of niche differentiation among closely related taxa. I described two new species, just a small fraction of the lineage diversity in California. Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii Munz & Johnston is included in a new combination for a primarily southern California species group comprising four subspecific taxa, three of which are new to science. Finally, Claytonia obovata Rydberg is segregated from C. lanceolata in California, resurrected but with an enriched understanding of its evolution. Information about inter- and intra-specific relationships, in combination with our understanding of the geologic history of western North America, is used in this study to reflect on how plant species and their geographic ranges change over time.

418

MOLGO, IWAN* 1, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3 2

Geographical distribution of cytotypes within Callisia section Cuthbertia (Commelinaceae)

olyploidy (genome doubling) is a speciation mechanism that is a major evolutionary force; in fact, all angiosperms have undergone at least one ancient polyploid event, and polyploidy has been a key force in generating angiosperm diversity. Polyploids within a single species are frequently recognized as cytotypes, and this treatment may mask evolutionary lineages and grossly underestimate biodiversity. To guide conservation efforts, it is essential to investigate both the evolutionary history and life-history of our study organisms. A polyploid complex, with species of conservation concern, is found in Callisia (Commelinaceae). Callisia section Cuthbertia consists of three species (Callisia graminea, C. ornata and C. rosea) that are endemic to the southeastern U.S. and have a base chromosome number of x = 6. Callisia graminea, commonly known as grassleaf roseling, has a distribution from the southern border of Virginia through central Florida. Giles (1942) discovered three ploidal levels (2x, 4x and 6x) within Callisia graminea. Callisia rosea (Vent.) D.R. Hunt is a diploid commonly known as piedmont roseling with a distribution from South Carolina to the vicinity of Jacksonville, Florida. Callisia ornata (Small) G.C. Tucker, a diploid also known as Florida scrub roseling, is endemic to central and southern Florida. We sampled from new and known populations of Callisa section Cuthbertia and investigated their ploidy by chromosome counts and flow cytometry. Distribution maps were determined based on the cytological data obtained from this study. Two disjunct populations of diploid C. graminea were discovered in Suffolk County, Virginia, and along the Fall-line in North and South Carolina. The tetraploid C. graminea has a broad distribution, which ranges from the coastal plain of North Carolina through central Florida. The rare hexaploid C. graminea was found in Lake County, Florida, and diploid C. ornata was found along the east coast of Florida. These analyses also revealed a novel polyploidy: tetraploid populations of C. ornata were detected along the west coast of Florida. This additional biodiversity in the form of extensive cytotype variation may have different ecological roles, and this hypothesis is being explored through ecological niche modeling.

University Of Florida, Department Of Biology, 385 Dickinson Hall, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19643Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall - Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

Claremont Graduate University, 1500 N. College Avenue, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

172

Systematics Section/ASPT 419

NEUPANE, SUMAN

Biogeographic history, evolution of secondary woodiness, and diversification in the three woody clades in the herbaceous tribe Spermaoceae (Rubiaceae)

he tribe Spermacoceae is primarily a pantropical group (~ 1000 species, 60 genera) in the Rubiaceae family. The group is primarily dominated by herbaceous species that are often weedy in nature. However, some of its members are semi-woody perennials to small shrubs and understory trees. These woody clades also exhibit a narrow and montane distribution and high species endemism in their habitat compared to their herbaceous sister lineages. In my presentation, I will address the timing and routes of ancient dispersal events that led to the evolution and diversification of three woody clades in the tropical mountains of Andes, Asia and the Pacific. University of Connecticut, EEB, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA

420

SPALINK, DANIEL* 1, KRIEBEL, RICARDO 2, GIVNISH, THOMAS J 3, FEIST, MARY ANN 4, WALLER, DON 5, CAMERON, KEN 6 and SYTSMA, KEN 3

Disassembly and reassembly of the Wisconsin flora: phylogenetic and geographic patterns of diversity in a changing climate

f the myriad threats to species diversity, the impact of climate change on the composition, function, and location of plant communities is among those of greatest concern. To understand the long-term implications of climate change, scientists often use a speciescentric, and rarely a clade-based, approach to assess the past, present, and future distributions of taxa based on their ecological tolerances. Here, we instead take a phylofloristic approach to analyze the phylogenetic and geographic patterns of species change of all vascular plants currently found in Wisconsin. We use two new datasets, including a completed phylogeny of the Wisconsin vascular flora and over 350,000 georeferenced records from the newly digitized Wisconsin State Herbarium. We first calculated the mean phylogenetic distance (MPD) of species in over 70,000 geographically structured assemblages throughout the state, and tested whether these assemblages are phylogenetically clustered or over-dispersed. We then supplemented our dataset to include every vascular plant species in the northeastern United States and Canada. We constructed species distribution models for each of the 4300 species in this dataset using a suite of present day climatic and edaphic variables, and then projected these models 50 years into the future. We calculated the total area of species ranges in Wisconsin both now and in 2070, assessed phylogenetic and geographic patterns of species projected gain and loss, and determined the projected turnover and change in phylogenetic structure in each of the 70,000 assemblages. Based on these analy-

ses, assemblages north of Wisconsinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tension Zone are phylogenetically over-dispersed but generally less species rich than those to the south, a pattern primarily driven by the abundance of Lycopodiophyta in the north. Over the next 50 years, our models predict largescale extirpation of northern species within Wisconsin and widespread increases in ranges of southern species. Substantial species turnover is expected throughout the state, with a net increase in regional diversity as Wisconsin becomes more climatically suitable for southern and eastern species. These analyses should provide a useful baseline for targeted conservation strategies, by identifying specific lineages and geographic assemblages that are most at risk. Our datasets and approaches should also be directly applicable to the analyses of similar patterns throughout North America. 1

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2Botany Department, UW-Madison, 357 East 201 St Apt. 3f, Madison, WI, 53706, USA3University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA4University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Botany, B169 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706-1361, USA5Univeristy of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, Birge Hall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA6University Of Wisconsin - Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

421

WEFFERLING, KEIR* 1 and HOOT, SARA 4

Disentangling the Subalpine Marshmarigold Polyploid Species Complex: Cytogeography of Caltha leptosepala s.l. (Ranunculaceae)

he northwestern North American perennial Caltha leptosepala (Ranunculaceae) species complex has an unknown cytotype distribution, with hexaploids (6x) nonaploids (9x), and dodecaploids (12x) all documented for the taxon. Our goals in this study were to 1) delineate the geographic distribution of cytotypes and evaluate how cytogeography informs biogeographic history and evolution in the species complex; 2) identify cytotype contact zones; and 3) investigate whether the different cytotypes are recognizable using leaf characters. Using cytologically determined individuals as calibration, propidium iodide flow cytometry was performed on silica-dried and herbarium specimens from across the range of C. leptosepala s.l. A key morphological character-leaf length to width ratio-was measured and we evaluated whether these dimensions were informative for taxon and/or cytotype delimitation across the range. The Caltha leptosepala species complex presents clear patterns of cytotype distribution at the larger scale and more complex spatial relationships at finer scales. Dodecaploids are more northerly in distribution than hexaploids, and a single mid-latitude population yielded nonaploids. While there is morphological and geographic separation and large genome size differences between the hexaploid subspecies-C. leptosepala ssp. howellii in the Coastal Ranges and C. leptosepala ssp. leptosepala in the Rockies-the presence of dodeca-

173

ploids and nonaploids of putative hybrid origin make further distinctions challenging. Sympatry between cytotypes in the North Cascades contrasts with a parapatric distribution in the Northern Rockies, suggestive of unique origins and separate evolutionary trajectories of lineages in the respective contact zones. I will discuss our findings in the context of the last glacial maximum (refugial persistence and recolonization), secondary contact of allopatrically diverged lineages, and ongoing population-level dynamics in the disjunct and divergent contact zones in interior and coastal parts of the Pacific Northwest. 1

University Of Wisconsin, Lapham Hall S394, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA2Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3000-456, Portugal3Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra, 3000-456, Portugal4University Of Wisconsin, DEPT OF BIOL SCI/LAPHAM HALL, PO BOX 413, MILWAUKEE, WI, 53201, USA

422

COBURN, FRANCIS

Flora of the Upper Verde River, Arizona

he Upper Verde River of central Arizona flows through a landscape of complex geology at the meeting of seven biotic communities and three physiographic provinces. This has resulted in a notably diverse flora and fauna and a hub of rare and endemic plant species. The river has sustained cultures since pre-history, however current regional water use is predicted to diminish streamflow over the next century. Prior to this project, no floristic inventory had been conducted along any section of the Verde. The purpose of this study was to develop a Flora of the Upper Verde River, with the goals of documenting rare and endemic species, the composition and abundance of wetland plants, and the factors shaping plant diversity in the region. I made a total of 1856 collections and reviewed past collections to produce a checklist of 729 vascular plant taxa in 403 genera and 98 families. The flora includes 159 wetland taxa, 47 regional and local endemics, and 26 taxa of conservation concern, eight of which are federally listed. Several new populations were found in these categories and of rarely-collected taxa including one state record, three county records and several range extensions. I report on the status of several endemics, range extensions, wetland taxa with limited distributions, and relict populations of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) that were likely transported to the region and cultivated by preColumbian cultures. I categorize thirteen distinct plant communities, the most abundant being Pinyon/Juniper Woodland, Chihuahuan/Apacherian Scrub, and Riparian Deciduous Forest. Four primary factors influence floristic diversity of the Upper Verde region: its location at the junction of three physiographic and floristic provinces—represented by the co-occurrence of species with affinities to the Sonoran, Intermountain, and Madrean regions, 2) geologic diversity—as distinct groups of species, including several localized endemics, are specific to particular geologic formations, 3) topographic and habitat complexity—allowing species adapted to disparate environments to co-occur, and 4) human introductions—since over 15% of the flora is composed of introduced species and several taxa were introduced to the region and cultivated by pre-Columbian cultures. Oklahoma State University, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74074, USA

423

GIRALDO, GIOVANNY* 1, LEMMON, EMILY 2, LEMMON, ALAN R. 2 and CAMERON, KEN 3

Genome Size of Vanilloideae, and its Phylogeny Inferred from NextGen Anchored Phylogenomics

hylogenetic relationships among genera in tribe Vanilleae (Vanilloideae) remain elusive among various analyses that have addressed this tribe specifically or focused at the family level. One of the reasons why phylogenetic reconstruction of this group has been so difficult is that five of the nine genera of the tribe are achlorophyllous mycoheterotrophs (e.g., unplaced Lecanorchis), and hence are poorly or not at all represented in molecular studies that relied heavily on plastid loci. Interestingly, even the relationships among some photosynthetic genera remain unresolved (e.g., the relationship between South American Epistephium and the clade of New Caledonian endemic genera Clematepistephium+Eriaxis) Through the use of Anchored Phylogenomics via Next Generation DNA Sequencing, we have inferred the phylogenetic relationships of most genera in the Vanilleae tribe using 9261 bp of data from 23 low copy nuclear markers. Our results seem to indicate that Epistephium forms a clade with Clematepistephium + Eriaxis, as well as Lecanorchis. Most earlier studies showed Epistephium to be sister to the entire tribe. Although the relationship of Epistephium to the New Caledonian taxa has been suggested before, this is the first time such a relationship is recovered with high support. The placement of Lecanorchis in the group reflects what would be expected based on the morphology of the flower, as it has a calyculus, an overgrowth of the top of the ovary that is also present in the other three genera of this clade. In addition to phylogenetic reconstruction, we also estimated genome size for most genera of Vanilloideae, since published reports for the subfamily to date have been entirely from Vanilla. Among angiosperms, orchids have the most variable genome size, ranging from 0.33 pg in Trichocentrum maduroi to 55.4 pg in Pogonia ophioglossoides, a member of Vanilloideae. Not only does the subfamily have the largest known genome, but it also contains the largest chromosome number reported for Orchidaceae: Epistephium lucidum (2n= ca. 170). Here we report the genome size for several additional members of Vanilloideae: several species of Vanilla Clematepistephium smilacifolium, Eriaxis rigida, Epistephium duckei, mycoheterothroph Erythrorchis cassythoides, and others. An attempt to obtain C-values from the mycoheterothrophs Pseudovanilla foliata and Lecanorchis kiusiana failed to produce reliable data. Our data shows that there is at least an 18-fold range of genome size in Vanilloideae, from 2.985 pg for Eriaxis rigida to 55.4 pg in Pogonia ophioglossoides. The implications of these findings will be discussed.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA2Florida State University3University Of Wisconsin - Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

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Systematics Section/ASPT 424

ROSE, JEFF* 1, KRIEBEL, RICARDO and SYTSMA, KEN 2 1

Biogeography and Biome Shifts of Blueberries (Ericaceae)

he blueberry family (Ericaceae) is cosmopolitan in distribution. Its ca. 4000 species are most diverse in East Asia, Austrasia, and South America. The family contains some of the largest genera of plants including Rhododendron (ca. 1000 species) and Erica (ca. 800 species). The family is also ecologically diverse and includes tropical epiphytes, fire-adapted trees of Mediterranean habitats, alpine subshrubs, and mycoheterotrophs. Although no analysis of the biogeography of the entire family has been conducted, a North Temperate origin for the family has been proposed. Utilizing a large, wellcalibrated phylogeny encompassing over 40% of the family, we reconstructed ancestral areas using BioGeoBears and compared shifts in ancestral areas to shifts in diversification, biome type, and fruit type (fleshy vs. dry). Despite poor sampling of paleotropical Vaccinioideae, our results support a North Temperate origin for the family ca. 90 MY. North America became the predominant player in the early diversification of the family following the divergence of the Enkianthoideae. Though ambiguous, our results suggest that largely Australasian Styphelioideae arrived there from a jump dispersal event from North America ca. 65 MY. This divergence, in addition to extensive cladogenesis within the Ericoideae during the late Cretaceous, adds to the body of evidence implicating the K-T extinction as important in shaping extant angiosperm diversity. In more recent times, South American/Eurasian as well as South American/Australasian disjunctions are more likely to be explained by long-distance dispersal than vicariance. 1

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA2University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

425

GHANDFOROUSH, TITIAN* 1 and KRON, KATHLEEN A 2

Interpreting the evolutionary patterns of tropical blueberries (Vaccinieae) in the Indo-Pacific

pecies of the blueberry tribe (Vaccinieae) occur globally, with the greatest diversity found in the tropics. The Indo-Pacific region is an especially interesting place to study blueberry evolution because of its complex geologic history and widely fragmented, disparate landscape. Evolutionary relationships of the blueberry species in the region are unclear. Previous analyses of New World and Old World tropical and temperate species using matK, ndhF, ITS, and trnL genic data indicated that Agapetes, Paphia, Dimorphanthera, and Old World Vaccinium as currently circumscribed are polyphyletic. This study tested the monophyly of these genera and analyzed whether their relationships corresponded to their present biogeography. DNA sequence data from coding regions in the chloroplast and nuclear genomes were used to reconstruct a phylogenetic history of blue-

berry species in the Indo-Pacific. Representative taxa from Madagascar, South America, and the Northern Hemisphere were included. Sequence data was analyzed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. Concatenated and gene trees were compared to determine incongruence in the phylogeny. The optimal partitioning schemes and models of evolution for each gene were calculated and compared using PartitionFinder. Models were evaluated under two partitioning schemes: 1) partitioned by gene and 2) partitioned by codon position in each gene. Phylogenetic analyses recovered all sampled Old World genera as polyphyletic. East and Southeast continental Asian species of Agapetes are most closely related to species of Vaccinium in the same geographical region. Paphia meiniana and Paphia stenantha (restricted to northern Queensland and New Guinea respectively) are nested within two clades of Dimorphanthera. Most of the temperate and boreal species of Vaccinium fall within two clades: one clade is nested within tropical species of Agapetes and Vaccinium that occur in continental Asia and the other clade comprises species from Japan, Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i, and western North America. 1

Wake Forest University, Biology, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA2Wake Forest University, Department Of Biology, 1834 Wake Forest Road, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, 27106, USA

426

JOHNSON, MELISSA* 1, CLARK, JOHN R. 2 and MCDADE, LUCINDA 1

Phylogeny, biogeography, and diversification of Pacific Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae), a hyper-diverse lineage of island specialists

im: The angiosperm genus Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) is comprised of ca. 800 understory shrub/ small tree species that are distributed throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Although Cyrtandra is one of the largest (ca. 175 spp.) and most widespread genera of plants in the Pacific, little is known about the mechanisms driving this remarkable radiation of island specialists. The present study builds on previous phylogenetic work to: 1) evaluate relationships within and among the Pacific clades; 2) estimate when and where major lineages of Pacific Cyrtandra originated using advanced model-based approaches; and 3) examine the biogeographic processes that may have contributed to extant distributions. Methods: We sampled 160 accessions representing 114 taxa of Cyrtandra from across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with an emphasis on Pacific archipelagos that host exceptional levels of species diversity. Three nuclear and two chloroplast markers were used to construct a well-resolved species phylogeny. Divergence times were estimated with BEAST, using maximum island ages as calibration points. Ancestral area estimations and biogeographic stochastic mapping (BSM) were done using the R package BioGeoBEARS. Results & Discussion: The resulting phylogenetic tree showed strong support values across the backbone, and for most major clades. Several areas in the Pacific are polyphyletic including the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, and the Society Islands, while the Marque-

175

sas and Hawaii are monophyletic. The crown age of Cyrtandra is estimated to be 39 mya, with the Pacific lineage emerging 27 mya. Ancestral area estimation results indicate that the Pacific lineage of Cyrtandra likely originated in the Solomon Islands, followed by a single founder event to Fiji. From Fiji, six dispersal events expanded Cyrtandraâ&#x20AC;&#x153;s range to every major archipelago in the Pacific. The BSM results showed that all cladogenetic events in Pacific Cyrtandra involved jump dispersal. 1

Claremont Graduate University, Botany, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA, 91711, USA2Center for Plant Conservation National Headquarters, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA, 92027, USA

427

MARX, HANNAH* 1 and TANK, DAVID C. 2

Diversity dynamics of alpine flora using mega-phylogenetic approaches 1

University of Idaho, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA2University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA

428

WEITEMIER, KEVIN* 1 and LISTON, AARON 2

mutualism mediated by parasitic fungi that provide a brood site and nutrition for dipteran pollinators. To investigate the transition from wind to animal pollination, we performed a phylogenomic reconstruction of Artocarpus based on target-enrichment sequencing (HybSeq) of 360 low-copy nuclear genes, using material ranging from freshly-collected plants to historical specimens up to 100 years old. The targets were developed from a de novo draft genome assembly (17x coverage) and annotation of A. camansi. Target sequences were assembled and processed with the HybPiper pipeline, and analyses included explorations of coding vs. noncoding regions and gene paralogy, and comparisons between supermatrix and species-tree approaches, resulting in a well-resolved phylogeny with over 90% taxon sampling. We combined the phylogeny with trait data including results of pollinator-exclusion experiments and floral volatile analysis to illuminate characters associated with wind and animal pollination. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Dr., Hogan 2-144, Evanston, IL, 60208, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Plant Science Center, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA3Sabah Forestry Department, Forest Research Centre, Jalan Sepilok, Sandakan, Sabah, 90175, Malaysia4Cornell University, Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Room W355, Seeley G Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

430

ORTIZ, EDGARDO M.* 1 and SIMPSON, BERYL 2

Genome-enabled phylogeography in the Great Basin milkweed, Asclepias cryptoceras (Apocynaceae)

Biogeography of the Andean Vaccinieae with emphasis on the genera Demosthenesia, Pellegrinia and Siphonandra

Oregon State University, Botany And Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall 2082, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA2Oregon State University, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-2902, USA, 541/737-5301

429

GARDNER, ELLIOT* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, PEREIRA, JOAN T. 3, RAGUSO, ROBERT 4, SKOGEN, KRISSA 2, WICKETT, NORM 2 and ZEREGA, NYREE J.C. 1

Phylogenomics of Artocarpus (Moraceae) from 333 nuclear genes: insights into pollination transitions

rtocarpus (Moraceae) is a rare example of a clade exhibiting animal pollination derived from ancestral wind pollination. With a center of diversity in the lowland forests of Southeast Asia, the genus contains approximately 70 species of monecious trees, including notable underutilized crops such as breadfruit (A. altilis) and jackfruit (A. heterophyllus). Although ancestral Moraceae were wind pollinated, both wind and animal pollination are found in Artocarpus, including a unique

he blueberry tribe, Vaccinieae, constitute a morphologically distinct monophyletic group within the family Ericaceae, being its only group with inferior ovaries. Vaccinieae counts a total of ca. 1760 species and 33 genera distributed in five major lineages. Among these clades, the Neotropical clade (with a CaribbeanMesoamerican and an Andean subclades) is the largest and contains 640 species in 29 genera. Previous historical biogeographical analyses of the Neotropical clade of Vaccinieae suggest that its primary source is the Tropical Andes region with subsequent introduction into Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. It has been suggested also that the main diversification period for the clade must coincide with the raise of Andes during the mid-Miocene, hypothesis yet to be tested using timecalibrated phylogenetic analysis. Demosthenesia A.C. Smith, Pellegrinia Sleumer, and Siphonandra Klotzsch (Vaccinieae: Vaccinioideae: Ericaceae) are three small genera of facultatively epiphytic shrubs that contain twelve, four and five species respectively. These species inhabit high-elevation cloud forest (ca. 2500-3500 masl) along the eastern slopes of the Andes of Peru and Bolivia and their evolutionary relationships and biogeographical patterns have not been assessed by any previous phylogenetic study. A molecular phylogeny of the Neotropical clade of Vaccinieae was produced using available published sequences of the chloroplast markers rbcL and matK and accessions newly sequenced for

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Systematics Section/ASPT this study, mainly belonging to these three small genera. The phylogeny was time-calibrated using fossils and secondary calibration points and a BAMM analysis of shifts in diversification rates was performed. The timing of the main diversification events in the tribe and the rates at which these occurred are discussed in association with past geological and climatic events in the Tropical Andes 1

The University of Texas at Austin, Section of Integrative Biology, Plant Resources Center, 205 W 24th St, Mail Stop C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, USA2University Of Texas, Section Of Integrative Biology, 205 W 24th St, Mail Stop C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

431

PATEL, NIKISHA RASHMI* 1 and BARRINGTON, DAVID 2

Apomixis and reticulate evolution in Chinese Polystichum section Xiphopolystichum

he fern genus Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) has a cosmopolitan distribution with a center of diversity in Eastern Asia, where species diversity is notably rich in apomictic lineages, most of which are in section Xiphopolystichum. The section, a monophyletic group comprising 34 species with five thus far identified as apomicts, is an ideal study system for understanding the origins and evolutionary significance of apomictic lineages. Asexual lineages are often polyploid and arise by hybridization, and the origins of apomicts in Xiphopolystichum are so far unexplored. The present study samples Polystichum sect. Xiphopolystichum sensu stricto in its entirety across its Western Chinese center of diversity to identify potential progenitors of known apomicts. Cytological analysis with flow cytometry reveals diploid, triploid, and tetraploid cytotypes of five apomicts, Polystichum xiphophyllum, P. mayebarae, P. tsus-simense, P. neolobatum, and P luctuosum. Each cytotype has a unique suite of morphological traits contributing to the extraordinary morphological diversity found across species in Xiphopolystichum. Further, molecular systematics utilizing next-generation sequencing technology for sequencing nuclear markers (gapCp and PgiC) suggests that Xiphopolystichum is a reticulate group including hybrid lineages with multiple origins. 1

University Of Vermont, 111 Jeffords Hall, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA2University Of Vermont, Jeffords Hall, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA

432

JORDON-THADEN, INGRID* 1, FREYMAN, WILLIAM A. 2, RUHFEL, BRAD R 3 and MARTINE, CHRIS 4

Glacial relict speciation of the Appalachian diploid Draba ramosissima (Brassicaceae)

ere we investigate the population genetics of the rock-loving Appalachian diploid mustard species, Draba ramosissima (Brassicaceae). Draba ramosissima is an endemic Appalachian perennial herb found primarily on limestone. Its closest Draba relatives are from Siberia and Beringia, and therefore it can be assumed that the two lineages were once connected at a point in time, most likely prior the glaciation of the Pliocene. Here we have observed the present-day habitat of this species and collected phylogenetic and population genetic data in relation to Asian, Western North American, and Arctic Draba species. We are testing the hypothesis that the lineage that gave rise to the diploid, Draba ramosissima, was pushed south across the North American continent, and was not able to retreat after the melting of the ice sheets, finding refuge in the Appalachian mountains.

University of California Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA2University of California Berkeley, Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg. #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA3Eastern Kentucky University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 521 Lancaster Avenue, Moore Building, Rm 349, Richmond, KY, 40475, USA4Bucknell University, Biology, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA

433

CARABALLO-ORTIZ, MARCOS A.* 1, CARLO, TOMAS 2 and DEPAMPHILIS, CLAUDE W. 3

Elucidating evolutionary relationships and biogeography on the endemic Caribbean mistletoes Dendropemon (Loranthaceae) using multiple transcriptomes and traditional molecular markers

endropemon (Loranthaceae in Santalales) is a strictly insular genus of mistletoes endemic to the Caribbean archipelago. The genus represents a unique opportunity for the study of evolution of plant species on islands because it is the only endemic genera present on most major Caribbean islands. In addition, Dendropemon presents an opportunity to exemplify how evolutionary radiations on archipelagos occur for hemiparasitic plants and to test hypotheses about how their unique lifestyle shapes processes of diversification. The objective of this study was to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within the genus to test monophyly of Dendropemon and validate currently recognized species. The utility of traditional nuclear and chloroplast molecular markers (ITS, matK, and trnL-F) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships for Dendropemon and outgroups was tested, but we obtained low levels of sequence divergence (3.1%, 2.0%, and 1.4%, respec-

177

tively). An alternative approach was conducted by generating multiple transcriptomes for Dendropemon and outgroups using IlluminaÂŽ sequencing to discover single-copy genes and build phylogenetic trees with high resolution at species level and below. Preliminary phylogenies suggest that islands contain a mixture of closely and distantly related Dendropemon species, suggesting multiple colonization events and in-situ speciation. Results obtained from molecular and morphological data support nomenclatural and taxonomic changes within the genus such as species revalidations and description of new taxa, and allow biogeographic reconstructions, estimation of divergence times, and to examine the role of hosts in the radiation of the genus. 1

Penn State University, 208 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA2Penn State University, Biology, 208 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA3The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, State College

434

DONG, YIBO 1, LI, JIANHUA 2, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3, WONG, GANE KASHU 4, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 5 and XIANG, QIU-YUN (JENNY)* 1

gous genes in each species pair are found to be under strong purifying selection, while a very small number was found to be neutral (Ka/Ks = 1) or under strong positive selection (Ka/Ks >2). The relative proportion of genes under different selection regimes as determined by Ka/Ks values appear to be remarkably similar among genera. Preliminary gene annotation of the genes under strong positive selection showed that a high portion of genes were the integral component of cell membrane in all species pairs and some chloroplast genes exhibited divergence in species pairs with differences in leaf morphology. 1

North Carolina State University, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, United States2Hope College, ARNOLD ARBORETUM, 35 E 12th Street, Holland, MI, 49423, USA3University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States4University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, CW405, Biological Sciences Bldg. , Edmonton, AB, AB T6G 2E9, Canada5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

435

STUBBS, REBECCA* 1, FOLK, RYAN 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2 and CELLINESE, NICO 3

Patterns of morphological and molecular divergence of species pairs between eastern Asia and eastern North America inferred from transcriptome data

Specialized adaptations and restricted niche preferences of cold-adapted saxifrages (Micranthes, Saxifragaceae)

rganisms at different taxonomic levels (e.g., family and genus) can be distributed in different continents forming intercontinental disjunctions. In flowering plants, there are 65 genera with species distributed in eastern Asia (EA) and eastern North America (ENA), a well-known disjunct distribution since the early days of botanical research in the 18th century. Closely related species of these genera are largely restricted to the Tertiary relic mesophytic forests in eastern Asia and eastern North America now situated at similar latitudes. The ecological similarity of the forests predicts slow and similar changes of the species counterparts in morphology and molecules. Although there have been extensive molecular phylogenetic studies during the past 15 years to understand the origin of the disjunct pattern, no studies have systematically examined the patterns of morphological and molecular divergence among the disjunct species pairs. Here we compare 21 species pairs across a diverse array of lineages of seed plants. We sequenced the trascriptomes of these species pairs and compared substitution rates of the orthologous genes among genera. We also compiled a morphological matrix identifying features differing between the species counterparts and compare these among the genera. Our results showed that some genera displayed divergence mainly in vegetative structure (e.g., leaves) while other showed striking divergence in reproductive structures (flowers and fruits). However, overall there are more differentiations across the species pairs in reproductive than vegetative traits, suggesting that biologically factors relating to reproduction may have played the most important role in the divergence of species pairs between eastern Asia and eastern North America. The frequency distribution of synonymous substitution rates (Ks) of putative orthologous genes exhibit a peak in all genera. The peak values spanned a range from 0.001-0.055 across the 21 genera. A majority of the putative ortholo-

icranthes (Saxifragaceae), a group of small-flowered herbs, is an ideal clade for understanding evolutionary processes and unraveling current patterns of biodiversity. Micranthes comprises 70-85 species distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and provides a model for the study of plants occurring in Arctic and alpine ecosystems. Species of Micranthes occur in diverse habitats, are variable morphologically, and exhibit extensive ecological diversification. Over one-third of all Micranthes are cold adapted, in comparison to only 4% of all known vascular plant species. Many of the cold adapted Micranthes have relatively limited climatic ranges, and subsequently have potential to act as indicators of climate change. Additionally, within this clade there are varied adaptations to cold and dry habitats (i.e., leaf area, pubescence, habitat) and diverse traits related to reproduction and pollination (i.e., corolla shape and color) that are ideal for assessing the correlation between biogeographic history, adaptations, and rates of evolution. Finally, ecological niche models projected to the year 2070 estimate that the fundamental niche space for every Alaskan Micranthes will change, some dramatically, as a result of global warming. Therefore, an innovative approach tying together phylogenetics, biogeography, and niche modeling is being used to elucidate how Micranthes responded to fluctuations in the environment in the past and predict how this enigmatic clade will respond to climate change in the future. Insight gained for Micranthes will be broadly applicable to other alpine and Arctic plants.

University Of Florida, 1659 Museum Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

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Systematics Section/ASPT 436

FOLK, RYAN* 1, VISGER, CLAYTON 1, GURALNICK, ROBERT 2, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 4

Ancestral reconstruction of habitat shifts from ecological niche models of extant species: A pipeline with applications to ancestral hybridization in Heuchera (Saxifragaceae)

n increasingly digitized collections infrastructure is enabling researchers to answer critical evolutionary questions about ecological niche evolution, including the lability of ecological niche occupancy over time and the identity of potential drivers of niche shifts. The combination of ecological niche modeling and ancestral niche reconstruction results in a rigorous, quantitative approach to these questions, yet progress in this area is limited by the lack of easily used tools for non-programmers.We present a pipeline that automates the extraction of niche occupancy variables from niche models to output fully annotated trees with ancestral values. Several novel components of our approach are also introduced: (1) the integration of these with a Bayesian continuous ancestral method that allows the calculation of nodal credibility intervals; (2) the option to reconstruct ancestral nodes holistically from reduced PCA axes of environmental data.As an empirical case study, we demonstrate how the integration of our streamlined ancestral reconstruction approach with modern and paleoclimatic modeling can corroborate hypotheses concerning historical range dynamics. Chloroplast incongruence in Heuchera has previously been demonstrated; coalescent simulations favored a hypothesis of hybridization over incomplete lineage sorting. Several putative ancient gene flow events involve lineages that are currently allopatric. We show the application of geographic range reconstructions of ancestral species on a dated phylogeny to corroborate or falsify historical sympatry or parapatry among modern-day allopatric species. 1

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States2University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

437

WEN, JUN* 1, ZHANG, NING 2, CHEN, LISHENG 3, JOHNSON, GABRIEL 3, ICKERT-BOND, STEFANIE 4 and ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 5

A phylogeny of the grape genus Vitis (Vitaceae) based on plastome sequences assembled from genome skimming

hylogenetic analyses of the economically important grape genus were conducted via genome skimming for complete plastome sequences using next generation sequencing on the Illumina NextSeq 500 platform.

The study sampled extensively the North American Vitis species with the morphological and geographic diversity of the Eurasian species also represented. The chloroplast genome assemblies employed the plastome reference sequence of Vitis vinifera as well as de novo assemblies using Velvet. Overall the sequence divergence among the North American species of Vitis subgenus Vitis was low. Bayesian and maximum likelihood partitioned analyses suggest that Vitis californica is sister to the clade of Eurasian species. This clade (V. californica + Eurasian species of Vitis subgenus Vitis) is then sister to the clade of Vitis subgenus Vitis from North America and the Neotropics. The Neotropical V. tiliifolia and the Mexican V. biformis form a clade sister to the clade of the remaining North American species (except V. californica). Vitis girdiana from southern California is sister to V. arizonica and not closely related to V. californica. Vitis cinerea currently comprises five varieties in the phylogeny, and these varieties did not form a clade. Thus, the V. cinerea species complex needs to be re-defined into several species. 1

Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, MRC 166, Washington/DC, N/A, 20013-7012, USA2FDA/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Regulatory Science/DAC/MDB, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD, 207403Smithsonian Institution, Botany, P.O. Box 7012, NMNH, MRC 166, Washington, D.C., 200134University Of Alaska Museum Of The North, Herbarium (ALA) And Dept. Of Biology And Wildlife, University Of Alaska Fairbanks, 907 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA5Smithsonian National Museum Of Natural History, MUSEUM SUPPORT CENTER, P.O. Box 37102, Washington, DC, 20013-7102, USA

438

NICKRENT, DANIEL L* 1, NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 2 and SU, HUEIJIUN 3

Multigene phylogeny places Brachynema in Erythropalaceae (Santalales)

ast molecular phylogenetic analyses have advanced our understanding of relationships within the sandalwood order (Santalales), however, one genus has remained unplaced: Brachynema. In 1857, Bentham described the first species, B. ramiflorum from Brazil, and since then one additional species, B. axillare from northern South America, has been described. Its ordinal and familial placement has been enigmatic, including Ebenaceae, Linaceae, Icacinaceae, Lecythidaceae, and Olacaceae s.l. Sequences of nuclear SSU and LSU ribosomal DNA, chloroplast rbcL, matK and accD and mitochondrial matR were obtained for 170 members of Santalales. The analysis included one sample of B. ramiflorum collected July 1980 (ParĂĄ, Brazil, C. A. Cid Ferreira 1482, NY). The total DNA obtained from this herbarium specimen was subjected to genome skimming using an Illumina HiSeq which provide complete sequences of the above six genes. A concatenated data set was analyzed with maximum parsimony and likelihood. All separate gene partitions and the concatenated data set yielded the same result: Brachynema is sister to

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Maburea trinervis (Erythropalaceae), a monospecific shrub from Guyana first described in 1992 by Maas et al. This result is fascinating because Brachynema displays a number of morphological features that are aberrant in the order: glandular-dentate leaf margins, upper and lower pulvinar thickenings, and a 4-5 chambered ovary with axile placentation (1 ovule pendulous in each locule). Placentation in nearly all members of Santalales is free-central with apical, pendulous ovules; however, Maburea was described as being 2-3 locular, also with axile placentation (1-2 somewhat pendulous ovules per locule). Leaf anatomical characters are notably similar between the two genera. This study demonstrates how particular suites of morphological characters support affinities that are in conflict with strongly supported molecular phylogenetic results. 1

Southern Illinois University, Department Of Plant Biology, 1125 Lincoln Drive, CARBONDALE, IL, 62901-6509, USA2Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA3National Taiwan University, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Science Building R1227, Roosevelt Road Section 4, Taipei, Taiwan

439

SCHUSTER, TANJA M* 1, REVEAL, JAMES L 2, BAYLY, MICHAEL J 1 and KRON, KATHLEEN A 3

Refining our understanding of Polygonaceae: new lineages and recircumscriptions in Polygonoideae

he buckwheat or knotweed family Polygonaceae has a complex taxonomic history, and we are still working on large-scale questions regarding the evolutionary relationships of this group. Many members of Polygonaceae were once included in Polygonum L. and clarifying the circumscription and placement of genera split from this polyphyletic group is still in process. Polygonaceae include many primary successors or “weedy” species, and outside their native ranges Aconogonon polystachyum (Wall. ex Meisn.) M. Král, Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H.Gross, Rumex sagittatus Thunb., and species and hybrids of both Emex Neck. ex Campd. and Reynoutria Houtt. are pernicious invasives. Aside from resolving the classification of Polygonaceae, knowledge of the evolutionary relationships of invasive species is essential for predicting the potential of closely related species or hybrids to become noxious weeds that can have substantial economic impacts. n this study, we address the relationships of several Polygonoideae genera including Aconogonon (Meisn.) Rchb., Emex, Fallopia Adans., Koenigia L., Oxygonum Burch. ex Campd., Polygonum, Reynoutria, and Rumex L. We clarify Polygonoideae phylogeny by building on an existing molecular dataset (nrITS, matK, and trnL-trnF) analysed with Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods. esults indicate that the African endemic Oxygonum is an isolated lineage likely sister to all other members of Polygonoideae. The two species of Emex are nested in the Rumex clade and Rumex subg. Acetosa (Mill.) Rech.f. includes subg. Acetosella (Meisn.) Rech.f. and subg. Platypodium (Willk.) Rech.f.). Fallopia and

Koenigia are polyphyletic with Aconogonon and Koenigia forming a clade, and Fallopia denticulata (C.C. Huang) Holub and F. cilinodis (Michx.) Holub falling outside the Fallopia s.s. clade. Fallopia denticulata forms a clade with Pteroxygonum Dammer & Diels, and we recognize this well-supported clade as Pteroxygoneae. Relationships within the Polygonum s.s. clade reflect geographic distribution with a North America clade sister to a clade containing cosmopolitan and Central Asian species. We confirm that Polygonella Michx. is included in Polygonum making Polygonella obsolete. Based on these results, we recognize Oxygoneae and Pteroxygoneae as tribes, include Aconogonon within Koenigia, merge Emex with Rumex, and recircumscribe Rumex subg. Acetosa. Knowledge of the phylogeny shows that no species of Polygonum s.s. are invasive, but at least three other clades in Polygonoideae include species from temperate Asia and Africa that are invasive in Australia, Europe, and North America. These are Persicarieae (e.g., Koenigia [Aconogonon] and Persicaria), Rumiceae (Rumex), and Reynoutriineae (Reynoutria but not Fallopia) in Polygoneae. 1

The University of Melbourne, BioSciences 3/Botany, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia2Cornell University, L.H. Bailey Hortorium - School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology, 412 Mann Building, Ithaca, New York, 14853-4301, USA3Wake Forest University, Department Of Biology, 1834 Wake Forest Road, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, 27106, USA

440

SUN, MIAO* 1, GERMAIN-AUBREY, CHARLOTTE 2, GITZENDANNER, MATTHEW 3, SMITH, STEPHEN 4, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 5, CHEN, ZHIDUAN 6 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 7

Wrestling with the Rosids I: progress and challenges for phylogenetics of a large, hyper-diverse angiosperm clade

erhaps no major clade of angiosperms holds more potential for detailed evolutionary study than the rosids, an enormous clade of ~87,500 species, representing approximately 25% of all angiosperms and exhibiting tremendous overall diversity in morphology, habit, reproductive strategy, and life history. However, our knowledge of this clade is remarkably limited along any metric. We have found that only 29,677 species (34%) have DNA sequences in GenBank that are usable for phylogenetic analysis. Using the PHLAWD pipeline, we evaluated the quality of five genes (atpB, rbcL, matK, matR, and ITS) in GenBank. We found that the number of sequences and the corresponding representation of species greatly declined with each step of data mining and cleaning approaches. With further bioinformatics, we assembled a large 5-gene 20,258-taxon matrix from GenBank, representing 3,071 genera, 138 families, and 14 orders, and reconstructed the largest phylogeny to date of rosids. Our results generally agree with previous estimates of rosid phylogeny and provide greater resolution and support in several areas of the topology. The topologies inferred from single-gene and combinedgene data sets are generally consistent, but with a few significant differences. Using the resulting best tree, we produced a Lineage Through Time plot to estimate the

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Systematics Section/ASPT timing of the rosid radiation. The radiations detected in rosids also represent the rapid rise of angiosperm-dominated forests and associated co-diversification events that profoundly shaped much of current terrestrial biodiversity. In summary, despite a large volume of data for rosids deposited in GenBank, these data are biased toward specific subclades. Additionally, the lack of a standardized and universally accepted taxonomic name system is problematic and hinders the utility of further comparative study of biodiversity data. 1

University of Florida, Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Rd, PO. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson HAll, Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, GAINSVILLE, FL, 32611-7800, USA4University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19646Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 20 Nanxincun, Beijing, Beijing, BJ, 100093, CN7University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States

441 SVOBODA, HARLAN* and BALLARD JR, HARVEY E Untangling the passionflowers: Phenetic and cladistic studies in Dysosmia (Passiflora, Passifloraceae)

ne of the most unusual and taxonomically difficult groups in the passionflower genus, section Dysosmia (Passiflora, Passifloraceae), has perplexed botanists for nearly 200 years. Although revised in the past, a lack of statistical rigor has led to increased confusion and obscure taxon boundaries. To investigate morphological affinities and potential relationships in section Dysosmia, phenetic and cladistic analyses were carried out. The study was based on vegetative morphological characters and included a linear discriminant analysis, principal coordinates analysis, cluster analysis, and cladistic analysis. The results revealed that there are at least three major groups in the section. In each of the analyses the glabrous, red-fruited taxa (the P. ciliata group) always formed a distinct cluster, while taxa once belonging to a separate subgenus (the Dysosmioides group) formed another phenetic cluster. A third cluster (the P. foetida group) was an assemblage of pubescent, green-fruited taxa. A putative fourth group of pubescent, red-fruited taxa was not well supported as being a distinct aggregation in Dysosmia and instead usually sorted with the P. foetida group. We propose that individuals that are glabrous throughout the plant body correspond to the P. ciliata group, whereas those that bear pubescence correspond to the P. foetida groupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the exception being the Dysosmioides taxa which have noticeably leafier stipules and involucral bracts and bear no glands on the leaf surfaces.

Ohio University, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, 315 Porter Hall, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

442

SANCHO, ERNESTO SANZ* 1 and KROSNICK, SHAWN ELIZABETH 2

Reconstructing the evolutionary history of the native Austral-Pacific species of Passiflora using anchored hybrid enrichment

he genus Passiflora L. (Passifloraceae L.) consists of ca. 607 mostly neotropical species, with 24 native to Southeast Asia, Australia, and Southwest Pacific Islands. In the Austral-Pacific region, Passiflora subgenus Decaloba (DC.) Rchb. supersection Disemma (Labill.) J. M. MacDougal & Feuillet section Disemma (Labill.) J. M. MacDougal & Feuillet consists of the following three native species: Passiflora herbertiana Ker Gawl., P. cinnabarina Lindl., and P. aurantia G. Forster. Passiflora aurantia is divided in three varieties: P. aurantia var. aurantia G. Forster, P. aurantia var. pubescens F.M. Bailey, and P. aurantia var. samoensis (Exell) W.J. de Wilde. Additionally, two undescribed taxa similar to P. aurantia have been reported in New Caledonia. This work focuses on section Disemma, the only section of Passiflora bearing the unusual characteristics of bird-pollination features in the Old World, long blooming period (five days), and self-compatibility. The objectives of this project seek to reconstruct the evolutionary history, revise the taxonomy, and reconstruct the biogeography of section Disemma, using the phylogeny as framework. This investigation uses the cost-effective method of anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) to examine phylogenetic relationships among species of section Disemma. Sixteen individuals were sequenced, including P. aurantia (two varieties), P. herbertiana, P. cinnabarina, and the two undescribed taxa. The project evaluates the utility of AHE at resolving relationships at the species level and below, for section Disemma. It also provides new data to further understand the complex biogeography of the Austral-Pacific region, and its rich ecological history. 1

Tennessee Technological University, Biology, 1100 North Dixie, Pennebaker Hall 207, Biology, Cookeville, TN, 38505, United States2Tennessee Tech University, Dept. of Biology, 1100 North Dixie, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA

443

ZUMWALDE, BETHANY A* 1 and BALLARD JR, HARVEY E 2

A new endemic species of Viola (Violaceae) from the Mid-Appalachian shale barrens

ithin the genus Viola (Violaceae) is a well-known temperate and tropical montane group, subsection Boreali-Americanae in Section Plagiostigma. The group, informally known as the acaulescent blue violets, is endemic to North America and contains 10-25 species, depending on the taxonomic treatment. A small complex of violets in the subsection with all leaf blades lobed or dissected leaves has been familiarly recognized to include three main taxa. All specialists have accepted Viola pedatifida G. Don. of Midwestern and Great Plains prairies as a distinct species. Viola brittoniana

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Pollard of marshes and stream-sides near the Atlantic Coastal Plain, has been treated as both a distinct species or as a subspecies of V. pedatifida due to morphological similarities of the two taxa. A third taxon has been recognized by violet specialists as a highly polymorphic species or a series of hybrid populations, ranging through the eastern Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountain regions. This latter has been called Viola subsinuata (Greene) Greene or Viola palmata L. Disjunct populations of Viola pedatifida were first reported in 1951 from the mid-Appalachian shale barrens region of Allegheny and Bath Counties in Virginia but have been universally disregarded until recently. We began investigations of the disjunct Virginia populations in 2012 and quickly accumulated compelling evidence that they represent an indigenous, previously undescribed narrow endemic wholly confined to a small area of unusual shale woodland slopes. Morphological studies included phenetic analyses of leaf, flower, cleistogamous capsule and seed variables, in addition to micromorphological comparisons using scanning electron microscopy of seed coats and lateral petal trichomes. Preliminary ecological studies analyzed microhabitat variables, and genetic studies utilized four microsatellite loci. These studies confirmed extensive differentiation at all levels among V. pedatifida, V. brittoniana, Viola subsinuata and the shale woodland violet. All evidence supports the recognition of the Virginia violet as a new, narrowly endemic species, Viola tenuisecta Zumwalde & H. E. Ballard. 1

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, United States2Ohio University, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, 315 Porter Hall, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

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BALLARD JR, HARVEY E* 1, GATT, KYLE P and ZUMWALDE, BETHANY A 3 2

Reinventing taxonomy for the Acaulescent Blue violets (Viola subsect. BorealiAmericanae)

he Acaulescent Blue violets (Viola subsection Boreali-Americanae) are the most taxonomically challenging and diverse group of violets in North America and one of the most complex in the world. Frequent apparently fertile hybrids, bewildering phenotypic variation in many taxa, and different emphases on morphological traits have produced several wildly divergent, seemingly irreconcilable taxonomic treatments over the last 120 years. Our research group has embarked on a different taxonomic approach in which we use the Unified Species Concept as an objective filter on diverse lines of evidence to distinguish sets of populations as evolutionary species and segregate these from putative de novo hybrids. Our investigations since 2012 have relied heavily on intensive field surveys and local herbarium collections in the central and southern Appalachian Mountain and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions as a beginning point. We have coupled Ezra Brainerdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invaluable common garden approach and emphases on cleistogamous capsule and seed morphology with Nir Gil-adâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exacting circumscriptions and scanning electron microscopy, augmenting these with ecologi-

cal observations and statistical analyses of data sets. Our evidence includes numerous macromorphological traits across the plant body; microscopic features on lateral petal trichomes and seed coats; ecological niche variables; mature seed output of chasmogamous and cleistogamous capsules; and local and regional geographic distribution. Highly uniform macromorphological features of cleistogamous capsules and seeds, and micromorphological traits of seeds revealed by SEM, have demonstrated remarkable uniformity within taxa and dramatic divergence between taxa. Fruiting traits have been overwhelmingly effective in confirming distinctness of species where foliage or chasmogamous flower traits have proven less useful or informative. Our preliminary results unequivocally maintain all species of Acaulescent Blue violets recognized by Brainerd and his contemporaries early in the last century, and furthermore reveal nine undescribed species thus far. We have circumstantial evidence to suggest another 10 taxa may also be distinct, but these require much further investigation. At present we anticipate recognizing 40 acaulescent blue violet species, where treatments proposed in the last 75 years have accepted less than half that number. Generally, more species, and more narrowly delineated endemic species, must be recognized in the Boreali-Americanae lineage. Some of these are not represented, or not represented adequately, in larger herbaria, and a few have been detected for the first time only through our intensive field studies, highlighting the critical importance of local and regional herbarium collections and field-centered taxonomic investigations to document biological diversity in a taxonomically perplexing group. 1

Ohio University, ENVIR & PLANT BIOLOGY-PORTER H, 315 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701-2979, USA2Ohio University, Biological Sciences, Athens, OH, 45701, USA3Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA

445

WHITTEMORE, ALAN* 1 and HIPP, ANDREW 2

RADseq phylogeny of the genus Ulmus

lms (the genus Ulmus) are dominant trees in many parts of the northern hemisphere, and they have been widely planted as ornamental and shade trees in many countries. However, both native and cultivated elms have been heavily impacted by diseases throughout North America and Europe, prompting a search for genes conferring disease tolerance in elms. A RADseq phylogeny was obtained for ca 85% of the species of Ulmus, a circumpolar genus of trees. Results are generally similar to previous analyses based on morphology and chloroplast DNA, but some previously hypothesized clades must be rejected. The two traditional subgenera (each found in both Eurasia and North America) are both supported, but some well-supported chloroplast clades did not appear in the RADseq analysis, and generally the sections recognized in recent treatments were not recovered in the RADseq cladogram. This improved understanding of species relationships in Ulmus will be important in the search for disease-tolerant genetic material for breeding and commercial introduction.

U S National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave NE, Washington, DC, 20770-1958, USA2The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532-1293, USA

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Systematics Section/ASPT 446

447

FULLER, DANIEL* 1, HUGHES, MARK 2 and MOONLIGHT, PETER 3

DICKINSON, TIM* 1, HARIPERSAUD, PADMATTIE 1, YAN, XUE QI 2, TALENT, NADIA 1 and ZARREI, MEHDI 3

Phylogenetic Incongruence in Begonia L

Polyploidy, niches, diversification: where does gametophytic apomixis fit in?

rataegus series Cerrones (C. section Douglasia) is a small agamic complex of black-fruited hawthorns found in the central Rocky Mountain and adjacent Great Basin states. The Cerrones comprise diploid C. saligna, and its two allotetraploid derivatives, C. erythropoda and C. rivularis, all three forming a clade in a well-supported cpDNA phylogeny. The pollen parent of these allotetraploids is likely one or both of the widely distributed, red-fruited tetraploids, C. chrysocarpa (C. section Coccineae) and C. macracantha (C. section Macracanthae). Unlike C. saligna, all four tetraploids are expected to be self-compatible, and all four are pseudogamous, facultative apomicts. The geographic ranges of the Cerrones tetraploids are intermediate in size between that of diploid C. saligna and those of the two red-fruited tetraploids. All three Cerrones occupy approximately the same climatic niche, and this niche overlaps with only portions of those of C. chrysocarpa and C. macracantha. Quantification of the major and minor venation of the leaves of all five species indicates that the venation of the Cerrones tetraploids is intermediate in density between that of diploid C. saligna (most dense) and that of the two red-fruited tetraploids (least dense). What explains the pattern of geographic parthenogenesis seen in the contrast between the range of diploid C. saligna and the ranges of the tetraploids? We suggest that, in common with other members of C. section Douglasia studied in the Pacific Northwest, the principal effect of polyploidy is to enhance dispersal. Once self-fertile allotetraploids have been formed (presumably via an evanescent triploid bridge), any isolated individual is able to produce abundant crops of clonal seed, while still retaining the capacity to participate in biparental reproduction as either a seed or (more likely) a pollen parent. Adaptation to a xeric niche was undoubtedly important in the evolution of C. saligna, but it would appear that the greater dispersability of its allotetraploid descendants has outweighed any effects of their less specialized leaf vascular architecture. We suggest that the relationships seen in this small agamic complex between the gametophytic self-incompatibility of the Rosaceae tribe Maleae and the polyploidy, hybridity, and gametophytic apomixis that are frequent in Crataegus (and some of the other genera of the Maleae) are likely to be found elsewhere in the genus, especially where taxonomic complexity is considered to be greatest. 1

Royal Ontario Museum, Natural History, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6, Canada2University of Toronto, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada3 The Hospital for Sick Children, The Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG), Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay St., Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada

he increased availability of DNA sequences has revolutionized the field of molecular phylogenetics. However, the increase in available data also increases the opportunity for statistically significant incongruence to affect multigenic phylogenies. The source of incongruence between phylogenies can vary from sampling error to systematic error to different evolutionary histories. Begonia is a mega-diverse genus of approximately 1800 species most of which are narrow endemics. Originating in Africa, Begonia has since dispersed throughout the tropics and undergone several rapid radiations making it an ideal study group for evolutionary botany. A previous framework phylogenetic study of Begonia has shown significant levels of incongruence between the mitochondrial and chloroplast datasets. Using Bayesian Inference methods, phylogenies of Begonia mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA were created using representative species from all major clades covering the entire pantropical range. The resulting phylogenies were compared and instances of well supported incongruence noted. 1

Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA2Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, N/A, EH3 5LR, United Kingdom3Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, N/A, EH3 5LR, UK

448

SIDOTI, BRIAN* 1 and CAMERON, KEN 2

The phylogenetic, population genetic, and biogeographic patterns of the Tillandsia fasciculata (Bromeliaceae) complex

he Tillandsia fasciculata (Bromeliaceae) complex is a taxonomically challenging group due to a suite of morphological characters that complicate the accurate diagnosis of its members. We take an inter- and intraspecific approach to determine evolutionary patterns within this complex, which spans throughout the biodiversity hotspot of the Caribbean Basin and comprises eight subspecific varieties, 22 supravarietal taxa of uncertain rank, and three natural hybrids. The aims of this study are to 1) evaluate the circumscription and phylogenetic position of the Tillandsia fasciculata complex, as well as determine relationships within the complex, using a multigene approach; 2) examine the complexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genetic variation and population structure in Florida and the Bahamas; and 3) model the past, present, and projected occurrence of T. fasciculata in geographic space. Concatenated data incorporating six ptDNA, rDNA (ETS), and a single low-copy nuclear gene (PRK) clarify some taxonomic questions pertaining to the group, but others remain unresolved. Geography, more than morphology, plays an important role in delimiting several problematic taxa. Based on eight microsatellite loci, we identify at least three population clusters in the T. fasciculata complex from its northern limit in Florida and

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through the Bahamas (n = 18 sites). Species distribution models generated using MaxEnt support hypothesized past distributions, such as T. fasciculata var. clavispica in Mexico and northern Central America. Future climatic conditions suggest suitable localities outside its current distribution; however, urbanization and rising sea level pose far greater risks than these models capture. 1

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, 244 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706-1381, USA2University Of Wisconsin Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

449

COX, MONICA* 1, HORNER, HARRY 2, GALLAHER, TIM 3 and CLARK, LYNN 4

Investigation into the Functional Role of Root Anatomy in the Poaceae

oot systems extract water and essential nutrients from the soil, supplying the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vegetative and reproductive structures. Despite this importance, the role of roots has been historically downplayed by comparison to their aboveground counterparts. Furthermore, morphological and anatomical features that occur within a rootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture, especially at the cellular level, are still poorly documented and understood. Therefore, there remains a void in the area of root system development and structure, particularly throughout the economically and ecologically pivotal family Poaceae. Past studies have explored grass leaf and stem anatomy typically in transverse (cross) section, yet very few studies have examined root tissue and even fewer in longitudinal section. As part of a broad survey of root structure and evolution in the Poaceae, preliminary anatomical work within the Panicoideae subfamily has indicated that root architecture variation may be more extensive than previously suspected. Architecture includes quantitative and qualitative characters such as pith presence and diameter, sclerenchyma distribution, and metaxylem diameter, in addition to other features. In conjunction with an in-depth anatomical investigation, I will optimize character state changes on the Poaceae plastome phylogeny and correlate them with ecological factors, such as photosynthetic type and/or habitat. This will be done in an attempt to better understand the functional significance of root variation in the evolution and diversification of major grass lineages. 1

Iowa State University, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, Iowa, 50011-4009, United States2Iowa State University , Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology & Microscopy and Nanoimaging Facility, 2200 Osborn Drive, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA3Iowa State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA4Iowa State University, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, United States

450

KLAHS, PHILLIP* 1, GALLAHER, TIM 2 and CLARK, LYNN 3

Exploring the Anatomy and 3-Dimensional Aspects of Spikelet Structure in the Grasses (Poaceae)

tructural diversity among species of flowering plants is often manifested in the flowers themselves, and is commonly the preferred diagnostic observed by plant taxonomists to distinguish taxa. Studies on the grass family (Poaceae), which is the 5th largest family of flowering plants, rely heavily on spikelet structure to determine species and infer relationships. The grass spikelet is composed of one to many distichous flower units, or florets, subtended by two sterile bracts known as glumes. The grass spikelet is relatively small, wind pollinated, and strongly modified relative to conventional monocot flowers. Human perception generally does not associate these characteristics with attractiveness; however, spikelets represent a remarkable structural innovation. Although the mechanisms are not completely understood, spikelets are known to contribute to pollination dynamics, caryopsis development by means of protection and photosynthetic production, and ultimately dispersal. Anatomical work in the expansive grass family has focused on areas of vegetative production, such as leaves and stems, to explore C3 and C4 photosynthesis. This research explores the anatomy of the individual components of the grass spikelet along with the 3D macrostructure as a whole to address the relationship between shape and function. Novel 3D imaging techniques are used to render the parts of the flower to better understand their interactions in space and overall development. 1

Iowa State University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2200 Osborn Dr., 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA2Iowa State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA3Iowa State University, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, United States

451

BARBERA SANCHEZ, PATRICIA* , PETERSON, PAUL M. 2, ROMASCHENKO, KONSTANTIN 3, SORENG, ROBERT J. 3, QUINTANAR SANCHEZ, ALEJANDRO 4, AEDO PEREZ, CARLOS 5 and SAARELA, JEFFERY M. 6

A molecular phylogeny of the Aveneae-type plastid DNA clade (Poaceae: Pooideae: Poeae)

n the most recent grass classification, the Aveneaetype plastid DNA clade contains 39 genera and 1039 species in the following seven subtribes: Agrostidinae (604 species in 16 genera), Anthoxanthinae (69 species in a single genus), Aveninae (302 species in 15 genera), Brizinae (5 species in 2 genera), Calothecinae (26 species in 2 genera), Phalaridinae (17 species in a single genus), and Torreyochloinae (16 species in 2 genera). Earlier molecular analyses using plastid trnL-F and ITS DNA sequences indicated that generic limits among the

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Systematics Section/ASPT core Agrostidinae are not well understood and species of Calamagrostis and Trisetum formed two separate clades, one composed of Old World species and the other of New World species. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of 61 genera and 550 species (53%, 1280 samples) in the Aveneae-type plastid clade using sequence data from three plastid regions (rpl32-trnL spacer, rps16-trnK spacer, and rps16 intron) and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS 1 & 2) to infer evolutionary relationships among these species. Calamagrostis, Helictotrichon, Koeleria, Trisetaria, and Trisetum are polyphyletic genera with species occurring in three or more clades. Our plastid phylogeny includes two clades (a northern and southern hemisphere) of many species of Calamagrostis with species of Ammophila, Graphephorum, Peyritschia, Sphenopholis, Trisetopsis, and Trisetum embedded. Trisetum s.s., with only a few species, is sister to Rostraria. Deschampsia (Poeaetype plastid DNA clade) appears paraphyletic with some South American species of Calamagrostis (subsect. Stylagrostis) embedded. Anthoxanthum, Arrhenatherum, Avena, Lagurus, Phalaris, Rostraria, and Torreyochloa appear monophyletic. Agrostis appears monophyletic with Lachnagrostis and Polypogon embedded in the plastid tree. However, in the ITS-derived tree, Lachnagrostis and Polypogon are embedded in much smaller northern hemisphere Calamagrostis clade. Overall the plastid and nuclear ITS-derived trees are mostly congruent except for relationships among species of Calamagrostis, Koeleria, and Trisetum where significant gene flow has occurred, probably in the deeper past. 1

Real Jardin Botanico de Madrid, Biodiversidad y Conservacion, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Madrid, 28014, Espana2Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-70123Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA4Rreal Jardin Botanico de Madrid, Biodiversidad y Conservacion, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Madrid, 28014, Espana5Real Jardin Botanico de Madrid, Biodiversidad y Conservacion, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cietificas (CSIC), Madrid, 28014, Espana6Canadian Museum of Nature, Botany, Ottawa, ON, K1P 6P4, Canada

452

PETERSON, PAUL M.* 1, ROMASCHENKO, KONSTANTIN 2 and HERRERA ARRIETA, YOLANDA 3

A molecular phylogeny of the Cynodonteae (Poaceae: Chloridoideae)

orphologically, the tribe Cynodonteae is a diverse group containing about 839 species in 93 genera and 18 subtribes, found primarily in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. A modern classification of the Cynodonteae based on the study of molecular characters has resulted in major changes in the circumscription and alignment of genera. Therefore, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis on 389 species (736 samples) in the Cynodonteae using sequence data from seven plastid regions (rps16-trnK spacer, rps16 intron, rpoC2, rpl32-trnL spacer, ndhF, ndhA intron, ccsA) and the nu-

clear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS 1 & 2) to infer evolutionary relationships and refine the current classification. The plastid signal places Odyssea paucinervis as sister to Neobouteloua while the nuclear ITS signal places it as sister to Aeluropis in the Aeluropodinae. The other species of Odyssea, O. mucronata is sister to a derived clade containing six other subtribes. In our new classification we recognize three new subtribes (bringing the total to 21 subtribes): Dactylocteninae that includes Acrachne, Brachychloa, Dactyloctenium, and Neobouteloua; Orininae with Cleistogenes and Orinus; and Zaqiqinae with a single genus, Zaqiqa; resurrecting Hubbardochloinae with seven genera; and six new genera: Eleusinella (Eleusininae) with two species, Hyalopterus (Eleusininae) with a single genus, Orthacanthus (Traginae) with a single species, Triplasiella (Gouiniinae) with a single species, Tripogonella (Tripogoninae) with three species, and Zaqiqa. In addition, we provide a subgeneric classification of Distichlis recognizing three sections, of which, two are new. 1

Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-70122Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 32012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA3Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Herbario, CIIDIR Unidad Durango-COFAA, Durango, Dgo, 34220, Mexico

453

NACZI, ROBERT* 1, NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 2, MAJURE, LUCAS 3, ABBOTT, J. RICHARD 4, JUDD, WALTER 5 and WHITTEN, W. MARK 6

Systematics of the Dichanthelium ensifolium clade (Poaceae: Paniceae)

ichanthelium (Poaceae) is a species-rich genus of grasses most diverse in eastern North America, but also occurring in South America and Hawaii. Many species in the genus are ecologically important members of various plant communities, especially in North America. Taxonomy of the genus is highly controversial and knowledge of phyletic relationships is minimal. Hence, the genus is in critical need of a phylogenetic approach in order to solve remaining classification problems. We diagnose and present the first integrated morphologic and molecular phylogenetic analysis of a clade of Dichanthelium. Morphologic synapomorphies diagnosing this clade appear to be 1) vernal leaf blades with pale margin 0.05-0.2 mm wide and margin entire or minutely, sparsely denticulate (vs. the plesiomorphic state of pale margin absent, or present and denticulate), 2) vernal leaf blades short relative to culm height (vs. the plesiomorphic state of leaf blades relatively long), and 3) spikelets ≤1.7 mm long (vs. the plesiomorphic state of spikelets >1.7 mm long). We used field and herbarium observations; morphometric analyses; and molecular data obtained through Illumina HiSeq sequencing technology by “genome skimming” plastomes and Sanger sequencing of ITS, GBSSI, and rpl32-trnL to resolve the taxa within the clade, to infer their phylogenetic relationships, and to document their geography. Members of the D. ensifolium clade occur in southeastern North

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America, specifically the southeastern U.S.A., Cuba, and northern Central America. All of the members inhabit sunny, nutrient-poor habitats with sandy or peaty substrates, such as pinelands, savannas, and peatlands. Most of the species inhabit wetlands, but at least one shift has occurred into dry habitats. Our resolution of the D. ensifolium clade is a first step in achieving a stable classification for the entire genus based on objective, repeatable data and analyses. 1

The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA2Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA3Desert Botanical Garden, Department of Research, Conservation, and Collections, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA4The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 104585University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 326116University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

454

ATTIGALA, LAKSHMI 1 and CLARK, LYNN* 3

The use of foliar micromorphology and anatomy in a taxonomic revision of the Chusquea ramosissima Group (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from South America

husquea (subtribe Chusqueinae) is recognized as a well-supported yet very diverse genus. Currently, there are 175 described species within Chusquea, most of which are characteristic of montane forests throughout Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, with some species occurring in high altitude grasslands and lowland tropical forests or in temperate forests at higher latitudes (both north and south). A recent molecular phylogenetic study provides evidence for four major clades within Chusquea: (i) subg. Magnifoliae, (ii) subg. Platonia; (iii) subg. Rettbergia; and (iv) the Euchusquea clade, which includes ca. 75% of the species diversity in the genus. Within the Euchusquea clade five minor clades are well supported even though their relationships are still challenging due to conflicting morphological and molecular evidence. The Chusquea ramosissima clade is one of these five minor clades, and consists of three sampled species (Chusquea ramosissima, C. tenella, and C. longispiculata). The first two plus two other species (C. tenuiglumis and Chusquea sp. nov.) comprise the C. ramosissima Group while the third species plus several others comprise the C. meyeriana Group. All of these species are distributed across South America mainly in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. The current study focuses on both macro and micro-morphological as well as anatomical analyses of the C. ramosissima Group, which is defined by the presence of pseudopetiolate culm leaf blades, a feature otherwise unique within Chusquea. We studied the macromorphology of this group following conventional methods and its leaf blade micromorphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (clearings). Further, the leaf blade anatomy in cross section was also examined with light microscopy. Several macromorphological characters differentiate the C. ramosissima Group from the remaining species of Chusquea and microstructural characters demonstrate

that epidermal features, mainly relating to the stomatal apparatus, as seen on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces proved to be valuable in distinguishing these species, including providing support for the recognition of the new species from Bolivia, which has not yet been collected in flower. 1

Iowa State University, Ecology Evolution and Organismal Biology, 2200 Osborn Dr. , Room 251 Bessey , Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA2Universidade Estadual Paulista, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil3Iowa State University, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, United States

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GALLAHER, TIMOTHY 1, ADAMS, DEAN 2, SHERRATT, EMMA 3, ATTIGALA, LAKSHMI 4, KLAHS, PHILLIP 5, WYSOCKI, BILL 6, BURKE, SEAN 7, DUVALL, MEL 6 and CLARK, LYNN* 8

The evolution of leaf shape in the grass family (Poaceae)

rasses have adapted to a remarkable breadth of habitats. They are best known from open grasslands and croplands which today cover over 40% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface; however, the family also has members, including the oldest extant lineages, which are found in deeply shaded forest understories or more open woodlands. Some grasses have adapted to areas characterized by hot and arid conditions while others are able to tolerate subfreezing temperatures. In a series of studies we investigated the role of the grass leaf as an adaptive macroevolutionary structure. We used geometric morphometrics to evaluate the evolution of leaf shape as well as other characters such as leaf thickness and the presence of pseudopetioles over a new timecalibrated plastome-based phylogeny of the family. We used ancestral state reconstructions and rate of change analyses to evaluate correlations between characters, climate/habitat and photosynthetic pathway. Grasses likely originated in the forest understory over 100 MYA with broad pseudopetiolate leaves. Linear leaves evolved several times in the family beginning in the Paleocene. Several key shifts in the rate of change of leaf shape were identified. These character shifts are associated with the occupation of open habitats and greater numbers of species in the Pooideae, Chloridoideae and Andropogoneae. Likewise re-adaptation to shaded conditions involves a regain of wider leaves and pseudopetioles, as seen in the Panicoideae. These patterns strongly suggest functional constraints on leaf shape in both shady and open habitats. Further work is needed to understand the mechanisms that act upon the meristems within the developing leaf and how these interact to produce the overall structure of the organ, as well as to assess homology of the leaf blade and associated structures (e.g., pseudopetioles, collar, auricles, leaf intercalary meristems) across the family. 1

Iowa State University, EEOB, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA2Iowa State University, EEOB, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, United States3The Australian National University, Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, 116 Daley Road, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia4Iowa State University, Ecology Evolution and Organismal Biology, 2200 Os-

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Systematics Section/ASPT born Dr. , Room 251 Bessey , Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA5Iowa State University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2200 Osborn Dr., 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA6Northern Illinois University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, United States7Northern Illinois University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA8Iowa State University, 2220 Osborn Dr., Room 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, United States

456

TEISHER, JORDAN* 1, MCKAIN, MICHAEL 2 and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH ANNE 3

"Awn" and Off: Evolution of Dispersal and Burial Traits in the PACMAD Grasses

lant seeds have evolved a wide variety of structures and mechanisms to address the coupled challenges of dispersal away from the parent plant and burial in a favorable habitat. In the grass family, Poaceae, the seed is frequently dispersed with two floral bracts, the lemma and palea, forming a unit called the diaspore. Modifications of the lemma in particular are common and include presence or absence of a needle-like projection called an awn, which can be straight or geniculate. Straight awns are typically involved in guiding passive burial by ensuring the base of the diaspore is in contact with the ground, while geniculate awns are frequently hygroscopic and actively move the diaspore across microsites or help bury the base of the diaspore into the soil. Such active burial is often assisted by hairs at the base and on the body of the lemma, which serve as anchors against which the hygroscopic awn can exert force to bury the diaspore. Absence of any awns on the lemma is often accompanied by a lack of associated hairs and thus a passive burial syndrome. The PACMAD clade of grasses contains approximately half of the species in the family, including major food crops like maize and sorghum, and possesses a broad range of burial strategies. Understanding how dispersal strategies and their associated structures have evolved across this clade could help place the evolution of its highly diverse and successful members into a better biological context. However, the small subfamily Arundinoideae (less than 50 species in 19 genera) represents a significant obstacle to estimating character evolution across PACMAD because its members are highly morphologically diverse, the group is likely polyphyletic, and many of its members have not been studied in any detail. In this study, we construct a phylogeny of the grass family using 88 whole-chloroplast genomes, including all previously sequenced Arundinoideae and 5 genera that have never been sequenced for a molecular phylogeny. Ancestral state reconstructions for awn presence/type, presence of a hairy callus and lemma were performed using parsimony, maximum likelihood and stochastic character mapping. The ancestor of PACMAD is inferred as possessing a straight awn with a hairy callus and lemma body. Evolution of geniculate awns has occurred at least five times, and all subfamilies have experienced loss of awns. Placement of two former arundinoid genera at the base of the Panicoideae significantly affects ancestral character reconstructions across the PACMAD clade.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Botany,

1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA2Donald Danforth Plant Science, 975 N. Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA3Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Department Of Biology, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA

457 MASON-GAMER, ROBERTA J.* 2 and WHITE, DAWSON 2 Phylogenetic analysis of the wheat tribe Triticeae (Poaceae) using a Hyb-Seq approach

hylogenetic relationships within the wheat tribe, Triticeae (Poaceae), have been under investigation for decades through the application of morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular phylogenetic data. Nevertheless, many relationships within the group remain intractable for a variety of reasons, which likely include past and ongoing introgression, frequent polyploidization, and rapid diversification of basal lineages. Published molecular phylogenetic analyses reveal considerable conflict among topologies derived from different loci, with especially widespread conflict between nuclear vs. chloroplast trees. To obtain additional data for clarification of the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x153;s evolutionary history, we are applying a Hyb-Seq approach, which combines targeted enrichment of low-copy sequences with skimming of non-targeted, high-copy sequences. With this method, we have obtained sequence data from (1) presumably single-copy nuclear loci, including targeted exons and flanking, non-targeted introns; and (2) complete or nearly-complete chloroplast genomes skimmed from the bait-hybridization reaction. The current data set includes 39 diploid Triticeae individuals representing a broad diversity of the tribe. We assess (1) the improvement of resolution and support on our chloroplast DNA-based tree compared to published estimates based on smaller cpDNA data sets; and (2) the level of conflict between the chloroplast DNA tree and a species tree derived from nuclear locus data.

University of Illinois at Chicago, Biological Sciences, 845 W. Taylor St., MC 066, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA2University of Illinois at Chicago, Biological Sciences, 845 W. Taylor St., MC 066, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

458

DAVIS, JERROLD I* 1, LIM, GWYNNE S 2, BARRETT, CRAIG 3, GRACE, OLWEN 4 and CONRAN, JOHN G 5

Rearrangements in the plastid genome of Ecdeiocolea monostachya (Ecdeiocoleaceae; Poales): multiple inversions, duplications, and modifications to the Inverted Repeat region

he southwestern Australian endemic family Ecdeiocoleaceae comprises two genera and three species of caespitose, leafless, rush-like monocots that grow in sandy, nutrient-poor, dry heathlands. Ecdeiocoleaceae and the monogeneric family Joinvilleaceae are the two closest relatives of the grass family (Poaceae), and

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these three families share two inversions in the plastid genome. M.R. Duvall and W.P. Wysocki (2014; Botany2014 abstracts) reported two additional inversions in Joinvillea ascendens Gaudich. We have sequenced the plastome of Ecdeiocolea monostachya F. Muell., using Illumina paired-end short-read data, supplemented by targeted PCR amplifications to confirm putative rearrangements. We confirm the presence of the two inversions previously inferred for all three families, and report several additional novel rearrangements unique to E. monstachya. The inverted repeat (IR) regions of E. monostachya are substantially reduced in length, relative to those of the other two families, at the ends that are adjacent to the large single-copy (LSC) region, and there is a corresponding increase in the length of the LSC region. The gene arrangement within the remaining portions of the IR regions, and in the small singlecopy (SSC) region, are largely co-linear with those of Joinvilleaceae and Poaceae, except that clpP lies within the IR regions, adjacent to rrn16. There are several additional rearrangements within the LSC region, which are interpretable as the results of additional inversions, and there are several small identical and nearly identical regions at the junctions between the rearranged gene blocks. Of the two inversions previously reported for Joinvillea, the larger may be shared with Ecdeiocolea, as two of the inversion junctions in Ecdeiocolea correspond to the endpoints of this inversion in Joinvillea; however, the smaller of the two inversions in Joinvillea appears to be lacking in Ecdeiocolea. 1

Cornell University, Plant Biology and L.H. Bailey Hortorium, 412 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA2Cornell University (and New York Botanical Garden), Plant Biology and L.H. Bailey Hortorium, 412 Mann Library, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA3West Virginia University, Biology, Life Sciences Building, PO Box 6057, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA4Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK5University of Adelaide, ACEBB & SGC, Department of Genetics & Evolution, Benham Building DX 650 312, North Terrace, SA 5005, Australia

459

LI, JIANHUA* 1, MURRAY, GREG , BROWN, KEN 2, LI, CHUNQI 3 and ZHU, JUNYI 4 2

Bocconia and Macleaya (Papaveraceae): Systematic Relationships, Invasive History, and Chemical Profiles

lume poppy (Bocconia) is a plant genus with 10 species in Central and South America. As in many other species of the poppy family, the group contains various alkaloids that are important chemicals in traditional herbal medicine. A close relative of Bocconia is Macleaya from eastern Asia with two species. In comparison with other intercontinental disjunct distributions, the C & S American and eastern Asian disjunction is rare. Thus, the Macleaya-Bocconia pair provides a model system to test hypotheses about the formation of the disjunct distribution. Species of Bocconia occur in open habitats and can be potentially invasive when introduced to areas with similar environments. Indeed, Bocconia frutescens has been listed as a noxious weed in Hawaii and Maui. Macleaya also produces various al-

kaloids with antibacterial and antifungal capacities, and has long been utilized as a traditional Chinese medicine. In this study we focus on three questions: 1) are species of Bocconia more closely related to other species of Bocconia than to either of the two species of Macleaya? 2) where in the Americas is the source of Bocconia frutescens on the islands of Hawaii and Maui? 3) are there differences in the diversity of alkaloids between Bocconia and Macleaya, and between populations of B. frutescens in the Americas and the Islands of Maui and Hawaii? We explored these questions with data on morphology, nuclear and plastid DNA regions, and phytochemistry. Our results support the monophyly of both Bocconia and Macleaya, and further suggest that South American lineages of Bocconia may have originated from a single dispersal event from Central America. Hawaiian populations of B. frutescens seem to have originated in Central America or the Caribbean. Our analysis also suggests that there might be additional species ofBocconia in Central America. The morphological innovations of Bocconiaspecies with thickened pistil margins and brightly colored seed aril may have enhanced bird dispersal of seeds and diversification in various habitats as evidenced by diverse growth habit (e.g., woody and herbaceous) and leaf morphology (lanceolate or broadly ovate, unlobed with or without teeth, shallow or deeply lobed with or without teeth). This study lays a foundation for predictive taxonomy ofBocconiaand medicinal usages of both genera. We thank Li Jiamei, Li Pan, Ren Yi, Corey Barnes, and Charles Chimera for help and acknowledge support from a HHMI grant to Hope College. 1

Hope College, ARNOLD ARBORETUM, 35 E 12th Street, Holland, MI, 49423, USA2Hope College, 35 E 12th St, Holland, Michigan, 49423, United States3Henan Agricultural University, Zhenzhou, HN, China4Tonghua Normal University, Biology, Tonghua, JL, China

460

SHIPUNOV, ALEXEY* 1, CHOI, JINHEE 2, DESPIEGELAERE, SARAH 2 and LEE, HYE JI 2

Phylogeny of the Buxineae: boxwoods and related

ithin flowering plants, boxwood family sensu stricto and several satellite groups form an old, distinct taxon comprising about 138 species, distributed worldwide but mainly associated with Tropical America, East/South Africa/Madagascar, and East Asia (KĂśhler, 2007). All six genera have clear morphological similarities (Oskolski et al., 2015) but little information is available about their phylogenetic relationships, especially on the species level. The recent work on Caribbean taxa (GutiĂŠrrez, 2014) allowed to create the framework for understanding the evolution of the significant portion of American boxwood species and Buxineae as a whole, but data about many other species is still lacking. There is no comprehensive classification of the group. ince our previous research was unable to place Haptanthus hazlettii with 100% of confidence, the first goal was to provide this placement basing on further research of its DNA. Then we decided to integrate as many worldwide data as possible and to build the com-

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Systematics Section/ASPT prehensive phylogeny of Buxineae. Geographical distribution of Buxineae is so broad and many species are extremely rare, therefore our strategy was based on the DNA extraction from the herbarium specimens. Fortunately, specimens of Buxineae typically retain the DNA of good quality for many years (Choi et al., 2015). To make our results comparable with previous research, we chose chloroplast rbcL as the first phylogeny marker, and to add more resolution to phylogenetic trees, nuclear ITS2 was also chosen. To obtain better results, we tuned the standard DNA extraction protocols, and also employed the TBT-PAR method (Samarakoon et al., 2013) of enhancing PCR. If the sample does not yield the good quality sequences, we tried to use another from the same species. The preference was always given to vouchers identified with Buxineae experts. In all, we extracted DNA from 209 samples and obtained 371 rbcL and ITS2 sequences of various quality from 110 species (which is 79% of the Buxineae). ata from rbcL and ITS2 were integrated in the phylogeny tree thus represented both nuclear and chloroplast genomes. This tree allows to establish the comprehensive classification of the Buxineae, trace the times of diversification and biogeographic relationships between subgroups. One of the first conclusions which could be made on our molecular data, recent morphological research (Oskolski et al., 2015) and the review of the Caribbean species (Gutiérrez, 2014) is that the group is solid enough to be treated as one family, Buxaceae s.l.

and relationships among major genera and 2) proposed tribe-level taxonomies. 1

Sam Houston State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1900 Avenue I, Huntsville, TX, 77340, USA2Sam Houston State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1900 Avenue I, Huntsville, TX, 773403Université de Lubumbashi, Sciences Agronomiques, Lubumbashi, Katanga, DRC4Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz , Ciências Biológicas, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11-Caixa Postal Agronomia, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil5Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

462

LATVIS, MARIBETH* 1, BLISCHAK, PAUL 2, STRUNK, MELISSA 3, JACOBS, SARAH 3 and TANK, DAVID C. 4

Phylogenetics in the speciation "grey zone": further disentangling relationships among the paintbrushes (Castilleja, Orobanchaceae) 1

Minot State University, Biology, 500 University Ave, Minot, ND, 58707, USA2Minot State University, Biology, 500 University Ave W, Minot, ND, 58707

University of Idaho, Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA2Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA3University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, United States4University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA

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463

RANDLE, CHRISTOPHER* 1, BAYAT, SOHEILA 2, HAMMACK, DAVID 1 and MORAWETZ, JEFFERY 5

Phylogeny and taxonomy of thetropical clade of Orobanchaceae

ost of the known species diversity in the parasitic plant family Orobanchaceae occurs in temperate regions. However, diversity in the well-supported clade of tropical Orobanchaceae remains largely unexplored. With the exception of Buchnera (with 100 species), most genera of the tropical clade consist of few poorly characterized and rarely collected species. Although tribelevel classification systems include such poorly known genera, few thorough phylogenetic analyses exist to test these interpretations. In this study, we have expanded phylogenetic sampling of tropical species and genera in over previous studies through field collection of species from the paleotropics and neotropics. For the first time, the genera Buttonia, Cycniopis, Ghikea, Gerardiina, Magdalenaea, Micrargeriella, Nothochilus, Physocalyx, Pseudosopubia and Velosiella are included in systematic analysis of the tropical clade. Further, species sampling of genera Buchnera, Cycnium, Melasma, Sopubia, and Striga, has been greatly expanded. DNA sequences of the following loci were obtained from circa 150 ingroup and outgroup accessions of more than 100 species: the nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) and nuclear phyB, and chloroplast loci matk, rbcL, rpl16, and rps2. Phylogenetic analysis was used to explore 1) monophyly

JACOBS, SARAH J.* 1, LATVIS, MARIBETH 1 and TANK, DAVID C. 2

How many degrees of separation? Morphological variation in the regional forms of Castilleja miniata (Orobanchaceae) and its potential use in species delimitation 1

University of Idaho, Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA2University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA

464

KNOX, ERIC

The Cosmopolitan Radiation of Lobelia (Lobeliaceae)

he Lobeliaceae comprise 34 genera, of which Lobelia is the ‚core genus’ in the family and the others are segregate genera based on subsequent evolutionary modification of the reproductive features originally used to describe Lobelia. South Africa and Australia have many diverse lineages of Lobeliaceae, but the phylogenetic relationships of these lineages clearly show that Lobelia originated in the Western Cape Region of South Africa, and the diversity in Australia is due to re-

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peated colonization. Roughly 20 million years ago, Lobelia colonized Europe, western North America, Mexico and the Caribbean, eastern North America, South America, Australasia, Madagascar, and eastern Asia within a 3 million year period. Sequence from complete plastid genomes finally provides a sufficiently large data set to accurately reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of this rapid cosmopolitan radiation. China was the source area for evolution of the giant lobelias, which took a biogeographic victory lap, with one lineage colonizing Hawaii and South Pacific islands, while the other lineage diversified on the mountains of East Africa but subsequently reached West Africa and independently reached Angola and Brazil. Indiana University, Department of Biology, Jordan Hall 142, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

465

CROWL, ANDREW* 1 and CELLINESE, NICO 2

Endemism, diversification, and cryptic speciation in the Mediterranean: Evolution of the Roucela complex (Campanulaceae)

he Mediterranean Basin is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, harboring enumerable poorly understood, species-rich groups. Understanding evolutionary processes and species diversity is of special interest in this region given the exceptionally high degree of endemism and number of rare taxa. The Roucela clade (Campanulaceae) includes twelve currently recognized species of bellflowers found primarily in the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Previous analyses suggest one widespread taxon may represent multiple, independent lineages. We construct a phylogenomic dataset to provide insights into the role of polyploidy and cryptic speciation in this group.

floral shape lability? 3) Do the dorsal petals evolve at a higher rate than the lateral or ventral petals? and 4) To what degree, if any, does floral shape influence diversification rate across the Core Goodeniaceae? Our highly resolved, densely sampled phylogenies for the clade provide the necessary historical structure. For the comparative floral data, we have developed a geometric morphometric method to quantitatively characterize flower shape based on our field-collected and crowdsourced images. This floral morphometric method extracts positional information from five homologous petal apex landmarks, and employs PCA to characterize their variance. The resulting principal components can be reconstructed as continuous characters across the phylogeny and used to effectively cluster species into discrete shape groups, permitting the inference of flower shape evolution across more densely sampled phylogenies. Our datasets provide evidence that the majority of floral shape variation is driven by positional shifts among the dorsal petals, which causes the clear distinction between fan-flowers and all other morphologies. Within Core Goodeniaceae, Scaevola s.l. (which is composed almost exclusively of fan-flowers) exhibits less variation in floral shape than does Goodenia s.l. This is due in large part to the fact that all three major clades of Goodenia s.l. contain individual species and clades that have independently evolved fan-flowers. Expanding our phylogenetic and morphometric representation will increase the resolution of our floral evolutionary inferences among this diverse clade of Australian wildflowers. 1

CSU Stanislaus, Biological Sciences, One University Circle, Turlock, CA, 95382, USA2Rhodes College, Botany, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, USA3Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, Tennessee, 38112, United States4Western Australian Herbarium, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Technology Park, Western Precinct, , Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia5St. John's University, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, St. Albert Hall Rm 257, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamiaca, NY, 11439, USA

University Of Florida, Biology, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 354 Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Florida, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NAT. HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA

466

GARDNER, ANDREW* 1, JABAILY, RACHEL SCHMIDT 2, FITZ GERALD, JONATHAN 3, SHEPHERD, KELLY A. 4 and HOWARTH, DIANELLA 5

Reconstructing floral shape evolution in the Core Goodeniaceae using geometric morphometrics and densely sampled phylogenies

he predominantly Australian family Goodeniaceae is known for its diverse flower morphologies. These include species with nearly radially symmetric flowers to several forms of zygomorphy, including bilabiate flowers among species of Goodenia and the enigmatic fan-flowers exemplified by, but not limited to, Scaevola. We aim to reconstruct the evolution of flower shape in the larger clade of this family (Core Goodeniaceae) to address several questions: 1) How many times have fan-flowers evolved? 2) Do some clades exhibit greater

467

SCHILLING, EDWARD* 1 and PANERO, JOSE 2

A changed circumscription of Eupatorium (Asteraceae) alters its biogeographic story

prerequisite for biogeographic analysis is to have a complete understanding of the basic classification of the group being studied. Here we provide an example that shows how increasing the accuracy of a classification of a group can fundamentally change the understanding of its past biogeographic history. The late 20th century reduction of the former mega-genus Eupatorium left a modest (30-40 species) core with an apparent Arcto-Tertiary distribution: multiple species in eastern North America and eastern Asia with a single one in Europe. Molecular based studies have since upheld all of the segregates that have been examined, but somewhat surprisingly, the case of Stomatanthes, which involves one of the most unusual geographic distributions for the tribe, has not received close scrutiny. We present data that show that Stomatanthes, the core group of which is African, is a phylogenetic ingroup that should be submerged in Eupatorium. The phylogenetic position of the African clade places it between the North

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Systematics Section/ASPT American and the European and Asian clades, making it the highest probability that dispersal of Eupatorium from New World to Old World went first to Africa. This renders moot the earlier question of whether dispersal occurred across the North Atlantic Land Bridge or the Bering Land Bridge, and removes Eupatorium from the list of genera with a classical Arcto-Tertiary distribution. 1

University Of Tennessee, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, KNOXVILLE, TN, 37996-1610, USA2University of Texas, Section of Integrative Biology, 1 University Station C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

468

TILEY, HELENE* 1, WIGHT, SPENCER 1, CHARBONEAU, JOSEPH 2, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 3 and MOORE, MICHAEL 1

Toward a complete species-level phylogeny of the Tribe Helenieae (Asteraceae)

he tribe Helenieae (Asteraceae) evolved in southwestern North America and is comprised of 13 genera (Amblyolepis, Baileya, Balduina, Gaillardia, Helenium, Hymenoxys, Marshallia, Pelucha, Plateilema, Psathyrotes, Psilostrope, Tetraneuris, and Trichoptilium) and 116 species. The taxonomy and generic-level phylogeny of these groups is well-understood thanks to extensive work by Bierner, Baldwin, Wessa, and colleagues. Although the diversity of Helenieae is highest in arid and semiarid ecosystems of western North America, notable exceptions exist: Balduina is endemic to the southeastern United States, most species of Helenium have a strong affinity for wet soils, and both Hymenoxys and Helenium have colonized South America, likely via long-distance dispersal. Moreover, species of Helenieae are commonly encountered on gypsum soils in southwestern North America (including 8 gypsum endemic taxa in Gaillardia), suggesting an ancestral tolerance of the substrate in the tribe. To reconstruct niche evolution and biogeographic history in Helenieae, we are endeavoring to estimate the first complete phylogeny of the tribe at the species and infraspecific levels, using two chloroplast spacer regions (ndhF/rpl32 and rpl32/trnL) as well as nuclear ITS. 1

Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2University of Arizona, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA3University of Florida, Department of Biology, 618A Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4Instituto De Biologia, UNAM, Depto Botánica, Apdo.Postal 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico

469

GOSTEL, MORGAN* 1, DIKOW, REBECCA 2, FREITAS, KAREN 3 and FUNK, VICKI 6

Exploring PCR-based target enrichment applications for a 'critically placed tribe' in Compositae: Rapid radiations in South American Moquiniastrum (Gochnatieae)

oquiniastrum (Gochnatieae) is a genus comprising 21 species belonging to a "critically placed tribe" near the base of the Compositae. Distributed throughout much of South America, this genus is characterized by diverse morphologies, habits, and a slightly disjunct distribution in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies that have sampled heavily from this genus suggest that current molecular markers are insufficient to accurately reconstruct the evolutionary history of this genus. Utilizing 15 transcriptomes available through the 1KP project, we have designed and screened a suite of new markers for PCR-based target enrichment and anticipate these new markers are sufficient to reconstruct recent radiations that have occurred in the South American genus Moquiniastrum and perhaps more broadly in the Compositae. We outline our marker design strategy and validation success, as well as implications for marker development in this diverse family of angiosperms. 1

Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, PO Box 37012, MRC 166, Washington, DC, 20013, United States2Smithsonian Institution, Office of Research Information Services, Office of the CIO, PO Box 37012, MRC 166, Washington, DC, 20013, United States3Universidade Federal de Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de BotÃ¢nica, Av. Bento GonÃ§alves, 9550, Campus do Vale, Bloco IV - PrÃ©dio 43433, Porto Alegre, RS, 1501-970, Brasil4Museo de La Plata, División Plantas Vasculares, Paseo del Bosque s.n., La Plata, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1900, Argentina5Universidade Federal da Bahia, Intituto de Biologia, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, Bairro Ondina, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-115, Brasil6Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, US National Herbarium, NMNH, MRC166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington DC, DC, 20013-7012, USA, 202-6330950

470

SPOONER, DAVID* 1, RUESS, HOLLY 2, SENALIK, DOUGLAS 1 and SIMON, PHILIPP 2

A complete plastid phylogeny of Daucus - concordance to nuclear results, and markers necessary for phylogenetic resolution

remise of study: Our purposes were to (1) obtain a well-resolved plastid counterpart to the 94 gene nuclear ortholog gene phylogeny of Arbizu et al. (2014, Amer. J. Bot. 101:1666-1685; and Syst. Bot., in press), and (2) to investigate various classes and numbers of plastid markers necessary for a complete plastid phylogeny with resolution comparable to previously used plastid markers, barcoding genes, and a recent study identi-

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fying highly divergent non-coding plastid regions useful for phylogeny reconstruction in the Apiales (Downie and Jansen 2015, [DJ], Syst. Bot. 40:336-351). ethods: De novo assembly of whole plastid genomes using paired-end Illumina HiSeq2500 reads for 38 accessions: Daucus aureus (1 accession), 5 subspecies of D. carota (11 accessions), D. bicolor (2), D. conchitae (3), D. crinitus (2), D. glochidiatus (1), D. guttatus (2), D. involucratus (2), D. littoralis (1), D. muricatus (2), D. pusillus (2), D. sahariensis (1), D. setulosus (2), D. syrticus (1), D. tenuisectus (1); Daucus generic ingroups Pseudorlaya pumila and Rouya polygama, and outgroups Oenanthe virgata and Caucalis platycarpos (1 accession each). ey results: Plastid lengths varied from 154,218 bp (Oenanthe virgata) to 170,793 bp (Caucalis virgata), with the Daucus ingroups varying from 155,441 bp (D. involucratus) to 157,336 bp (D. setulosus). The entire plastid genome, excluding one of the inverted repeat regions, provided a highly resolved tree with 100% bootstrap support values on all of the branches except as noted below. This tree was almost entirely concordant with the nuclear results, except (1) for the clade including the 18-chromosome species (D. carota, D. sahariensis, D. syrticus) that was highly unresolved, and (2) an apparent plastid capture event in one accession of D. conchitae relative to D. bicolor. Identical topological results with bootstrap support values 70% or greater were obtained with the following subsets of the plastid data, ordered from best to worst: large single copy, exons, small single copy, functional genes, DJ fast evolving regions, gapped characters, intergenic regions. Intermediate congruent results to the dominant gene the topology but exhibiting only soft incongruence were: introns, DJ informative characters, matK, ndhF, tRNA characters, rbcL+tRNA+psbA. The following regions gave very poor topology: rbcL, trnH+psbA intergenic region, ribosomal RNA, tRNA exons. onclusions: Plastid characters are only a small subset of the phylogenetic results to be obtained from whole genome datasets. We recommend that despite initial high costs, this approach be utilized for many phylogenetic studies.

C 1

USDA Agricultural Research Service; Univ. Wisconsin, Horticulture, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706-1590, USA2USDA Agricultural Research Service; Univ. Wisconsin, Horticulture, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53606-1590, USA

471

SMITH, JAMES F* 1, STEVENS, MCKAYLA 2, SOSA, EDGAR 3, MANSFIELD, DONALD H. 2, DARRACH, MARK 4 , DOWNIE, STEPHEN R. 5, PLUNKETT, GREGORY M. 6 and FEIST, MARY ANN 7

Try, try again?: Resolving species boundaries within Lomatium triternatum (Apiaceae) and its close relatives

espite numerous definitions of species over the years, many plant species still rely on earlier morphological delimitations that often were based on single or few characters to define them. Modern molecular

methods permit the testing of reciprocal monophyly of these species and redefine species boundaries in a more modern evolutionary context. Lomatium is one of 20 genera placed in the Perennial Endemic North America clade of Apiaceae and phylogenetic analyses have uncovered widespread paraphyly and polyphyly among the genera. Lack of monophyly is not restricted to the genera and with increased sampling of individuals, para- and polyphyletic species have been uncovered. This is true for the species complex of L. triternatum that has six published varieties and one form. Both L. triternatum var. platycarpum and L. triternatum var. anomalum have been elevated to species rank as L. simplex and L. anomalum, respectively. The phylogenetic placement of individuals of L. simplex confirms its monophyletic species status and L. triternatum var. brevifolium and L. triternatum var. macrocarpum are synonymous to each other and should be recognized as L. brevifolium. The remainder of the sampled varieties of L. triternatum form a complicated set of relationships with L. tamanitchii, L. packardiae, L. thompsonii, L. attenuatum, and L. grayi. The complication primarily reflects a misinterpretation of the morphologically based species boundaries of the sampled individuals. Re-examination of morphology and geographic distributions indicates that there are several undescribed species and that a combination of morphology, distribution, and phylogenetic analyses using DNA sequence data can clarify species boundaries in this group. 1

BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY, Biology Department, 1910 UNIVERSITY DRIVE, MS1515, Boise, ID, 83725-1515, USA2The College of Idaho, Department of Biology, 2112 Cleveland Boulevard, Caldwell, Idaho, 83605 , USA3Boise State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1910 University Drive, MS1515, Boise, Idaho, 83725, USA4Corydalis Consulting, 3315 SW Marshall Ave., Pendleton, Oregon, 97801, USA5University Of Illinois, Department Of Plant Biology, 265 MORRILL HALL, 505 S GOODWIN AVE, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA6New York Botanical Garden, Cullman Program For Molecular Systematics, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA7University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Botany, B169 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706-1361, USA

472

LOWRY II, PORTER P.* 1, PLUNKETT, GREGORY M. 2 and GEMMILL, CHRISSEN E. C. 3

Multiple lineages of Apiales in New Caledonia: colonization, diversification, and dispersal across seven clades

he flora of New Caledonia is often seen as a Gondwanan remnant, its elements derived from lineages that survived as it separated from Australia and drifted eastward (ca. 65 mya) but were largely lost elsewhere due to climatic shifts. Recent studies have challenged this, citing geological evidence that New Caledonia was entirely submerged in the Eocene, concluding that its flora must be derived from more recent colonization by long-distance dispersal. Understanding the historical origins and the processes driving diversification in this rich flora is a priority, but New Caledoniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role as a source area for other SW Pacific floras has been over-

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Systematics Section/ASPT looked. Results from phylogenetic work show that the order Apiales is represented on New Caledonia by 8 lineages (ca. 135 species, only 2 not endemic), all derived from Australasian ancestors, each of which has diversified (sometimes extensively) on the island. In 5 of these 8 groups, at least 17 dispersal events from New Caledonia have led to the establishment of lineages on nearby, mostly volcanic islands, including at least 5 colonizations to Vanuatu (followed by dispersal on to the N and to Fiji), 2 to the Solomons (and then to Vanuatu/Fiji and to New Guinea), and 1 each to Fiji, Lord Howe, New Zealand and Norfolk, plus 1 colonization to Polynesia (Fiji/Tonga/Hawaii) and at least 1 from New Caledonia to Australia. Broad regional sampling in other SW Pacific groups will likely show a similar pattern, adding an important new element to the biogeographic significance of New Caledonia. 1

Missouri Botanical Garden, Africa & Madagascar, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA2New York Botanical Garden, Cullman Program For Molecular Systematics, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA3University of Waikato, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand

473

ZHIGILA, DANIEL ANDRAWUS* , AKAWU, JEDIDA JACOB and AJIYA, CLEOPHAS BILA

Palynological study and its relevance to systematics and pollen allergy in ornamental plants

ollen grain morphology of 20 species belonging to 18 genera in 11 families of some ornamental plants was employed for palynology. Polleniferous materials were properly collected, identified and utilized with the view of ascertaining their relevance to systematic. Seven types of pollen apertures namely - triporate, inaperaturate, monoporate, dicolpate, monocolporate, monocolpate and tricolpate were recorded. Inaperaturate pollen was the most common among the species, especially in Bougainveilia glabra, Jatropha caucas, Cynodon dactylon and Plumeria alba. The analysis of mean polar and equatorial measurement i.e. the pollen sizes showed that the largest pollen was recorded in Thevetia peruviana (782.69 μm2) and the smallest pollen was recorded in Terminalia catappa (27.62 μm2). The mean density of pollens was found to be highest in Moringa oleifera (20.60ñ1.21 mm2) and the lowest mean density was recorded in Ixora casei (1.20ñ0.20 mm2). Exine thickness ranged from 2.86 μm as seen in Jatropha caucas to 0.30 μm as seen in Breynia viscosa. These palynological features were considered important to be used as an aid in taxonomy and pollinosis and it has given new dimensions in palynology. Gombe State University, Biological Sciences, Tudun Wada, PMB 127 , Gombe, Gombe, +234, Nigeria

474

MORRIS, ASHLEY* 1, SHAW, JOEY , GERMAIN-AUBREY, CHARLOTTE 3 and BECK, JAMES BENJAMIN 1 2

Documenting a need for community data standards and a call for a new collaborative network in plant systematics and phylogeography

any taxonomic questions are dependent on genetically and geographically high-resolution data collected consistently through space and time. The costs associated with such projects often result in decisions to limit sampling, either in the field or in the lab, which ultimately impacts the inferences that can be made from these data. To better understand the current state of the field of plant phylogeography, we reviewed the literature using a structured search strategy. Using Web of Science, we searched “phylogeography or phylogeographic” limited to the years 2007-2015. We further limited our search using “*aceae” to target plant studies, and then we focused only on studies in the top ten source titles. Additional papers were excluded on the basis of previously identified criteria, resulting in just over 300 papers for review. Our results identify gaps in phylogenetic coverage, an inverse relationship between marker choice and potential marker utility, and infrequent use of quantitative approaches to divergence time estimation and species distribution models. We propose a need for community standards in data collection and reporting. We also propose a framework for a collaborative network of researchers and educators to tackle taxonomic questions in the Southeastern US using standardized approaches to phylogeographic data collection. Institutions and herbaria will work together to generate large-scale, high-resolution genetic data to address outstanding questions in plant taxonomy, biogeography, and evolution. This network will develop community standards for data collection and sharing, insuring that participants collect data consistently and are appropriately acknowledged for their contributions. Data collection for a given project could be completed in the context of a class laboratory or through undergraduate or graduate researchers. Such a network would be particularly valuable to researchers with high teaching loads, those who mentor M.S. research exclusively, or to curators of small collections, all of whom have the potential to contribute valuable information but may be limited by time and resource investment. The network concept builds on the successes of previously funded NSF Research Coordination Networks (RCNs) such as EREN (Ecological Research in Education Network) and SERNEC (SouthEast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections), while integrating the expertise provided by iDigBio (integrated Digitization of Biological Collections).

Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Biology, 1301 E. Main Street, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 37132, United States2University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN, 37403, USA3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson HAll, Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

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475

OLMSTEAD, RICHARD G* 1, GIBLIN, DAVID 2 and LEGLER, BEN 3

The WTU Foray: 20 years of building collections, resources, and a botanical community around a university herbarium 1

University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, CAMPUS BOX 355325, SEATTLE, WA, 98195-5325, USA2University Of Washington, Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195-5325, USA3University of Washington, Burke Museum, Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

476

THIERS, BARBARA* 1, PAUL, DEBORAH 2 and SHARI, ELLIS 3

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Task Force on Accelerating the Discovery of Biocollections Data

s part of a broader global strategy for mobilizing primary biodiversity data, GBIF convened a task force to help accelerate the discovery of and access to non-digitized biological collections. This effort began in March 2015 and will complete its work by the end of 2016. The objectives of the task force are to determine the current status of digitization effort in collections across the world, document best practices for digitizing and sharing data,; share successful business models for funding digitization projects; provide guidance in the development of training and outreach materials for digitization and data sharing; and provide guidance on establishing digitization priorities to serve institutional, national and global needs. These objectives will be accomplished through consultation with the GBIF community, including collections institutions, existing digitization initiatives and organismal specialist groups. In late 2015, the Task Force deployed an on-line survey of the collections community in order to determine the status of biocollections digitization globally. Over 600 individuals responded representing over 1900 collections distributed across 72 countries. Eighty-six percent of respondents report they are currently databasing their collections, while 64% report imaging. Only 5% indicate that they do not plan to digitize their collections, while 82% plan to digitize everything. By far, the most frequently cited obstacles to digitization of collections are lack of funding and lack of time among personnel. Survey results are summarized in an interim Task Force report, released in early 2016. A symposium on setting global and local digitization priorities will be convened by the task force at the 2017 meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections in Berlin, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders. The task force will also catalyze the production of documents to assist institutions with their digitization efforts and. will share biocollections use-cases for specific communities (researchers, policy makers, educators, etc) to demonstrate the benefit of published, vouchered biodiversity data for science, society, governments, and the private sectors. The capstone is planned be a summit of government, corporate and foundation institutions

to form a closer-working cooperative network of global bio-collection entities and professional societies to achieve a critical mass for planning the strategic, priority-based digitization of biocollections data worldwide. 1

The New York Botanical Garden, William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, 2900 Southern Blvd., Herbarium, Bronx, NY, 10458, United States2Florida State University, iDigBio, Tallahassee, FL, USA3University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL , 32511-2710, USA

477

ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 1, KIMBERLY, PAUL 2, GURALNICK, ROBERT 3 , FLEMONS, PAUL 4, LOVE, KEVIN 5 and MAST, AUSTIN* 1

Your Invitation to Participate in the Worldwide Engagement for Digitizing Biocollections (WeDigBio) Event

n its inaugural year, the 2015 Worldwide Engagement for Digitizing Biocollections (WeDigBio) Event engaged thousands of citizen scientists from >50 countries to produce >30,000 transcriptions from biodiversity specimen labels over four days. Volunteers contributed at 30 onsite events at museums, universities, and science classrooms, as well as individually from remote locations, using online transcription platforms at DigiVol, Les Herbonautes, Notes from Nature, Smithsonian Institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x153;s Transcription Center, and Symbiota. During the onsite events, participants learned about collections and biodiversity, interacted with researchers, played games, and shared experiences via social media, all while creating research-critical digital data. The eventâ&#x20AC;&#x153;s website, wedigbio.org, provided resources for curators planning onsite events in the months prior to WeDigBio, as well as a catalog of onsite events and transcription projects from which participants could choose and a dashboard to show WeDigBio-wide progress over its four days. We invite you to participate in WeDigBio 2016 (Oct 20-23). The event is a great way to simultaneously advance science, STEM literacy, and the sustainability of biocollections and their digitization activities. Please register your interest at wedigbio.org. The talk will review successes and lessons learned during the inaugural event and preview new innovations for 2016, including WeDigBio virtual reality tattoos that use the Libraries of Life Augmented Reality Mobile App.

Florida State University, Department Of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA2Smithsonian Institution, NMNH Collections Program, Natural History Building - MRC 106, Washington, D.C., 20560-0106, USA3University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 358 Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4Australian Museum, Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia5University of Florida, iDigBio, NSF's National Resource for Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections, 105 NW 16th Street, Gainesville, FL, 32603, USA

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Systematics Section/ASPT 478

MAST, AUSTIN* 1, RICCARDI, GREG 2, BRUHN, ROBERT 2 and ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 1

Building Crowdsourcing Campaigns for Biocollections using Biospex

iospex is an online basecamp for launching, advertising, and managing targeted efforts to digitize biodiversity specimens. Biospex provides tools for curators, amateur enthusiast groups, and others to mint a webpage for a project, package specimens into one or a series of digitization "expeditions" associated with the project, launch the expeditions at crowdsourcing tools (e.g., Notes from Nature), widely recruit others to participate, follow crowdsourcing progress, process crowdsourced contributions, and download results in formats easily ingested at specimen databases. In the end, the project leaders can download the new data AND the data and provenance information goes back to the biocollections that curate the physical specimens. We will illustrate the functionality of Biospex using the WeDigFLPlants project, a collaboration between southeastern U.S. herbaria, the Florida Native Plant Society, and other Florida-focused amateur-enthusiast groups to transcribe >50,000 herbarium specimens collected in Florida and held at >50 herbaria. WeDigFLPlants is a WeDigBio Interest Group designed to maintain the momentum of the 4-day WeDigBio event throughout the year.

Florida State University, Department Of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA2Florida State University, School of Information, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

479

PACE, MATTHEW CHARLES

Updating the Orchid Flora of Eastern North America: Revising Gleason & Cronquist

he classic florisitc work of Eastern North America -Gleason & Cronquist's Manual of Vascular Plantsis currently under revision. Incorperating new molecular evidence and expanded morphometric analyses, an overview of the treatment for Orchidaceae is presented, with particular focus on the two most sopecies-rich genera: Platanthera and Spiranthes. This research shows 1) Eastern North America is the second most species rich region of North America, 2) Cryptic diversity remains in some groups, whereas others have suffered from over-splitting, and 3) many species are declining across the region. New York Botanical Garden, Herbarium, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

480

ZIMMERMAN, CHARLES J.* and TULIG, MELISSA

NYBG Contributions to World Flora Online: Digitization of the Flora Neotropica Monographs and Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden

arget 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation calls for the creation of “an online flora of all known plants” to better understand and document the world's embattled plant diversity. The World Flora Online (WFO) consortium was established to promote collaboration between institutions, identify content, and develop infrastructure critical to fulfilling this task. As a founding member of the consortium and a proprietor of significant botanical research and expertise, The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is helping to meet Target 1 by publishing a complete set of fullydigital taxonomic treatments from the extensive Flora Neotropica monographs series and selected volumes from the Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden series authored by Rupert Barneby, both published by the NYBG Press. To create a functional database from these resources, scans of each volume were sent through optical character recognition software, the output was proofread, and treatments were parsed and annotated to comply with Darwin Core standards. Newly digital treatments harvested from Flora Neotropica and the Barneby Memoirs are rich with detail and include: taxonomic names & descriptions, geographic distributions, synonymy, ecology, conservation assessments, and often additional content. Written treatments are also being combined with links to imaged specimens from the NY Herbarium and over 50,000 in-situ fieldphotographs recently assembled from our curators' vast personal image libraries and made available through a newly-designed NYBG website to host all data prepared for the World Flora Online. By July 2016, NYBG will launch an integrated portal combining all these resources, including 10,000+ vascular plant & bryophyte taxa from Flora Neotropica, and 3,000+ Legume taxa from the Barneby monographs. The content will be continually increased as we process additional volumes of Memoirs of The New York Botanical Garden. New York Botanical Garden, Herbarium, 2900 Southern Blvd., NYBG, Bronx, New York, 10458, United States

481

GILLESPIE, EMILY LAURA

The Marshall University Herbarium: A model for engaging student curators in small herbarium digitization efforts

igitization efforts are now well underway by the SouthEast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) with support from an NSF-TCN entitled “Key to the cabinets: Building and Sustaining a Research Database for a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.” This multi-state collaborative is providing opportunities to not only draw on student labor as a way to facilitate

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efforts to mobilize herbarium data, but to also provide a unique job-training environment for students interested in museum informatics. In the first 1.5 years of the SERNEC TCN, Marshall University herbarium (MUHW), a collection of approximately 50,000 vascular plant specimens, has trained nearly 20 students in the digitization of herbarium specimens, beginning as early as freshman year. In addition to working with student employees and biology Independent Study students, we have successfully partnered with the Federal Work Study program to supplement limited resources and faculty curatorial time. Retention of students for multiple years has permitted us to establish best practices and robust, error-reducing protocols for digitization efforts and to provide a work experience for students that results in transferrable professional skills. Our students have not only participated actively in photography and other technical aspects of the project, but they have also been instrumental in managing the project, including workflow and protocol development. Our organizational model 1) fully acknowledges the strengths and training needs of students, 2) meets the need for faculty to document their effort in the form of student benefits, 3) addresses the need to be creative in an increasingly budget-limited environment, 4) reduces the need for direct PI oversight, and 5) provides students with strong management and peer-training skills while facilitating rapid completion of this important collaborative research effort. This model demonstrates that students at all levels can and should be included as equal partners in our emerging and continuing biodiversity informatics efforts. Marshall University, Biological Sciences, 1700 3rd Avenue, Huntington, WV, 25755, USA

482 LOWE, PHILLIP D.* and CARTER, J. RICHARD Two Birds with One Stone: Using Excel and Mail Merge to Create Herbarium Specimen Labels in Word and Populate a Specify Database

e describe a method that uses Microsoft Excel to pivot between Microsoft Word and Specify 6. Field data are digitized from the field notebook into a formatted Excel document, then the Mail Merge feature of Word is used to format the digitized field data to produce customized herbarium specimen labels. Once the labels are generated, the specimens mounted, and their barcode labels attached, the barcode catalog numbers are scanned into the designated field in the Excel spreadsheet, providing the unique identifier required by the Specify database for each record. Subsequently, the data in the Excel spreadsheet are uploaded to the database through the Specify 6 Workbench. This system is flexible, efficient, and easy to use. It allows for customized formatting of herbarium specimen labels and eliminates keystroking of data into the database.

Valdosta State University, Biology, Valdosta, GA, 31698-0015, USA

483

REHMAN, TIANA F.* , BEST, JASON H. and FRITSCH, PETER W

A Deeper Understanding of Collection Scope Through a Rapid Collection Inventory

ince its inception in 1987, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) has been a repository for orphaned herbaria—including the collections from Southern Methodist University, Vanderbilt University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and Dartmouth College, to name a few—and today reports more than one million specimens. Accompanying each acquisition is an approximation for the number of specimens, geographic concentration, and the legacy of many important botanists, together forming a rich but imprecise patchwork. The lack of an accurate account of the collections has hindered the prioritization of research, digitization, and curatorial projects, and limited the exposure of BRIT’s specimens for scientific research. To address these issues, in 2015 BRIT conducted an inventory of its herbarium, recording every species name, a sheet count for each species, and the geographic region of each collection. The resulting dataset is queried weekly to respond to holdings inquiries, grant proposal requests, and to prioritize digitization. We describe both the methods used to complete the inventory and the resulting dataset used to characterize the taxonomic and geographic scope of the BRIT herbarium. Additionally, we present an analysis of the taxonomic names encountered through this inventory, with implications for curatorial needs of herbarium collections.

Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, 761073400, United States

484

MURRELL, ZACK E.

SERNEC: a regional herbarium network; history, progress and challenges

he SouthEast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) is comprised of 233 active herbaria in 12 states in southeastern North America. The group is of interest as a case study in development of human infrastructure to generate regional scale research and teaching capabilities. SERNEC grew out of annual gatherings of regional herbarium curators at the Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting. The inclusion of “Expertise” in the SERNEC acronym was utilized to acknowledge that the taxonomic and curatorial capabilities were as undervalued as the herbarium specimens themselves. The SERNEC NSF-supported Research Coordination Network (RCN) provided support from 2005-2011 for training and idea exchange among the curators in the Southeast. Our more recent NSF-supported Thematic Collection Network (TCN), with funding from 2014-2018 for 94 herbaria and six Information technology entities, provides us with a technical infrastructure to capture herbarium images and transfer them to various portals, where they can be transcribed and georeferenced. This effort includes

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Systematics Section/ASPT Symbiota, GEOLocate, Notes from Nature, Specify and iPlant as web and software based entities that provide our â&#x20AC;&#x153;data pipelineâ&#x20AC;?. There are currently 61 collections serving data through the SERNEC portal, providing 945,518 specimens records with 84,601 (9%) of those records georeferenced. Of the total records, 91,830 are skeletal or partial records and 114,622 specimen images are available. During year 1, the project provided mentoring for 5 graduate students, 43 undergraduates, 2 post baccalaureates, 1 technician (collections manager), and 1 postdoctoral student -- all trained in museum protocols. The ultimate goal of the NSF TCN effort is to use this pipeline to link the scientific expertise of the curators with their affiliate users, such as state and federal agency scientists and consulting biologists in the private sector, with the greater public through the World Wide Web. Our concept is to build synergy among the curators and affiliates and interface this collaboration with the greater public. Together, our intention is to engage this human infrastructure in building a specimen-based research engine that can generate regional scale research capabilities. APPALACHIAN ST UNI, Department Of Biology, 572 RIVERS ST. RANKIN SCI BLDG, BOONE, NC, 28608, USA

485

BERBEO, ASSENETH* and BOBICH, EDWARD

Flora of the San Jose Hills

he San Jose Hills are a distinct geologic feature of the San Gabriel River Watershed (Los Angeles County, CA) with relatively large open spaces, which make it an important portion of the wildlife corridor between the Peninsular Ranges and the Transverse Ranges. The open spaces contain continuous stands of the increasingly locally rare native coastal sage scrub, riparian, and woodland communities. In fact, the presence of the threatened Southern California black walnut (Juglans californica) woodland habitat and breeding grounds for the California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) have resulted in much of the Hills being recognized as a Significant Biological Area. Further, the diversity of plant species found within the hills is relatively high; with 290 taxa representing 79 plant families, approximately 5% of the plant species found within California are represented. Because of the uniqueness of the Hills and the plant diversity, a flora of the San Jose Hills is being created based on field collections, which are being housed in the Cal Poly Pomona Herbarium (CSPU), and collections in other herbaria throughout the United States. Currently, voucher samples are being collected in all areas of the San Jose Hills and identified using dichotomous keys. To this point, previously unrecorded species for the flora have increased the collection by approximately 2%. In addition to new collections, 285 records of collections in the San Jose Hills have been found through research of other herbaria. The records are concentrated mainly in the Voorhis Ecological Reserve (Cal Poly Pomona) and Puddingstone Reservoir and Dam in Bonelli Regional Park, areas which make up only 5% of the total area of the San Jose Hills. The relatively small area covered by historical data suggests that many new species have as yet to be catalogued for the San Jose Hills. Collection of specimens will continue through spring of next year; the catalog of plants will eventually be available to scientists and the general public through the Consortium of California Herbaria. Cal Poly Pomona, Biological Sciences, 3801 W. Temple Ave., Pomona, CA, 91768, United States

197

POSTERS 486

TARULLO, CARA* 1, FOLK, RYAN , SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 4 and DREW, BRYAN 5 2

Using a supermatrix approach to explore historical biogeography, divergence times and phylogenetics of Saxifragales

he Saxifragales are an angiosperm order consisting of about 15 families and 2500 species. Although the Saxifragales are consistently recovered as monophyletic in molecular DNA analyses, familial relationships within the order are unclear. In addition, while there are both cosmopolitan and narrowly distributed families within Saxifragales, no explicit attempt to reconstruct the intra-ordinal biogeographic history of Saxifragales has yet been published. Here, we employ a supermatrix approach to examine phylogenetic relationships, divergence times, and the biogeographical history of major lineages of Saxifragales. The supermatrix dataset is composed of over 600 species representing all 15 Saxifragales families, and contains over 40,000 chloroplast and nuclear nucleotide sequences. Divergence times were estimated with BEAST, and biogeographical reconstructions were obtained using S-DIVA and BioGeoBEARS. 1

University of Nebraska Kearney, Biology, 905 West 25th Street, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA2Florida Museum of Natural Science, Systematics, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall - Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA5University of Nebraska Kearney, 905 West 25th Street, Kearney, NE, 68849, United States

487

LOKE, ELENA* 1, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 2 and MOORE, MICHAEL 1

Exploration of gypsum in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert reveals three new endemic species

ypsum exposures are distributed in an island-like fashion throughout the Chihuahuan Desert region of the southwestern US and north central Mexico. Many gypsum exposures remain difficult to access and consequently many exposures remain unknown or poorly known botanically. Ongoing exploration of gypsum exposures in the Chihuahuan Desert over the past five years has revealed three undescribed gypsum endemic species, one each in the genera Acleisanthes (Nyctaginaceae) Gaillardia (Asteraceae), and Tiquilia (Boraginaceae). The new Acleisanthes and Tiquilia are apparently endemic to the extensive Acatita Formation gypsum of southwestern Coahuila and immediately adjacent Durango, whereas the new Gaillardia is only known from a small gypsum exposure in the Valle Padilla, approximately 50 km north of Cuatro Cienegas, Coahuila. Phylogenetic analyses show that all three of these taxa belong to clades of gypsum endemic taxa

within their respective genera. Specifically, the new Acleisanthes is most closely related to A. purpusiana; the new Tiquilia to T. hispidissima; and the new Gaillardia is strongly supported as being sister to the Coahuila gypsum endemic clade of G. candelaria, G. henricksonii, and G. powellii. Illustrations and descriptions will be provided. Collectively, these three new species demonstrate the continued need for exploration of gypsum exposures throughout the Chihuahuan Desert, but particularly in Mexico. 1

Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2University of Florida, Department of Biology, 618A Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3Instituto De Biologia, UNAM, Depto BotĂĄnica, Apdo.Postal 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico

488

CARTER, J. RICHARD* , ROBINSON, ASHLEE D. , WOODS, RECHELLE T. and LOWE, PHILLIP D.

Advances in Wiregrass Georgia: Infrastructural Improvements to Sustain another Half-Century of Herbarium-Based Research and Teaching

he Valdosta State University Herbarium [VSC] is a regional collection of more than 71,000 voucher specimens documenting biodiversity of Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coastal plain. VSC digitized its holdings through a 2011 collaborative grant with the University of Georgia Herbarium [GA], funded by the National Science Foundation Program for Collections in Support of Biological Research [CSBR]. VSC images and data are currently being served via the Internet through the Consortium of North American Bryophyte Herbaria and the Valdosta State University Virtual Herbarium. In April 2015, VSC began a three-year project to initiate infrastructural improvements funded by the National Science Foundation [CSBR]. A compactor system has been installed, including 41 new herbarium cabinets, increasing specimen holding capacity by 35% and providing secure and safe storage for this valuable biodiversity resource. Through this support, 5,000 backlog specimens will be mounted and digitized and nearly 15,000 specimen records will be georeferenced, making these vouchers and derived digital images and data readily available to the community of biodiversity researchers and others through the Internet and through direct access to specimens. This project will also secure and revitalize the currently dormant Vanderbilt University teaching collections by bringing them to Valdosta State University where they will be used to train future generations of students and biodiversity researchers, and it will promote learning through direct involvement of students in a variety of herbarium activities, bringing them new perspectives about possibilities for careers in science. Promoting participation of under-represented groups by providing opportunities to work in biological collections and biodiversity research, outreach programs will place issues of biological collections and biodiversity before a large and diverse audience through herbarium tours and informal presentations, targeting young people at an impressionable age and their teachers. Valdosta State University, Biology, Valdosta, GA, 31698-0015, USA

198

Systematics Section/ASPT 489

FISHER, AMANDA ELIZABETH

Botany at the Beach: California State University, Long Beach Herbarium (LOB)

he LOB herbarium is one of 66 extant herbaria in California and a recent addition to the Consortium of Californa Herbaria. LOB was founded in 1949 to preserve research specimens and to serve as a teaching resource for botany courses. The Biological Sciences department at CSULB has a tradition of organismal and field-based research and in addition to the herbarium, houses collections of birds, mammals, fishes, macroinvertebrates, and diatoms. LOB contains approximately 15,000 specimens and is ca. 60% California native plants, primarily from the Sierra Nevada and southern California. We are implementing new efforts to digitize the collection to provide data to the public through the Consortium of California Herbaria (CCH). Our longterm goal is to build the herbarium through exchanges and new collections that document the plant diversity of southern California. California State University Long Beach, Department of Biological Sciences, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA, 90840, USA

490

SNOW, NEIL

The Kansas and Regional Reference Collection: A tool for promoting outreach of the T.M. Sperry Herbarium at Pittsburg State University

Reference Collection (RC) is a set of specimens set aside from the main collections to expedite the identification of plants by student and professional taxonomists, ecologists, and external stakeholders such as consultants and extension agents. A RC consists of one or two confirmed specimens (flowering/fruiting) of each plant taxon native or non-native to a state or regional area. Having specimens of all taxa in a standapart RC located adjacent to dissecting scopes and needed identification resources (Floras, reprints, monographs, Internet) expedites identifications by obviating repeated entry back into the main stacks to pull folders. Easy access to authenticated specimens also contributes to quality control of identifications, a critical consideration given that all data associated with a specimen are wrong if the specimen is misidentified. Wear and tear and misfiling of specimens also decreases in the main collections when a RC is on site. The Kansas and Regional Reference Collection (KRRC) of the T.M. Sperry Herbarium at Pittsburg State University was initiated in 2013 for these purposes. It presently includes approximately 800 taxa, or about one third of the ca. 2400 taxa native or non-native to Kansas and nearby (to southeast Kansas) counties in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. A goal is to complete holdings of the KRRC by 2020. All stakeholders are encouraged to use the KRRC because it is intended to be a community resource. Figures and a flow chart illustrate its construction. Pittsburg State University, Department of Biology, 1701 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS, 66762, USA

491

BALCI, YILMAZ

The regulatory aspects of importing plant material into the United States for herbarium curation and research

he Plant Protection Act of the United States protects agriculture and the environment and is the authority for our plant health regulations. The importation of plants and plant products is a well-known pathway of pests, pathogens or noxious weeds into the United States. To safeguard our natural ecosystems and agricultural production, Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) prohibits or restricts the importation of certain plants and plant products when scientific evidence indicates that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests and noxious weeds into the United States. These prohibitions and restrictions are found in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), specifically 7 CFR 319, and guidance on how to apply these regulations are found in online manuals on the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website. The online Plants for Planting Manual lists plant taxa that are restricted or prohibited import into the United States and those that are not authorized for importation pending pest risk analysis (a.k.a. NAPPRA). If listed as prohibited or NAPPRA, plants may only be imported with a controlled import permit (CIP) (PPQ 588). CIPs are intended for plants imported for experimental, therapeutic and developmental purposes. Plants imported under a CIP may only be used for destructive analysis, or propagation. The stringency of import requirements and biosecurity measures required by CIPs varies depending on the risk posed by the imported plant material. For herbarium material that will be curated (wet, semi-processed or dry but not mounted), the permit requires that plants must be free of pests and pathogens, be disease-free, and free of soil. In addition, they must not be nor contain propagative plant parts regulated as a noxious weed or endangered plants. Importation of herbaria accessions are subject to inspection at the port of entry, and if found associated with potential plant pests they will be subject to additional restrictions. After arrival at the facility, the plant material should be processed utilizing cold, heat or chemical application that will ensure elimination of any potential plant pests. usda-aphis, Plants for Planting and Policy, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, md, 20737, usa

492

SCHENK, JOHN J.

The Georgia Southern University Herbarium

he Georgia Southern University (GSU) Herbarium (herbarium code: GAS) has grown in sixty years from a single cabinet in 1956 to approximately 21,127 accessioned specimens, representing 236 plant families, 1,511 genera, and 5,258 species. The regional focus of the collection is the Georgia Coastal Plain, one of the most understudied but biologically diverse ecosystems in Georgia. Sixty percent of the collection is from Georgia, and about a quarter is from Bulloch County, where GSU is located. The collection includes significant hold-

199

ings from adjacent and nearby states, especially North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Florida. Significant holdings outside the regional focus include England, India, California, and Maryland. The Herbarium curates many important collections, such as those of H. Ahles, C. Bell, J. Boole, Jr., J. Bozeman, G. DeWolf, Jr., D. Drapalik, W. Duncan, S. Jones, Jr., S. Leonard, J. Massey, A. Radford, and D. Windler. The Herbarium has a strong commitment to serve its students, public and private partners, and the botanical science community of Georgia and beyond. Recent funding opportunities have resulted in specimens being databased and imaged, which will be made available online through the SERNEC and iDigBio portals. The GSU Herbarium is located 57 miles from the Botany 2016 conference in Statesboro, Georgia, and is ideal for those wishing to visit a regional herbarium during the conference. The Herbarium will be open before, during, and after the conference, with additional information on hours of operation posted on our website (http://sites.google. com/a/georgiasouthern.edu/gasherbarium); all Botany 2016 participants are invited to visit. Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA

493

BEST, JASON H. , REHMAN, TIANA F.* and FRITSCH, PETER W

BRISC: BRIT Rapid Inventory of Specimen Collections

iological collections can benefit from an accurate inventory of the specimen holdings to prioritize digitization, expose specimens for scientific research, determine curatorial needs, and prioritize field work and acquisitions by identifying gaps in the collection. Unfortunately, many biocollection institutions have only rough estimates for the number and taxonomic and geographic scope of the items in their collections. To address the lack of a precise account of its own specimen holdings, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) conducted an inventory of its herbarium collections in 2015 using a purpose-built web application called the BRIT Rapid Inventory of Specimen Collections (BRISC). BRISC allows individuals with wireless tablets to inventory the contents of each cabinet, accounting for the number of specimens of each species as well as the geographic region of each specimen. The resulting dataset provides highly accurate details of a herbarium“s holdings which can be published, queried, and analyzed to inform digitization strategies, curation prioritization, and research activity and to support justification for grant funding. Collection managers, curators, and researchers can formulate queries about the collection dataset to gain a deeper understanding of the composition of the collection on taxonomic, geographic, and quantitative levels. BRISC was developed with the use of the Django web framework and the Python programming language, and is released under an opensource license.

Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, 761073400, United States

494

JOSEPH, CAMRYN* 1, STADELMANN, KAROLINE 1 and ENDARA, LORENA 2

The New Language of Science: A novel approach to generating a phenomic matrix of gymnosperms

e used a semi-automated Natural Language Processing approach to extract phenomic traits and assemble a Taxon/Character matrix for conifers and gnetales. Digital taxonomic descriptions were obtained for all the extant lineages of Conifers, Gnetophytes, and Ginkgo, from the Gymnosperm Database , and the Floras of North America, China and Pakistan. The syntactic analysis of the descriptions (parsing) and the assemblage of the matrix was performed using the ‚Text Capture’ and ‚Matrix Generation’ tools of the Explorer of Taxon Concepts (ETC) pipeline (http://etc.cs.umb. edu/etcsite/start.html#HomePlace:). The output by ETC (raw matrix) was evaluated and discretized using the ‚MatrixConversion’ open source software (https:// github.com/gburleigh/MatrixConverter/tree/master/ distribution). he resulting Gymnosperm matrix consists of 4452 characters for 650 taxa that represent (96% of the targeted species), and it will be used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of “Flagellate Plants”.

T 1

University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FLORIDA, 32611, United States2University of Florida, Biology, Carr Hall, 217, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

495

CHOI, TAE YOUNG, * and PARK, CHONG-WOOK

Phylogenetic relationships of Pyrrosia species (Polypodiaceae) inferred from nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences

he genus Pyrrosia Mirb. (Polypodiaceae) comprises about 50 taxa. Most taxa within the genus are highly variable in morphology, resulting in taxonomic confusion in determining the boundaries and relationships of the taxa. We analyzed nrDNA pgiC region and cpDNA rbcL gene, trnL-trnF IGS and atpF-atpH IGS sequences from 31 taxa of the genus Pyrrosia to elucidate their phylogenetic relationships, and to investigate the parentage of putative hybrid taxa. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses of the nrDNA and cpDNA sequence data showed three major clades: 1) a clade containing widespread P. porosa and the east Asian species, 2) a clade containing P. lingua and species found primarily in southeast Asia, 3) a clade consisting of P. stigmosa and P. costata. These groupings, however, appear to be incongruent with the traditional infrageneric classification scheme based on blade shape and spore morphology. Seoul National University, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul, 08826, Korea

200

Systematics Section/ASPT 496

DOBBINS, CATHERINE* 3, GERNANDT, DAVID S. 1, AGUIRRE, XITLALI 1 , LOBO, ALEJANDRA 2 and WILLYARD, ANN 3

Determining recent hybridization of pinyon pines in a zone of sympatry in northern Arizona

e investigated whether pinyon pines with a mosaic of morphological traits on the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona are recent hybrids or a different species. This is complicated by uncertainty regarding one of the putative parents. Recent studies have demonstrated that the single-leaf pinyon in Arizona (currently treated as Pinus monophylla ssp. fallax) is more closely related to P. edulis than it is to P. monophylla (the single-leaf pinyons of Nevada and California). In Arizona, we sampled multiple individual that represent P. monophylla ssp. fallax, multiple individuals that represent P. edulis, and putative hybrids of these two species. We compared these to multiple individuals of P. monophylla from California. We used biotinylated probes to enrich for 700 low-copy nuclear loci prior to Illumina sequencing with 100 bp paired end reads. We also recovered plastome, high-copy nuclear ribosomal, and mitochondrial sequences. We used de novo and reference-guided assembly to arrange the raw reads, and filtered out putative paralogs using multi-sequence alignments. The most reliably aligned genes were used to create gene trees, which were in turn used to build a species tree. As a final step, we used a parametric approach to explore the power of these data to distinguish hybridization from incomplete lineage sorting. 1

Instituto De Biologia, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-233, Coyoacan, Mexico, N/A, 04510, Mexico2Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, Centro de Investigacion en Biodiversidad y Conservacion, Universidad No. 1001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62209, Mexico3Hendrix College, Biology Dept, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA

497

LOCKHART, SAMUEL* 1 and WILLYARD, ANN 2

Determining the validity of the species Pinus washoenis in the western United States

he recognition of Pinus washoenis Mason and Stockwell has been a topic of heated debate since it was first published in 1945. Many botanists synonymize the taxon within P. ponderosa, contending that morphological differences arise from population adaptations to high altitude environments. Others argue that it is a variety of this species, based on morphological comparisons between P. ponderosa var. washoenis and sympatric P. jeffreyi with P. ponderosa var. ponderosa and P. ponderosa var. pacifica. Previously published plastid DNA data suggested that the species is not distinct from P. ponderosa or sister to P. jeffreyi. No unique mitochondrial haplotype has been identified. To better understand the classification of Washoe Pine, we targeted

700 nuclear gene sequences for enrichment with solution-based biotinylated probes using High Throughput Sequencing and also recovered plastome sequences. We analyzed hundreds of low-copy nuclear genes and created phylogenetic species trees from multiple samples of multiple populations of P. ponderosa, P. washoenis, and P. jeffreyi. This allowed us to rigorously examine the uniqueness, the phylogenetic placement, and the possible role of hybridization in shaping the morphological differences that first attracted Mason and Stockwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention to Washoe pine. 1

Hendrix College, Biology Department, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA2Hendrix College, Biology Dept, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA

498

SIFFORD, MASON* 1, KAREMERA, HASSAN 1, GERNANDT, DAVID S. 2, MORENO, ALEJANDRA 3 and WILLYARD, ANN 4

Mitochondrial lineages of Pinus subsection Ponderosae to resolve the relationship of species named in the United States and Mexico

inus subsection Ponderosae (Pinus, subgenus Pinus, section Trifoliae) includes about seventeen tree species distributed from Canada to Nicaragua. This research extended a previous study that used haplotypes based on a variable length intron in the mitochondrial gene nad1 to identify patterns within Pinus ponderosa. In the U.S.A., P. ponderosa is distributed over a vast geographic range and is thought to comprise at least two divergent lineages. We compared published mitochondrial haplotypes from across the range of P. ponderosa in the U.S.A. to haplotypes that we identified in related species of Pinus in Mexico and Central America. Alignments were performed on nucleotide sequences and relative relationships were determined among the newly identified haplotypes. These mitochondrial lineages, which move only through seed dispersal, provide information for detecting centers of diversification and glacial refugia for the Ponderosae that can be compared to phylogeographic patterns that are observed in pineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pollen-dispersed plastid lineages. 1

Hendrix College, Biology Department, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA2Instituto De Biologia, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-233, Coyoacan, Mexico, N/A, 04510, Mexico3Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Jardin Botanico, Instituto de Biologia, Apartado Postal 70-367, Mexico, D.F., 04510, Mexico4Hendrix College, Biology Dept, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA

201

499

ORTIZ-MARTINEZ, ALFREDO1, GERNANDT, DAVID S.1

Morphological, ecological, and molecular differentiation in Pinus patula

ountain formation is considered to be an important driver of vicariant speciation. We evaluated the hypothesis that the formation of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt during the Quaternary promoted the divergence of the Mexican endemic Pinus patula into separate evolutionary lineages distributed naturally in the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre del Sur. Two varieties are recognized, P. patula var. patula and P. patula var. longipedunculata, but their morphological limits and geographical distribution are poorly understood. We used multivariate statistics to analyze 14 leaf, ovulate cone, and seed characters in multiple individuals per representative population throughout their range. Using principal components analysis, we found that seven characters were needed to explain 95% of the variance. The variables with the greatest load for the first component were cone length (0.38), cone width (0.36), scale apophysis length (0.33), and peduncle width (-0.37). The characters with the greatest load for the second component were cone scale umbo width (0.61), apophysis width (0.38), and apophysis length (0.25). Using the statistical analyses as a guide, we reviewed herbarium specimens and identified a subset of localities that we considered as most likely being representative of the natural range of each variety. The geographic coordinates for each population were used to model the potential distribution of each variety and identify the most important climatic variables correlated with their distribution. The evidence for morphological, geographical, and climatic differentiation was compared to genetic evidence from low-copy nuclear gene sequences and plastomes.

Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de, Departamento de Botánica, Apartado Postal 70-233, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico, CM, 04510, Mexico

500 ERIC J*

MILLER, LINDSEY and TEPE,

“Root beer plant” and its relatives: a molecular phylogeny of Piper sect. Pothomorphe

he Pothomorphe clade of Piper (Piperaceae) contains ten species of shrubs and vines that are presumably native to the New World tropics. One of these species, P. umbellatum, has been introduced outside its native range, and has become successfully established in most wet tropical areas around the World. This species is rather weedy in its native range, and also in parts of the Old World where it occurs along roadsides, in cultivated fields, and other disturbed habitats. In other parts of the Old World, however, it behaves much like a native plant and can only be found in the forest understory along mountain streams. This pattern of weediness in a plant“s native range, and a restricted habitat in its adopted range is the reverse of that expected, and begs the question of whether P. umbellatum is indeed New

World in origin. A phylogenetic study of the Pothomorphe clade was undertaken to better understand the relationships among populations of P. umbellatum around the World. DNA was extracted from 60 accessions of Piper, and sequenced for nuclear ITS and chloroplast petA-psbJ. Resolution was poor, but clearly shows Old World accessions of P. umbellatum nested within a clade of New World accessions, indicating a New World origin of P. umbellatum. Additional data are clearly needed to examine this clade in further detail, and to better understand the relationships among populations of Pothomorphe around the world. University of Cincinnati, Department gf Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA

501

LYTLE, ERIKA S* 1, THEISS, KATHRYN E 1 and KEPHART, SUSAN 2

Using population genetic analyses to distinguish between two morphologically similar species of rush lilies (Hastingsia)

ntegrative taxonomy allows us to evaluate multiple lines of evidence used to differentiate difficult-to-distinguish species. The rush lilies (Hastingsia, Agavoideae, Asparagaceae) are one such group. Hastingsia alba and H. serpentinicola were differentiated as separate species fairly recently (1989) based on geographic location and plant size. Hastingsia alba is found in the Trinity mountains and Northern Sierra Nevada mountains of California and Oregon. Hastingsia serpentinicola is found farther north in the Klamath Mountains and as suggested by its name, is limited to serpentine soils. Unlike H. serpentinicola, H. alba is not restricted to serpentine soils, but is often found near them. Morphologically, the two species typically differ in size with H. alba having an overall larger stature than H. serpentinicola. Hastingsia alba also develops more flowers and greater raceme density than H. serpentinicola. However, recent phylogenetic studies failed to distinguish between these taxa. In this study, we are evaluating genetic diversification and gene flow across multiple populations of H. alba and H. serpentinicola using microsatellite markers. We collected leaf material from a total of eight populations in Oregon and Northern California, which span almost the complete range of these taxa. Sixteen to thirty individuals were sampled from each population and full morphological measurements were taken whenever possible. Twelve microsatellite loci were evaluated for population genetic structure, as well as evidence of gene flow between populations of H. alba and H. serpentinicola. We compared these population genetic results with the field-collected morphological measurements to evaluate species boundaries.

California State University, Dominguez Hills, Biology, 1000 E Victoria Street, Carson, CA, 90747, USA2Willamette University, Biology, 900 State Street, Salem, OR, 97301, USA

202

Systematics Section/ASPT 502

WETTEWA, ERANGA* 1, BAILEY, NICHOLAS 2 and WALLACE, LISA 3

EPIC markers for understanding evolutionary diversification in Platanthera section Limnorchis (Orchidaceae)

latanthera (Orchidaceae) is one of the largest genera of temperate orchids, with more than 200 species occurring in north temperate areas. Previous phylogenetic analyses in this genus have identified major radiations of species and tested sectional boundaries with respect to closely related genera, but we still lack a clear understanding of relationships among species within these major clades. Platanthera section Limnorchis has been identified as monophyletic in these previous analyses, and this group has long been recognized to be morphologically distinct from other Platanthera in North America. However, the recognition of several new species recently and morphological similarity of U.S. species with congenerics in Mexico and Asia have hindered a thorough understanding of species diversity and phylogenetic relationships in Limnorchis. In this project, we developed six novel exon-primed-introncrossing (EPIC) markers (>4100 base pairs) to use in estimating the phylogeny of section Limnorchis. Preliminary phylogenetic results of sequence variation in these markers are presented to test two hypotheses: 1) Section Limnorchis is monophyletic relative to other Platanthera species, 2) Species diagnosed by morphological characters are genetically divergent and represent distinct evolutionary lineages. The EPIC markers support monophyly of section Limnorchis relative to the three outgroup species used in this analysis, P. orbiculata, P. leucophaea and P. clavellata. These markers suggest the green-flowered P. stricta is divergent from other greenflowered taxa that are clustered together as sister to the clade of white-flowered P. dilatata samples. Among the green-flowered taxa, species that are morphologically distinct are also genetically distinct. By contrast, the varieties of P. dilatata, which are also morphologically distinct, are not individually resolved as monophyletic in this data set. In comparison to previous analyses of P. dilatata based on ITS and cpDNA markers, there is greater polymorphism in the EPIC loci, which may facilitate a greater understanding of diversification in relation to geography for this species complex. The EPIC markers developed in this project are expected to amplify broadly within Platanthera and should be useful in resolving phylogenetic relationships in both closely and distantly related species as well as for intraspecific projects involving phylogeography, gene flow, and hybridization. These results will assist in revising the taxonomy of section Limnorchis, studying the evolution of flower morphology, and testing biogeographic hypotheses of diversification across North America. 1

Mississippi State University, Biological Sciences, PO Box GY, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA2Mississippi State University, PO Box GY, Starkville, MS, 39762, United States3Mississippi State University, Biological Sciences, PO Box GY, Starkville, MS, 39762, United States

503

MAJURE, LUCAS* 1, NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 2, ABBOTT, J. RICHARD 3, NACZI, ROBERT 3, JUDD, WALTER 4 and WHITTEN, W. MARK 5

A preliminary look at phylogenetic relationships of Dichanthelium (Paniceae: Poaceae)

ichanthelium is distributed throughout the Americas and Hawaii, with its highest species diversity in the eastern United States. Species delimitation within the genus is contentious, with most floristic treatments differing drastically in the number and circumscription of species. Low levels of sequence divergence with conventional molecular markers result in poor resolution at deep phylogenetic levels. Therefore, we used a two-fold approach to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships in Dichanthelium. First, using Illumina HiSeq sequencing technology, we â&#x20AC;&#x153;genome skimmedâ&#x20AC;? plastomes without enrichment for >60 samples, often with more than one sample per species. Second, using Sanger sequencing, we sequenced ITS, GBSSI, and rpl32-trnL for over 300 samples, usually with several samples per species. In combination, these datasets provide support for broad relationships and monophyly in Dichanthelium. However, several species appear to be polyphyletic, such as D. commutatum and D. acuminatum, among others. We hope that these phylogenetic data will help create a more stable classification scheme for the genus, as well as aid in our understanding of the biogeographic history of the group. 1

Desert Botanical Garden, Department of Research, Conservation, and Collections, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA2Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA3The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA4University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

504

VIGNOVICH, WILLIAM* 1, STONEHOUSE, GAVIN 1, WOOD, KENNETH 2, ABBOTT, J. RICHARD 3, NACZI, ROBERT 3, MAJURE, LUCAS 4 and NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 1

The origin and diversification of Dichanthelium (Poaceae) in Hawaii

he genus Dichanthelium is a phylogenetically poorly resolved taxon originally treated as a subgenus of Panicum (Poaceae). Dichanthelium is most diverse in eastern North America; however, the group is also widespread in tropical areas in Central and South America, as well as in the Hawaiian Islands. The purpose of this research was to study the biogeographic distribution of the Hawaiian representatives of this genus, because this represents a very unusual biogeographic pattern, as the only representatives of the genus outside of the Americas. The secondary objective was to understand patterns

203

of speciation within the Hawaiian species. We used 3 DNA regions (GBSSI, nrITS, and rpl32-trnL) to develop a phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships in the genus for both Hawaiian and North American species. These results indicate that the Hawaiian species form a clade and that they most likely arrived via dispersal from a North American ancestor. Of the 4 Hawaiian species, D. hillebrandianum is likely a species of hybrid origin, originating from the largely sympatric Hawaiian species D. cynodon and D. isachnoides. By determining the interrelationship of evolutionary processes and geographic distribution, we can achieve a better understanding of patterns of diversification in the landscape. 1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA2National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI, 96741, USA3The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA4Desert Botanical Garden, Department of Research, Conservation, and Collections, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA

505

CASTRO, SILVIA 3

H. gunckelii and H. altissima joined the Chilean H. redolens populations in a polytomic clade. Genome size estimates revealed cytogenetic diversity within the section, with very similar values being obtained in H. redolens (Chilean populations), H. altissima (one population), H. utriculata, H. gunckelii and H. quebrada (17.9 - 20.42 pg), corresponding to the same ploidy level (hexaploidy). However, most H. altissima plants present a higher DNA content value (26.65-27.91 pg, duodecaploidy), indicating ploidy level diversity within this species. Hierochloë pusilla, H. juncifolia and H. spicata showed a rather lower DNA content value (12.9-14.9 pg), being tetraploid. These results contribute significantly to the taxonomy of sect. Monoecia, supporting some of the species but also highlighting the need for a more detailed taxonomic review of the others. 1

University of A Coruña, Plant Biology, Animal Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Campus da Zapateira sn, A Coruña, E15008, Spain2University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology, Calçada Martin de Freitas sn, Coimbra, 3000-456, Portugal3Department Of Life Sciences, Faculty Of Science And Technology, Univer, PO Box 3046, Coimbra, N/A, 3001-401, Portugal

The holy grasses in South America (Hierochloë R.Br. sect. Monoecia; Poaceae; Pooideae). Diversity and evolution of an isolated lineage

506

Leaf anatomy and micromorphology of the New World Vitis: Implications for taxonomy and evolutionary biome shifts

he holy grasses (Hierochloë R.Br.) in South America are characterised by a monoecious floral structure that deviates from the andromonoecism common to all other Hierochloë. This morphological differentiation led to their inclusion in section Monoecia Connor, which forms a clearly defined clade within the otherwise poorly supported Hierochloë phylogeny. Section Monoecia comprises between 5 and 9 species, some of which are taxonomically dubious. We aim at clarifying the taxonomy and evolution of Hierochloë section Monoecia. More particular aims were: (i) to analyse morphological variation in the section; (ii) to unravel the phylogeny of the different species in sect. Monoecia and (iii) to assess the variation in DNA content in the section. Morphological and micro-anatomical traits were analysed. Numerical taxonomy tests including exploratory, clustering and multivariate analyses were conducted to ascertain if morphological variation is consistent with the taxonomy of the section. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses were run on nuclear and plastid DNA sequences obtained from 6 species of sect. Monoecia and 15 specimens obtained from non American Hierochloë taxa. Genome size was assessed using flow cytometry. The morphological variation observed is not entirely consistent with the current taxonomy of the section. Only the ecologically divergent species H. pusilla, H. juncifolia and H. quebrada could be characterized using the selected traits, whereas H. redolens, H. utriculata, H. altissima and H. gunckelii, whose ecology and distribution are partially overlapping, could not be differentiated based on the selected characters. The phylogenies built are consistent with the morphological results, and only H. pussilla, H. juncifolia and H. quebrada occupied supported independent positions in the trees. The geographically widespread H. redolens was recovered as non monophyletic, whereas H. utriculata,

ICKERT-BOND, STEFANIE 1, LUTZ, SUE 2 and WEN, JUN* 2

ngoing studies on phylogeny reconstruction of the economically important grape genus Vitis have established that the North American and Neotropical species of Vitis subgenus Vitis form a clade (except for V. californica). Species delimitation within North American subgenus Vitis has been difficult due to hybridization and/or clinal variation within species. North American and the Neotropical species of subgenus Vitis occupy diverse habitats, but they are especially diverse in the mesic forest areas in the southeastern U.S. and the xeric scrublands in southwestern North America (e.g., the Edwards Plateau of Central Texas and adjacent areas). We examined the c. 18 species of Vitis subgenus Vitis in the New World for leaf anatomical and micromorphological characters using light and scanning electron microscopy in the context of habitat shifts and taxonomy. Characters of taxonomic importance include trichome type; trichome distribution; stomata morphology; mesophyll organization and midrib vascularization. Vitis labrusca is shown to be more closely related to V. aestivalis than to V. mustangensis and V. shuttleworthii with the former two lacking a ridge above the midvein, and having four distinct bundles in the midvein, and raised stomates. The highly variable Vitis cinerea has been treated to consist of five varieties. Our study does not support a close relationship of taxa in the Vitis cinerea complex based on leaf anatomy and micromophology. Vitis cinerea var. helleri (= V. berlandieri) is easily distinguished from typical V. cinerea based on the increased palisade layer height up to 1/2 of the leaf height in cross section and lack of long curly, unicellular trichomes. Vitis cinerea var. baileyana and var.

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Systematics Section/ASPT floridana have similar trichome morphology and leaf anatomy. Vitis mustangensis and V. shuttleworthii share a protruding stomatal apparatus abaxially and highly papillose epidermal cells adaxially. Vitis californica, V. arizonica, and V. girdiana all have an airy spongy layer, two rows of cells in the parenchyma bridge of tertiary veins, and striate subsidiary cells. Leaf anatomical differences associated with biome shifts are hypothesized with xeric species possessing a spongy layer with large air spaces and well-developed, large vascular bundles, and the Neotropical rainforest species V. tiliifolia having thin leaves with a poorly-differentiated mesophyll and hyathodes adaxially. 1

University Of Alaska Museum Of The North, Herbarium (ALA) And Dept. Of Biology And Wildlife, University Of Alaska Fairbanks, 907 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA2Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, MRC 166, Washington/DC, N/A, 200137012, USA

507

EDWARDS, CAROLINE* 1, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 2 and MOORE, MICHAEL 1

From coastal strand to gypsum: phylogenetics and niche evolution in Abronia and Tripterocalyx (Nyctaginaceae)

bronia and Tripterocalyx (Nyctaginaceae) are sister genera with centers of diversity in the western US, and are herbaceous perennials or annuals characterized by umbellate inflorescences of salverform flowers and anthocarps often with prominent wings. While all four species of Tripterocalyx grow on sandy soils, the approximately 20 species of Abronia grow on a wide variety of substrates, with endemics to sand, gypsum, and clay, and occur in nearly every ecosystem in the western US, including high-elevation alpine taxa, coastal strand taxa, taxa of the warm deserts, several localized endemics on the Colorado Plateau, and taxa endemic to east Texas and to south Texas. To understand niche evolution within these genera, we are reconstructing the phylogeny of all species of Abronia and Tripterocalyx using two plastid spacer regions (ndhF/rpl32 and rpl32/trnL) and nuclear ITS, including multiple populations of each species when possible. 1

Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2University of Florida, Department of Biology, 618A Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3Instituto De Biologia, UNAM, Depto Botรกnica, Apdo.Postal 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico

508

PARK, CHONG-WOOK* 1, BHANDARI, GAURI SHANKAR 1, PARK, JIN HEE 2 and KIM, HYE MIN 1

The origin and evolution of Fallopia sachalinensis (F. Schmidt) Ronse Decr. (Polygonaceae)in Ullung Island inferred from eight chloroplast regions

allopia sachalinensis belongs to sect. Reynoutria (Houtt.) Ronse Decr., and occurs naturally from Sakhalin Island of Russia to central Japan. In Korea, it is confined to Ullung Island and Dok Island, small volcanic islands about 135 km and 217 km from the east coast, respectively. Fallopia sachalinensis is readily distinguished from the other species in the section by its robust stems and conspicuously large ovate leaves with moderately to deeply cordate bases. In this study, we examined chloroplast matK, ndhF, rbcL, rbcL-accD IGS, accD, accD-psaI IGS, trnL intron, and trnL-trnF IGS sequences from F. sachalinensis and closely related taxa in Korea, Japan, the Russian Far East, the United Kingdom, and the United States to assess the degree of molecular divergence of the Ullung and Dok Island populations of F. sachalinensis and to elucidate their origin and relationships to those in other regions. All Korean populations of F. sachalinensis examined in this study had a chromosome number of 2n = 132 (dodecaploid), confirming our previous counts. In contrast, the individuals of F. sachalinensis collected from Japan and Russia were tetraploid with 2n = 44. MP and BI analyses of molecular data strongly suggest that the populations of F. sachalinensis in Ullung Island and Dok Island are diverged from those in the other areas including Sakhalin Island and Japan. In both MP and BI trees, accessions from these islands form a highly supported monophyletic group, suggesting that they probably originated from a single introduction. Our data are also congruent with previous reports that the F. sachalinensis population in Dok Island was introduced from Ullung Island, as it has the same chromosome number (2n = 132) and haplotype found in Ullung Island populations. Based on our data, it is likely that the progenitor of the Ullung Island/Dok Island populations was introduced to Ullung Island from Japan, and had captured a F. japonica var. japonica cpDNA prior to its introduction to the island in Japan, where F. sachalinensis is partly sympatric with F. japonica var. japonica. Genetic differentiation of the Ullung Island populations probably arose through mutations and polyploidization after the introduction, since the haplotypes found in these populations are not detected in any possible source areas. The haplotype data also indicate that plants of F. sachalinensis were introduced to Europe and North America from northeastern Asia, presumably from northern Japan and/or the far eastern region of Russia including Sakhalin Island. 1

Seoul National University, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul, 08826, Korea2Nakdonggang National Istitute of Biological Resources, Sangju, 37242, Korea

205

509

KELLAR, CHAUNCEY

Taxonomic Distinction Between Psoralidium tenuiflorum and P. floribundum (Fabaceae)

lear delineations of species are important for conservation, land management, and ecological investigations. Individuals of the plant species Psoralidium tenuiflorum (wild-alfalfa; Fabaceae) vary quite broadly in morphological characters such as leaf and stem size and quantity of flowers produced per plant, and the variants grow in separate populations with little overlap. The great morphological variation has resulted in conflicting ways of reporting on the species in the scientific literature. Some researchers describe two varieties (or subspecies) of P. tenuiflorum and others divide the varieties into two separate species - P. tenuiflorum (smaller/fewer flowers) and P. floribundum (larger/ more flowers). The question remains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Should these morphological variants be distinguished as separate species?â&#x20AC;? My project involved two primary lines of investigation - morphological and phylogenetic. Over two summers, I collected multiple plant specimens and leaf tissue for DNA extractions from six sites across Nebraska (three in the southeast and three in the west). I measured and compared 11 morphological characters on 52 specimens. I sequenced 72 chloroplast and eight mitochondrial genes, plus three nuclear ribosomal regions using the next-generation Illumina sequencing platform. Combining these data with sequences from previous work and GenBank data, I estimated the phylogenetic placement of the two morphological variants of Psoralidium. They are closely related but definitely separated on the evolutionary tree. Both the phylogenies and the morphological comparisons revealed clear distinctions between the morphological variants, supporting their separation into two species, P. tenuiflorum and P. floribundum.

University of Nebraska at Omaha, Biology, 6001 dodge Street, Omaha, Ne, 68108, USA

510

BLEICH, ANDREW* 1, TRAUTHNARE, AMY 2, ABBOTT, J. RICHARD 3, NACZI, ROBERT 3 and NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 1

Are there cryptic species in the North American Seneca snakeroot, Polygala senega (Polygalaceae)?

olygala senega (Polygalaceae), native to the United States and southern Canada, is perhaps the most economically important member of its family, with roots that are commercially valuable for medical compounds. Over-harvesting of wild plants is likely a factor contributing to decline in at least parts of its range. Previous systematic study using morphological data have suggested two species comprise what is currently recognized as P. senega. To test this hypothesis using molecular data, we have sampled more than 30 individuals of Polygala senega across its geographic range, sequencing

both nrITS and several plastid loci. Preliminary results show that there are two sister clades within what is being called Polygala senega. Further research is necessary to determine if these clades are supported with additional sampling and if they correspond to the morphologic entities previously often treated as two varieties: P. senega var. latifolia and var. senega. If so, these lineages are, perhaps, better recognized as species. The implications for conservation of this economically important species also need to be resolved (e.g., Have we been underestimating biodiversity in this lineage?) and if there really are two separate, morphologically distinctive lineages, which one(s) might be of local conservation concern. 1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA2University of Delaware, Professional Development Center for Educators, Newark, DE, 19717, USA3The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

511

JORDAN, KRISTINA* 1, GARWOOD, NANCY 2 and NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 1

A morphological and molecular case for hybridization of the species Trema cubensis & T. micrantha (Cannabaceae) on Hispaniola

he pioneer tree Trema can be found growing in many areas throughout the Neotropics, including Hispaniola. Unfortunately, the taxonomy of species in Trema is highly unresolved; the species Trema micrantha (L.) Blume has highly variable leaf morphology and it encompasses multiple lineages that are distinct from the original description of Trema micrantha. Hybridization is one of the major contributing factors to this taxonomic confusion. A number of distinct molecular clades of Trema on Hispaniola grow in close proximity to one another, providing ideal conditions for interspecific hybridization. The purpose of this project is to determine, using a combination of molecular phylogenetic data and leaf morphological characteristics, whether or not Trema is hybridizing on Hispaniola. DNA sequence data analysis was used to evaluate the evolutionary relationships between species, and the measurements of morphological characteristics of leaves were utilized. We determined that T. micrantha and T. cubensis are naturally hybridizing on Hispaniola and that there are morphological characters that distinguish those species. Those traits are intermediate in the hybrid offspring. This is significant, as hybridization is a major force in evolution and, more specifically, speciation; this is a phenomenon that often gives rise to new species. 1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA2Southern Illinois University, Life Science II, Mailcode 6509, Life Science II, Mailcode 6509, 1125 Lincoln Ave., Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

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Systematics Section/ASPT 512

513

Evolution of Trema species in the Neotropics

Gathering new evidence for an old problem: the case of the island endemic, Heteromeles arbutifolia var. macrocarpa

GARWOOD, NANCY* 1, HUMPHREYS, AELYS 2, NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 3 and JORDAN, KRISTINA 4

rema Lour. (Cannabaceae) is a genus of pantropical pioneer tree species. Although many Neotropical species have been named, almost all are now included within the broadly defined T. micrantha (L.) Blume except T. cubensis Urb., T. domingensis Urb., T. integerrima (Beurl.) Standl. and T. lamarckiana (Roem. & Schult.) Blume. Reports of hybridization have not been rigorously studied. Trema micrantha is the most widespread species, ranging from Florida to Argentina, and also the most complex: its considerable morphological variability at local to regional scales has long stymied taxonomists. Our previous molecular work on Trema world-wide (Yesson et al. 2004) found that Neotropical Trema was monophyletic with respect to Paleotropical species, but that T. micrantha was not monophyletic. Here we use greatly expanded sampling of T. micrantha and congeners across their range (including T. cubensis and T. domingensis for the first time), four rather than two loci, whole plastome sequencing and morphology to examine the phylogeny of Neotropical Trema species. We test the robustness of previously identified clades of T. micrantha, determine their geographical distributions and probe species boundaries, to understand evolution of Trema in the New World. We found six well supported molecular clades, but relationships among clades were not well supported. The Hispaniola-endemic Trema domingensis is conspecific with T. integerrima, from Central and South America. Trema lamarckiana, T. cubensis and T. integerrima (including T. domingensis) are each monophyletic. Within T. micrantha, we found strong support for three clades that are not sister to each other. An early diverging lowland clade (A) grows at elevations < 1000 m in the Caribbean, and Central and South America. A late diverging lowland clade (B) has a similar distribution to clade A but extends into Florida. A montane clade (C) grows at elevations mostly â&#x2030;Ľ 1000 m in the Caribbean through South America, but is absent from Central America. (There are Trema in Central America at > 1000 m, but these are allied to clade B.) Each of the six clades can be recognized using endocarp and leaf characters. Clade B, however, still remains the most variable morphologically and least resolved molecularly. Incongruence among molecular datasets has also identified several instances of putative hybridization, both recent and ancient, which might explain the difficulty in resolving variation within clade B. Both recent and ancient hybridization would suggest a complex evolutionary history of Trema in the New World.

Southern Illinois University, Life Science II, Mailcode 6509, Life Science II, Mailcode 6509, 1125 Lincoln Ave., Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA2Stockholm University, Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden3Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA4Southern Illinois University, Plant Biology, Life Science II - Mailcode 6509, 1125 Lincoln Dr., Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

GAROUTTE, CHRISTOPHER SCOTT and GUILLIAMS, C. MATT*

n 1932, Munz described Heteromeles arbutifolia (Lindl.) M.Roem. var. macrocarpa (Munz) Munz (originally as Photinia arbutifolia Lindl. var. macrocarpa Munz) as a new variety of toyon endemic to Santa Catalina (SCa) and San Clemente (SCl) islands. Consistent with the common pattern of gigantism on islands, variety macrocarpa was reported to have larger fruits (8-10 mm long) relative to conspecifics from the mainland and the other California Channel Islands (ca. 6 mm long). Since its description, however, variety macrocarpa has not been widely accepted by taxonomists; most floristic treatments recognize no infraspecific taxa in Heteromeles arbutifolia. Using specimens from the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden herbarium, we conducted a preliminary investigation to determine if Heteromeles arbutifolia from SCa and SCl have significantly larger fruits than other island and mainland conspecifics. The length and width of fruits from specimens collected on SCa and SCl were significantly greater than those from specimens collected on the mainland, and were also greater than fruits from the mainland and all other islands treated as a single group. Fruit size was not significantly different, however, between plants from SCa and SCl and plants from the other Channel Islands. While these differences in fruit size are sufficient to demonstrate the need for further study of this taxonomic problem, these data must be interpreted with caution. Measurements obtained from herbarium specimens may be unreliable, as degree of fruit ripeness is sometimes difficult to assess and the fleshy pomes of Heteromeles undoubtedly shrink while drying. More importantly, despite significant differences, the measurements by group are broadly overlapping and without discontinuities. Therefore, future work will focus on obtaining field measurements of living plants and will span the geographic range of the species. Genetic data would also be helpful in assessing the degree to which the plants of Heteromeles differ among islands and between the islands and the mainland.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Conservation and Research, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA

514

DICKINSON, TIM* 1, TALENT, NADIA and LANCE, RON 2 1

Crataegus subgenus Americanae: tools with which to sort out eastern North American hawthorns

orting eastern North American hawthorns into biologically plausible taxa informed by information on the phylogeny of the genus is a goal now well within reach. A magisterial treatment of the genus in North America has been published in Flora North America

207

that tackles the problem of synonymizing superfluous names. A profusely illustrated field guide for the Southeastern United States provides descriptions and keys also, likewise informed by the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive field experience. Both these publications have benefited from data that have come from flow cytometric estimates of ploidy level, in both leaves and seeds, and from studies of DNA sequence variation. These latter studies have largely supported the morphologically based infrageneric classification of Crataegus into subgenera, sections, and series. Where molecular data disagreed with prior interpretations of morphology, they have led to insights into the roles of hybridization and gametophytic apomixis in hawthorn evolution. These insights have been achieved, however, mainly in western North America where the hawthorn flora is less complicated. Nevertheless, we suggest that elsewhere on the continent the time is ripe to use these tools to test the taxonomic hypotheses that have been advanced. Testing them can be concomitant with exploring a number of additional research problems. To what extent is morphological variation indicative of adaptation? Elsewhere, variation in relative allocation of resources to dispersal as opposed to establishment appears to be important, possibly more so than features representing possible adaptations to climatic extremes. What are the population genetic consequences of frequent apomixis, and how do they correlate with morphological evidence for distinct microspecies? Comparison of microsatellite variation in seed families between a sexual diploid and a tetraploid apomict has substantiated expectations based on embryology and pollination experiments. Finally, what do hawthorns and other Maleae (e.g. Amelanchier, Cotoneaster, Hesperomeles, Malus, Photinia, and Sorbus in the wide sense), to say nothing of genera like Acaena, Alchemilla, Polylepis, Potentilla, Prunus, Rosa, Rubus, and Spiraea, contribute to the discussion of the relationship between gametophytic apomixis, polyploidy, and diversification? 1

Royal Ontario Museum, Natural History, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6, Canada2North American Land Trust , Land Manager, Big Ridge, 100 Hickory Hill Road, Chadds Ford, PA, 19317, USA

515 JOEY

HARRIS, JESSE* 1 and SHAW,

Phylogenetic study of Castanea ozarkensis Ashe (Fagaceae) to determine the geographic distribution of genetic variability

astanea Mill. (Fagaceae) consists of three species in North America: Castanea dentata, Castanea pumila, and Castanea ozarkensis. Previous molecular studies have shown intraspecific variability within the three species, (Shaw et al, 2012, Castanea), (Li & Dane, 2013, Tree Genetics & Genomes). The species with the greatest genetic variability was C. dentata, while the species with the least was C. ozarkensis. In C. ozarkensis, Shaw et al. observed only one haplotype. However, this species was not the primary focus of that investigation and therefore it was under sampled compared to the other species.

Since the ten accessions collected for the previous study only represented a small portion of the speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; range, we are currently uncertain whether this entity lacks the genetic variability of the other two taxa or is merely the result of a deficient sample size. Through the addition of five hypervariable plastid markers (atpI-atpH, trnStrnG, psbA-trnH, rpl16, rpl32-trnL, Shaw et al. 2014), and increasing the sample size to 50+ accessions, we look to gain increased resolution in the geographic distribution of genetic variability within C. ozarkensis. 1

University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Biology, Geology, and Environmental Sciences, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga , Tennessee, 37403, USA2University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN, 37403, USA

516

AKINSULORE, PHILIPS OPEYEMI , OLADIPO, OLANIRAN TEMITOPE* and ILLOH, HERBERT CHUKUMA

Comparative Systematic wood Anatomical study of Eleven species of Combretaceae in Nigeria

comparative systematc wood anatomical study of eleven species belonging to four genera in the family Combretaceae was carried out. This was with a view to identifying characters of taxonomic value in the diagnosis, delimitation and subsequent identification of members of the family. collection of accessions of the species was made from different parts of Nigeria. Transverse, Tangential and Radial longitudinal sections of the stems of the species were carried out using Reichert sliding microtome. Both qualitative and quantitative charcters of wood anatomy of the taxa were observed and document. quantitative data were subjected to Analysis of variance, Single linkage Cluster and Principal Component Analyses. esults revelead that wood in the eleven taxa is generally diffuse porous. Coarse grained alform confluent paratracheal parenchyma delimits Terminalia ivorensis from thebrest of the taxa. Also vasuclar ray types is classificatory in the taxa. Vessel diameter was hghest in the member sof the genus Combretum while the least vessel diameter was recorded in Anogeissus leiocarpus. other quantitative wood characters were significantly different among the eleven species.

Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Botany, Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria

517

AMARASINGHE, PRABHA* 1 and CELLINESE, NICO 2

A preliminary molecular phylogeny of Memecylon (Melastomataceae) reveals novel insights into its biogeographic patterns

emecylon (Melastomataceae), a plant group consisting of 350 - 400 species, is distributed throughout the Old World Tropics. It occupies a wide range of habitats and shows specific environmental adaptations, with high regional endemism. Even though phyloge-

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Systematics Section/ASPT netic relationships have been studied for African Memecylon, the historical evolution of this group remains poorly investigated. In this study, we improve on the existing available phylogenetic data by adding more taxa and loci, and generate a preliminary analysis on the age and historical biogeography of this group. Our results suggest that Memecylon diverged most likely from Africa followed by migrations into Asia and Southeast Asia. We also identify a number of regions, which will be important to explore for taxon sampling as we move forward towards an in-depth study into the evolution of this group. Finally, we propose an integration of biogeography and time-calibrated phylogeny with niche modelling approach to investigate the drivers of diversification and the origin of endemic taxa.

genome organization similar to E. spathulata. Plastid genome sequences of the following species will be presented: Callisthene major, Erisma bracteosum, Heimia myrtifolia, Laguncularia racemosa, Qualea grandiflora, Ruizterania albiflora, Saltera sarcocolla, Salvertia convallariodora, Tibouchina urvilleana, and Vochysia acuminata.

Seven new species of Miconia (Melastomataceae) from the Andes

Florida Museum of Natural History, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Florida Museum of Natural History, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Rd, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA

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GONCALVES, DEISE* , SIMPSON, BERYL , ORTIZ, EDGARDO M. and JANSEN, ROBERT

Comparative analyses of whole plastid genomes from the Myrtales

ccording to the most recent classification of angiosperms, Myrtales is nested in the malvid clade and is sister to Geraniales, a group well known for their highly rearranged and rapidly evolving plastid genomes. Among the nine myrtalean families, Myrtaceae and Melastomataceae are the largest, comprising ca. 9,000 species that are pantropically distributed. Phylogenetic relationships among and within myrtalean families have been investigated in the last decade, however, plastid genome information is only available for a few genera of Myrtaceae and Onagraceae. To further investigate plastid genome variation in Myrtales, at least one taxon per family was sampled, sequenced, assembled and annotated. In addition, at least one taxon of all the eight genera of Vochysiaceae were included in the comparative analysis with genomes previously published (e.g., Eucalyptus spathulata, Oenothera glazioviana, Nicotiana tabacum). Plastid genome evolution is being investigated through comparative analysis of structural organization in order to detect gene rearrangements, losses, duplications and transfers. We will also present general features of the genomes, including size, GC content, percentage of coding sequences and gene content, number of protein-coding genes, and tRNA and rRNA genes. The analysis of the whole plastid genomes will allow detection of highly variable non coding regions that may be useful for phylogenetic studies of the families within the order. Furthermore, this study provides genomic scale data to test previous phylogenies of myrtalean families based on few molecular markers. This research is in progress and a phylogenetic reconstruction built using sequences that are already available supports relationships previously suggested among the families. Further analysis will be done with more taxa representing all the families. Comparative analysis of whole plastid genomes annotated to date exhibit gene order and

The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Integrative Biology, Plant Biology Graduate Program, 1 University Station, C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

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BURKE, JANELLE M* 1, GRANT, KIRSTIE 2 and MICHELANGELI, FABIAN 3

he eastern slopes of the Andes harbor some of the greatest amount of biodiversity, much of which remains undescribed in the scientific literature. Here, we describe seven new species from of Miconia from the Andes, encompassing the northernmost to southernmost extent of the mountain range, from Colombia to Bolivia. The new species include Miconia cernuiflora, Miconia cinabarrina, Miconia curvitheca, Miconia dimorphotheca, Miconia dulcis, Miconia farfanii, and Miconia paucartambensis. Each species is compared with other similar species from their area of occurrence. For each species, we include a conservation assessment and range map. The extent of species previously unknown to science underscores the continued need for exploration and field studies. 1

Howard University, 415 College St. NW, Dept. Of Biology, Washington, DC, 20059, USA2Howard University, Biology, 415 College St. NW, Washington, DC, 20059, USA3The New York Botanical Garden, Institute Of Systematic Botany, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

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BIVER, WESTON 1, ABBOTT, J. RICHARD 2, NACZI, ROBERT 2, GULLEDGE, KIM 3, POINDEXTER, DERICK 4 and NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN* 1

Phylogenetic relationship of Hudsonia (Cistaceae): a North American endemic genus

istaceae are a small family of plants, most of which are shrubs occurring in nutrient-poor, sunny habitats principally in Eurasia and North America. Previously published phylogenetic work based on the analysis of plastid rbcL and trnL-trnF sequences has shown Hudsonia embedded in another genus - Crocanthemum, but with poor statistical support and little taxon sampling and thus low confidence. We sampled additional species of Hudsonia with several samples per species to test its phylogenetic placement within Cistaceae. Our data indicate that Hudsonia is sister to Crocanthemum. Given these results, its morphological distinctiveness, and the desire to create stable classifications, we suggest

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that the genus Hudsonia should be recognized. These results underscore the importance of objective means of developing evolutionary hypotheses in order to support stable classifications. 1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA2The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA3Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL, 32303, USA4University of North Carolina, 120 South Rd., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

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FOSTER, CHARLES* 1, CANTRILL, DAVID 2, JAMES, ELIZABETH 2 , SYME, ANNA 2, JORDAN, REBECCA 2, DOUGLAS, RACHEL 2, HO, SIMON 3 and HENWOOD, MURRAY 3

There goes Thecanthes: molecular phylogenetics clarifies the circumscription of Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae)

imelea Banks & Sol. Ex Gaertn. is a genus of flowering plants comprising approximately 90 species in Australia, and approximately 35 species in New Zealand. The genus is economically important, with the attractive flowers of some species having horticultural applications, and the presence of toxic compounds in several species proving poisonous to livestock. Pimelea grows in a variety of habitats ranging from arid to alpine, suggesting a complicated biogeographic history. The relationships within Pimelea remain largely ambiguous, despite previous attempts at clarification using molecular phylogenetics. However, it is clear that Pimelea is closely related to Thecanthes Wikstr., with the two genera forming the subtribe Pimeleinae. We used Bayesian and maximum-likelihood analyses of four plastid markers (matK, rbcL, rps16, trnL-F) and one nuclear ribosomal marker (ITS) to examine the phylogenetic relationships within Pimelea, including the relationship with Thecanthes. We found strong support for the monophyly of Pimeleinae, but, similar to previous studies, Pimelea was paraphyletic with respect to Thecanthes. Therefore, we have reduced Thecanthes to synonymy of Pimelea. This extends the known distribution of Pimelea into Papua New Guinea and Malesia, which introduces further biogeographic questions. 1

University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia2Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Private Bag 2000, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, 3141, Australia3University of Sydney, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

MARHOLD, KAROL1, KEMPA, MATÚŠ , SALMERÓN-SÁNCHEZ, ESTEBAN 2, FUERTES-AGUILAR, JAVIER3, MOTA, JUAN FRANCISCO2, AL-SHEHBAZ, IHSAN A.4, GERMAN, DMITRY A.5, OLŠAVSKÁ, KATARÍNA1, ŠINGLIAROVÁ, BARBORA1, ZOZOMOVÁ-LIHOVÁ, JUDITA1, and ŠPANIEL, STANISLAV1.

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AlyBase - database of names, chromosome numbers and ploidy levels of the tribe Alysseae

he Brassicaceae family is well known for the common occurrence of polyploids and considerable variation in chromosome numbers. It appears that chromosome and ploidy variation is substantial also in its third largest tribe Alysseae. However, the origin of polyploids and various base chromosome numbers in the Alysseae, as well as their evolutionary significance, have not yet been sufficiently understood. To address these questions, a detailed summary of the current knowledge on karyological variation of the tribe across all genera and the whole distribution area is an essential starting point. For this purpose, chromosome number and ploidy-level database is the most convenient information tool. Therefore, we presented to a scientific public a research platform for Alysseae taxa consisting of the database of published chromosome number/ploidylevel data. This database (AlyBase) is available on-line at www.alysseae.sav.sk. The tribe Alysseae encompasses 24 genera and 277 species. The AlyBase covers currently available chromosome numbers and/or ploidy levels for 171 out of 297 recognized taxa. Of these, 95 (55.6%) taxa are diploids, 43 (25.1%) are polyploids, and 33 (19.3%) involve both diploids and polyploids. The most common base chromosome number in the tribe is x = 8 and less frequent is x = 7. The highest variation in base chromosome numbers (x = 7, 8, 11, 15) is found in the genus Hormathophylla. Importantly, in AlyBase presented names and combinations of Alysseae taxa reflect the revised generic concept and the current state of knowledge. AlyBase provides also complete information on the origin of analysed material, voucher specimens and revision of the identification of plant material according to the collection place or voucher specimens (if available). Furthermore, it is possible to display respective records on a map.

1 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-845 23 Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 2Departamento de Biología y Geología, Universidad de Almería, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, E-04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain, 3Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, E-28014 Madrid, Spain, 4Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166-0299, U.S.A., 5Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; & South-Siberian Botanical Garden, Altai State University, Lenina str. 61, 656049 Barnaul, Russia

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Systematics Section/ASPT and fast green. Wood of the species was macerated and the fiber dimenssions were measured. In the transverse section, interxylary phloem was found in discontinous rings around the xylem cylinder in S. innocua and S. usambarensis. Intraxylary phloem was present in the three species studied. Rays were heterogenous with uni, bi and multiseriate rays present in the three species. S. usambarensis had more multiseriate rays while S. innocua had fewer. Rays cells were heterocellular in the three species with both upright and procumbent rays present. Fibers of S. spinosa had the thickest cell wall and S. usambarensis had the least. The wood of the species can therefore be separated based on the presence or absence of interxylary phloem, size of the fiber cell wallthickness and the ray type.

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LI, JIANHUA* 1, DEL TREDICI, PETER 2, LEMMON, ALAN R. 3 and MORIARTY LEMMON, EMILY 3

Phylogenetic Relationships of Theaceae Revisited: Evidence from Sequences of Multiple Nuclear Loci

heaceae consist of 9 genera and over 450 species with a geographic distribution in both the New and Old Worlds. The theaceous plants are important in ecology, economy, and culture; tea culture has been well developed in Asia in ancient times and in other parts of the world in recent centuries. Both morphological and molecular data support the division of the theaceous genera into three groups (tribes): Theeae, Stewartieae, and Gordineae. In the latter two tribes, however, several systematics questions remain unanswered: 1) What are the relationships among the genera, Franklinia, Gordonia, Hartia, Schima, and Stewartia? 2) Are the species of Hartia a derived lineage within Stewartia? 3) Do the North American species of Stewartia form a monophyletic group, as do the Asian species? 4) How many times have the rounded bracts evolved in Stewartia? 5) Are there distinct lineages (or species) in the Stewartia sinensis complex? Our previous phylogenetic analyses of multiple plastid DNA regions provided some insights for the questions as outlined above. However, the phylogenetic hypotheses inferred from the plastid sequence data need further testing from other lines of evidence. Hence in this study we employed the anchored phylogenomic technique to gather DNA sequence data from over 400 nuclear loci. This effort represents the first test of the phylogenetic relationships of Theaceae using multiple nuclear loci.

University of Nigeria Nsukka, Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, 01234, Nigeria

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GOECKERITZ, CHARITY* , BOHS, LYNN , KILBANE, CHRISTINA and LEO, KARENA

Phylogeny of the Cyphomandra clade of the genus Solanum (Solanaceae) based on ITS and waxy sequence data Solanum is the largest genus of the Solanaceae family with nearly 1,500 species distributed worldwide. Previous molecular studies using DNA sequences have recognized about 13 major clades within Solanum. One of these is the Cyphomandra clade, an important economic group of about 50 neotropical species. It includes the tree tomato, Solanum betaceum Cav., a widely cultivated species in tropical and subtropical regions. The Cyphomandra clade is characterized by abnormally large amounts of nuclear DNA compared to other species of Solanum. Traditionally, the species of the clade have been placed into two sections, Solanum section Pachyphylla (Dunal) Dunal and Solanum section Cyphomandropsis Bitter. Solanum sect. Pachyphylla is characterized by enlarged anther connectives that function as osmophores in some species, whereas S. sect. Cyphomandropsis lacks this feature. A previous study using nuclear ITS sequences found the Cyphomandra clade to form a monophyletic group. Solanum sections Pachyphylla and Cyphomandropsis were not monophyletic in the most parsimonious trees. However, constraining them each to monophyly showed no significant difference between the likelihood of the constrained versus unconstrained topologies, indicating that these data did not rule out the monophyly of the two sections. The purpose of the current study was to increase resolution and support for the relationships in the Cyphomandra clade by adding sequence data from the nuclear waxy gene to the ITS data set. In addition, new species were added that were not included in the initial ITS trees. Phylogenies were produced by parsimony and Bayesian inference using PAUP. These trees clarify the relationships among species of the Cyphomandra clade and between the sections Pachyphylla

Hope College, ARNOLD ARBORETUM, 35 E 12th Street, Holland, MI, 49423, USA2Arnold Arboretum, 1300 Centre Street, Weld Hill Research Building, Boston, MASSACHUSETTS, 02131, United States3Florida State University, 89 Chieftain Way, Biology Unit 1, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, United States

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ASUZU, CHINWE

Comparative anatomical study of the wood of three Nigerian alkaloid-rich Strychnos species

comparative study of three Strychnos species that are used for medicinal purposes in Nigeria were studied. Wood samples of Strychnos spinosa, S. innocua and S. usambarensis were collected from Abuja, Ilorin and Nsukka respectively. Transverse section, transverse longitudinal section and radial longitudinal section of the stems were made with sliding sledge microtome at the Anatomy laboratory of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria Nsukka. The sections were cut to 5-10u and stained with safranin

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and Cyphomandropsis. University of Utah, Biology, 257 South 1400 East, 201 South Biology, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

526

LACEY, MAE* 1, CANTLEY, JASON and MARTINE, CHRIS 2 2

Novel taxon in a new national park helps to disentangle species boundaries among spiny Australian bush tomatoes

urrent studies on the spiny solanums (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum) of northern Australia have generated numerous hypotheses related to species delimitation. Particularly unclear species boundaries have been identified among the closely related Solanum watneyi Martine & Frawley, S. eburneum Symon, and a putatively new taxon recently collected in Limmen National Park (S. sp. ‚Limmen’). The three andromonoecious taxa occur in the upper part of the Northern Territory and are members of the Australian “bush tomato clade,” which encompasses around nine closely related taxa. Solanum sp. ‚Limmen’ appears to share many characteristics with S. watneyi and S. eburneum, yet differs conspicuously in vegetative morphology. The new taxon is immediately recognizable by its highly dissected leaves, abundant prickles, and relative lack of tomentum. It is also geographically disjunct from S. watneyi and S. eburneum, with populations so far recorded only in Limmen National Park in the northeastern portion of the Northern Territory on clayey roadsides. This differs from its closely related counterparts, S. watneyi and S. eburneum, which are found in the northwestern expanse of the Northern Territory on well-drained limestone based sandy- or clayey-loamy soil and on gray clay soil, respectively. Field collections in May 2014 and 2016 resulted in procurement of specimens for rigorous morphological comparisons of these three taxa to further investigate fruiting, floral, and vegetative characteristics. Plants grown from field-collected seeds were utilized in both morphological and molecular analyses in conjunction with field observations to determine the unique characters of S. sp. ‚Limmen’. Elucidating the species boundaries among these taxa has the potential to contribute to a body of information germane to conservation efforts as well as ongoing parallel studies of plant-animal interactions and seed dispersal mechanisms within the bush tomato clade. The description of this taxon as a new species represents one of the first new taxa recognized as endemic to Limmen National Park, which was only established in 2012, and highlights the importance of supporting additional biodiversity surveys in the region.

Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA2Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

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WAIGHT, EMIKO* 1, THOMPSON, COLEEN 1, BLISCHAK, PAUL 2, TIAN, YUAN 2, GAITHER, JEFF 3, KUBATKO, LAURA 4 and WOLFE, ANDREA D. 5

Extension and application of methods for detecting hybridization in the plant genus Penstemon

he goal of our research was to test new methods of analysis for detecting hybrids on a known group of hybridizing species of the plant genus Penstemon (Plantaginaceae). Five species (P. centranthifolius, P. spectabilis, P. X parishii, P. clevelandii, and P. grinnellii) were selected for this study because previous experiments have shown that hybridization occurs among them in the wild, which makes them an appropriate group for testing new methods of analysis. These new methods include the Hills test and a modified STRUCTURE analysis. Previous methods of analysis relied on comparing separate estimates of gene trees to look for patterns consistent with hybridization and were often unreliable for analyzing hybrid speciation or detecting introgressive hybridization. By contrast, the Hils Test calculates a test statistic directly from observed DNA sequence data without using gene tree estimates, and is capable of efficiently analyzing large quantities of data. STRUCTURE is not ordinarily used to analyze sequence data so we tried a variety of approaches to code and sample our data for use within the program. The data collected to test these methods consisted of forty-four individuals sequenced at twelve loci for a total of 5,002 base pairs. The tests showed extensive hybridization between the species and supported existing hypothesized hybrid relationships. These new tests can be used in future hybrid studies for quicker, more accurate predictions of hybrid relationships 1

Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA2Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA3Ohio State University, Mathematical Biosciences Institute4Ohio State University, Statistics, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA5Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA

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ROBART, BRUCE W.* 1, APPLE, KRYSTAL 2 and OPFERMAN, CAROL 2

Reassessment of the Pedicularis sudetica Taxonomic Complex: Species or Subspecies?

edicularis sudetica is currently known as a complex of 6 flowering plant taxa, classified as separate species or subspecies. P. sudetica is found throughout Alaska, arctic and subarctic Canada, and northern Siberia. Previous research used clustering analysis of qualitative

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Systematics Section/ASPT characteristics to determine that only one taxon could be clearly distinguished among 165 specimens that supposedly represented five of the six taxa. On the same set of specimens, our research group measured basal leaf length and width, length of the plant, cauline leaf length and width, bract length and width, galea length, galea extension, tooth angle and length, as well as calyx lobe length. We will report on the results of Principle Components Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Discriminants Analysis (CDA) to differentiate the taxonomic groupings. Our preliminary analysis was unable to differentiate specimens into taxa according to previous taxonomic classifications.

Plateau. Though there are only 4-5 species, the Japanese Scrophularia were found to have two origins, some from North America and the others from Asia continent. Supported by NSFC project (No. 31070205) 1 Zhejiang University, Lab of Syst. & Evol. Botany And Biodiversity,, College of Life Science, No.866 Yuhangtang Rd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China2Hangzhou Botanical Garden, Taoyuanling, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310013, China3Heidelberg University, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg, Germany4Zhejiang University, Lab of Syst. & Evol. Botany And Biodiversity,, No.866 Yuhangtang Rd., No.866 Yuhangtang Rd., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China

University Of Pittsburgh JOHNSTOWN, 450 Schoolhouse Road, JOHNSTOWN, PA, 15904, USA2University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Biology, 450 Schoolhouse Road, Johnstown, PA, 15904, USA

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WANG, RUIHONG 1, CHEN, CHUAN 2, KOCH, MARCUS 3, LI, PAN 4 and FU, CHENGXIN* 1

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MOEIN, FATEMEH* 1, JAMZAD, ZIBA , RAHIMINEJAD, MOHAMMAD REZA 3, MAVRODIEV, EVGENY 4, GITZENDANNER, MATTHEW 4, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 5 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 6 2

Phylogeny and biogeography of Scrophulaira (Scrophulariaceae) #

Phylogenetic relationship of Salvia (Lamiaceae), with special focus on Iranian taxa

crophularia L., the type genus of Scrophulariaceae, comprises about 200 species commonly known as figworts. It is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but concentrated in Asia and Europe with only a few species in North America. The genus attracts some researchers’ interests on pollination biology, reticulate evolution and local adaptation. However, none of these studies have a comprehensive sampling or try to address the evolutionary history of the genus. In this paper, we used nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and plastid trnL-trnF, trnQ-rps16, psbA-trnH and trnG-trnS intron to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of Scrophularia, with a sampling of over 140 taxa covering the whole distribution area. The molecular phylogenetic framework showed that the genus Scrophularia was divided into five lineages: 1) S. umbrosa herb clade (only one species, widely distributed in Eurasia), 2) Mediterranean herb clade of sect. Scrophularia, 3) Central Asia subshrub clade of sect.Caninae, 4) New World herb clade of sect. Scrophularia, and 5) East Asia herb clade of sect. Scrophularia. Based on the analysis of divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction, the biogeographic history (the origin, migration and dispersal routes) of Scrophularia was inferred. It is suggested that the genus was originated in middle Miocene (18.9Ma) at the area around today’s Mediterranean. With the subsequent climatic change of the Mediterranean, the ancestor of the genus began to diversify and disperse at about 13Ma, one clade migrated to the North America across the Atlantic land bridge and the other to East Asia via central Asia during the late Miocene. The divergence events within the New World lineage and East Asia lineage were assumed to be during 9.38-9.64Ma. Our result also revealed these species of sect. Caninae was monophyletic and sister to the Mediterranean herb clade of sect. Scrophularia. It is suggested the sect. Caninae originated from the Mediterranean at about 8.81Ma, and then divergent at around 7Ma, with the uplift of Himalaya and formation of central Asia Pamir Plateau and Qinghai-Tibet

alvia L. is the largest genus in Lamiaceae (MentheaeSalviinae) with approximately 1000 species that are mostly found in five major centers of diversity: Central and South America (500 spp.), Western Asia (200 spp.), Eastern Asia (100 spp.), Africa (60 spp.) and Europe (36 spp.). Salvia is characterized by a unique staminal structure of two theca separated by an elongated connective, which is attributed to a special pollination system named the lever mechanism. This character evolved in parallel between Old World and New World Salvia species. According to previous phylogenetic studies of tribe Mentheae based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions, Salvia is not monophyletic. Salvia species were found nested within five related genera in this tribe, and three major clades were proposed for the genus. Compared to New and Old World Salvia, taxa from Southwest Asia have not been well sampled in previous phylogenetic studies. Iran contains 62 species of Salvia, of which 19 are endemic, and the area is considered a center of diversity for the genus in Southwest Asia. Two nuclear regions, ITS/5.8S and ETS, and the plastid locus ycf1 were amplified and sequenced from 58 species of Salvia from Iran. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses were performed by including all sequences from other Salvia spp. and related genera available in NCBI to infer phylogenetic relationships of Salvia in a global context. Additional studies on biogeography provide a global scope of evolutionary history of this genus.

University of Isfahan, University of Florida, Biology, Isfahan,Gainesville, Iran, USA2Research institute of Forest and Rangelands, Biology, Tehran, Iran3University of Isfahan, Biology, Isfahan, Iran4University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, GAINSVILLE, FL, 32611-7800, USA5University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States6University Of Florida,

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Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

cal Garden/Herbarium, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

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Phylogenetic placement of Martyniaceae: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the trichomes

Evidence for two allopolyploid speciation events during the diversification of Nymphoides (Menyanthaceae)

CAVALIERE, DARIO JULIAN* and LITTLE, DAMON

he relationships and circumscription of Martyniaceae have historically been unclear. Martyniaceae was originally classified in an informal group with genera of Pedaliaceae, which together were included in Bignoniaceae. The objective of this study was to elucidate the placement of the Martyniaceae within Lamiales using nuclear, plastid, and mitochondrial sequence data (atpB, matK, rps3, and D2-D3 expansion segment of 26S rDNA), along with morphological data. A detailed structural and histochemical report of trichomes is presented here as a step toward understanding variation between Martyniaceae and Pedaliaceae trichomes. The trichomes of Martyniaceae and Pedaliaceae differ both morphologically and chemically, but there is some conflict in the literature over the precise nature of the differences. The exudate of Pedaliaceae trichomes has been described as mucilaginous, and that of Martyniaceae as a sticky secretion containing sugars with an aldehyde functional group. The results indicate that the trichome exudate of both families are chemically similar as they are both at least partially composed of proteins and reductive sugars. The glandular trichomes of these families may have evolved chemically similar compositions, possibly in response to similar environmental conditions. Poorly-supported and conflicting results from maximum likelihood and parsimony analyses, with and without the inclusion of morphological data, indicate that the relationships between Martyniaceae and other families in Lamiales cannot confidently be reconstructed with the data gathered for this study, despite this we can infer that Martyniaceae and Pedaliaceae have similar exudate compositions. The New York Botanical Garden, Science, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

532 LIU, SITONG* 1, ELVIN, MARK 2 and DREW, BRYAN T 1 Phylogenetics of Diversification of Monardella (Lamiaceae)

onardella (Lamiaceae) is a taxonomically complex genus of annual and perennial herbs that contains about 40 species. Although the distribution of Monardella is clearly centered in the California Floristic Province, the genus ranges eastward to eastern New Mexico and Colorado, north to southern Canada, and southward to the cape region of Baja California. This study presents preliminary phylogenetic relationships within the genus, and represents the first step towards a thorough taxonomic revision. 1

University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA2University of California-Los Angeles, Mildred E. Mathias Botani-

SEARS, NICOLE L 1 and TIPPERY, NICHOLAS P* 2

olyploidization drives diversification in a wide variety of plant groups, however the multiple gene copies that result from polyploidization also present a challenge for phylogenetic reconstruction. In the aquatic plant genus Nymphoides (floating-heart), previous molecular phylogenetic analyses using nuclear (ITS) and plastid (matK/trnK) data produced incongruent trees. In order to resolve the incongruence, we obtained additional sequence data from two nuclear loci: phytoene desaturase (PDS) and transmembrane nine (TMN1), and one plastid locus: the trnT-trnF spacer. Polymorphic sequences for PDS and TMN1 in five species were subcloned to reveal two independent copies of each gene. Phylogenetic analyses that included subcloned sequences indicated that two clades likely descended from allopolyploid ancestors: one clade of neotropical species (N. fallax, N. grayana, N. humboldtiana) and another of North American species (N. aquatica, N. cordata). Together these represent all Nymphoides species that are native to the Americas, and their allopolyploid status is consistent with their tetraploid chromosome numbers. By including subcloned sequences in a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Nymphoides, we were able to resolve and explain some of the previous incongruence between nuclear and plastid data. 1

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA2University Of Wisconsin - Whitewater, Department Of Biological Sciences, 800 W Main St, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA

534

RIVERA, PATRICIA 1, TERRAZAS, TERESA , VILLASEĂ&#x2018;OR, JOSE LUIS 2 2

Comparative leaf anatomy of Asteraceae in a xerophytic scrub and its relation to cytogenetic characters

n angiosperms ploidy level and chromosome numbers are found related to some plants attributes as growth form and leaf characters. Particularly they have been related to guard cells length, stomatal frequency, specific leaf area (SLA) and mesophyll cell size. Asteraceae is the most diverse and abundant angiosperm family in the world. Mexico is considered as one of the main centers of diversification of the family. This diversity can be observed in morphology, growth forms and cytogenetic characters. Probably this diversity is related to the ability of the family to live in different ecosystems around the world. Understanding the patterns of relationship between cytogenetic and morpho-structural characters and growth forms in Asteraceae, can help us understand why it has been so

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Systematics Section/ASPT successful in such diverse environments. The study of Mexican genera may be used to better understand how the diversification of the family occurred and the role played by the phylogeny and the environment to model the leaf morphology. A study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between cytogenetic and leaf characters, as well as the relationship between growth form and the aforementioned characters as well as the effect of phylogeny on these relationships. Fifty-two species representing 12 tribes of Asteraceae present in a xerophytic scrub in the Mexico City basin were studied. The relationship between chromosome number and ploidy level with foliar anatomical features and growth forms were evaluated using independent contrasts phylogeny and phylogenetic signal tests. Our results indicate that triploid, tetraploid and hexaploid species tend to have higher SLA and stomatal length than the diploid species. We found a correlation between chromosome number and leaf area and leaf dry mass. These results indicate that species with high chromosome numbers tend to have bigger and heavier leaves than those with low chromosome numbers. It appears to be a relation between chromosome number and ploidy level with growth form but the statistical significance is low. Moreover, the correlation between cytogenetic and foliar anatomical characteristics is low in most cases. Chromosome number (x), leaf thickness, leaf area and leaf dry mass presented phylogenetic signal. The relationships between chromosome number with growth form, guard cell length with stomatal density and leaf thickness, and leaf area with dry mass are dependent on the relations between Asteraceae clades. More information is needed about the phylogenetic position of the genera and species of Asteraceae of Mexico to achieve more conclusive results. 1

Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de, Botánica, Tercer Circuito Exterior, S/n, Coyoacan, Cd. Universitaria, 045102Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de, BotÁnica, Tercer Circuito Exterior, S/n, Coyoacan, Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City

535

ZAIKA, MAXIM A. 1, KRINITSYNA, ANASTASIYA A. 1, SPERANSKAYA, ANNA S. 1 and SUKHORUKOV, ALEXANDER P. 1

Molecular phylogeny and carpology of the genus Scorzonera sensu lato (Asteraceae, Cichorieae)

corzonera L. comprises c. 180 species and belongs to the subtribe Scorzonerinae. Its circumscription has long been the subject of debate. The results of molecular phylogenetics to date affirm the polyphyly of Scorzonera s.l. Here, we provide a re-evaluation based on carpological (achene anatomical) and initial molecular data. We conducted phylogenetical analyses using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses based on nuclear ITS sequences and plastid markers rbcL and matK. We present, for the first time, a comprehensive sampling of Scorzonera in its widest sense and include all other genera

recognised in the Scorzonerinae. As a result, Scorzonera s.l. is divided into 11 clades. The monotypic genus Avellara, sequenced for the first time, is corroborated not to be a member of the Scorzonerinae. The large Gelasia clade is sister to all other Scorzonera s.l.. The remaining Scorzonera s.l. taxa are resolved in a large clade and are intermingled with the currently recognised genera: Geropogon, Koelpinia, Takhtajaniantha and Tourneuxia. Within this large clade we resolved 10 different clades, which can be distinguished by the anatomical structure of the outer achenes. The clades differ from each other by the following pericarp characters: thickness, general topography of the anatomical zones, and disposition of the mechanical tissue and direction of its fibers, presence of air cavities, seed-coat thickness and number of vascular bundles in the seed coat. Both molecular phylogenetics and carpology clearly support the monophyly of a number of groups, including the genus Podospermum (in its narrower sense). This is the first step towards disentangling the complex phylogenetic relationships leading to a robust circumscription of the genus Scorzonera s.str. and its relatives. 1

Moscow State University, Dept. Higher Plants, Biological Faculty, Vorobyovy Gory 1/12, Moscow, N/A, 119234, Russia2Freie Universität and Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Biological Sciences, Königin Luise Straße 6-8 Dahlem, Berlin, 14195, Germany

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HUGHES, OLIVIA* 1, CHOUDHURY, BAILEY 1, SHEPHERD, KELLY A. 2, DILLON, STEVEN 2 and JABAILY, RACHEL SCHMIDT 3

Molecules to the rescue - clarification of new Australian wildflower species in Goodenia ‚Clade B’ to facilitate conservation

fforts are ongoing to build a comprehensive phylogeny, or evolutionary tree, of Goodenia sensu lato., the largest clade of the predominantly Australian angiosperm family Goodeniaceae. The species-rich Goodenia Clade B includes many regionally restricted species that are of conservation interest. Australian collaborators have collected uncommon or unusual specimens from two species complexes from the remote north-west Pilbara region (Goodenia pascua complex) and across the southern parts of the continent (G. pinnatifida complex) that may represent cryptic or otherwise distinct but as yet unrecognized new species. Past efforts by our lab only included one accession of each of the widespread species G. pascua, G. pinnatifida and known relatives in phylogenetic analyses. Our current efforts have expanded sampling to include multiple accessions of these and other species, including potentially new species based on various morphological differences. We have extracted DNA from 45 new accessions from 14 species, including 33 unnamed accessions, and sequenced the chloroplast region trnL-trnF, and the nrITS locus for phylogenetic analysis to test for monophyly. Phylogenetic evidence may support the expansion of widespread species to include more restricted taxa, or

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the splitting of widespread taxa into multiple new species. The monophyly of some potentially unnamed species is assessed. The outcomes of this research will provide an independent data set that can be used to inform concomitant morphological studies to delimit new species. This in turn will provide a greater understanding of the known distributions and conservation status of a number of poorly known species endemic to Western Australia. 1

Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, United States2Western Australian Herbarium, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Technology Park, Western Precinct, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia3Rhodes College, Botany, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, USA

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FRAWLEY, EMMA* 1, MARTINE, CHRIS , CANTLEY, JASON 1, BUTLER, ALICE 1 and JORDON-THADEN, INGRID 2 1

New functionally dioecious bush tomato from northwestern Australia, Solanum ossicruentum, may utilize “trample burr” dispersal

new Australian species of functionally dioecious bush tomato of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum ossicruentum Martine & J.Cantley sp. nov., is thought to be allied with members of the problematic “Dioicum Complex” lineage, but differs in its short silvery indumentum, long calyx lobes, larger stature, and an unusual fruit morphology that may represent “trample burr” seed dispersal. The species occurs in a range extending from the eastern Kimberley in Western Australia to far northwestern Northern Territory and has been recognized for decades as a variant of S. dioicum W.Fitzg. Specimens of this species were previously referred to by D.E. Symon and others as Solanum dioicum ‚Tanami.’ Ex situ crossing studies and SEM images of inaperturate pollen grains produced in morphologically hermaphrodite flowers indicate that this taxon is functionally dioecious. The scientific name was chosen with the help of 150 seventh grade life sci-

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Teaching Section Teaching Section

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ORAL PAPERS

Paleo-Plant Blindness? Botanical Representation in Museum Fossil Displays

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NEPAL, MADHAV P.* 1, BROWNING, LARRY 2 and MILLER, MATTHEW 3

Integrative Lesson Plans Centered on Vertical Hydroponic System (VHS): Immersive Professional Development Workshops for Science Teachers in a Rural Setting

n the summer of 2015, we conducted a week long immersive professional development workshop for South Dakota science teachers. The workshop was titled STREAM (Science and Technology Resources for Engagement Activity Modules) and conducted at South Dakota State University. Fifteen participants attended the workshop and were guided by the authors, were fully engaged in building models, writing lesson plans and developing hands-on activities based on Cross Cutting Concepts and Core Ideas as outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards. A large portion of the workshop included activities that were designed around Vertical Hydroponic System (VHS). The topics in botany included photosynthesis, respiration, signal transduction, water and mineral uptake, sugar translocation, nutrient cycling, energy transformation dynamics, engineering design etc. Fifteen teachers (female to male ratio of 2:1) from 14 school districts attended the workshop. Out of 15, one teacher is teaching Elementary-High School science, while two are teaching only Middle School science while remaining 12 have been teaching 7-12 sciences. Fourteen of 15 participants serve public school districts while one serve a tribal school. Graduate credits were optional for participants. Additional Face to Face meetings to discuss outcomes and new activities were held at the 2016 conference of the SD Science Teachers Association in Huron, SD Feb. 6 - 7, 2016. Electronic meetings were also held and the authors visited some schools to assess the teachers’ implementation of the lessons. Successes, challenges and impacts of the professional development workshop in a rural setting (funded by No Child Left Behind Title II project), will be discussed in our presentation

South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA2South Dakota State University, Department of Physics, Daktronics Hall, Brookings, SD, 57007, United States3South Dakota State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Avera Hall, Brookings, SD, 57007, United States

CLARY, RENEE

he 15 Degree Laboratory (15degreelab.com) identified and researches the concept of Plant Blindness, which encapsulates how humans typically pay more attention to the animals in a landscape, with plants blending into the viewers’ (cognitive) background (Wandersee & Schlusser, 1999; Wandersee & Clary, 2006a, 2006b; Clary & Wandersee, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014). This research examined the extent of paleontological Plant Blindness within museums’ evolutionary fossil displays. Using case study methodology (Yin, 2013), museums with evolutionary progression displays (N = 4) were photographically documented and analyzed for the extent of paleobotanical inclusion. This investigation included a university museum (1000+ visitors annually), state museum (100,000+ visitors annually), large city museum (1-million + visitors annually) and national museum (7-million+ visitors annually). With minimal signage, analysis of smaller museums proceeded via allocated space examination of fossil plants. The university museum relegated plant fossils to 4.89% of traditional evolutionary progression display. A newer exhibit that featured the state’s geologic timeline fared better, with 23.1 % plant fossils displayed. The state museum analysis revealed 5.58% plant fossils in evolutionary displays. Neither university nor state museum interpreted fossil plants for effective visitor botanical literacy, with the exception of the newer university timeline exhibit. The larger city and national museums were analyzed via signage, and naturalistic lived learning experiences. While the large city museum included 12.6% plant fossils within its entrance display, more systematic inclusion was observed through 9 interpreted displays (e.g., emergence of first plants, coal forests, Pangaea’s climates). The national museum’s evolutionary fossil display is undergoing renovation, and analysis represents a transitory exhibit. With some fossils included in an ocean exhibit, paleobotany is represented by algae. Within the dinosaur exhibit hall, fossil plants within Hell Creek’s environment constitute 25% of a floor display, and 20% of a wall mural. Fossil plants are also included in the insects/plants exhibit, and local fossil displays. his case study indicates that some smaller museums allocate insufficient space to fossil plants, with minimal interpretation. However, newer fossil displays and larger museums’ exhibits include more fossil plants, for greater botanical awareness. Content analysis (Neuendorf, 2002) of signage revealed two stable themes: 1) paleobotany in fossil displays documents the important role of plants in the colonization/support of terrestrial environments, and in interpreting climate change in Earth’s geologic past; and 2) Plant Blindness also exists in evolutionary fossil displays as plants’ value is often described with respect to animals in the ecosystem.

Mississippi State University, Geosciences, P.O. Box 1705, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA

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BAKER, STOKES S

Using RNA-seq data in an Ecology Laboratory Inquiry Investigation

n recent years, organizations have been established to integrate next generation sequencing technology into the undergraduate curriculum (see URL links). In an upper level Ecology Laboratory (Bio4490) course taught at the University of Detroit Mercy undergraduates used next generation sequencing data to investigate the response of giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden) to the essential nutrient, phosphorous. Students used a database containing RNA-seq expression values from plants growing in sterile cultures containing modified 1/2X Schenk and Hildebrandt median with no-phosphorus, 50 μg/L phosphorus (as orthophosphate, corresponding to a eutrophic concentration), and 40,385 μg/L phosphorous (standard 1/2X Schenk and Hildebrandt media). Students were asked to develop criterions to identify ecologically significant genes and to use the RNA-seq expression profiles and the US Department of Energy Phytozome database (link below) to identify candidate genes. The students were asked to design and conduct an experiment to test a hypothesis derived from their data analysis. The students used reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rt-qPCR) to test one of their hypotheses. Qualitative assessment, in the form of open ended questions, was used as the main evaluation method because of a small class size. In response to the question, “What did you learn from the RNA-seq experiment?”, 8 of 11 students noted that aquatic plants change their gene expression in response to their environments and 6 of 11 students described technical aspects of the investigation (some students discussed both). To the question, “Why did we use RNA-seq in our investigation of greater duckweed”, 9 of 11 students replied that specific genes are part of an aquatic plant’s response to phosphorus water pollution.

University of Detroit Mercy, Biology Department, 4001 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI, 48221, 313-993-1142

541

KELLAR, PAMELA ROXANNE

Phylogenetic diversity comparison among Nebraska counties: example of a coursebased undergraduate research experience (CURE)

ree of life data are becoming prevalent throughout high-quality ecology, evolutionary biology, and biodiversity investigations and in the educational development of versatile student-scholars. Phylogenies are serving a relatively new role in augmenting biodiversity assessments for conservation planning. In the spring 2016 semester, an honors lab section of freshman and sophomore Biology II students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha engaged in an authentic research experience using phylogenies to calculate and compare phylogenetic diversity metrics among varying communities. Following the CURE (Auchincloss et al., 2014) model, the entire lab class of 21 students worked together to address a research question of interest to the scientific community. In the semester-long project, students researched the scientific literature, asked ques-

tions, proposed hypotheses, designed and conducted an experiment, and communicated results to their peers. The students compared biodiversity among six counties in Nebraska with varying landscape features, population, soils, etc. They obtained plant lists for each county and downloaded GenBank data for the plastid gene rbcL. For species without an rbcL sequence available on GenBank, students sequenced the region or identified congeners available on GenBank. Students aligned sequences, estimated a phylogeny, and calculated five phylogenetic diversity metrics (PDFaith, MPD, MNTD, IST, and SEH) and three traditional biodiversity indices (S, SJ, SS) for their selected counties. The semester-long research experience culminated in Power Point presentations and full project reports, with a few students continuing the investigation after the end of the semester. By working together, using scientific tools, students applied concepts covered in lecture to a genuine research investigation, achieving the goals of CURE. Ultimately, students gained an understanding about and built their confidence in conducting scientific research. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Biology, 6001 Dodge Street, AH211A, Omaha, NE, 68182, USA

542

GANDOLFO, MARIA A* 1 and NIXON, KEVIN 2

The Cornell University Plant Anatomy Collection (CUPAC) and the Cornell University Paleobotanical Slide Collection (CUPC-S) as an online teaching resource

he CUPAC- The Cornell University Plant Anatomy Collection is an historically important collection of anatomical slide preparations housed at BH herbarium in the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Section of Plant Biology. The collection includes two subcollections, the general CUPAC collection and the Palm Collection (CUPACPALM). An associated collection of fossil slide preparations (CUPC-S) is administered and curated with CUPAC. The taxonomic and morphological depth and breadth of coverage in CUPAC is tremendous, ranging from algae to flowering plants, and diverse structures including most vegetative and reproductive organs. The ca. 60,000 slides in the general collection include materials prepared by renowned Cornell plant anatomists, among them A. Eames, M. Wilde, D.W. Bierhorst, H.Moore, N. Uhl, Ch. Uhl, R.T. Clausen, and D. Paolillo. CUPAC-PALM includes ca. 50,000 slides prepared by Natalie Uhl and Hal Moore that are almost universally vouchered with herbarium specimens. The collection has been augmented with contributions from other important plant anatomists, such as K. Esau, S. Carlquist, P. Maheshwari, and B. Johri. The CUPC-S collection includes important preparations of fossilized early land plants, including many types, by H. Banks, H. Andrews, and others. Many of these slides from all three collections have the been the basis for figures and plates in important textbooks, monographs and scholarly articles, many are vouchered with herbarium material or fossil specimens, and in the case of the palm slide collection, many are prepared from type material. Currently, a preliminary but extensive set of digitized slides is available online as the result of a completed pilot project to inventory, barcode, image, capture data and develop a

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Teaching Section working web interface for the collection. This interface includes the ability to easily search on anatomical structure, cell type, organ or taxon. The interface also has a set of tools for online measurement of anatomical structures directly from the slide images, and the ability (account controlled) to overlay private or public labels on the images for courses, course laboratories, interactive quizzes and exams, and other educational purposes. A newly funded NSF project is now underway to image and database an even larger set of slides. The current state of the project and a demonstration of the interface and tools and how to use them for teaching purposes will be presented. The interactive web-accessible database of the CUPAC collection images is accessible at http://cupac.bh.cBSA Savannahornell.edu/ 1

Cornell University, L. H. BAILEY HORTORIUM, 410 Mann Library Building, ITHACA, NY, 14853-4301, USA2Cornell University, L. H. BAILEY HORTORIUM, 408 MANN LIBRARY, ITHACA, NY, 14853-4301, USA

543

GOODWILLIE, CAROL

Using Invasive Plant Control to Teach Plant Biology: A Service Learning Approach

ervice learning is an educational approach that integrates community service into academic curriculum. Although service learning is perhaps most often used in education, sociology or other human-centered courses, it can also be used effectively in science curriculum. I have developed a service-learning course in plant biology for biology and science education majors. For the service component, students work to control invasions of exotic plants in local natural areas, with Recreation and Parks Department as community partners. Most of the work to date has focused on control of sericea (Lespedeza cuneata, Fabaceae) along city greenways through simple manual removal of plants. Through documentation of the number of stems removed, we are assembling a long-term record of our effects on population densities. Throughout the lecture material, invasive plants are used to illustrate and explore basic concepts in plant physiology, ecology and reproduction. Written reflections and exit surveys indicate that the service work and field experience enhances their learning and promotes awareness and positive attitudes toward preserving natural areas.

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, Department Of Biology, Mail Stop 551, GREENVILLE, NC, 27858, USA

544

NORCROSS, LINDSAY* and LINK-PEREZ, MELANIE

Investigating Bonsai as an Alternative Curriculum for Teaching Botanical Science to School-Aged Children

onsai, which means “tray tree”, refers to the cultivation and training of a plant to a height of less than one meter. There is evidence of bonsai being developed in China before the Sung Period (960-1279 CE) and adopted later by the Japanese following the influx of

Buddhism and the Zen way of life. The art of cultivating miniature trees and shrubs was especially desirable in Japan due to the country’s comparatively small land mass and because it allowed for gardening within strict environmental constraints. In the United States, bonsai is typically regarded as a relaxing pastime for the botanical enthusiast; however, we think cultivating miniature trees has the potential to be a vital learning tool for both educators and students. The goal of our research is to develop a botanical curriculum based on bonsai for the purpose of engaging students while still addressing the logistical limitations of a typical classroom setting. To maximize the utility of a bonsai-centered curriculum we are working with several species to determine those plants that are best suited for growth and reasonablyrapid development in the classroom as well as linking each phase of cultivation and observation with numerous Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We will be sharing our preliminary results and a sampling of curricular tie-ins that address the objectives of the NGSS. Armstrong State University, Biology, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA, 31419, USA

545

CLAYBORN, JAESON* 1, O'BRIEN, GEORGE 2 and MEDINA, MILES

School gardening with a twist using fish: Encouraging educators to adopt aquaponics in the classroom

quaponic gardening integrates fish farming and soil-less (hydroponic) crop production in a highly productive system that conserves water by recirculating nutrient-rich fish effluent as fertilizer for horticultural crops. In the classroom, an aquaponic system can be inexpensively constructed and maintained to provide elementary, middle, and high-school students unique opportunities that promote experiential learning in science and engineering in the context of ecological sustainability and social responsibility. In order to evaluate the willingness of teachers to incorporate aquaponics in the classroom, we engaged 14 first-year and veteran women educators in a 6-week aquaponics project. Fourteen participants completed an aquaponic content pre-test to gauge prior knowledge and participated in an interactive introductory aquaponic session. Members of the experimental group (N1 =7) each constructed and maintained a small-scale aquaponic system (25 gal.) and participated in a simple plant growth experiment. Members of the control group (N0 = 7) did not participate in construction, maintenance or the experiment. All participants completed post-tests and exit surveys. Both groups scored significantly higher on the posttest, but there was no significant difference in post-test scores between groups. In the exit surveys, compared to the control group, participants from the experimental group expressed a greater likelihood to use an aquaponic system at home or in the classroom, believed the system was easy to maintain, and strongly agreed it would help students with math and science. The results from this small study demonstrated that the conceptual framework and low-cost scheme we presented to educa-

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tors, along with providing a hands-on experience, encouraged them to use and implement aquaponics as an educational tool in the classroom. 1

Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA2Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, United States3University of Florida, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 1741 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL

546

KUMMER, TYLER , JENSEN, JAMIE and WHIPPLE, CLINTON*

Addressing common and persistent tree-thinking misconceptions in a plant diversity course

volution has been succinctly described as descent with modification. Thus there are two fundamental parts to evolutionary theory that students are required to understand: descent from a common ancestor and mechanisms of divergence. While the traditional biology and evolution curriculum has focused on mechanisms of divergence (e.g. mutation, selection, migration, drift), comparatively little attention is given to understanding common descent and the most frequent representation of descent, the phylogenetic tree. This is unfortunate given that recent research suggests that most students harbor deep misconceptions that directly affect their ability to properly interpret phylogenetic trees. We have developed a concept inventory to quickly assess the presence of the most common tree-thinking misconceptions, and show that many persist throughout the education of biology majors, even after semester capstone course on evolution. We reasoned that explicit instruction in tree-thinking could help overcome these misconceptions, and implemented several active learning modules into a plant diversity course. Results from this intervention, compared to a section without a similar focus on tree-thinking, demonstrate that even the most persistent misconceptions can be ameliorated, without a drop in content knowledge. Our results suggest that tree-thinking can be taught effectively in a diversity course to address a current weakness many biology curricula.

Brigham Young University, Biology, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

547

BENEDICT, JOHN C.* 1, SMITH, SELENA 2 and SPECHT, CHELSEA 3

Using X-ray tomographic data to teach seed morphology, phylogenetics, and dichotomous keys

-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT, or Synchrotron radiation X-ray tomography) provides high resolution three-dimensional (3-D) datasets that are useful in a multitude of botanical studies including plant development, morphoanatomy, and phylogenetics. These 3-D datasets are invaluable sources of information for scientific research, but have rarely been applied as teaching tools in the classroom. Using our published data on Zingiberales seeds we have

created an interactive lesson that will introduce students to seed morphology using 3-D printable digital dissections of various seeds from the eight families in Zingiberales. Zingiberales seeds are particularly useful for teaching seed structure since they possess some of the most morphologically diverse seeds in angiosperms and have numerous characters that vary widely in the families (e.g., operculum, aril, endosperm, perisperm). These data can be printed on any 3-D printer, which are becoming more common in both academic settings and commercial enterprises. With these data, students will be able to physically handle parts of the seed too minute to touch and observe in detail with the naked eye (e.g., opercula) - microscopic features that are 3-D printed at sizes hundreds of times larger than their natural size. These models will complement traditional anatomy and morphology labs, which often lack detailed models of seeds. In the exercise, students will learn key terms of seed morphoanatomy, construct a simple parsimony phylogeny using those characters, and build a dichotomous key. These activities are amenable to introductory courses, courses in systematics, regional floras, and even economic botany or ethnobotany courses wishing to show the economically important parts of seeds. 1

University Of Michigan, School Of Life Sciences, 2543 C.C. Little Building, 1100 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 481091005, USA2University of Michigan, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2534 CC Little Bldg, 1100 N University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1005, United States3University Of California Berkeley, 111 Koshland Hall, MC 3102, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

548

TAYLOR, WITT* 1, TARY, ANNA 1 and COOPER, RANESSA 2

The power of observation and Cape Cod as an outdoor laboratory

nderstanding the value of the scientific method is not trivial for undergraduates majoring in a science discipline, but this concept can be even more difficult for a non-science major to grasp in the classroom. As faculty of a small science department at a leading business university, this challenge is compounded by the idea that we cannot effectively reach students whose professional goals have them destined for the corporate world. As we have shown, course offerings can be designed in a multidisciplinary fashion, one where students are expected to â&#x20AC;&#x153;learn by doingâ&#x20AC;? through field data collection and analysis. In May 2015, Bentley University offered a class of this type called The Coastal Biology of Cape Cod, a 3-credit course that included a week of data collection in major habitats all around Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In particular, the course began with an introduction to the local geology and geohistory, followed by assessment of biotic and abiotic factors affecting organisms (protists, plants, and animals) in their environments. Thus, the students were able to make, and see, a strong connection between the geologic history of the area and their resultant ecological habitats. Field classes with any genre of students can be challenging, but the pilot offering of this coastal biology course was a success. One of the main points that we stressed is the value of critical thinking skills, as these are applicable to and can be directly implemented into their business studies. By putting the students in an atypical situation, where they

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Teaching Section may not have had much past experience to draw upon, we noted interesting problem solving skills begin to develop during their time in the course. By the last day, the students had gained an appreciation for the scientific method, and specifically, the power of observation, and how scientists work objectively, and in multidisciplinary ways, to better understand our natural world. 1

Bentley University, Natural and Applied Science, 100 Jennison Hall, 175 Forest St, Waltham, MA, 02452, USA2HILLSDALE COLLEGE, 33 E COLLEGE ST, HILLSDALE, MI, 49242, USA

549

JONES, MARCUS* 1 and BUNNER, ALLISSA 2

Developing and Implementing Effective Student Chapter Programs

n 2013, Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, started a student chapter of the Botanical Society of America. Since inception, the chapter has been operating out of the Arthur and Phyllis Kaplan Orchid Conservatory. This presentation aims to educate attendees on some of our most effective programs that BSA Student Chapters can utilize for introducing students to botany, in the lab and in the field. The ODU BSA Student Chapter arranged bi-weekly meetings and public workshops highlighting ethnobotany, student research efforts, and experienced biology professionals, which has helped broaden student body interest in botany. New and returning students visit the conservatory each week to work with staff and experienced volunteers during regularly scheduled volunteer hours. The ODU BSA student chapter also organized volunteer opportunities on campus, through programs like Monarchs for Monarchs, a monarch butterfly conservation initiative, and through a native plant growing program. In this program native seeds are responsibly collected, germinated, and distributed to local schools and restoration projects. The plants grown and cared for by students, are also sold to benefit the chapter and sponsor students . In 2015, volunteers from the BSA student chapter began working in a laboratory in another conservation effort. These student volunteers are helping ODU staff and faculty develop a North American Orchid Conservation Center, which focuses on developing an orchid seed and mycorrhizal fungal bank for Virginia native orchids. The programs described have been utilized at Old Dominion University increasing botany students opportunity to learn field and laboratory skills, while increasing volunteer opportunities and offering sponsorships for research and conferences.

Old Dominion University, Office of Research, 4111 Monarch Way, Suite 203, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA2Old Dominion University, 1000 Facilities Management, 4401 Powhatan Ave, Suite 203, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA

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WILKINSON-LAMB, SARA* 1, BARKWORTH, MARY E 2, GAYOU, SEAN ANTHONY 3 and SMITH, DREW 4

Digitization Synchronization Abstract: Biodiversity conservation requires making people in local communities aware of the importance of the species diversity in their neighborhood. Digitizing plant information, found in printed floras, in a database, and thereby preserving vital information is one method of engaging in biodiversity conservation. Printed floras provide information about plant species diversity across a large region but often include, in addition, information about the distribution of individual species within the larger region. Digitization of the distributional information in floras can help bridge the gap between these two perspectives. For the last few years, inmates of the Daggett County Jail, under the supervision of Sara Wilkinson-Lamb have been capturing data from several different floras and providing it to Dr. Mary Barkworth for inclusion in OpenHerbarium, a Symbiota-based network. Before beginning work on a particular flora or checklist, inmates familiar with Microsoft Access create a database that facilitates accurate and rapid data entry. This database is then tested by their colleagues and, once approved, used for data capture. Data from the floras are exported to a csv. file, and the resulting records are then uploaded by Barkworth. To date, OpenHerbarium contains over 70,000 records, 60,000 of which are represented by data uploaded by the inmates from the various floras. This data can then be used to generate preliminary checklists for the regions recognized by the floras, and to look at distributions across national boundaries. The network also enables sharing description and images which can then be used in developing local identification handbooks, thereby helping construct the bridge between flora and community conservation. The resulting data also strongly support the benefits of collaboration, as well as the need for further floristic research by local botanists. There are also substantial, if intangible, benefits for inmates; e.g., gaining a foundation in nomenclature, developing data entry skills, and acquiring a greater awareness of world geography by locating floristic regions on maps. Lastly, working with these floras has also made us all more aware of the countries involved and the challenges their people face. 1

Dagget County School District, Adult Education, PO Box 118, 45 West 200 North, Manila, UT, 84046, USA, 43523949482Somaliland Biodiversity Foundation, 397 Lauralin Drive, Logan, Utah, 84321, United States34009 South 1100 East, Holladay, Utah, 84124, United States41119 Bratton Road, New Albany, MS, 38652

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GIBSON, J PHIL

Flipping Over Botany Lab

ith increased emphasis on active learning through inquiry-based approaches, student time in the laboratory is at a premium to provide adequate time for experiment development and execution. Furthermore, diverse abilities and backgrounds of introductory students may require introduction to a lab topic beyond what is possible in a single introductory lecture at the beginning of a lab period. To address this situation, we have explored the use of a flipped laboratory design. Using readily available video equipment and software, we were able to develop a series of short videos to support specific laboratory and lecture topics. This has resulted in greater student comfort with lab activities and reduced the amount of time instructors lecture at the beginning of lab. Approaches, tips, tricks, and examples will be presented.

University Of Oklahoma, Department Of Zoology, University Of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

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MONFILS, ANNA K* 1, ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 2, LINTON, DEBRA L. 3, PHILLIPS, MOLLY 4, COOK, JOSEPH 5 , KERSKI, JOESPH 6, BARBARO, TRACY 7 and DONOVAN, SAM 8

Integrating Natural History Collections into Undergraduate Education: Creating the Resources and Growing the Community

n 2010, the United States National Science Foundation funded a research coordination network (RCN), Advancing Integration of Museums into Undergraduate Education: AIM-UP! (AIMUP.unm.edu). That project has produced a thriving national network of undergraduate educators, curators, collection managers, database managers, and scientists, that is identifying and developing novel ways to use natural history collections (e.g. herbarium specimens) in undergraduate education. To extend this work and broaden the visibility and utility of AIM-UP resources we have launched a collaborative effort among AIM-UP! participants, that extends our project to the Integrated Digitized Biocollections Education and Outreach working group (iDigBio.org), the Esri EdCommunity (edcommunity.esri. com), Kurator developers (wiki.datakurator.net/web/ Kurator), and the Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis community (QUBEShub.org). We report on a plant/pollinator co-evolution collaborative educational module under development and a vetted workflow for producing, evaluating, and assessing additional educational modules based in the extensive museum and herbarium databases now available online. We will introduce other emerging opportunities to build the AIM-UP! collaborative network and expand existing modules through a QUBES sponsored Faculty Mentoring Network (qubeshub.org/community/fmn). We also provide details on a pilot "train the teacher" workshop that will prepare and enable faculty to use and incorporate specimen-based data (and associated

tools) into the introductory undergraduate biology curriculum and upper-level botany courses. 1

Central Michigan University, 180 Brooks Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA, 989-774-24922Florida State University, iDigBio, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA3Central Michigan University, Biology, 217 Brooks Hall, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48858, USA4University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA5University of New Mexico, Biology, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA6Esri, 1 International Court, Broomfield, CO, 80021-3200 , USA7Harvard University, Encyclopedia of Life Learning + Education group, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, MA, USA8University of Pittsburg, Biology, Pittsburg, PA, 15260, USA

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ENDARA, LORENA* 1, BURLEIGH, GORDON 2 and CUI, HONG 3

Using natural language processing tools to facilitate learning taxonomy, nomenclature, and botany in the classroom

e developed an undergraduate class in which we used online Natural Language Processing (NLP) software to extract phenomic data from taxonomic descriptions and create phylogenetic character matrices. Our objective was to create a classroom environment in which undergraduates learn about basic concepts of taxonomy, morphology, nomenclature, and phylogenetics while ultimately producing datasets to be used in authentic research projects. In the first classes, the students learned about plant classification and species concepts across time. Using live plants and herbarium specimens, students described organisms with their own words. Then we transformed the student descriptions into ‚telegraphic syntax’ (the prevalent format of formal taxonomic descriptions). This activity helped the students learn how the NLP software works. In this class, we used the Explorer Taxon Concepts (ETC) online application (http://etc.cs.umb.edu/etcsite/start.html#HomePlace:). Students used a model system to learn about the functionality of the online NLP software pipeline. They initiated their individual research projects that focused on extracting character information for the conifers and Gnetlaes. Students were assigned different groups of Gymnosperms, and they were responsible for: (A) gathering digital taxonomic descriptions available from online monographic treatments or floras, (B) cleaning and formating the descriptions, (C) uploading them in the NLP software and (D) parsing the text with the NLP software. During the parsing step, the system requires human input to categorize words that are unknown to the system. Students researched the meaning of the technical terms using glossaries and publications. We designed an activity in which students mapped the structural terms extracted by the system into a sketch of their organisms. Through this activity we sought to convert the student into the “expert” of the group, and also find terms that are interchangeably used by different authors and that need to be synonymized for the parsing analysis. Matrices derived by parsing analyses and the characters and character states were analyzed and compared in class. Preliminary phenomic-based phylogenetic reconstructions using the datasets generated by students were per-

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Teaching Section formed in class to demonstrate the use of this approach. Our students prepared an abstract and poster to disseminate the results of their research projects at the Botany 2016 meetings, as we considered this an important step to expose students in early stages of their career to modern botanical research. 1

University of Florida, Biology, Carr Hall, 217, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Florida, P.O. Box 118526, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3University of Arizona, School of Information Resources and Library Science, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA

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HARRIS, KARI MEGAN* 1 and MARSICO, TRAVIS D. 2

Involving undergraduates in the digital community: Leveraging collections preservation, research, and outreach through a network of natural history collections clubs

n February 2013, nine students at Arkansas State University (A-State) came together to form the Natural History Collections Curation Club (NHC3). This club was an innovative approach to resolving many issues facing the natural history collections at A-State. The students of the club made it their goal to restore the collections by dedicating their time and helping to secure funding. These efforts have resulted in funding from the Dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics for a part-time student worker in the collections, supplies for several projects including jars and ethanol for restoring the fish collections and materials to create two large specimen mounts, and trips to visit several natural history museums. This concept has also helped other universities increase student interest and involvement in collections. To date, three other universities have active natural history collections clubs as a result of the A-State model. Beginning in the fall of 2015 these four clubs have formed a network to outreach to other universities that may benefit from this model. Our goal is to use the Natural History Collections Club Network (NHCCN) as a platform to motivate students across the globe to become interested and involved in university specimen collections.

Arkansas State University, PO Box 599, State University, AR, 72467, United States2Arkansas State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, PO Box 599, State University, AR, 72467, USA

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PIGG, KATHLEEN B* 1, CLARK, LIA , HIEGER, TIMOTHY 2, BASHAM, ANNE 1 and DEVORE, MELANIE 3 1

The last stop on the Fossil Freeway: Developing our own version of a traveling exhibit at ASU BioKIC

“

Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway” is a popular 2007 book based on the North American fossil-hunting adventures of the authors Kirk Johnson and Ray Troll. Following its publication, the authors collaborated with the Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, University of Washington, Seattle to develop a corresponding traveling exhibit. The "Cruisin“ the Fossil Freeway" exhibit was designed to be customized to highlight each host venue“s unique collections and to demonstrate the importance of collecting to science as it traveled from place to place. From 2009-2015 the exhibit was shown in a wide range of venues, both large and small. In Fall 2015, Arizona State University (ASU) became the last stop for this display. We installed our own version of the display at ASU“s newly-opened, off-campus natural history collections facility, the Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center (BioKIC) at 734 W. Alameda Drive in Tempe, AZ. We adapted the exhibit to our 1000 sq. ft. display area and integrated Kirk Johnson“s text and Ray Troll“s artwork intimately with examples of fossil and extant organisms from our collections. These included fossil vertebrates (e.g., fish, sharks, bears), invertebrates (e.g., cnidarians, echinoderms, ammonites, trilobites) and plants (e.g., Mazon Creek nodules, Green River specimens) from the Israel Leinbach collection along with extant specimens from our vertebrate and malacology collections. Special units were developed highlighting the latest early Eocene flora of Republic, Washington, including artist and curator Wes Wehr“s legacy and our current work on fossil Nymphaeaceae and Rosaceae. We also focused on plants and fish of the well-known Green River Formation of Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. We developed a narrative virtual tour guide which visitors could access via their mobile devices after scanning QR codes placed in various areas of the exhibit. Special associated events included guest lectures by paleobotanist Peter Wilf, paleoentomologist Bruce Archibald, and natural history writer Jack Nisbet, detailing the histories and localities of fossil plants and insects, and those who collect them. During the fourmonth-long display, over 600 guests attended our special events. The events also included a special Fossil Day program which served some 45 homeschool children and their parents as they learned about paleontology via both field and lab simulations. The collection was displayed in a public space adjacent to our classroom and an interactive discovery space where students and members of the public were able to view and engage with the Fossil Freeway exhibit throughout its visit.

Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences and BioKIC, PO Box 874501, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-4501, United States2Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences and BioKIC, PO Box 874601, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-4601, United States3Dept Of Biology & Env. Science, GC & SU Campus Box 81, MILLEDGEVILLE, GA, 310610001, USA

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556 BLAKE-MAHMUD, JENNIFER* 1 and ADAMS/, CATRINA 2

POSTERS

Cool Leaves! Exploring leaf adaptation in outreach

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The impact of pedagogical instruction and feedback on future faculty teaching beliefs

tudents often consider plants uninteresting due to their general stationarity, yet plants do move and can interact with their environment in dynamic ways. As part of a larger outreach event on plant movement, we developed an outreach activity module that focuses on leaf movement across scales from large (whole plant) to small (movements of stomata and chloroplasts) and the ways leaves are adapted to different environments. We introduced the adaptations via demonstrations, videos, interactive working models, and microscope observation. We then invited students to play a game in which they found the “fortune” of their plant in specific environments, due in part to the leaf adaptations of their chosen plant compared with other neighboring plant species. Plants with competitive advantage in a given habitat (a winning fortune) were invited to add a picture of their plant to that habitat on large chart. Over time, different habitats selectively filled up with “winning” plants, emphasizing that some plants are better adapted to some habitats than they are to others. he goals of the activity were (1) to allow visitors to link leaf adaptations in specific plant species to the environments where they thrive and where they can’t survive; (2) to understand that no leaf is perfect everywhere and that certain adaptations work in certain environments; (3) to encourage visitors to “think like a plant” and experience environments from the perspective of a particular plant and (4) to encourage observation of and wonder about leaf adaptation and plant competition in their everyday environment (parking lots, playgrounds, sidewalks). hile our target audience was students in grades three through nine in an informal science fair setting, we anticipate that this activity and suite of plant demonstrations could be useful in whole or in part as a multi-part classroom lesson or rainy-day science museum or nature center activity.

STEPHENS, JESSICA* 1, GORMALLY, CARA 2 and BRICKMAN, PEGGY 3

eedback can play an important role in motivating faculty to improve teaching practices and institutions are increasingly recognizing the importance of providing faculty with formative instructional feedback. While much research has focused on how to provide effective feedback for established faculty little is known about the impact of feedback for future faculty. Here, we look to examine the impact of instruction and formative feedback on future faculty teaching beliefs in two seminar courses designed to provide formal training to graduate teaching assistants. More specifically, we are interested in whether pedagogical feedback from peers and mentors with more similar teaching beliefs are attributed greater value than feedback from peers and mentors with differing teaching beliefs. In addition, how does formal pedagogical instruction influence teaching beliefs of future faculty? To assess these research aims, student teaching beliefs were evaluated pre, mid, and post instruction and both verbal and written feedback among students and mentors was scored based on multiple qualitative categories. Results highlight factors responsible for a shift toward learner-centered teaching beliefs and increased ability to provide critical feedback. These findings help elucidate challenges in this apprenticeship-model program. We propose that the increased ability to provide critical feedback and pedagogical instruction may be a novel method to identify facility and confidence with evidence-based teaching practices.

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2Gallaudet University, Department of Biology, Hall Memorial Building E333A, Washington , DC , 200023University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602

Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution, And Natural Resources, 237 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Rd, Cook Campus, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901-8551, USA2Botanical Society of America, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, USA

558

BODIN, EMILY 1, MORETON, STEVEN 2, NAPIER-JAMESON, REBEKAH 2, CLARK, MEGAN 2, MANLEY, MICHAEL 2, CUMMINS, JOSEPH 2, BISHOP, AMANDA 2 and BAGHAI-RIDING, NINE LUCILLE* 3

Comparing tree diversity of the main campus to the golf course at Delta State University, Cleveland, Mississippi

nvasive species are impacting ecosystems by altering habitats. During the Fall 2014 semester, Delta State University’s Conservation Biology Class conducted a study of woody plants on the campus of Delta State University to determine if invasive species were a major concern. The study occurred over two lab sessions. One lab session occurred on the main campus and another lab session took place along the golf course. Fifty-one individual mature trees representing 15 species were recorded. Measurements and observations included canopy spread, diameter at breast height (dbh), height,

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Teaching Section GPS location, general health condition of the tree, and category (native/invasive/exotic). On the main campus 12% of the trees were categorized as exotic, 68% were native to the Mississippi Delta, and 20% were native to other areas of Mississippi. On the golf course, 77% were categorized as native and 23% were native to other areas of Mississippi. Pyrus calleryana Decne (Bradford pear), an exotic species, occurs on the main campus. Betula nigra L. (river birch), Quercus alba L. (white oak), Quercus coccinea L. (scarlet oak), and Quercus michauxii Nutt. (swamp chestnut oak) also were noted only on the main campus. A stand of Pinus taeda L. (loblolly pine) that exists on the golf course was likely planted as they are not native to the Mississippi Delta. Native species common to both areas in this study include: Acer rubrum L. (red maple), Quercus nigra, L. (water oak), Quercus phellos L. (willow oak), and Taxodium distichum L. (bald cypress). Similar percentages of native and exotic species were found in surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012. It was concluded that invasive species did not pose a problem to the campus. Delta State University is planning to plant more native trees to benefit native migratory and insectivorous birds. 1

Delta State University, Biological Sciences, 1003 W. Sunflower Rd., Cleveland, MS, 38733, USA2Delta State University, Biological Sciences, 1003 W. Sunflower Rd., Delta State University, PO Box 3262 DSU, Cleveland, MS, 38733, USA3DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, Division Of Biological & Physical Sciences, Caylor Hall Room 235, CLEVELAND, MS, 38733, USA

559

CHRISTOPHER, DOROTHY* 1 and ROSENWASSER, AMY 2

An experiment in plant nutrient stress to teach plant physiology and the scientific method

cience classes are greatly improved when students can perform guided inquiry activities, rather than only listening to lectures. Here, we describe a plant physiology experiment that was implemented in a fifth grade classroom to teach plant biology, plant growth responses, and the scientific method. Students planted 14 morning glory seeds and, after germination, applied a fertilizer treatment to 7 plants and an unfertilized control to 7 plants. Every week, students measured height, number of leaves, and length of the largest leaf, and recorded results. After 30 days, students harvested the plants and measured root length and biomass, as well as above ground biomass. There were substantial differences between the fertilized and unfertilized treatments: the unfertilized plants were smaller and had longer roots. This project would be appropriate for middle school grades; it fulfills Next Generation Science Standards in biology and engineering. The experiment could be easily adapted to higher grades; for example, students could be involved in developing the experimental design and could learn basic statistics, including averages and variances, but also t-test and analysis of variance.

University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, 120 Carlton St , Athens, GA, 30602, USA2Pritzker Elementary School, 2009 W. Schiller, Chicago, IL, 60622, USA

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KRIMMEL, ERICA R. 1, LINTON, DEBRA L. 2, MARSICO, TRAVIS D. 3, MONFILS, ANNA K 4, MORRIS, ASHLEY B. 5 and RUHFEL, BRAD R* 6

CollectionsEducation.org: Connecting Students to Citizen Science and Curated Collections

ollege-level plant diversity courses often involve a collection project, which is designed to help students learn to correctly identify, document, and preserve specimens for scientific study. While these projects are invaluable teaching tools, the specimens and associated data are often not incorporated into herbaria or online biodiversity data aggregators due to lack of quality, herbarium backlog, or both. Furthermore, students are not exposed to the emerging online citizen science initiatives and herbarium databases of our information-rich digital age. Here we present a new project and associated website (http://collectionseducation.org) designed to enhance traditional collection projects that can easily be incorporated into any plant diversity course. The project integrates traditional taxonomic practices, ongoing citizen science initiatives, and digital-age curatorial skills, with the final goal of producing archival-quality, research-ready plant observations and collections that will become part of our national biodiversity archive. Due to the importance of collections in hand and online, this project emphasizes the skills and best practices required to facilitate downstream applications of student collections and documentation of plant biodiversity. Over the past two years, we have implemented this project in 11 courses taught at four American universities. This poster will present preliminary data analysis from pre- and post-course student responses, which provides an assessment of the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value not only to the biodiversity collections community, but to the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; learning.

Chicago Academy of Sciences , Notebaert Nature Museum, Biology, Chicago, Illinois, 60614, USA2Central Michigan University, Biology3Arkansas State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, PO Box 599, State University, AR, 72467, USA4Central Michigan University, 180 Brooks Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA, 989-774-24925Middle Tennessee State University, Department Of Biology, 1500 Greenland Drive, Box 60, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA6Eastern Kentucky University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 521 Lancaster Avenue, Moore Building, Rm 349, Richmond, KY, 40475, USA

561 1

CARL, JAMES ROBERT CURRIE* and LINK-PEREZ, MELANIE 2

Alternative Methods of Engaging Students in the Lab: Using Everyday Materials to Prepare Living Microscopic Slides for the Study of Plants

his research aimed to develop high-interest, costeffective methods to teach plant structure and function and to stimulate critical observation and thinking skills in a classroom setting. Teachers report that

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students enjoy growing plants, but constraints such as limited funds, space, and inadequate lighting can all deter teachers from incorporating living plants in their curriculum. Our research uses familiar materials from the student’s world - clear packing tape and trading card holders - and uses them to make interactive, cost-effective “lamination slides” and “plant pouches”. Students can laminate plant organs with packing tape or grow entire plants in the trading card holders, both of which can function as microscope slides, thereby circumventing the need for glass slides and cover slips. Both methods require minimal space or resources, and the plant pouch system is flexible enough to accommodate different types of plants and is amenable to experimentation. Observations can be made with a compound or dissecting microscope. For the laminations, we experimented with a variety of plants. Careful selection of leaf type eliminates the need for a preserving agent and the laminations could be observed over a period of several weeks; this method was particularly effective for observing fungal growth if the slides were kept for extended periods. The method using cardholders had the dual benefit of serving both as a growing environment and a microscope slide, since the card holder could be placed under a microscope for observation of the living plant inside; we developed simple methods of providing nutrients, moisture, and light, enabling the regular observation of roots and shoots over several weeks. To maximize engagement and observation, students can be encouraged to obtain photographs and videos with smartphones and digital tablets. Students are familiar with using these devices; however, holding this technology still while looking through a microscope for extended periods can be difficult for students, which reduces image quality. Platforms to hold the photographic device to the microscope eyepieces are available but prohibitively costly. We investigated the construction of cheaper alternatives that allow students to build their own platforms suitable to their device, which increases students’ familiarity with the microscope and enhances the interactive experience. Because the platform is specifically developed for the student’s own technology, students obtain a better photographic record of their work, so study of the images is not limited to the classroom. 1

Armstrong State University, 11935 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31419, United States2Armstrong State University, Biology, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA, 31419, USA

562

NEPAL, MADHAV P.

Scopes and Challenges of Incorporating Active Learning in a Large Section Introductory Botany Course

mini-presentation on difficult concepts was injected between the discussion sessions. Student learning gains as well as their involvement and engagement were assessed with pre- and post-lecture tests, mid-term surveys and semester wide pre- and post-tests. The conversion of traditional lecture to a more engaging student-centered active learning was well-received by all students. In this presentation, the scopes and challenges of incorporating active learning activities in an introductory botany courses with more than 100 students, will be discussed. South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA

563

RAY, JESSICA* 1, ARTIGUES, RENEE 1, AZZOLINI, JILL 1, BUCZYNSKI, REBEKAH 1, CUSIMANO, VICTORIA 1, FASTIGE, RACHAEL 1, HESS, GARRETT 1, HOWE, NATALIE 1, KING, MEGAN 1, LIN, TESIA 1, OLIVARES, CARLOS 1, RODRIGUEZ, RACHEL 1, SUN, ALEXANDRIA 1 and STRUWE, LENA 2

The undergraduate Herbarium Army at Rutgers University: Promoting interaction between students and scientific collections in teaching, research, and outreach

ngagement of undergraduates in active, real research is a goal of most university administrations, as well as one of the most valued experiences by college students. How to involve a large number of undergraduates in research with faculty mentors and teach a wide variety of relevant career-building research skills is often a challenge. We present an example for biology (specifically botany) from Rutgers University’s Chrysler Herbarium (CHRB). The Herbarium Army of CHRB was formed in 2016 by 17 self-identified undergraduates, who committed over 1700 hours of volunteer, experience-based research credit, or paid part-time hours. The ambitious goal was to reorganize our angiosperm collection of 140 000 herbarium sheets from the old Cronquist system to the new APG III classification, while checking and updating every species name on every herbarium sheet. By April 1 we had reached more than halfway through the collection, the largest reorganization in the herbarium“s history. Students have mastered all aspects of curation: mounting and repairing specimens, freezing and filing, checking current names and synonyms in databases, understanding reclassification and nomenclature. Additional valuable skills important for future careers are the ability to plan and organize complex team projects requiring detailed organization and communication, master outreach and science communication, reading cursive handwriting, and increased geographical and historical literacy. One student with previous herbarium experience served as supervisor while developing excellent leadership skills. Students were encouraged to take ownership of specialized subprojects and encouraged to post their experiences and findings on the Facebook page of CHRB. Finding students interested in herbarium research can often be a challenge. At Rutgers, all students were self-identifying before the start of the semester. Part of the success at Rutgers was due to a reinvented plant systematics course during Fall 2015 that

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Teaching Section included a visit to The New York Botanical Garden’s herbarium. In the course students encountered and built many needed skills (species identification, classification, use of digital tools and resources, morphological vocabulary) while learning to love plants and botany. They participated in projects such as Flora and Fauna of Rutgers Campus on iNaturalist, Expedition Dinner, Morphology Bingo, and Botany Buttons. To conclude, by engaging undergraduates in herbarium work, our university has accomplished an enormous update of our herbarium collection (at a very low cost) and a large set of students have acquired valuable, marketable research skills that make them suitable for jobs in a variety of governmental, non-profit, and for-profit institutions and companies. 1

Rutgers University, Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA2 Rutgers University, Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources & Dept of Plant Biology and Pathology, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

564

HUANG, SOPHIA 1 and WHITTALL, JUSTEN BRYANT* 2

Santa Clara University’s Tree of Trees: Using campus tree diversity to integrate molecular, organismal and evolutionary biology

he Tree of Life provides a fundamental roadmap to understanding biodiversity, yet requires a unique perspective known as “tree thinking”. Tree thinking can be challenging for undergraduates at the introductory biology level because of the unique structure of phylogenetic trees and vast amounts of comparative data stored therein. In order to increase students’ tree thinking skills, we developed a 65-minute discussion activity for freshman biology majors that integrates molecular, organismal, and evolutionary biology utilizing campus tree diversity. Campus trees represent numerous branches of the plant Tree of Life, exhibit fascinating adaptive traits, and are native to a diversity of regions on Earth. We identified 67 trees in a particularly diverse region of Santa Clara University’s campus and developed a custom dichotomous key to assist with their identification. There were 54 angiosperms, 12 gymnosperms and one fern. Each tree was scored for several morphological traits including reproductive mode and fruit type. We then downloaded and aligned 18S ribosomal DNA sequences for these taxa or their closest relatives from Genbank. For 45% of the taxa (30/67), we found sequences for the exact same species. For another 39% of the taxa (26/67), we used the closest representative from the same genus. For the remaining taxa (11/67), we used sequences from the closest representative from the same family. The master SCU Tree of Trees was built with RAxML and is largely congruent with our current perspective on angiosperm relationships. We mapped the evolution of reproductive mode (flowers or cones) and fruit type (dry or fleshy) using parsimony to illustrate homology and homoplasy, respectively. In preparation for the discussion activity, each student identified two trees using the dichotomous key and brought in samples or images of their trees. In discussion, pairs of stu-

dents used the morphological similarities among their four trees to generate a phylogenetic hypothesis (with tree ferns as an outgroup). Then, we provided students with an alignment of the first 21 variable sites of the 18S rDNA for their four taxa plus tree fern to build a molecular phylogeny by hand using maximum parsimony. After building their molecular tree, they compared their topologies with the master SCU Tree of Trees to identify instances of molecular and morphology homology and homoplasy. After our first roll-out of this activity (February 2016), student narrative evaluations scored this discussion higher than most other activities in its ability to contribute to their understanding of evolutionary and tree thinking. 1

Santa Clara University, Biology, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, United States2Santa Clara University, Department Of Biology, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA

565 TARY, ANNA 1, TAYLOR, WITT* 1 and COOPER, RANESSA 2 Digital-savvy Millennials in the field: using technology to teach science to non-majors in an outdoor setting

urrent college students have many technological advantages over previous generations when doing fieldwork. Twenty years ago, a pen and notebook were the standard tools for recording field data for subsequent analysis. Today, the many high-tech options that students have at their fingertips can make data collection and integrated, real-time data analysis far more efficient, and even fun, if equipment is used creatively. To take advantage of the Millennials’ technological aptitude while collecting field data and observations, we chose to encourage the use of available technology (including mobile phones), combined with the old-fashioned method of using a field notebook. This tech-enabled trial was run with a group of business students enrolled in a coastal biology class as a means of completing a science elective requirement. The goal for these non-science major students was to develop an appreciation for and familiarity with some scientific concepts and applications by, in this case, studying the geology and ecology of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The course was designed as a one-week intensive field experience, in which students explored major habitats of the Cape, while measuring and recording weather and other abiotic data, and making observations of both flora and fauna at each site. Students used field equipment provided by Bentley University; they recorded data and notes in a combination of field notebooks, computer software, and mobile phones. We found that classical methods of collecting and recording field data combined with a more Millennial-friendly approach utilizing technology-capable devices, equipment, and applications seemed to work well. The students were able to better understand the implications of their real-time field analyses by not having to also concern themselves too much with having to master new tool methodologies. This allowed students to more easily integrate their data with the larger concepts of how environmental conditions affect the local flora and fauna. In addition, the course deliverables were more manageable, and therefore, more interesting, to the students.

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Bentley University, Natural and Applied Science, 100 Jennison Hall, 175 Forest St, Waltham, MA, 02452, USA2HILLSDALE COLLEGE, 33 E COLLEGE ST, HILLSDALE, MI, 49242, USA

566 LISA

PILOTE, ALEX* and DONOVAN,

Incorporating written assignments into an introductory plant biology course

ritten assessment of student learning has been shown to increase understanding of subject material. Many introductory and upper-level science courses are assessed with exams alone, and often in solely multiple choice format. The University of Georgia“s Principles of Plant Biology course has traditionally been taught in lecture format, with four multiple-choice exams as the basis for grading. It was the goal of this project to implement written assignments periodically throughout the semester and assess whether an increase in student understanding of subject material had occurred. For quantitative analysis, percent correct/incorrect data on questions pertaining to material covered by written assignments were collected, as well as similar data on test questions not covered by homework assignments. These were compared to the previous semester“s test question percentages on the same material, as the previous semester was taught without written assignments. Topics for assignments and non-assignment comparison were chosen as four topics of particular difficulty to the previous semester“s students. Student test performance was assessed via ANOVA analysis with semester and content-covered-by-assignments as factors to minimize the effect of the difference in teaching style, test format, and student body. A significant improvement in student understanding of material would be represented by a significant rise in student performance on test questions pertaining to material covered by written assignments as compared to test questions not pertaining to this material when compared to test performance from the previous semester. This improvement was observed when comparing the two topics which had corresponding assignments during the semester (Mecahnisms of evolution and the carbon cycle) when compared to those topics that did not have corresponding assignments (Mitosis/meiosis and Mendelian genetics). These results support the hypothesis that written assignments do produce increased student performance, and suggest that critical analysis of material through written word improves student understanding of material.

University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

567

NEPAL, MADHAV P.

Scopes and Challenges of Incorporating Active Learning in a Large Section Introductory Botany Course

ctive-learning has recently become one of the most popular instructional stategies in academia, and is often taken as a synonym for scientific teaching, particularly engaging millennial students in learning. In the present study, active learning activities were incorporated in a large section introductory botany course. Instructional delivery materials were developed at Bloom’s synthesis, application and analysis level to enhance students“ higher order thinking (HOTs). Students were allowed to discuss in a group of 3-4 students in class on a topic or a book chapter, and share with their peers what concepts they themselves understood. A mini-presentation on difficult concepts was injected between the discussion sessions. Student learning gains as well as their involvement and engagement were assessed with pre- and post-lecture tests, mid-term surveys and semester wide pre- and post-tests. The conversion of traditional lecture to a more engaging student-centered active learning was well-received by all students. In this presentation, the scopes and challenges of incorporating active learning activities in an introductory botany courses with more than 100 students, will be discussed. South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA

568

BYNG, JAMES W.* 1, SMETS, ERIK and CHRISTENHUSZ, MAARTEN 1 2

An educational poster of the Vascular Plants Tree of Life

n the last 20 years increased molecular data has led to many changes in the plant classification system leading to confusion about familial circumscriptions. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) has provided a stable phylogenetic framework at the order and family level and is now widely accepted but morphological characters associated with some families and clades are still poorly known. The higher level classification of gymnosperms, lycopods and ferns are also becoming increasingly stable and accepted. However, visually attractive and educational representations showing relationships of the total vascular plant Tree of Life have been elusive. Here we present an exciting new educational aid for showing relationships and characters for the 85 orders and 452 families of vascular plant.

Plant Gateway, Hertford, SG13 7BX, UK2Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Teaching Section 569 CHRIS

RATH, MARY M.* and THIGPEN,

NHC3: A Student Led Approach to Restoring Interest in Natural History Collections

he Arkansas State University chapter of the Natural History Collections Curation Club (NHC3) is an organization of graduate, undergraduate, and faculty to provide any person interested in the curation of biological and botanical specimens with the opportunity to learn and be a part of unique research opportunities, traveling, and networking, and skill evolution that all come with this field. Opportunities such skeletal reconstruction, fish rehydration, field trips and specimen gatherings to allow students to add these useful skills to any CV or resume. Students also gain a sense of giving back with the numerous opportunities for community outreach and volunteer hours. No other campus organization provides as many opportunities for hands-on, faculty guided research and professional presentations as NHC3. In efforts to spread an awareness of the importance of natural history collections, a national network of NHC3 clubs have been created. Arkansas State University, Biological Sciences, 2105 Aggie Rd, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA

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Tropical Biology Section Tropical Biology Section

571

ORAL PAPERS

ZONA, SCOTT* 1 and CHRISTENHUSZ, MAATEN 2

570

Litter-trapping plants: filter-feeders of the plant kingdom

WORTHY, SAMANTHA* 1, CRUSE-SANDERS, JENNIFER M. 3, REYNOLDS, ALEX 4, BARONE, JOHN 5 and BURGESS, KEVIN 6

Phylogenetic analysis of Andean tree communities along an elevational gradient in Ecuador

ropical forests are known for their high levels of biodiversity around the world. About 68% of the known plant species on the planet, can be found in the tropical forests of South America, Africa, and Asia (Rios et al. 2007). One way to grasp the megadiversity in these areas is to focus on tropical forests’ communities along elevational gradients. Recently, interest has been shown in studying tropical plants along elevational gradients with the idea that these areas will likely show large effects caused by global warming (Clark et al. 2015). Tropical elevational studies are also important as these areas contain high biodiversity and endemism, much of which has yet to be explored. The goal of this research is to evaluate the magnitude of DNA barcode diversity among Andean tree species. The two main objectives for this research are to evaluate community phylogenetic structure across an elevational gradient and to correlate phylogenetic analyses with diversity indices. This research is focused in the high altitude Andean forest of Siempre Verde Preserve, Imbabura, Ecuador. Siempre Verde is 3.34 km2 of pristine upper montane cloud forest with an elevation range of 2000 to 3500 meters above sea level. A transect containing 15 plots (5m x 50m) was censused for every tree with a dbh of ≥ 5 cm, for a total of 625 specimens. Of these specimens, 160 are being DNA sequenced in this study. The specimens include 33 families, 47 genera and 71 species. The number of families and species decreased steadily with increasing elevation. Shannon’s and Simpson’s diversity indices also decreased with increasing elevation. Phylogenetic clustering at different hierarchical levels was compared with these diversity trends. This project will help populate DNA barcode libraries that can be used for comparative measures of phylogenetic diversity. 1

Columbus State University, Department of Biology, 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA, 31907, USA2Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Escuela de Biología, Av. 12 de Octubre #1076 y Roca Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador3Atlanta Botanical Garden, Conservation and Research, 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309, United States4The Lovett School, 4075 Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA, 30327, USA5Columbus State University, Department of Biology, 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA, USA6Columbus State University, Biology, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, GA, 31907, USA

itter-trapping plants have specialized growth habits and morphologies that enable them to capture falling leaf litter and other debris, which the plants use for nutrition after the litter has decayed. Litter-trappers, both epiphytic and terrestrial, are found throughout the tropics, with only a few extra-tropical species. Litter is trapped via rosettes of leaves, specially modified leaves, and/or upward-growing roots (“root baskets”). This trapped litter mass is also food and housing for a large variety of commensal organisms (especially, mites, springtails, ants, and termites) and represents a poorly explored habitat for small invertebrates. Some taxa impound water (phytotelmata), as well as leaf litter, in overlapping leaves or leaf bases. We have identified 575 species of litter-trappers (exclusive of Bromeliaceae), in 35 plant families, including 10 monocot and 3 fern families, and we expect more species to be identified as the phenomenon becomes more widely studied. Aspleniaceae, Araceae, Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae, Lecythidaceae, Orchidaceae, Polypodiaceae, Primulaceae, and Rubiaceae are families most numerous in litter-trapping species. Some members of the mostly carnivorous Nepenthaceae also reverted to trapping of litter rather than insects. 1

Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8 St., Miami, Florida, 33199, United States2Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS, UK

572

PLUNKETT, GREGORY M.* 1, BALICK, MICHAEL J. 2, RANKER, TOM A. 3 , THACKURDEEN, R. SEAN 4, TUIWAWA, MARIKA 5, CHANEL, SAM 6, DOVO, PRESLEY 6, ALA, PHILEMON 6, ALO, FRAZER 6, DORO, THOMAS 6, WAHE, JEAN-PASCAL 7 , TICKTIN, TAMARA 9, MCGUIGAN, ASHLEY 9, NAIKATINI, ALIVERETI 5, PERRY, BRIAN A. 11, AMEND, ANTHONY A. 9 and HARRISON, K. DAVID 12

“Plants mo Pipol blong Vanuatu”: Longterm botanical studies in a South Pacific archipelago

e have initiated a long-term botanical study of Vanuatu, a volcanic archipelago of over 80 islands in the Melanesian region of the South Pacific. Situated in the midst of three biodiversity hotspots (New Caledonia, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), very little is known about Vanuatu’s flora or biogeographic relationships, nor is there any available species checklist or assessments of the endemic, threatened, or invasive plants of this country. Despite its small size and population, Vanuatu has maintained an extraordinarily rich culture, and is the most language dense country in the

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world (with 113 different languages spread over only 265,000 people). Much of Vanuatu’s culture (and therefore the vocabulary of its languages) centers around plant names and uses, and our collaborative study has initiated an effort to document this information, starting in the southern province of Tafea. Unfortunately, the biological and cultural diversity of Vanuatu is facing many serious threats from global change, including a rapidly changing economy and increasingly common severe weather associated with climate change. Destruction of habitats from Cyclone Pam, a recent category-5 storm, highlighted many of these vulnerabilities. Just months before the cyclone, our team had completed vegetation surveys along eight transects on the island of Tanna, and then returned several months later to resurvey the same transects. These data provide the first glimpses into forest recovery after massive environmental destruction in the South Pacific islands. Other goals of the project include development of species checklists, assessment of the taxonomic status of these species, a broadening of our scope to include fungi and lichens (as well as all vascular plants and bryophytes), and the initiation of a series of community-organized conservation areas to help stem the tide of habitat loss. 1

New York Botanical Garden, Cullman Program For Molecular Systematics, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA2New York Botanical Garden, 200th St And Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, USA3University Of Hawaii At Manoa, Department Of Botany, 3190 Maile Way, Room 101, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA4New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 104585126, USA5Univeristy of the South Pacific, South Pacific Regional Herbarium, Suva, Fiji6Vanuatu Department of Forestry, Vanuatu National Herbarium, Port-Vila, Vanuatu7Vanuatu Cultural Centre, Tafea Kaljoral Senta, Lenakel, Vanuatu8Institut de Recherche pour le Développement , Montpellier, 34398, France9University of Hawai'i at MÄ noa, Department of Botany, 3190 Maile Way, St. John 101, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA10Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France11California State University East Bay, Department of Biology, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward, CA, 94542, USA12Swarthmore College, Linguistics Department, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA, 19081, USA

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Biogeography Biogeography ORAL PAPERS

574

KIM, SEON-HEE* 1, MAKI, MASAYUKI , LEE, SANGRYONG 1 and KIM, SEUNG-CHUL 1 2

573

Phylogeny and phylogeography of Symplocarpus and Lysichiton (Araceae; Orontioideae) in eastern Asia and North America

Bayesian estimation of the global biogeographic history of the Solanaceae

DUPIN, JULIA* 1, MATZKE, NICHOLAS J 2, SĂ&#x201E;RKINEN, TIINA 3, KNAPP, SANDRA 4, OLMSTEAD, RICHARD G 5, BOHS, LYNN 6 and SMITH, STACEY D. 7

im. The tomato family Solanaceae is distributed on all major continents except Antarctica and has its center of diversity in South America. Its worldwide distribution suggests multiple long distance dispersals within and between the New and Old Worlds. Here we apply maximum likelihood (ML) methods and newly developed biogeographic stochastic mapping (BSM) to infer the ancestral range of the family and to estimate the frequency of dispersal and vicariance events resulting in its present-day distribution. Methods. Building on a recently inferred megaphylogeny of Solanaceae, we conducted ML model-fitting of a range of biogeographic models with the program BioGeoBEARS. We used the parameters from the best fitting model to estimate ancestral range probabilities and conduct stochastic mapping, from which we estimated the number and type of biogeographic events. Results. Our best model supported South America as the ancestral area for the Solanaceae and its major clades. The BSM analyses showed that dispersal events, particularly range expansions, are the principal mode by which members of the family have spread beyond South America. Conclusions. For Solanaceae, South America is not only the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current center of diversity but also its ancestral range, and dispersal was the principal driver of range evolution. The most common dispersal patterns involved range expansions from South America into North and Central America, while dispersal in the reverse direction was less common. This directionality may be due to the early build-up of species richness in South America, resulting in large pool of potential migrants. These results demonstrate the utility of BSM not only for estimating ancestral ranges but also in inferring the frequency, direction, and timing of biogeographic events in a statistically rigorous framework. 1

University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1800 Colorado Ave, Ramaley, Boulder, CO, 80309, USQ2The Australian National University, Division of Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia3Royal Botanic Garden, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK4Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK5University of Washington, Department of Biology and Burke Museum, Box 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA6University Of Utah, Department Of Biology, 257 SOUTH 1400 EAST, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0840, USA7University Of Colorado-Boulder, School Of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309-0334, USA

ubfamily Orontioideae includes three north temperate genera (Symplocarpus, Lysichiton, and Orontium) of the primarily tropical Araceae. Orontioideae and its monotypic sister subfamily Gymnostachydoideae are referred to as the proto Araceae and fossil evidence suggests Orontioideae dated back to the late Cretaceous in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Genus Symplocapus includes five species and is disjunctly distributed in eastern Asia (EA) (4 spp.) and eastern North America (ENA) (1 sp.). Lysichiton has an intercontinental discontinuous distribution in EA (1 sp.) and western North America (WNA) (1 sp.). The monotypic genus Orontium is restricted to ENA. Phylogenetic analysis based on very limited sampling was conducted determining intercontinental disjunct event and its timing. However, detailed phylogenetic relationships among species within the genus and phylogeographic relationships within a disjunctly distributed species of Symplocarpus and Lysichiton are still lacking. Phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses of Symplocarpus based on extensive sampling (a total of 163 accessions, representing all five species from EA and ENA) found a deep divergence between two major lineages corresponding to their ploidy levels: a diploid lineage includes S. nipponicus, S. egorovii, and S. renifolius (Korea), while a tetraploid lineage consists of S. foetidus, S. nabekuraensis, and S. renifolius (Japan and Russia). Two distinct lineages of S. renifolius show marked cytological and morphological differences (e.g., chromosome number, spathe color, and spadix shape). The origin and diversification of these species were estimated to occur during mid Miocene. The estimated time of EA-ENA disjunct event is early to middle Miocene. A phylogeographic study of S. nipponicus from Korea (12 populations with 120 individuals) and Japan (16 populations with 156 individuals) was also conducted based on four highly variable chloroplast noncoding sequences. We found a total of 22 haplotypes and they were equally distributed between two countries (11 haplotypes for each country). There are no haplotypes shared between the populations from Korea and Japan. Furthermore, we found no geographical structuring in the haplotypes within each country. Two separate origins of the haplotypes in Korea were suggested from inferred ancestral haplotypes in Japan. A preliminary phylogeographic analysis of Lysichiton americanus was conducted using a total of 15 populations, ranging from the northernmost population of Alaska to the southernmost population of central California. The detailed phylogenetic and phylogeogrpahic patterns of Symplocarpus and Lysichiton will be presented.

Sungkyunkwan University, Biological Sciences, 2066 Seobu-ro, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 440-746, Korea2TOHOKU UNIV, Botanical Gardens, Kawauchi 12-2, Aoba, SENDAI, MIYAGI, N/A, 980-0862, Japan

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575

MAJURE, LUCAS C.* 1, HODGSON, WENDY 1, JUDD, WALTER 2, WILLIAMS, NORRIS 3 and NEUBIG, KURT MAXIMILLIAN 4

Out of the canyon: phylogenetic evidence for the biogeographic history of the iconic beavertail cactus and relatives

he iconic beavertail cactus, Opuntia basilaris, is one of the most widespread species of Opuntia in the desert southwest; it is found widely in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, as well as the southern portion of the Navajoan Desert, and is sister to the Polyacantha clade, a group of species known for its widespread taxa (e.g., O. fragilis), occurring from southern Texas and northern Mexico to Alberta and Ontario, Canada. However, the biogeographic history, and thus origin, of this unique group of species, known collectively as the Xerocarpa clade, has been little studied. We sampled all members of this clade, focusing on the O. basilaris species complex. We reconstructed the phylogeny of the diploids of the clade using nearly whole plastome data from genome skimming, and supplemented these data with Sanger sequencing of both diploids and their polyploid derivatives. Our phylogenetic topologies indicate that both the Polyacantha and the Basilaris clades evolved in or near the Grand Canyon region from where they subsequently spread broadly into the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, as well as into the Great Plains and other areas in the case of the Polyacantha clade. Numerous polyploid taxa, mostly putative allopolyploids, have formed from within and between those two clades, as well as among distantly related clades of Opuntia. In the case of the Polyacantha clade, polyploids tend to occupy the broadest ranges. The Grand Canyon region may have served as a refugium for the Xerocarpa clade, as well as a staging ground for further speciation at the polyploid level. However, polyploid derivatives of this group also have originated numerous times outside of the Grand Canyon Region. This work demonstrates a surprising biogeographic pattern with regards to diploids, spreading from north to south, contrary to several other groups of North American Opuntia that show the opposite pattern, from south to north. 1

Desert Botanical Garden, Research, Conservation, and Collections, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA2University Of Florida, Department Of Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, USA3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19644Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

576

MOORE, MICHAEL* 1, DRAKE, ELLEN 1 and DOUGLAS, NORMAN 2

An exception to prove the rule: Do edaphic refugia explain the unusual distribution of Dermatophyllum (Fabaceae)?

ermatophyllum (Fabaceae) is a well-defined, small genus of southwestern North American shrubs with six currently recognized species that were formerly treated in Sophora. A phylogeny of Dermatophyllum including all taxa and based on ITS and the plastid ndhF/rpl32 and rpl32/trnL spacers will be presented. The genus falls into two well-supported sister lineages, one comprised solely of the relatively widespread and common D. secundiflorum (mescal bean), and the other comprised of all remaining taxa. These remaining five species are small but long-lived shrubs that are morphologically very similar. Likewise, all are allopatric from each other and each is narrowly distributed: two of the species (D. gypsophilum and D. juanhintonianum) are known from single, very small deposits of gypsum in east-central Chihuahua and southern Nuevo Leon, respectively; D. purpusii is only known from a handful of populations on shale in the Sierra de Parras in southern Coahuila; D. guadalupense is only known from the western slope of the Guadalupe Mountains and Brokeoff Mountains in Texas/New Mexico; and D. arizonicum is only known from scattered populations in an arc from southeastern to northwestern Arizona. The occurrence of these highly disjunct taxa, especially those in the Chihuahuan Desert region--which appear to be limited to unusual substrates in many cases--may represent an example of a refugial distribution in which a more widespread progenitor survives today only in lower-competition edaphic environments that it tolerates. Packrat midden, phylogenetic, and ecophysiological evidence in support of this hypothesis will be shown. The likely refuge-mediated distribution of these Dermatophyllum taxa contrasts strongly with the islandlike distributions of similarly geographically widespread gypsum endemic plant lineages in the Chihuahuan Desert, which almost certainly result from early, localized specialization to gypsum followed by island-hopping to adjacent gypsum exposures. 1

Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2University of Florida, Department of Biology, 618A Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3Instituto De Biologia, UNAM, Depto Botรกnica, Apdo.Postal 70-367, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico

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Biogeography 577

MUGIZI, TUSIIME FELLY 1, GIZAW, ABEL 2, WONDIMU, TIGIST 3, MASAO, CATHERINE ALOYCE 4, ABDI, AHMED ABDIKADIR 5, MUWANIKA, VINCENT 1, TRAVNICEK, PAVEL 6, NEMOMISSA, SILESHI 3, POPP, MAGNUS 7, EILU, GERALD 1 and BROCHMANN, CHRISTIAN 8

African mountains conquered twice, followed by plastid capture and polyploidization: the intriguing history of the sweet vernal grasses (Anthoxanthum L. Poaceae; Pooideae)

he enigmatic flora of the tropical high mountains in Africa is thought to have different geographical affinities, but the phylogenetic and phylogeographic history of most lineages are still poorly known. Southwards as well as northwards relationships have been proposed for the polyploid Anthoxanthum species complex of eastern Africa (A. nivale and A. aethiopicum). Here we aim to reconstruct the phylogeny to test the hypotheses on the origin(s) of this complex and to infer its phylogeographic history. Dated Bayesian phylogenies based on nuclear and plastid DNA were constructed in order to unravel the evolutionary relationship between A. nivale and A. aethiopicum. The phylogeography of A. nivale was assessed through the analysis of ploidy levels and genetic diversity of 125 plants (35 populations) from the entire distribution range using flow cytometry and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms. The East African A. nivale was not monophyletic with respect to the Ethiopian A. aethiopicum. The western mountains A. nivale samples (Western Rift Zone, WRZ+ Elgon) were closely related to the European and Ethiopian Anthoxanthum species; whereas the eastern mountains lineage (Eastern Rift Zone, ERZ) formed a polytomy with the South African and Malagasy taxa in the plastid phylogeny. Genetic diversity was higher in the western mountains than in the eastern mountains. Three major DNA-content groups representing two divergent lineages on either sides of the Rift Valley were found within A. nivale: G1 + G2 in the western, and G3 in the eastern mountains. Almost no gene flow was inferred across the Rift Valley. Conclusions The East African Anthoxanthum complex was inferred to have originated from a Eurasian ancestor that first colonised East Africa and later radiated to the Ethiopian Highlands. There it diversified and generated A. aethiopicum, a taxon whose status as a species is supported by our results. A putative secondary contact involving chloroplast capture took place in the eastern mountains between A. nivale and the South African and Malagasy complex of the genus, which explains the incongruence observed in the phylogenies. The East African Rift Valley has played a fundamental role in shaping the evolutionary relationships and distribution of genetic diversity in the East African Anthoxanthum. We found an almost complete isolation between the mountain systems situated in both sides of the Rift Valley. DNA content and geography (mountain systems) account for most of the genetic variation observed.

Makerere University, Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, Makerere University PO Box 7062, Kampala, 7062, Uganda2University of Oslo, Natural History Museum, PO Box 1172 Blindern, Oslo, NO-0318, Norway3Addis Ababa University, Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University PO Box 3434, Addis Ababa, 3434, Ethiopia4Sokoine University of Agriculture, Department of Forest Biology, Sokoine University of Agriculture PO Box 3010, Morogoro, 3010, Tanzania5National Museums of Kenya, East African Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya PO Box 40658-00100, Nairobi, 40658-00100, Kenya6Institute of Botany, Department of Flow Cytometry, Institute of Botany CZ-252 43 , Pruhonice, CZ-252 43, Czech Republic7University Of Oslo, The Natural History Museums & Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, Oslo, NO-0318, Norway8University Of Oslo, National Centre For Biosystematics, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, Oslo, N/A, NO-0318, Norway9University of A Coruña, Plant Biology, Animal Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Campus da Zapateira sn, A Coruña, E15008, Spain

578

OGUNDIPE, OLUWATOYIN* and NODZA, GEORGE

A Rare and A New Orchid Record for Nigeria

Rare and A New Orchid Record for NigeriaGEORGE I. NODZA1*, TEMITOPE O. ONUMINYA2., OLUWATOYIN T. OGUNDIPE3 ., Vincent DROISSART4 & PHILLIP J.CRIBB5Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State, Nigeria.4Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Unité Mixte de Recherche AMAP (Botanique et Bioinformatique de l’Architecture des Plantes), Boulevard de la Lironde, TA A-51/PS2, F-34398 Montpellier Cedex5, France.4 Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teacher’s Training College, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 047, Yaoundé, Cameroon. E-mail: lazandingnintedem@yahoo.fr5Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK.*Corresponding author. E-mail: nodzageorge@ yahoo.com.com. Tel: +23408028005129. ABSTRACTGashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP) has been recognized as one of the surviving biodiversity hotspots in Nigeria with abundant species of flowering plants. Yet it remains poorly botanized with majority of the flora poorly studied, while the Orchidaceae constitute the least studied family in this area. Here, Rhipidoglossum polydactylum is reported for the first time in Nigeria. Holothrix aphylla, a rare plant which was last collected in Nigeria some 57 years ago, is also reported. The conservation status of these plants is discussed. Both plants were collected in a National Park that has not been spared from advancing anthropogenic change that is becoming a persistent problem globally. These species will contribute to our knowledge of the plant biodiversity of Nigeria. Keywords: Gashaka Gumti National Park, Montane vegetation, Chabbal Hendu, Gangirwal, fire dependent species University of Lagos, Botany, University of Lagos , Akoka, Lagos, Lagos, 2341, Nigeria

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579 ANDREA

COLLINS, BETSY* 1 and WEEKS, 2

Using low-copy nuclear markers to study population genetics and phylogeography of Neotropical Palo Santo trees (Bursera graveolens; Burseraceae)

ursera graveolens (Kunth) Triana & Planch. (Burseraceae), or palo santo, is an economically and ecologically important tree species found throughout the seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) of southern Mexico south to Peru. No study to date has evaluated the relationship among the many disparate island and continental populations of B. graveolens, which are among the most widespread in the genus and rivaled only by those of B. simaruba, a distantly related species of B. subg. Bursera. We seek to determine whether 91 low-copy nuclear markers designed for Bursera simaruba can be used to study population-level variation and structure in this species. These primers were designed for microfluidic PCR-based target enrichment and have been used successfully to resolve species-level phylogeny of its sister genus, Commiphora, and to amplify regions from taxa throughout Sapindales. Our pilot study uses 100 individuals of Bursera graveolens that were collected from the Galápagos archipelago to 1) understand population genetic diversity of Bursera graveolens among these islands, 2) evaluate whether we will be able to expand the project using additional continental populations of Bursera graveolens using this method, and 3) determine whether DNA extracted from herbarium specimens will be sufficient for future phylogenomic analyses. Our research will address the deficit in our knowledge about historical construction of the flora of Neotropical seasonally dry tropical forests and our ability to measure population genetic diversity of its inhabitants.

George Mason University, Environmental Science and Public Policy, 4400 University Drive, MSN 5F2, Fairfax, VA, 220302George Mason University, 4400 University Drive MSN 5F2, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

580

FROST, LAURA* 1 and OLMSTEAD, RICHARD G 2

Convergent and divergent forms of aridadapted Citharexylum (Verbenaceae)

581

OH, SANG-HUN* 1, YOUM, JUNG-WON 1, KIM, YONG-IN 2 and KIM, YOUNG-DONG 3

Phylogeny and Evolution of Endemic Species on Ulleungdo Island, Korea: The Case of Fagus multinervis (Fagaceae)

he genus Fagus (beech, Fagaceae) consists of about 10 species discontinuously distributed in East Asia, eastern North America, and Europe. Fagus multinervis occurs only on Ulleungdo Island, Korea, and is an important component of the islandââ ¬â ¢s plant community. The species was described primarily based on one of its stem characteristics: it branches at the base, producing several primary trunks. In part because no extant Fagus species are found in mainland Korea, and because the closest populations of Fagus are found in Japan, F. multinervis has been considered to be derived from the Japanese species, F. japonica. However, a recent study synonymized F. multinervis under F. engleriana and proposed that the beech population of Ulleungdo Island was derived instead from China via long-distance dispersal. Fagus multinveris is morphologically very similar to F. engleriana, but it can be distinguished by having rhombic lenticels that are vertically elongated. We determined the nucleotide sequences of the trnK-matK, trnL-trnF, trnH-psbA, and atpB-rbcL regions of plastid DNA and the second intron of the nuclear LEAFY gene from accessions of eight species, including eight F. multinervis individuals, in order to clarify the phylogenetic placement of this insular species. Phylogenetic analyses show that F. multinervis is monophyletic, and that it is closely related to F. engleriana and F. japonica. However, a sister relationship of F. multinervis with either of those species is not resolved. Therefore, our molecular data support the distinctness of F. multinervis as an endemic on Ulleungdo Island. Furthermore, incongruence between plastid and nuclear data suggests that F. multinervis may have originated via hybridization. 1

Daejeon University, Biology, 7417 Basic Science Building, 62 Daehak-ro, Daejeon, Daejeon, 34520, South Korea2Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea3Hallym University, Life Sciences, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, 24252, South Korea

University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States2University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, CAMPUS BOX 355325, SEATTLE, WA, 98195-5325, USA

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LESLIE, ANDREW* 1, DONOGHUE, MICHAEL 2, MATHEWS, SARAH 3, BEAULIEU, JEREMY 4 and JETZ, WALTER 2

Conifer diversity hotspots along a museum-to-cradle continuum

egions of exceptional species richness, or hotspots, provide key insights into the factors that drive diversification and structure biogeographic patterns at large scales. Teasing apart the various processes that contribute to high species richness, such as high origination rates, low extinction rates, and/or high migration rates, is often challenging and requires detailed phylogenetic and geographic information that is missing for many groups of organisms. In this study, we focus on understanding the processes that generate species richness hotspots in one group of woody plants, the conifers, for which we have detailed phylogenetic and geographic information. We use a new time-calibrated molecular phylogeny that samples 90% of extant species, combined with geographic range data for nearly every living species, to identify hotspots of exceptional species richness and characterize their phylogenetic structure using metrics such as evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) and net relatedness index (NRI). In particular, we use these metrics to ask if conifer hotspots are generally “cradles” that have fostered diversification or “museums” that have preserved diversity. The fourteen hotspot regions that we identify, which span northern temperate to tropical environments, are highly diverse in their phylogenetic structure and many do not fall cleanly into either “cradle” or “museum” categories. In particular, Northern Hemisphere hotspots fall along a wide spectrum from regions composed of deeply branched, unrelated species to those composed of recently diverged and closely related species. These differences appear to be driven primarily by precipitation; wet hotspots preserve more deeply divergent lineages while dry hotspots are dominated by a few lineages have recently radiated in harsher environments. Hotspots in tropical and Southern Hemisphere environments, in contrast, consist of species that are both deeply branched and closely related. This phylogenetic structure, which is absent in the Northern Hemisphere, likely reflects the slower, but steady, diversification of subclades within genera such as Podocarpus and Dacrydium that are well adapted to tropical montane forests. These results highlight the differences in conifer diversification dynamics between the hemispheres, the important role of high precipitation habitats in preserving deeply branched lineages in general, and the need for a nuanced terminology to describe the many different ways in which regions of high species richness may arise. 1

Brown University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G-W, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA2Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 21 Sachem Street, PO BOX 208105, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA3Australian National University, Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Canberra, Australia4University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

583

MISHLER, BRENT D.* 1, THORNHILL, ANDREW 2, KLING, MATTHEW 3 , FREYMAN, WILLIAM A. 4, ACKERLY, DAVID 5 and BALDWIN, BRUCE G. 6

Patterns of beta-diversity in the California vascular flora, comparing species-based and phylogenetic turnover measures

he vascular flora of California is one of the most thoroughly studied in the world, yet there is much to be learned about how plant diversity is apportioned on the landscape. Understanding patterns of beta-diversity (i.e., differences among local sites) is important for a variety of purposes including bioregion definition, ecological studies of causes for beta-diversity, and complementarity analyses for applied conservation studies. The latter is of critical importance for California, given the need to prioritize conservation efforts in the face of rapid habitat loss and human-induced climate change. Many previous studies of spatial turnover in California have attempted to distinguish biogeographic or floristic regions. As part of the ongoing California Plant Phylodiversity Project, we revisited the issue of bioregionalization using four different measures of beta-diversity (or turnover) and the Biodiverse software package. Two of these measures are widely established in the literature: species turnover (ST) and phylogenetic turnover (PT), which we measured using the Sorenson and PhyloSorenson indices, respectively. The other two measures are recently published (Laffan, et. al., 2016, Methods in Ecology and Evolution), and are range-weighted variants of the preceding: range-weighted species turnover (RWST) and range-weighted phylogenetic turnover (RWPT). The latter two measures weight narrowly distributed species or lineages when determining similarity, thus are particularly good at locating boundaries of centers of endemism. We used a large spatial data set comprised of specimen-based distributional data from the Consortium of California Herbaria and other collection databases, at a scale of 15 km grid cells spanning the state of California, for the full vascular flora (there were 1.38 million geo-referenced records in all). Species turnover was examined using all 5255 species-level taxa treated in the Jepson eFlora. Phylogenetic turnover was examined using 1083 OTUs (i.e., terminal clades representing genera or monophyletic parts of genera) comprising a maximum likelihood phylogeny of California plants built using nine genes, beginning with data from Genbank and adding 1182 new gene sequences targeted to fill in data gaps. We compare and contrast patterns discovered by the four measures, examine where major floristic breaks occur, and compare these with previous bioregionalizations of the flora. 1

University Of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2464, USA2University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building # 2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA3University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA4University of California Berkeley, Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg. #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA5University of California Berkeley, Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3140, USA6University Of California Berkeley, JEPSON HERB & DEPT INTEGR BIOL, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, MC 2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA

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Hotspots of species richness and endemism in the California flora

Environmental niche differentiation in three diploid-polyploid complexes in southwestern Phlox (Polemoniaceae)

BALDWIN, BRUCE G.* 1, THORNHILL, ANDREW 2, FREYMAN, WILLIAM A. 3, ACKERLY, DAVID 4 and MISHLER, BRENT D. 5

alifornia’s vascular flora is the most diverse and threatened in North America north of Mexico, in part because much of that diversity is highly range-restricted within the state. Previous studies of spatial patterns of Californian plant diversity have delimited study regions of various size, shape, and number based on distributional data derived from floristic descriptions for a subset of species. As part of the ongoing California Plant Phylodiversity Project, we revisited patterns of species richness and endemism in the California flora based on objective spatial units (15 km grid cells), the full vascular flora as treated in the Jepson eFlora, and specimen-based distributional data from the Consortium of California Herbaria and other collection databases (1.38 million records), using the Biodiverse software. Results for overall richness, weighted endemism (inverse range weighting of species), corrected weighted endemism (weighted endemism corrected for richness within a cell), and a randomization test for significantly high endemism per cell allowed for an unusually fine-grained perspective on hotspots of endemism and diversity in California. High species richness was sometimes associated with significantly high endemism (e.g., in the Sierra Nevada and parts of central-western and northwestern California) but often not. Such counter-examples include Stebbins and Major’s (1965) main endemism hotspot, southwestern California, where species richness is high across much of the Peninsular and Transverse ranges but significant endemism is highly localized within those areas, mostly to the San Jacinto and San Bernardino mountains. In contrast, species richness is low in the Channel Islands, where endemism is significantly high, as also discovered for much of the Death Valley region of the California desert. Differences between our findings and those in previous studies appear to be less attributable to the proportion of species sampled across the flora than to the source and scale of distributional data for those species, as well as recent refinements in analytical methods.

University Of California Berkeley, JEPSON HERB & DEPT INTEGR BIOL, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, MC 2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA2University of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building # 2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA3University of California Berkeley, Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg. #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA4University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology and Jepson Herbarium, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Bldg., Berkeley, CA, 94720-3140, USA5University Of California, Berkeley, University and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2464, USA

FEHLBERG, SHANNON D* 1, PRATHER, L. ALAN 2 and FERGUSON, CAROLYN J. 3

olyploids are commonly thought to occupy distinct environmental niches relative to their diploid progenitors. However, there is a general lack of consensus on how polyploidy affects environmental niche. Some studies suggest that polyploids possess broader ecological tolerances or occupy harsher environmental conditions. One useful approach for comparing environmental niches relative to ploidy is species distribution modeling, where niche breadth and overlap can be measured and the environmental axes along which niches differ can be characterized. Here we report on an investigation of environmental niche differentiation among ploidy levels in three diploid-polyploid complexes in the genus Phlox from mountainous areas of the desert southwest. Phlox amabilis, P. nana, and P. woodhousei offer an excellent opportunity to examine hypotheses of niche differentiation in multiple, co-distributed, closely related polyploid complexes, each comprising diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid populations. Using flow cytometry linked with chromosome counts, we determined ploidy level across more than 150 populations. We extracted climate, elevation, and soil data at the geographic coordinates of each population. Climate and soil data were tested for collinearity using a Spearman rank correlation test. We also explored simulations designed to assist in determining the minimum number of records necessary for accurate species distribution models. Following these tests, we used uncorrelated data to build MaxEnt models of environmental niche. We compared models using Schoener’s D and Hellinger distance I. To help visualize niche differences among ploidy levels, we further performed principle components analysis (PCA) of climate data for each complex. Results indicate that the environmental niches for diploids and tetraploids were generally more similar to each other than either were to hexaploid niches, with hexaploids occupying cooler, wetter habitats. Differences in modeled niche breadth among ploidy levels, as well as geographic structuring evident in PCA, suggest that the genetic makeup of higher ploidy levels plays an important role in determining environmental niche. Our overall findings for Phlox are presented and discussed in light of implications for our understanding of how polyploidy affects environmental niche.

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix, AZ, 85008, USA2Michigan State University, PLANT BIOLOGY, Plant Biology Laboratories, 612 Wilson Rd, Rm 48, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1312, USA3Kansas State University, Herbarium and Division of Biology, Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA

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Biogeography 586

GIVNISH, THOMAS J* 1, SPALINK, DANIEL 2, AMES, MERCEDES 3, LYON, STEPHANIE 4, HUNTER, STEVEN 3 , ZULUAGA, ALEJANDRO 5, DOUCETTE, ALFONSO 3, GIRALDO, GIOVANNY 3, MCDANIEL, JAMES 6, CLEMENTS, MARK 7, ARROYO, MARY T. K. 8, ENDARA, LORENA 9 , KRIEBEL, RICARDO 10, WILLIAMS, NORRIS 11 and CAMERON, KEN 6

Orchid historical biogeography, diversification, Antarctica, and the paradox of orchid dispersal

rchidaceae is the most species-rich angiosperm family and has one of the broadest distributions. Until now, the lack of a well-resolved phylogeny has prevented analyses of orchid historical biogeography. Here we use such a phylogeny to estimate the geographic spread of orchids, evaluate the importance of different regions in their diversification, and assess the role of long-distance dispersal (LDD) in generating orchid diversity. Analyses use a phylogeny including species representing all five orchid subfamilies and almost all tribes and subtribes, calibrated against 17 angiosperm fossils. We estimated historical biogeography and assessed the importance of different regions for rates of speciation, extinction, and net species diversification. We evaluated the impact of particular LDD events on orchid diversity by asking how many species evolved in the new range subsequent to those events. Orchids appear to have arisen in Australia 112 Ma then spread to the Neotropics via Antarctica by 90 Ma, when all three continents were in close contact and apostasioids split from the ancestor of all other orchids. The ancestors of vanilloids, cypripedioids, and orchidoids + epidendroids appear to have originated in the Neotropics 84-64 Ma. Repeated longand short-distance dispersal occurred through orchid history: stochastic mapping identified a mean total of 73 LDD events, or 0.8 Ma-1. Across orchid history, Southeast Asia was the most important source and maximally accelerated net diversification; across epidendroids, the Neotropics maximally accelerated diversification. More than 97% of all orchid species appear to have evolved following one or more LDD events. Our analysis provides the first biogeographical history of the orchids, implicating Australia, the Neotropics, and Antarctica in their origin. LDD and life in the Neotropics - especially the Andes -had profound effects on their spread and diversification; > 97% of all orchid species are restricted to individual continents. 1

University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2University Of WisconsinMadison, Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA3University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, Madison, WI, 53706, USA4Botany, 216 E Duncan St, Columbus, OH, 43202, USA5Universidad del Valle, Biology, Cali, Colombia6University Of Wisconsin - Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA7CSIRO, Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia8Universidad de Chile, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Santiago, Chile9University of

Florida, Biology, Carr Hall, 217, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA10University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, Madison, WI, 53706, US11University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

587

HOOKER, MARCUS* 1 and HUFFORD, LARRY 2

Biogeography and divergence times of Synthyris (Plantaginaceae)

ynthyris (Plantaginaceae) are herbaceous perennials found widely across mountainous areas of western North America but also with a disjunct species in the Great Lakes region and another species in Alaska and the Yukon. Synthyris has three major clades, including the high latitude clade that is sister to the Northwest clade and an Intermountain clade, which is sister to the other two clades. This study addresses (1) the age and ancestral area of Synthyris; (2) clade divergence times and historical factors, such as climate and geology, that were involved in cladogenesis; and (3) patterns of geographic radiation. We reconstructed a time-calibrated phylogeny of the genus using ITS sequence data from all species within Synthyris and applied a statistical dispersal-vicariance model to reconstruct the biogeographic history of the group. The results indicate that Synthyris diverged from other Plantaginaceae in the early to middle Miocene (23.5-10.4 MYA). The stem lineage was reconstructed as geographically widespread in the American West, ranging from high latitudes to southern Nevada, prior to crown diversification. Early cladogenesis in Synthyris may have resulted from warming and drying that drove populations into higher elevation environments in the southwestern part of its range. The intermountain clade diversified in the late Miocene to Pliocene 10-2.3 MYA along the eastern margin of Great Basin before migrating northward into the Pacific Northwest, where it is represented by S. missuria, which adopted a new ecological niche. The high latitude clade, consisting only of S. borealis, and the relatively species rich and geographically widespread Northwest clade diverged 14.5-6.5 MYA from a widespread Rocky Mountain ancestor. The disjunct distribution of S. borealis, which is restricted to unglaciated areas of Alaska and the Yukon, is likely a consequence of the Pleistocene continental glaciations. The Northwest clade, which was reconstructed as having an ancestral area in the Rocky Mountains, diverged in the late Miocene 12.6-5.3 MYA and subsequently expanded its range southward along the Rocky Mountains, eastward to the Great Lakes, and westward into the Pacific Northwest. Timing of much of the diversification within the Northwest clade largely corresponds to the Pleistocene epoch and was likely a result of widespread glaciations and climatic fluctuations during this time. Such speciation events include the origin of S. canbyi and the interspecific hybridization that led to S. ritteriana.

Washington State University, School of Biological Sciences, 2518 NW Short Dr, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA2Washington State University, SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 312 Abelson Hall, PULLMAN, WA, 99164-4236, USA

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FURTADO DIAS, ELISABETE 2 and SCHILLING, EDWARD 3

The origins of New World lettuce lineages

lowering plant intercontinental disjunctions have long been believed to result from land connections between Eurasia and North America across Beringia and the North Atlantic. The lettuce alliance (Lactucinae, Cichoreae, Asteraceae) is distributed in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America with two centres of diversity; one in the E Mediterranean-SW Asian region, the other in the Sino-Himalayan region. Our phylogenetic studies are the first to sample the entire alliance and disentangle generic diversity. Using this background we aim to decipher the origins of the North American lettuce (Lactuca) taxa. Chloroplast, ITS and low copy nuclear sequence analyses, combined with biogeographic studies have revealed novel insights into the origin of these taxa. Presenting the results of molecular phylogenetic, biogeographic and molecular dating analyses, we show that the North American taxa are members of two distinct monophyletic Lactuca lineages, representing two independent migration episodes from Eurasia to North America. One of these North American lineages is unique in Lactuca for its chromosome number of n=17, likely being of allopolyploidization origin; all other taxa are diploids with n=8 and n=9. We hypothesise two contrasting geographic routes to explain the origin of the two North American Lactuca lineages.

Freie Universität and Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Biological Sciences, Königin Luise Straße 6-8 Dahlem, Berlin, 14195, Germany2Centre of Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), Biology, University of the Azores, R. Mae de Deus 13A, Sao Miguel, Ponta Delgada, 9501-801, Portugal3University Of Tennessee, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, KNOXVILLE, TN, 37996-1610, USA

589

TSENG, YU-HSIN* , CHUNG, KUO-FANG 2, MONRO, ALEX 3, WEI, YIGANG 4 and HU, JER-MING 5

The historical origins and evolution of paleotropical intercontinental disjunction in Elatostema (Urticaceae)

latostema is distributed throughout subtropical and tropical Africa, Asia and Australasia but is absent from the Americas. Elatostema comprises four major clades: Weddellia, Pellionia, Afroelatostema, and core Elatostema. This intercontinental disjunction in African and Asian tropics is evaluated by four competing hypotheses: Gondwanan vicariance, boreotropical migration, Miocene geodispersal hypothesis and transoceanic long distance dispersal. We reconstructed historical biogeographic pattern of Elatostema to evaluate the possible factors in shaping modern tropical disjunctions and the evolution within the group. Bayesian molecular dating and Statistical dispersal-vicariance analysis in Elatostema were conducted by analyzing 99 taxa of Elatostema and 40 outgroups, using one nuclear marker (nrITS) and two chloroplast sequences (psbA-trnH and

psbM-trnD). The results indicate that the evolutionary history of Elatostema encompasses several biogeographical scenarios. These include two intercontinental dispersal events from Asia to Africa. One is correlated with the origin of Afroelatostema clade from the early Eocene to the late Oligocene, which could be explained by the hypothetical boreotropical migration during the early Eocene thermal maximum. The second AfricanAsian disjunction falls within the core Elatostema clade and could be explained by the hypothesis of overland dispersal in Miocene from Asia via Arabia to Africa during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum. Within the core Elatostema clade there are at least five major dispersal events, including two routes from East Asia through Malesia to Australasia. In addition, the geographical phylogenetic structure was found within Elatostema, which could be explained by restricted gene flow caused by limited seed and pollen dispersal. Numerous narrowly distributed endemics with relatively few widespread species and geographical structure within Elatostema suggest that limited gene flow may be an important feature in speciation and evolution in Elatostema, as hypothesized for other species-richness genera. 1

Academic Sinica, Biodiversity Research Center, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei, Taiwan2Academic Sinica, Biodiversity Research Center, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Herbarium, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, London, UK4Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chin, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, 85 Yanshan Stree, Yanshan District, Guilin, China5NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY, RM1227 LIFE SCIENCE BUILDING, 1 ROOSEVELT ROAD SEC 4, TAIPEI, N/A, 106, Taiwan

590

MCCAULEY, ROSS A

Phylogeography of Ostrya (Betulaceae) across the American southwest and northwestern Mexico: remnants of a widespread Neogene forest community

he genus Ostrya (Betulaceae) shows a wide range of distribution in North America from eastern Canada south to Honduras. The distribution however is not continuous exhibiting distinct breaks giving rise to three principal areas of occurrence. These include eastern North America where the genus is an understory tree in a variety of deciduous forest types, the mountains of eastern and southern Mexico extending to Honduras where the genus occurs as a cloud forest endemic, and the southwestern United States and northern Mexico where the genus occurs in small highly disjunct populations in sheltered localities near mountaintops and deep canyonlands extending into the highlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental. As part of a project to comprehensively reconstruct the phylogeography of Ostrya across North America I initially identified two distinct clades, 1) corresponding to eastern North America and eastern Mexico north of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and 2) the southwest United States and northern Sierra Madre Occidental. To understand detailed regional historical phylogeography across the area of disjunct occurrences in the desert southwest and northwestern

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Biogeography Mexico I completed ecological niche models for various time frames based off occurrence data, determined haplotypes using the chloroplast psbA-trnH and ndhFrlp32 regions for 11 populations across the region, and inferred levels of nuclear diversity in these populations using a set of four microsatellite markers. Analysis shows that Ostrya likely had a wider distribution during the last interglacial and reduced its range to refugia during the last glaciation. These refugia likely represented a series of interconnected populations in what is now the Canyon country of SE Utah, the Grand Canyon of northern Arizona and portion of the Mogollon Transition Zone, and the Guadalupe and Chisos Mountains of the eastern Chihuahuan Desert. Little to no expansion beyond these refugia has occurred since the retreat of the glaciers and most populations within each region maintain identical haplotypes and low nuclear genetic diversity. These now isolated occurrences likely represent the remnants of a wider continuous range for the genus across western North America and serve as an important connection between the northern and southern portions of the genus range. Fort Lewis College, Department Of Biology, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO, 81301, USA

591

YU, CHIH CHIEH* 1 and CHUNG, KUO-FANG 2

Molecular phylogenetics, historical biogeography, and diversification of Berberis s.l. (Berberidaceae)

erberis s.l, comprising about 500-600 species of unifoliolate, pinnately compound-leaved shrubs or small trees, is distributed widely in worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deserts, temperate and alpine habitats, but having two main diversity centers in Asian Himalayas and South American Andes. To understand the origin of the high diversity in alpine environments of this taxonomic group, molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction (LAGRANGE) were performed based on the molecular phylogeny reconstructed by six chloroplast markers (rbcL, ycf6-psbM, rpoB-trnC, psbA-trnH, trnS-trnG and rpl32-trnL) and nuclear ITS sequences. Using multiple fossil calibrations, molecular dating suggests a relatively old origin (late Paleogene) of Berberis s.l.; however, most of the alpine species show to be undergone a series of rapid evolution events occurring in late Neogene. This species diversification pattern can be mainly explained by the increase of the suitable habitats after the period of Neogene (i.e. subalpine-alpine environment) due to the global frequent orogenies as well as the climate deterioration. On the other hand, together with the outcome of LAGRANGE, our dating analysis also confirms the modern biogeographic disjunctions within the genus are both shaped by long distance dispersals and a series of Neogene vicariance events. Therefore, Berberis s.l. is thought to be one of the largest high-elevational radiations in the basal eudicots, and earns itself an ideal study group to address the fundamental evolutionary

questions as well as the assembly history of global highmountain flora. 1

No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road. Forestry Building, Room 318, Taipei, N/A, 106, Taiwan2Academia Sinica , Biodiversity Research Center, No.128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd., Nangang Dist., Taipei, 106, TAIWAN

592

BUIDE, M. LUISA 2, NARBONA, EDUARDO 3 and WHITTALL, JUSTEN BRYANT 4

Phylogeographic Evidence from Three Genomes and Genetic Structure in Iberian Silene: A Special Case of Speciation by Small Sea Barrier

he Mediterranean Basin is commonly described as one of the most important hotspots of biodiversity. Geological and climate events during the Quaternary have influenced the distribution of many species, making this region the perfectly situated to examine recent biogeographic and evolutionary processes. The genus Silene Section Psammophilae includes five very morphologically similar species: S. littorea, S. adscendens, S. cambessedesii, S. stockenii, and S. psammitis. These annual species are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands (Ibiza and Formentera), yet occupy distinct edaphic habitats (e.g. maritime sands, calcareous sandstones). We investigated the phylogeographic relationships of these species using a genome skimming approach from genomic DNA sequences of 26 populations representing the range of each speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; distribution. Reference-guided assembly of primarily 250-bp paired-end Illumina reads produced the complete plastid genome (cpDNA; 156 kbp), partial mitochondrial genome (mtDNA; 74 kbp), and the nuclear ribosomal cistron (nrDNA, 6.4 kbp). Selected variable regions of the cpDNA and mtDNA assemblies were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Geographic structure in the distribution of genetic variation was assessed with an isolation-by-distance analysis. Genetic population structuring was determined with Bayesian Analysis (Structure and Geneland) and Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components, using the genotype data from 738 single nucleotide polymorphisms distributed in the cpDNA genome. Silene cambessedesii, distributed in the Balearic Islands, is the only species that forms a monophyletic clade and shows strong genetic differentiation with respect to the remaining taxa of the Iberian Peninsula. These results contrast with those obtained for the mainland populations. In addition to incongruence among the three genomes, phylogenetic analyses are also largely incongruent with current taxonomical and ecogeographical characteristics. Only a well-supported clade of S. littorea and S. stockenii emerges from the southern region of the Iberian Peninsula. In the same way, no clear geographic clustering was revealed from these analyses. The widespread incongruence between taxonomy and phylogeographic results may arise from gene flow among species or incomplete lineage sorting, where only a speciation event like isolation to the Balearic Islands is necessary to produce agreement between

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taxonomy and phylogeography. Lineages that are rife with either hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting will have histories that may be difficult to resolve, even with massive amounts of data. 1

Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Ctra. de Utrera, km 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain, Seville, Seville, 41013, Spain2University Pablo De Olavide, Ctra. De Utrera, Km 1, Sevilla, N/A, 41013, Spain3Universidad Pablo De Olavide, Biología Molecular E Ingeniería Bioquímica, Carretera De Utrera Km 1, Seville, N/A, 41013, Spain4Santa Clara University, Department Of Biology, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA

593

RUFFLEY, MEGAN* , ESPINDOLA, ANAHI 2, TANK, DAVID C. 3 and SULLIVAN, JACK 3

Comparative phylogeography of disjunct plants in the Pacific Northwest temperate rainforest 1

University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA2University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA3University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS 3051, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA

594

SIMPSON, ANDREW G.* 1, WING, SCOTT L. 2 and FENSTER, CHARLIE 3

Phylogeographic history of the Rosales comparing phylogenetic comparative ancestral state reconstruction against fossilassisted phylogeographic methods

common challenge to studies that infer the ecological and geographic characteristics of extinct or ancestral taxa is that phylogenetic methods require numerous problematic assumptions, and fossil data is often lacking or incomplete. To assess the relative weight of the problems generated by missing fossils and phylogenetic assumptions we use two different methods to infer paleo-patterns of geographic range across the Rosales (Angiosperms: Eudicots). First, we use a likelihood-based phylogenetic comparative ancestral state reconstruction (ASR) implemented in the R package diversitree, which accounts for the effect of character state on diversification rates but does not use the fossil record, and second we use BioGeoBEARS, which makes use of fossil data but does not account for the effect of character state on diversification. Our spatially-explicit BioGeoBEARS analysis inferred that the Rosaceae have a North American origin while the other Rosalean families more likely originated in Eurasia. While these inferences do likely represent the true appearance of the Rosales in the northern hemisphere, it is highly sensitive to the fossil record which is biased toward the northern hemisphere. Thus, for instance, the Rosaceae may have arrived and became widespread in North America before Eurasia, but may have originated somewhere else first. ASR also identifies

clades of genera that were likely to have been ancestrally widespread. According to BioGeoBEARS, many of the genera in these clades probably were not widespread in the past, but almost all of the genera that were historically widespread belong to one of the clades inferred to have been widespread by our diversitree analysis. The two methods compliment each other in that the phylogenetic comparative method in diversitree has poorer taxonomic resolution than BioGeoBEARS at inferring paleo-range size, but can do so effectively without relying on fossil data. 1

Smithsonian Institution, Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USASmithsonian Institution, Dept. Of Paleobiology NHB 121, PO Box 37012, WASHINGTON, DC, 20013-7012, USA3University of Maryland, Biology, Biology Psychology Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA 2

595 PACE, MATTHEW CHARLES* 1 and CAMERON, KEN 2 The biogeographic history of Spiranthes (Orchidaceae) reveals repeated speciation within and dispersal from the North American Geological Coastal Plain, an underappreciated biodiversity hotspot

T C

he biogeographic relationships of the North American flora, both within the ontinent and among other regions of Earth, has been a topic of interest since European colonization. The Orchidaceae of North America, as exemplified by the genus Spiranthes, represent an excellent case study in which to examine the movement of species across the planet, the role of North American physiographic regions as arks and/or cradles areas of speciation, and the influence that North American glacial cycles may have played in cladogenesis, the isolation of disjunct populations, and speciation events. Using a calibrated molecular phylogenetic reconstruction, we estimate divergence times and likely ancestral distributional ranges for the most recent common ancestors of extant taxa. We find that contrary to long standing hypotheses, at least in the case of Spiranthes, the North American Geologic Coastal Plain has been an important center of evolution for this genus. The North American Geologic Coastal Plain has repeatedly served as an ancestral region from which clades and individual species have repeatedly dispersed and migrated, including to Eurasia, the Caribbean, and Mexico and Central America.

New York Botanical Garden, Herbarium, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA2University Of Wisconsin - Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

242

Biogeography 596

MURPHY, DANIEL

Endemism is not enough: biogeographic patterns in Australian plants

ustralia has been the subject of many historical biogeographic analyses of its flora. However, there has been difficulty in defining endemic areas, and biogeographic barriers within Australia. Most acknowledge that these problems are the complexities of studying the history of an intra-continental flora, where sharp or abrupt barriers between historical biotic areas may be lacking. Currently there is a focus on broad-scale ecologically-based biomes to investigate their recent evolution and the assembly of their floristic elements. For example, Northern Australia is dominated by a monsoon tropical savanna biome and the central parts of Australia form an arid biome. However, some studies and reviews have found multi-layered and complex historical distributional patterns of endemism of plants in these areas, with recent (some human-mediated), pre-human and ancient (relictual) distributions recorded. To distinguish these complex recent evolutionary histories, a return to a smaller scale of regionalization of biotic areas has been necessary and a comparative approach using multiple lineages is required. In this talk I will review some of the main results and illustrate the broad ecological and historical patterns that are emerging, discussing new approaches using examples of iconic plant groups in Australia such as Acacia and Adansonia. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Plant Sciences, Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004

597

CLAVIJO, LAURA* 1, ZULUAGATROCHEZ, ALEJANDRO 2 and CLARK, JOHN L. 3

Patterns of geographic diversification in the Andean-centered genus Drymonia (Gesneriaceae)

he tropical Andes are one of the most important biodiversity hotspot on Earth, and are center of diversification of numerous plant lineages, including Neotropical Gesneriaceae. The genus Drymonia ranges from southern Mexico to Bolivia, including the Caribbean, northern Brazil, and Guyana, with the highest diversity found in cloud forests of northern Andes and southern Central America. Here, we estimate the age and geographical origin of Drymonia and its closest relatives (i.e., core Andean-centered clade) to explore the patterns of geographic diversification in the genus. We estimate a Mid-Miocene origin for the core Andeancentered clade with a subsequent rapid diversification in the Tropical Andes during the late Miocene that led to the origin of the species richest genera in the clade (i.e., Columnea and Drymonia). The origin of Drymonia is estimated to be around 10.48 Mya in the Tropical Andes, during a period of intensive mountain buildup. In Drymonia, diversification took place mainly in the Tropical Andes with subsequent movements to and between the coastal Pacific plain and Central America. A recent dispersal (~3.8 Mya) gave rise to the Amazon

clade, which is characterized by the presence of laterally compressed flowers. Based on the patters of morphological and range evolution found here, we suggest that biotic (e.g., interactions with distinct pollinators) and abiotic factors (e.g., topographical and environmental changes during the Andes uplift) may have played major roles in the diversification of Drymonia. 1

University Of Alabama, Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 870345, 425 Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0345, USA2Universidad del Valle, Biology, Calle 13 # 100-00, Cali, Colombia3The University of Alabama, Box 870345, Tuscaloosa, ALABAMA, 35401, United States

598

BRUEDERLE, LEO P* 1, VILLAVERDE, TAMARA 2, ESCUDERO, MARCIAL 3, LUCEĂ&#x2018;O, MODESTO 2 and STARR, JULIAN 4

Insight into the Bipolar Disjunction in Carex magellanica Lam. (Cyperaceae)

ew World bipolar disjunctions have been reported for approximately 50 plant species and plant species complexes, including six carices (Cyperaceae Tribe Cariceae). While this biogeographic pattern has been well-documented, only recently have the molecular systematic tools been available to test hypotheses offered to explain this distribution. Here, phylogenetic analyses of molecular sequence data for two nuclear regions (ITS, ETS) and four chloroplast regions (atpF-atpH, matK gene, rps16, rpl32F-trnL) are used to re-examine the bipolar distribution in C. magellanica (Carex section Limosae). Although taxonomists have disagreed over the treatment of this taxon, it is recognized currently as comprising two subspecies. Carex magellanica subsp. irrigua (Wahlenb.) Hiitonen is circumboreal in the Northern Hemisphere and highly disjunct in the southern parts of its range. In contrast, C. magellanica subsp. magellanica is restricted in distribution to the Southern Hemisphere, where it occurs in the Andean alpine of South America, specifically Argentina and Chile, Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands. Sequence data were obtained from sites distributed from the Altai in southern Russia across northern North America to Finland in Western Europe, as well as from across the latitudinal range of this taxon in the Southern Hemisphere from the southern Andes to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. The combined nuclear and plastid matrix consisted of 36 samples, 207 sequences with 4071 sites. Maximumlikelihood and Bayesian inference analyses retrieved C. magellanica as monophyletic, with C. magellanica subsp. magellanica nested within a paraphyletic C. magellanica subsp. irrigua. Genealogical relationships obtained using the cpDNA matrix and statistical parsimony revealed five haplotypes and three missing haplotypes. Two haplotypes were widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, while three others are Southern Hemisphere. Divergence times estimated using Beast 2 also retrieved Carex magellanica as monophyletic in a strongly supported clade with an age of 1.54 Myr (95% CI 0.75 - 2.69 Myr), indicating that diversification of

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C. magellanica occurred in the Northern Hemisphere from the early to middle Pleistocene. Divergence for Carex magellanica subsp. magellanica was estimated at 0.37 Myr (95% CI 0.10 - 0.82 Myr), ranging from middle-late to late Pleistocene. Collectively, our data reveal a north-south direction of dispersal approximately 0.37 million years ago during the late Pleistocene that was followed by diversification and differentiation in the Southern Hemisphere. While long-distance dispersal remains the most likely explanation for the bipolar disjunction, discriminating between stepwise and direct long-distance dispersal has proven elusive. 1

University of Colorado Denver, Integrative Biology, Campus Box 171, Denver, CO, 80217-3364, USA2Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, Botany Area, Ctra. de Utrera, Km1 sn, Seville, Seville, 41013, Spain3Universidad de Sevilla, Plant Biology and Ecology, Botany Area, C/ S. Fernando, 4, Seville, Seville, 41004, Spain4University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, CAN

599

SOPER GORDEN, NICOLE L* 1, ETTERSON, JULIE 2, MADDAUS, PETER 3 and MCCLANAHAN, GINA 4

Floral and leaf defenses both vary with latitude

eaf defenses have been the focus of ecological, evolutionary, and biogeographical studies for decades. For example, several studies have found higher levels of leaf defenses at low latitudes, perhaps due to a combination of increased resource availability and increased herbivore pressure. However, other forms of defense, such as floral defenses, have only gained interest more recently, despite the fact that floral defenses can be just as common as leaf defenses and frequently occur at much higher levels. While several studies have started to look at the presence of floral defenses, their effects on potential floral antagonists, and their ability to be induced, the field of floral defense ecology is still fairly new. In this study, we investigated patterns in floral defenses across geographical clines and compared them to leaf defenses to test for tradeoffs in various plant defense strategies across latitude. We collected leaves and flowers from Chamaecrista fasciculata plants at nine sites across latitudes from Minnesota to Texas and extracted their condensed tannin defenses. We found that plants had higher levels of condensed tannins in their leaves at lower latitudes, which agrees with previous studies looking at leaf defenses across latitude in other species. Additionally, we found that floral condensed tannins were also higher at low latitudes. This suggests that there may not be a tradeoff between chemical defenses in leaves and flowers across space, and that both may be responding to the same conditions. Frequently, both defenses were also correlated with some measure of plant size, suggesting condensed tannins may be more common in plants with higher resource availability. However, extra floral nectaries (EFNs), which are used to attract ant defenders that protect both flowers and leaves, were larger at higher latitudes, suggesting there may be a tradeoff between chemical defenses and indirect defenses in Chamaecrista fasciculata. This may mean that EFNs are cheaper to maintain in relatively resource poor northern climes, or that plants have responded to local variation in ant pres-

ence or other environmental characters when adapting their defense strategies. To our knowledge, this is the first study looking at floral defenses or EFNs across latitudinal clines. Such studies may become increasingly important to understand how plants interact with their antagonists across geographic space as climate change alters plant and animal phenologies and ranges. 1

Mars Hill University, Natural Sciences, 100 Athletic St, Campus Box 6671, Mars Hill, NC, 28754, USA2University Of Minnesota Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA3University of Minnesota Duluth, 1035 Kirby Dr, SSB 207, Duluth, Minnesota, 55812, United States4University of Minnesota Duluth, 1035 Kirby Dr., SSB 207, Duluth, Minnesota, 55812, United States

600

SAGHATELYAN, ANNA

Biogeographical Connections of South Texas Flora

ith phylogenetic relationships clarified for many taxa, comparative analyses of entire floras can elucidate their geographical connections and regionalization. Local floras of south Texas, situated on the boundary of the Boreal and Madrean Subkingdoms of Takhtajan system and in proximity to the Neotropical Kingdom, show a complex pattern of geographical connections. For this study I chose southernmost Texas, which is a part of Tamaulipan Province of Morrone with somewhat controversial placement. A flora of 13 counties, S TX flora (S TX), in South Texas Plains ecoregion was compiled and all the species distribution tracks were outlined. The flora was analyzed and compared to two other Texas floras: Big Bend Region (BB) with 1587 species and Edwards Plateau (EP) with 1619 species. South TX Plains has 1259 species in the flora and is dominated by subtropical thorn scrub vegetation. The spectra of all different floristic elements of these three floras were compared to each other. Phylogenetic literature was searched to find relationships, patterns of migrations, and geographical connections of major clades. The placement of BB in the Chihuahuan Subprovince of the Madrean Subkingdom was confirmed: 58% of its flora is in the combined south-western north American/ madrean geoelement, as opposed to 29% of that element in EP and only to 24% in S TX. In EP 42% of the flora belongs to the Atlantic Region, mostly the Prairie Province. In S TX 31% of the flora is in the combined tropical/gulf coast/tamaulipan element. S TX flora has 360 species which are absent from EP, almost all of them being tropical/subtropical, tamaulipan, or gulf/caribbean species. Temperate genera have two times more species in EP than in S TX. Western North American genera have three times more species in BB and two times more species in EP than in S TX. The species of tropical genera comprise 34% in BB, 29% in EP, and 43% in S TX flora. Preliminary results indicate that S TX, with 180 subendemic and 80 endemic tamaulipan species, is well placed in the Tamaulipan chorion and shows stronger tropical/subtropical connections than the other two TX floras. It has more Chihuahuan Subprovince (27% of S TX) than the Atlantic Region (22 % of S TX) species. The flora is an ecotone from the Gulf Province to the Chihuahuan Subprovince of the Madrean Region and Prairie Province of the Atlantic Region.

McMurry University, McMurry Station Box 368, Abilene, TX, 79697, USA

244

Biogeography 601

BROWN, HERRICK* 1 and WETHEY, DAVID 2

Toward Developing a Species Distribution Model for Gordonia lasianthus Using Empirical Evidence from Seed-Drop Trials and Some Discussion on the Variation in the Rotational Movement Patterns of the Winged Seeds

nitial results from a Species Distribution Model (SDM) designed to study the potential effects of predicted climate change on a tree species that is endemic to the southeastern United States indicated areas of favorable environmental conditions that seemed far outside the current range of the species. This led to speculation regarding dispersal mechanisms and â&#x20AC;&#x161;migrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rates. In order to include these biotic variables we developed an agent-based model that incorporates data from seeddrop trials as acted upon by observed and predicted wind speed, direction and humidity in addition to other environmental parameters. Gordonia lasianthus produces a dehiscent capsule with five locules each containing 4 winged seeds (20 seeds per fruit). Mature capsules dehisce along five vertical sutures and when dry the apices of each carpel may spread apart as much as 1cm. We noticed after collecting recently matured fruit that when placed in an air-tight vial over night the relative humidity rose in the vial to a point sufficient to produce a small amount of condensation; the moisture apparently escaping from the still-green pedicel. The increase in available atmospheric moisture was apparently absorbed by the dry tissue in the carpels which caused the distance between their apices to contract about 0.5cm. Therefore, our model includes a term that acts negatively upon seed dispersal during periods of high humidity. Wingloading was calculated based on surface area results from analysis tools in ImageJ. Although there was no significant difference in the size of the seeds, variation in seed morphology was noteworthy. Seeds were then dropped from 3m in an indoor, wind-less room using a video camera with a high frame rate. On slow motion playback, the speed at which the seed traveled was measured when it reached terminal velocity. Significant differences in fall rates were observed among three fall patterns. While the wing apparently evolved to slow the fall rate and thus increase potential for horizontal dispersal distance, subtle variation in wing-loading, seed weight and wing morphology evidently produce either rotation around a vertical axis, rotation around a horizontal axis, or zero rotation. Seeds exhibiting the lattermost pattern fell significantly faster than others.

A. C. Moore Herbarium (USCH), Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA2Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

602

DREW, BRYAN T* 1, SPALINK, DANIEL 2 and SYTSMA, KEN 3

A Single Dispersal Event Initiated Diversification in the New World Menthinae (Lamiaceae)

he subtribe Menthinae (Lamiaceae), with about 40 genera and 1050 species, is the largest and one of the most economically important subtribes in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Although many familiar Menthinae species are native to the Mediterranean region, most of the genera in the subtribe are endemic to the New World. Previous research has suggested a gene duplication event occurred within New World Menthinae. This study uses the PPR-9060 gene region to investigate the phylogenetic position of the putative polyploid event, BEAST to determine the timeframe for the New World dispersal event, and BAMM to investigate whether the New World colonization was correlated with either increased speciation or decreased extinction rates. 1

University of Nebraska-Kearney, Biology, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA2University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA3University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

603

DRUMMOND, CHLOE* 1 and SYTSMA, KEN 2

A comparison of two Western North America-Great Lakes disjuncts using phylogeography, population genetics, and niche modeling

he Great Lakes flora is a composite of floristic elements from the southeast (Alleghenian), south (Ozarkian), west (Prairie), and north (Boreal) that clearly abut and sometimes overlap in the Great Lakes region. Amid these elements is a less common, but equally striking pattern of disjunct species that are found more abundantly west of the Rocky Mountains and sometimes have isolated populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The plants of this disjunct distribution are not closely related, nor do they all share character traits associated with dispersal or occupy the same climatic niches. In addition, these plants tend to be threatened or endangered in the Great Lakes area. Their geographic distribution and the proliferation of the number of cases of this distribution lead to questions addressing the establishment of the Great Lakes populations and their persistence in the Great Lakes. With GBS data, populations of Rubus parviflorus and Oplopanax horridus have been analyzed for their phylogeographic patterns, testing the classic hypotheses of vicariance or dispersal. Our results suggest that there was a more recent dispersal to the Great Lakes from the western populations of R. parviflorus, and that there may have been an ancestral widespread distribution. In contrast, our O. horridus analysis suggests a vicariance event. To understand the distribution of these two disjunct species in a more integrated way, we looked at population genetic statistics to assess the population structure and genetic

245

diversity of the Great Lakes populations. Finally, we assessed the niche space of these species, testing for niche overlap and projection of the Great Lakes populations into the future given our era of rapid climate change. 1

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

604

POTTER, BENJAMIN

Estimating the colonisation history and endemicity depth of the New Zealand tree flora

he extant flora of New Zealand contains 271 species of endemic forest trees, spread across a broad spectrum of plant diversity (147 asterids, 83 rosids, 20 conifers, 10 magnoliids, 6 ferns, and 5 monocots). Here, we set out to characterise the colonisation history and temporal depth of this endemicity. Bayesian relaxed molecular clocks were used to date the NZ vs. overseas floristic disjunctions, and place the NZ immigrations along an evolutionary timeline. The primary aims were: (1) to contrast the historical arrivals with significant geological and climatological events, (2) build a timecalibrated framework for tree diversification and phylogeography research, and (3) assemble a database useful for community assembly analyses, focused on the role of deep-time priority effects in shaping plant community structure. Towards this an assessment of the molecular dating literature was carried out (focusing exclusively on studies employing relaxed clock models in BEAST), resulting in immigration ages for 37 tree genera. For the remaining 48 genera that were undated in the literature, molecular dating analyses were conducted using a combination of publically available and newly generated DNA sequence data. Preliminary results suggest that although the Zealandia continental fragment has been geographically isolated for ca. 80 million years, over 85% of the tree colonisations can be attributed to dispersal events in the Early Miocene or later (mean ages). The southern conifers (Araucariales) were clear outliers, with some of their NZ-overseas disjunctions dating back to the mid Cretaceous - but as this clade has been heavily influenced by extinction these colonisation ages remain difficult to substantiate. Broadly, these dates are more in line with a ‚fly-paper of the South Pacific’ hypothesis for the NZ tree flora, rather than supporting a continuous post-Gondwanan presence. University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, NZ

POSTERS 605

NARANJO, ANDRE* 1 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 2

Dicerandra: Understanding Past Distributions

icerandra (Lamiaceae) comprises nine species (Dicerandra christmanii, Dicerandra cornutissima, Dicerandra densiflora, Dicerandra frutescens, Dicerandra fumella, Dicerandra immaculata,Dicerandra linearifolia, Dicerandra modesta, Dicerandra thinicola, Dicerandra radfordiana) endemic to the southeastern United States. Species of Dicerandra are threatened or endangered and restricted to sand hill vegetation and a mosaic of scrub habitats, with some species (D. cornutissima, D. thinicola, D. immaculata, D. frutescens, D. christmanii, and D. radfordiana) being restricted to one or two sites in peninsular Florida and Georgia. Using locality and specimen data from iDigBio and other sources, we have applied ecological niche modeling to investigate shifts in abiotic niche space among species. Such shifts may have served as isolating mechanisms associated with speciation. These results will be used to reconstruct ancestral niche spaces when sea levels and climate were markedly different. We will make inferences on the possible ecological shifts and niche diversifications associated with speciation that have occurred during the evolution of the genus. 1

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

606

LAMPLEY, JAYNE* 1 and SCHILLING, EDWARD 2

Interpreting the historical biogeography and molecular phylogeny of Trillium within tribe Parideae (Melanthiaceae)

he widespread distribution of the hypothesized Arcto-tertiary Geoflora during the pre-Ice Age Cenozoic Era has long been cited to explain modern-day observations of geographic disjunctions in related plant taxa across the Northern Hemisphere. Trillium, a genus of approximately 60 herbaceous monocot species, exhibits intra- and inter-continental geographic disjunction patterns between eastern and western North America and eastern Asia that are not well understood. In contrast to most clades with this pattern of distribution, the higher species diversity for Trillium is in the eastern US, rather than eastern Asia. The clade within Trillium with the highest species diversity is subgenus Sessilium. Species of this group are disjunct between eastern and western North America, but none occur in Asia. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of subgen. Sessilium within the broader context of the distribution of the entire tribe Parideae. Representatives of each genus of Parideae were sampled, including nearly 50 taxa of Trillium.

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Biogeography Multiple markers from the chloroplast genome, which is notably variable within Trillium, were sampled and concatenated and used to infer a phylogenetic tree. Using the BioGeoBears R package, multiple models were tested to determine origins and likely dispersal patterns, particularly within Trillium. The results suggest that there have been multiple movements between major geographic areas. In addition, a qualitative comparison was made between these results and current distribution probabilities for selected Sessilium species using a MaxEnt species distribution modeling (SDM) analysis. This analysis has produced hypotheses about possible origins for Sessilium species which will be presented. 1

University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, United States2University Of Tennessee, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, KNOXVILLE, TN, 37996-1610, USA

607 LES 2

ORTIZ-HERRERA, MARIA ANGE-

High population genetic substructure in Hypochaeris leontodontoides (Asteraceae), an endemic rupicolous species of the Atlas Mountains in NW Africa

ypochaeris leontodontoides is a rupicolous species endemic to the Atlas Mountains (Morocco), where it occurs in scattered populations. This study is an attempt to understand the biogeographic patterns of a high mountain species in a rather little studied region of NW Africa. We used Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) to investigate the population structure and phylogeography of H. leontodontoides in 19 populations sampled from the entire species distribution range. Multivariate analyses including PCoA, UPGMA analysis, and Bayesian clustering were applied to infer the influence of past biogeographic events. The level of AFLP differentiation among the populations was high (FST=0.508). A significant geographical pattern by mountain region was found, such that the different phylogeographical analyses revealed four main groups corresponding to four well-defined geographic regions: Middle Atlas, Eastern High Atlas, Central High Atlas, and Western High Atlas, and highlighted the Western High Atlas as the most divergent group. Our data also indicate two regions as refuges during the Pleistocene ice ages: the Middle Atlas and the northernmost area of the Western High Atlas.

University of Sevilla, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Avenida Reina Mercedes nÂº6, Sevilla, Sevilla, 41010, Spain2Facultad De Biología, Apartado De Correos 1095, Sevilla, N/A, 41080, Spain3University of Sevilla, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Avenida Reina Mercedes s/n, Sevilla, Sevilla, 41010, España

608

LEE, MICHELLE* 1, CAIRNS, DAVID 2 and GADDIS, KEITH DONALD 2

Treeline advance of white spruce (Picea glauca) in south-central Alaska

any recent studies have predicted and shown alpine treeline advance throughout the world as a result of global climatic changes. These advances have major implications for the assembly and survival of species that may become marginalized as their habitat is destroyed by this advance. We set out to examine treeline advance patterns in the dominant North American treeline forming species white spruce (Picea glauca) throughout south-central Alaska. We collected and examined dendrochronological data from 17 sites across the state. We used linear regression to examine the age of trees relative to the distance from treeline and found variable treeline patterns. Some sites showed definite treeline advance and others have maintained a stable treeline position. Variation in treeline advance is strongly influenced by underlying topography. Understanding how these ecosystems have responded to recent years of climatic change will help us better predict landscape dynamism in the future.

University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 612 Charles E. Young Drive South, Box 957246, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States2Texas A&M University, Department of Geography, 3147 tamu, College Station, TX, 77843, United States

609

BELASKI, WHITNEY* 1, DILLER, SARA and SWANSON, BRAD 1 2

Influence of anthropogenic planting on the phylogeography of wild rice (Zizania spp.) in Michigan

educed gene flow often results from human actions and this increasing isolation of populations may pose a threat to a variety of plant species. However, excessive gene flow as a result of human actions may also modify genetic structure in plant species and could disrupt local adaptation or other genetic processes, posing another less well-recognized threat to plant species. One species that has been subject to human-mitigated dispersal is Northern wild rice, Zizania palustris, an emergent annual grass found in aquatic systems the Eastern United States. Within the state of Michigan, Z. palustris seeds have been sown by Native American tribes and state agencies to create or supplement populations. Zizania palustris likely has limited natural dispersal ability and so populations in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan may have been isolated from the populations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, known sources for planted seed, for an extended period of time. The goal of our project is to identify whether unique genetic groups are present in Michigan that are distinct from planted strains. To address this question we first investigate whether multiple distinct genetic lineages are present in Michigan using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) analysis. Single leaves from individuals were collected in 9 populations of Z. palus-

247

tris from across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. DNA extracted from each leaf was used separately for AFLP analysis (n=181) and for sequencing of two cpDNA intergenic spacers (n=77). The program Cluster was used to estimate the number of genetic clusters within the Z. palustris populations and maximum parsimony trees were constructed using cpDNA sequence data. Cluster analysis of AFLP data identified three genetic clusters in Michigan Z. palustris, with most populations consisting of a mix of the three clusters and with high levels of gene flow between populations. We suggest that anthropogenic planting is responsible for the high levels of gene flow among these populations, and that the genetic clusters may represent a native Michigan genotype and genotypes introduced from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Maximum parsimony trees identified two distinct clades for both loci, but there was no clear correspondence between the AFLP genetic clusters and cpDNA genetic clades. This is suggestive of differential rates of pollen and seed movement and could indicate increased nuclear gene flow between cpDNA lineages that were historically isolated. 1

Central Michigan University, Biology, 152 Brooks Hall, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA2Central Michigan University, Biology, 217 Brooks Hall, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA

610

SCHERER, BRENDAN

Biogeography of the Macadamia Nut Family (Proteaceae)

he Proteaceae is an ancient family of Angiosperms. While the oldest fossils attributed to the group have been dated to approximately 93 MYA, molecular clock dating has estimated the crown age to be between 110 and 120 MYA. The family arose prior to the final splitting of the supercontinent of Gondwana, and has been used to investigate biogeographical questions of vicariance and dispersal. The family has been the focus of several molecular phylogenetic studies, and my study integrates the available data and uses the resulting phylogeny to address biogeographical questions. This study uses all the data found on Genbank for four plastid genes (matK, atpB,ndhF and rbcL) to infer a phylogeny for the family and investigate the timing of intercontinental disjunctions. Proteaceae is well represented on Genbank, of the 81 currently recognized genera, 69 have matK data, 64 have atpB data, 43 have ndhF data, and 77 have data for rbcL. The data was analyzed using a fossil calibrated Bayesian relaxed molecular clock method to generate a chronogram. Finally, morphological characters (e.g., fruit dehiscence) were mapped onto the tree to analyze adaptations for long distance dispersal. Florida State University, Biological Sciences, 319 Stadium Dr, Tallahassee, Florida, 32304, United States

611

KINGTON, SHARON* 1 and KROSNICK, SHAWN ELIZABETH 2

Flora of Window Cliffs State Natural Area

indow Cliffs is a unique geological feature with largely unstudied flora located on the Eastern Highland Rim along its ecoregion boundary with the Outer Nashville Basin near Cookeville, Tennessee. The natural bridges locally called Window Cliffs were formed at a meander neck of Cane Creek where advancing slopes undercut cherty limestone overlain by sandstone caprock. The geomorphology provides a range of slope aspect and habitats in close proximity. Window Cliffs is the sole known Tennessee location for disjunct populations of white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) and plains muhly [Muhlenburgia cuspidata (Torr.) Rydb.] Community types may include acid seeps, calcerous seeps, dry sandstone cliff, dry limestone cliff, moist limestone cliff, limestone slope glade, sinkhole/ depression marsh, calcerous mesophytic forest, hemlock-mixed forest, and riparian forest. Window Cliffs was recently acquired by Tennessee State Parks as an addition to Burgess Falls State Natural Area. Tennessee Technological University in cooperation with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation initiated an inventory of Window Cliffs flora in 2016 to aid eco-management decisions. Preliminary inventory data will be presented for Window Cliffs, which is scheduled to open to the public in 2017.

Tennessee Tech University, Department of Biology, Pennebaker Hall , 1100 N Dixie Ave, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA2Tennessee Tech University, MUSEUM OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, EEOB, 1100 East Dixie, Pennebaker Hall #207, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA

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VAUGHN, MITCHELL* 1, GOOLIC, RYAN 1 and MORRISON, JANET 2

A clash of continents within New Jersey suburban forests

uburban forests are novel ecosystems shaped by anthropogenic changes. A key change relative to more pristine forests is the consistent introduction of many non-native taxa that alter species interactions, including those between plants and their competitors, herbivores, and detritivores. We aimed to investigate how speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; geographic origins may influence these three important types of interactions in North American, suburban forests. Across three forests in central New Jersey, we measured the percentage of target plants with neighbors of a different species within 0.25 m2 that shared an origin or had a different origin, based on a total of 120 North American-origin targets and 98 Asian-origin targets. 18.9% of Asian plants had at least one different Asian neighbor, while 58.3% of North American plants had at least one Asian neighbor. 95.9% of Asian and 92.5% of North American plants had at least one different North American neighbor. Most plants, regardless of origin, were exposed to interspecific competition with a native, North American species, but native plants were more likely than Asian plants to be exposed to interspecific competition with an Asian species. Asian-Asian interspecific competition may be weaker than Asian-North American competition because of a shared evolutionary

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Conservation Biology history of interactions among the Asian species, leading to their relative tolerance of each other. The Asian species in these suburban forests are successful invasives, and therefore are likely strong competitors in any case, making the native species doubly vulnerable. Interestingly, very few plant species in the forests were of European origin, even though contact between New Jersey and Europe was established well before that with Asia. This lack of European plant species may be attributed partly to the presence of herbivorous, European slugs, which often kill seedlings. In feeding trials to determine the preference of New Jersey-collected European slugs (Deroceras reticulatum) for different forest plant species, only lettuce (the control) and the European invasive Alliaria petiolata were consumed (lettuce, 7/12 trials; Alliaria, 3/28 trials). In contrast, our data on plantdetritivore interactions in the suburban forests revealed a positive correlation between the abundance in 16 m2 plots of Asian earthworms, Amynthas sp. and the Asian grass Microstegium vimineum, which we had added from seed (Kendall’s tau = 0.31; P = 0.03, n = 32). We also had added A. petiolata from seed, but M. vimineum dominated. We hypothesize that Asian worms promote Asian plants, while European slugs suppress European plants. 1

The College of New Jersey, Biology, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA2The College Of New Jersey, Department Of Biology, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA

613

WANG, YIHAN* 1, MAO, YUNRUI , CAO, YANAN 1, COMES, PETER 2 and QIU, YINGXIONG 1 1

Quaternary climate change drives allo-peripatric speciation and refugial divergence in Dysosma versipellis-pleiantha complex (Berberidaceae) from different forest types in subtropical China

ubtropical China harbours the world’s most diverse temperate flora, but little is known about the roles of geographical and eco-climatic factors underlying the region’s exceptionally high species diversity and endemism. Here we construct the evolutionary history of D. versipellis-pleiantha’ complex, understory herbs endemic to subtropical China. 42 population were screened with chloroplast (cp) DNA sequences and 15 gene-linked EST-SSR loci to assess population structure and diversity, supplemented with phylogenetic dating, Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis, and ecological niche models (ENM), to further elucidate the spatiotemporal and ecological processes of divergence within the complex. Our cpDNA phylogeny showed that the complex is derived from a Late Pliocene ancestor of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP)/West China. Genetic and ENM data in conjunction with niche differentiation analyses support that the early divergence of D. versipellis and D. pleiantha proceeded through alloperipatric speciation, possibly triggered by Early Pleistocene climate change, while subsequent climate-induced cycles of range contractions/expansions enhanced the eco-geographic isolation of both taxa. Furthermore, modelling of population-genetic data indicated that major lineage divergences within D. versipellis likely resulted from long-term allopatric population isolation in multiple localized refugia over the last glacial/interglacial periods, and which in turn fostered endemic species formation (D. difformis, D. majonesis) from within D. versipellis in Southwest China. These findings point to an overriding role of Quaternary climate change in triggering essentially allo-peripatric speciation and refugial divergence in this group of forest-restricted plant species in subtropical China.

Zhejing University, Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, and College of Life Sciences, No.866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China2 Salzburg University, Department of Organismic Biology, Salzburg, Austria

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Conservation Biology Conservation Biology ORAL PAPERS 614

PEARSON, KATELIN D* 1, ELLIS, SHARI , ELLWOOD, ELIZABETH 3, NELSON, GIL 4, PAUL, DEBORAH 5, RICCARDI, GREG 5 and MAST, AUSTIN 6 2

On the front lines of discovering change: Biodiversity specimen collectors as the Anthropocene’s outlier detectors

n this era of global change, early recognition of change in Earth’s biota is vital to prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecological health. Biological outliers (e.g., in phenology, distribution, morphology, etc.) may indicate early stages of significant, transformative change that merit immediate attention. As active naturalists, collectors of biodiversity specimens are on the front lines of observing this change, yet may not have the tradition, training, cyberinfrastructure, and semantics to efficiently detect and report change to potential stakeholders. The iDigBio Outlier Detection and Documentation by Collectors (ODD Collectors) Working Group surveyed specimen collectors and preparators to determine: (1) whether this is indeed the case, (2) how collectors determine whether something they have collected is an outlier, and (3) what impediments to outlier detection and documentation exist. We will discuss the results and their implications for the broader community, and we offer suggestions to empower collectors as sentinels of change.

Florida State University, Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA2Florida Museum of Natural History, Center for Informal Science Education, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3Florida State University, iDigBio, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA4Florida State University, iDigBio, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA5Florida State University, iDigBio, Tallahassee, FL, USA6Florida State University, Department Of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

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BARKWORTH, MARY E* 1, WILKINSON-LAMB, SARA 2, DYRESON, CURTIS 3 and COBB, NEIL 4

Extending the impact of digitization and biodiversity networks

igitization has expanded rapidly during the last ten years. In the US, Symbiota has contributed significantly to this expansion, partly because it permits browser-based data entry. Nevertheless, there are many specimens in US herbaria that are not digitized, many parts of the world where digitization and data sharing has scarcely started, and potential forms of collaboration that have not been explored. Symbiota can be used to address these issues. In the US, employment of prison inmates can help address the enormous number of specimens still needing to be databased but they are not allowed internet access. Outside the US, the problem is often slow or intermittent internet access. Both issues

could be addressed by a synchronization program that permits upload of new or modified records to a network from a local database and download of new names and other standardized information from the network database to local databases. Another issue, particularly when working across national boundaries, is the taxonomic backbone to be adopted. No matter what source is used, there will be participants that disagree strongly with parts of it and part that need to be changed to reflect ongoing research. We propose modifying Symbiota so that any user can view the taxonomic tree being used and review short summaries of the reasons for new or controversial decisions. This would also help reduce the perception that taxonomic decisions are arbitrary and/ or capricious. It would not eliminate disagreements. Development of such summaries could be incorporated into graduate classes in taxonomy. If they were incorporated into an international, online course, they would encourage all involved to think beyond regional and national boundaries. These and other potential benefits of digitization and data-sharing that require relatively small changes in existing programs will be discussed. 1

Somaliland Biodiversity Foundation, 397 Lauralin Drive, Logan, Utah, 84321, United States2Dagget County School District, Adult Education, PO Box 118, 45 West 200 North, Manila, UT, 84046, USA, 43523949483Utah State University, Computer Science Department, 4205 Old Main Hill , Logan, UT, 84322-4205, USA4Northern Arizona University, Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, 617 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ, 86011-5640, USA

616

JENSEN, NICHOLAS

A Flora of Tejon Ranch, California

t approximately 270,000 acres Tejon Ranch is California’s largest contiguous piece of private land. Located primarily in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County, Tejon Ranch occupies one of the most interesting and complex areas of ecological convergence in the state: the junction of the San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada, Western Transverse Ranges, and Mojave Desert. Prior to 2008, when 90 percent of the ranch was placed under conservation agreements, Tejon Ranch was closed to scientific research. On Tejon, over the past two years I have made more than 3,000 herbarium collections representing at least one new species (Streptanthus sp. nov), dozens of new populations of rare species, and numerous range extensions. A highlight of these collections last year was the discovery of a population of California jewelflower, Caulanthus californicus, an endangered species previously considered extirpated in the San Joaquin Valley. So far, these collections represent more than 950 taxa, approximately 90% of which are native to California. This means that Tejon Ranch provides habitat for more than 13% of the state’s native plants on just 0.25% of California’s acreage. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

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VAN ZANT, JEFFREY , TALCOTT, ANNA and COOPER, RANESSA*

Genetic structure and gene flow among Cirsium hillii (Hill’s thistle; Asteraceae) populations from Drummond Island, Michigan

irsium hillii (Hill’s thistle; Asteraceae) is a perennial endemic to oak savannahs, open woods, prairies, and jack pine barrens in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, and it is a species of special concern with G3/S3 rankings. In Michigan, Hill’s thistle is known from several regions across the state, but populations have decreased in number mainly due to habitat loss. Drummond Island is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and is part of Chippewa County. In 2014 and 2015, estimates of genetic diversity were performed on three populations of Hill’s thistle from Drummond Island. Genetic diversity was assessed using six microsatellite loci; levels of heterozygosity were high in all three data sets, while allelic diversity was low. Although cloning can be a major mode of reproduction for C. hillii through the production of root shoots, genotypic richness values were high, indicating sexual reproduction being more prevalent in these populations. The Hill’s thistle population located at the Harvey’s Rocks Plant Preserve has been sampled extensively through an on-going collaboration with the Michigan Nature Association (MNA), and it presents a unique opportunity to do a long-term assessment of spatial genetic structure. Our data will be useful to MNA and the Michigan Natural Features Inventory for planning and implementing future conservation management efforts of C. hillii on Drummond Island. HILLSDALE COLLEGE, 33 E COLLEGE ST, HILLSDALE, MI, 49242, USA

618

WHITE, ABBEY* 1, KRAMER, ANDREA 2 and FANT, JEREMIE 1

Understanding genetic diversity, clonality, and demography to inform restoration of a vulnerable Great Lakes endemic thistle, Cirsium hillii (Asteraceae)

ulnerable plant species receive limited attention because they are neither common enough to warrant wider study, nor rare enough to be prioritized for recovery. Although vulnerable species increase diversity in a system and can provide important ecosystem functions and services, they are rarely included in restoration work. One representative vulnerable species is Cirsium hillii (Hill’s Thistle), a northern native thistle endemic to the Great Lakes region, where it inhabits two very different types of xeric habitat - gravel hills and sandy prairies. Listed as globally vulnerable, C. hillii has a wide distribution with a few populations that are large and reproductively active, but most populations are small, fragmented, and at risk of local extinction. C. hillii rarely flowers and many populations show low reproductive success and have poor seed production, making it difficult to include this species in restoration mixes. Some

C. hillii populations seem to persist via asexual, clonal reproduction, although the extent to which it relies on clonal growth is mostly unknown. When it does flower, C. hillii is thought to be self-incompatible, and this, combined with low genetic diversity and small population numbers, may further reduce seed set. In this study, we use microsatellite markers to investigate the extent of clonal growth, genetic diversity, and genetic structure in seven populations of C. hillii. We found limited genetic diversity within a population and extremely high clonality, but high diversity between populations. Our results indicate that asexual reproduction may be the primary mode of reproduction in this species; with increasing fragmentation, the apparent reduced sexual reproduction may necessitate alternative restoration efforts. This study highlights the importance of understanding clonal structure when determining the population dynamics of a clonal species, as field observations based on the number of plants will likely overestimate the effective population size. Recovery strategies for C. hillii should focus on increasing the genotypic diversity at each site. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden/Northwestern University, Plant Biology and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

619

HARTLEY, NATHAN* 1 and HARDY, CHRISTOPHER 2

Diversity and Rarity in the Pennsylvanian Wetland Flora

etlands are lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic habitats that heralded for providing numerous ecological services and hosting a great breadth of biodiversity. Being that wetlands comprise less than 2.5% of the total surface area of Pennsylvania, I sought to determine whether Pennsylvanian wetlands serve as phytodiversity hotspots, to what degree Pennsylvania wetlands serve as refugia for Pennsylvanian Special Concern taxa, and whether Pennsylvanian wetlands harbor statistically skewed patterns of phytophylogenetic diversity from those in upland habitats or in the Commonwealth as a whole. The 2013 National Wetland Plant List’s wetland fidelity ratings were applied to the native vascular flora of Pennsylvania in order to identify phylogenetic patterns between five larger clades/grades (pteridophytes, gymnosperms, non-eudicot dicots, monocots, and eudicots) species richness. One-fifth of the state’s native vascular plant species, and over one-fourth of all rare, threatened, or otherwise endangered species within the state were found to be completely reliant on Pennsylvanian wetlands. The most striking phylogenetic pattern observed was the proportional diminishment of monocot species richness from obligate wetland to non-wetland (upland) habitats as eudicot diversity reciprocally increased. Monocotyledonous flowering plants (monocots) were disproportionately abundant in the Pennsylvanian obligate wetland flora and accounted for over 50% of wetland vascular plant diversity, compared to 33.4% in the entire native Pennsylvanian flora, and ca.19.1% globally. Obligatory wetland monocots had greater phylogenetic breadth and species richness than upland monocots. The grass order, Poales, comprised over half the species

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Conservation Biology richness of obligate wetland and upland monocot floras, but obligate wetland poalean taxa exhibited greater familial phylogenetic breadth and species richness. These findings underscore the significance with which wetlands contribute to the phytodiversity of the Pennsylvania flora and provide a novel argumentative base for the pursuance of wetland protection from ongoing and future anthropogenic threats.

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, Department Of Biology, HOWELL SCIENCE COMPLEX, GREENVILLE, NC, 278584353, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, CONS SCI DEPT, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA3College of Charleston, Biology, Charleston, SC, 29424, USA

621

WEAR, DONNA* 1 and GORDON, JUDITH 2

Duke University, Biology, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC, 277082James C. Parks Herbarium, 288 Roddy Science Building, 50 E Frederick St, Millersville, PA, 17551, USA

Reproductive Status of the Shoals Spider Lily, Hymenocallis coronaria (Le Conte) Kunth (Liliaceae) in the Savannah River Basin, Augusta, GA, USA

620

JOLLS, CLAUDIA* 1, INKSTER, JACLYN , FEGLEY, ERIN 1, HAVENS, KAYRI 2, VITT, PATI 2 and SCHOLTENS, BRIAN 3 1

he Shoals Spider Lily (Hymenocallis coronaria ) is an emergent aquatic plant that is limited to freshwater systems of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama along the fall line where the piedmont and coastal plain geologic provinces converge. The species was first described by William Bartram in 1773 when he visited the shoals area in Augusta, GA. The species is currently listed as threatened in the state of Georgia, USA. After mainstem impoundment on the Savannah River in the 1950s, only three populations remained south of the Augusta, GA, diversion dam that diverts water into the Augusta Canal for industrial and public usage. The third and southernmost population is now locally extinct because of herbivory by deer. We have monitored the asexual reproductive status of this species (via clump size) since 2005, and the sexual reproduction status (via seedling counts) since 2006. Although asexual reproduction has remained stable throughout this period, seedling production has declined precipitously since 2007. Cooperation is needed between state and federal agencies regarding stream flow, particularly between anthesis (May-June) and seedling establishment (October-November), to ensure the conservation of this species.

Antagonistic and mutualistic networks of the rare Great Lakes shoreline endemic, Pitcher’s thistle

itcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri, Asteraceae) is a federally threatened perennial, endemic to the Great Lakes dunes and cobble shores. It is monocarpic, growing vegetative for 4-8 years, flowers once (producing capitula or heads as inflorescences), and then dies. Pitcher’s thistle lacks any means of vegetative reproduction. A biological control used to suppress weedy thistles, a univoltine seed-eating weevil (Larinus planus, Curculionidae, Coleoptera), has recently spread to Pitcher’s thistle. After mating, female weevils oviposit eggs in the thistle head; larvae then develop eating ovules and maturing seeds before pupating and emerging as adults that same season. Decreased in plant seed production ranges from 45-100%. Cirsium pitcheri flowers mid-season on the dune landscape and may provide important floral resources for pollinators and other C. pitcheri populations and have modeled effects of weevil seed predation on plant population viability using a demographic data set begun in 1995. We asked 1) What factors may increase vulnerability to seed predation by weevils, 2) Does a low impact deterrent, kaolin clay, hold any promise for weevil control? and 3) What is the role of C. pitcheri as a floral resource in these ecosystems? Intensive temporal monitoring of plants within and among years, including more than 1700 heads at three sites in northern lower Michigan, confirms that L. planus can have significant negative impacts on C. pitcheri seed production, fecundity, and population viability. Kaolin clay slightly reduced probability of oviposition into heads by weevils but did not repel needed insect visitors from C. pitcheri. We also observed all the insect-pollinated flowering species in 50-10 m x 10 m plots for a total of 14,090 minutes of observations between 25 June and 5 August 2015. Pitcher’ thistle was the most visited plant species, by the most insects, in the plant-insect network of 22 angiosperm and 59 insect taxa. Network analysis metrics confirmed highest species strength and connectedness for C. pitcheri. Although rare, Pitcher’s thistle is an important floral resource for this dune ecosystem. Protection of this iconic endemic against non-target impacts from (Larinus planus and an increasing suite of other threats should be a priority for management and conservation.

Augusta University, Biological Sciences, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA , 30802, USA2Augusta University, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA, 30802, United States

622 JOLLS, CLAUDIA* , FORTNER, A. RENEE , GOODWILLIE, CAROL and DIETRICK, ERIKA M. Critical biological knowledge for conservation of Cooley’s meadowrue, a rare perennial of pocosin-savanna ecotones

ffective conservation efforts can be limited by sufficient knowledge of rare species biology. Thalictrum cooleyi Ahles (Cooley’s meadowrue, Ranunculaceae) is a federally endangered dioecious herb of wet pine savannas of the southeastern US; little is known of its life history and ecology. We studied aspects of the reproductive ecology of T. cooleyi its association with woody species, and genetic structure in 11 populations North Carolina and Georgia. This species appears negatively associated with canopy closure, but positively associated with shrub cover, i.e., the nitrogen-fixing wax myrtle Morella cerifera. Deviations from strict dioecy are un-

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common in T. cooleyi. Although populations are malebiased, supplementation experiments found evidence for pollen limitation to seed set in this wind-pollinated taxon. Germination rates were low, likely due to low seed viability. Seed dormancy can be broken by cold stratification. High temperature stratification as associated with fire does not appear to increase germinability. Thalictrum cooleyi can be readily propagated by seed or vegetatively from caudex and rhizome divisions. Genetic diversity within and among populations appears low, as suggested by AFLP analyses. Although North Carolina and Georgia populations are distinct genetically, our limited data do not support hypotheses of separate species status or hybrid swarms. Major challenges to the recovery of T. cooleyi include the loss of habitat associated with closure of open pine savanna to dense forest, low seed set associated with limited pollen availability, poor seed viability, and possibly low genetic diversity within populations. EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, Department Of Biology, Mail Stop 551, GREENVILLE, NC, 27858, USA

623

CLAYBORN, JAESON* 1, KOPTUR, SUZANNE 2 and WHELAN, KEVIN 3

Sea Level Rise versus Host Plant Habitat Enhancement for Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus, a Climate Change Paradox?

any butterflies in the Florida Keys (U.S.), including the federally endangered Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus, have experienced significant population reductions. H.a. ponceanus is restricted to coastal subtropical dry forests in the Florida Keys, implicating vulnerability to severe storms, human development, and rising seas. A habitat enhancement project in Biscayne National Park (25.4431° N, 80.1972° W) designated four restored sites to increase the number of host plants (Amyris elemifera) specifically for H.a. ponceanus. Host plant mortality was significantly higher at Adams Key than Elliott Key. The restored sites at Elliott Key were significantly higher in elevation than Adams Key. Sea level rise (SLR) projections from the United States Army Corps of Engineers speculate SLR ranging from 0.5 - 1.5 m by year 2100. SLR range projections were adjusted to include tides and elevation of habitats surrounding coastal subtropical dry forests. Maps using GIS were generated to infer habitat loss by 2100. If projected SLR followed the worst-case scenario, only an estimated 22% of subtropical dry forest would remain in Biscayne National Park. Remaining subtropical dry forests in the Florida Keys at higher elevations should be protected from development. Managed relocation to the mainland of Florida (historic range) should be contemplated for long-term preservation of H.a. ponceanus and other rare butterflies dependent on coastal tropical dry forests.

Florida International University, Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA2Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA3National Park Service South Florida Caribbean Network, 18001 Old Cutler Rd., Suite 419, Palmetto Bay, FL, 33157, USA

624

NEALE, JENNIFER RAMP* 1 and SCHWABE, ANNA L. 2

Conservation genetic assessment of the federally protected Dudley Bluffs mustards (Physaria congesta,and Physaria obcordata) with implications for oil and gas development in the Piceance Basin of Colorado, USA

he federally threatened Dudley Bluffs mustards (Physaria congesta Rollins and Physaria obcordata Rollins: Brassicaceae) are two rare plants in Colorado with global classifications of G1 and G1G2 respectively. Both plants are known only from the Piceance Creek Basin in Rio Blanco County, Colorado and occupy roughly 575 square Kilometers. Although three Areas of Critical Environmental Concern have been developed to protect these species, they remain threatened by increasing energy exploration and development in the Piceance Basin. The greater Piceance Basin, spanning a large area in northwestern Colorado is presumed to be the nation’s largest reservoir of natural gas. Rio Blanco County currently has more than 2,600 natural gas wells, with predictions that there may be as many as 19,000 wells within 15 years. We conducted a population genetic assessment of both species to gain a better understanding of current levels and patterns of genetic diversity within each species. A total of 509 individuals from 17 collections of P. congesta and 479 individuals from 16 collections of P. obcordata were assessed with 13 microsatellite loci. Genetic analyses show a moderate level of genetic diversity in both species with P. congesta having higher diversity estimates than those seen in P. obcordata. Heterozygosity is low in both species and significant inbreeding was detected in some populations of P. obcordata. Unique alleles were also detected in both species. Physaria obcordata genetic data show strong geographic structure partitioned into three regional groups (western, northern and southern). The data for P. congesta show a non-significant trend towards northern and southern genetic clusters. Our recommendation for in-situ conservation is to conserve all populations as there are high levels of diversity detected in each species. Efforts should be made to maintain the genetic structure detected in P. obcordata. For ex-situ conservation, we recommend seed collection from within each of the three genetic regions for P. obcordata. Seed collection of P. congesta should span the species distribution to capture the detected range of genetic diversity. These results have been shared with land managers for these species and are being used to assess and inform future oil and gas development in the area. 1

Denver Botanic Gardens, Research & Conservation, 909 York Street, Denver, CO, 80206, USA2University of Northern Colorado, School of Biological Sciences, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA

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Conservation Biology 625

THACKER, JAMES HEATH* 1 and KROSNICK, SHAWN ELIZABETH 2

Analysis of reproductive biology and shade tolerance of the endangered plant Physaria globosa (Brassicaceae)

n 2002, Al-Shehbaz & Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Kane synonymized the genus Lesquerella with Physaria, resulting in 75 new species in Physaria. Of these, Physaria globosa (Desv.) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz (= Lesquerella globosa) is the only species in North America that occurs east of the Mississippi River. Typically flowering in late spring to early summer, P. globosa has a caudex from which single or multiple erect or spreading stems (30-50 cm) emerge bearing simple entire leaves, racemes of yellow flowers, and a dense covering of trichomes. The species is known to prefer open rocky outcrops within and along the edges of sloped cedar glade type habitats, bluff faces, talus slopes, calcareous soils and disturbed areas such as roadsides, railways, and power line right-of-ways. Most populations are found near flowing water or impoundments. Commonly referred to as Shortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bladderpod, P. globosa was federally listed as endangered in August 2014 due to loss of habitat, small fragmented populations, competition from native and nonnative plants, prolonged inundation, and erosion across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana populations. Historically, 55 known populations of the endemic forb had been observed; however, it is now known to only inhabit 26 sites. By identifying the limiting factors associated with this federally listed species, further extirpation may be impeded. This research will highlight the P. globosa mode of reproduction (e.g., self-compatibility vs. outcrossing, autogamy vs. heterogamy), and its effect on seed production, viability, and pollination. In addition, the visitation frequency and effectiveness of pollinator species will be explained by invertebrate identification and subsequent assessment of P. globosa pollen loads. Shade tolerance adaptation will be explored by the monitoring of subsets of an entire population representative of varying rates of photosynthetically active radiation. This work is being conducted USACE lands along the Cumberland River near Hartsville, TN, one of the largest identified populations of P. globosa. Research strategies will facilitate a greater understanding into the little known biology P. globosa, and will aid in determination of best management practices in the future.

Tennessee Tech University, Dept. of Biology, 1100 North Dixie Avenue, Pennebaker Hall #207, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA2Tennessee Tech University, Dept. of Biology, 1100 North Dixie, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA

626

ASHLEY, MARY V.

Asexual Reproduction and the Persistence of Threatened Plant Populations

he majority of flowering plants have the capability of vegetative reproduction and clonal growth, including many threatened and endangered species. Conservation of such species should include characterizing clonal structure and genet diversity, because monitoring the number of ramets will not reveal the number of genets. Genet surveys generally require DNA genotyping because clonal structure can be cryptic and highly variable. Evidence from wild strawberry, Fragaria virginiana, shows that nearby populations can differ greatly in reproductive patterns and clonal diversity despite having similar ramet densities and distributions. Such cryptic clonal structure was also found in an endangered oak species, Quercus hinckleyi, where two of the four remaining populations had only seven genotypes among 58 censused ramets. Increased asexual reproduction in threatened species may also be self-reinforcing, by further limiting the opportunities for sexual reproduction. Large clone sizes will increase self-pollination in selfcompatible species because many flowers will belong to the same clone. For self-incompatible species, asexual reproduction reduces the number of compatible mates. At the extreme, populations of self-incompatible species will become sexually extinct when they are comprised of a single clone. We found this to be case for populations of Asclepias lanuginosa in fragmented prairie remnants; several populations were monoclonal with a complete shift in mode of reproduction from sexual to asexual. Failure to consider clonal identity and diversity may also hamper restoration efforts; microsatellite genotyping of the endangered Hawaiian endemic Solanum nelsonii revealed moderate levels of clonality at a remnant natural site but only a single clone at a site where the species had been reintroduced for conservation management. Clonal growth may benefit conservation efforts by allowing populations to persist in marginal or changing environments, and by preserving genotypic diversity and heterozygosity under conditions where sexual reproduction cannot occur. However, conservation efforts that monitor clonal structure and manage populations to increase genotypic diversity will enhance prospects for sexual reproduction and improve longterm prospects for species persistence. University Of Illinois At Chicago, 845 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

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627

RAMIREZ-BULLON, NATALI* , NEGRON-ORTIZ, VIVIAN 2 and WINN, ALICE A. 3

Implications of pollen limitation for the persistence of a threatened dioecious endemic plant of Northwest Florida

he effective conservation of threatened plants requires an understanding of population dynamics and the evaluation of factors that could reduce population growth. Studies indicate that pollen limitation of seed production is widespread but few have quantified its effects on population growth. Recognizing the effects of pollen limitation on population growth could provide information important to insuring the persistence of species at risk. To quantify pollen limitation of seed production in populations of the threatened dioecious perennial plant, Euphorbia telephioides, and to explore how pollen limitation could affect population growth in this species, we combined experimental tests for pollen limitation with construction and analysis of structured demographic models. We simulated the effects of four levels of pollen limitation on population growth in demographic models parameterized with field data for these populations. Stage structured models indicate that all three populations are projected to decline. We did not find evidence of significant pollen limitation of fruit or seed production during the year of our experiments, but simulations of pollen limitation further reduced estimates of population growth rate by 1 to 4 %. Determining the current status of populations, and simulating the consequences of possible threats, such as pollen limitation, provides a quantitative basis for conservation actions. 1

Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA2U.S. Fish And Wildlfe Service, 1601 Balboa Avenue, Panama City, FL, 32405, USA3Department Of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA

628

BATOOL, GHANIA

Ethno natural science of restorative plants

he present study was directed in a specific area to join the monetary significance of therapeutic plants with their restorative properties and applications. The occupants of the range need to utilize the restorative plants for different purposes and have for a long time been reliant on encompassing plant hotspots for their sustenance, cover, grains, social insurance and other social purposes. Conversely, changes in their way of life appear to be in charge of the decay of practice in the neighborhood utilization of herbs for therapeutic employments. It is accordingly imperative to record the ethno herbal employments of these plants before the data is misplaced. The ethno botanical information was gathered through examiners by meeting nearby groups, neighborhood Tabib and Hakims. Altogether 40 species having a place with 39 genera and 32 families were listed which were used medically by occupants of the region.

629

CHAU, MARIAN M.

The #OhiaLove Crowdfunding Campaign: Developing global participation in local conservation

rowdfunding has become a new paradigm in raising money for a business venture or to provide aid in a disaster situation. Funds are typically raised in small amounts from members of the general public via an online platform, and with the right marketing through social media, successful campaigns reach and exceed their fundraising goals. More recently, crowdfunding has been utilized to raise money for conducting scientific research, expanding the paradigm further and introducing a new funding source for researchers who have long relied on ever more competitive government and extramural grants. In the field of conservation, biologists and natural resource managers have experienced the same bottleneck in traditional funding sources and are beginning to take advantage of the opportunity provided by crowdfunding; however, the majority of campaigns have focused on animal conservation. In the state of Hawai‚i, a newly identified fungal disease called Rapid Ê»Å hiÊ»a Death (ROD) has killed hundreds of thousands of Ê»Å hiÊ»a (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees on Hawai‚i Island and affected over 34,000 acres. Ê»Å hiÊ»a are the keystone species of our native forests, covering 865,000 acres statewide. Native birds, insects, and snails live in them and feed on them. Their canopy protects innumerable native understory plants, creating the watershed that feeds our streams and recharges our water supply. This tree also has immense cultural significance, symbolizing strength, beauty, and sanctity. Since spores of the ROD fungus may spread via beetle frass in wind currents, the disease may eventually spread to all islands, endangering all of our native forests, and no potential treatments or biocontrol methods are forthcoming. In the face of this crisis, the University of Hawai‚i - Lyon Arboretum Seed Conservation Laboratory launched a crowdfunding campaign to collect and preserve Ê»Å hiÊ»a seeds from all islands for resistance testing and future forest restoration. The #OhiaLove Campaign exceeded its initial goal of $35,000 in two months, with over 400 donors, and raised awareness regarding ROD and plant conservation in general. Several factors contributed to its success, including several months of pre-launch planning, strategic social media campaigning, local media support from the University, and strong initial backing from the local community that led to broader support worldwide. The #OhiaLove Campaign can serve as a model for botanists and other practitioners to raise much needed funds and public awareness for plant conservation.

Lyon Arboretum - University of Hawaii at Manoa, 3860 Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

Government College Women University, Botany, Kutchehry Road, Sialkot, Punjab, 51310, Pakistan

256

Conservation Biology POSTERS 630

NNAMANI, CATHERINE V* 1, IGWE, DAVID O 2 and OGBOGO, IKECHUKWU. B 3

Characterization of genetic variability in Azadrachta indica A. Juss Accessions from South-east Nigeria using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Markers

bstract Azadirachta indica A. Juss, is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta. It is a multipurpose plant of high commercial importance due to its medicinal properties and plethora of biological activities of the bioactive components contained in its seeds, leaves and bark against a wide range of pests and pathogens.. Knowledge of relative genetic distance among genotypes is useful in a drug discovery and it permits organization of germplasm for resources conservation. Ten accessions of Azadirachta indica from Ebonyi State, Nigeria were extracted using CTAB method and amplified using ten RAPD markers. Phylogenetic reconstruction was done using UPGMA option in NTSYSpc (version 2.2). Out of the ten markers, five were reproducibly found to be polymorphic. A total of 65 allelic variants were obtained, yielding 90.4% polymorphism. The accessions were clustered into three major clades with bootstrap values ranging from 64 to 89%, with the highest and lowest values in clades I and II, respectively. The dissimilarity maximum value was 1 while that of the minimum was 0.283 at 95% percentile value of 0.667. The ten RAPD markers had the range of alleles from 1015 with a mean of 4.93. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values were between 0.365 and 0.768 with an average of 0.645. Similarity indices ranged from 0.60 to 0.94. The markers such as OPT-11 and OPH-1, OPT-1, OPT-2 and OPT-7 were found to be more discriminatory and polymorphic than others. Also, the Azadirachta indica populations from diverse agro-climatic regions in the State clustered into three major coordinates, revealing a wide genetic diversity among the characterized accessions. Thus, the use of RAPD markers could be useful molecular tools to characterize the diversity of Azadirachta indica to complement the role of morphotaxonomy. This could also help in proper identification by the pharmaceutical industries for drug discovery 1

Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Nigeria, Applied Biology, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Nigeria, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, PMB0532International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria, Virology and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Ibadan, Oyo, +2343Nnamani, Catherine V, Applied Biology, Abakaliki, Ebonyi

631

PADGETT, JESSICA* and TAYLOR-BENNETTS, STACY

An Investigation of Metal Tolerance and Accumulation in a Rare Plant Species, Pediomelum piedmontanum (Fabaceae)

ediomelum piedmontanum, “Dixie Mt. Breadroot,” is a rare plant species with only three known populations, one on serpentine in Georgia and two on phyllite in South Carolina. Serpentine [Mg3Si2O5] refers to a mineral and a soil, typically containing high levels of heavy metals. We hypothesize that local adaptations to edaphic metals may provide insight into the limited distribution of this species. We have previously shown that the serpentine population is tolerant from 10-50 µM NiSO4. Our current study investigates Zn tolerance and accumulation in this population. To test for zinc and increased nickel tolerance, seedlings were transplanted into one of following hydroponic solutions: 50 µM ZnSO4, 100 µM ZnSO4 or 100 µM NiSO4. Seedlings enriched with 50 µM ZnSO4 showed zinc tolerance with increased shoot and root growth whereas growth was significantly less than controls in 100 µM ZnSO4 and 100 µM NiSO4 solutions. Zn accumulation from field and experimental leaf samples was determined using the zincon colorimetric test. Zn concentrations in leaves from the field were significantly lower than other legume species. Zn concentrations were greater in the roots than in the shoots in plants propagated with Zn enrichment, which is not unusual since this species has a large taproot. However, to find Zn tolerance up to 50 µM ZnSO4 from a serpentine population in the Southeastern U.S. is a unique discovery. From growth and survivorship studies, it appears that this population has an atypical requirement for Zn and Mg, which will be the focus of future study.

Augusta University, Biological Sciences, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA

632

BUCKLEY, LIBERTY* , BROWN, AMANDA , PADGETT, JESSICA and TAYLOR-BENNETTS, STACY

Population Dynamics of a Rare Species, Pediomelum piedmontanum (Fabaceae)

his study investigated the population dynamics of Pediomelum piedmontanum, the “Dixie Mt. Breadroot”, a recently discovered species that features only three known populations in disturbed areas in the lower piedmont of Georgia and South Carolina. A unique population, “Burk’s Mt”, is located in a rare serpentine pocket in Georgia, whereas in South Carolina, the two known populations, “Cemetery” and “Kennerly”, are found on phyllite substrates. The population parameters investigated included population size, seedling growth and survivability. Fitness, the average number of inflorescences/plant and percent seed viability, was also assessed by randomly tagging 20 plants. For seed viability, tetrazolium chloride was applied to 50 seeds/ population for 24hrs. The Kennerly population was the greatest in size (~ 600 plants) but displayed the lowest

257

fitness (ave. 9 inflorescences/plant). Also, seed viability was extremely low, 5% at Kennerly, compared to 95% seed viability at Burk’s Mt. The Cemetery population was also large (~ 400 plants) with low fitness (ave. 12 inflorescences/plant). The Burk’s Mt. population was the smallest in size (~150 plants), but displayed the greatest fitness (ave. 22 inflorescences/plant). These results suggest an inverse relationship between population size and fitness. Seedling growth was non-significant over a month with moderate survivability (65%). Since this species is perennial with slow seedling growth and low percentages of seed viability in the phyllite populations, we speculate that these larger populations are reproducing mostly by vegetative propagation, which generates lower genetic variability and fitness. Thus, this could increase the susceptibility of this species to predation and disease and possible extinction. Augusta University, Biological Sciences, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA

Over a four-year period, there was a strong linear relationship between flowering season (April-June) rainfall and fruit production, suggesting that rainfall was a primary controller of reproductive output. We conclude that this rare plant species is dependent on large-bodied bees for successful pollination and fruit initiation, and that seed output is partially pollen-limited. A more important controlling factor, however, is flowering season rainfall, as Apios priceana produces few seeds in lowrainfall years due to abortion of inflorescences, flowers and legumes. Auburn University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 101 ROUSE LIFE SCIENCES BLDG, AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL, 368495407, USA

634

PARIS, NATHAN J. 1, CRUSESANDERS, JENNIFER M. 2 and BOYD, ROBERT STEVEN* 3

633

Propagation by cuttings of the federally threatened vine Apios priceana (Fabaceae)

Floral biology of the federally threatened Apios priceana (Fabaceae) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama

PARIS, NATHAN J. and BOYD, ROBERT STEVEN*

pios priceana (Price’s Potato Bean) is a federally threatened plant found in (usually) small, scattered populations in several U.S. states. Climbing stems emerge in late spring from underground tubers and make inflorescences of large, pink flowers that can produce many-seeded legumes. Stems die back to the tuber in fall. Seed production can be sporadic, and little is known about the pollination biology of the species. At a population at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, we studied the breeding system, determined the major floral visitors and compared their pollination effectiveness, and explored the role of pollen limitation to fruit set and seed production. We also monitored fruit production over several seasons to document yearly variation and explore the relationship between rainfall patterns and flower/fruit production. For the breeding system study, fruit initiation was low for cross-pollinated flowers (3.9%) but still was significantly greater than for selfpollinated or non-pollinated flowers, none of which initiated a fruit. The vast majority of floral visits (97% of 564 visits) were by bees with 43% of visits by large bees(>1.5 cm in length) and 51% by medium bees (1-1.5 cm in length). In flowers of this legume species, the keel petals enclose the style and stamens and flowers must be “tripped” to expose the stigma for pollination. Large and medium bees were equally effective in tripping flowers, whereas small bees (< 1 cm in length) did not trip flowers. The success of several large bee species (Bombus and Megachile) in initiating legumes after a single floral visit ranged from 17-35% but did not differ significantly among bee species. A pollen supplementation study showed that initiation of legumes was pollen-limited, as 24% of supplemented flowers produced fruits compared to only 6% of non-supplemented (control) flowers. Comparison of seed counts in legumes from the two treatments revealed a trend for more seeds to be produced in legumes from pollen-supplemented flowers (but this was only marginally significant: P=0.067).

pios priceana is a rare herbaceous perennial vine found in widely scattered, usually small populations in several eastern states. An underground tuber produces one to several twining stems in late spring, flowers and fruits are produced if rainfall is adequate during summer, and then stems die back to the tuber in fall. Seed production may be sporadic, so that seed collection for ex situ conservation can be problematic. We investigated if plants could be successfully propagated by rooting field-collected cuttings from a population at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Two factors were investigated: donor plant size (small vs. large) and month of cutting collection (May vs. June). In addition to plant size, we included as an experimental factor whether or not a cutting was taken to document effects of cutting on growth and reproductive output. Cutting success (as indicated by formation of one or more tubers by the December after cuttings were collected) did not differ due to donor plant size but was greater for cuttings collected in June rather than May. In contrast, tubers produced by May cuttings were greater in number and larger. Large donor plants produced significantly more inflorescences and legumes than small donors, but there was no interaction of cutting treatment and donor plant size, indicating that both sizes of plants responded similarly to the cutting treatment. There was no significant effect of the cutting treatment on any variable, showing that donor plants recovered quickly after cuttings were taken. We conclude that propagation by cuttings is a viable method for rapidly producing plants for ex situ conservation purposes. We suggest that taking cuttings, in May from large plants, is the preferred strategy. Propagation by cuttings has the additional benefit of not significantly affecting growth or reproduction of donor plants and thus will minimally impact extant populations of this rare species. 1

Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Bldg, Auburn University, AL, 36849-5407, USA2Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave., NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309, USA3Auburn University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 101 ROUSE LIFE SCIENCES BLDG, AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL, 36849-5407, USA

258

Conservation Biology 635

COHEN, JIM

Population genetics of Oreocarya crassipes, an endangered species

reocarya crassipes (Boraginaceae) is an endangered species endemic to Brewster Co., Texas in the area just north of Big Bend National Park. O. crassipes is known from a small number of populations along the Fizzle Flat Lentil, and the species has edaphic specialization within the area. While aspects of the ecology of the species are known, the genetic and genomic diversity and population structure have not been examined. Leaf samples from 192 plants from across four populations were collected for genetic and genomic studies. Using tunable genotyping-by-sequencing (tGBS), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from across the genome were identified. Datasets with varying numbers of SNPs and missing data were compiled, and genomic diversity and population structure were studied using hierfstat and fastSTRUCTURE, respectively. Results of population structure analyses suggest that the sampled individuals comprise two genetically structured groups, although population structure is also observed should the sampled individuals be divided among three groups. In general, FST values of the populations are approximately 0.05, suggesting little differentiation across the sampled populations, although FST values are greater for some pairs of the four sampled populations. Additionally, FIS values tend to range from slightly greater than 0 to 0.15, suggesting that inbreeding occurs across the sampled populations. As the number of SNPs increases, along with a greater amount of missing data, FST and FIS values increase as well. 1010 Blanchard Ave., Flint, MI, 48503, USA

636

STICKANN, ZACHARY* 1 and BRIGGLER, MALISSA 2

Conservation of a Discovered Population of C. setigerus in Missouri

issouri is on the edge of the range for Cyperus setigerus Torr. & Hook with only one previous population of the sedge being found in Jackson County in 1915. The current population was discovered in Boone County along Interstate 70. Cooperative efforts by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri Department of Conservation are ongoing to spare the sedge population from extinction due to highway construction activities. Sod from the C. setigerus population was removed in September 2015 and rhizomes were separated from the roots of other plant species. The rhizomes of C. setigerus were then planted in containers and transferred to the Lincoln University greenhouse. One container had relatively large stems attached while the other two contained root stock that was found while cleaning the excavated sod. Most of the larger rhizomes with robust stems have resprouted while fewer resprouts have been observed from the rhizomes planted as root stock. The sedges are checked 2-3 times a week and rearranged in their specific containers to allow the sprouted plants ample room for growth. Transplanting

is expected to occur in autumn of 2016 in native prairie swales of Boone and Callaway counties. The transplants will be monitored for their success in establishing at the sites. If successful, this method may be used as a reference for future transplanting projects. 1

Lincoln University, Life and Physical Science, 820 Chestnut St., Jefferson City, MO, 65101, USA2Missouri Department of Conservation , 2901 W. Truman Blvd, Jefferson City, MO, 65109, USA

637

WARD, ALEX 1, FARENWALD, MAX , WENZEL, AARON* 2 and WOLFE, ANDREA D. 3 1

Conservation genetics of Penstemon caryi (Plantaginaceae) in and outside the Tensleep (Wyoming) Preserve

enstemon caryi is a rare plant species endemic to northern Wyoming and adjacent Montana that exhibits a fragmented distribution, appearing on limestone outcrops and talus slopes. A concern with species such as P. caryi is that its fragmented distribution will lead to limited gene flow between populations and low levels of genetic diversity, which could potentially result in extirpation. The goal of this study was to analyze the population genetics of nine populations P. caryi in and around the Tensleep Preserve in order to determine what conservation steps should take place. We used seven microsatellite markers in order to estimate levels population genetic diversity, population differentiation, and gene flow between populations. The collected data were analyzed in the programs GenAlEx, GENEPOP, and STRUCTURE. We found pairwise FST values ranging from 0.013-0.11, suggesting some admixture of populations via gene flow. This finding runs parallel to a 2001 study ofP. caryi with AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) markers that found a significant amount of gene flow between populations as well. However, according to STRUCTURE, two of the high-altitude populations (Top oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the World and Margarite Mesa) were each represented as distinct genetic clusters isolated from the rest of the populations. Additionally, due to isolation, there exists significant inbreeding (Rhois = 0.2067-0.5514), which may decrease heterozygosity among populations (Ho=.664). Our results suggest that although most populations of P. caryi exhibit connectivity via gene flow, several populations have become increasingly genetically isolated. These findings, combined with our estimates of heterozygosity and inbreeding, indicate that at-risk populations (Top oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the World, Margarite Mesa) should be given conservation priority, while the other populations in and around the Tensleep preserve should continue to be monitored and protected. 1

Ohio State University, EEOB, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA2Ohio State University, EEOB, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States3Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA

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638

639

Phylogenetic diversity assessment using GenBank data: a comparison among prairies at different latitudes

DNA Barcoding Studies in the Medicinal Genus Scutellaria

KELLAR, PAMELA ROXANNE* 1 and WELCH, AARON 2

hylogenetic diversity (PD) is a measure of evolutionary differences between taxa in a phylogenetic tree. For conservation, various PD metrics can be used to assess biodiversity and prioritize sites for preservation. DNA sequence data are readily available through online databases such as GenBank, so researchers may obtain genetic markers for a wide range of species for phylogenetic inference. However, GenBank lacks sequences for the same genes for multiple species - an important criterion for the most informative PD metrics, which depend upon branch lengths. As a consequence, these phylogenetic diversity assessments rely on the sequences of congeners or more distantly related species to serve as substitutes in sequence alignments, but the effects of such substitutions on interpretations of diversity are unknown. In this study, we compared PD metrics between two prairies - Nine Mile Prairie (NMP; Latitude 40ºN; 93 hectares) northwest of Lincoln, Nebraska and the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center (LWC; Latitude 28ºN; 113 hectares) in Austin, Texas. We mined GenBank for two plastid genes (rbcL and matK) and the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) for plants on lists of flora at the sites and investigated the effects of using surrogates in PD assessment. We estimated phylogenies for the two largest clades of angiosperms - asterids and rosids - and calculated seven PD metrics (PDFaith, MPD, MNTD, PDSES, MPDSES, MNTDSES, and IST) and three traditional diversity indices (S, SJ, and SS). We compared our results with those from a previous biodiversity assessment at NMP in which plant species were collected and sequenced on the Illumina platform, and no substitutes were used in the phylogenies. In total, 87 rosids and 117 asterids were included in the NMP calculations; 126 rosids and 194 asterids were included in the LWC calculations. The percentage of species with complete (all three) regions available on GenBank ranged from 23% to 33%, and congeners made up 50-60%. Interpretations of phylogenetic diversity varied across the PD metrics, but a Mann-Whitney U Test revealed diversity at NMP was lower than at LWC, which was expected since NMP is at higher latitude than LWC. A comparison between metrics based on mined GenBank data and those calculated from complete sequences led to mixed conclusions. Results from this and other studies like this will aid community ecologists and conservation biologists in future investigations of biodiversity and selection of priority regions for preservation. 1

University of Nebraska at Omaha, Biology, 6001 Dodge Street, AH211A, Omaha, NE, 68182, USA2University of Nebraska at Omaha, Biology, 6001 Dodge Street, AH211A, Omaha, NE, 68182, United States

IRVIN, LANI* 1, VAIDYA, BRAJESH 2 and JOSHEE, NIRMAL 2

he genus Scutellaria, a member of the Lamiaceae family, has about 400 species spread all over the Northern hemisphere. There are 20 species in our germplasm collection representing all major growing areas in different continents. Scutellaria is a medicinal plant with high anti-oxidant and anti-tumor activity that has been observed in our ongoing studies. Many species are rare, threatened or endangered. DNA barcode studies were carried out to objectively identify plant samples specifically even from small, damaged, or industrially processed material. This property holds great promise in identifying adulteration in herbal supplement industry. For developing DNA barcodes, genomic DNA was extracted from leaf samples of 20 Scutellaria species using the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method. The concentration and purity of the DNA was determined using NanoDrop and by amplifying the housekeeping gene, tubulin. After confirmation of DNA, four candidate DNA barcode genes, the ribosomal RNA maturase gene (matK; primer sets matK2.1-r and matK-3f1), the ribulose-1, 4-bisphospate carboxylase/oxygenase gene (rbcL; primer sets rbcL, rbcL2 and rbcL1-991), the chloroplast intergenic spacer (psbAtrnH) and the ribosomal intergenic spacer (ITS; primer set ITS2-3) were amplified to discriminate between the Scutellaria species via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification conditions were optimized for each gene-primer combination to amplify a single discreet band. The amplicons were verified by gel electrophoresis and were sent for sequencing. After the sequencing is completed and bioinformatics analyzed, the DNA sequences will be uploaded to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) database where the data will be analyzed. 1

Fort Valley State University, Biotechnology , 1005 State University Drive, Fort Valley, Georgia, 31030, United States2Fort Valley State University, 1005 State University Drive, Fort Valley, Georgia, 31030, United States

640 J PHIL*

EHARDT, CASSIE 1 and GIBSON,

Seedbed Environment and Microbiome Conflict in Seaside Alder (ALnus maritima, Betulaceae)

easide alder (Alnus maritima, Betulaceae) is an extremely rare wetlands species restricted to three regional populations in Oklahoma, Georgia, and the Delmarva Peninsula. In all three areas, there is no recruitment of new individuals from seed which has resulted in declining population sizes in all areas despite production of numerous viable seeds and apparently open sites new trees to establish. To investigate why there is no recruitment from seed in Oklahoma populations, we tested seedbed and seed storage conditions in field sites at the Nature Conservancy Oka’ Yanahli

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Conservation Biology Blue River Preserve in southern Oklahoma. Trials showed that failure of seedlings to establish was not due to seeds experiencing lethal cold temperatures in the soil nor absence of disturbance. There was an impact on establishment due to competitors. However, results unexpectedly found that the root microbiome, which is commonly associated with successful establishment in alders, may be an excessive carbon sink that hinders seedling survival 1

University Of Oklahoma, Microbiology And Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA2University Of Oklahoma, Department Of Zoology, University Of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

641

RYBICKI, NANCY* 1, STRIANO, ELIZABETH 2 and THUM, RYAN 3

An investigation of a cryptic introduction of Water Chestnut (Trapa sp.) in the Potomac River Watershed, Virginia

he Eurasian Water Chestnut (genus Trapa) is a nonindigenous species of floating aquatic plant in North America that impedes growth of native submerged aquatic vegetation through shading. A key characteristic in differentiating species in this genus is the number of barbed horns (0, 2, 3 or 4) projecting from the fruit and its width. Populations of a Trapa sp. with a fourhorn fruit (Trapa natans L.) have been established in the Northeast United States since the 1800s. No other Trapa taxa have been reported in the US. In 2014, Trapa sp. was found growing in the tidal Potomac River in Virginia for the first time since the costly eradication of T. natans from this river in the 1940s. We compared the two-horn Trapa sp. characteristics with existing colonies of T. natans in Maryland and with the worldwide literature on Trapa spp. and we investigated its local distribution and mode of dispersal. This Trapa sp. has a medium size, 2-horned fruit that differs significantly from the historically reported large, 4-horned fruit of T. natans. In a comparison of the ITS DNA sequences of two- versus four-horned Trapa collected in 2014 we found that the two morphotypes exhibited a fixed difference for a single nucleotide indel, further suggesting these as closely-related but distinct taxa. Genetic characteristics did not differ at the chloroplast trnLf region. A literature review of Trapa species showed that the fruit morphology of Virginia Trapa sp. was not different from the 30 to 50 mm wide, two-horned species, T. japonica, described in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. However, T. japonica appears to be synonymous with about six other names by which the species may be known and that differed depending on the country and taxonomic reference used. A survey of local waterways and investigation of earlier reports of T. natans in Virginia showed that Trapa sp. with two horns was spreading between 2000 and 2015 among ponds and a reservoir on four separate tributaries in the Potomac River watershed and into tidal water. Local seed dispersal has likely occurred by hydrologic transport and epizoochary on geese as evidenced by observations and photographs. Natural resource managers in North America should become

familiar with this previously unreported taxon. More work is needed to understand distinctions among Trapa spp. and to determine if ecosystem response and best management practices may differ between taxa. 1

US Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA, N/A, 20192, USA2A Green Footprint LLC, Fairfax Station, VA, 22039, USA 3Montana State University's Plant Sciences Department Bozeman, MT 59717

642

WALDER, MORGAN* , BOROWICZ, VICTORIA A. and ARMSTRONG, JOSEPH

Takeover on the Tallgrass Prairie: How Lespedeza cuneata Establishes Dominance

arwinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s naturalization hypothesis posits that an exotic species is less likely to establish in communities with closely related species because similarity in morphology and function among taxonomically related species would promote intense competition for resources. At fine scales this hypothesis predicts a negative correlation between abundance of an exotic species and the number of related species, and predicts that cooccurring species should differ in life history, morphology, and function in the community. We examined this hypothesis as it applies to Lespedeza cuneata, an exotic legume rapidly spreading through open, relatively infertile sites in the Midwest. Lespedeza cuneata has a greater biomass allocation to leaves resulting in a higher total leaf area as well as allelopathic leaf litter compared to its native congener, Lespedeza capitata. In addition, L. cuneata grows tall, coarse single stems that form large stands. Timing of flowering, height of vegetative and flowering structures, total number of flowering stems of L. cuneata and all other species were recorded in 96, 1 m2 plots on a reconstructed tallgrass prairie in central Illinois, USA. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured at ground level in June in each of the experimental plots, and biomass of grasses, forbs, L. cuneata, and other legumes were recorded from a 0.25 m2 subsample in each plot. These plots, established in 2006, had received annual treatments that were combinations of fertilizer (granular 10-10-10 N-P-K added/not added) and hemiparasite (Pedicularis canadensis removed/not removed). Principal components analysis was used to produce uncorrelated variables describing the composition of the plant community in the 1 m2 plots. Three factors explained approximately 71% of the variance in the data. These were included with fertilizer treatment, hemiparasite removal, and their interaction in analysis of variance of the dry mass of L. cuneata in the plots. Consistent with predictions of the naturalization hypothesis, L. cuneata biomass was negatively correlated with the number of other species of legumes present and also PAR. Other factors, which expressed the numbers of C3 and C4 grasses, forbs, weedy species, and exotic species in the community, were not associated with L. cuneata mass. Overall, fertilizer reduced L. cuneata biomass and hemiparasite removal had no effect. Lespedeza cuneata is the second-to-last species to flower on the study site and exhibits a growth form distinct from

261

other legumes. The characteristics of L. cuneata seem to align with the naturalization hypothesis, but analysis is still in progress. Illinois State University, School Of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Normal, IL, 61790-4120, USA

643

WHITEHURST, LAUREN* 1, BURGESS, KEVIN 2, WORTHY, SAMANTHA 1, MARISCO, TRAVIS 3 and LUCARDI, RIMA 4

Implementing a DNA barcoding pipeline for the identification and prevention of invasive plant propagules entering ports

xotic invasive species pose one of the greatest threats to the security of this nation’s agriculture, food supply, and international commodity trade partnerships. The US Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) is responsible for securing our borders from propagules of invasive and potentially invasive organisms, in addition to threats to national security and safety. Researchers are now cooperating with USCBP and Georgia Ports Authority at the Port of Savannah (Georgia, USA) to establish the first effort to develop more effective technologies to support their existing monitoring program, whereby new technologies may be available to USCBP allowing for more informed and rapid decisions on interceptions. Our primary interest, at this time, involves seeds hitchhiking into the US on shipping containers. Through a multi-institution collaboration, surveys were conducted at the port to collect potentially viable propagules of Federal Noxious Weeds embedded in intake fan grilles on refrigerated shipping containers. We hypothesized that shipping containers may be vectors of small-fruited invasive species entry into the USA. The overarching approach is two-pronged: morphological identification of mature plants (derived from intercepted seeds) and development of DNA barcoding for rapid species identification for future products, decision making, and risk assessment by regulatory bodies.

644

BONTRAGER, KRISTEN* and EMRY, DAVID JASON

Late-Season Glyphosate Application of Honeysuckle Alters Understory Community Composition in Topeka Parks

nvasive species are a growing problem in a number of habitats. Amur Honeysuckle’s (Lonicera maackii) early spring leaf emergence, late leaf senescence, birddispersed seeds, and allelopathic effects give it a competitive advantage over native understory species in Kansas forests. The Shawnee County Parks Department has used late-season glyphosate application to slow the spread of honeysuckle within Topeka Parks. However, it is unclear if this intensive treatment will increase the reestablishment of native species. In this study, we investigated plant communities in two different Topeka parks to determine whether species richness or composition differed among the communities growing beneath honeysuckle that had been mildly, moderately, or severely affected by herbicide application. Treatment severity affected community composition at both sites but did not affect species richness. Composition changes were greatest at Dornwood Park where severely affected areas had significant decreases in honeysuckle cover and increased cover of both vines and grasses. McLellan Park showed similar trends, but only honeysuckle cover differed among treatments. While not significant, severely treated patches at McLellan also had reduced cover of other plant taxa compared to mildly or moderately affected patches. This study shows that the current management program effectively reduces honeysuckle in Topeka’s parks. However, our results also provide a cautionary note that the intensive treatment may also lead to unintended consequences.

Washburn University, Department of Biology, 1700 SW College Avenue, Topeka, Kansas, 66621, USA

Columbus State University, Department of Biology, 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA, 31907, USA2Columbus State University, Biology, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, GA, 31907, USA3Arkansas State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, PO Box 599, State University, AR, 72467, USA4USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Athens, , GA, USA

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Ecophysiology Ecophysiology ORAL PAPERS 645

DAVIS, AVERY* 1, AGUIRRE, NATALIE , NELSON, SARAH 1, BORGES, ADRIANA 1, PIERCE, EMILY 1, GILDERMAN, GINA 1, SAUER, KAITLYN 1, MORALES, FRIDA 1, TAYLOR, MARIAH 1, PALMERI, GABRIELLA 1, HOLMLUND, HELEN 2 and DAVIS, STEPHEN DARREL 3 1

Historic Drought in California Is Linked to Fungal-Induced Dieback in a Keystone Chaparral Species

alosma laurina (laurel sumac) is a keystone species in chaparral ecosystems of the Santa Monica Mountains in coastal, southern California. It achieves nearly 100% resprout success after periodic wildfire due to a large lignotuber and an extensive root system, including a deep taproot that extends more than 12 meters into rocky soils. Deep roots normally tap deep moisture resources during 6-9 month seasonal dry periods typical of a Mediterranean-type climate. But prolonged drought between 2013-2016 has greatly restricted access to soil moisture and is now associated with the emergence of fungal-induced dieback in the shoots of M. laurina. We previously established that shoot dieback in M. laurina was associated with a physical blockage in xylem water transport in aboveground shoots by the fungal pathogen Botryosphaeria dothidea. We did not know if root function was also impacted. Thus we initiated a study to compare the root systems of dieback plants of M. laurina to roots of well-irrigated control plants. Our focus was on the roots’ ability to transport water to the shoot. We measured root hydraulic conductivity (Kh) and specific conductivity per unit xylem area (Ks). We found significantly lower Ks in infected plants (mean of 1.75 mg · mm-1 · s-1 · kPa-1) than in the healthy controls (4.01 mg · mm-1 · s-1 · kPa-1). We also used a double staining method that matched these functional results. Our staining procedure differentiated among vessels that were active in water transport (red stained vessels before air embolism removal), air embolized vessels (blue stained vessels after removal of air embolism), and physically blocked vessels (remained unstained by either red or blue stain). Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that the fungus B.dothidea reduces water transport capacity not only in stems but also in roots of M. laurina, both of which likely contribute to their recent dieback. It appears that historic drought has predisposed M. laurina to fungal-induced dieback both in their shoot and root systems, and these findings indicate potential shifts in plant community structure and the decline of a keystone chaparral species. Recent adult mortality in M.

laurina has already exceeded 50% in several chaparral stands of the Santa Monica Mountains. More seriously, the drought of 2013-2016 in southern California may persist with the anticipated arrival of La Nina in the Pacific Ocean. 1

Pepperdine University, Natural Science, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA2University of California, Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA3PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, NATURAL SCIENCE DIV, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, MALIBU, CA, 902634321, USA

646

SCHENK, H. JOCHEN* 1, ESPINO, SUSANA 1, PAPAHADJOPOULOSSTERNBERG, BRIGITTE 2, ZUO, YI Y. 3 and JANSEN, STEVEN 4

How can plants transport water under negative pressure?

ascular plants transport large quantities of water under negative pressure without constantly creating gas bubbles that would disable their hydraulic systems. Attempts to replicate this feat in artificial systems have invariably resulted in rapid bubble formation, except under highly controlled and extremely simplified conditions, using pure water at mild pressure, with only hydrophilic surfaces present. The hydraulic system of vascular plants, the xylem, in contrast, is complex, with millions of conduits, potentially containing hydrophobic surfaces, dissolved gas-saturation or supersaturation, and surface active molecules that can lower surface tension, all of which factors increase the chances of bubble nucleation. So how do plants transport water under negative pressure? We found that angiosperm xylem contains abundant hydrophobic surfaces as well as insoluble lipid-based surfactants, including phospholipids, as well as proteins, a composition similar to pulmonary surfactants. Surfactants were found in xylem sap and as micelles under transmission electron microscopy clogging pores of inter-vessel pit membranes and deposited on vessel wall surfaces. Surfactant-coated nanobubbles in xylem sap were imaged via freeze-fracture electron microscopy and were found as nanoparticles in xylem sap. Xylem surfactants showed strong surface activity that reduces surface tension to low values when concentrated as they are in pit membrane pores. We propose that, far from contradicting the cohesiontension theory, xylem surfactants enable water transport under negative pressure by coating hydrophobic surfaces and nanobubbles, thereby keeping them below the critical size at which bubbles would expand to form embolisms. We hypothesize that lipid-based surfactants are a universal requirement for water transport under negative pressure. 1

California State University Fullerton, Department Of Biological Science, PO Box 6850, Fullerton, CA, 92834-6850, USA2NanoAnalytical Laboratory, 3951 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA3University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2540 Dole Street, Holmes Hall 302, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA4Ulm University, Institute for Systematic Botany and Ecology, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, Dâ€“89081, Germany

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647

CHATELET, DAVID 1, SACK, LAWREN 2, SCOFFONI, CHRISTINE 3, EDWARDS, ERIKA 4 and DONOGHUE, MICHAEL* 5

The evolution of stem anatomy in Viburnum (Adoxaceae) and its significance for plant function

iburnum is a clade of ~165 species of shrubs and trees that occupy mainly temperate (but also some tropical) mesic forests, primarily around the Northern Hemisphere. In connection with our ongoing studies of leaf form and hydraulics, branching architecture, and diversification dynamics, we surveyed 103 species for a set of wood anatomical characters. This revealed remarkable structural conservatism across the entire clade (spanning tropical to temperate environments), but also phylogenetically and functionally important diversity. Viburnum clemensiae, from Borneo (the sister species of the rest of Viburnum) has a low vessel density of ~90 mm-2, with relatively long (~1240 um) and wide (~32 um) vessels elements, and elongate perforation plates (~340 um) with multiple scalariform bars (~88). In marked contrast, V. integrifolium from Taiwan has a high vessel density of ~530 mm-2, with shorter (~500 um) and narrower (~19 um) elements, and shorter perforation plates (~80 um) with few scalariform bars (~2). We found that two early-diverging (but distantly related) species from tropical forests in Borneo, V. clemensiae and V. amplificatum, were strikingly similar in their vessel elements. Concordant with their phylogenetic positions, and several other shared characteristics, we interpret their vessel elements as ancestral in Viburnum, having probably been retained along the entire Campanulidae backbone. We note, however, that several other tropical species from Southeast Asia, in the Sambucina clade, differ considerably from V. clemensiae and V. amplificatum, and from one another. For example, V. beccarii, a liana from Peninsular Malaysia, has a vessel density of ~205 mm-2, with vessel elements of ~1473 um in length, and perforation plates of 381 um with 54 bars, whereas V. vernicosum from Borneo, has a vessel density of ~781 mm-2, with vessel elements of ~759 um in length, and perforation plates of 121 um with 24 bars. The Valvatotinus clade stands out as having consistently shorter vessel elements (~760 um on average, vs. ~930 um in all other viburnums), shorter perforation plates (112 um vs. 211 um), and fewer bars (24 vs. 50). Interestingly, the Valvatotinus clade also shows, on average, higher leaf hydraulic conductivity (Kleaf), higher maximum photosynthetic capacity (Amax), and thicker leaves with palisade layers of elongated I-cells. Other aspects of stem anatomy are noteworthy, especially the production in the Amplicrenotinus clade of a continuous cylinder of thick walled sclerids in the cortex, which might protect the phloem from specialized insect larvae.

648

CAUDLE, KERI* 1, HILT, CHRISTINA , SMART, CERA 2, URBAN, ADAM 2, KRAMER, DIEDRE 2, MARTIN, NICOLE 2, BAER, SARA 3, JOHNSON, LORETTA 4 and MARICLE, BRIAN 5 2

Does environment or genetics influence leaf level physiology? Measuring photosynthetic rates of native big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grown in common gardens across a precipitation gradient

ig bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a native tallgrass species that has a wide west to east geographic distribution. There are several putative ecotypes within big bluestem, each hypothesized to be locally adapted to their native climatic regions, largely distinguished by precipitation. This study sought to determine if genetics (ecotype) or environment influenced photosynthetic rates, a useful tool in detecting water stress, in big bluestem ecotypes. Photosynthetic measures were made with a LI-6400XT portable photosynthesis system during June and July of 2014 at four sites including Colby, Hays, and Manhattan, KS, as well as Carbondale, IL across a range in mean annual precipitation from 5001200 mm/yr. Reciprocal gardens at each site contained five ecotypes of big bluestem ranging in tolerances to water availability. When comparing sites, Hays, KS (582 mm/yr) had the highest photosynthetic rates among sites, potentially in response to rainfall during the early 2014 growing season. Manhattan, KS (872 mm/yr) had the lowest photosynthetic rates, likely due to poor nutrient availability in soil. When comparing photosynthetic performance among big bluestem ecotypes, the Central Kansas ecotype (originating from Hays, KS) and the drought tolerant variety Sand bluestem had the highest photosynthetic rates across sites. Drought tolerance in A. gerardii is potentially related to nitrogen assimilation; increased nitrogen content manifested in several results, including increased photosynthetic rates. Knowing which ecotypes of big bluestem are adapted to decreased water availability could help shape understanding of how native tallgrass vegetation could respond to increased aridity.

Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States2Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, Kansas, 67601, United States3Southern Illinois University, Department of Plant Biology, 1263 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States4 Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA5Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601-4099, USA

Brown University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G-W, 80 Waterman St, Providence, RI, 02912, USA2UCLA, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA3University Of California Los Angeles, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1650 FEDERAL AVE APT 205, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA4Brown University, Box G-W, 80 Waterman St, Providence, RI, 02912, USA5Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 21 Sachem Street, PO BOX 208105, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

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Ecophysiology 649

MOCKO, KERRI* 1 and JONES, CYNTHIA S. 2

Functional traits and drought physiology of geophyte seedlings represent more than one “functional group”

eophytes have high species diversity throughout Mediterranean regions worldwide but are often overlooked in assessments of global patterns in functional traits and when included, are considered as one functional group. Geophyte diversity in South Africa is exceptional in the winter rainfall region where more than 2000 geophyte species comprise 20-40% of species diversity in an already hyper-diverse region. Functional traits and physiology of geophytes are often assumed to be similar to those of desert annuals because in both groups, vegetative growth coincides with water availability and moderate temperatures, although reliance on tuber storage of water and carbohydrates is unique to the life history of geophytes. The seedling stage is especially vulnerable but also crucially important: seedlings depend on what little above- or below-ground biomass they have accumulated to survive the hot, dry summers in Mediterranean regions. We investigated whether seedlings of species that vary in morphology (e.g. tuber size, leaf size) also show varying responses to drought. We ask: Do geophytes employ a common physiological strategy despite morphological variation? Can seedling functional traits be used to predict physiological responses to drought? Seed from four morphologically diverse Pelargonium species, all from the monophyletic section Hoarea, were germinated and grown under common greenhouse conditions. Seven-week-old seedlings underwent a drought until all species showed full stomatal closure. We measured predawn water potentials, rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, rates of leaf production and senescence, leaf area, LMA and whole plant biomass. Plants were re-watered, and we measured functional and structural traits after three weeks recovery. We detected a range of traits and strategies across species: those investing in early tuber growth have high LMA and close stomata with declining water availability. In contrast, species with small tubers and low LMA keep stomata open and turnover leaves more rapidly. Clearly species survival depends on seedling responses to drought, yet even among species with a common life history strategy, multiple functional strategies exist. 1

University Of Connecticut, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, U-3043, 75 N. Eagleville Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Rd, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

650

TIXIER, AUDE

Long distance Transport and mobilization of remote carbohydrates for the bud break during spring. A case study in walnut

ustaining spring growth in trees growing in temperate climates depends on resources previously stored in stems and branches. Carbohydrate demand of developing buds often exceeds locally available storage (diffusional distance), sugars have to be translocated from proximal locations (tree limbs, stems and roots). Both phloem and xylem have abilities to fulfil that mission although it is not yet clear how this transport function is split between the two pathways. In order to address this ambiguity we studied temporal dynamics of carbohydrate availability during bud break in walnut trees (Juglans regia L.) with a phloem girdling experiment. Significant loss of branch carbohydrates during initial bud growth occurred in the proximal part of the branch while availability near the bud remained unaffected or even increased supporting the notion of long distance translocation. A phloem girdling experiment resulted in significant reduction of sugar content in distal locations although an accumulation toward the bud was still present. Girdling increased water content in the distal part of the branch suggesting that water was retained in the girdled branch section because of impaired back flow, a notion supported by an apoplastic dye perfusion experiment that showed a significant drop in distal xylem water transport in girdled stems. Based on our results we propose a new model for spring carbohydrate translocation activity in trees. A short term role reversal in function between xylem and phloem during a period of limited transpiration is observed: xylem supplies sugars and phloem backflows water from branch distal locations (Münch osmotic pump).

uc davis, plant sciences, one shield avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, United States

651

KANA HUISA, ELIZABETH* and SCHAFRAN, PETER

Analysis of morphological and anatomical characteristics of stomata of Isoetes hyemalis D. F. Brunt.

bstract: Few studies have focused on comparative morphological variation and almost none involve stomata density. The goal of this study is to document the variation in characteristics and morphology of stomata of plants grown submerged, and to understand the adaptability of the genus Isoetes in changing environments. Forty individuals of Isoetes hyemalis were planted in a 1:1 mixture of peat moss and sand after removing all leaves; 20 were planted in terrestrial conditions and 20 in submerged conditions. Plants were divided into ten groups of four. Each individual was planted approximately 3 cm apart from each other in five containers of volume 785 cm3 under terrestrial conditions, and in five containers of volume of 5,280 cm3 under submerged conditions. If morphological varia-

265

tions of stomata occur due to environmental conditions, these results could suggest that stomata cannot be used for taxonomic purposes.

653

MARTIN, NICOLE 1 and MARICLE, BRIAN* 2

Old Dominion University, Department of Biological Sciences, 5115 Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529, USA

Species-specific enzymatic tolerance of sulfide toxicity in plant roots

652

EWERS, FRANK 3

Does the osmolality of mangrove xylem sap decrease as stomata close and water potential increases?

ap salinity in mangroves may play several roles, such as reducing the symplastic turgor pressure of living cells adjacent to the transport pathway and regulating the whole-plant hydraulic conductivity through the ionic effect. Previously, we found that the osmolality of the first 0.01 mL samples of xylem sap extracted by the pressure chamber technique is high and correlated with the amount of inorganic ions, mainly Na, K and Cl, and ruled out the possibility that such values are due to contamination. Given such results, we hypothesized that xylem sap osmolality would increase when water in vascular tissues is depleted (due to higher solute concentration) by transpiration during the day and decrease when water is replenished during the night after stomata close. We test these assumptions by following the circadian rhythms of stomatal conductance and shoot xylem and osmotic pressure in 63 shoots of the black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and 63 shoots of the white mangrove (Laguncularia racemose) randomly selected from 100 shoots per species previously tagged along a trapline. We used a pressure chamber to measure xylem pressure (XP) and to extract the xylem sap to measure osmotic pressure (OP) in each shoot (three shoots per species every 2 hours) along a 54-hour period. During the same period, we measured adaxial and abaxial stomatal conductivity (SC) in three shoots of six trees per species. XP and OP varied across species (Laguncularia: mean XP (SE) = -2.7 (0.08) MPa; min=-3.5; max=-2.2; mean OP = 143 (8.6) mmol kg-1; min=89; max=237; Avicennia: mean XP =-3.38 (0.14) MPa; min=-4.2; max=2.4; mean OP = 218 (9.6); min=152; max=324). The SC was highly variable during the daytime (8:00-18:00) and very low from dusk to dawn (from 18:00 to 8:00 h). As expected, XP was minimum following midday, but SC peaked to its maximum values between 09:00 and 12:00 h. However, no significant correlation was found between XP and OP (r = 0.18; P = 0.4) or between XP and stomatal conductivity. This implies that XP follows SC along the day and that living cells are regulating OP within a determined range to control turgor. 1

Instituto de Ecología, A.C. (INECOL), Ecología Funcional, Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, Mexico2Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educació, Biología de la Conservación, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Zona Playitas, Ensenada, Baja California, 22860, Mexico3California State Polytechnic University, Biological Sciences, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, Callifornia, CA, 91768, USA

oxic effects of sulfide come from a poisoning of a number of enzymes, especially cytochrome c oxidase, which catalyzes the terminal step in mitochondrial aerobic respiration. Despite this, some estuarine plants live in sulfide-rich sediments. We hypothesized estuarine and flooding-tolerant species might be more tolerant of sulfide compared to upland species, and this was tested by measures of root cytochrome c oxidase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities in extracts exposed to sulfide. Enzyme activities were measured in 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 μM sodium sulfide, and compared among 17 species of plants. Activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase were both reduced by increasing sulfide concentration, but cytochrome c oxidase was more sensitive to sulfide compared to alcohol dehydrogenase. Activities of cytochrome c oxidase were reduced to near zero at 5 to 10 μM sulfide whereas alcohol dehydrogenase activities were only reduced by about 50% at 10 μM sulfide. All species were sensitive to increasing sulfide, but to different degrees. Cytochrome c oxidase in flooding-sensitive species was decreased to near zero activity at 5 μM sulfide, whereas activities in some flooding-tolerant species were still detectable until 15 μM sulfide. Cytochrome c oxidase activities in some estuarine species were low even in the absence of sulfide, perhaps an adaptation to avoid sulfide vulnerability in their native, sulfide-rich habitat. This illustrates the potent metabolic effects of sulfide, and this is the first demonstration of varying sensitivities of cytochrome c oxidase to sulfide across organisms, making these data of novel importance. 1

Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, Kansas, 67601, USA2Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601-4099, USA

654

OLUKOYA, BUSAYO and SAKPERE, AYOBOLA MONINUOLA*

Effect of Water Stress on the Growth and Phytochemical Content of Clerodendrum volubile (Beauv.) at Different Growth Stages

lerodendrum volubile is commonly known among other leafy vegetables in some parts of Nigeria. It is also used as medicine. The effect of water stress on its growth and phytochemical constituents at different growth stages (pre and post flowering) was studied. Matured stem cuttings of C. volubile were planted. At six and fifteen weeks after planting, sprouted plants were used for the pre and post flowering experiments respectively. For each experiment, the plants were divided into 4 regimes; regime1 plants were watered everyday (control), regime 2 plants were watered on a 3-day interval, regime 3 plants were watered on 7-day interval and regime 4 plants were not watered at all throughout the

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Ecophysiology experiment. Growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh weight and dry weight of the plant were measured on a weekly basis for 5 weeks and qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening was carried out at the end of the experiments using standard methods. All parameters observed in plants subjected to stress were significantly reduced compared to control plants. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of the leaves of Clerodendrum volubile at the pre and post flowering stages after water stress shows no difference in phytochemical content between stressed and unstressed plants, however, concentration of the phytochemicals was dependent on type of phytochemical, treatment and growth stage of the plant. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Botany, Ile-ife, Osun, 220005, Nigeria

655

BOYD, JENNIFER* 1, RAYMOND, GREGORY 2, CALL, GEOFF 3 and PISTRANG, MARK 4

Adaptive leaf-level physiology exhibited by the rare terrestrial orchid Platanthera integrilabia across contrasting habitats

latanthera integrilabia (white fringeless orchid) is a rare terrestrial orchid species generally associated with semi-open forested wetlands in the southeastern U.S. It has been suggested that P. integrilabia has restrictive abiotic resource requirements; however, these requirements have not been implicitly studied despite their potential application to species conservation. We investigated the influence of light and soil moisture availability on P. integrilabia at landscape and local scales and population and organismal levels across and within four occurrences with contrasting canopy openness. We also evaluated the potential for adaptation and plasticity of leaf-level physiological responses of this species to light and soil moisture to influence its habitat suitability and performance. At landscape scales, light and soil moisture availability were not associated with P. integrilabia density or individual size. Across sites, photosynthetic light-response and water-use efficiency indicated that P. integrilabia can adapt to maximize photosynthetic efficiency and energy gain in contrasting light and soil moisture environments. Minimal associations of these measures with abiotic variations at more local scales suggested that photosynthetic trait plasticity may be limited, but could be influential in some populations. Preservation of existing habitats associated with viable P. integrilabia occurrences is warranted. But the adaptive leaf-level physiology of this species suggests that its habitat suitability can vary across populations to also include more open and drier sites. For populations experiencing declines in habitats that have experienced recent disturbance, we suggest the possibility that well managed modifications to canopy cover may be beneficial. 1

Cookeville, TN, 38501, USA4U.S. Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest, Cleveland, TN, 37312, USA

656

CARY, KATHARINE* 1 and PITTERMANN, JARMILA 2

Leaf and xylem function under extreme nutrient deficiency: an example from the pygmy forest

lant adaptations to edaphic stress are important to ecological processes and ecosystem functioning; however, they are extremely complex and varied, and yet not completely understood. The pygmy forest in Mendocino County, California, offers an ideal natural experiment for studying plant growth and function under extreme edaphic stress. In this system, soil acidity and nutrient limitation constrain tree height to 1-2 meters and create unique plant communities with several endemic species. A number of studies have examined these soils and plant communities, but little is known about the structure and function of these plants, or what the implications of these effects are on plant survival and community structure. We addressed this gap by examining numerous key physiological attributes of pygmy and nearby control plants of eight species. Our hypothesis was that nutrient limitation would constrain photosynthesis and related leaf functional traits, such as dark respiration, stomatal conductance, water-use efficiency, stomatal density, and specific leaf area. However, most of the thirteen leaf traits we measured did not vary substantially between pygmy and control individuals, except in Sequoia sempervirens, which is rare in the pygmy forest. Pygmy S. sempervirens had lower chlorophyll content, maximum photosynthetic rates, and water-use efficiency than control individuals. Furthermore, we constructed vulnerability curves and measured leaf- and xylem-specific xylem conductivity in four species. We predicted that nutrient limitation would increase vulnerability to hydraulic dysfunction (embolism). Compared to conspecific control plants, pygmy angiosperms were more vulnerable to embolism, but pygmy conifers were equally or more resistant to embolism than controls. Interestingly, these plants seem to be hydraulically overbuilt for their environment: even at the water potentials we measured at the end of the dry season, our vulnerability curves predict both pygmy and control plants experience little embolism. Given that the pygmy forest experiences little water stress, it appears that it is nutrient limitation, not water limitation, that determines xylem growth and function in this system. Leaf function, however, is surprisingly unaffected by this nutrient limitation, and it seems that taxa that are adapted to live on these soils do so by limiting their growth but not necessarily their metabolism.

University of California, Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Pittermann Lab, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA2University Of California, Integrative Biology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, Dept 2653, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN, 37403, USA2University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science3U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Ecological Services Field Office, 446 Neal Street,

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657

FEDER, ZOË* 1, MULLER, CLARE , DRENOVSKY, REBECCA 2 and MOORE, MICHAEL 1

Infrared spectroscopy reveals a striking pattern of foliar gypsum accumulation among Chihuahuan Desert gypsophiles

he Chihuahuan Desert Region is home to a particularly diverse assemblage of gypsum endemic plants. Ongoing work in the Moore Lab has provided much insight into the origin and evolution of gypsum endemic lineages, revealing that gypsum endemism has evolved independently many times, often within ancestrally tolerant lineages. However, little is known of the ecophysiology of Chihuahuan Desert gypsum endemics. In contrast, many ecological studies in Spain have been conducted on plants growing on gypsum, and these studies demonstrate that such plants appear to employ a variety of ecological mechanisms to survive on gypsum. For example, gypsum endemics in Spain that are geographically widespread have been shown to accumulate gypsum itself in their leaves as a probable mechanism for sequestering the very high levels of calcium and sulfur that characterize gypsum soils, whereas narrowly distributed gypsum endemics and plants that grow on and off of gypsum (gypsovags) do not accumulate gypsum. To test whether Chihuahuan Desert gypsum endemics follow the same patterns of gypsum accumulation, we sampled leaf tissue of 23 species from southeastern New Mexico and west Texas (including 15 gypsum endemics, comprising a mix of geographically widespread and narrowly distributed taxa, and 8 non-endemics). To help control for phylogeny in our analyses, this sampling included 5 pairs of congeneric species or species in closely related genera, where one member of each pair was an endemic and the other a non-endemic. For all samples, we used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to generate infrared spectra, which permits the qualitative detection of gypsum. Analyses revealed that almost all geographically widespread gypsum endemic lineages [e.g., Acleisanthes and Anulocaulis (Nyctaginaceae), Sartwellia (Asteraceae), and Tiquilia (Boraginaceae)] accumulated gypsum in their leaves, with the notable possible exception of Nerisyrenia (Brassicaceae). In contrast, narrowly distributed gypsum lineages and non-endemics lacked obvious gypsum accumulation. This overall pattern is remarkably similar to that found in Spain by Palacio and colleagues, including the lack of gypsum accumulation in mustards. The ability to accumulate gypsum may have been an important preadaptation that facilitated the transition to gypsum endemism in some lineages, and it also may have been further enhanced by selection in the widely distributed gypsum endemic clades of the Chihuahuan Desert. In any case, the patterns of foliar gypsum accumulation that we observed suggest that gypsum accumulation has been an important factor in the evolution of Chihuahuan Desert gypsum endemics, and may be an important global phenomenon on gypsum.

POSTERS 658

FRALEY, PHILIP and RUHLAND, CHRISTOPHER*

The effects of leaf optics on photodegradation of Artemisia tridentata litter sampled along an elevational gradient

major contributor to the global carbon cycle is the decomposition of plant litter. Carbon dioxide released from decomposing organic material is an order of magnitude greater than that of fossil fuel combustion. Decomposition rates are typically dependent on climatic factors such as temperature and moisture as well as initial litter chemistry. However, the relative contribution of different wavelengths of radiation has only recently been examined and is not completely understood, especially in arid systems. The process of photodegradation involves the direct and indirect breakdown of plant litter components. Lignin, a major constituent of the secondary cell wall, has been implicated as a target for photodegradation. Lignin strongly absorbs ultraviolet radiation (“UV;” 280-400nm) and it is unknown if initial concentrations influence photodegradation of plant litter. We collected leaves of Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (Wyoming Big Sagebrush) from a 1000-m altitudinal gradient in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. Epidermal transmittance of UV decreased from 20 to 12% along this gradient and there was a concomitant increase in concentrations of bulk-soluble UV-absorbing compounds. We hypothesized that litter from high elevations should photodegrade slower than their lower elevation counterparts due to increased UV-screening by these compounds. In addition, we measured initial concentrations of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose of these leaves to provide an explanation for mass-loss rates. Litter was then placed under lamps and exposed to 3.2 kJ m-2 d-1 of UV in a laboratory setting. We examined decomposition rates at 49, 183 and 310 days. Mass loss was negatively correlated with elevation on all sampling dates and this relationship became more apparent over time. It appears that UV levels should be taken into consideration when trying to model decomposition rates in arid climates. Minnesota State University , Biological Sciences, TS 242 Trafton Sciences Center , Mankato , MN, 56001, USA

Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA2John Carroll University, Department of Biology, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA

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Ecophysiology 659

JOESTING, HEATHER M* , CHIARELLO, SAVANNAH and MEDRANO, ESTHER

Spatial and diurnal patterns in plant and leaf morphology and physiology for the coastal sand dune shrub Croton punctatus Jacq

he sand dune habitat can be a stressful place for plant growth and reproduction. The environment is characterized by a suite of abiotic stress factors that vary both spatially (e.g., salt spray and sand movement) and temporally (e.g., high air temperatures and incident sunlight during the growing season). Croton punctatus is a woody shrub common to the sand dune system of Georgia barrier islands and is often a dominant plant species in the primary dunes. Therefore, it would be expected for C. punctatus to possess morphological and/or physiological adaptations in response to the environment that function to promote growth and reproduction. The aim of this research was to investigate potential spatial and/or temporal patterns in plant and leaf morphology and physiology for C. punctatus in the sand dune system of Sapelo Island, Georgia, in June and July 2015. To explore potential spatial patterns, plant and leaf morphology were compared between plants located on the windward and leeward side of sand dunes. Additionally, leaf photosystem efficiency (measured as Fv/Fm) was assessed every two hours for two days to determine possible diurnal patterns in leaf physiology. Results showed that plants on the windward side of dunes had significantly larger, thicker leaves with more trichomes on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces in June and significantly greater plant area in July compared to plants on the leeward side, whereas plants on the leeward side had significantly greater leaf chlorophyll content in June. Furthermore, there was a significant diurnal pattern in leaf photosystem efficiency in both June and July, with decreased midday Fv/Fm values and late afternoon recovery. These results suggest that there are spatial and diurnal patterns in plant and leaf morphology and physiology for C. punctatus in the sand dune system in response spatial and diurnal variations in abiotic factors. Armstrong State University, Biology, 11935 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31419, United States

660

PALMERI, GABRIELLA* 1, REESE, SHAQUETTA 1, HOLMLUND, HELEN 2, EWERS, FRANK 3 and DAVIS, STEPHEN DARREL 4

Malosma laurina Dieback Associated with Fungal-induced Loss in Hydraulic Conductivity and Photosynthesis

widespread keystone species, Malosma laurina, is experiencing severe dieback throughout the Santa Monica Mountains (SMM) of southern California. M. laurina has nearly 100% post-fire resprout success, and its deep roots provide necessary slope stability to the

hillsides; therefore, M. laurina’s health is of ecological importance. Since water is a determinant of plant growth and survival in dry environments, our research examined whether M. laurina dieback is associated with decreased stem water transport due to the prevalence of a pathogenic fungus within the water transport tissue. In addition to hydraulic conductivity, we measured dieback plant water potential, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate in comparison to healthy controls. Xylem tissues from dieback and healthy controls were aseptically transferred to Potato Dextrose Agar for the cultivation of fungi. Nearly 100% of samples from stem xylem of dieback plants contained the fungal pathogen Botryosphaeria dothidea, whereas 0% of adult healthy plants contained the pathogen (n = 20). The hydraulic conductivity (Kh) and specific conductivity per unit xylem area (Ks) were significantly lower in dieback M. laurina both for adults (0.503 mg · mm-1 · s-1 · kPa-1) and resprouts (0.235 mg · mm-1 · s-1 · kPa-1 ) compared to healthy controls (3.31 and 2.67 mg · mm-1 · s-1 · kPa-1 respectively). Midday water potentials were significantly lower for dieback plants than control plants, consistent with our fungal isolation results and the hypothesis that severe drought in southern California predisposes M. laurina to fungal infection. Double staining of dieback and control M. laurina xylem suggested that a physical blockage of vessels caused the observed decrease in stem water transport. Continued dieback of M. laurina will likely provide an opportunity for invasion of non-native weeds that may lead to a decrease in slope stability and an increase in fire frequency within the Santa Monica Mountains. Within the context of continued drought in southern California and global climate change, the need to preserve native biodiversity, especially keystone species, is apparent. 1

Pepperdine University, Natural Science, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA, 90263, USA2University of California, Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA3California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA, 91768, USA4PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, NATURAL SCIENCE DIV, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, MALIBU, CA, 90263-4321, USA

661

KERR, KELLY* 1, WOODRUFF, DAVID , MEINZER, FREDERICK 2, MCCULLOH, KATHERINE 3 and MARIAS, DANIELLE 4 2

Understanding physiological mechanisms underlying seedling establishment: a look at drought resistance traits in populations from contrasting climates from two conifer species

egetation patterns and species distributions are strongly linked to soil moisture regimes. Populations within a species from contrasting climatic regimes could exhibit different establishment mechanisms. Germinant tree seedlings exhibit high rates of mortality, yet seedling survival is crucial for forest regeneration and may be more important in determining species distributions than adult tree performance. Therefore, a more

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thorough understanding of mechanisms underlying seedling establishment is critical for predicting future species distribution patterns. We investigated the extent to which species populations from different climate zones exhibit differential expression of drought resistance traits and strategies that facilitate their establishment. Seeds from two populations of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa; PIPO) and Douglas-fir (Psuedostuga menziesii; PSME) from different climate zones in Oregon (dry site and wet site populations) were sown in a common garden and grown under two water availability treatments (control and drought) in 2013 and 2014. Morphological and physiological variables associated with growth, survival, and mortality were measured during the growing seasons and as seedlings experienced increasing water stress under the drought treatment. At the end of 2013, PIPO control seedlings had grown more than droughted seedlings, and PIPO wet site seedlings grew more than PIPO dry site seedlings under both treatments. Leaf-specific conductivity (kl) was more than twice as high in PIPO wet site population seedlings than in PIPO dry site population seedlings under both treatments and was consistently, but not significantly lower under drought. Intrinsic WUE based on δ13C values was higher in the PIPO dry site population seedlings, but there was no significant treatment effect on δ13C values. A strong negative relationship was found between values of δ13C and kl across PIPO populations and treatments, consistent with greater stomatal constraints on gas exchange with declining seedling hydraulic capacity. At the end of 2014, mortality was 56% higher in droughted PSME seedlings than control seedlings. During September of 2014, total sugar content was higher in whole PSME control seedlings, but no other significant differences were observed across treatments in either leaf, stem, or root non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) content for non-dying PSME seedlings. Total NSC content in dead/dying PSME seedling stems and roots was 205% and 32% of the non-dying PSME seedling stems and roots, respectively. This reduction in root NSC in dead/dying PSME seedlings, along with an increase in stem NSC, suggests that constraints on phloem transport contributed to PSME germinant seedling mortality. 1 University of Georgia, Plant Biology2USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station3The University of Wisconsin, Botany4 Oregon State University, Forest Ecosystems and Society

662

ABDUL GHAFFAR, MUHAMMAD AKBAR* 1, RAMIREZ-CADAVID, DAVID A. 2, MEULIA, TEA 3 and CORNISH, KATRINA 1

Lights, Cold and ET Action! Increasing Rubber Production in Taraxacum koksaghyz Roots

ubber yield can be manipulated, and often increased, by environmental and hormonal methods in Hevea brasiliensis, the world’s main rubber producing plant. Similar efforts are being attempted in the alternative rubber plant, Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TK). Different physiological and environmental factors will be tested, including light quality, cold induction and the

hormone ethylene via the use of ethephon, in TK plants grown in raised beds or hydroponics. Analytes were quantified using Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) as well as by microscopy. Rubber increased with these different physiological and environmental approaches. Supplemental lights doubled total rubber in 3 months. Cold treated plants had almost triple the rubber per root than controls, after 50 days. 1% ethephon solution at ambient temperature increased rubber concentration 1.6x after nine days, over the control. Cellular changes in the cytoplasm, and production of morphologically distinct rubber particles, were induced by stress, but these changes differed in cold and ethephon. It may be possible to adapt these tested methods, to increase rubber production in horticultural or agronomic TK production, either during growth or post-harvest. 1

The Ohio State University, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Williams Hall,1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH, 44691, USA2The Ohio State University, Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, FABE Building,1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH, 44691, USA3The Ohio State University, Molecular and Cellular Imaging Center, Selby Hall,1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

663

VARVEL, NICHOLAS A* 1, HILT, CHRISTINA 2, BAER, SARA 3, JOHNSON, LORETTA 4 and MARICLE, BRIAN 5

Genetic and environmental influences on stomates of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) ecotypes

ig bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a dominant prairie grass that has wide distribution and numerous genetically distinct ecotypes within the species. Many of the ecotypic adaptations of big bluestem are related to water availability in the native environment. Epidermal pores on leaves, called stomates, regulate water loss from the plant. As such, stomatal size and density represent possible adaptations to conserve water. We hypothesized drought-tolerant ecotypes of big bluestem would have fewer or smaller stomates compared to more mesic ecotypes. Five ecotypes of big bluestem were planted in four common gardens from western Kansas to southern Illinois to determine genetic and environmental influences on stomates. We made epidermal imprints to measure stomatal size and density on tops and bottoms of leaves. Leaves were largely hypostomatous, with genetics being a much more prominent influence than environment. The drought-tolerant Sand Bluestem had larger stomates on the bottoms of leaves, but a lower density compared to most other ecotypes. The most mesic ecotype from Illinois and the Kaw cultivar had the greatest density of stomates on the bottoms of leaves. Sand Bluestem had a greater density of stomates on the tops of leaves compared to all other ecotypes. There was no difference in size or density of stomates among sites, despite mean annual precipitation ranging from 505 to 1167 mm, illustrating the genetic underpinnings of stomates in big bluestem. There is a genetic predisposition for drought-tolerant ecotypes to have fewer stomates, illustrating an evolutionary adaptation to drought tolerance in an important prairie species.

Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600

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Ecophysiology Park St., Hays, Kansas, 67601, USA2Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, Kansas, 67601, United States3Southern Illinois University, Department of Plant Biology and Center for Ecology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA4Kansas State University, Biology, Ackert Hall Rm 232, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA5Fort Hays State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601-4099, USA

664

HILLABRAND, RACHEL* 1, HACKE, UWE 1, LIEFFERS, VICTOR 2, HOGG, TED 3, MARTINEZ SANCHO, ELISABET 4 and MENZEL, ANNETTE 4

Dendroecological observations of aspen and balsam poplar growing concurrently in Ministik, AB

spen (Populus tremuloides) and balsam poplar (P. balsamifera) are two of the most widespread tree species in North America. Both are species of ecological and commercial importance in western Canada. Evaluating the impacts of climate change on these species is currently a topic of interest because the climate in the aspen parkland eco-region of western Canada is predicted to become drier and more similar to the current prairie region to the south. Besides an increased risk for drought, dry conditions could also exacerbate the effect of insect outbreaks on these trees. Though past analysis of tree rings has demonstrated that aspen growth is strongly impacted by drought and defoliation in western Canada, records of balsam poplar response to climate are rare. Moreover, climate change impacts for both species may be observed with higher temporal resolution through analyses of xylem anatomical changes over time. Time-series analysis of xylem hydraulic and structural features can provide greater insight into the seasonal adaptation and adjustment of trees to climate by extracting data from different parts of the tree ring, reflecting variation throughout the each year. The determination of how these species individually respond to climate where they co-occur will provide more accurate knowledge for future forest management at a stand level. This project will be accomplished through three objectives: (1) The assessment of how climate influences tree ring width in a stand with co-occurring aspen and balsam poplar. (2) The determination of climate signals present within chronologies of xylem anatomy of each species. (3) The assessment of the impact of specific drought and defoliation events on these trees using both ring width and xylem anatomy chronologies with metrics determining tree resistance, recovery, and resilience to extreme events. 1

University of Alberta, Renewable Resources, 442 Earth Science Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G2E3, Canada2University of AlbertaNorthern Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada4Technical University Munich

665

KRIEG, CHRISTOPHER* 1, HUSBY, CHAD 2 and WATKINS, JAMES E. 3

Ecophysiological cost of reproduction in dioeciuos cycads

exual reproduction can be a costly evolutionary strategy and remains a major topic of investigation in biology today. In dioecious plant species, where individuals are either male, or female, direct investments are made in the production of reproductive structures such as cones, pigments, nectar, pollen, thermogenesis of pheromones, etc. These investments are typically paid for with the carbon acquired from photosynthesis. Little attention has been paid to the cost of reproduction in cycads and so far has only focused on differences in morphology and leaf production. Specifically, we asked: What are the physiological costs of reproduction in dioecious cycads? To address this question, the Montgomery Botanical Center in Miami FL was chosen for its world renowned collection of cycads. The species studied were Cycas micronesia, Cycas rumphii, Zamia erosa, Zamia standleyii, and Zamia portoricensis. To compare photosynthetic physiology, a Licor 6400 photosynthetic system was used to obtain photosynthetic parameters of Amax (maximum photosynthetic rate), Gs (stomatal conductance), and Rd (dark respiration). Related measures of WUE (water use efficiency), SLA (specific leaf area), leaf nitrogen (15N) and carbon (13C) isotope discrimination were also examined. Morphological differences were addressed in measures such as leaf number, cone number, cone height and diameter, cone reproductive status, plant height, stomatal density, and leaf biomass. Preliminary findings support observations of differential morphology and leaf production between the sexes. Males have much smaller cones, compared to females, but produce many more cones relative to females. Additionally, males generally produced more leaves than females indicating a further investment in leaf biomass. How are males â&#x20AC;&#x153;payingâ&#x20AC;? for these investments? We found that male photosynthetic physiology differed from females. This work is ongoing and aims to further reveal the ecophysiological costs of reproduction in several dioecious cycad species. 1

University of Florida, 364 NW 48th Blvd, Gainesville, Florida, 32607, United States2Fairchild Torpical Botanic Gardens, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, Florida, 33156, USA3Colgate University, Department Of Botany, 129 Ho Science Center, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY, 13346-1338, USA

666

SCHULTE, PAUL J* 1 and COSTA,

DAVID G 2

Water relations of the leaf epidermis - a cellular automata model

he leaf epidermis, comprised of individual epidermal cells and specialized guard cells forming stomata, is dependent on water uptake from the bulk leaf and loses water through the stomatal pore (ignoring cuticular water loss). A simulation of this tissue was created as a cellular automata model whereby each cell would be assessed for water exchange based on the difference between its water status and that of its neighbors (cells

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treated as hexagonal with 6 neighbors). Water is taken up from underlying leaf cells and water is lost from cells designated as stomata. Parameters can be set to control the hydraulic conductance between epidermal cells and other epidermal cells and also with the underlying bulk leaf. The stomata have a water loss described as a function of cell water status simulating closure due to low water potential. The numbers and distribution of stomata could be varied: stomata could be distributed randomly or in an ordered, spaced manner. Results suggest that the pattern of leaf water potential and stomatal opening is quite sensitive to stomatal distribution. A surprisingly slight clustering of stomata leads to regions with lower water potential and reduced stomatal opening. Therefore a patchy nature of leaf water status and stomatal opening is likely to arise depending on the distribution of stomata. 1

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, Life Sciences, 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA2University of Nevada, Mathematical Sciences, 4505 S Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA

667 LISA

PILOTE, ALEX* and DONOVAN,

Drought effects on hydraulic anatomy of six Helianthus species, varying in sourcesite water availability

ylem structure is central to the plant-water balance, and thus is of great importance in tolerance to water limitation. Under low-water availability, plants must be able to resist drought-induced cavitation to maintain adequate supply of water to leaves. This is often achieved via reinforcement of cell walls and reduction of the proportion of large conduits in newly produced xylem; the governing processes of which have been shown to be species-specific. Most studies to date have focused on perennial, woody species in inter-annual experiments, making it difficult to conclude the role that xylem structural acclimation plays in determining productivity under water limitation. This experiment involved growing six Helianthus species under well-watered and waterlimited conditions, and assessing differences between species pairs (three pairs of species, one from a mesic habitat and one from a xeric habitat) to infer whether species differ in their ability to alter xylem structure and/or maintain high productivity under water-limiting conditions. Hydraulic anatomy was analyzed via stem cross-sections, with vessel and fiber cell properties measured with imaging software. Gas exchange, biomass allocation, and leaf anatomical traits were further assessed for cross-species and treatment comparison. The effects of water limitation on the hydraulic anatomy, leaf function and anatomy, and overall productivity of these species were assessed between species pairs to reduce phylogenetic bias (the three pairs were chosen from across the phylogeny). Thus results are based on majority trends across three pairs (two annual and one perennial pairs). Water limitation resulted in reduced xylem lumen fraction, reduced hydraulically weighted mean vessel size, increased resistance to implosion, and increased vessel density. This treatment further resulted in decreased gas exchange and increased water use efficiency and root-mass-ratio. When comparing mesic

and xeric species pairs, the species from more-xeric habitats experienced greater alterations to both hydraulic parameters and overall biomass production. This suggests that these xeric species are more potentially more plastic in their hydraulic anatomy, but that this plasticity is not resulting in an adaptive advantage under water limitation. This may be due to the ecological strategies of these herbaceous species, which may mature quickly in xeric environments to avoid water-limiting conditions, and thus avoid growth under the extreme environments representative of their source sites. University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

668

CARVAJAL, DANNY E.* 1, LOAYZA, ANDREA 2 and SQUEO, FRANCISCO 3

Contrasting responses to water-deficit among Encelia canescens populations distributed along an aridity gradient

rought is the most limiting factor for plant growth and recruitment in arid environments. For widespread species, however, plant responses to drought can vary across populations because environmental conditions vary along the range of the species. Here, we assessed whether plants of Encelia canescens from different populations along an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert respond differently to water deficit conditions. We conducted a common-garden experiment using plants grown from seeds from three populations distributed along an aridity gradient to test for differences in relative growth rate (RGR), biomass, root to shoot ratio, and photosynthesis between watered and water-deficit plants. Additionally, we examined the relationship between root to shoot ratio with RGR and total plant biomass along the gradient. Water deficit affected root to shoot ratio, biomass, and RGR, but not photosynthesis. Populations varied in RGR and biomass; plants from the most arid population had higher RGRs, but lower biomass than those from the least arid population. In watered conditions, root to shoot ratio did not vary with RGR or biomass. Conversely, with the water deficit, root to shoot ratio was negatively and positively related to biomass and RGR, respectively. We concluded that response to water deficit differed among E. canescens populations; plants from the lowest rainfall environment adjusted root to shoot ratio, which may have allowed for equal biomass production across treatments. In contrast, plants from the wettest population did not adjust root to shoot ratio, but were reduced in biomass. These morphological and physiological changes to water availability showed that populations can use different strategies to cope with water deficit. 1

Universidad de La Serena, Biologia, Benavente 980, La Serena, 17201702Universidad de La Serena, Biology, Raul Bitran 1305, Campus Colina El Pino, La Serena, Coquimbo, 1721377, Chile3Universidad de La Serena, Biologia, La Serena

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Ecophysiology 669

MULLER, CLARE* 1, FEDER, ZOË , MOORE, MICHAEL 3 and DRENOVSKY, REBECCA E 4 2

The physiology of the gypsophilic lineages of the Chihuahuan Desert

ue to their unique chemistry, soils rich in gypsum (CaSO4·ÂÅ¾2H2O) are hotspots for biodiversity. However, their limited and patchy distribution combined with their sensitivity to disturbance makes them areas of conservation concern. Many species of gypsophilic plants are thought to have physiological mechanisms to cope with the unique chemical properties of gypsum soils; however, few studies have investigated this hypothesis for North American species. We studied a suite of plant species growing on and off gypsum soils in the Chihuahuan Desert, comparing their leaf chemical signatures. We sampled leaves of congener or confamilial pairs in Texas and New Mexico to account for the effects of phylogeny in our data. Contrary to initial hypotheses, gypsophiles do not share a common leaf chemical signature among all taxa. Instead, our data indicate that old-lineage gypsophiles (>2 mya) accumulate calcium and sulfur in higher concentrations than closely related non-gypsophilic taxa. In contrast, younglineage gypsophiles (<2 mya) have leaf chemical signatures more similar to non-gypsophilic taxa. Together, these data suggest age of origin on gypsum influences relative ability to tolerate high calcium and sulfur in leaves, suggesting physiological adaptation to gypsum differs among lineages of different age. 1

John Carroll University, Department of Biology, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA2Oberlin College and Conservatory, 119 Woodland St. , Oberlin, OH, 44074 , USA3Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA4John Carroll University, Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA

670

HUBER, JOHN A. 1, MENA, NICOLAS 1, RENCHER, BENJAMIN 1 and STEWART, J. RYAN* 3

Exploring the possibility of photosynthetic plasticity in Agave sensu lato

everal succulent species exhibit the capability to shift from CAM to C3 photosynthesis under changing environmental conditions. Such plasticity could enable plants native to harsh desert environments, such as agaves, to take advantage of seasonally abundant yet ephemeral water sources for growth and development. While this capacity was observed in Agave deserti, it has not been observed in any other species within Agave sensu lato. In order to determine the prevalence of CAM plasticity in species within Agave sensu lato, this study subjected seedlings and mature plants from multiple species within the clade to soil moisture levels ranging from dry to saturated conditions. These experiments found that young tissues primarily use the C3 photosynthetic pathway, and transition to CAM as development progresses. It was also found that species within Agave sensu lato responded differently to moisture treatments,

with some species exhibiting flexibility in CAM expression and others remaining obligate in the expression of CAM. The ability to shift from the relatively costly CAM pathway to C3 photosynthesis may account for reports of high production rates in some Agave species, despite the perceived restrictions to growth rates imposed by their high water-use efficiency. 1

4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA2Carretera México-Texcoco Km. 38.5, Texcoco, Mexico, 56230, Mexico32124 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

671

GRUBBS, KUNSIRI CHAW* 1 and HUNNICUTT, JESSICA 2

Allelopathic Mechanisms of Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) as a Potential Herbicide

hinese privet (Ligustrum sinense, Oleaceae) was introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental plant. Later, the plant became naturalized and is now considered one of the most invasive species found in the Southeastern U.S. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of allelopathic compounds from the Chinese privet on the development of potential biological herbicides. The investigators examined the inhibitory effects of various concentrations of plant extracts (called “leachate”) from the leaves and mature fruits. The experiments were to test the leachate’s effects on the emergence, growth and development of some important crops and weed-like species. We used a total of seven plants (wheat, rye, tomato, radish, red clover, alfalfa and sunflower). We prepared the leachates using water as a solvent at concentration levels of 1, 5, 10, and 15% (weight by volume) respectively. To test the allelopathic mechanism of leachates on seed germination and development, 10 seeds of each kind were placed in separate Petri-dishes containing 2 layers of filter paper, which were moistened with 5 ml of leachates from leaf and mature fruit respectively with 10 replications. Seed germination percentage, root & shoot weight measurement, and the image recording of each treatment were observed and record after two weeks. The results showed that the leachates from both leaf and fruit extracts showed strong inhibition in plant growth. The effect was significantly stronger in the fruit extract than the leaf extract. Though, the leaf extracts did not significantly inhibit the seed germination of the tested plants. However, the growth (shoot and root weights) of the tested plants decreased when the leachate concentrations increased (highest at 15%). The dicot types of tested plants (tomato, radish, red clover, alfalfa and sunflower) were more susceptible to the effects of the leachates than the monocot plants (wheat and rye). We found that both wheat and rye produced a large number of roots that tried to “escape” from the plant extract that was submerged by the seeds. Both primary and adventitious roots produced copious amounts of root hairs. It was a unique occurrence to see that the roots grew against gravity to avoid the absorption from the leachates. We believe that the fruit extracts of the Chinese privet have a strong potential to be developed into an effective herbicide in the future.

Winthrop University, Department Of Biology, 202 Dalton Hall, Rock Hill, SC, 29733, USA2Winthrop University, Department of Biology, Rock Hill, SC, 29733

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672

BLAUVELT, MELISSA

Effects of Light Spectrum on Synechococcus Growth

he goal of this project is to optimize growth parameters of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus by finding a model light spectrum that provides ideal maximal growth. Synechococcus is used as a model system for studying Cyanobacteria in areas of photosynthesis, nitrogen-fixation, biofuel production and antimicrobial properties. However, very little research has been done on the specific light wavelengths required for optimal growth. Synechococcus elongatus was studied for growth variations under seven different wavelengths of light. Each wavelength of light was analyzed daily for its effects on chlorophyll concentration, cell count and culture turbidity. Optimal growth parameters was obtained in four of the light sources used; as seen in total cell count and chlorophyll content. These results will be used to guide future studies of dichromatic light effects, antimicrobial properties and biodiesel extraction. Flathead Valley Community College, Biology, 777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell, MT, 59901, United States

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) ORAL PAPERS 673

LITTLE, STEFAN ALLAN* and SAUQUET, HERVE

674

DI STILIO, VERONICA S

The ABC model of flower development in non-core eudicots: a functional synthesis from studies in the ranunculid Thalictrum thalictroides

lowers are considered a key component to the success and diversification of angiosperms. Understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying the diversity of floral morphology has been well-studied in several model organisms. However, the applicability of these mechanisms across angiosperms remains to be tested. Here, we focus on analyses of pre-anthetic bud transcriptomes for 20 exemplar magnoliid species. Magnoliidae, with four orders, twenty families, and ca. 10,000 species, are remarkably diverse in floral structure, representing a microcosm of floral evolution. Our sampling approach aims to represent the main phylogenetic lineages and morphological floral diversity of the clade. All four orders are represented by 13 families: Annonaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Calycanthaceae, Eupomatiaceae, Gomortegaceae, Himantandraceae, Lauraceae, Magnoliaceae, Monimiacae, Piperaceae, Saururaceae, Siparunaceae, and Winteraceae. RNA was extracted from 1-5 buds preserved in liquid nitrogen or in RNAlater. Extractions were sequenced using Illumina Hi-Seq with strand-specific paired-end reads, and Trinity was used to produce de novo assemblies. After quality filtering for sequences with high confidence and annotation, we approach the gene expression data with both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Transcripts with high sequence similarity to MADS-box genes, as well as TCP transcription factors with elevated expression are found in all samples. The MADS-box genes include those of B, C, and E function, central in floral organ identity in model organisms (i.e., AGAMOUS, APETALA3, PISTILLATA, SEPALLATA). We also relate expansion and contraction of gene families expressed in buds with ancestral state reconstructions of floral morphology. These transcriptomes represent a key resource for understanding floral gene expression, complementing current knowledge in ANA-grade, monocot, and eudicot angiosperms.

he elucidation of the “ABC model” of flower development in the 1990’s promised a mechanistic basis for J.W. Goethe’s intuitive idea that all floral organs must have arisen from a leaf bauplan. Yet the first attempts to induce floral organs from leaves by overexpression of B- or C-class genes failed to produce full conversion. The discovery of a fourth gene class, the E-class, filled this gap by elegantly demonstrating the recapitulation of floral organs in seedling leaves via overexpression of all four gene classes. The “extended” ABC model was complete and the ensuing floral quartet model clarified how these transcription factors, belonging mostly to the MADS-box gene family, interacted as tetramers while binding and looping DNA to turn on flower development cascades. As conserved as the ABC model appeared, first among the distinct model systems Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus, later in other eudicots and in monocots, much remained to be elucidated in light of mounting evidence for the importance of gene duplication in the evolution of development. Multiple duplication events affecting the MADS-box gene family and flower morphologies that diverged drastically from those described originally required modifications to the canonical model. As part of this evolutionary journey into the tinkering of the ABC model, be it via gene duplication, changing proteinprotein interactions or changes in binding affinities and downstream targets, functional studies in a variety of plant groups began to emerge. In the past few years, my research group has functionally characterized all B, C and E class genes in Thalictrum thalictroides, a representative of the ranunculids (the sister lineage to the rest of the eudicots). Our work contributes to a broader effort to fill the gap in functional knowledge outside of the core eudicots in order to better understand the evolution of this important lineage of floral MADS-box genes. To that end we used Virus Induced gene Silencing, gene expression, protein-protein interactions and mutant analyses. Here, I attempt to summarize these efforts, highlighting particular cases of sub- and neofunctionalization, as well as redundancy, and ending with a proposed ABC model for this plant and its modifications in floral homeotic mutants.

Universite Paris-Sud, Laboratoire Ecologie, Systematique, Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, bat. 360, Orsay, 91405, France

University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, PO BOX 351800, SEATTLE, WA, 98115-1800, USA

Evolution of floral transcriptomes in Magnoliidae

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675

LANDIS, JACOB BRIAN* 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 3

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the evolution and development of flower size differences in Saltugilia (Polemoniaceae)

he interaction of flowers and their pollinators is part of the reason for the diversity and success of the flowering plants. Even though the general developmental aspects of flowers are fairly well understood, the relative importance of cell size and cell number in shaping floral size is not well understood, nor are the genetic factors controlling differences in flower size. Model organisms in the asterids and rosids have identified candidate genes thought to be responsible for flower size differences, but these genes have rarely been investigated beyond Arabidopsis thaliana, Antirrhinum majus, and Petunia hybrida. Previous work in Saltugilia also identified potential candidate genes associated with cell wall modification and maintenance that may play pivotal roles in controlling differences in cell size among species with large versus small flowers. In this study, we investigated the genetic components associated with flower size differences across all six taxa of Saltugilia. Using a de novo approach, we analyzed 36 transcriptomes (two individuals at three stages of flower development for all six taxa) for differential gene expression across developmental stages and species, with an emphasis on those cell wall candidates previously identified. Specifically, expression profiles of all known candidate genes from model organisms and previously identified genes in Saltugilia associated with cell wall modification were characterized across the phylogeny to elucidate the genetic components of flower size evolution in Saltugilia, particularly in relation to floral differences associated with pollinator shifts. Further genetic network analyses were also conducted across the three developmental stages within species to understand the genetic control of differences in cell size and cell type observed previously. 1

University Of Florida, Dept Of Biology, Florida Museum Of Natural History - Dickinson Hall, Museum Road And Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

676

KHOJAYORI, FARAHNOZ* 1, ZHANG, JINGBO 1, KRAMER, ELENA 2, DAVIS, CHARLES C. 3 and ZHANG, WENHENG 4

Divergence of CYC2-like genes correlates with reversal to floral actinomorphy in Brachylophon curtisii Oliver (Malpighiaceae)

ecent studies indicate that CYCLOIDEA2- (CYC2-) like genes have likely played an important role in the evolution of floral symmetry in the tropical family Malpighiaceae. Two copies of CYC2, CYC2A and CYC2B, arose as a result of gene duplication in the common ancestor of the family. Those genes are differentially expressed among New World (NW) species exhibiting the typical floral zygomorphy: CYC2A is expressed in the dorsal banner petal and adjacent lateral petals; CYC2B, in contrast, is restricted to the dorsal banner petal. One Old World (OW) lineage, the acridocarpoids, has lost the association with the mutualist oil bee pollinators thought to be necessary for maintaining the typical NW floral morphology. The acridocarpoids thus represent a particularly interesting clade for investigating changes leading to the loss of the broadly conserved floral features characterized by NW members of the family. The acridocarpoids comprise two genera, each displaying divergent and different morphologies. The floral zygomorphy of Acridocarpus, mostly from Africa and Madagascar, consists of two prominent dorsal petals, two lateral petals and one ventral petal; the flowers of Brachylophon, which occurs in Asia, are actinomorphic. We previously demonstrated in Acridocarpus that CYC2B has likely been lost, and that CYC2A expression shifted to the two dorsal petals and two lateral petals coinciding with a shift in its floral morphology. Here, we report on the first investigations of Brachylophon. Our preliminary results suggest that sequence evolution of the CYC2 homologs may have diverged in conjunction with the reversal to actinomorphy in B. curtisii. To illustrate the evolutionary trajectory of CYC2 in biogeographically isolated acridocarpoids between Africa and Asia, further tests of gene expression will be needed to determine whether regulation of CYC2A also changed in B. curtisii. 1

Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23284, United States2Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA3Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 021384Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) 677

BERGER, BRENT* 1, THOMPSON, VERONICA 1, LIM, AEDRIC 1, RICIGLIANO, VINCENT 2 and HOWARTH, DIANELLA 3

Elaboration of bilateral symmetry across Knautia macedonica capitula related to changes in ventral petal expression of CYCLOIDEA-like genes

hifts in floral form across angiosperms, particularly from radially symmetrical to bilaterally symmetrical flowers, are often associated with shifts in speciation rates and changes in pollination syndrome. Growing evidence across both rosids and asterids indicates that CYCLOIDEA (CYC)-like transcription factors from the TCP gene-family play a role in establishing the dorsoventral pattern of flower symmetry, which affects the development of both the corolla and androecium. Previous studies of CYC-like genes, especially of the CYC2 clade, indicate that these genes are dorsally restricted in bilaterally symmetrical flowers. Also, gene duplication of CYC-like genes often correlates with shifts in floral form in both individual flowers and head-like inflorescences (capitula). Here, we compared the expression patterns of six CYC-like genes from dorsal, lateral, and ventral petals of internal and external florets across capitula of Knautia macedonica (Dipsacaceae). We demonstrate that multiple copies of CYC-like genes are differentially expressed among petal types and between internal and external florets. Across paralogs, there was a general trend toward a reduction in dorsal expression and an increase in ventral expression in internal florets compared to external florets. However, it was in the ventral petals where a statistically significant increase in expression correlates with a less zygomorphic flower. We also show for the first time lateral specific expression of a CYC-like gene. Additionally, dorsoventral asymmetric expression of a CYC3 paralog indicates that this understudied gene clade is likely also involved in floral symmetry. These data indicate that the elaboration of bilateral symmetry may be regulated by the dorsoventral gradient of expression, with statistically significant changes in ventral expression correlating with changes in dorsoventral morphological specialization.

St. John's University, Biological Sciences, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA2USDA-ARS, 2000 E Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA3St. John's University, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, St. Albert Hall Rm 257, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamiaca, NY, 11439, USA

678

RAJEWSKI, ALEX* 1, MAHEEPALA, DINUSHA C. 1, BAGHAEI, ARMAN 1 and LITT, AMY 2

Role of FRUITFULL in the Evolution of Fleshy Fruits: Optimizing Solanaceae Tissue Culture to Generate Stable Transgenic Knockout Lines

he evolutionary transition from dry to fleshy fruit has occurred many times, and this transition often gives rise to economically and ecologically important taxa. In the family Solanaceae, such a transition separates ancestral dry-fruited species like petunia and tobacco from more recently diverging fleshy-fruited species such as tomato. The FRUITFULL family of MADS-box transcription factors plays a prominent role in determining fruit morphology, and a previous transcriptome study suggests that they might also play a role in this important transition in fruit types. To further study the role of the FRUITFULL genes in fruit development, we plan to use the CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate stable transgenic knockout lines of these genes in several solanaceous species including wild and cultivated tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium and S. lycopersicum, respectively), desert tobacco (Nicotiana obtusifolia), Jimson weed (Datura stramonium), and night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum). Desert tobacco is a diploid congener of N. tabacum, but is more amenable to greenhouse growth conditions, still flowers copiously, and produces dry capsular fruits. Jimson weed lies in the fleshy-fruited clade of the family but has reverted back to the ancestral dry fruit. Night-blooming jasmine in contrast lies in the dry-fruited grade but has independently evolved a fleshy fruit. Although tissue culture transformation protocols are available for cultivated tomato, no protocols for the remaining species have been published. We have adapted a protocol developed in cultivated tomato for use in wild tomato, desert tobacco, and Jimson weed with promising results. The results of these optimization experiments will be presented along with preliminary data on CRISPR/Cas9mediated transformation. 1

University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Science, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States2University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

679

MAHEEPALA, DINUSHA C.* 1, MACON, JENNA 2 and LITT, AMY 3

The function of FRUITFULL genes in fleshy fruit development

leshy fruits, valued for nutritional and economic benefits, have evolved numerous times in angiosperms. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the evolution of these plant organs. In Solanaceae (nightshades), there has been a shift to fleshy fruit from the plesiomorphic dry capsule in the subfamily Solanoideae. This family also contains additional independent transitions to fleshy fruit as well as a rever-

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sion to dry fruit. Thus, this genetically tractable family with multiple sequenced genomes is a good system to study the evolution of fleshy fruit. The FRUITFULL (FUL) gene is important for patterning the lignified dehiscence zone in the dry silique in Arabidopsis. FUL genes are also expressed in fleshy tomato. However, the lack of lignified tissue in tomato suggests a change in the function of FUL genes in fleshy fruit. A whole genome duplication coinciding with the diversification of core-eudicots resulted in two FUL gene clades: euFULI and euFULII. Solanaceae have two gene copies in each clade with a high degree of sequence similarity. All four of these genes are expressed in fruit, suggesting functional redundancy. Several studies, including ours, have indicated that SlFUL2, a euFULI gene, plays a role in pigmentation, pericarp thickness, and ethylene production in tomato. However, the outcomes of these studies are contradictory, possibly due to the downregulation of other FUL genes. In fact, all of the studies targeted SlFUL2, but knocked down both euFULI genes. We also knocked down at least one euFULII gene; however, none of the other studies checked the euFULII genes. Therefore, we still do not know the role of FUL genes in tomato development. Our project is aimed at understanding how each of these four FUL genes functions in fleshy fruit development, and how these functions may have changed in the shift to fleshy fruit. As part of this, we are creating single, double, and quadruple knockout mutants in tomato using CRISPR/Cas9. Since tomato has undergone domestication, we are also studying the function of the FUL genes in its closest wild relative, Solanum pimpinellifolium, a species that has not been artificially selected, and that is a closer representation of a wild-type Solanoideae berry. We have assembled the CRISPR/Cas9 construct for creating slful1 mutants, and will present the results of the analysis. 1

University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Sciences, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA2University of California, Riverside3University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

680

HAO-CHUN, HSU* , WENCHIEH, CHOU and YAN-FU, KUO

Understanding the Floral Shape Integration and Modularity in Sinningia: Using a 3D Geometric Morphometric Approach

nimal-pollinated flowers are thought to develop a specific floral shape for physically restricting the pollinator visiting. The floral shapes exhibit diversity in corolla lobes and corolla tubes. Revealing the integration and modularity between these two compartments is important for understanding the floral shape diversification. This study demonstrates a three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometric (GM) approach to examine the patterns of floral shape integration and modularity in Sinningia, a genus of highly diverse flowers. In the process, the technique of micro-computed tomography was used to capture 3D images from the flower specimens, and a series of GM analyses was performed

to quantify the floral shape variation. Subsequently, the covariation between lobes and tubes was tested against the null hypothesis of two compartments being independent as a developmental modularity. The patterns of floral shape variation shows that the changes of lobes and tubes were co-exist in each independent variables. High and significant covariation between the lobes and tubes clearly indicates that two compartments develop integratedly rather than modularly. In conclusion, present study successfully applied a 3D-GM approach to quantify the floral shape variation, and verified the morphological integration between lobes and tubes in Sinningia flowers. National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City, Taiwan, 8862, å °ç £

681

HARKESS, ALEX 1 and LEEBENSMACK, JIM* 2

Identifying Sex Determination Genes on the Young Asparagus Y Chromosome

arden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), a dioecious species with a recently evolved homomorphic sex chromosome pair, is ideal for studying the earliest events in sex chromosome evolution. A proposed evolutionary path from hermaphroditism to dioecy and a sex chromosome pair would involve the origin of a Y chromosome through cessation of recombination between a suppressor of female function and a promoter of male function. We have explored this hypothesis by genetically mapping sex determination to a 1.8 Mb nonrecombining region on the asparagus Y chromosome. We have identified four independent male-to-hermaphrodite mutants that implicate a single gene in this non-recombining region as responsible for dominantly interrupting pistil development. Anther development is not affected in these mutants but male to female conversions are seen in two mutants with deletions spanning the 1.8 Mb non-recombining sex determination region. This region contains 14 annotated genes including defective in tapetal development and function 1 (TDF1). In support of a model proposed by Charlesworth & Charlesworth (The American Naturalist 1978), these finding imply that the origin of a non-recombining sex determining region on the Asparagus proto-Y chromosome involved the linkage of a male promoting gene with a dominant female suppressor. 1

University of Georgia, Department of Plant Biology, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University Of Georgia, 4503 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) 682

ZHU, CHUANMEI 1, BOX, MATHEW 2, GOAD, DAVID 1, MCKAIN, MICHAEL 1 and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH ANNE* 3

Evolution and function of CLE genes and the control of meristem size in grasses

enes related to CLAVATA3 (CLV3) in Arabidopsis and the ESR genes in maize (CLE genes) produce proteins that are processed to release small signaling peptides of 14 amino acids. These peptides are involved in a wide variety of cell-cell signaling processes, with some of the best-characterized ones regulating meristem size. We have used model-based searches to retrieve over 1000 CLE genes from available plant genomes, and have identified sets of genes with similar sequences. We find that the CLE genes must have diversified early in the evolution of land plants; they underwent additional duplications in major clades of angiosperms. Genes with similar sequences in the CLE domain apparently share developmental roles, although this hypothesis has not been widely tested. One cluster of proteins includes CLV3, the rice protein FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER2 (FON2), and putative orthologs in various grasses. Surprisingly FON2 is in a very dynamic genomic region, such that apparently orthologous genes in maize, Setaria and Brachypodium are broadly syntenic but colinearity is disrupted. Multiple CLE genes (not just FON2-like genes) are up-regulated during inflorescence development of Setaria and maize, although the FON2 orthologs themselves are expressed at relatively low levels. If FON2-like genes are indeed involved in maintaining meristem size, as appears likely from their expression pattern and sequence similarity to CLV3, then they may play an important role in controlling inflorescence architecture and phyllotaxy. The size of branch meristems relative to the inflorescence meristem varies considerably among grasses and leads to marked differences in adult morphology. In particular, grasses related to maize and sorghum produce spikelets in pairs; the pair arises from a meristem that is notably larger than a single spikelet meristem. We suggest that CLE genes may be involved in the maintenance and possibly the evolutionary origin of the spikelet pair. 1

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA2Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, M3Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Department Of Biology, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA

683

WHIPPLE, CLINTON* 1, GUO, JINYAN 2 and THAYER, RACHEL 3

Bracts, Branches and Boundaries: signaling centers and the evolution of inflorescence architecture in the grasses

racts are the leaves produced after the transition from vegetative to reproductive development, and generally subtend flowers or inflorescence branches. Bract leaves are frequently reduced compared to vegetative leaves, and in some cases are entirely suppressed. Bract suppression evolved multiple times in distinct lin-

eages, including the Brassicaceae and Poaceae, making it possible to investigate the genetic control of convergent morphologies. Our investigation of genes regulating bract suppression in maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) indicates that bract suppression is regulated by a complex network of genes that have pleiotropic effects on inflorescence branching as well. Genetic and molecular evidence from these maize bract mutants suggests that the origin of bract suppression involved the recruitment of boundary domain genes, and that the suppressed bract is acting as a signaling center to regulate branching of its axillary inflorescence branch meristem. Additional genetic evidence suggests that the bract signaling center communicates with an additional center adaxial to the branch meristem, which is likely specific to a grass tribe (Andropogoneae) that has distinct determinate and indeterminate lateral branches. Thus two distinct signaling centers coordinate branch meristem determinacy in the Andropogoneae, and bract suppression can be interpreted as a developmental constraint that evolved as a consequence of novel signaling centers that coordinate meristem determinacy. 1

Brigham Young University, Biology, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA2Brigham Young University, Biology, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 840623Brigham Young University, Biology, 4102 Life Science Building, Provo, UT, 84602

684

NIKOLOV, LACHEZAR ATANASOV* 1, KWANTES, MICHIEL 2, PEREZ, MIGUEL ANTON 2, GAN, XIANGCHAO 2 and TSIANTIS, MILTOS 2

Genetic underpinnings of leaf diversity in the mustard family (Brassicaceae)

he recent growth of genetic resources in model organisms and the advancement of phylogenetic comparative methods bring us closer to understanding how different morphologies originate and diversify but fundamental challenges remain to translate this knowledge to the broader diversity of plants. Leaf shape in mustards offers an attractive system to address the molecular mechanisms that cause morphological differences because it is a diverse trait in the family and much has been learned from model species like Arabidopsis thaliana and Cardamine hirsuta about the genetics of leaf development. To gain further insight into the mechanisms that gave rise to different leaf shapes, we generated expression profiles of young leaves from the simple leaved Arabidopsis and the compound leaved Cardamine. We characterized ca. 40 transcription factors expressed at higher levels in Cardamine than in Arabidopsis using transcriptional reporters, and defined novel expression domains that may underlie novel morphogenetic domains. We expressed these genes in Arabidopsis to test whether they are sufficient to generate leaf complexity in simple leaves, and reduced their expression in Cardamine to assess whether they are necessary for compound leaf development. Our results reveal a distribution of effects of the differentially expressed transcription factors, with several regulators contributing disproportionally to leaf shape. These findings suggest that evolutionary tinkering in leaf morphol-

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ogy occurs via a limited number of evolutionary paths, which are underscored by a defined set of major effect molecular players acting in morphological transitions at different phylogenetic scales. 1

Max Planck Institute Of Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-LinnĂŠWeg 10, Koeln, N/A, 50829, Germany2Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research

POSTERS 685

MAHEEPALA, DINUSHA C.* 1, STRAHL, MAYA 2, EMERLING, CHRISTOPHER A. 3, BAGHAEI, ARMAN 4 and LITT, AMY 5

Evolution, and diversification of Solanaceae FRUITFULL genes

he eudicot FRUITFULL (euFUL) genes are MADSbox transcription factors, which have functions in vegetative and reproductive organ development, and the transition to flowering. A whole genome duplication early in the diversification of core-eudicots split the euFUL lineage into the euFULI, and euFULII gene clades. As a result of further duplication events, Solanaceae has four FUL genes: FUL1 and FUL2 in euFULI, and MBP10 and MBP20 in euFULII. The Arabidopsis euFULI gene FUL is involved in patterning the lignified dehiscence zone in the dry silique. The overexpression of a euFULI gene in tobacco resulted in indehiscent fruit, suggesting a conserved role for these genes in dry fruit. However, all four FUL genes are also expressed in the berry of tomato. The lack of lignified tissue in this fruit suggests a change in the function of these genes in fleshy fruit. Our project is aimed at identifying the duplication events that produced the four FUL genes in Solanaceae, and characterizing any changes in these sequences that are correlated with changes in morphology. Using transcriptomes, Sanger sequencing, and database mining, we are compiling a Solanaceae FUL gene tree to determine whether these genes are products of a whole genome duplication or localized duplication events. There is evidence of a whole genome duplication at the base of Solanaceae but we have been unable to recover MBP10 genes from species that diverged prior to Nicotiana. This may be due to the low expression level of these genes. However, we have effectively used transcriptomes to extract all four FUL sequences from dry-fruited Nicotiana obtusifolia. To determine where in Solanaceae the additional FUL gene duplications may have occurred, we are generating transcriptomes from leaf, inflorescence, and fruit tissue from Schizanthus grahamii, Cestrum nocturnum, Brunfelsia spp., and Goetzia elegans. In addition, we have analyzed the sequence changes in Solanaceae FUL genes to determine if various clades are under purifying or positive selection, and if there was a change in selection with the fruit type. Our preliminary data suggest purifying selection for all clades of Solanaceae FUL genes. We have also identified several euFULI-specific amino acid motifs of unknown function but none specific to euFULII or correlated with any change in trait. 1

University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Sciences, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA2The Mount Sinai Hospital, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA3University of California, Berkeley, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA4University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA5University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) 686

BUKHARI, GHADEER* 1 and ZHANG, WENHENG 2

687

Differential transcriptome analysis of floral zygomorphy development crucial to an explosive pollen release mechanism in Schizanthus (Solanaceae), the poor manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s orchid

Floral symmetry evolution in Solanaceae

ecent advances in understanding the developmental genetics of floral zygomorphy indicate that repeated deployment of CYC2-like genes in the TCP gene family regulate floral zygomorphy in core eudicots. Schizanthus (Solanaceae) consists of 12 species distributed mainly in Chile. The butterfly-like flowers of Schizanthus are adapted to pollination by bees, hummingbirds, and moths. The pentapetalous Schizanthus flower consists of a single dorsal petal, two lateral petals, and two ventral petals. The petals are fused to form a tube at the base of the corolla to which the filaments of the stamens and staminodes are fused. There is one ventral and two dorsal aborted stamens, while the two functional stamens are located laterally. Floral morphology of Schizanthus is strongly associated with the pollination syndrome. We investigated the genetic basis of the explosive pollen release mechanism in the species of Schizanthus adapted to bee pollinators. The bee-pollinated species of Schizanthus have fringed dorsal and lateral petals displaying bright color patterns for attraction and two, fused ventral petals forming a lobed keel that encloses the two functional stamens. During floral development, the fused ventral petals increase in size in coordination with the development of the two functional stamens and the developing tension. At maturity, the flower releases the stamens to explosively discharge pollen onto the body of the bee once it lands on the ventral lobed petals. The floral morphology that has given rise to this explosive pollen release occurs uniquely in Schizanthus and depends on highly regulated development of floral zygomorphy. Our experiments indicated that CYC2 is radially expressed in the androecium and might not be involved in the development of floral zygomorphy in Schizanthus. We examined differential gene expression profiles across the zygomorphic corolla of Schizanthus Ă&#x2014; wisetonensis Low by sequencing the RNA transcriptome. We found that tissues of the ventral petals begin to differentiate and become rigid, in comparison with the soft tissue of the dorsal and lateral petals, after formation of the floral organs. This difference in development results in a natural boundary for us to easily separate the ventral petals from the other parts of the corolla. We report differential gene expression profiles in the ventral petals and in the dorsal plus lateral petals in this study. 1

Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology department, 1000 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA2Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

ZHANG, JINGBO* and ZHANG, WENHENG

lthough Solanaceae are viewed as a family with dominantly actinomorphic flowered species, floral zygomorphy is common in the basal clades. Taxonomic studies revealed a wide range of morphological diversity in floral zygomorphy in the family. Floral zygomorphy can occur in corolla and androecium in concert, but frequently only occur in androecium in many solanaceous genera. In androecium, there are a bewildering variety of alterations in stamen fertility and filament length along the plane of floral symmetry. A unique 36-degree oblique plane of floral symmetry unites all of these diverse floral zygomorphy in Solanaceae. We investigated the evolution of floral symmetry in Solanaceae to test the hypothesis that floral zygomorphy evolved independently in the corolla and androecium. We carried out tests on a genus-level phylogeny including 97 genera of Solanaceae and 8 genera from closely related outgroups. Character evolution of floral symmetry in the corolla and androecium were analyzed separately. The findings indicate that floral zygomorphy in the androecium is more frequent than in the corolla (41 versus 23 genera). The results of ancestral state reconstruction suggest the recent common ancestor of Solanaceae likely had a zygomorphic androecium, but an actinomorphic corolla. Zygomorphic corollas in Solanaceae are due to independent gains. Floral zygomorphy is also observed in the sister clade, Humbertia madagascariensis Lam. (Convolvulaceae), which establishes floral zygomorphy through a mechanism different from Solanaceae. The 36-degree oblique plane of floral symmetry likely originated in the common ancestor of Solanaceae. The correlation analyses indicated that floral zygomorphy in the corolla is correlated with floral zygomorphy in the androecium, suggesting that floral zygomorphy in the androecium may play a role as a precursor for the evolution of floral zygomorphy in the corolla in Solanaceae. The findings imply that evolution of floral zygomorphy in Solanaceae is unique in both floral development and evolutionary processes. Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

688 HENG

GAO, AO* 1 and ZHANG, WEN-

Evolution of RADIALIS-like genes in Solanaceae

evelopmental genetic studies of Antirrhinum majus L. provides a foundation for deeper understanding evolutionary shifts in floral symmetry during angiosperm evolution. Transcription factors, including CYCLOIDEA (CYC), DICHOTOMA (DICH) and RADIALIS (RAD), play important roles in regulating floral dorsal identity in A. majus. In particular, RAD, a member of the MYB gene family, is a downstream target of CYC and DICH, which belong to the CYC2 lineage of the TCP gene family. In Solanaceae, we recently dem-

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onstrated that CYC2-like genes express during floral development in Schizanthus pinnatus Ruiz & Pav., Nicotiana obtusifolia M.Martens & Galeotti, and Solanum lycopersicum L. In this study, we examined the evolution of RAD-like genes in Solanaceae by reconstructing the genealogy of RAD-like genes from our newly cloned sequences from species of Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae and published sequences from GenBank, Sol Genomics Network, and Phytozome 11.0. We included RAD-like sequences from 29 taxa representing major lineages of core eudicots in our phylogenetic reconstruction. The results indicate that all RAD-like sequences fall into three major clades: RL1, RL2, and RL3. RAD of A. majus belongs to the RL2 clade. All RAD-like genes from Solanaceae fall into RL2 and RL3 clades. In the RL2 clade, 48 distinct sequences from 13 species of five solanaceous genera were further clustered into three clades: sRL2-I, sRL2-II, and sRL2-III. Gene duplications that give arise to these paralogs appear to have occurred in the most recent common ancestor of Solanaceae. We are focusing on increasing sampling to further clarify the timing of the two major gene duplication events within the sRL2 clade and on expression studies to demonstrate whether expression of sRL2 paralogs overlaps with the expression of CYC2 paralogs in Solanaceae. 1

Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Biology, 1000 W Carry St, Room 334, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA2Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

689

KIM, JOONSEOG* , ZHANG, JINGBO , KHOJAYORI, FARAHNOZ and ZHANG, WENHENG

Effect of CYC2-like genes on floral development in Solanum lycopersicum L

or two decades, the role of CYC2-like genes has revealed the evolution and development of floral zygomorphy. The role of CYC2-like genes in the development of actinomorphic flowers, however, is still unknown. In Antirrhinum majus L. CYCLOIDEA (CYC) and DICHOTOMA (DICH) of the CYC2 clade play an important role in regulating the identity of the dorsal petal and abortion of the single dorsal stamen. Previous analysis of CYC2 gene genealogy in Solanaceae indicates that there are two subclades of CYC2, CYC2ECE and CYC2NEC. These CYC2 paralogs result from a gene duplication that predates the origin of Solanaceae. The CYC2 paralogs express during floral development in Schizanthus pinnatus Ruiz & Pav., Nicotiana obtusifolia M.Martens & Galeotti, and Solanum lycopersicum L. In So. lycopersicum, both CYC2 paralogs express in all five functional stamens, which is opposite its role in stamen abortion in A. majus. Our virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) experiments in Sc. pinnatus showed that down regulation of CYC2ECE leads to functional stamens bearing empty anthers and shortened filaments. In this study, we investigated the role of CYC2ECE and CYC2NEC genes in floral development in So. lycopersicum using the VIGS approach. Phytoene desaturase (PDS)

was successfully down regulated in So. lycopersicum using a tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based vector, resulting in a bleached phenotype in leaves. Ongoing work on down regulation of CYC2ECE and CYC2NEC transcripts from So. lycopersicum will be reported in order to elucidate the role of CYC2 in the development of actinomorphic flowers. Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

690

TONG, JINGJING* 1 and HOWARTH, DIANELLA 2

Duplication and expression pattern of CYCLOIDEA-like genes in Campanulaceae

hifting between radially symmetrical flowers and bilaterally symmetrical (zygomorphic) flowers has evolved multiple times independently in Angiosperm evolution. Evidence from studies of Rosid and Asterid angiosperms indicate that CYCLOIDEA-like (CYC) genes, which belong to TCP gene family, play an important role in dorsal specific identify in the bilateral symmetrical flowers. Three core eudicot clades of CYC-like genes are identified in recent studies: CYC1, CYC2 and CYC3. This study focuses on Campanulaceae, which includes two main subfamilies, Campanuloideae, with radial symmetrical flowers, and Lobelioideae, with bilateral symmetrical flowers. We aim to clarify the duplications and expression of CYC-like genes between Campanuloideae and Lobeliodeae. At present, we generated CamCYC-like genes from both Campanuloideae and Lobeliodeae subfamilies. Our data indicate that CamCYC-2 genes have duplicated in the Lobeliodeae, correlated with a shift to bilateral symmetry in Campanulaceae. We aim with further work to utilize real time RT-PCR to examine expression patterns of different paralogs of CamCYC-like genes in Campanuloideae (radial flower) and Lobeliodeae (bilateral flower) subfamilies, and then we will examine the localization of CamCYC-like genes in radial and bilateral flowers in Campanulaceae family via in situ hybridization.

St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamaica, NY, 11439, USA2St. John's University, Biological Sciences, St. Albert Hall, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamaica, NY, 11439, USA

691

HAN, JIAHONG* 1, BERGER, BRENT 2, RICIGLIANO, VINCENT 3, GARDNER, ANDY 4, SHEPHERD, KELLY A. 5, JABAILY, RACHEL SCHMIDT 6 and HOWARTH, DIANELLA 7

Phylogenetics and expression of CYCLOIDEA-like genes in Goodeniaceae

loral symmetry is of special interest in understanding angiosperm evolution and ecology. Shifts in floral symmetry have been common between radial symmetry and bilateral symmetry within angiosperms. Growing evidence from transcription factors in the TCP gene family, CYC-like genes, indicate that dorsal

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) restriction of expression in the corolla and gene duplication are correlated with a shift to bilateral symmetry. In this study, we examined the duplication events around the diversification of Goodeniaceae, a predominately Australian and Pacific Island plant group, which contains both radially and bilaterally symmetrical flowered species. We found the three core eudicot specific clades of CYC-like genes (CYC1, CYC2, and CYC3) in Goodeniaceae. Also we found additional duplications within two clades (CYC2 and CYC3) clades in Goodeniaceae. Additionally, there are additional copies of CYC3 (within CYC3A and CYC3B) in most species of Goodeniaceae with bilaterally symmetrical flowers. Using realtime qPCR, we showed that most of these copies are expressed across floral tissue in the Goodenicaceae species Scaevola aemula. One copy, SaeCYC2 was expressed in a dorsal-ventral pattern as has been found in CYC2 paralogs in other groups. SaeCYC2 was expressed much higher in dorsal petals than in the ventral petals. Conversely, a SaeCYC3 paralog has the highest expression in ventral petals in S. aemula. Taken together, these results indicate that SaeCYC2 may be expressed in a similar pattern to that is other groups, but that SaeCYC3 may have the opposite expression pattern, being more highly expressed ventrally. Based on our phylogeny and expression analyses, we suggest that gene duplication and asymmetry expression have played a major role in diversification of the Goodeniaceae CYC gene family.

gene prior to the ââ ¬¨evolution of seed plants? Were flowering functions co-opted ââ ¬¨from more general reproductive roles, or did they evolve de novo? Recent advances in stable transgenic techniques in the emerging model fern Ceratopteris richardii present a golden opportunity to address these questions. We first looked at gene expression ontogenetically in wildtype and found no expression in spores, low levels in reproductive gametophytes before fertilization and a peak in young sporophyte tissue, followed by a decline to a steady state as the sporophyte aged. A loss-of-function approach using RNA interference lines allowed us to identify mutant lines with highly altered phenotypes and down-regulation of the target genes. Our preliminary results suggest an early role of CrLFY in initial sporophyte development. Therefore, it appears that this transcription factor may have maintained its broader function in early sporophyte development throughout at least 50 million years of land plant evolution, before being recruited into flower meristem identity with the rise of the angiosperms. 1

University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, PO BOX 351800, SEATTLE, WA, 98115-1800, USA2University of Washington, Biology, PO Box 351800, Seattle, Wa, 98115-1800, USA

St. John's University, Biological Sciences, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY, 11439, USA2St. John's University, Biological Sciences, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA3USDA-ARS, 2000 E Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA4CSU Stanislaus, Biological Sciences, One University Circle, Turlock, CA, 95382, USA5Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Perth, Western Australia, 6983, Australia6Rhodes College, Botany, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, USA7St. John's University, Biological Sciences, St. Albert Hall, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamaica, NY, 11439, USA

692

DI STILIO, VERONICA S* 1, HEWETT HAZELTON, KRISTEN 2 and WONG, MELISSA J 2

Reconstructing the ancestral role of a key transcription factor involved in flowering

lowers are the key innovation that propelled angiosperms into one of theââ ¬¨ most notable adaptive radiations of all times. ââ ¬¨While much is known about the developmental process for transforming leaves into floral organs in angiosperms, it is unclear how this mechanism evolved. LEAFY (LFY) encodes a transcriptional regulator that induces flower formation in the mature angiosperms sporophyte; it is also present in mosses, where it governs early cell divisions of the zygote (the unicellular sporophyte stage). Here, we examine LFY function in ferns, the sister lineage to seed plants and a class of vascular plants that lies midway in the evolutionary tree between mosses and flowering plants. The overarching biological questions we address are: What was the ancestral role of this key flowering

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Geonomics & Proteomics Genomics / Proteomics

694

HEYDUK, KAROLINA* , RAY, JEREMY and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM

ORAL PAPERS

Comparative transcriptomics of Crassulacean acid metabolism in Yucca

693

EGAN, ASHLEY N.* 1, VATANPARAST, MOHAMMAD 1, SHETTY, PRATEEK 2, CHOPRA, RATAN 3, DOYLE, JEFF 4 and SATHYANARAYANA, N. 5

Transcriptome sequencing and marker development in winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus; Leguminosae)

inged bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC, is similar to soybean in yield and nutritional value but is more adaptable to tropical conditions. Here, we strengthen genetic resources for this orphan crop by producing a de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation of Sri Lankan accessions, developing simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between geographically separated genotypes. A combined assembly based on 804,757 reads from two accessions produced 16,115 contigs with an N50 of 889 bp, over 90% of which has significant sequence similarity to other legumes. Combining contigs with singletons produced 97,241 transcripts. We identified 12,956 SSRs, including 2,594 repeats for which primers were designed and 13,091 high-confidence SNPs between Sri Lankan and Nigerian genotypes. The transcriptomic data sets generated here provide new resources for gene discovery and marker development in this orphan crop, and will be vital for future plant breeding efforts. We also analyzed the soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) gene family, important plant defense genes, in the context of related legumes and found evidence for radiation of the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) gene family within winged bean.

Smithsonian Institution - NMNH, Botany, 10th and Constitution Ave, MRC 166, Washington, DC, 20013, USA2Michigan State University, Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Rd, Room 166, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA3United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, 3810 4th St, Lubbock, TX, 79415, USA4Cornell University, 412 Mann Library Building, ITHACA, NY, 14853-4301, USA5Sikkim University, Botany, 5th Mile, Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim, 737102, India

rassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is an adaptation to water-stressed environments whereby plants modify the central process of carbon fixation. In CAM plants, stomata open at night when transpiration rates are lowest, and incoming CO2 is fixed and stored temporarily as malic acid in the vacuoles. During the day, stomata close, malic acid is decarboxylated, and RuBisCO is flooded with a high concentration of carbon in the leaf cells. This carbon concentrating mechanism increases the efficiency of RuBisCO while simultaneously decreasing the amount of water lost per carbon molecule gained. In the genus Yucca (Asparagaceae), in which half of the species use C3 photosynthesis and half use CAM, a natural C3-CAM hybrid, Yucca gloriosa, shows intermediate physiological phenotypes; during periods of ample water, Y. gloriosa will conduct C3 photosynthesis, with low levels of concomitant nighttime CO2 uptake presumably via the CAM pathway. Under drought stress, daytime CO2 fixation disappears in the C3-CAM hybrid and it converts to full CAM, until re-watering returns them to a largely C3 state. Yucca gloriosa is native to the Southeastern U.S., and marker data suggests it is a later generational hybrid (greater than F1) that is potentially segregating for CAM function. Here we use Yucca as an emerging model for the study of CAM evolution by an in-depth exploration of the transcriptomes from the C3 and CAM parental species, Y. filamentosa and Y. aloifolia respectively, and the hybrid Y. gloriosa. We sequenced 3-4 genotypes of each parental species, with samples taken every four hours over a 24-hour period from both well-watered and drought-stressed samples. Additionally, we sequenced 7 genotypes of Y. gloriosa that segregate for the ability to use the CAM pathway under drought stress. We find that the C3 parent has CAM-like expression of a number of central CAM pathway genes, but without the corresponding CAM phenotype (as measured by gas exchange and leaf acid accumulation). Allele specific gene expression of CAM genes was examined in the hybrid genotypes to determine whether cis or trans elements play a larger role in the expression of CAM photosynthesis. University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

695

MCNEAL, JOEL R.

Comparative transcriptomics of the genus Cuscuta

pecies within the stem parasitic plant genus Cuscuta vary widely in published chromosome number and genome size estimates without strong correlation between the two values. Analyses of transcriptome data will be used to determine how much of the genome size variation across Cuscuta can be explained by whole genome duplication events and what role these events may have played in speciation within the genus. Rates of

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evolution in nuclear genes and their correlation to those in the chloroplast genome will also be addressed, with an emphasis on rate variation in photosynthetic genes encoded by the nuclear genome of Cuscuta. Kennesaw State University, Biology, 1000 Chastain Rd., Kennesaw, GA, 30144-5591, USA

696

PEREDO, ELENA L* 1, CARDON, ZOE , THOMAS, SUZANNE 1 and BRUCE, DOUGLAS 2 1

De novo transcriptome assembly and gene expression profiling of the desiccationtolerant desert green alga Scenedesmus rotundus during desiccation and rehydration

olonization of land was key for the radiation of life on Earth, and among green plants, embryophytes have long been studied in an effort to identify traits essential for the terrestrial photosynthetic lifestyle. Traits shared among terrestrial embryophytes may be shared because they are important for terrestriality, or they may be shared simply because they were present in the common ancestor of the embryophytes. To tease apart these two possibilities, we are studying multiple lineages of green algae that independently made a permanent leap from water to land. These diverse green algae inhabit biological soil crusts (microbiotic crusts) of the Southwestern U.S. deserts. Desert algae display a very powerful mechanism protecting the photosynthetic apparatus during desiccation and rehydration. Under common garden conditions, desiccation-tolerant species regain photosynthetic activity almost immediately upon rehydration after full desiccation, much more readily than their close aquatic relatives. Slow desiccation leads to stronger photoprotection, suggesting that time is required for these desert algae to fully activate the mechanisms that promote a dissipative state. To investigate the molecular basis of the photoprotective mechanisms triggered during slow desiccation (over 12 hours), we characterized nuclear and organellar gene expression profiles over a time course of slow desiccation and fast rehydration in the desert alga Scenedesmus rotundus (isolated from the Sevilleta LTER, NM). To avoid biasing against recovery of chloroplast and mitochondrial transcripts, we avoided commonly-used Poly(A)-based methods of removing the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) that would otherwise swamp our sequencing effort. Instead, we generated paired-end strand-specific cDNA libraries and used sequence-based, customized, enzymatic targeted removal of S. rotundus rRNA (InDA-C, Nugen) during library preparation. rRNA can constitute up to 90% of total RNA, so such a depletion step is required to ensure sufficient sequencing of mRNA. Illumina NextSeq sequencing of ten libraries (five time points, two biological replicates) generated ~200 million reads, used for de novo assembly of a reference transcriptome for the species (Trinity). Contig annotation and gene ontology were performed using SwissProt and NCBI nr databases (Trinotate and Blast2go). Differential expression analysis was completed according to the Trinity pipeline (RSEM/Bowtie2/DESeq2). We did not find drastic expression changes in early stages of desiccation

(0 - 2.5 hours), however, up- and down-regulation of genes became clear by 7.5 hours, and strong upregulation of hundreds of genes was observed in dry samples. Desiccation-associated expression changes were persistent one hour after rehydration. 1

Marine Biological Laboratory, The Ecosystems Center, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA, 02543-1015, USA2Brock University, Department of Biological Sciences, 500 Glenridge Ave, St. Catharines, ON, ON L2S 3A1

697 JOHN

MASALIA, RISHI R.* and BURKE,

The Story of Stresses: A look at transcriptomic variation of a single cultivated sunflower genotype across five abiotic stresses

s climate change and an increasing human population alter and encroach upon arable land, agricultural productivity will regularly be restricted to marginal soils and reduced resource inputs. Along this vein, this study examines the growth of a single genotype of cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) to asses its phenotypic and transcriptomic response to an array of abiotic stresses: salinity, low nutrient, flooding, drought (drydown) and drought (PEG-6000). This genotype, Ha412, was used to create the cultivated sunflower reference genome currently in progress, and represents an oilseed accession. Here, Ha412 was grown in replicate under growth room conditions, to the seedling stage. Individuals seedlings were grown for ten days, then subjected to either a stress or a control condition for another ten days. Phenotypic variation was assessed through a series of morphological and physiological measurements, including stem height and diameter, leaf percent nitrogen, delta 13 carbon, and biomass ratios. Root phenotypes included total root length, specific root length, and maximal rooting depth which were assessed through the imaging program WinRhizo. Transcriptomic variation was assessed for all treatments between two tissue types: leaf and root. RNA was sampled, extracted, and sequenced using standard protocols. Transcriptomes were assembled de novo using Trinity. Expression values were normalized and differential expression was determined through EdgeR and DESeq. This study is currently ongoing, however preliminary analyses have suggested varying phenotypic and expression profiles for all abiotic stresses assessed. This presentation represents the most up-to-date report of this study. University of Georgia, Plant Biology, Miller Plant Sciences, 120 Calton St, room 2502, Athens, GA, 30605, USA

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Geonomics & Proteomics 698

BECHEN, LINDSEY 1, OVERSON, 2 RICK , JOHNSON, MATTHEW 3, FANT, JEREMIE 4, LEVIN, RACHEL 1, ROBERT, RAGUSO 5, SKOGEN, KRISSA 6 and WICKETT, NORM* 7

Organ-specific transcriptomes of Oenothera harringtonii (Onagraceae) and associated variation in floral scent

loral scent has a fundamental influence on the evolution of many plant-insect interactions and can contribute to both positive (i.e., pollination) and negative (e.g. pollen larcenists, seed predators) fitness effects for the plant. Previous studies have shown that floral scent in Oenothera harringtonii (Onagraceae) can vary among populations and there appears to be a geographic pattern in the distribution of a particular component of floral scent: linalool. Oenothera harringtonii is a narrowly endemic, annual evening primrose found in southeastern Colorado; in addition to being primarily hawkmoth pollinated, O. harringtonii serves as a host plant for some hawkmoth larvae and for the larvae of the microlepidopteran moth genus, Mompha. Despite high levels of gene flow and little differentiation of populations across its range, there appears to be strong population structure for two primary chemotypes (linalool + and linalool -). Population structure is also observed relative to the abundance of either hawkmoth or Mompha larvae, which may be, at least in part, related to floral scent. As part of a larger, ongoing project to test the role of floral scent (linalool in particular) in the evolution of Onagraceae, we present an analysis of floral organ-specific relative expression for individuals of O. harringtonii producing high levels of linalool and for individuals producing low levels of linalool. In total, 32 RNA-Seq libraries were sequenced for six plants (three + linalool, and three - linalool); separate libraries were constructed for the hypanthium, petals, stamen, stigma/ style, flower bud, and a young leaf. Here, we discuss the pattern of differentially expressed genes for both tissue type and chemotype.

Amherst College, Department Of Biology, McGuire Life Sciences Building, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Biology and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States3Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States4Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States5Cornell University, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA6Chicago Botanic Garden, Conservation Scientist, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA7Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

699

LANDIS, JACOB BRIAN* 1, CAREY, SARAH B. 2, PAYTON, ADAM C. 3 , WOODRUFF, EMILY D. 4, CONRAD, ROTH E. 4, BARRY, KERRIE 5, JENKINS, JERRY 5, GRIMWOOD, JANE 5, SCHMUTZ, JEREMY 5 and MCDANIEL, STUART F. 3

Sexual dimorphic expression patterns in the transcriptome of juvenile tissue of Ceratodon purpureus

exual dimorphism is common across the tree of life, suggesting that selection favors different trait optima in males and females. Yet, with the exception of sex chromosomes, the two sexes share a common genome. A critical step in understanding the evolution of sexual dimorphism is to identify the transcriptional architecture that differentiates the male and female developmental programs. Here we examined the transcriptional basis of sexual dimorphism in early gametophyte development (protonema) of the dioecious moss Ceratodon purpureus. Although protonema contain relatively few and subtly differentiated cell types, female plants nonetheless grow faster than males at this stage. We used RNAseq to survey protonemal gene expression in ten male-female sibling pairs (i.e., two gametophytes from the same sporophyte) isolated from seven populations spanning the geographic distribution of the species (Alaska, New York, Connecticut, Oregon, North Carolina, Ecuador, and Southern Chile). To avoid biases introduced by variable levels of divergence from the reference genome, we used a de novo assembly approach across all sibling pairs. We identified a core set of genes that were consistently differentially expressed between female and male protonema, including genes expressed in core metabolism as well as genes involved in sexual differentiation in mature tissues. The de novo approach sacrifices power of genome-guided approaches but allows us to map and compare all reads in the dataset. Taken as a whole, this analysis of sexually dimorphic gene expression highlights the challenges inherent in transcriptomic analyses of polymorphic species but lays a solid foundation for directly linking sexually antagonistic selection to its molecular targets.

University Of Florida, Dept Of Biology, Florida Museum Of Natural History - Dickinson Hall, Museum Road And Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University of Florida, Biology, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, Fl, 32611, USA3University of Florida, Biology Department, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4University of Florida, Biology, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, Fl, 326115Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA

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700

ANDERSEN, ETHAN J.* 1, NEPAL, MADHAV P. 2, ALI, SHAUKAT 3, YEN, YANG 4 , REESE, R. NEIL 5 and NEUPANE, SURENDRA 1

Genome-wide Identification of the CNL Disease Resistance Genes in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and Their Evolutinary Divergence

lant disease resistance genes (R-genes) are necessary for the recognition of pathogens and initiation of defense responses. Barley is an important crop species belonging to the family Poaceae, and much has yet to be understood about the diversity and evolution of R-genes within its genome. The objectives of this study were to identify Coiled-coil, Nucleotide-binding site, and Leucine-rich repeat (CNL) genes within the barley genome based upon conserved motifs and elucidate their evolutionary history. We utilized a Hidden Markov Model with 52 Arabidopsis thaliana CNL reference sequences for gene identification followed by analyses for phylogenetic relationships, structural variation, and gene clustering. We found 175 barley CNL genes that showed evidence for a) an expansion of the CNL-C clade, b) reduction of clades CNL-A and CNL-B, and c) a complete absence of CNL-D, and d) many instances of possible tandem duplication in evolutionary history. Also, MLOC_66581 and MLOC_10425 appear to be accession names for mildew locus A (MLA) genes that respond to powdery mildew and likely have many allelic variants. Fifteen gene clusters were found and most genes were located in the extra-pericentromeric regions on six of the seven chromosomes, with many clustered genes located on chromosomes 1H and 7H. Multiple splice variants were seen in barley which may have contributed to a rapid diversification of the CNL-C members. This in silico analysis aids to the understanding of R-genes in barley may assist in the development of durable resistance in cereal crops.

South Dakota State University, Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 570072South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA3South Dakota State University, Plant Science, Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 570074South Dakota State University , Biology and Microbiology , Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory , Brookings , SD, 570075 South Dakota State University, Bio/Micro, SNP 249B, Box 2140D, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA

701

LANE, AMANDA* 1, KERRY, JOHN 2, AUGUSTIN, MEGAN 3, KUTCHAN, TONI 4 and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 5

Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis of Morphine Biosynthesis in Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum)

enzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a large class of plant secondary metabolites that are produced primarily by the Ranunculales. This class includes a variety of current and potential pharmaceutical compounds such as the analgesics morphine and codeine. While many BIAs are produced in a variety of species, morphine is only prodcued by opium poppy (Papaver somniferum. It is unclear why only opium poppy produces morphine and its precursors when closely related species do not. We are taking a network approach to investigate the morphine biosynthesis pathway, its evolution, and identification of candidate regulators in order to elucidate the evolution of this pathway. For this network approach we are utilizing Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA), which uses gene expression data to identify modules of co-expressed genes that likely share function and/or regulation. Our dataset for this analysis includes RNA-seq from five tissues each from three individuals that produced varying amounts of morphine. Additionally, we have abundance information for select metaoblites that provides an additional layer of data to indicate the most informative gene modules. Individual gene modules are then diessected for function, relationships with known morphine production enzymes, and representative gene families to identify those genes that are most informative for production of BIAs and evolution of the pathway. These candidates and modules can then be compared between poppy species to highlight evolutionary differences.

University of Georgia, Department of Genetics, 4509 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 4509 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, United States3 Danforth Center, 975 N. Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States4Danforth Center, 975 N. Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA5University Of Georgia, 4503 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

702

RAMSEY, ADAM JOSEPH* and MANDEL, JENNIFER R

Patterns of cyto-nuclear disequilibrium and the influence of heteroplasmy in wild carrot, Daucus carota (Apiaceae)

yto-nuclear linkage disequilibrium (LD) is the nonrandom association of alleles in the nuclear and cytoplasmic organellar genomes. Patterns of cyto-nuclear LD can indicate admixture of two species or divergent populations, positive or negative cyto-nuclear selection, inheritance of organelles in a non-traditional fashion, or heteroplasmy, the occurrence of more than one mitochondrial or plastid genome within an individual. Cyto-nuclear interactions have been shown to play a role in cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) which occurs

288

Geonomics & Proteomics in gynodioecious plant species. These species are also implicated in instances of paternal inheritance of organelles. We used the gynodioecious species, Daucus carota ssp. carota, or wild carrot, to investigate cyto-nuclear LD. We genotyped a total of 227 individuals from two North American regions, 92 from the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State, and 135 from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. We used 15 nuclear microsatellites, two mitochondrial SNPs and one plastid polymorphism to calculate nuclear-nuclear LD, cyto-nuclear LD and LD between organelles both among regions and within regions. We were further able to identify over 100 individuals heteroplasmic for at least one of the organellar loci. Thus we were able to calculate the same sets of LD values for heteroplasmic and homoplasmic (nonheteroplasmic) individuals. Differences were found between several of the LD calculations. Further goals of this project are to include crop carrots (ssp. sativus) to determine if gene flow between wild and crop carrot may play a role in the patterns of LD investigated here. University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA

703

LIU, XIAOXIAN* 1, BARBAZUK, WILLIAM B. 1, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 2 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E. 1

A de novo detection pipeline for alternative splicing based on single-molecule long-read isoforms using Amborella trichopoda

NA alternative splicing (AS), which occurs after a pre-mRNA transcript is formed from a template DNA, is a major means of generating diverse transcripts and protein products. Research on human and mouse shows the unique advantages of Iso-SeqTM data in isoform-level transcriptome analysis, such as in the study of alternative splicing (AS) and gene fusion. In this study, we applied the Iso-SeqTM approach to investigate AS detection in Amborella trichopoda, a phylogenetically pivotal species that is sister to all other living flowering plants. A comparison between Iso-SeqTM data and existing data suggests that the Iso-SeqTM platform provides better recovery than what is obtained for short reads on large transcripts, new gene locus identification, and gene model prediction. Reference-based AS detection with Iso-SeqTM data shows that 45.8% of the multiexonic genes in Amborella trichopoda showed evidence of AS. This percentage is higher than that obtained from previously published RNA-Seq analysis (37.5%) and suggests that the Iso-SeqTM long-read approach might be useful for detecting more AS events than in previous analyses. Reference-based AS detection using different error correction methods yielded different results, and we therefore recommend an approach that combines elements of multiple methods. We also developed a de novo AS detection pipeline for Iso-SeqTM data. The pipeline was validated by both the existing AS database and RT-PCR experiments. Validation results show a 63.5% overall success rate in identifying AS events and suggest that this method could be successfully applied to a non-

model system with limited genetic resources. 1

704

NAUMANN, JULIA* 1, WAFULA, ERIC K. , PALMER, JEFFREY D. 2 and DEPAMPHILIS, CLAUDE W. 1 1

Tremendous Transfer - Intracellular Gene Transfer in the Basal Angiosperm Amborella trichopoda

mborella trichopoda, most likely sister to all extant angiosperms, is the only “basal angiosperm” that has sequenced nuclear and organellar genomes. The Amborella mitochondrial genome is extremely unusual owing to its record-setting content of foreign DNA. The origins of the foreign DNA are the Amborella plastid genome and mitochondrial genomes of other angiosperms, mosses, and green algae, acquired via both intracellular and horizontal gene transfer. The phylogenetic diversity of the foreign DNA derives from epiphytic plants that grow all over Amborella. The ability to produce new shoots from wounded branches may also have contributed to the high degree of horizontal gene transfer. Intracellular gene transfer, on the other hand, is common in plants, especially in the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Given the unique mitochondrial genome, the nuclear genome of Amborella could be a potent recipient of organellar and foreign DNA. The questions that we address here are: 1) Do we find organellar DNA in the Amborella nuclear genome? 2) How does the content of organellar DNA compare to other plant genomes? 3) Is there evidence of even more mitochondrial horizontal gene transfer in Amborella’s past, including additional donors, in the form of foreign mitochondrial DNA that has survived only in Amborella’s nuclear genome? 1

The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, State College2Indiana University, Department of Biology, Bloomington, IN, USA

705 JEFF*

GUO, WENHU and MOWER,

Complete mitochondrial genomes from the ferns Ophioglossum californicum and Psilotum nudum are highly repetitive with the largest organellar introns

o date, complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are available from all major land plant lineages except ferns (Monilophyta), the immediate sister lineage of seed plants (Spermatophyta). Sequencing of fern mitogenomes could shed light on the origin of complex mitogenomic features in vascular plants and the major evolutionary transitions that established mitogenomic diversity among extant lineages. In this study, we generated the first two complete mitoge-

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nomes from ferns: the adderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tongue fern (Ophioglossum californicum) and the whisk fern (Psilotum nudum). The mitogenome from Psilotum is arranged in two chromosomes of 364 kb and 264 kb. It has retained nearly all genes inherited from the vascular plant ancestor and contains a rich complement of introns, most of which are shared with other vascular plants. Comparative analysis demonstrated that the Psilotum mitogenome has the largest organellar genes and introns of any green plant, and the introns may be the largest from any eukaryotic organellar genome. In the 372 kb Ophioglossum mitogenome, gene and intron content is slightly reduced, involving the loss of all 4 ccm genes whose products are involved in cytochrome c maturation and the loss of 5 introns. Both fern mitogenomes are highly repetitive, yet they show extremely low levels of active recombination, even at large repeats. Transcriptomic sequencing uncovered ~1000 sites of C-to-U RNA editing in both species, plus a small number (<60) of Uto-C edit sites. Overall, the first mitochondrial genomes of ferns show a mix of features shared with lycophytes and/or seed plants and several novel genomic features, consistent with their unique evolutionary position among vascular plants. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center for Plant Science Innovation, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA

706

HALL, NATHAN* 1, ZHANG, HUI , MCELROY, J. SCOTT 2 and GOERTZEN, LESLIE 1

The Mitochondrial Genome of Eleusine indica

leusine indica (Poaceae) is a widespread and problematic weed from eurasia commonly known as goosegrass. Broad ecological tolerance and prolific seeding ability have contributed to its spread throughout North America. E. indica is a close relative and likely progenitor of the allotetraploid cereal crop African Finger Millet (E. corocana), a highly nutritious and important food source in semiarid regions. The development of genomic resources for E. indica will provide insight into the basic biology of this hardy species and provide resources for the improvement of E. corocana. Here we describe the assembly and annotation of the goosegrass mitochondrial genome and compare it to other grass species. Accurate assembly of plant mitochondrial genomes from short reads can be limited by the repetitive and multipartite nature of this region in plants. Here we combined paired-end with mate-pair reads and explored various assembly algorithms and data visualization methods to better describe the nature of the mitochondrial genome in goosegrass. We identify 33 protein coding genes, 3 rRNAs and numerous tRNAs in approximately half a megabase of sequence and compare E. indica mt genome structure and content to other grasses in a phylogenetic context.

Auburn University, Biological Sciences, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Bldg., Auburn, AL, 36849, USA2Auburn University, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Auburn, Al, 36849

707

WITHERUP, COLBY* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 1 and WICKETT, NORM 2

Testing hypotheses on the repeated origination of polyploidy in plants

he cycle of polyploidy and diploidization has occurred repeatedly during the evolution of many different groups of plants, resulting in phenotypic changes, speciation, and the emergence of novel traits. Although post-polyploid adaptation remains an exciting area of research for evolutionary biologists, of equal interest are how and why the cycle of polyploidy begins again following diploidization. Several hypotheses are proposed, including selection, relaxed selection, and residual artifacts from the previous polyploidy event, such as copy number increase or selection for meiotic adaptation to polyploidy. We investigate the hypothesis that 2n gamete production results from a relaxation of selection on meiosis genes. Recent research has identified multiple genes that, when mutated, can affect meiosis, resulting in the production of 2N gametes. Using data from 52 available plant genomes, we calculated Evolutionary Rate Covariation (ERC) between all functionally annotated meiosis genes. Genes that are not in the same pathway but display high ERC may be linked by similar function or evolutionary pressure during the cycle of establishment of polyploids and subsequent diploidization. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Plant Science Center, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

708

AN, HONG* 1, QI, XINSHUAI , BARKER, MICHAEL S 3 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 4

The origin and diversity of Brassica napus

rassica napus is a worldwide multiuse crop, especially as a very important edible oil resource. It is an allopolyploid species naturally hybridized from Brassica rapa (AA=20) and Brassica oleracea (CC=19) about 7,500 years ago. Characterization of their origin and population structure is essential for Brassica napus germplasm conservation and heterosis utilization. We used 2*250 bp RNA-seq to generate transcriptomic data of 162 Brassica rapa, 40 Brassica oleracea, 93 Brassica napus and some other close related Brassicaceae species. Using these data, about 10 million SNPs were identified and used for population structure and phylogeny analysis. Based on these results, we confirmed that Brassica rapa is definitely a parent of Brassica napus, but we found that Brassica oleracea may have less contribution than Brassica rapa or no contribution to Brassica napus. Additionally, the spring type oilseed Brassica napus can be clearly distinguished from the winter type ones, and the East Asian winter type is also significantly different from the European and American winter type. Besides, we also evaluated the expression level of different subpopulations and different duplicated genes in Brassica napus and classified their different expressed genes into different functional categories.

University of Missouri-Columbia, Biological Sciences, 311 Bond

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Geonomics & Proteomics Life Science Center, Columbia, Missouri, 65201, United States2University of Arizona, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA3University Of Arizona, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA4University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211-7310, USA

709

QI, XINSHUAI 1, AN, HONG 2, HALL, TARA 3, PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS* 4 and BARKER, MICHAEL S 5

Significant genetic structure and variation among domesticated Brassica rapa subspecies uncovered by transcriptomics

rassica rapa crops are known for their outstanding morphological diversity - including Chinese cabbage, Pak Choi, turnip, sarson and other morphotypes. To explore the phylogenetic relationships and domestication history of these diverse subspecies, we generated high density genome-wide SNPs from transcriptome data for 143 accessions collected from around the world using. Analyses of more than 27,000 SNPs across the Brassica rapa genome revealed evidence for six distinct genetic groups. Patterns of variation among the SNPs supported the traditionally recognized South Asian and East Asian Brassica rapa groups and indicated that they were independently introduced from Europe (and/ or Central Asia). In addition, our analyses bring several new insights on the relationships of Brassica rapa subspecies; for example, subspecies sylvestris is neither a wild type nor the earliest domesticated subspecies as previously thought. We found that two widely recognized Indian cultivars (yellow and brown sarsons) are genetically indistinguishable. Based on multiple population genetic tests, our results suggest crop domestication and improvement are not always associated with strong founder effects.

University of Arizona, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA2University of Missouri-Columbia, Biological Sciences, 311 Bond Life Science Center, Columbia, Missouri, 65201, United States3University of Arizona, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA4University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211-7310, USA5University Of Arizona, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

710

SAMANFAR, BAHRAM* 1, COBER, ELROY 2, CHARETTE, MARTIN 1 , SCHOENROCK, ANDREW 3, DEHNE, FRANK 4, GOLSHANI, ASHKAN 5 and MOLNAR, STEVE 1

in 2015. Soybean production is expanding in Canada with the majority of the increase in short season areas (Western Canada and northern regions). The development of short season (early flowering and maturity) soybeans for Western Canadian and northern regions requires effective use of early maturity genes. Eleven maturity loci have been reported in soybean; however for almost half of those loci the molecular basis is not yet clear. The list of novel factors affecting these pathways in soybean, and in model plants like Arabidopsis, continues to grow suggesting the presence of other novel players which are yet to be discovered. Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) are essential molecular interactions that define the biology of a cell, its development and responses to various stimuli. Theoretically (“guilt by association”), if a gene interacts with groups of genes involved in one specific pathway, that gene might also be involved in that specific pathway. Our knowledge of global PPI networks in complex organisms such as human and plants is restricted by the technical limitations of current methods. The Protein-protein Interaction Prediction Engine (PIPE) is a computational tool to predict protein-protein interactions (PPI). PIPE has been used to produce proteome-wide, all-to-all predicted interactomes in a variety of organisms including yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), human (Homo sapiens), Arabidopsis and others. Currently we are using PIPE towards predicting the first comprehensive protein-protein interaction network for soybean. To test whether PIPE has the ability to predict PPI in soybean and then to predict novel genes involved in flowering and maturity, we have used three complementary approaches; classical plant breeding, molecular biology (analysis of SSR and SNP haplotypes), and PIPE predicted PPI. This strategy successfully identified a new maturity locus tentatively called “E10” and the underlying candidate gene. More importantly, further comprehensive investigation of the soybean genome will lead to Identification of molecular markers tagging the genes controlling flowering and maturity in soybean, which will allow soybean breeders to efficiently develop varieties using molecular marker assisted breeding. Allele specific markers will allow stacking of early maturity alleles to develop even earlier maturing cultivars. This bioinformatics approach to PPI will also help to bridge the knowledge gap regarding the flowering and maturity pathway in soybean. 1

Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, AAFC, Ottawa Research and Development Centre (ORDC), 960 Carling Avenue, Neatby Building (#20), Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada2Agriculture and AgriFood Canada , Ottawa Research and Development Centre (ORDC), 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada3Carleton University, School of Computer Science, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada4Carleton University, School of Computer Science, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada5Carleton University, Biology, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada

A functional genomics approach (PIPE, Protein-protein Interaction Prediction Engine) to identify new early maturity alleles in soybean for Western Canada

oybean is one of the major Canadian grain crops; the Canadian soybean seeded area was ~5.4 million acres

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711

COATE, JEREMY* 1, POWELL, ADRIAN 2, KOENIG, MAX 3 and DOYLE, JEFF 4

Patterns of homoeologue usage within and among three Glycine allopolyploid species

wo fundamental questions about polyploidy under active investigation are how do polyploids utilize their duplicated complements of genes, and what are the emergent properties, or recurring outcomes, of genome duplication? Here, we address these questions by quantifying gene expression at the level of individual homoeologues in three related but independent allotetraploids in Glycine subgenus Glycine. We used RNASeq to profile the leaf transcriptomes of 2-5 accessions each of the three allotetraploids and their four diploid progenitors under two growth conditions (unstressed and excess light). Additionally, for one tetraploid and its diploid progenitors we profiled root transcriptomes. We reconstructed diploid consensus sequences for each diploid progenitor species, and mapped tetraploid reads to these sequences to quantify homoeologue expression for >20,000 genes per tetraploid species. By examining homoeologue usage within and among tetraploid species, we are able to distinguish individual- and speciesspecific responses from responses that are apparently conserved across polyploidy events (emergent properties). We are also using homoeologue expression to infer patterns of gene retention and loss. Retention of homoeologue expression indicates that very few homoeologues have been lost from the genomes of these polyploids in < 0.5 MY since their origins. This contrasts with the extensive gene loss observed in older polyploids (including the closely related soybean [G. max]), and suggests that the exponential decay in gene content inferred from these older events is not initiated immediately following duplication. We further discuss homoeologue expression patterns in Glycine allopolyploids in light of theories that attempt to explain patterns of biased or unbiased gene loss (fractionation) from homoeologous genomes of polyploids. 1

Reed College, Plant Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR, 97202, USA2Cornell University, Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853-4301, USA3Reed College, Biology, Portland, OR, 97202, USA4Cornell University, Section of Plant Breeding & Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, 240 Emerson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 148534301, USA

712

GERELLE, WESLEY* , LAM, VIVIENNE K. Y. and GRAHAM, SEAN W.

Comparative genomics of Parasitaxus usta, a podocarp conifer with a unique form of heterotrophy

arasitaxus usta (Podocarpaceae) is a parasitic and possibly mycoheterotrophic conifer endemic to New Caledonia. Its plastid genome is highly reduced with only the ribosomal-protein genes, RNA polymerase genes, infA, ycf1, ycf2, matK, clpP and accD retained under putative purifying selection. Despite the

loss of most plastid-encoded photosynthetic genes, it retains both nuclear and plastid-encoded genes of the CF1 complex of ATP synthase (the so-called “lollipop head“ of the enzyme). We examine how this complex is evolving based on analysis of dN/dS ratios and document the utility of each gene in phylogenetic inference. We also explore a transcriptome for this species produced by the 1KP (One Thousand Plants) project to document genome-wide patterns of gene retention, including nuclear-encoded photosynthetic genes and other plastidtargeted genes, with the goal of characterizing patterns of Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment relative to its photosynthetic relatives in Podocarpaceae. University of British Columbia, Botany, 3529 - 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

713

MOORE, ABIGAIL J* 1, HANCOCK, LILLIAN PINE 2, DE VOS, JURRIAAN 3 and EDWARDS, ERIKA 4

The phylogenies and evolutionary history of the Portullugo Clade (Caryophyllales)

he Portullugo clade in the Caryophyllales includes both CAM and C4 plants and radiations in many of the world“s deserts and dryland areas, including the cacti, Australian Calandrinia, and South African Anacampseros. We are looking at the evolution of this group using targeted sequence capture data from many of the gene families involved in CAM photosynthesis. These data allow us to resolve many parts of the phylogeny of the Portullugo clade, including the relationships of closely related species, while other nodes, such as the sister to the Cactaceae, remain problematic. 1

Brown University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 80 Waterman Street, Box G-W, Providence, RI, 02912, USA2 Brown University, EEB, 80 Waterman Street, Box G-W, Providence, RI, 02912, USA3Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Department of Compartive Plant and Fungal Biology, The Herbarium, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK4Brown University, Box G-W, 80 Waterman St, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

714

YANG, YA* 1, MOORE, MICHAEL , BROCKINGTON, SAMUEL 3 and SMITH, STEPHEN 4

Functional and spatial heterogeneity of gene family evolution in nonmodel species: three strategies using Caryophyllales as an example

NA-seq offers the ability to explore the patterns and drivers of plant diversification on a scale never before possible. However, most studies so far have been focusing on either resolving phylogenetic relationships, or exploring molecular evolution in a small number of gene families. Using a data set of over 200 transcriptomes and three genomes across Caryophyllales, including 104 newly sequenced transcriptomes, we found evidence for at least 21 ancient genome duplication events. From the data set of >15,000 genes per species, we discovered that many gene duplication events were

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Geonomics & Proteomics ment of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA4Chicago Botanic Garden, Conservation Scientist, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

associated with key adaptive trait changes such as the de novo assembly of the betalain synthesis pathway. Here we discuss three alternative strategies for interrogating transcriptomic and genomic data sets for large-scale patterns of gene family evolution: baited, all-by-all, and genome walking, and discuss moving forward putting gene family evolution into both functional and spatial perspectives.

716

SPOELHOF, JONATHAN* 1, CHESTER, MICAHEL 2, RODRIGUEZ, ROSEANA 1, GERACI, BLAKE 1, HEO, KWEON 3, MAVRODIEV, EVGENY 4, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS E 5 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 6

University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA2Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA3Department Of Plant Science, Downing Site, Cambridge, N/A, CB23AE, United Kingdom4University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

Chromosomal Composition and Fertility in Two Resynthesized Allopolyploid Plant Species

olyploidy is an important mechanism of diversification and genome evolution among eukaryotes, particularly in ferns and flowering plants. Allopolyploidy (genome duplication in association with hybridization between species) accounts for roughly one-half of recent polyploidization events. The study of two recently formed allopolyploid species, Tragopogon mirus and Tragopogon miscellus (Asteraceae), has illuminated many features of early allopolyploid evolution (ca. 40 generations after genome duplication), such as genomic restructuring and non-additive gene expression. However, the earliest stages (1-5 generations after genome duplication) of allopolyploid evolution remain poorly understood, even though the characteristics of neopolyploids at this stage may have profound impacts on their ability to establish and reproduce in an otherwise diploid population. In this study, we characterized populations of resynthesized T. mirus and T. miscellus for chromosomal composition (via genomic in situ hybridization) and fertility (via pollen staining) across the first four to five generations after induced whole-genome duplication. We observed widespread karyotypic variation among resynthesized polyploids, including aneuploidy, compensated aneuploidy, and chromosomal translocations. By the fourth generation following whole-genome duplication, the karyotypic composition of resynthesized T. mirus reflected that of natural T. mirus, whereas T. miscellus possessed lower rates of compensated aneuploidy than natural T. miscellus. The mean pollen fertilities of resynthesized T. mirus and T. miscellus were moderately high (60-80% viable pollen), but still significantly lower than that of natural allopolyploids. The mean pollen fertility of resynthesized T. mirus increased steadily with each generation, while resynthesized T. miscellus was more variable and showed only marginal fertility gains. In conclusion, synthetic lines of both polyploid species show dramatic increases in karyotypic diversity within the first four generations following whole-genome duplication, which suggests that the karyotypic variation among natural populations arose quite early during their establishment. Furthermore, the observation that pollen fertility generally increased across generations, despite increasing levels of aneuploidy, suggests that certain karyotypic changes may have neutral or beneficial effects in allopolyploids, potentially by stabilizing meiosis, altering genetic dos-

715

LEWIS, EMILY MARIE* 1, FANT, JEREMIE 2, MOORE, MICHAEL 3 and SKOGEN, KRISSA 4

Differences in population genetic structure of hawkmoth- and bee-pollinated species of Oenothera (Onagraceae)

nimal pollinators play an important role in plant reproduction and provide a vector for pollen to travel from one plant or one population to another. Populations develop genetic structure due to isolation and subsequent restriction in gene flow. Geographic isolation as a result of patchy or fragmented habitat may be mitigated differentially in plant species depending on their primary pollinators. We compared population genetic structure in two members of Oenothera section Calylophus that differ in primary pollinator guild to investigate the effect on genetic differentiation between isolated populations. Oenothera gayleana (bee-pollinated) often co-occurs with O. hartwegii subsp. filifolia (hawkmothpollinated) on gypsum deposits in the overlapping portion of their ranges. Four populations at a small, local scale and five populations at a large, landscape scale were sampled to determine if genetic structure varies at different spatial scales depending on primary pollinator. Patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation were assessed with 11-12 microsatellite loci and 3 chloroplast microsatellite loci. There was no evidence of population genetic structure using nuclear markers at the local scale for either species, despite a separation of 13km between two populations, beyond the foraging range of most bees. At the regional scale (60-440 km), populations of the bee-pollinated species, O. gayleana, showed a northeast and southwest division, and at a finer scale, five distinct populations corresponding with geographic identity. Only slight evidence of isolation by distance was revealed at the regional scale in the hawkmothpollinated species, O. hartwegii subsp. filifolia, with very little support for any population structure. These results suggest that pollinators may connect populations across the landscape at a larger spatial scale than estimated foraging distance would predict, facilitating gene flow among disparate populations. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science Center, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Gardens, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA3Oberlin College, Depart-

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age, or resolving genetic incompatibilities between two divergent genomes. 1

University of Florida, Biology - Botany, Florida Museum of Natural Historyâ€“Dickinson Hall, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Natural Capital and Plant Health, Jodrell Laboratory, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK3Kangwon National University, Department of Applied Plant Sciences, Chuncheon, Gangwon, 200-701, Korea4University Of Florida, Florida Natural History Museum, Florida Museum Of Natural History PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, United States5University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32605, USA6University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/2731964

717

LITT, AMY* 3

Changes in DNA methylation and the domestication of tomato

pigenetic modifications are increasingly being shown to play an important role in short- and longterm adaptation of plants in response to changes environmental conditions. Differences in DNA methylation can contribute to genome stability, changes in gene expression, and phenotypic diversity, and this phenotypic diversity can be the target of selection, resulting in adaptive changes. Little is known, however, about the role of epigenetic changes in the domestication process, and the role such changes may play in the suite of traits that characterize domesticated plants. We compared genome-wide DNA methylation patters in two varieties of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in contrast to three accessions of wild tomato (S. pimpinellifolium) using bisulfite sequencing. Sequences were aligned with the reference genome of S. lycopersicum 2.50, and mapping efficiency was high for all libraries. Patterns of cytosine methylation were similar in all accession: 52%, 45% and 3% for CpG, CHG and CHH respectively. Cytosines in the CpG and CHG contexts were highly methylated (95% and 88% respectively) but methylation patterns were not correlated with repeat or centromere regions. Over 700 positions in the genome showed fixed methylation differences between the two cultivated and three wild accessions, with most of these being methylated in the cultivated accessions. We found over 100 of these positions to be in or near genes, including genes predicted to be involved in flower development, fruit development, and ripening, metabolism, histone modification, and other cellular processes. We performed qRT-PCR on 16 genes using breaker-stage fruit tissue to determine if the differences in methylation between wild and cultivated tomato were correlated with differences in expression at that stage. We consistently found greater variability in expression among the wild accessions. Seven genes showed higher expression in wild accessions, one showed higher expression in cultivated, and the rest showed no difference. Most of the differentially expressed genes appear to play roles in metabolic processes, potentially related to the ripening that is occurring at breaker stage. The significance of these results will be discussed in the context of tomato domestication and fruit development.

Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Plantas, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915 - sala 402, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 22460-030, Brazil2Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Genética, Av. Pau-Brasil, 211, lha do Fundão - Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21941-590, Brazil3University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

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Geonomics & Proteomics POSTERS 718

LUO, YAN* 1, HU, JIN-YONG 2 and SONG, BAO-HUA 3

Genome-wide analysis of gene expression reveals gene regulatory networks that regulate chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowering in Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Caryophyllaceae)

seudostellaria heterophylla produces both closed (cleistogamous, CL) and open (chasmogamous, CH) flowers on the same individual but in different seasons. The production of CH and CL flowers might be in response to environmental changes. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of CH and CL flowering, we compared the transcriptome of the two types of flowers to examine differential gene expression patterns, and to identify gene regulatory networks that control CH and CL flowering. Using RNA sequencing, we identified homologues of 428 Arabidopsis genes involved in regulating flowering processes and estimated the differential gene expression patterns between CH and CL flowers. Some of these genes involved in gene regulatory networks of flowering processes showed significantly differential expression patterns between CH and CL flowers. In addition, we identified another 396 differentially expressed transcripts between CH and CL flowers. Some are involved in environmental stress responses and flavonoid biosynthesis. We propose how the differential expression of key members of three gene regulatory modules may explain CH and CL flowering. Future research is needed to investigate how the environment impinges on these flowering pathways to regulate CH and CL flowering in P. heterophylla. 1

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China2Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanheiroad 132, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China3University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Biology, 9201 University City Blvd, , NC, Charlotte, NC, 28223-0001, USA

719

LUO, YAN* 1, FREESE, DANIELLA , REID, ROBERT 2, ZHANG, HENG-YOU 3, MILLER, THOMAS E. 4, LORAINE, ANN 2 and SONG, BAO-HUA 5 2

Comparative transcriptome analysis of beach morning glory reveals important salt adaptation mechanisms

oil salinity is one of the major environmental factors causing crop loss worldwide. Here we conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis of two diploid wild relatives of sweet potato, beach morning glory (halophyte) and white star (glycophyte) following salt treatment. Our objective was to discern novel genes and pathways that confer salt tolerance in the halophyte. Overall, our results highlighted the lineagespecific mechanisms in conferring salt tolerance and

importance of applying crop wild relatives in crop improvement. Specifically, our results showed that the glycophyte exhibited more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) than the halophyte relative, suggesting the role of constitutive vs induced gene expression in evolutionarily adapted and non-adapted species. Meanwhile, the root tissue in both species exhibited more differentially expressed genes than the leaves. This highlights the role of the root tissue in conferring salt tolerance. Heatmap analysis of the root tissue revealed 53.6 % of halophytespecific up regulated DEGs under salt stress. Lastly, 102 and 23 putative orphan genes were found up regulated in the roots of the halophyte and glycophyte respectively. This could be an unexplored pool of novel genes with potential roles in salt tolerance. 1

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA2University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA3University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA4Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA5University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Biology, 9201 University City Blvd, , NC, Charlotte, NC, 28223-0001, USA

720

ZHANG, HENG-YOU 1, SONG, QIJIAN 2, LUO, YAN 3, NELSON, RANDALL L. 4 and SONG, BAO-HUA* 5

Genome-wide association study of soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) HG type 2.5.7 (race 1) resistance in wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc.)

oybean cyst nematode (SCN) is one of the most destructive pathogens of soybean plants worldwide. Thus far, most of the commercial SCN- resistant soybean cultivars have been developed from very limited resistant germplasm resources. Over use of these limited resistant sources has resulted in SCN race shifts in many soybean-growing areas due to evolutionary arm race. To broaden SCN-resistance breeding resources and mitigate nematode damage, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of SCN race 1 resistance was conducted with an association panel containing 1035 wild soybean accessions using 41,087 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A total of 15 SNPs distributed on nine chromosomes were detected to be significantly associated with SCN race1 resistance, and two SNPs mapped in previously identified QTLs, S3-10 on chromosome 11 and q18 on chromosome 18. Importantly, one of the peak SNPs is tightly close to the functionally validated SNP, B1-7. Plant disease defense related genes encoding various types of protein kinases (PK), zinc finger domain containing proteins, pathogenesis-related proteins, and glutathione synthetase, and RING domain proteins were also identified within the linked regions of the peak SNPs. Our findings highlight the potential of using wild soybean germplasms to identify candidate genes associated with SCN resistance. The identified SNPs and candidate genes can benefit breeding and further facilitate dissecting the molecular mechanisms of

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soybean-SCN interactions. All of these efforts will be focused on ensuring food security by developing resilient soybean varieties in the face of global climate change and population growth. 1

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, NC , 28223, USA2United States Department of Agriculture, Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD , 20705, USA3University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA4University of Illinois, Department of Crop Sciences, Urbana , IL, 61801, USA5University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Biology, 9201 University City Blvd, , NC, Charlotte, NC, 28223-0001, USA

721

BARRETT, CRAIG* 1 and PEREZ, LETICIA 2

Gene expression and mycoheterotrophy: an exploratory analysis of green vs. non-green Corallorhiza (Orchidaceae)

tudies of genome evolution in parasitic and mycoheterotrophic plants have focused overwhelmingly on changes occurring in the plastid genome (plastome) as a result of relaxed selection on photosynthetic function. Only a handful of studies have focused on the effects of photosynthetic loss and patterns of gene expression. While studies have addressed gene expression patterns between holoparasites and their host plants, almost no data exist on expression related to obligate interactions between mycoheterotrophs (viz. holomycotrophs) and their fungal hosts. Here we examine the orchid genus Corallorhiza to compare gene expression patterns across green, partially mycoheterotrophic species vs. non-green, holomycotrophic species. Specifically, we address hypotheses concerned with loss of photosynthesis in holomycotrophs, and changes in expression patterns between orchids parasitizing different hosts. Green species (C. trifida, C. wisteriana) are hypothesized to express photosynthesis-related genes (nuclear and plastid) at some level in contrast to non-green species (C. striata var. striata, C. maculata var. occidentalis). A single representative of each of the aforementioned species was collected at a site where they are sympatric in Montana, USA, all at the same time of day and at the same developmental stage (pre-anthesis). Material was chopped finely in the field and stored immediately in cold RNA-later solution to preserve mRNA. Total RNAs were extracted from whole shoots and rhizomes after cleaning with nuclease free water using the Zymo Plant RNA kit, which has a DNA-exclusion step, followed by treatment with DNAse. Total mRNAs were sequenced after rRNA exclusion and poly-A purification on an Illumina NextSeq500 for 150 bp paired-end reads. Shoot-derived reads were assembled de novo into contigs using Trinity after digital normalization. Plastid contigs were mapped to previously sequenced plastomes of Corallorhiza and annotated, while nuclear contigs were annotated based on the recently published Phalaenopsis genome. Photosynthesis related unigenes were scored as present or absent, and compared qualitatively between green vs. non-green species, as acquisition of biological replicates within species was not yet possible. Unigenes missing from both non-green or-

chid datasets but present in both green orchid datasets were considered putative gene losses, pseudogenes, or extreme instances of down-regulation. Reads from rhizome mRNAs were mapped simultaneously to recently sequenced orchid and fungal genomes (fungal families Russulaceae or Thelephoraceae), followed by de novo assembly. Differences in transcript presence/absence is discussed, as are future efforts to collect biological replicates and other taxa in Corallorhiza and leafy relatives, with the goal of a phylo-comparative assessment of gene expression. 1

West Virginia University, Plant and Soil Sciences, G153 South Agricultural Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA2California State University, Los Angeles, Biological Sciences, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA

722

SHAN, SHENGCHEN* 1, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 2 and SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 3

Genomic Consequences of Reciprocal Polyploidization in Tragopogon

olyploidy, or whole-genome duplication (WGD), is a major evolutionary force in plant evolution and is widespread throughout the green plant clade. The dynamic nature of polyploid genome evolution might explain the evolutionary novelty and long-term persistence of these plants. Many studies have demonstrated that multiple origins of polyploids are the rule, not the exception. Yet we know little about the genetic and genomic consequences of reciprocal formation of allopolyploidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a phenomenon that may be much more common than currently realized. Tragopogon (Asteraceae), from western North America, is an outstanding natural system for polyploidy research and provides a unique opportunity to examine the evolutionary process after recent and repeated polyploidization. The repeatedly formed allotetraploid Tragopogon miscellus (2n=24) is only about 80 years old (~40 generations in this biennial plant species). Interestingly, T. miscellus has formed reciprocally in nature. Furthermore, the reciprocally formed T. miscellus has two inflorescence morphologies: those tetraploids with T. dubius (2n=12) as maternal parent have inflorescences with long ligules, and those with T. pratensis (2n=12) as maternal parent have inflorescences with short ligules. To investigate the genetic control of these morphological differences, RNA was extracted from both morphs, with three biological replications each. Illumina Nextseq (paired-end sequencing) was used to characterize the pattern of differentially expressed genes between reciprocally formed T. miscellus. After adapter and quality trimming, about 25 million reads remained for each sample, and the average read length was about 140 bp. Trinity was used for de novo assembly, and after filtering poorly supported contigs, 276,039 contigs were generated (N50 is 722 bp). By applying abundance estimation using RSEM, and differential expression analysis using edgeR, 536 differentially expressed contigs were found between the two morphs (4-fold differential expression; FDR<=0.001), in which 290 contigs were highly expressed in short-liguled T. miscellus and 246 contigs were highly expressed in long-liguled T. miscellus. Annotation of those differentially expressed genes is still ongoing. These analyses

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Geonomics & Proteomics will help us to unravel the mechanisms controlling morphological differences between reciprocally formed allopolyploid populations. 1

University of Florida, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, 322 University Village South, Apartment 6, Gainesville, Florida, 32603-2041, United States2University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

723

NEPAL, MADHAV P. 1, NEUPANE, SURENDRA* 2, MATHEW, FEBINA 3, MA, QIN 4, VARENHORST, ADAM 5, ANDERSEN, ETHAN J. 6 and REESE, R. NEIL 2

Comparative Genomics of Disease Resistance Genes in Soybean (Glycine max) and Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

roteins encoded by disease resistance genes (Rgenes) play important role in defense against pathogens including bacteria, fungi, pests, nematodes and viruses. Recent availability of genome sequences of plant species including legumes such as soybean and common bean allows us to study different gene families. In this study we conducted genome-wide identification of the TNL (Toll and interleukin-1 receptor like Nucleotide-binding site-Leucine-rich repeat) genes in soybean and common bean using 83 Arabidopsis thaliana TNL reference sequences. Hidden Markov Model (HMM) profiling of the TNL R-gene sequences resulted in 117 and 77 genes in Soybean and common bean, respectively. Multiple Expectation Maximization for Motif Elicitation (MEME) analysis was used to visualize the conserved motifs, and the program SyMAP was used to generate a syntenic map of TNL genes in G. max and P. vulgaris. Sixty-three percentage of total TNL genes identified in soybean formed 27 clusters located in 15 out of 20 chromosomes and the majority of them were located on chromosomes 3G, 6G and 16G. Likewise, approximately 63% of total TNL genes identified in common bean formed 13 clusters located on 11 chromosomes and mostly clustered on chromosome 10P. The syntenic analysis showed high orthology between genes of chromosome 3G and 10P as well as 16G and 4P. At the meeting we will share our results on the analyses of evolutionary relationships, gene clustering, gene duplication events, transcriptomic data and selection pressure. Identification and characterization of these genes will improve our understanding of R-gene evolution and pave avenue for future legume crop improvement with durable resistance.

South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA2South Dakota State University, Biology and Microbiology, Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota, 57006, USA3 South Dakota State University, Plant Science, Plant Science Hall, Brookings, South Dakota, 57006, United States4South Dakota State University, Plant Science, Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota, 57006, United States5South Dakota State University, Plant Science, Berg Agricultural Hall, Brookings, South Dakota, 57006, United States6South Dakota State University, Biology and Microbiology, Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, South Dakota, 57006, United States

724

EVANS, TIMOTHY 1, WEITZEL, ALEXANDER* 2 and FADEN, ROBERT 3

Examination of the molecular genetic basis of andromonoecy in Aneilema (Commelinaceae)

any species of the plant genus Aneilema (Commelinaceae) exhibit an andromonoecious breeding system: a single plant will produce both hermaphroditic and staminate flowers. The type of flower that will develop at a given time follows a predictable sequence in the first inflorescences produced by a plant, with flowers formed during the first 7-9 days being hermaphroditic and those formed later being staminate. As a result, Aneilema provides an opportunity to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying the production of each floral type. To identify candidate genes that may be involved in determination of floral type, we generated de novo transcriptome sequences from young floral buds of Aneilema schlechteri plants grown from seed, including day-two (hermaphroditic) and day-fifteen (staminate) buds, as well as a floral bud from Tradescantia ohiensis, a member of Commelinaceae that produces only hermaphroditic flowers. A de novo reference assembly consisting of the three types of floral buds resulted in 196,428 transcripts. Differential expression analyses were conducted to determine candidate genes for determination of floral type. Efforts are currently underway to annotate and categorize each transcriptome and the differentially expressed genes. This study provides a foundation upon which the molecular genetics of floral diversification in Aneilema and Commelinaceae as a whole will be examined.

Grand Valley State University, Biology, 3321 Kindschi Hall, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401, United States2Grand Valley State University, Biology, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401, United States3Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 200137012, USA

725

SIGMON, BRANDI* 1, ADAMS, ROBERT 2 and MOWER, JEFFREY 3

Identifying diagnostic plastid polymorphisms for the non-fertile vetiver grass ‚Sunshine’ (Chrysopogon zizanioides)

etiver grass, the roots of which produce an important essential oil, has been utilized in many parts of the world for soil and water management. Botanical and agronomic literature distinguishes two broad complexes of vetiver, including wild fully-fertile populations across Northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh and cultivated non-fertile vetiver originating from Southern India. Previously, a survey of 121 accessions found that 86% of vetiver appeared to be a single sterile clone named ‚Sunshine.’ Since fertile vetiver has a high probability of spreading as an invasive weed wherever it is introduced, sterile vetiver is preferred for soil and water management uses. DNA fingerprinting (RAPDs) has been previously used to identify fertile and non-fertile

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vetiver, but the technique is unreliable due to problems with band homology and reproducibility. Therefore, a new DNA-based test is needed to reliably distinguish non-fertile vetiver from its more invasive, fertile relatives. Complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequencing has been used to identify polymorphisms that distinguish between closely related subspecies in rice and ecotypes in switchgrass. In this research, we completed next-generation sequencing of the cp genomes of three non-fertile and two fertile vetiver grasses in order to identify distinguishing polymorphisms between these vetiver types. Following genome assembly and annotation, the vetiver cp genome was found to be typical of other grasses suggesting that cp genome size and content is highly conserved in the Andropogoneae. Also, the total polymorphism rate of 0.02% is 5- to 7-fold lower than rates found in other grass cp genomes studies examining closely related ecotypes or subspecies, suggesting that non-fertile and fertile vetiver recently diverged. By comparing fertile and non-fertile cp genomes, 28 distinguishing polymorphisms including 14 SNPs, two small indels, 11 microsatellites, and one stem loop variation were identified. In a broader panel of 26 accessions, these polymorphisms reliably distinguish non-fertile Sunshine-like vetiver from fertile accessions. However, two sterile accessions not derived from Sunshine genotyped as fertile, which indicates multiple origins of sterility complicate the genetic history of vetiver. These variations in cp genome sequence can be used to genotype other accessions through sequencing or by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in order to verify sterility. 1

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Agronomy and Horticulture, 1901 Vine St., Beadle Center, E249A, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA2Baylor University, Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA3University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Agronomy and Horticulture, 1901 Vine St., Beadle Center, E130, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA

726

WALTER, LAUREN* 1, LIVSHULTZ, TATYANA 2 and STRAUB, SHANNON C.K. 3

Comparative genomic analysis of Apocynaceae plastomes: Pseudogenes, repeat content, and molecular evolution

lant plastomes are highly conserved in their size, organization, and gene content. Plastomes of various species of Apocynaceae have been shown to vary in their conservation of these aspects, especially within Asclepiadoideae. This subtribe shares evidence of a mitochondrial genome to plastome horizontal transfer, as well as loss of several genes, including accD and clpP, in several species. For this study plastomes were newly sequenced and characterized for five species of Apocynaceae: Aspidosperma cruentum, Carissa ovata, Carissa spinarum, Haplophyton crooksii, and Mandevilla Ă&#x2014; amabilis. These plastomes were characterized in a comparative study that also included 23 other species of Apocynaceae already in GenBank, as well as plastomes of two other species of Gentianales. Genome size, organization, gene content, and repeat content were analyzed, and phylogenetic analyses of individual genes were conducted in order to detect increased rates of molecular evolution in various species. The newly sequenced plastomes ranged in size from 154,057 bp in C. ovata to 159,700 bp in A. cruentum. The organization and gene content of A. cruentum, H. crooksii, and M. Ă&#x2014; amabilis were highly conserved compared to other Apocynaceae and flowering plant plastomes. However, both Carissa plastomes showed evidence of pseudogenization of accD, indicating loss of this gene in their common ancestor. These plastomes also had the highest repeat content of the newly sequenced plastomes. The repeat content was comparable to that observed in Eustegia minuta, which has lost multiple ndh genes to pseudogenization, but still less than that observed in Asclepias speices, which have pseudogenized copies of accD, clpP, ycf1, and ycf2. These observations support the hypothesis that there may be a correlation between repeat content and rate of molecular evolution, and further illustrate that as more plastomes are sequenced, more exceptions to the rule are uncovered. 1

Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA2Drexel University, Biodiversity Earth and Environmental Sciences, Academy Of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, United States3Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA

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Hybrids & Hybridization Hybrids and Hybridization ORAL PAPERS 727

CHO, MYONG-SUK* 1, KIM, CHAN-SOO 2, KWON, YOUL 1 and KIM, SEUNG-CHUL 1

The origin of flowering cherry on oceanic islands: The saga continues in Jeju Island

he role of gene flow in the origin and evolution of subgenus Cerasus in genus Prunus (Rosaceae) has been documented earlier in Jeju Island, Korea. Cho et al. (2014) provided the convincing evidence for the bidirectional and multiple hybrid origin of wild P. yedoensis in Jeju Island. However, the origin of cultivated P. x yedoensis (Somei-yoshino cherry), which is hypothesized as an artificial hybrid origin between P. spachiana f. ascendens and P. speciosa in Japan, and its relationship to wild P. yedoensis in Jeju Island, Korea remain highly controversial. As an ongoing attempt to determine the phylogenetic relationship between wild and cultivated P. yedoensis, we extensively sampled a total of 194 individuals for both wild and cultivated Prunus species in Japan, Russia and Korea, including the putative maternal (P. spachiana f. ascendens) and paternal (P. speciosa) parent of cultivated P. x yedoensis in Japan. The phylogenetic analysis of nrDNA ITS data was performed for 338 accessions including 144 ITS clones of amplicons from representative species. The ribotypes of wild P. yedoensis from Jeju Island clustered with those of either P. serrulata or P. sargentii, whereas the ribotypes of cultivated P. x yedoensis showed close relationship to those of P. speciosa. The cpDNA haplotype network analysis was also performed for a total of 105 individuals including wild and cultivated P. yedoensis as well as P. spachiana f. ascendens, using five cpDNA marker regions that can distinguish between wild and cultivated P. yedoensis based on whole cp genome sequencing. One haplotype was found in cultivated P. x yedoensis (Somei-yoshino cherry) and it was distantly related to genetically somewhat diverse wild P. yedoensis in Jeju Island. The cpDNA and nrDNA phylogenetic analyses are suggestive of independent origin between wild and cultivated P. yedoensis, respectively. The preliminary survey of 31 loci in Rosaceae Conserved Orthologous Set (RosCOS) further supports the hybrid origin of wild P. yedoensis, but the pollen donor remains yet to be determined. 1

Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Biological Sciences, 2066 Seobu-ro, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Korea2Warm-Temperate and Subtropical Forest Research Center, 1253 Sanghyo-dong, Seogwipo, Jeju-do, 63582, Korea

728

GIL, HEE-YOUNG* 1, PIMENOVA, ELENA 2, MAKI, MASAYUKI 3, TARAN, ALEKSANDR 4 and KIM, SEUNG-CHUL 1

Hybridization and anagenesis on Ulleung Island: case studies of violet and figwort

lleung Island, an oceanic volcanic island in Korea, is home for ca. 500 native species of vascular plants with about 8% (40 species) endemism. The Ulleung Island has been recognized as an excellent model system to study the pattern and process of early stages of flowering plant evolutions on oceanic island. The predominant mode of speciation on Ulleung Island is considered anagenetic speciation (88%), while the important role of reticulate evolution (e.g., Aster chusanensis) is poorly documented. In this presentation, we introduce and discuss two different cases of generating biodiversity on island, hybridization and anagenetic speciation, on Ulleung Island. One example of hybridization includes Viola woosanensis (Violaceae), which is purportedly hybrid origin between V. ulleungdoensis and V. chaerophylloides. We determined that V. woosanensis is of hybrid origin with maternal parent of V. ulleungdoensis and paternal parent of V. chaerophylloides. We found perfect additive polymorphisms in ITS sequences, suggesting that V. woosanensis is early generation of hybrid species. Multiple and unidirectional hybrid origin of V. woosanensis is suggested and asymmetry of reproductive isolation between two parental species requires further study. The evolutionary fate of this hybrid is yet to be determined. Another case is Scrophularia takesimensis, critically endangered endemic species in Ulleung Island. We conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses to determine the origin of S. takesimensis with thorough sampling from eastern Asia. Previously sequenced representative species of Scrophularia were combined with our data set and analyzed. The global scale ITS phylogeny suggested that three eastern Asia species are monophyletic, but surprisingly, S. takesimensis was more closely related to the clade containing eastern North American/Caribbean species rather than to either S. alata or S. grayanoides. The global scale cpDNA phylogeny demonstrated that the eastern North America/ Caribbean clade is sister to the clade containing three eastern Asian species. In addition, the monophyletic S. takesimensis is deeply embedded within paraphyletic S. alata, sharing its most recent common ancestor with populations from Japan (2n=94). Geographically structured two divergent cp haplotype groups within S. takesimensis may suggest at least two independent introductions from different source areas. The phylogenetic incongruence between nuclear and chloroplast genomes, polyploidization and aneuploidization of S. takesimensis (2n=80) and closely related species, and unusual intercontinental disjunct distribution require further detailed independent nuclear genealogical, cytological, and biogeographic analyses.

Sungkyunkwan University, Biological Sciences, Seobu-ro 2066, Jangan-gu, Suwon, KOREA2Botanical Garden-Institute FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia3Tohoku University, Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, Japan4Sakhalin Branch of Botanical Garden-Institute FEB RAS, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia

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729

SUN, MEI* 1 and SURVESWARAN, SIDDHARTHAN 2

Species diversity and speciation mechanisms in Spiranthes (Orchidaceae)

nterspecific hybridization followed by polyploidization is an important speciation mechanism in angiosperms. Orchids are well known for their species richness. We investigate allopolyploid speciation mechanism in Spiranthes, a small orchid genus with several polyploid species and confirmed allopolyploids, such as S. hongkongensis in Asia and S. diluvialis in North America. Our previous work has shown parental additivity and fixed heterozygosity at allozyme loci in the allotetraploid S. hongkongensis. However, responses of repeated rDNA sequences to allopolyploidization are different, as a result of fast concerted evolution. Using mitochondrial DNA, we had earlier shown that the widely occurring Asian species S. sinensis, is the maternal parent of S. hongkongensis. The putative paternal progenitor might be the European species S. spiralis as its range extends eastwards to the Himalayas in western Asia. We hypothesize that the Asian allopolyploid species S. hongkongensis and others might have evolved through natural hybridization in the Himalayan mountain ranges where the white flowered S. spiralis and the pink flowered S. sinensis occur in sympatry. Using nuclear ribosomal ITS markers together with several cpDNA markers, we test the hypotheses about allopolyploid speciation in Asian Spiranthes. We examined rDNA polymorphism and the extent and direction of concerted evolution in the clones of the ITS region in the putative allopolyploid individuals and their diploid progenitors. Among 131 sequenced clones, most clones from S. hongkongensis were similar to the pink-flowered S. sinensis, its maternal diploid progenitor. However, we identified two different rDNA lineages in three individuals from two different populations of S. hongkongensis that were similar to a white-flowered species from India and also occurring in the Himalayas. The data indicate concerted evolution has not proceeded to completion in the allopolyploid S. hongkongensis populations; and the rDNA repeats of the paternal progenitor tend to be lost or converted in different allopolyploids of independent origin, indicating a directional evolution of the rDNA in favor of the maternal genome. Furthermore, our phylogenetic studies of the putative diploid progenitors and allopolyploids uncovered a new species, previously mistaken as synonymous to S. sinensis or S. spiralis. The evolutionary implications of geographical isolation and recurrent allopolyploidization in generating species diversity are discussed. Further studies of the genomic and transcriptomic changes in different allopolyploids can provide new insights into this mode of speciation in flowering plants.

The University Of Hong Kong, School Of Biological Sciences, Pokfulam Road, HONG KONG, N/A, Hong Kong SAR2University of Hong Kong , School of Biological Sciences , Hong Kong , Hong Kong

730

MCCARTHY, ELIZABETH* 1, BERARDI, ANDREA 2, SMITH, STACEY D. 3 and LITT, AMY 4

Diverse and novel phenotypes in allopolyploids: floral pigments and their genetic basis

olyploidy, or whole genome duplication (WGD), is a widespread phenomenon in the evolution of flowering plants. Allopolyploidy involves WGD and interspecific hybridization, and the merger of distinct genomes can result in genetic and epigenetic changes, including differential gene expression, transposon activity, and chromosomal rearrangements. Allopolyploids often display diverse and even transgressive (outside the range of the progenitors) phenotypes. These phenotypes may be due to novel regulatory interactions between progenitor genomes as they come together within the same nucleus. Here, we investigate the genetic and regulatory basis for the diverse and transgressive floral color phenotypes found in allopolyploids. Floral color affects pollinator attraction and thus floral color differences may lead to reproductive isolation and species diversification. n the genus Nicotiana (tobacco), approximately half the species are allotetraploids of different ages. The diploid progenitors of these polyploids have been wellestablished. Nicotiana displays substantial diversity in floral morphology, and allopolyploids from the same progenitors often have divergent floral phenotypes. Using two accessions of N. tabacum that display different floral colors (magenta and pink), we tested the hypothesis that differences in homeolog (progenitor gene copy) expression ratios underlie floral color variation in allopolyploids. To address this hypothesis, we quantified pigment gene expression from transcriptome data and measured the composition and concentration of floral flavonoids (anthocyanins and flavonols). The flavonoid biosynthetic pathway produces multiple types of pigments, and variation in regulation of this pathway yields different floral colors. We mapped our pigment data and homeolog expression ratios onto the pathway to determine whether differential homeolog expression between two accessions of the same allopolyploid species yields different pigment composition or concentration. Magenta N. tabacum flowers have an increased concentration of cyanidin pigment compared to pink N. tabacum flowers. However, at anthesis, there are no differences in homeolog expression ratios or overall expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, which does not support our hypothesis. It is possible that differential expression earlier in floral development yields floral color differences. Based on preliminary semi-quantitative RT-PCR data, late anthocyanin biosynthetic genes seem to be upregulated earlier in development in magenta flowers, suggesting production of cyanidin over a longer period, which may explain the observed increase in concentration. In addition, Nicotiana allopolyploids produce novel pigments not observed in either of their progenitors, suggesting that allopolyploidy yields shifts in the regulation and flux of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway that create transgressive phenotypes, which may affect pollinator attraction.

University of California, Riverside, Department of Botany and Plant

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Hybrids & Hybridization Sciences, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, 92521, USA2University Of Colorado - Boulder, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, C127 Ramaley Hall, University Of Colorado-Boulder Campus Box 334, P.O. Box 400328, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA3University Of Colorado-Boulder, School Of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309-0334, USA4University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

731

NIELSEN, TORA , CORTƒS, ANDRƒS* and KARRENBERG, SOPHIE

Origin and Distribution of a Putative Interploidy Hybrid Between Salix herbacea L. and Salix polaris Wahlenb. (Salicaceae)

ybridization is a major creative force in plant evolution and a primary cause of extensive morphological and genetic variation observed in many plant genera. Hybridization is also documented between taxa of different ploidy levels, but this process is not well understood. Different ploidy levels and frequent hybridizations make the genus Salix an excellent study system for evaluating evolutionary consequences of across-ploidy hybridization. In the current study, we investigated the arctic-alpine dwarf shrubs Salix herbacea L. (diploid), Salix polaris Wahlenb. (hexaploid) and their putative Scandinavian hybrid (tetraploid). We used morphological traits, flow cytometry and microsatellite marker analyses in 86 samples across 14 allopatric and sympatric sites along with controlled pollination experiments to infer patterns of hybridization and reproductive isolation. Hexaploids and diploids were found at allopatric sites, but only diploid S. herbacea and tetraploid putative hybrids were detected in the Scandinavian contact zone. It was evident that hybridization with and introgression from S. herbacea has influenced the present day morphology and genetic make-up of the Scandinavian tetraploid. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and ABC modelling suggested that the tetraploid probably arose before its range expansion into the Scandinavia. Crossing experiments demonstrated that reproductive barriers between diploids and tetraploids are asymmetrical and incomplete. Thus, on-going gene flow is probably occurring, and may mask signs of an ancient hybridization. Our investigation suggests that what has traditionally been believed to be a common Scandinavian hybrid between S. polaris and S. herbacea, is most likely a ploidy-reduced form of S. polaris. In turn, the observed morphological variation within this tetraploid form is likely to be introduced by rare hybridization with diploid S. herbacea. Results of this study highlight the importance of interploidy hybridization and introgression in arctic Salix.

Uppsala University, Department Of Ecology And Genetics, Norbyvagen 18D, Uppsala, 75236, Sweden

732

DE VOS, JURRIAAN 2 and JAMES, THOMSON 3

Reproductive barriers between heterostylous primroses

he interaction between floral traits and reproductive isolation is crucial to explaining the extraordinary diversity of angiosperms. Flowers enable the evolution of complex relationships with pollinators, promoting reproductive isolation and diversification. Distinct features of corollas (e.g., color, scent, texture, shape, tube length) and reproductive organs (e.g., position, form, pollen/stigma ultrastructure and proteins) can facilitate isolating mechanisms by attracting different pollinators, restricting interspecific pollen transfer, or rejecting interspecific pollen. Heterostyly, a complex floral polymorphism that optimizes outcrossing, evolved repeatedly in angiosperms and has been shown to accelerate diversification in primroses. However, no experimental study has evaluated its possible effects on reproductive isolation. We quantify multiple reproductive barriers between the heterostylous Primula elatior (oxlip) and P. vulgaris (primrose), elucidate the relative importance of pre- vs. postmating barriers, and test whether traits of heterostyly contribute to individual barriers. We find that premating isolation is key for both species, while postmating isolation is more pronounced in P. vulgaris. More specifically, ecogeographic isolation is important for both species, but stronger in P. elatior than in P. vulgaris, while phenological, seed developmental, and hybrid sterility barriers are stronger in P. vulgaris than in P. elatior. Consequently, reproductive isolation under sympatry is highly asymmetric between species, thus gene flow is expected to be higher from P. vulgaris into P. elatior than vice versa. Furthermore, we document for the first time that, in addition to widely occurring species-dependent asymmetries, morph-dependent asymmetries affect reproductive barriers between heterostylous species. Indeed, the interspecific decrease of reciprocity between high sexual organs of complementary morphs limits interspecific pollen transfer from S-morph anthers to L-morph stigmas, while higher reciprocity between low sexual organs favors introgression over isolation from L-morph anthers to S-morph stigmas. Therefore, patterns of pollen movement across species boundaries are likely affected by morph composition of adjacent populations. As small populations of heterostylous species often have unbalanced morph ratios, human-mediated habitat fragmentation that progressively reduces population sizes likely affects the permeability of species boundaries. Finally, intramorph incompatibility persists across species boundaries, but is weakened in L-flowers of P. elatior, opening a possible backdoor to gene flow through intra-morph pollen transfer between species. To summarize, our study highlights the general importance of premating isolation and newly illustrates that both morph- and species-dependent asymmetries shape boundaries between heterostylous species. 1

University of Zurich, Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Zürich, Switzerland2Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK3University of Toronto, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, Toronto, Canada4University of Zurich, Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Zürich, 8008, Switzerland

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733

MANOS, PAUL* 1, HIPP, ANDREW 2 and MCVAY, JOHN 1

A phylogeny of the American white oaks reveals widespread divergent evolution and the genomic legacy of introgressive hybridization

aks (Quercus L.) have long been suspected to hybridize in nature. Genetic exchange between morphologically-defined oak species has challenged the biological species concept, but the genomic consequences of introgressive hybridization have never been demonstrated. Here we show that phylogenomic analyses generally support morphologically defined species and reveal novel clades of species alliances of white oaks; however, historical hybridization across species from divergent clades is both detectable and the cause of misinterpreting biogeographic history. Total evidence phylogenetic estimation from RADseq data for 153 individuals representing 80 species supports two Holarctic disjunctions, one between the American white oaks and Eurasian â&#x20AC;&#x153;Roburoidsâ&#x20AC;?, the other linking two relictual species of highly localized distribution. We systematically analyzed the data using subsamples along multiple parameter axes and found support for a more recent derivation of the Roburoids from within the American white oaks, a scenario consistent with fossil data. An unexpected result is that ancient introgression between the Roburoids and the single species representing the relictual Eurasian lineage bias concatenated phylogenetic estimates. We also identify cases of historical hybridization between species and across oak subclades, including the origination of a geographically isolated species with genomic footprints of introgression that derive from three distinct lineages. These results demonstrate that a combination of divergent and reticulate processes have promoted the diversification and spread of these ecologically and economically important taxa in the northern hemisphere.

734

ERIKSSON, TORSTEN* 1, LUNDBERG, MAGNUS 2, SMEDMARK, JENNY E. E. 1, ZHANG, Q 3 and DAVIS, THOMAS M. 3

Reconstructing reticulate evolution of polyploid strawberries (Fragaria, Rosaceae), using nuclear low copy DNA sequence data

e present a detailed hypothesis for the polyploid evolution of the strawberry genus (24 known species). Our scenario, based on phylogenetic analyses of the low/single copy intergenic region between the two genes Resistance Gene Analogue 1 (RGA1) and Subtilase (SUBT), interprets polyploid parentage as well as the processes (autopolyploidy or allopolyploidy) involved, and their order in time. Three tetraploid Fragaria species have an autopolyploid origin. The hexaploid Fragaria moschata originated after two events of allopolyploidization. The octoploid lineage, including the two North American species Fragaria virginiana and Fragaria chiloensis, was formed by an allopolyploidization event between the Fragaria moschata lineage and a diploid lineage. The recently described decaploid species Fragaria cascadensis originated after an allopolyploidization event between the octoploid lineage and another diploid lineage. The decaploid Fragaria iturupensis was formed through allopolyploidization between the octoploid lineage and a diploid lineage. The progenitors of the hexa-, octo-, and decaploid Fragaria species are from the diploid lineages of Fragaria vesca, Fragaria viridis, Fragaria iinumae, and Fragaria daltoniana.

University of Bergen, University Museum, P.O. Box 7800, Bergen, 5020, Norway2Stockholm University, Department of Botany, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden3University of New Hampshire, Department of Biological Sciences, Rudman Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

Duke University, Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA2The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 605321293, USA

302

Hybrids & Hybridization POSTERS 735 Data about Chromosomal Evolution in the Genus Polylepis (Rosaceae) from Ecuadorian Species

olylepis has complicate infrageneric taxonomy with few systematic treatments. In spite of the fundamental importance of chromosome numbers, repeated attempts at counting chromosomes in Polylepis have been thwarted by the small size of them and the difficulty of preparation. We therefore undertook cytogenetic studies in Polylepis with an emphasis on Ecuadorian species to provide chromosome counts for the endangered genus and assess whether polyploids are present and stomata measurements to confirm that. In addition, we used flow cytometry to determine the nuclear genome sizes. In this study, we included flow cytometry data from the Ecuadorian species that had been not included in previous studies. The combination of direct chromosome counts with flow cytometry estimation of genome size is informative to understand patterns of genome size evolution within a polyploidy complex and to define geographic patterns of ploidy. We considered the frequency of chromosomal variation in this genus, same as the relationship between genome size and chromosome number in particular lineages. Finally, we discuss the evolutionary dynamics of the chromosome numbers in the light of the phylogeny of the genus 1

Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura, Av. Rumiñahui S/N, Sangolquí , Pichincha, 17-12-852Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura, Av. Rumiñahui S/N, Sangolquí, Pichincha, 17-12-85, Ecuador3Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura, Av. Rumiñahui S/N, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador

736

CATON, TARA* 1, JORDONTHADEN, INGRID 2, CANTLEY, JASON 1 and MARTINE, CHRIS 1

Ex situ hybridization of two cryptically dioecious Solanum (Solanaceae) species from NT Australia clarifies vague species boundaries

otanists have recognized problematic species boundaries among the functionally dioecious spiny solanums of northern Australia for decades. Of the ca. 15 species in this group, the Northern Territory sandstone endemic Solanum asymmetriphyllum stood out as one of the most morphologically distinct until its sister species, S. sejunctum, described in 2006. While molecular work supports that these two taxa are likely sister (and not the same) species, our work recently discovered that interspecific crosses leads to fruit and seed set, and a high germination rate for an F1 hybrid generation. This study investigated the F1 hybrids and made morphological and genetic comparisons of the two parent species plus the two hybrid crosses of opposite maternal parentage. Morphometric analyses included vegetative and reproductive characteristics and determined an equal number of characters favoring both parental species, exhibiting an intermediate hybrid morphology, or possessing a unique hybrid effect. Genetic analyses included a species-determining restriction enzyme digestion pattern assay of the sporopollenin precursor gene CYP703, chromosomal ploidy level determination, and use of Genomic in situ Hybridization (GISH) to determine patterns of genomic inheritance. The speciesdetermining assay determined that the two species are distinct, the hybrids have a mixed pattern of digestion, and an included herbarium sample of a putative wild occurring hybrid (labeled as S. asymmetriphyllum, but resembling an intermediate form with S. sejunctum) suggests that wild hybrids can occur or a new species should be realized. Chromosomal squashes indicated that both species and all hybrids maintain the same base number (2n=24) and that allopolyploidy had not occurred. Results from GISH analyses showed a mixed pattern of genomic inheritance on chromosomes. All of these data better clarify the evolutionarily close relationship between S. asymmetriphyllum and S. sejunctum and solidify their position as distinct species. The ability for the two species to form hybrid offspring into the F1 and F2 generations suggests that they are recently diverged; and some outcomes of the study infer that the speciation of S. sejunctum may have occurred as a result of a single population becoming geographically isolated during periods of climate change via a vicariance event or some long distance dispersal event. Defining these species boundaries better guide conservation efforts for their small population sizes, especially of S. sejunctum, which only occurs isolated on one sandstone monolith. 1

Bucknell University, Biology Department, 1 Dent drive, Lewisburg, PA, 178372University of California Berkeley, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720

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ORAL PAPERS

Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China4Elon University, Department of Biology, Elon, NC, 27244, USA5Wake Forest University, Department Of Biology, 1834 Wake Forest Road, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, 27106, USA

737

FRITSCH, PETER W* 1, LU, LU , PENG, JU 3, BUSH, CATHERINE M 4, WANG, HONG 2, ZHANG, MING-YING 2, KRON, KATHLEEN A 5 and LI, DE-ZHU 2

738

Fruit evolution, lineage diversification, and biogeographical patterns in the circumPacific tribe Gaultherieae (Ericaceae)

Allometric relationships better explains seed coat microsculpture traits in Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae) than ecology or dispersal

Macroevolution

ruit is a key innovation in flowering plants and fleshy fruit is generally thought to have evolved for effective seed dispersal by frugivores. However, the evolution of fleshy fruit colors and its adaptive significance have received little attention in a phylogenetic context. Here we investigate fruit evolution in the circum-Pacific tribe Gaultherieae (Ericaceae), a clade with a wide array of fruit types and colors. We found evidence for an acceleration in species diversification rate associated with the initial evolution of fleshy fruit in the Wintergreen Group (Diplycosia, Gaultheria, and Tepuia), followed by independent rate accelerations associated with the switch from red to violet (including blue, purple, or black) colors. We also observed significant correlations among red fruits, low elevations, and high latitudes, versus violet fruits, high elevations, and low latitudes. A biogeographic analysis recovered a pattern in which inferred oceanic dispersals involved red-fruited lineages, whereas in situ diversification involved predominantly violet-fruited lineages. Phytochemical tests on the fruits of several species of Gaultheria recovered a derivative of cyanidin in red fruits and a derivative of delphinidin, frequently also with the cyanidin derivative, in violet fruits. Delphinidin absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation more strongly than cyanidin and is thus thought be more effective in protecting against UV than other anthocyanidins. From the sum of morphological, phylogenetic, biogeographic, and chemical evidence, we postulate that fleshy red fruit initially evolved as a key innovation for animal dispersal, but that subsequent species diversification in the tribe was facilitated by the switch from red to violet fruits, at least in part for the protection of seeds against prolonged UV exposure in either tropical or montane environments, or both. This key innovation may have evolved specifically in the Gaultherieae because their fleshy fruits are generally non-preferred by animals and thus tend to remain on the plant for long periods of time, often for many months. Although conjectural with the current data, this situation may represent an evolutionary trade-off between capacity for frugivore dispersal versus UV protection of seeds, in line with recent investigations highlighting the variety of adaptations to UV exposure in terrestrial organisms.

Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA2Kunming Institute of Botany, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China3Kunming Institute of Botany, State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China,

SCHENK, JOHN J.* 1, SULLIVAN, MELISSA 2, WASHBURN, GEORGE 2 , FRANTA, ROXANNE 2 and CHAMBERS, MALINDA 2

ariation in seed coat microsculpture traits provide reliable characters for species delimitation as well as synapomorphies that support phylogenetic hypotheses; however, botanists have not yet identified the ecological or evolutionary reasons why closely related species differ in microsculpture traits. A statistical phylogenetic approach was applied to seed variation in Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae) to determine whether seed traits are correlated with ecological variation, dispersal strategies, and/or each other. Fifty-six taxa were measured for capsule, whole seed, and seed-coat microsculpture-traits (cell area, cell shape, sinus depth, papillae number, and papillae length) and compared to each other and to bioclimate variation. We determined that seed coat traits covary with each other; specifically, seeds with larger cells have more sinuate walls and more numerous, small papillae. The hypothesis that seed coat microsculpture traits directly covary with climate or with dispersal strategy was unsupported. We conclude that bioclimate variation does not directly select for seed microsculpture traits in Mentzelia section Bartonia, but rather indirectly selects for larger seeds that, in turn, are correlated with larger cells. Cell sizes are ultimately responsible for the variation in microsculpture traits, such as sinus depth, papillae number, and papillae length. 1

Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA2Tulane University

739

LIVSHULTZ, TATYANA* 1, KALTENEGGER, ELISABETH 2 and OBER, DIETRICH 3

Macroevolution of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Apocynaceae: a case of defense deescalation?

acroevolutionary dynamics between plants and herbivorous insects have been a touchstone of coevolution, informing our understanding of how species interactions can drive evolution of species and phenotypic diversity. Co-evolutionary theory predicts both evolutionary escalation of the diversity and potency of plant defense chemistry and de-escalation of initially defensive chemicals that are co-opted by specialist herbivores to increase their own fitness to the detriment of their host plants. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are plant

305

secondary metabolites consisting of a necine base esterified to a necic acid that have evolved at least 10 times among flowering plants. The first step of PA biosynthesis is catalyzed by homospermidine synthase (HSS) which evolved repeatedly via duplication and neofunctionalization of deoxyhypusinesynthase (DHS), a ubiquitous eukaryotic gene. PAs are repellent to many generalist herbivores including mammals, insects, and nematodes but have been co-opted by species of at least 6 lineages of specialist insects for anti-predator defense and larval host plant location. Apocynaceae (the milkweed and dogbane family) are known for their secondary chemistry and for their specialized herbivore fauna, including Lepidoptera subfamily Danainae, the milkweed and clearwing butterflies. A physiological requirement for plant-derived PAs is a symplesiomorphy of Danainae. In Apocynaceae, PAs have been reported from species of only 6 of 366 genera. One of these species, Parsonsia alboflavescens, has functional HSS and DHS genes. Over 30 years ago, it was hypothesized that Danain co-option of PAs has driven their evolutionary loss in Apocynaceae. The HSS/DHS gene tree was reconstructed to investigate the evolution of PAs in Apocynaceae. HSS has evolved once via duplication of DHS early in the diversification of the APSA clade, a well-supported lineage that includes > ¾ of all Apocynaceae genera and most of the known Danain host plants. All 6 PA-positive genera have both HSS and DHS. At least 15 genera never reported to produce PAs have an HSS ortholog. Locus specific primers were designed to investigate whether PAs been lost via HSS deletion in any lineages. Evidence is presented that root-specific expression of PAs may be an alternative strategy for some Apocynaceae species to maintain PA-defense against root-feeding generalists while decreasing the fitness of foliage-feeding specialists. 1

Drexel University, Biodiversity Earth and Environmental Sciences, Academy Of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, United States2Kiel University, Botanical Institute , Biochemical Ecology and Molecular Evolution, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9 , Kiel , D-24118, Germany3Kiel University, Biochemical Ecology and Molecular Evolution, Botanical Institute, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, Kiel, D-24118, Germany

740

NG, JULIENNE* 2, WEAVER, WILLIAM 2 and LAPORT, ROBERT 3

Disentangling the roles of ecological and historical processes in structuring plant communities across the United States

ommunities are assembled according to a number of processes operating across spatial and temporal scales. In particular, both ecological (e.g. competitive exclusion, environmental filtering) and historical processes (e.g. speciation, dispersal) are considered central to the assembly process. However, disentangling the roles that these two processes play in shaping community structure remains a major challenge because both ecological and historical processes can give rise to similar patterns. We used a dynamic null model of assembly that incorporates historical speciation, colonization and extinction to investigate how historical processes have shaped woody perennial plant communities across the United States. Our findings reinforce the importance of including a historical perspective in analyses of commu-

nity structure. 1

University of Colorado Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA2University of Colorado Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA3University of Colorado-Boulder, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

741

SAUQUET, HERVE* 1, REYES, ELISABETH 1, NADOT, SOPHIE 1, VON BALTHAZAR, MARIA 2 and SCHOENENBERGER, JUERG 2

Inferring rates of morphological evolution and their impact on ancestral state reconstruction: an empirical study based on floral traits

ates of evolution are a central element of all stochastic models of macroevolution. Although much research has been conducted on molecular rates and diversification rates, many questions remain on rates of morphological evolution, in particular those of discrete characters. Yet all maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inferences of ancestral states, character correlations, and trait-dependent diversification rely upon these rates and a number of assumptions made on them. Here, we take advantage of two very large, angiospermwide datasets of floral traits to ask a few simple questions, focusing on transition rates among character states of Markov models of discrete character evolution. First, can we estimate transition rates accurately (assuming they are real)? Do these estimates depend on taxon sampling, taxonomic scale, and methodology? Second, do rates vary among lineages and what is the extent of their variation among floral traits? Third, which model(s) best represent the evolution of morphological discrete characters: the equal-rate (ER, Mk1) model, imposing a single rate among all transitions, or more complex models with two or more transition rate parameters, such as the all-rates-different (ARD) model? Last, how do these questions affect ancestral state reconstruction? We explored these issues using two datasets from the eFLOWER project: a core dataset of 27 floral traits scored in 792 species (367 families), and an expanded dataset of 5 perianth traits scored in 1232 species (424 families). Despite differences in sampling strategies and the ultrametric (dated) trees used in the two studies, we find remarkable consistency in terms of estimated transition rates, model fit, and reconstructed ancestral states. We also find very strong signal for transition rate asymmetry, showing that the equal-rate model is a poor fit for most floral traits. Importantly, we find that model choice can have a drastic impact on reconstructed ancestral states in ML inference and that the associated proportional likelihoods can be misleading as a measure of confidence. On the contrary, Bayesian approaches appear to better capture uncertainty in ancestral state reconstruction, thanks to their integration over phylogenetic, dating, model, and transition rate uncertainty. 1

Universite Paris-Sud, Laboratoire Ecologie, Systematique, Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, bat. 360, Orsay, 91405, France2University of Vienna, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Rennweg 14, Vienna, Aâ€ 1030, Austria

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Macroevolution 742

SCHENK, JOHN J.* 1, KONTUR, SOPHIE 2, WILSON, HANNAH 2 and NOBLE, MCKAYLA 1

743

Testing for ecological speciation in North American Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae)

The repeated evolution of vertebrate pollination syndromes in the centropogonid clade (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), a recently diverged Andean plant clade

he North America species of Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae) are abundant especially in Florida, where nine species occur. Across their ranges, species tend to be associated with particular sand ridges that were created at different times by varying sea levels concomitant with glacial cycles. The species diversity and biogeographic patterns in Paronychia may be attributed to (1) historical geological processes that generated novel habitats for species to diversify allopatrically, (2) ecological speciation, in which species specialize and diversify across an ecological gradient that is associated with different sandhills and sandridges, and/or (3) competitive exclusion. Here, we test the hypothesis that ecological speciation has driven species diversification in Paronychia. If this hypothesis is supported, we expect to find closely related species partitioning into ecologically diverse habitats. Ecological data that included slope, proportion of grain sizes, soil compaction, percent cover, average nearest neighbor, elevation, and 22 soil chemistry properties were collected for all nine species, two putative species, and one outgroup across 46 populations. Populations were also sampled for molecular variation by generating sequences from two chloroplast (matK and trnL-F) and one nuclear ribosomal (ITS) gene to gain perspective into historical ecological diversification. Ecological data were subjected to principal component analyses. We identified at least three separate introductions into Florida from eastern North America. Strong evidence of hybridization was observed between P. baldwinii and P. americana, which belong to separate Floridian introductions, and the closely related P. patula and P. erecta, which belong to the same introduction. While excluding hybrid populations, we observed much overlap in ecological space, with perhaps P. erecta the most distinct cluster. Phenograms constructed with the first three principle components recovered populations of species with as much or greater variation than what was observed among species. Likewise, a disparity through time plot determined greater subclade disparity among populations, which was greater than expectations based on Brownian motion. Taken together, these results suggest that populations occupy a wide spectrum of ecological space and that species are not diversifying through ecological specialization. Two of the three clades exhibited a pattern consistent with habitat formation as sandridges and sandhills formed following decreased sea level as modern day Florida was formed. The third clade consisted of only P. herniarioides, which occurs in the central ridges and extends northward. The current species diversity might be due in part to allopatric diversification associated with the historical process of habitat formation, followed by range expansion and secondary contact.

LAGOMARSINO, LAURA* 1, FORRESTEL, ELISABETH 2 and DAVIS, CHARLES C. 3

pecialized biotic interactions, including those involving plants and their mutualistic pollinators, are often invoked to explain high species diversity. Pollination syndromes are inferred from suites of floral traits that are thought to be adaptive for the attraction and utilization of particular groups of pollinators. They are particularly useful for investigating biotic interactions at macroevolutionary scales, especially in large tropical groups where few large-scale pollination studies have been conducted. Here, we document the dynamic evolution of hummingbird and bat pollination syndromes in the centropogonids (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), an Andean-centered clade of ~550 angiosperm species whose rapid diversification was recently attributed to their association with vertebrate pollinators. Using phylogenetic principal components analysis, we demonstrate that flowers hypothesized to be adapted to pollination by hummingbirds and by bats, respectively, fall into separate regions of morphospace. This supports our use of pollination syndromes, which are further corroborated by ecological studies in this clade. We then document the repeated evolution of pollination syndromes: the centropogonids are ancestrally hummingbird pollinated, and bat pollination has evolved, on average, 14 times independently, with an average of nine reversions to hummingbird pollination. We further demonstrate a broad pattern of correlated evolution of key floral traits within these pollination syndromes. Finally, we detect no apparent difference in diversification rates between bird- and bat-pollinated lineages. These results collectively suggest that floral morphological diversity associated with pollination syndromes is very evolutionarily labile, likely as a result of selective pressures imposed by different pollinators. Moreover, they suggest that specialized pollination syndromes, such as hummingbird and bat pollination, are not evolutionary dead-ends. Instead, I hypothesize that shifts between vertebrate pollinators have greatly facilitated the maintenance of an ancestrally high diversification rate among centropogonid species via speciation by floral isolation.

University of Missouri- St. Louis, Department of Biology, St. Louis, MO, USA2The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02130, USA3Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138

Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA, 30458, USA2Tulane University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA

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744

MAGALLÓN, SUSANA* 1, QUANDT, DIETMAR 2, KRUG, MICHAEL 2 , LEWIS, LOUISE 3 and LUTZONI, FRANCOIS 4

745

The diversification of green plants (Viridiplantae)

A community phylogenomics approach to the study of the origin and evolution of hyper-diverse SE Asian forests and implications for their conservation

he evolution of green plants, including their colonization of land, has had momentous consequences on the evolution of life on Earth. Since early in their evolution, green plants successfully occupied marine and fresh-water environments, subsequently adapting to terrestrial life, where they established terrestrial ecosystems, and detonated drastic radiations throughout the tree of life. Based on a thorough study of the fossil record and a broad sampling of the Viridiplantae we estimated divergence times and identified major radiation events for this important group of photoautotrophic organisms. The taxonomic scope of our study consists of 192 species representing all major lineages of chlorophytes, algal streptophytes, bryophytes and tracheophytes, and a rhodophyte outgroup. A maximum likelihood tree was estimated with RAxML based on the sequences of two nuclear and seven plastid markers, which were partitioned and combined to reflect substitution model congruence. Most of the nodes in the resulting phylogenetic hypothesis are strongly supported, and relationships are congruent with those found in recent genomic-scale analyses. In particular, there is a streptophyte grade in which Zygnematales and Charophyceae are most closely related to embryophytes; and a grade of liverworts, mosses and hornworts subtending tracheophytes. The phylogenetic tree was dated with the Bayesian uncorrelated relaxed molecular clock available in BEAST, incorporating ca. 50 fossil-based calibrations that were combined to provide minimum and maximum limits to prior age distributions for internal nodes. The estimated temporal framework indicates that embryophytes evolved ca. 1000 million years after the origin of green plants, and underwent a rapid diversification that gave rise to the major lineages of land plants. A diversification analysis was conducted with Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures (BAMM), to identify major changes in diversification rates among phylogenetic lineages and through time. The identified diversification shifts provide an explicit framework to investigate factors potentially associated with radiations and depletions throughout green plant evolution, in concert with other biological lineages. 1

Instituto De Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, 3er Circuito De Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacan, A.P. 70-233, Mexico City, Mexico D.F., N/A, 04510, Mexico2University of Bonn, Nees Institute for Plant Biology, Bonn, Germany3University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Rd, Unit 43, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA4Duke University, Department of Biology, Durham, NC, USA

POKORNY, LISA* 1, DODSWORTH, STEVEN 1, UTTERIDGE, TIMOTHY M. 3, BAKER, WILLIAM J. 4, LEITCH, ILIA J. 5 and FOREST, FƒLIX 5

ost tree species are concentrated in tropical latitudes, with the Indo-Pacific region being as rich as the Neotropics and each region harboring about 22,000 tree species according to the latest estimates. Although tree species diversity is similar in these two regions, the level of threat they face is in sharp contrast. SE Asian forests have the highest deforestation rate of all tropical regions and are particularly vulnerable to disturbance (e.g. fires) due to the current refugial stage in which they are assumed to be. As part of the ongoing research programme “Global tree conservation through seed science” at RBG, Kew (funded by the Garfield Weston Foundation), we present an overview of our project investigating tree community assembly across SE Asia and neighboring regions. We wish to explore how the drastic geological and climate shifts our planet has experienced throughout its history have affected speciation, extinction, and migration processes through time and space with a focus on SE Asia, the region where A.R. Wallace independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection. We intend to achieve this by integrating new analytical methods (e.g., genespecies tree approaches) and high-throughput sequencing techniques (i.e., Hyb-Seq), together with climate and niche modeling, to create a community phylogenomics framework of SE Asian forests at the genus level. Among the hypotheses that we wish to explore are whether the tropical angiosperm tree flora of SE Asia has arisen predominantly by the immigration of species from neighboring areas or if it is the product of in situ speciation/extinction processes modulated by climate shifts and geological processes (e.g. plate tectonics, volcanism). The data generated by this study will also highlight areas within the SE Asian region comprising the highest levels of unique diversity (e.g. phylogenetic diversity, phylogenetic endemism) and hence of most pressing conservation concern.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, TW9 3DS, UK2ETH Zürich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, ZH, 8092, Switzerland3Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Identification and Naming, Kew Herbarium, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, TW9 3AE, Reino Unido4Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Kew Herbarium, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, TW9 3AE, Reino Unido5Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, TW9 3DS, Reino Unido

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Macroevolution 746

CLEMENT, WENDY L* 1, STAMMER, THEODORE J 2 and DONOGHUE, MICHAEL 3

The evolution of endocarp shape in relation to seed dispersal strategies in Viburnum (Adoxaceae)

iburnum is a group of ~165 species of woody angiosperms that are distributed throughout temperate forests of the northern hemisphere as well as in the mountains of Central and South America and subtropical montane forests of Southeast Asia. Over the past decade, increased sampling and resolution of the Viburnum phylogeny has resulted in a tree that accounts for nearly every species, thus providing a robust framework for evolutionary studies. Key to the geographical movement of Viburnum throughout its evolutionary history has been the attraction of seed dispersers. Viburnum are largely bird dispersed and are characterized by having drupe fruits that are fleshy, single-seeded, and indehiscent. The fruits of Viburnum have a hardened inner ovary wall, or endocarp, that vary in size and shape across the clade. Taxonomists have long used endocarp shape as a way to differentiate major Viburnum lineages, but the function of this trait and its implications for seed dispersal remain unknown. Here we describe the evolution of Viburnum endocarp shape using morphometric analysis and phylogeny. We quantified the endocarp shape of 138 species of Viburnum sampled from herbarium specimens (YU, A), living collections (A), and field collections. Measurements and cross-sectional endocarp shapes were obtained from digital images and camera lucida drawings using light microscopy. Endocarp shape was analyzed independent of size using Elliptical Fourier analysis as implemented in MOMOCS, and the results were used in ancestral character state reconstruction. Additionally, we conducted a study of intraspecific variation of endocarp shape in four species that represent four distinct lineages of Viburnum. The intraspecific study revealed that endocarp shapes with more grooving had higher levels of variation. The most variable trait was endocarp length, which did not contribute to our measurements of shape. The clade-wide analysis revealed that the ancestral endocarp shape of Viburnum appears to have had multiple grooves or undulations. We recovered two instances of convergent evolution: (1) a flattened endocarp shape without grooving in the clades Lentago and Opulus, and (2) a spherical endocarp shape in the clades Tinus and Oreinotinus. We combine these findings on endocarp shape with other fruit traits, such as color and mesocarp texture, to delimit a set of dispersal strategies in Viburnum. 1

The College Of New Jersey, Biology, 2000 Pennington Road, Department Of Biology, Ewing, NJ, 08638, USA2The College of New Jersey, Biology, 2000 Pennington Road, Department of Biology, Ewing, New Jersey, 08628, United States3Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 21 Sachem Street, PO BOX 208105, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

747

BEAULIEU, JEREMY M.* 1 and O'MEARA, BRIAN C. 2

A way forward for trait-dependent models of diversification

he distribution of diversity within plants can vary considerably from clade to clade. Attempts to understand these patterns often employ state-dependent speciation and extinction models to determine whether the evolution of a particular novel trait has increased speciation rates and/or decreased extinction rates. It is still unclear, however, whether these models are uncovering important drivers of diversification in plants, or whether they are simply pointing to more complex patterns involving many unmeasured and co-distributed factors. Here we describe a new way forward by extending the popular state-dependent speciation and extinction models to account for the presence of unmeasured factors that could impact diversification rates estimated for the states of any observed trait, addressing at least one major criticism of BiSSE methods. Specifically, our model, which we refer to as HiSSE (Hidden-State Speciation and Extinction), assumes that related to each observed state in the model are "hidden" states that exhibit potentially distinct diversification dynamics and transition rates than the observed states in isolation. We also demonstrate how our model can be used as characterindependent diversification models that allow for a complex diversification process that is independent of the evolution of a character, and how it can be used to potentially solve the rather serious issue of "phylogenetic pseudoreplication". We will focus on the evolution of fruit type in campanulid angiosperms, and discuss the important ways in which HiSSE provides a more nuanced understanding of trait-dependent diversification. 1

University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 446 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA2University of Tennessee, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 446 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610

748

TESTO, WESTON* , SUNDUE, MICHAEL A and BARRINGTON, DAVID

Polyploidy does not influence rates of diversification across the fern phylogeny

olyploidy is widespread in the plant kingdom and is a major focus of evolutionary studies in many plant groups. The evolutionary significance of polyploidy and its role in species diversification have been subjects of extensive debate in the literature, and some recent studies have suggested that the phenomenon is an important driver of diversification, while others have suggested that polyploids actually experience lower rates of diversification than their diploid counterparts. Using new comparative phylogenetic approaches, we examined the relationship between ploidy level and diversification rate in the ferns, the second largest group of vascular land plants and the most polyploid-rich lineage of plants on Earth. Analyzing a time-calibrated phylogeny including nearly 4,000 species of ferns and a ploidy dataset comprising more than 1,700 species, we were able to test hypotheses about the relationships of ploidy with

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patterns of speciation, extinction, and net diversification rates across the fern phylogeny. We find no evidence of an impact of polyploidy on rates of species diversification in our dataset, in contrast with other recent studies. These results are discussed in the context of the evolutionary history of ferns as a whole, and implications for the study of other groups are presented. University of Vermont, Plant Biology, Pringle Herbarium, 27 Colchester Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States

United States10University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States11Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO12Instituto De Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, 3er Circuito De Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacan, A.P. 70-233, Mexico City, Mexico D.F., N/A, 04510, Mexico13South Dakota State University, Department of Biology and Microbiology, Brookings, SD

749

DIGGLE, PAMELA KATHLEEN* , O'MEARA, BRIAN C. 2, SMITH, STACEY D. 3, ARMBRUSTER, SCOTT 4, HARDER, LAWRENCE D 5, HARDY, CHRISTOPHER 6 , HILEMAN, LENA C 7, HUFFORD, LARRY 8 , LITT, AMY 9, SMITH, STEPHEN 10, STEVENS, PETER 11, MAGALLĂ&#x201C;N, SUSANA 12 and FENSTER, CHARLIE 13 1

Non-equilibrium dynamics and floral trait interactions shape extant angiosperm diversity

hy are some traits and trait combinations exceptionally common across the tree of life, whereas others are vanishingly rare? The distribution of trait diversity across a clade at any time depends on the ancestral state of the clade, the rate at which new phenotypes evolve, the differences in speciation and extinction rates across lineages, and whether an equilibrium has been reached. Here we examine the role of transition rates, differential diversification (speciation minus extinction), and non-equilibrium dynamics on the evolutionary history of angiosperms, a clade well known for the abundance of some trait combinations and the rarity of others. Our analysis reveals that three character states (corolla present, bilateral symmetry, reduced stamen number) act synergistically as a key innovation, doubling diversification rates for lineages in which this combination occurs. However, this combination is currently less common than predicted at equilibrium because the individual characters evolve infrequently. Simulations suggest that angiosperms will remain far from the equilibrium frequencies of character states well into the future. Such non-equilibrium dynamics may be common when major innovations evolve rarely, allowing lineages with ancestral forms to persist, and even outnumber those with diversification enhancing states, for tens of millions of years.

University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,, Knoxville, TN3University Of Colorado-Boulder, School Of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309-0334, USA4University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, School of Biological Sciences, UK5University Of Calgary, Department Of Biological Sciences, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada6James C. Parks Herbarium, 288 Roddy Science Building, 50 E Frederick St, Millersville, PA, 17551, USA7University Of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA8Washington State University, SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 312 Abelson Hall, PULLMAN, WA, 99164-4236, USA9University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521,

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Macroevolution POSTER 750

KOEHLER, SAMANTHA* 1, GOMES, SHAIANY 2, CAMPACCI, THIAGO 1 , COSTA, GLEICYANNE 1, MOURA, YOHANS 1, MAYER, JULIANA 1 and VICCINI, LYDERSON 2

Unraveling the role of apomixis and polyploidization in the diversification of Neotropical Zygopetalum orchids

olyploidization is a central process in plant diversification. Several studies have shown whole genome duplication events can favor reproductive isolation, morphological differentiation, and genomic and ecological changes leading to speciation. The orchid genus Zygopetalum emerges as a potential model to study the role of polyploidy in species diversification in the Neotropics, considering that apomixis and polyploidy have been described for this group. Species occur as epiphytes or on rocky outcrops in mountaintops in South-Southeastern Brazil and in the Andes. As a first step to understand processes of diversification within Zygopetalum, we propose to answer the following questions: (1) What is the taxonomic and geographical extension of polyploidization within this group? (2) Is apomixis restricted to polyploids? (3) Does pollen origin affect the production of apomictic seeds? (4) Is there a correlation between habitat and polyploidy? We described patterns of cytotype variation within and among populations and species. We compared fruit set, seed viability and embryo development between self- and cross-pollinated flowers, considering different cytotypes within the “Z. maculatum“ complex. We also inferred phylogenetic relationships within Zygopetalum based on matK, trnL-F and nrITS sequence data. DNA content consistent with tetraploidy was observed in two species from rocky outcrops, the “Z. maculatum“ complex and Z. pedicelatum. The observed chromosome numbers were 2n=48, 72 and 96, each one with an average amount of 7.3, 10.5 and 14.0 pg of DNA, respectively. All species from forested areas and most specimens in marginal rocky outcrop populations have DNA content consistent with diploidy. In the “Z. maculatum“ complex, the number of apomictic seeds is greater in self-pollinated flowers, but there is no difference in viability between self- and cross-pollinated polyembryonic seeds, suggesting sexual reproduction has an important role in this group. Z. maxillare, Z. microphytum and Pabstia are phylogenetically more distant related than other species of Zygopetalum and Neogardneria murrayana, but phylogenetic relationships among species from forest areas and rocky outcrops were inconclusive. Additional studies on population genetics, cytogenetics, and embryogenesis are being developed to better understand processes of diversification within this group.

Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Plant Biology, Rua Monteiro Lobato 255, Campinas, SP, 13083970, BRAZIL2Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Biology, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036900, Brazil

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Molecular Biology & Evolution Molecular Ecology and Evolution ORAL PAPERS 751

HOEKSTRA, PAUL* , BRANDÃO, RITA 3, SMETS, ERIK 1 and CHATROU, LARS 5

Correlated substitution rates across genomic compartments in Annonaceae

ubstitution rates can differ greatly among and within lineages. These different rates of molecular evolution have been linked to a range of causes, such as generation time, DNA repair mechanisms and life history traits. Understanding the patterns and mechanisms of variation in substitution rates is vital for understanding evolution. n this study we explored the variation in substitution rates within the family Annonaceae. This plant family is confined to the tropics around the world with one exception in the temperate regions of the United States. It consists of four subfamilies, the early diverging Anaxagoreoideae and Ambavioideae and the derived Annonoideae and Malmeoideae. The latter two subfamilies are sister taxa, and each have more than 700 species. Plastid phylogenetic trees have shown markedly different substitution rates between the two clades. In this study we have assembled the chloroplast genomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA using Illumina HiSeq data of 22 Annonaceae, 10 specimens of both Annonoideae and Malmeoideae and one specimen of both Anaxagoreoideae and Ambavioideae. We found that the differences in substitution rates between the two large subfamilies is also present in nuclear rDNA, and show patterns similar to substitution rates in plastid markers. The differences in substitution rates in Annonaceae are thus not caused by biparental inheritance of plasmids neither by failure of one of the chloroplast or nuclear based DNA repair mechanisms. Therefore the results of this study reduce the number of hypotheses about the causes of the differences in substitution rates between the two major Annonaceae subfamilies and give an interesting basis for the direction of follow-up studies.

Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Botany section, Darwinweg 2, Leiden, 2300RA, The Netherlands2Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil3Maastricht University, Evolutionary Biology and Botany, Kapoenstraat 2, Maastricht, 6211 KW, The Netherlands4Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazilië5Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, WAGENINGEN, N/A, 6708 PB, Netherlands

752

YU, WEN-BIN* 1, WANG, HONG 2, JIN, JIAN-JUN 2, REE, RICHARD 3, LI, DEZHU 4 and DEPAMPHILIS, CLAUDE W. 5

Evolutionary variations of chloroplast genome structure in Pedicularis (Orobanchaceae)

hloroplast genomes shows striking variation in gene content and structure in non-photosynthetic plants. By contrast, hemiparasitic plants have almost complete chloroplast genomes in comparison to their autotrophic relatives. Pedicularis (Orobanchaceae) is a genus of hemiparasitic herbs with over 500 species. In this study, we sequenced total genomic DNA from 15 Pedicularis species. Genomic DNA was extracted using fresh leaves, then prepared for high-throughout sequencing. We first identified plastid DNA reads using reference based mapping. The filtered reads were used as targets to identify additional overlapping reads. Then, the total filtered readsset was assembled using SPAdes. The path for chloroplast genome were view and determined using Bandage. We found that chloroplast genomes of Pedicularis spp. did not lose genes. However, the inverted repeat (IR) and the short single-copy (SSC) regions showed high variations in length and gene content with large differences between species in how far into the SSC the IR extends. Phylogenomic analyses using the common conserved regions for the 15 species were well resolved, including eight recognized clades and one unplaced species (P. moupinensis) from a previous phylogeny of Pedicularis. Comparative phylogenetic analyses showed that variations of genome structure reflected phylogenetic relationship.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Center for Integrative Conservation, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China2Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China3Field Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA4Kunming Institute of Botany, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China5The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, State College

753

SHEIDAEI, MASOUD* 1, KOOHDAR, FAHIMEH 2 and NOURMOHAMMADI, ZAHRA 3

Population genetics, molecular phylogeny and bogeography of the genus Lallemantia (Lamiaceae)

he genus Lallemantia Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (family Lamiaceae) is a small genus with 5 species. They are herbaceous annual or biennial plants. There has been no thorough molecular phylogenetic study in this genus and no the species relationship and biogeography data are totally lacking. We studied population genetics, molecular phylogeny and species relationship of all five spe-

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cies in the genus Lallemantia, by multilocus ISSR markers and inter-genic spacer of chloroplast genome rpl16 and compared them with morphometric results. We also tried to reveal the probable time of species divergence and identify the probable ancestral distribution area of these species. Population genetic studies of these species revealed significant molecular difference among the studied population by AMOVA, and STRUCTURE analysis identified the probable gene pools in each species studied. Genetic distance was positively correlated with geographical distance but some degree of gene flow occurred among populations. The species were efficiently delimited by morphological characters, as well as ISSR and Cp-DNA markers. PCoA plot of species based on morphological characters, NJ tree and STRUCTURE plot of ISSR data, as well as the ML tree of Cp-DNA, revealed closer affinity between L. baldschuanica , L. conecens, and L. iberica. L. royleana and L. peltata were placed with some distance from these species. BEAST analysis revealed that the oldest node of Lallemantia appeared in Iran about 37 Mya, followed by the node that led to the formation of L. royleana and L. peltata in about 25 Mya. The tree obtained, dates back L. baldschuanica appearance to about 4 Mya. However, active radiation occurred from 1- 2 Mya. The S-DIVA and MCMC approach of RASP produced similar results and suggested three possible ancestral ranges, A (South Khorasan), D (Alborz) and B (Qazvin) for Lallemantia species in Iran. S-DIVA postulates that the ancestors of Lallemantia species originated in North-East region of the country. 1

shahid beheshti university, biology, velnjak, tehran, tehran, tehran, _________, IRAN2shahid beheshti university, biology, velnjak, tehran, tehran, tehran, -------, IRAN3Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Biology, tehran, tehran, tehran, -------, IRAN

754

AL-ZEIN, MOHAMMAD S.* 1, ITANI, MOUSTAPHA A. 2, YAZBEK, MARIANA M. 3 and KARAM, NISRINE 4

Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Lebanese Populations of Campanula stellaris Boiss. (Campanulaceae: Campanuloideae)

ampanula L. subgenus Megalocalyx Damboldt includes twelve currently recognized species. In Lebanon (Eastern Mediterranean), four members of this subgenus are presumably extant, of which Campanula stellaris Boiss. is highly threatened by habitat fragmentation as a result of increasing urbanization, particularly along the coast. In order to assess the conservation status of this species at the national level, historical localities were revisited and major coastal populations were mapped. Eight populations, including one insular and two putative urban populations separated by the coastal highway, were then selected and their genetic diversity was assessed using ScoT markers. Results will shed light on the impact of rapid urbanization on genetic diversity of coastal populations of regional endemics, and serve as the foundation for their conservation.

Conservation Center, Bliss Street P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh , Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon2American University of Beirut, Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management, Bliss Street P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh , Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon3International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, Genetic Resources Section, Biodiversity and Integrated Gene Management, Dalia Building, Bashir Al Kassar Street, Verdun, P.O. Box 114-5055, Beirut, 1108 2010, Lebanon4Lebanese University, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon

755

TROTTA, LAUREN* 1, BAISER, BENJAMIN 1, POSSLEY, JENNIFER 2 and SESSA, EMILY BUTLER 3

Phylogenetic Signal of Invasion and Rarity in Florida’s Imperiled Pine Rockland Flora

ommunity phylogenetic methods can be used to detect the evolutionary signal of functional traits within communities across a range of environmental conditions. Closely related species may share traits that make them well adapted to particular habitats, while distantly related species may have evolved to persist in different niches, allowing for coexistence. In the face of global anthropogenic change these traits will determine whether species become pervasive invaders or increasingly rare. Here, we examine whether endangered and invasive plant taxa are more distantly or more closely related than we would expect by chance in Pine Rockland plant communities. Florida’s Pine Rockland habitat is a model natural system for understanding dispersion of rare and invasive species across a community phylogeny. Pine Rockland habitat is a critically imperiled savannah-like forest found only along the Miami Rock Ridge from Miami to the Florida Keys. Perched at the confluence of North American and Caribbean species“ ranges, this habitat hosts a unique community of endemic and endangered plant taxa. However, rapid urban and agricultural development in this area has lead to habitat loss, fragmentation, fire suppression and increased incidence of invasive species. We have constructed a wellresolved, species level community phylogeny of the Pine Rockland plant community based on plastid sequence data. We are using this phylogeny to determine the relative relatedness of invasive and endangered taxa across Pine Rockland communities. Our results indicate that invasive species in the Pine Rockland plant community are less related, while threatened and endangered species tend to be more related than would be expected by chance. Closely related native species have a specialized suite of traits adapted to the Pine Rockland habitat and are likely to be threatened by fire suppression and fragmentation. Meanwhile, these same anthropogenic changes benefit invasive species that have evolved highly competitive, generalist traits. Identifying phylogenetic signal of invasion and rarity may allow us to predict which species are likely to progress from exotic to invasive and from endemic to endangered.

University of Florida, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, PO Box 110430, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road , Coral Gables, FL, 33156, USA3University Of Florida, Biology, Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

American University of Beirut, Biology Department and Nature

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Molecular Biology & Evolution bution have been identified. We used transcriptomes from species in 18 genera to gain new insights into how this disjunction pattern may have affected gene and genome evolution. Low-copy nuclear genes were identified using MarkerMiner and classified into GO categories. Preliminary studies have focused on seven genera (Campsis, Cotinus, Gelsemium, Nelumbo, Penthorum, Phrymus, and Saururus) for which two species are separated by the disjunction. We hypothesized that taxa of EA would exhibit greater genetic diversity due to longer branch lengths and greater species richness and species diversity identified previously in these taxa. We determined rates of evolution for many genes as a means of testing this hypothesis and determined which GO categories of genes have experienced strong natural selection. Our results suggest that many genes and their GO categories are under strong purifying selection in most taxa, with few exceptions, particularly in Nelumbo.

756

KENNEDY, JOHN PAUL* 1, GARAVELLI, LYSEL 2, TRUELOVE, NATHAN K. 1 , DEVLIN, DONNA J. 3, BOX, STEPHEN J. 1 , CHƒRUBIN, LAURENT M. 2 and FELLER, ILKA C. 4

Ocean currents consistent with contrasting genetic patterns of West and East Florida red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) range expansion

arine species expansion is influenced greatly by the strength and direction of prevailing ocean currents. In Florida, milder winters and a reduced frequency of freeze events have been linked to contemporary expansion of water-dispersed mangrove into areas previously dominated by temperate salt marsh. In this study, we evaluated the genetic effects and underlying mechanisms of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.) expansion along both West (WFL) and East (EFL) Florida, using a combination of genetic analyses with multi-locus microsatellite data from eight populations and oceanographic model-based estimates of propagule transport. We found WFL conformed to theoretical expectations of range expansion, with pronounced genetic divergence at the range edge, whereas EFL deviated from expectations. These contrasting patterns are consistent with near-surface ocean currents that drive asymmetric propagule transport from WFL to EFL and translate into significant differences in diversity and differentiation between Florida range edges. Considering predictions of continued climate warming in the future, these findings suggest that the direction of ocean currents along the Florida peninsula may lead to a greater rate of further mangrove expansion in EFL compared to dispersal-limited WFL.

University of Florida, Biology, P.O. BOX 118525 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, USA2University of Alberta, Department of Biological Sciences, CW405, Biological Sciences Bldg. , Edmonton, AB, AB T6G 2E9, Canada3University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19644University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States5University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, GAINSVILLE, FL, 32611-7800, USA

758 DIANA

LAPORT, ROBERT* 1 and PILSON,

Choosy natives and industrious immigrants: Genome duplication and pollinator discrimination in an ecologically dominant southwestern desert shrub (Larrea tridentata; Zygophyllaceae)

Smithsonian Marine Station, 701 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, FL, 34949, USA2Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, 5600 N US Highway 1, Fort Pierce, FL, 34946, USA3Florida Atlantic University, Biological Sciences, 5600 N US Highway 1, Fort Pierce, FL, 349464Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, P.O. Box 28, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA

nderstanding how one species becomes two is crucial to understanding patterns of biodiversity and the functioning of ecological systems. Polyploidy, the duplication of all chromosomes in an organism’s genome, is pervasive among angiosperms, implying it has a significant role in modulating botanical evolutionary trajectories and biodiversity. Plants with different chromosome complements often differ in traits associated with local adaptation, which can lead to population divergence and speciation. However, the degree to which such ecological divergence influences speciation remains unclear given the usually strong intrinsic reproductive isolation between plants with different chromosome numbers (“cytotypes”). We are employing an integrative approach to assess ecological differences and reproductive interactions in creosote bush (Larrea tridentata; Zygophyllaceae), an ecologically dominant southwestern desert shrub comprising recently formed (≤1mya) diploids, tetraploids, and hexaploids, to elucidate the significance of ecological differentiation in polyploid speciation. Using permanent, previously established areas of cytotype co-occurrance, as well as greenhouse experiments, we are addressing three questions: (1) What is the frequency of inter-cytotype pollen flow mediated by specialist and generalist pollinators? (2) Do sympatric cytotypes experience reproductive

757

MELTON, ANTHONY* 1, WONG, GANE KA-SHU 2, SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 4 and GITZENDANNER, MATTHEW 5

A Genomics Investigation of the Evolution of the Eastern Asia - Eastern North America Floristic Disjunction

arge disjunctions in taxon distributions provide excellent opportunities to study biogeographic patterns and the processes that shape them. One of the most notable disjunctions is that of eastern Asia and eastern North America (EA-ENA). This disjunction is thought to have been formed as large temperate forests were broken apart by shifting land masses and the loss of important land bridges during the Miocene. Sixtyfive angiosperm genera exhibiting this disjunct distri-

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character displacement relative to allopatric cytotypes? and (3) Do sympatric cytotypes experience stronger pre-zygotic isolation than allopatric cytotypes, consistent with a pattern of reinforcement? Results from this study will help elucidate the evolutionary significance of polyploidy to ecological adaptation, incipient speciation, and patterns of biodiversity in many species, but will also contribute to understanding the ecology of an important plant species and its native pollinators in sensitive North American desert biomes.

760

PEPPER, ALAN E.* 1, HAWKINS, ANGELA K. 2, GARZA, ELYSSA 3, IVALU, CACHO 4, ADRIAN, PLATTS 5 and SHARON, STRAUSS 6

Caulanthus amplexicaulis: An emerging genetic model for the evolution of serpentine tolerance

University of Colorado-Boulder, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA2University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Biological Sciences, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA

erpentine barrens are a well-known â&#x20AC;&#x161;extremeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; terrestrial environment that is characterized by mineral nutrient deficiencies and toxic metals. To understand the evolutionary pathway and genetic basis of plant adaptation to serpentine soils, our lab is engaged in a multifaceted experimental effort that combines comparative transcriptomics, whole genome sequencing, QTL mapping, and phylogenetic approaches in Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (Brassicacee), a rare North American serpentine endemic, and its sister taxon C. a. var. amplexicaulis, which is found on granite soils and is serpentine intolerant. Compared to its non-serpentine conspecific, C. a. var. barbarae shows superior tolerance to natural serpentine soils, as well as nickel, low calcium, low nitrogen (as nitrate), and low phosphorous in controlled media experiments. Importantly, both taxa are interfertile, self-fertile, have small genomes (~372 Mbp), and a very plastic generation time (as short as 6 weeks). Using these divergent taxa as parents, we have created a set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) showing segregation for tolerance to Ni, low P, low N and low Ca, as well as for growth on natural serpentine soils. We have developed draft transcriptome and genome sequences for both parents, and created a genetic linkage map by whole-genome resequencing of RILs. Transcriptional components of tolerance to serpentine are being examined by RNA-seq. From these experiments, we plan to identify both the genetic underpinnings of serpentine tolerance and a genetic model to explain the phenomenon of serpentine endemism. Here we report our progress on these efforts.

759

GRASTY, MONICA* 1, CRUZAN, MITCH 2 and THOMPSON, PAM 1

The effect of landscape features on finescale seed dispersal in upland prairie plants

eed dispersal is a crucial factor in many ecological contexts, especially when considering range expansion, colonization of new habitats, and gene flow among populations. Rare long-distance dispersal events play a disproportionately important role in colonization and gene flow among populations, even at relatively small scales. Unfortunately, the long-distance dispersal events that are largely responsible for range expansion are nearly impossible to directly observe. Therefore, most modern investigations of seed dispersal rely on genetic methods to gain insight on factors contributing to range expansion There is relatively little known about the basic principles surrounding seed dispersal and its effect on gene flow and allelic frequency. Asking questions about how seed dispersal contributes to genetic differences will help expand general understanding of how plants move. My research employs upland prairie plants of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) as model organisms, specifically in a 400x400 meter prairie of the Whetstone Savanna Preserve of Medford, Oregon. This prairie is a mosaic of habitat types, characterized by vernal pools, large Ceanothus bushes, and hummock areas. I hypothesize that on a fine-scale of a few meters, these different landscape features will confer different resistances to gene flow, i.e. isolation by resistance will be a better predictor of gene flow than isolation by distance. There will be lower resistance to gene flow within one habitat than between habitat types. To test this hypothesis, aerial surveys of the prairie were used to generate an aerial orthomosaic and DEM. Using GIS, the landscape features have been classified to create a habitat map to feed into Circuitscape. Circuitscape uses circuit theory to predict gene flow based on resistance values assigned to different landscape features. These resistance values will be generated from genetic distance data between sites separated by distinct habitat types. I will perform a cpDNA capture to be used for Illumina sequencing to generate estimates of gene flow, and in turn, seed dispersal. Plagiobothrys nothofulvus, a PNW prairie native, is specific to the hummock areas of this prairie. Sampling Plagiobothrys sites separated by specific landscape features will reveal how these features influence seed dispersal.

Department Of Biology, Texas A&M University, TAMUS 3258, College Station, TX, 77843, USA2Texas A & M University, Biological Sciences, Texas A&M University Dept. Of Biology, 3258 TAMUS, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA3Texas A&M University, Department of Biology, 100 Butler Hall, 3258 TAMUS, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA4University Of California-Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA5McGill University, Department of Biology , 1205 Docteur Penfield Ave., Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1B1, Canada6University of California, Davis, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, One Shields Ave. , Davis, CA, 94563, USA

Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, Portland, OR, 97201, USA2Portland State University, Department Of Biology, PO BOX 751, PORTLAND, OR, 97207, USA

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Molecular Biology & Evolution 761

HAWKINS, ANGELA K.* 1, GARZA, ELYSSA 1, HAWKINS, W. DARYL 2 and PEPPER, ALAN E. 1

762

Transcriptome comparisons reveal signatures of selection, small population size, and reticulate evolution in the evolutionary history of Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae

On the presence of nosF gene in the four aquatic and terrestrial Nostoc strains revealing antifungal and trypsin inhibitor activity

erpentine outcrops are derived from ultramafic rock and usually have extremely low levels of essential plant nutrients (e.g. N, P, Ca), very high to toxic levels of heavy metals (e.g. Ni), and very poor water availability and retention. These outcrops provide habitat to many endemic plant species. Serpentine soils have long been considered an ideal model system for plant molecular ecology as they offer an extreme example of adaptation to environment. Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (J. Howell) Munz (CAB) is a wild relative of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh, and is endemic to serpentine outcrops. Its sister species, C. amplexicaulis var. amplexicaulis S. Watson (CAA), is more widespread, found predominately found on granite soils and, in reciprocal growth experiments, has shown 100% mortality when grown in serpentine-like conditions. As a rare endemic species, CAB population clusters are very small, several with fewer than ten reproductive individuals have been observed over multiple years. Therefore, all evolutionary studies must consider both selective and non-selective processes such as genetic drift. Normalized transcriptome libraries of both taxa were sequenced, assembled, and rigorously annotated. PAML was used to calculate dN, dS, and dN/dS ratios between CAA and CAB tentative ortholog pairs (TOPs) to assign categories (purifying, stabilizing, or neutral) of selection. Blast2Go was implemented to assign GO terms for TOPs and enrichment analyses were performed to identify terms found more frequently than expected among high dN/dS loci. The relative timing of divergence between CAA and CAB was estimated for all genomic compartments using BEAST. Finally, gene duplication history was assessed using a Blastall approach to detect paralogs. Together with data obtained from the draft genome assemblies of both taxa, (see poster by Garza et al.,) we have identified a set of plausible candidate loci that may play roles in serpentine tolerance and endemism.

Texas A&M University, Department of Biology, 100 Butler Hall, 3258 TAMUS, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA2Texas A&M University, Department of Nuclear Engineering, AI Engineering Building, 3133 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-3133, USA

NOWRUZI, BAHAREH* 3, KHAVARI-NEJAD, RAMEZAN-ALI 3 and NEJADSATTARI, TAHER 3

yanobacteria are one of the most widespread microorganisms on earth, and they are found in almost all ecosystems, from fresh and marine water to terrestrial environments. Nostoc strains received a great deal of attention as prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites which are highly toxic to humans and other animals. Discovery of several dead dogs, mice, ducks, and fish around paddy fields, prompted us to study the toxic compounds and characterize novel bioactive natural products from four Nostoc strains isolated from aquatic and terrestrial paddy fields. Results of molecular analysis demonstrated that the only two aquatic strains contain the nosF gene and a remarkable antifungal activity was identified in the methanolic extracts. While trypsin inhibitor was detected from two terrestrial strains. Based on the results, this study suggests that methylproline-containing compounds in two aquatic strains might account for the death of these animals. This case is the first documented incident of toxicity from aquatic cyanobacteria related intoxication in dogs, mice, and aquatic organisms in Iran.

Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad Unive2Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad Unive3Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad Unive

763

RAVIRAJAN, MANGAIYARKARASI* 1 and NATESANPAYER, NADIMUTHU 2

Lectins (haemagglutinins) from the Red Alga Acanthophora spicifera (vahl) Boergesen: Isolation, partial purification and characterization

aemagglutinin (lectins) from various sources have been isolated, characterized and experimented in various preparative, analytical studies and biochemistry related areas. Haemagglutinins are the compounds that are agglutinating the blood cells. As the interest of application is growing rapidly, search of new sources for novel compounds as they are living in specialized habitats. But, not much work has been done in these largely available renewable natural resources, the marine macro algae for haemagglutinin. The Red seaweed, Acanthophora spicifera (vahl) Boergesan was collected from the Mandapam area, Rameswaram, Gulf Of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, India. The seaweed extract showed haemagglutinin activity in human blood (A, B, AB and O), chick blood and sheep blood. The haemagglutinin activity of the crude (saline) extract was determined as 1:8, 1:8, 1:4 and 1:4 in human blood cells A, B, AB and O and 1:8 and 1:8 in chick and sheep blood cells, respectively. The crude extract was purified by ammo-

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nium sulphate precipitation and Sephadex G-50 column chromatography. The purified lectin increased the activity to 1:4, 1:4, 1:6 and 1:8 in human blood cells A, B, AB and O and 1:8 and 1:16 in chick and sheep blood cells, respectively. Chemical analysis revealed 31.4% of protein, 5.64% of carbohydrate and 13.06% of total amino acids in purified lectin. The IR spectrum analysis of ASL exhibited the functional groups, NH group, amide I and II and Coo-group. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of acidic, hydroxyl and basic amino acids. The purified ASL appeared on SDS-PAGE as a single band and this revealed the homogeneity of the compound. The molecular mass showed 14740D. The lectin was functional in the PH range from 7 to11. 1

Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth University, Central Inter Disciplinary Research Facility, MGMCRI campus, Puducherry, Puducherry, 607403, India2Awaiyar Government women's college, Botany, Karaikkal, Puducherry, Puducherry, India

764

PAIS, ANDREW LABEL* 1, XIANG, QIU-YUN (JENNY) 2 and WADL, PHILLIP 3

Population genetics meets ecological genomics and community ecology in Cornus florida

nderstanding evolutionary/ecological consequences of alien pests on native forests is important to conservation. Cornus florida L. subsp. florida is an ecologically important understory tree in forests of the eastern United States but faces heavy mortality from dogwood anthracnose. Understanding genetic diversity in the species, its spatial distribution, and its relationship to ecological gradients remains vital to preserve flowering dogwoods. We integrated methods in population genomics, ecological genomics, and community ecology to gain insights into the following questions: (1) Has disease spanning three decades rendered C. florida genetically depauperate? (2) Are healthy and infected populations differentiated in any loci along ecological gradients? (3) Spatially where are changes in allele frequencies most abrupt, and what ecological gradients does allelic variation correspond? We sampled 289 plants from 86 locations and generated genotyping by sequencing (GBS) data on an Illumina NextSeq. Sequence reads were aligned to C. florida’s draft genome using Bowtie2 and further processed in the STACKS pipeline to match genotypes of individual trees to the catalogue of total loci. In addition, we quantified and removed contaminant reads by aligning sequence reads to pathogen genomes of dogwood anthracnose and powdery mildew via Bowtie2. This was done as a standard filtering step and to develop an alternative estimator of disease occurrence. Using Gradient Forests (GF) analysis, we will examine where allele turnover is high in the genetic landscape and in what loci and whether there is genetic turn over between healthy and infected populations/localities. Population genetics, FastStructure, and AMOVA analyses of the data were conducted to evaluate genetic diversity and the patterns of genetic variation. Preliminary results have revealed: low nucleotide diversity (variant: 0.2585; all: 0.0017) in the subspecies; two to three poorly differentiated genetic groups (explaining 2.11% and 2.65% genetic variation respectively) corresponding to hot continental and coastal plain ecoregions; genetic variation primarily within the

genetic groups, and occurrence patterns of pathogen sequences in plants of infected populations. These results will be integrated with GF analyses to detect any localized patterns where genetic diversity may decrease as disease occurrence becomes more dominant along ecological gradients. Conclusions from current results support prior evidence of weak geographic structure, possibly due to gene flow via bird dispersal mechanisms. Although results indicate the subspecies is genetically healthy at present, there is evidence that disease has affected the genetic diversity of flowering dogwoods to an extent. 1 1713 Scales St., Raleigh, NC, 27608, USA2North Carolina State University, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, United States3USDA-Agricultural Research Service, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC, 29414, USA

765 RAT 3

ARISTA PALMERO, MONTSER-

The importance of the reproductive assurance in the maintenance of flower color polymorphism in Lysimachia arvensis

ysimachia arvensis is a polymorphic species with red and blue flowers. Both morphs show differences in fitness due to climatic factors, and the blue one performs better in xeric Mediterranean environments where red-flowered plants persist in low proportions. In the Mediterranean Basin, the blue morph is also favored by pollinators, and thus, the maintenance of the red morph is enigmatic. We hypothesized that the mechanism of delayed selfing in L. arvensis could offer reproductive assurance when outcross pollen is limited, mitigating the effects of both biotic and abiotic selective agents and maintaining the red morph in Mediterranean areas. However, for that to be possible, the advantages of the reproductive assurance should overpass the drawback of inbreeding depression. Thus, we studied the magnitude of inbreeding depression in each color morph of L. arvensis at various life stages and at both glasshouse and natural conditions. Moreover, we studied the genetic structure of 20 populations in both Mediterranean and temperate ecosystems by means of AFLP and nrSSR markers. Our results suggest that the blue morph suffers higher inbreeding depression than the red one. The figures of inbreeding depression index obtained for the blue morph were similar to those of xenogamous species, while those for the red morph corresponded to those of autogamous plants. Genetic diversity varied markedly among populations. In mixed populations, red individuals always showed a lower genetic diversity than blue ones. Those findings are consistent with the hypothesis that red-flowered plants have a higher selfing rate which could maintain them in the Mediterranean area.

University of Sevilla, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Avenida Reina Mercedes nÂº6, Sevilla, Sevilla, 41010, Spain2University of Sevilla, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Avenida Reina Mercedes nÂº6, Sevilla, Sevilla, 41010, España3DPTO. BIO VEGETAL Y ECOLOGIA, APDO. 1095, Sevilla, N/A, 41080, Spain

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Molecular Biology & Evolution 766

SUTHERLAND, BRITTANY* and GALLOWAY, LAURA

767

Patterns of reproductive isolation are not consistent across cytotypes within a polyploid complex

Genome-wide patterns of microhabitatdriven divergence in the alpine dwarf shrub Salix herbacea L

hole genome duplication is widely considered an important mechanism of plant speciation due to induction of strong, rapid reproductive isolation. Although interploid reproductive isolation is well-studied in diploid-tetraploid systems, less is known about reproductive isolation among higher-order polyploids. The Campanula rotundifolia polyploid complex consists of diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid cytotypes, and natural mixed-ploidy populations have been found. In previous greenhouse experiments, we observed that offspring from 4X-6X crosses had much higher germination and higher overall fitness than those from 2X-4X crosses. To determine if observed differences in reproductive isolation were also present in natural populations, we used two approaches: mixed-ploidy open-pollinated arrays, and surveys of naturally-occurring mixed-ploidy populations. To assess interploid reproductive barriers, we used arrays that varied by cytotype distribution (2X-4X or 4X-6X) and frequency. Within each array, cytotypes could be minorities (25% or 8%) or majorities (75% or 92%). F1 offspring were scored for intermediate cytotypes (triploid and pentaploid). In 2X-4X arrays, triploids were rare; only six were observed from over 700 offspring, all from 4X plants in very low frequency (8%). By contrast, pentaploid offspring were common in 4X-6X arrays. Pentaploids comprised 30-50% of all offspring from 4X plants, and 40-75% of all offspring from 6X plants. Pentaploid incidence varied inversely with maternal cytotype frequency, suggesting that mating probability plays a more important role than selection against interploid mating.Next, we inferred presence of interploid mating in natural mixed-ploidy populations. Using leaf tissue from four populations—two 2X-4X and two 4X-6X—for flow cytometry, we found no triploids in 2X-4X populations, but 20-24% pentaploids in 4X-6X populations. Furthermore, 17-20% of each 4X6X population scored as aneuploids, suggesting backcrossing between 5X and 6X individuals. In total, our results suggest that interploid reproductive capacity in diploid-tetraploid systems differs markedly from polyploid-only systems. Because interploid mating allows continued gene flow among ploidy levels, divergence among polyploids may be slower than between polyploids and diploids. Ongoing gene flow in polyploid complexes could be a factor in the lower than expected diversification rates found in polyploid lineages.

CORTƒS, ANDRƒS* 1, LEXER, CHRISTIAN 4 and KARRENBERG, SOPHIE 1

xploring the genomic architecture of habitat-driven divergence and of ecologically-relevant traits aids understanding of how genomic divergence originates. In this study, we examined genome-wide patterns of genomic divergence driven by small-scale heterogeneity in snowmelt timing. In addition, we explored genetically based variation in ecologically relevant traits. We sampled 180 individuals of Salix herbacea at early- and late- snowmelt microhabitats in three independent mountain localities and genotyped 99,497 GBS-derived SNP markers. Nine ecologically-relevant traits were phenotyped during three years in these individuals. We identified ten narrow regions as genomic islands for microhabitat-driven divergence, suggesting that genomic divergence can arise at very local geographic scales. These divergence peaks were recovered across mountain localities and therefore are unlikely a consequence of drift. Regions with divergence peaks were embedded in regions with high linkage disequilibrium and negative Tajima’s D. This pattern is indicative of novel variants being fixed in different microhabitats. The main divergence peaks in chromosomes XV and XIX overlapped with major sex determining regions, likely because the latter are more prone to show differentiation at early steps of ecological divergence due to suppressed recombination. Ecological selection on unmeasured traits may be shaping small-scale genomic divergence. The ecologically-relevant traits we surveyed here did not show consistent variation between microhabitats. Nonetheless, variation in these traits was associated with 10 well-known candidate genes for phenological and tolerance traits. Fast-evolving microhabitat-driven genomic divergence, as well as genetic variation for ecologically-relevant traits at a larger scale, likely increases chances for population persistence in heterogeneous and variable environments.

Uppsala University, Department Of Ecology And Genetics, Norbyvagen 18D, Uppsala, 75236, Sweden2WSL Inst. for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Flüelastrasse 11, Davos, 7260, Switzerland3 University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany4University of Vienna, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Rennweg 14, Vienna, A-1030 , Austria

University Of Virginia, P.O. Box 400328, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, 22904-4328, USA

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768

CAMERON, KEN* 1, KRIEBEL, RICARDO 2, SPALINK, DANIEL 3, PACE, MATTHEW CHARLES 4, LI, PAN 5, DRUMMOND, CHLOE 2, ROSE, JEFFREY 2, ZABORSKY, JOHN 2, ALVERSON, BIL 2, GIVNISH, THOMAS J 6, WALLER, DON 7 and SYTSMA, KEN 6

Relatedness among rare native species and invasive exotics quantified with a molecular community phylogeny of the Wisconsin flora: implications for plant conservation

e reconstructed the community phylogeny of Wisconsinâ&#x20AC;&#x153;s flora using the universal plant DNA barcode (rbcL+matK) and explored its utility for assessing the role that phylogeny may play in documenting the threat to native species by exotics. The state harbors 2,640 species of vascular plants, of which 1,873 are native and 767 are introduced; there are at least 158 families and 779 genera represented. Among native species, the WI DNR considers 72 to be endangered, 58 threatened, and 206 of special concern (i.e., 336 are rare). Among the exotic species now part of the flora, 63 are regulated as restricted and 82 are prohibited invasive species. In addition to the phylogeny we have made use of >350,000 georeferenced herbarium specimens from WIS in order to explore the geographic distribution and association of categories across the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heterogenous landscape (e.g., across a well characterized Tension Zone). We determined that there is significant phylogenetic signal for some of these discrete categories, and calculated average pairwise distances among them. Our results reveal that, on average, rare native species are more closely related to other native species, followed by non-invasive exotics, then invasives. However, we identified 58 (22%) rare angiosperm species in our flora that are equally or more closely related to an exotic than they are to a native species, 16 of which are more closely related to a regulated invasive than to a native. These may be especially at risk of extirpation through hybridization or competition with their invasive cousin. Likewise, we found that 32 invasive species in the flora are most closely related to a native than to an exotic - three are most closely related to a native of special concern, one to a threatened native, and four to an endangered native species. On a positive note, there are also many rare taxa in the Wisconsin flora that are only distantly related to an invasive species. Although we recognize that many factors contribute to the decline of rare plants within a flora, and to the spread of invasives at the expense of native plants, this may be one of the first studies of its kind to consider the role of phylogenetic niche conservatism in the context of relatedness quantified objectively within the context of an entire floristic community phylogeny. We encourage conservation biologists to consider these results in establishing priorities for monitoring and the protection of rare species.

Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA7Univeristy of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, Birge Hall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

769 TYRRELL, CHRISTOPHER D* 1 and CHAMBERS, PATRICIA 2 Trait versus niche conservatism in aquatic plant microhabitat preference

ascular plant species inhabiting freshwaters often show an affinity to waterbodies with particular phosphorus concentrations. In Europe, this pattern is exploited for use in surface water assessments where aquatic plants serve as bioindicators of water trophic condition. Rapid population growth of phytoplankton under high nutrient conditions, however, can override these plant-phosphorus affinities. Under these conditions, shading from plankton biomass conveys an advantage to plants with greater access to light. Among aquatic plants, the emergent and surface-floating growth forms are capable of escaping shading and ought to be more prevalent in highly productive habitats, but have species with these growth forms evolved an affinity to waters with higher phosphorus concentrations? I test this tangle of relationships by comparing aquatic plant species with nearctic, palearctic, or holarctic distributions using comparative phylogenetic and experimental approaches. Analyses revealed significant differences in phosphorus affinities among growth forms. Indigenous North American species (those that are nearctic rather than holarctic) are comparable to their palearctic relatives based on their growth forms. In general, submerged forms were associated with oligotrophic (low P concentrations) conditions, while emergent and free floating forms predominated under meso- and eu-trophic conditions (high-P concentrations). Subsequent experimental manipulations of growth form within species, however, demonstrated that submerged forms required more phosphorus per unit biomass than emergents, despite their association with lower phosphorus environments. This result suggests that phosphorus habitat preference may not be conserved among aquatic plants, rather, it is the pattern observed as a consequence of competition for light in high nutrient environments. Light competition is ameliorated by growth form, which is a phylogenetically conserved trait. 1

Milwaukee Public Museum, Botany Department, 800 W Wells St, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA2Environment Canada, Water Science & Technology Directorate, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada

University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, 154 Birge Hall, 450 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA2University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany3University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA4New York Botanical Garden, Herbarium, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA5Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China6University Of

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Molecular Biology & Evolution POSTERS 770

GAYNOR, MICHELLE* 1, LAPORT, ROBERT 2 and NG, JULIENNE 3

Identifying the Factors Influencing Plant Communities Across the United States Using A Phylogenetic Framework

he structure of communities - the species that are present and their respective attributes - are the result of a number of processes acting at varying spatial and temporal scales. The field of community ecology, however, has largely ignored the influence of historical processes in community assembly and has instead focused on whether present-day patterns can be explained by ecological processes, such as environmental filtering and competitive exclusion. We used a phylogenetic framework to test the importance of historical and ecological factors in influencing plant communities across the United States. Our results show that using a dynamic modeling approach can help identify the factors influencing plant communities. 1

University of Central Florida, Department of Biology , Biological Sciences Bldg., 4110 Libra Drive,, Orlando, Fl, 32816, United State2 s University of Colorado-Boulder, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA3University of Colorado Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

771

SANCHEZ, VIVIANNA* 1, NG, JULIENNE 2 and LAPORT, ROBERT 3

772

SCHROYER, TINA* 1, THOMPSON, PAM 1 and CRUZAN, MITCH 2

How do invasive plants move? The case of Brachypodium sylvaticum

lobal exchange and establishment of exotic species is occurring at an unprecedented rate. A small subset of exotic species become aggressively invasive and obliterate native ecosystems. To become invasive, an introduced species must be able to adapt rapidly to novel environmental conditions. Such adaptation may be hampered by reduced genetic diversity resulting from genetic bottlenecks that frequently accompany introduction. After successful colonization of a new area, gene flow from nearby populations may provide the necessary genetic diversity and phenotypic variation required for populations to respond to selection and to continue expanding into new environments. Conversely, excessive gene flow between populations in different environments could swamp beneficial mutations and prevent improvement of the invasive genotype. Spatially heterogeneous gene flow generates a genetic structure which exists not only as a record of an invasive speciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; past, but as a signpost indicating its evolutionary future. However, it is not understood how elements of the suburban landscape affect gene flow; this proves problematic for our understanding of the evolution of invasive species, as a significant number of invaders exist in the suburban landscape. To improve our understanding, I have investigated the influence of suburban landscape features on gene flow and genetic differentiation in slender false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), a model species for invasive plant evolution.

Testing the Role of Historical Processes In Shaping Plant Communities Across the United States

773

oth ecological and historical processes influence the structure of communities. However, linking patterns of community structure to the underlying process can be complicated by the fact that both ecological and historical processes can give rise to similar patterns. We combined phylogenetic comparative methods with NEON-collected plant community data to investigate how historical processes have shaped plant communities across the United States. Our findings highlight the importance of including a historical perspective in analyses of community structure.

Mount Saint Mary's University, Department of Biological Sciences, 12001 Chalon Rd., Los Angeles, California, 90049, United States2University of Colorado Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA3University of Colorado-Boulder, Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR, 97201, USA2Portland State University, Department Of Biology, PO BOX 751, PORTLAND, OR, 97207, USA

BAKER, STOKES S* 1, FIJAL, SAVANNAH 2, KOONER, TAJ P. 2, ABDULRAZZAQ, MUSTAFA F. 2 and YOUNG, IAN T. 2

Giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) gene expression response to phosphorus

obust pollution monitoring methods can be used in mitigation strategies. Experiments have been initiated to determine if Spirodela polyrhiza (giant duckweed) gene expression patterns can be used to monitor the concentration of phosphorus, the limiting factor of algae growth in most aquatic ecosystems. Sterile cultures of S. polyrhiza were grown under standard laboratory conditions (40,385 ppb), under phosphorous starvation (0 ppb), and under eutrophic condition (50 ppb). Next generation sequencing experiments (i.e., RNAseq) was used to identify candidate genes that respond to phosphate. When plants were moved from 40,385 ppb P to 0 pbb P, 1060 transcripts were upregulate by phosphate starvation and 1715 were down regulated. In contract, a comparison of plants growing in 50 ppb P versus 0 ppb P showed only two genes upregulated by phosphate starvation and no genes down regulated. Population growth studies of sterile cultures showed a

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linear response when plants were grown under phosphorous starvation (0 ppb) and eutrophic levels (50 ppb) phosphorous. The US Environmental Protection Agency would classified aquatic environments containing 50 ppb as highly polluted. The lack of gene expression response and linear growth response of duckweed growing in sterile cultures indicate that additional component (possibly microbes) are required for efficient uptake of phosphorous by duckweed. 1

University of Detroit Mercy, Biology Department, 4001 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI, 48221, 313-993-11422University of Detroit Mercy, Biology Department, 4001 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI, 48221, 313-993-1180

774

HUANG, YU-LAN* 1, CHUNG, KUO-FANG 2, CHEN, KAI-YI 3 and YU, CHIH-CHIEH 1

Using RAD-seq to infer phylogeny of a rapid radiation of a subalpine everygreen shrub (Berberis sect. Wallichianae, Berberidaeae) in Taiwan

erberis sect. Wallichianae in Taiwan can be found in subalpine and montane-temperate areas. Most of them are morphologically and ecologically different, only few are sympatry. Previous phylogenetic study based on three chloroplast DNA sequences region (rbcL, ycf6-psbM and psdA-trnH) strongly support them, 11 species, as a monophyletic group endemic to Taiwan, but the phylogenetic relationship among them in the radiation are unresolved. Here we sample all of Taiwanese endemic species (i.e., B. aristatoserrulata, B. brevisepala, B. chingshuiensis, B. hayatana, B. kawakamii, B. mingetsensis, B. nantoensis, B. pengii, B. ravenii, B. schaaliae, and B. tarokoensis) and two species (i.e., B. baradana and B. wuyiensis) respectively endemic to Philippines and China, as the out groups. To test the species hypothesis and determine phylogenetic relationships among them using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). We identify great number of SNPs and construct the will-supported phylogentic tree from the RAD data. The result indicate the evolutionary history of Berberis sect. Wallichianae in Taiwan to clarify their relationship and also confirm the utility of RAD data for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships in young and rapid lineages.

National Taiwan University, School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 10617, Taiwan (R.O.C.)2Academia Sinica, Research Center for Biodiversity, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan (R.O.C.)3National Taiwan University, Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

775

ADEBOWALE, ADEKUNLE* 1 and NICHOLAS, ASHLEY 2

Gene, gestalt and geography: a cooperative triumvirate for assessing biodiversity

key achievement for late twentieth century biology is the recognition - and perhaps near universal acceptance - of the reciprocal effect that organisms and their environment exert on each other, to further the evolutionary experiment, underpinned largely by genetic variation among individual organisms. What is also remarkable, in an uncomplimentary sense, is the ease with which such a holistic concept is overlooked during the development of a conservation strategy and inevitably at the implementation phase as well. Here, we argue the need to deliberately incorporate molecular, morphological, ecological and social dimensions to biodiversity assessment efforts in a way that is more than merely paying lip-service to recycled clichĂŠs. Using southern African monkey oranges Strychnos, we highlight the strength and limitations of each independent approach, and demonstrate some range of possibilities, from a biodiversity standpoint, when modern interrogations of data from gene, gestalt and geography are cooperatively integrated to address some of the major questions in ecology and evolution. 1

Sol Plaatje University, School of Natural & Applied Sciences, Private Bag X5008, Kimberley, Northern Cape, 8300, South Africa2University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Life Sciences, Westville Campus, Durban, KZN, 4000, South Africa

776

GARZA, ELYSSA* 1, HAWKINS, ANGELA K. 1, HAWKINS, W. DARYL 2 and PEPPER, ALAN E. 1

Comparing two Caulanthus amplexicaulis genomes in search of genes underlying serpentine tolerance

iversity in soil composition observably alters a plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth, health, and survivability. As a consequence, all creatures that rely on plant performance and sustenance must worry about the inner workings of these organisms. For this reason, it is important to understand the mechanisms that allow a plant to survive in different ecological environments and intelligibly apply this knowledge to maintain soil condition. Unlike granite soils, serpentine soils are characterized by low calcium-to-magnesium ratios, increased heavy metal presence, minimal nutrients, and low water retention. This contrast in soil properties provides a venue to study imposed environmental selective adaptation. In order to explore plant selective adaptations to serpentine endemism, varieties of Caulanthus amplexicaulis (Brassicaceae) inhabiting granite soil (var. amplexicaulis or CAA) and serpentine soil (var. barbarae or CAB) have been selected as a measure of comparison for locating areas of genetic differentiation that may be contributing to the innate survival capabilities for each plant. The estimated genome size for C. amplexicaulis is 372 Mb. Currently, de novo assembled CAB and CAA genomes cover about 89% and 77% of the predicted genome. A comparison of CAB and CAA genomes provides a

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Molecular Biology & Evolution broad view displaying areas of homozygosity between the two ecologically distant species and regions with single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Data from recently resequenced Recombinant Inbred Lines will be mapped back to parental reference genomes to identify crossover regions. In combination with transcriptome data (see oral paper by Hawkins et al.), information collected from assembly, mapping, and genome annotation processes will provide a high quality map that may possibly identify novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms, areas with high-density marker profiles, and recombination breakpoints. 1

Department Of Biology, Texas A&M University, TAMUS 3258, College Station, TX, 77843, USA2Texas A&M University, Department of Nuclear Engineering, AI Engineering Building, 3133 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-3133, USA

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Pollination Biology creased wasp visitation offset the loss of bumble bees, leading to no change in pollination success. This provides a vivid example of the challenges associated with forecasting how pollinator declines will influence plant reproductive success.

Pollination Biology ORAL PAPERS

777

KROSNICK, SHAWN ELIZABETH* 1 and COOPER, TOBY 2

Preliminary studies of reproductive biology in Passiflora incarnata L. (Passifloraceae) in Middle Tennessee

assiflora incarnata is a flowering vine commonly encountered along roadsides and abandoned fields throughout the southeastern United States. While it has a broad distribution, its reproductive biology has only been studied in Virginia and Florida. In the present study, populations in Middle Tennessee were examined to determine the diversity and behavior of pollinators associated with this species. Mode and frequency of andromonoecy, the relationship between fruit set and floral gender, and the degree of self-incompatibility were investigated. Carpenter bees were found to be the primary floral visitors. Andromonecy was observed in all populations, with bisexual flowers more common than male flowers. Bees also visited bisexual flowers for greater lengths of time than male flowers. Prior fruit set on an individual vine was not associated with later development of either male or bisexual flowers. The presence of flowers was positively associated with the absence of mature fruit elsewhere on the vine. Studies on the extent of self-compatibility and autogamy present in P. incarnata are currently underway. 1

Tennessee Tech University, Dept. of Biology, 1100 North Dixie, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA2Tennessee Tech University, Dept. of Biology, 1100 North Dixie Avenue, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA

778

KARRON, JEFFREY DAVID* 1, HALLETT, ALLYSA 2, CHAMBERLAIN, EVAN 3 and MITCHELL, RANDALL 4

Effect of bumble bee decline on pollination success in whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

eclines in pollinator species diversity are widely thought to lower pollination success. However, the most frequent visitor to a focal species is not necessarily the most effective pollinator. If the loss of a common pollinator leads to increased visitation by a more effective pollinator, pollination success could potentially increase or remain unchanged. We experimentally tested this hypothesis by removing bumble bees from plots of whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata). In each of six populations, we quantified pollinator visitation rates, pollinia removal, and pollinia insertions in both control plots and in plots where bumble bees were experimentally excluded. We found that exclusion of bumble bees led to a doubling in wasp visitation. Since wasps often carried more milkweed pollinia than bumble bees, in-

University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department Of Biological Sciences, PO BOX 413, MILWAUKEE, WI, 53201, USA2University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201-0413, USA3University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201-04134UNIVERSITY OF AKRON, Department Of Biology, Department Of Biology, AKRON, OH, 44325-3908, USA

779

WELLER, STEPHEN G* 1, SAKAI, ANN K. , CAMPBELL, DIANE R. 1 and WEISENBERGER, LAUREN 2 1

An enigmatic Hawaiian moth is a missing link in the adaptive radiation of Schiedea

sland settings have provided insights into traits involved in adaptive radiations, including the evolution of breeding systems and pollination biology. The monophyletic genus Schiedea is one of the largest lineages in the Hawaiian Islands, with spectacular diversity in habitats and reproductive systems distributed among the 32 extant species. The ancestral condition for the group is hypothesized to be hermaphroditic with biotic pollination. The occurrence of species with separate sexes and wind pollination in dry, windy habitats is presumably a derived condition. In very wet habitats, facultative or obligate self-fertilization has evolved in a number of species. Despite the prediction of biotic pollination as the basal condition, this key element of the pollination biology has remained undocumented. In a study of a large experimental field population of Schiedea kaalae, we document that Pseudoschrankia brevipalpis (Erebidae), a recently-described moth species known only from O`ahu, removes nectar from the unique tubular nectary extensions of Schiedea flowers, suggesting that these very small flowers with their minute nectaries are highly specialized to attract and reward microlepidoptera. Pseudoschrankia brevipalpis is an effective pollinator of S. kaalae; single visits to emasculated flowers resulted in transfer of pollen, and flowers exposed to pollinators in the evening when moths were active accumulated pollen on stigmas as flowers aged. The numbers of pollen grains and moth scales deposited onto stigmas were strongly correlated, suggesting that the presence of moth scales is an indication that moths are active pollinators, even in the absence of direct observations. Discovery of biotic pollination of a hermaphroditic species of Schiedea is consistent with the hypothesis that the evolutionary shift from hermaphroditic, biotically pollinated species to species with separate sexes and wind pollination resulted from loss of pollinators in the dry, windy habitats where gynodioecious, subdioecious, and dioecious species are always found. The occurrence of abundant pollination by a previously unknown native moth in an experimental population of S. kaalae also suggests the potential for restoration of rare plant species to re-establish plant-pollinator interactions critical for production of outcrossed offspring with high fitness.

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University Of California Irvine, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA2Oahu Army Natural Resources Program, University of Hawaii, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, Honolulu, HI, 96857, USA

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SPIGLER, RACHEL

Effects of pollination conditions on floral longevity and display and the cost of delaying pollination in the self-compatible biennial Sabatia angularis (Gentianaceae)

lasticity of floral traits in response to pollination can enable plants to maximize opportunities for pollen import and export under poor pollination conditions, while minimizing costs under favorable ones. Both floral longevity and display are key traits influencing pollination. Although pollination-induced flower witling is widely documented, comparatively little is known about plasticity in response to other dimensions of pollination, the costs (gains) of plastically extended (reduced) longevity, and pollination-induced changes in floral display. I addressed this gap using a set of comprehensive and complementary experiments testing plasticity of floral traits in the self-compatible biennial Sabatia angularis. Specifically, plasticity of floral longevity was evaluated in response to multiple axes of pollination: pollen addition, removal, type (self vs. outcross), and composition (single vs. multiple donors) and timing of pollination. The cost of delaying pollination was evaluated by comparing seed set from early and late pollinations. Finally, I evaluated plasticity of floral display metrics (peak floral display, time to peak flower, flowering duration, mean flowering rate) in response to pollination. Floral longevity was highly plastic in response to pollen addition and dose-dependent, but insensitive to the type and composition of pollen deposited. Pollen removal tended to extend floral longevity, but only insofar as it precludes self-pollination and thus pollination-induced wilting. The wilting response was faster under delayed pollination, and no cost was detected for delayed pollination. Pollinated plants had reduced peak floral displays and condensed flowering periods compared to control plants. Plasticity in floral longevity and display as demonstrated here could optimize fitness in S. angularis, a species prone to pollen limitation and high inbreeding depression. Under pollinator scarcity, extended floral longevities offer greater opportunities for pollen receipt and export at no cost to seed set, reproductive assurance via delayed autonomous self-pollination, and larger, more attractive floral displays. Under high pollinator availability, shortened longevities lead to smaller displays that should lower the risk of geitonogamy.

Temple University, Biology, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA

CHANG, SHUMEI

Pollen competition in style: is there a pollen size-number trade off in the common morning glory? hough it is well known that pollen size varies greatly among different angiosperm species, this trait is generally assumed to have little genetic variation within a species, presumably due to strong selection for the optimal size in each species. However, this assumption has been challenged by recent studies that revealed significant genetic variation of pollen size in natural populations of several species, highlighting the question of what maintains genetic variation in this important male fitness trait. Using an artificial selection approach, we generated selection lines of the common morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea, that diverged significantly in the average pollen size. From a previous study, we know that larger pollen grains are more competitive than smaller pollen grains during pollen competition when equal number of pollen grains were used in the handpollination experiment. However, whether similar patterns can be found during natural pollination remains unknown. Here, we investigate whether larger pollen grains still have the competitive advantage over smaller grains when plants are exposed to natural pollinators. Using plants from the selection lines in garden array studies, we estimate the relative siring success of largeand small-pollen plants. Our results show that while per-flower siring success supports our earlier finding of larger-pollen grains being more competitive, a sizenumber trade off at the plant level provides a potential mechanism for how pollen size variation might be maintained in natural populations of this species. University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

782

MICKLEY, JAMES* and SCHLICHTING, CARL

Mating System as a Driver of Variation in Floral Petal Number: Is There Evidence for Adaptation to Pollinators?

cross angiosperms, floral petal number varies broadly with clades ranging from few to many petals. Many clades are fixed for a certain petal number, and strikingly, the superclade Pentapetalae within Eudicots, with thousands of species, is overwhelmingly five-petaled. One longstanding hypothesis explaining petal number fixation is that pollinator preferences have selected for particular petal numbers, yet this has been poorly tested and a causal or mechanistic basis for why pollinators should have a preference is lacking. An alternative hypothesis is that petals are costly, either energetically or in terms of water loss, and thus lower petal numbers are favored. In combination, these two hypotheses could lead to some optimal petal number. If pollinators act as agents of selection on petal number, then autogamous species should experience relaxed selection, leading to higher variance in petal number compared to outcrossing congeners. Furthermore, if petals are costly, autogamous species should reduce petal number to minimize costs. If both are true, then autoga-

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Pollination Biology mous species should have more variation in petal number than outcrossing species, and that variation should be biased towards losses of petals. In the family Polemoniaceae, low levels of petal number variation within natural populations are a common feature across many species. I test the above hypotheses by comparing patterns of natural petal number variation between closely related pairs of autogamous and outcrossing species in three genera Phlox, Gilia, and Saltugilia. Many of these species grow in dry environments where water loss via petals could be influential. My results reveal no evidence for higher levels of petal number variation within autogamous species, suggesting that selection via pollinators is not a strong determinant of petal number. Support for overall reduction in petal number within autogamous species is equivocal, with only some autogamous species showing the trend. Together, these are some of the first tests on the putatively adaptive basis of petal number. University of Connecticut, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, United States

783

SKOGEN, KRISSA* 1, JOGESH, TANIA 2, OVERSON, RICK 3, FANT, JEREMIE 4 and ROBERT, RAGUSO 5

Evolution of floral traits in the evening primrose family, Onagraceae

he diversity of interactions among flowering plants and insects is largely thought to have been fundamental to the diversification of plant species, their life histories, and their reproductive strategies. Indeed, adaptive evolution of floral traits associated with pollinator attraction and fidelity has long been assumed to result from pollinator-mediated selection providing a primary (but not sole) mechanism for reproductive isolation. The evening primrose family, Onagraceae, includes over 650 taxa with a diversity of floral traits and pollinators, thus providing the opportunity to investigate patterns of floral trait and mating system evolution, as well as shifts from nocturnal to diurnal pollination. Here, we focus on 14 species, representing 6 sections in Tribe Onagreae, which comprises 40% of the species diversity in Onagraceae, as well as much of the diversity in terms of pollination systems (humming bird, hawkmoth, bee), mating systems (selfing, mixed mating, outcrossing), and habitats. We characterized floral traits (flower size, color, length and flare of hypanthium, herkogamy, nectar characteristics, and floral scent) and pollinator visitation rates, and interpret patterns in a phylogenetic context. Floral morphology is consistent with expectations based on primary floral visitor and mating system. While many taxa converge in floral morphology, floral scent is polymorphic at the species and population level. Floral traits, and plant volatiles in particular, are important drivers of relationships with

insects, but volatiles remain poorly integrated into the central concept structures of floral trait evolution and pollination ecology. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, Conservation Scientist, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States3Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States4Chicago Botanic Gardens, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA5Cornell University, Neurobiology and Behavior, Room W355, Seeley G Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

784

ZWECK, JUSTIN* 1, MUNIZ, PAIGE , ARDUSER, MIKE 3 and BERNHARDT, PETER 4 2

AN INVESTIGATION OF POLLINATION AND FLORAL FORM CHANGE IN AMORPHEAE (Fabaceae); FROM SPECIALIZATION TO GENERALIZATION

he floral morphologies of several species in the Amorpheae tribe of legumes differ dramatically from the typical papilionoid legume floral form from which these species are derived. While typical papilionoid species enclose their sexual organs within the petals, these Amorpheae species feature flowers in which the sexual organs are exposed, potentially affecting reproduction mode by permitting pollination by a greater range of taxa. We tested this hypothesis by comparing pollination and reproduction in 4 Amorpheae species versus 4, co-occurring, papilionoid legumes species at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Summer 2015. Results indicate that the Amorpheae species did in fact feature a more generalized pollination system (beetles, wasps, bees) than their papilionoid counterparts (primarily bees), and also featured doubly higher insect visitation rates. Correspondingly, Amorpheae species also featured significantly higher reproductive rates than papilionoid species in each comparison (p values 9.923e-8, 1.102e-5, 2.2e-16, and 1.045e-9). Amorpheae species were more likely to feature heterospecific pollen deposition than their papilionoid counterparts, however, suggesting the possibility of a tradeoff accompanying the shift to generalized pollination. Generalized pollination systems are predicted to be favored in variable environments, and when the primary pollinator (i.e. bees) is limited due to competition or scarcity. Therefore, we predict that the generalized Amorpheae species studied will here be more robust to the effects of climate change and habitat fragmentation than their papilionoid counterparts, which rely exclusively on bees for reproduction. 1

Saint Louis University/Missori Botanical Garden, Biology, Macel-

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wane Hall 3507 Laclede Avenue, St Louis, MO, 63103, USA2Saint Louis University, Biology, Macelwane Hall 3507 Laclede Avenue3Missouri Department of Conservation4Saint Louis University, Department Of Biology, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA

786

GARRETT, PATRICK CHARLES* 1, HICKEY, RYAN 2, MOORE, RICHARD C. 3 and HICKEY, R. JAMES 4

785

Plants that switch their sex: Implications for the synchronously dichogamous Canella winterana

Evaluating the effects of pollinator mediated selection on floral trait variation

DILLER, CAROLINA* 1 and FENSTER, CHARLIE 2

he vast diversity of floral shapes are associated with different reproductive, mating and pollination strategies. Pollination precision has direct effect on the reproductive success and isolation of plant species. Precise pollination may result in increased reproductive isolation from sympatric species by limiting the distribution of pollen to specific areas of a pollinator“s body, different to the location of sympatric species, and thus reducing the loss of pollen to interspecific plant individuals. We expect certain floral shapes such as bilateral symmetry, fused petals, lower merosity, etc. to promote precise pollination. Pollination precision may influence the type of selection exerted on the flowers, with more uniform selection for precise pollination systems and variable and contrasting selective pressures for less precise pollination systems. Thus we expect those trait states associated with more precise pollination to have lower phenotypic variation than alternative trait states. These ideas have been explored for over 50 years with studies that support this hypothesis. Here we perform a phylogenetically informed meta-analysis of eleven papers (published in 1960- 2015) that have addressed the relationship between patterns of floral variation and pollination system (about 230 angiosperm species). We also included additional morphological and functional traits that to our knowledge haven’t been analyzed before. We perform a phylogenetic least squares analysis to determine which floral traits (i.e. symmetry, fusion, merosity, orientation etc.) and their interactions explain the difference in floral size variation across individuals observed across angiosperm species. Thus, we provide a more powerful macroevolutionary analysis than previous studies both with the inclusion of more floral traits as predictors of trait variation as well as the inclusion of more species. Preliminary results indicate that flower orientation and stamen and style exsertion, two traits that hadn’t been considered before, are important determinants of pollination precision. 1

University of Maryland, Biology, 1210 BPS Biology Psychology Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA2University of Maryland, Biology, Biology Psychology Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

he factors that drive the evolution of specialized pollination systems are considered a central tenant of future research in the field of pollination ecology. We seek to bring further understanding to a poorly understood but taxonomically widespread specialized pollination system. Synchronous dichogamy, the synchronized temporal separation of sexual function, is found in Canella winterana, a woody tree species native to the West Indies and southern Florida. In this system all flowers within a plant bloom synchronously as functional females and after 24 hours they synchronously switch to functional males. In this way, pollen is dispersed away from the plant to other individuals in the environment. Theoretically, synchronous dichogamy should reduce the amount of self-pollination in these plants, thus promoting the deposition of congeneric pollen via animal-mediated pollen dispersal. However, there is little empirical evidence for synchronous dichogamy as a specialized pollination syndrome and little is known about how this affects the genetic structure of populations. The aim of this study is to bring further understanding to how this specialized pollination system promotes gene flow in populations of Canella by identifying the pollinator community associated with this plant. Findings from this research will influence conservation of Canella in the United States, which is endangered in part of its natural range in the Florida. Initial observations in the summer of 2014 show that Canella had very few flowering individuals during the 2014 flowering season; 600 plants were observed in the Bahamas and southern Florida and only 8 plants were observed in flower or as having been in flower. Plants were always observed flowering in pairs at the edge of upland hammock habitats and were always found in in the same sexual phase. This finding suggests a strong potential for pollen dispersal away from the parent plant to other plants within populations or between adjacent populations. As such, these observations suggest that synchronous dichogamy promotes genetic admixture within and between populations. In addition, we observed two species of hummingbird, Calliphlox evelynae and Chlorostilbon ricordii, and the atala butterfly, Eumaeus atala, as potential pollinators of Canella. The atala butterfly was the most abundant pollinator observed during the 2014 flowering season. Microsatellite markers are currently being developed and will be used to compare the genetic structure of Canella populations in and between Florida and the Bahamas. 1

Miami University, Biology, 66 Kelly Drive, Oxford, Ohio, 45056, United States2Miami University, Biology, 700 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio, 45056, United States3Miami University, Botany, 316 Pearson, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA4Miami University, 700 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio, 45056, United States

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Pollination Biology 787

LITTLE, R JOHN

Flowers in Motion: Nyctinasty in Viola banksii, an Australian native

yctinastic flowers are those that close up at night after being open all day. Also included are flowers that open up at night, after being closed all day. A few of the species reported in literature or observed by the author to exhibit nyctinasty include one or more species of Anemone, Crocus, Eschscholzia, Hibiscus, Malva, Magnolia, Mentzelia, Mirabilis, Nymphaea, Oenothera, Oxalis, Stellaria, Taraxacum, Tribulus, and Tulipa. This study adds Viola to the list. A comprehensive list of nyctinastic flowers is apparently lacking. Research on nastic movements has primarily focused on leaves of various species. There appear to be few published studies involving flowers. Theories for the selective advantage of flowers closing at night include protection of pollen and/or nectar, protection of floral part from night-foraging insects, etc. Nyctinasty can be viewed as one component of a species’ pollination strategy. In 2011, I discovered that flowers of Viola pinetorum, collected on a mountain top in southern California, fold up at night then reopen in the morning. Later that year in Australia, I observed that flowers of Viola silicestris also close up at night. In 2013, I observed that flowers of Viola banksii, a species native to Australia and sold in nurseries in CA, are nyctinastic (open during day, closed at night). In 2014, I began a study to monitor the sleep movements of V. banksii flowers. During the same time of my study in CA, a colleague in Australia began a similar set of observations on V. banksii flowers in Brisbane, Queensland, using an identical humidity and temperature gauge as I used. This report focuses only on V. banksii flowers observed in CA. Four sets of observations, consisting of photographs of 10 flowers, one taken in the morning and another in the evening, were made for 6-8 days in June and July 2014. The goal was to answer basic questions, e.g., how many times does a flower open and close? How many days does a flower remain viable? Are nyctinastic movements influenced by humidity or temperature? Do flowers close on cloudy or rainy days? Initial results show that about 77% of flowers completely close up (sleep) at night on the same day they first opened; 89% if partial closures are counted. About 16% close twice, always on consecutive days. About 5% do not close up. Flowers appear viable for 5-6 days. 16 PEBBLE RIVER CIRCLE, Sacramento, CA, 95831, USA

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CASTILLA, ANTONIO R* , RODRIGUEZ, MARIA FABIOLA 1, O'CONNELL, MEGAN 1, POPE, NATHANIEL 1, TREVINO, LAUREL 1 and JHA, SHALENE 1

Adding gene flow and landscape to the pollinator performance concept

he evolutionary rationale for the existence of pollinator syndromes centers on the idea that different pollinator species differ in their ability to successfully pollinate flowers. Pollinators may differ not only quantitatively, in terms of fruit and seed set, but also qualitatively in terms of the genetic composition of the plant’s offspring. This is especially critical given that many plant species exhibit inbreeding depression and high fine-scale spatial genetic structuring in their populations. Given that nearly 5.8 million ha of tropical forest are deforested per year, there is great need to identify which pollinator species are most vulnerable to habitat change, and what the independent contributions of each pollinator species is for the maintenance of reproductive processes and genetic diversity for tropical trees. We conducted a single visit experiment in three populations of the understory tree Miconia affinis in Panama. In each population, we randomly chose 30 trees and bagged five randomly chosen inflorescences per tree. The bagged inflorescences were exposed to a single insect visitor, which was subsequently caught and identified. The fruits were allowed to develop to maturity and collected. We compared different pollinator species in terms of success in setting fruits, the number of viable seeds per fruit, and pollen dispersal distances estimated by a microsatellite-based population genetic analysis. Specifically, a total of 532 seeds were screened at 8 polymorphic loci to determine sire identity and assess pollinator dispersal ability. Twenty different bee species visited M. affinis’ flowers. These species differ widely in their size with the intertegular distance ranging from 0.91 to 7.72 mm. Our results indicate that pollinator species differed significantly in their individual contribution to plant reproduction. Flowers visited by large bees set more fruits. Large bees also produced higher proportions of viable seeds per fruit than smaller-bodied species. Our results also reveal that the ability to disperse pollen long distances is not related to the pollinator size, which highlight the critical role of the whole pollinator community maintaining the genetic connectivity in tropical tree populations. Given the prevalence of genetic structuring and inbreeding depression in plant populations, we posit that assessments of pollinator quality should consider not only seed set numbers, but also the pollinator’s ability to promote genetic diversity in plant’s offspring. 1

University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Biological Laboratories C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, United States2University of Panama, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales Exactas y Tecnolo, Zoology, 0824-00021, Panama City, Panamá , Panama City, Panama, Panama

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POSTERS 789

791 1

CZAPLA, GRANT* , KYRA, KRAKOS 2 and HULSEY, RYAN 3

A comparison of pollination systems of Oenothera nealleyi in pre and post drought years

ollination systems can change in response to environmental factors. These changes may be from a generalist to a specialist pollination system, or a shift to a different main pollinator. These changes may be detrimental to the reproductive success of the species. In this study we focus on the pollination systems of O. nealleyi in pre (2009) and post (2015) drought years. We compared detailed pollination data from 2009 and 2015 in the same populations in Alpine, TX. We used hand pollination studies to determine if the species is currently experiencing pollen limitation. Our results indicated a shift from the majority of pollen flow moved by noctuid moths in 2009, to 100% of the pollen flow moved by bees in the day in 2015. However, O. nealleyi is not experiencing pollen limitation (p= 0.909) in 2015. The change in pollination systems may reflect how a species can maintain reproductive success even through climate changes.

Maryville University, Arts & Sciences, 431 Country Stone Drive, O'Fallon, MO, 63367, USA2Maryville University, Arts & Sciences, MO, United States311203 Lakewood Crossing Drive, Bridgeton, MO, 63044, USA

790

SHIPLEY, EMILY* , KYRA, KRAKOS and RORK, ADAM

Pollinator patterns affecting seed set in Baptisia alba

he flowering structure of a plant may impact the quality of the seed set if the pollinator has a particular pollination pattern (Arista et al. 1999). In this study, we examine how the foraging patterns of the current pollinators impact the reproductive success of Baptisia alba at Shaw Nature Reserve. We combined pollinator observations and pollen load analysis to determine main pollinators. We recorded pollinator foraging patterns. We compared seed sets (n=11 plants) for flowers at the bottom and top of the inflorescence to determine impact of potential geitonogamous pollen deposition by pollinators. Our results show that Bombus are responsible for 89.6% of the total pollen flow in these populations. Bombus consistently forage in a bottom to top pattern on inflorescences like Baptisia alba, which have multiple flowers. Our results indicated no statistical difference (p=.6172) between top and bottom seed sets. Therefore, we conclude that the foraging pattern of the main pollinator Bombus, although most likely increasing geitonogamous pollen deposition in flowers at the top of the inflorescence, are not impacting the reproductive success of B. alba. Maryville University, Arts & Sciences, 650 Maryville University Drive , St. Louis, MO, 63141, USA

KRAKOS

WILSON, ADAM* and KYRA,

A comparative study of the reproductive biology of Asclepias in glade, prairie, and wetland populations

embers of the Asclepias genus, the milkweeds, are hosts to many insects who choose to limit their pollination to one or very few plants called specialists. Other pollinators besides monarch butterflies have been documented as main pollinators in milkweed populations. This research focused on variation of plant morphology and pollination systems in glade, prairie, and wetland Asclepias populations. We measured morphological traits and pollination systems in both habitats. Our results indicate that there is no morphological difference in traits (p>.05) across all traits measured. Pollinator observation results and pollen load analysis showed different main pollinators for each habitat. In the glade, Bombus accounted for 96% of the pollen flow; in the prairie, Apis accounted for 70% of the pollen flow, and in the Wetland, there was a lack of pollinators. Our results show that the reproductive biology of Asclepias is broader than a specialized relationship with just monarch butterflies, which may have conservation implications.

Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63141, USA

792

DUPREE, KATHARINE* and WILSON, MARK

Floral micromorphology and evolution of pollination by sexual deceit in Pleurothallis R.Br. (Orchidaceae; Pleurothallidinae) subgenera Ancipitia and Scopula.

hile pollination by sexual deceit is frequent in Orchidaceae, it is not common in genus Pleurothallis in which the majority of species exhibit rewardpollination. In a study on pollination syndromes and evolution of sexual deceit in Pleurothallis, we focused on related subgenera Ancipitia and Scopula, since both contain species that could be pollinated by sexual deceit. To address the hypothesis that pollination by sexual deceit has evolved multiple times in genus Pleurothallis we examined floral (particularly labellum and column) micromorphology by SEM to infer pollination mechanism. Based on labellar micromorphology we assigned each species to a putative pollination syndrome: reward, reward-deceit or sexual-deceit. Putative pollination syndrome was mapped onto a phylogeny derived from nrITS and plastid matK. The species from subgenera Ancipitia and Scopula formed a single strongly-supported clade within subgenus Pleurothallis; proposed section Ancipitia/Scopula. Within section Ancipitia/Scopula there was a strongly supported clade representing former subgenus Scopula; proposed subsection Scopula. Based on floral micromorphology and

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Pollination Biology putative pollination syndrome, pollination by sexual deceit appears to have evolved at least three times in section Ancipitia/Scopula: (i) The species P. crocodiliceps has a very small, but elaborate labellum that presumably mimics a female fly. Examination of plants from the geographic range of Mexico to Peru shows considerable variation in size and form of this labellum suggesting that “P. crocodiliceps” is probably a species complex with each species conceivably pollinated by a different Dipteran; (ii) The species P. gratiosa has a labellum that suggests pollination by pseudocopulation, but which is very different from that of the P. crocodiliceps-complex; and (iii) Pleurothallis sp. nov. Baquero & Tobar, from proposed subsection Scopula, in which all of the other species appear to be pollinated by reward or reward-deceit, exhibits a labellum very similar to that of the P. crocodiliceps complex. Together with two new species being described in subgenus Pleurothallis sections Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae and Acroniae that are probably pollinated by pseudocopulation, this suggests that within subgenus Pleurothallis alone, pollination by sexual deceit has evolved at least five times. Colorado College, Organismal Biology and Ecology, 14 East Cache La poudre, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA

793

SHANNON, OLIVIA* 1, RORK, ADAM 2 and KYRA, KRAKOS 3

A comparative study of morphology and pollination of Veronicastrum virginicum in praire and wetland habitats

ifferences in habitat can determine differences in morphology of populations of a species. Differences in morphology can lead to changes in main pollination system. In this study, we compare both the morphology and pollination systems of a Missouri native flower, Veronicastrum virginicum, which grows in both prairie and wetland habitats. We conducted morphological measurements and detailed pollination system studies in populations in both habitat types. Our results show that stigma and stamen length are statistically different in the two habitats, however, flower and fruit measurements showed no differences. The main pollinator in the prairie is Apis mellifera (54% total pollen flow), while the main pollinator in the wetland is halictid bees (79.5% total pollen flow). Bombus were present and pollinating (11.4%) in the prairie, but absent in the wetland population. Further studies are needed to determine if the differences in morphology are connected to the differences in main pollinator. 1

Maryville University , Biology , 650 Maryville University Dr. , Saint Louis , MO, 63141, USA2Maryville University, College of Arts and Sciences, 650 Maryville University Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63141, USA3Maryville University, College of Arts and Sciences, 650 Maryville University Dr. , Saint Louis , MO, 63141, USA

794

CAVERLY, LORIEL* 1, SCHNEIDER, JESSICA 2, CARLSON, MATTHEW 3 and AMUNDSON, COURTNEY 4

Study of pollen limitation in an Alaskan population of Vaccinium uliginosum

ruits of Vaccinium uliginosum represent an important resource for wildlife and humans across the circumpolar region. Fruit production is variable spatially and across seasons. We explored the degree to which fruit and seed production in V. uliginosum in the Chugach Mountains, Alaska is pollen limited, using three experimental treatments to the flowers: pollinator exclusion, open natural pollination, and augmented pollination. We counted pollen tetrads on stigmas, weighed and measured fruits, and counted viable seeds from each treatment. We found that V. uliginosum requires visitation for fruit and seed set, despite stigmas in the pollinator exclusion treatment having similar numbers of pollen tetrads as open and augmented treatments. Open and augmented pollination treatments had similar fruit and seed set, indicating that pollination activity at this population in the summer of 2015 was sufficient for maximum fruit production. However, only approximately half of the flowers developed into fruits, despite receiving outcrossed pollen. This finding indicates that fruit and seed set are limited by some other factor such as nutrient availability, at least in years with good weather for pollinators.

Humboldt State University, Biological Sciences , 1 Harpst Street , Arcata, CA, 95521, United States2University of Alaska Anchorage, Beatrice G McDonald Hall Room 113, 2400 W Campus Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508, usa3University of Alaska Anchorage, Biological Sciences and Alaska Center for Conservation Science Alaska Natural Heritage Program (ANHP), Beatrice G McDonald Hall 105, 2400 W Campus Drive, Anchorage, AK , 99508, usa4U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage,, AK, 99508, United States

795

PEREZ, PEDRO 1, CONNET, NICOLE M. 1 and ARRIOLA, PAUL E.* 2

The effects of prolonged drought stress on the water status and pollen viability in pigmy torch amaranth

he purpose of this study was to examine the physiological and reproductive response to prolonged drought stress on the pigmy torch amaranth (Amaranthus hypochodriacus L.). Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions where they were exposed to moisture stress levels of varying degrees ranging from 30% - 60% of FWC. Stress exposure was consistently applied from seedling stage through flowering and seed set. Plant growth response, leaf water conductance, stem water potential, and pollen viability were measured and compared with plants grown at 100 % FWC. Plants growing at 50% FWC appeared to represent the threshold for the plant’s ability to compensate for the stress as was determined by examination of several growth indicators. Measures of stomatal conductance for the 50%

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and 100%FWC were consistently different (p<0.001) among the treatment groups although the drought stressed plants did not always exhibit visible signs of deterioration. Further, measures of pollen viability by fluorescein diacetate assay demonstrated a consistent depression of viability in stressed plants as compared to fully watered plants (p=0.001). These data represent the first stage of an ongoing investigation to determine the impact on male sterility and increased outcrossing rate in water stressed plants. 1

Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, Illinois, 60126, United States2Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, IL, 60126, USA

796

MCCAULEY, ROSS A* , ALLEN, SHILAH , BREEDEN, MEREDITH and WEBER-SAUER, MELANIE

Hybridization via long-distance pollen dispersal explains the occurrence of endemic Ipomopsis (Polemoniaceae) across the Southern Rockies

n 2011 a new species of Ipomopsis, I. ramosa was described from southwestern Colorado from a single isolated canyon. To better understand the species biology we initiated a series of field studies focused on determining flowering phenology, pollination, breeding system, and seed dispersal and laboratory studies to investigate phylogenetic relationships. Field studies indicated that the species is an obligate outcrosser reproductively isolated from the similar and widespread I. aggregata with which it grows sympatrically by floral morphology, principally floral tube length and stamen insertion. Its principle pollinator is the White-lined sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata), although it is also visited early in the season by the migratory Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus). Phylogenetic relationships to other Ipomopsis of the Southern Rockies using the chloroplast trnL-trnF spacer point to a close relationship to geographically near populations of I. aggregata. Investigating the same relationships with the nrITS region points however to a more complex origin with a close relationship seen to two other narrow endemic species of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, I. polyantha and I. sanctispiritus. We propose that there may be a common origin for these endemic Ipomopsis in the migratory behavior of Papilio rutulus which may carry pollen long distances leading to occasional hybridization with establishent of discrete taxa in restricted geographic areas.

797

ARNOLD, PAIGE M.* 1 and MICHAELS, HELEN J. 2

Nectar Variation in Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Forb Species of Northwest Ohio

gricultural development has reduced the abundance of tallgrass prairies and oak savannas to less than 1% of Midwestern vegetation. These reductions have led to a critical decline in the abundance and diversity of plants and their insect pollinators. Understanding the key resources for butterfly pollinators is vital for preserving and restoring native habitats and their biodiversity. As the primary adult food source for many butterflies, the composition of nectar can have important consequences on butterfly longevity and reproduction. Literature suggests flowers pollinated by butterflies are likely to have high sucrose and/or high amino acid concentrations. The aim of this study was to survey the total sugar and amino acid concentrations of nectar in 19 native tallgrass prairie and oak savanna forb species of Northwest Ohio. Because many flowers preferred by butterflies are too small to be directly sampled with microcapillary tubes, we also developed a modified centrifugation method to extract nectar from flower clusters, while excluding potentially contaminating pollen. Using a refractometer, we found sugar concentrations ranging from 31.5 to 66% Brix. Ninhydrin tests, coupled with image analysis, were used to determine total amino acid concentration, which ranged from 14 to 64.18 ng/ ÂľL. Interestingly, the two species with the highest sugar concentrations, Asclepias sullivantii and Monarda punctata, were also the species with the lowest total amounts of amino acids. To examine the generality of this pattern, a post-hoc ANCOVA revealed a significant inverse relationship between amino acids and sugar concentrations across genera. These data reveal significant differences in the specific nutritional quality of different nectars that are also likely to impact pollinator populations. Considering nectar resources for butterfly conservation are commonly assessed only in terms of nectar species composition or floral abundance, habitat assessments that also includes the evaluation of nutritional quality of floral resources are likely to improve efforts to restore declining pollinator populations and, in turn, assist reproduction of the plants they service. 1

Bowling Green State University, Biology, 230 Life Science Building, Bowling Green, Ohio, 43403, USA2Bowling Green State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Life Science Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

Fort Lewis College, Department Of Biology, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO, 81301, USA

332

Pollination Biology 798

MONTGOMERY, BENJAMIN R

Large petals: an adaptation for autonomous self-pollination?

etals attract pollinators but their formation and maintenance impose costs. Consequently, selection is expected to favor larger petals in plants reliant on pollinators and smaller petals in plants with autonomous pollination. However, large petals may also increase the effectiveness of corolla dragging, a process in which abscised petals cause self pollination as they fall from the flower. Linum rigidum, stiff flax, is a self-compatible species with showy basally connate petals for which petal dragging occurs. I investigated the effect of petal size on insect- and petal- mediated pollination for flowers with petals that were slightly or substantially trimmed at their apices, resulting in large (mean length Âą SD = 17 Âą 2 mm) or small (12 Âą 1 mm) petals. For flowers exposed to pollinators but with petals removed prior to abscission, there was no significant difference in visit rates, pollen receipt or pollen export as measured by the quantity of pollen remaining in anthers. For flowers in a pollinator-excluded screen-house, petal size did not affect time of petal abscission, but larger petals dropped earlier following abscission, and stigmas of flowers with large petals received significantly more pollen. Neither fruit nor seed set varied significantly between petal sizes for flowers exposed to pollinators or for flowers without pollinators and petals left to abscise naturally. In this study, large petals were more important for autonomous self-pollination than attracting biotic pollinators, though differences did not translate to measurable differences in fecundity or opportunities for male fitness.

University of South Carolina Upstate, Natural Sciences and Engineering, 800 University Ave., Spartanburg, SC, 29303, USA

333

334

Phylogenomics Phylogenomics ORAL PAPERS 799

ANDERSON, BENJAMIN* 1, GRIERSON, PAULINE 1, KRAUSS, SIEGFRIED 1 , THIELE, KEVIN 1 and BARRETT, MATTHEW 2

Genotyping by sequencing in a 'spiny' species complex of Australian arid zone grasses (Triodia)

ext-generation sequencing approaches are becoming increasingly accessible to researchers interested in systematics, although best practice for addressing systematic questions is not yet established. One approach suitable for non-model systems is genotyping by sequencing (GBS), which involves generating a reduced representation of the genome using restriction enzymes. We applied GBS to resolve evolutionary relationships in a species complex of hummock grasses in the genus Triodia, which forms a dominant component of the vegetation over c. 18% of Australia. As ecologically important primary producers and habitat providers for animals, Triodia grasses are critical targets for restoration in regions impacted by large-scale mining, but taxonomically unresolved species complexes make identifications and correct provenance seed sourcing difficult. The Triodia basedowii species complex comprises two named taxa, five informally named taxa and at least two additional taxa awaiting recognition. Morphological overlap between, and variability within, taxa in the complex make identifications challenging. Previous sequencing of ITS was unable to clearly distinguish between some taxa. GBS raw reads were processed using Stacks and PEAR and assembled into loci using PyRAD, including optimising assembly parameters using replicates and genetic distances within populations. SNPs were analysed with distance-based clustering, assembled loci were concatenated for phylogenetic analysis in RAxML and TNT, and individual loci were used to create gene trees for summary species tree approaches (e.g. ASTRAL). While species tree approaches were relatively robust to variation in PyRAD assembly parameters, our RAxML analyses recovered well-supported but conflicting topologies for two different sets of parameters. Despite this conflict, multiple clades were consistently supported across analyses. GBS and the analyses we implemented provided support for the distinction of multiple new species, improved resolution of relationships between taxa compared to ITS, and both corroborated and contradicted ITS evidence for hybridisation between taxa. Our results will inform future taxonomic revision of the Triodia basedowii species complex, and facilitate the testing of hypotheses regarding the evolution of the Australian arid zone biota. Our approach to assembly and analysis of GBS data should be helpful for researchers hoping to resolve systematic challenges at this evolutionary scale. 1

The University of Western Australia, School of Plant Biology, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia2Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Fraser Ave, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia

800

URIBE-CONVERS, SIMON* 1, CARLSEN, MONICA 2, LAGOMARSINO, LAURA 1, KNOX, ERIC 3 and MUCHHALA, NATHAN C. 4

Phylogenetic relationships of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;using high-throughput sequencing to improve resolution in a recent radiation 1

University of Missouri - St. Louis, Biology Department, One University Blvd., R325 Research Building, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA2 Smithsonian Institution, Botany Department, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20560, USA3 Indiana University, Department of Biology, Jordan Hall 142, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA4University of Missouri - St. Louis, Biology, One University Blvd , 223 Research Building, St. Louis, MISSOURI, 63121, United States

801

VATANPARAST, MOHAMMAD* 1, POWELL, ADRIAN 2, SHERMAN-BROYLES, SUE 2, DOYLE, JANE 2, DOYLE, JEFF 2 and EGAN, ASHLEY N. 1

Phylogenomics of the Phaseoloid legumes: an introduction

he legume family (Fabaceae; Leguminosae), is the third largest family of flowering plants and is the second most important family in economic value. The phaseoloid legumes are the highest in generic diversity (~120/750) and second in species diversity (~2200/19500), and include various important beans such as soybean, common bean, cowpea, pigeon pea and winged bean. Multiple molecular phylogenetic studies have been conducted using single or multiple chloroplast and nuclear regions, yet many areas of the phaseoloid phylogeny remain unresolved or with low statistical support, particularly along the backbone. To understand relationships and evolutionary history of these legumes, we sequenced transcriptomes of 24 species, from which we developed probes to target hundreds of genes to build a robust phylogenetic tree. Our transcriptomes include representatives of all subtribes and major, delineated clades determined in previous works. Preliminary results based on 390 orthologous gene trees and a coalescent-based species tree of 24 phaseoloid representatives and six taxa from across the whole family revealed robust phylogenetic relationships of multiple clades and subclades within phaseoloids that mostly correspond with previous findings. Beyond this, we obtained a well-resolved and supported backbone with the notable exception of generic relationships surrounding Glycine, the soybean, which is of polyploid origin. The bioinformatics workflow of marker development will also be presented. 1

Smithsonian Institution, Botany, Washington DC, DC, 37012, USA2Cornell University, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Ithaca , NY, 14853 , USA

335

802

803

Seeing the Protea for the (gene) trees: anchored phylogenomics resolves relationships in a rapid radiation

A phylogeographic approach to assessing plastid genome evolution in a nonphotosynthetic orchid using targeted sequence capture

MITCHELL, NORA* 1, LEWIS, PAUL 2, LEMMON, EMILY 3, LEMMON, ALAN R. 4 and HOLSINGER, KENT 5

stimating phylogenetic relationships in recent evolutionary radiations is challenging, especially if short branches associated with recent divergence are combined with reticulation associated with hybridization. Short branches may lead to poor phylogenetic resolution because there are few changes to reflect shared history, or they may lead to incorrect resolution when gene trees conflict with species trees as a result of incomplete lineage sorting. We combined targeted sequencing with coalescent analyses to produce a robust estimate of phylogenetic relationships in the genus Protea (Proteaceae), a recent iconic radiation in South Africa, and we explore the extent to which poor phylogenetic resolution arises from a lack of shared changes, incomplete lineage sorting, and hybridization. We sampled multiple individuals within 59 species of Protea and six outgroup species for a total of 183 individuals, and we obtained sequences for 498 nuclear loci using â&#x20AC;&#x153;anchored phylogenomicsâ&#x20AC;?. We compare several approaches for building species trees, and we explore gene-tree species-tree discrepancies to determine potential causes of poor phylogenetic resolution. Phylogenetic estimates from available species tree approaches are similar to one another and recover previously well-supported clades within Protea, in addition to providing well-supported phylogenetic hypotheses for many intra-generic relationships that were poorly resolved in earlier studies. Species trees constructed with coalescent-based methods are more similar to one another than they are to a tree constructed from concatenated sequences, and individual gene trees are markedly different both from one another and from species trees. Species tree methods using hundreds of nuclear loci provided strong support for many previously unresolved relationships in the rapid radiation at the tips of the angiosperm tree in the genus Protea. In cases where support for particular relationships remains low, the cause appears to be a lack of shared changes rather than strongly supported disagreement among gene trees arising from ILS or hybridization.

University Of Connecticut, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Rd, U-3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA2University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, Unit 43, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA3Florida State University, Department of Biology, 319 Stadium Drive, P.O. Box 3064295, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA4Florida State University, Department of Scientific Computing, Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA5University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, U-3043, STORRS, CT, 06269-3043, USA

BARRETT, CRAIG* 1 and SASS, CHODON 2

tudies of plastid genome (plastome) evolution have focused on single representatives of species, even in comparative investigations, yet few if any studies have addressed plastome evolution at the infraspecific level. Parasitic and mycoheterotrophic plants display accelerated rates of plastome evolution, often with drastic reduction in size and gene content due to relaxed selective constraints of photosynthesis. The leafless orchid genus Corallorhiza contains both partially and fully mycoheterotrophic species, and has thus become a model for understanding the relationship between plastome evolution, nutritional mode, and fungal host specificity. The C. striata complex, with three putative species (C. bentleyi; C. involuta; C. striata, with three varieties), displays the most evidence of plastome modification in the genus. However, plastomes in this complex have not been severely reduced as in other, well-studied parasites (e.g. holoparasitic Orobanchaceae), making it a useful system to address questions associated with the early stages of plastome degradation. For example, what is the degree of variation in plastome size and gene content among members of this complex? What is the tempo of plastome reduction? Do members of this complex follow a single trajectory of degradation, and is this similar to that observed in other parasites? Here we use genome skimming and targeted sequence capture via Agilent microarray to generate complete to nearly complete plastomes for 53 individuals across the geographic range of the C. striata complex, from Mexico to northern North America. Briefly, genome skimming was used to generate five annotated reference plastomes representing each putative taxonomic entity of the complex. Targeted sequence capture was then used to expand sampling of individuals, in a costeffective manner. Plastome sizes vary widely from 124 kb to 141 kb among members of the complex, with the highest degree of reduction in the endangered C. bentleyi (eastern North America) and C. involuta (southern Mexico). Members of the complex show varying degrees of degradation of photosynthesis-related gene complexes. Based on patterns of deletions and pseudogenes, two distinct degradation pathways have occurred within the complex, in addition to that observed in the C. maculata complex. This suggests that C. bentleyi/C. involuta and C. striata sensu stricto represent two losses of photosynthesis from a putatively photosynthetic ancestor. Divergence times, rates of degradation, and ancestral plastome reconstructions are discussed in the context of phylogeographic history of the complex. Further, relative merits and challenges of targeted sequence capture are discussed for closely related taxa displaying rapid genome evolution.

West Virginia University, Plant and Soil Sciences, G153 South Agricultural Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA2University of California, Berkeley, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Department of Integrative Biology and the University and Jepson Herbaria, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

336

Phylogenomics 804

ZIMMER, ELIZABETH* 1, TAYLOR, W. CARL 2, SCHAFRAN, PETER 3 and JOHNSON, GABRIEL 4

DNA sequences identify cryptic species of quillworts (Isoetes L.)

he tetraploid Louisiana quillwort, Isoetes louisianensis, a rare plant found in St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1992. Subsequently, several populations found in Mississippi also have been identified as Isoetes louisianensis. In order to test whether the Mississippi populations indeed are Isoetes louisianensis, DNA from the type locality and three of the Mississippi sites was extracted, amplified, cloned and sequenced for the nuclear intron 2 of the LEAFY gene that previously has been proven useful in resolving relationships across Isoetes. Sequences of basic diploids that were suspected of contributing a parental genome to the allotetraploids were obtained by direct Sanger sequencing. Together the sequences produced an evolutionary tree indicating that a single Mississippi population, from a "Gator Branch" site, possessed the same diploid parental genomes as the type species Isoetes louisianensis. In the case of the other two populations, from "Oakey Branch" and "Moody Branch" sites, different combinations of diploids were observed. Next Generation DNA Sequencing performed on the Illumina MiSeq instrument then produced complete chloroplast genomes for the four tetraploids and the three relevant diploid progenitor species previously obtained by LEAFY gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequences for the seven Isoetes plastomes identified the chloroplast donor (presumed maternal) genome of the tetraploids. Again, the "Gator Branch "population was most similar to the Isoetes louisianensis type species. 1

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-70122Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, USA3Department Of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529-0266, USA4Smithsonian Institution, Botany, P.O. Box 7012, NMNH, MRC 166, Washington, D.C., 20013

805

PARKS, MATTHEW* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, RUCK, ELIZABETH 3 , ALVERSON, ANDREW 3 and WICKETT, NORM 1

Hitting the century mark in an understudied, hyper-diverse lineage: Transcriptome-based phylogenomic analyses across the diatoms (Bacillariophyta)

iatoms (Bacillariophyta) are a highly diverse and understudied lineage of photosynthetic microorganisms, and feature surprising metabolic pathways, prevalent cross-kingdom horizontal gene transfer, and wide morphological diversity. Understanding the

evolution of these and other features throughout the Bacillariophyta, however, requires well-supported phylogenetic hypotheses, which to date have remained elusive. To this end, we have sequenced the transcriptomes from over 100 diverse diatom species, and report here on our efforts to identify orthologous clusters of singleand multiple-copy genes and further utilize these markers in supermatrix- and supertree-based phylogenetic strategies. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States3University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 University of Arkansas, SCEN 601, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA

806 AARON

WILLYARD, ANN 4 and LISTON,

Multilocus phylogenetics of Pinus subsection Australes

n the genus Pinus, phylogenetic inference of relationships among closely-related species is hampered by incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization. We studied phylogenetic relationships in Pinus subsection Australes, an ecologically and economically important group of New World pines that includes three western North American species with serotinous cones ("the closed cone pines") and approximately 27 species distributed from eastern North America to Central America and the Caribbean. We used solution hybridization for target enrichment (hyb-seq) of 700 low-copy nuclear genes and a mitochondrial gene sequence in more than 100 individuals representing the subsection (an average of > 3 individuals per species). The method also permitted the recovery of high copy nuclear ribosomal DNA and complete plastomes. A subset of these data was used to characterize nucleotide substitution rates and infer time-calibrated gene genealogies and species trees using coalescent approaches. We re-evaluated previous plastid DNA results that were at odds with traditional classifications in recovering Pinus glabra as the sister group to the closed cone pines. Similarly, we evaluated the hypothesis that all or most species in the southeastern United States are descendants of Mexican and Central American ancestors.

Instituto de Biologí a, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-233, Coyoacan, Ciudad de Mexico, CM, 04510, Mexico2Instituto de Biología, Apartado Postal 70-233, Coyoacan, Ciudad de Mexico, CM, 04510, Mexico3Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Av. Universidad No. 1001, Col Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, MOR, 62209, Mexico4Hendrix College, Biology Dept, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA5Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Jardín Botánico, Circuito exterior S/N Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Mexico, CM, 04510, Mexico6Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ecología, Apartado Postal 70-367, CoyoacÁn, Ciudad de Mexico, CM, 04510, Mexico7Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ecología, Apartado Postal 70-275, CoyoacÁn, Ciudad de Mexico, CM, 04510, Mexico8Oregon State University, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-2902, USA, 541/737-5301

337

807

SALAZAR, GERARDO A. 2, MAGALLÓN, SUSANA 4, LEMMON, ALAN R. 5 and MORIARTY LEMMON, EMILY 5

A pilot study applying the Plant Anchored Hybrid Enrichment method to New World sages (Salvia subgenus Calosphace; Lamiaceae)

alosphace is the only monophyletic subgenus in Salvia, and it constitutes the most diverse lineage of the genus with ca. 600 species, all of them endemic to the New World. Four diversity centres have been postulated for subgenus Calosphace: Mexico, the Andean Region, Eastern Brazil and the Antilles. The phylogenetic relationships within Calosphace have been assessed based on combinations of three DNA-sequence molecular markers (nuclear ITS, plastid trnL-trnF and trnH-psbA), allowing the discovery of a number of major clades, including a strongly supported group that comprises most of the sampled species of the subgenus (“core” Calosphace). However, the backbone and several internal relationships still lack resolution and support. The Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) method is a novel strategy originally designed for vertebrates, but has recently been adapted for plants. It uses probes to capture up to 500 low-copy nuclear genes that can be potentially informative at a range of phylogenetic levels. In this study we used a representative set of species belonging to several clades of subgenus Calosphace to test: 1) the effectiveness of gene capture and massive sequencing for this group; 2) the performance of the recovered genes in resolving and supporting internal relationships in the group; and 3) the potential phylogenetic utility of individual loci by means of the phylogenetic informativeness method. We sampled 12 species of subgenus Calosphace and one species of the genus Lepechinia as outgroup. Gene capture yielded 370 loci for most of the species. The maximum likelihood tree resulting from the analysis of the 370 concatenated loci exhibits greater resolution and support as compared with the topology obtained by the combined analysis of ITS, trnL-trnF and trnH-psbA. The phylogenetic informativeness profiles allowed us to detect 133 loci (35.9% of the loci) containing sites with unusually high substitution rates, which might introduce phylogenetic noise (e.g., because of substitution saturation). Exclusion of these problematic sites resulted in an increase of support for many clades compared to the analysis of the complete dataset. This study indicates that AHE is promising for phylogenetic reconstruction in Neotropical sages, as it greatly improves support and resolution of the phylogenetic tree compared to conventional markers. Additionally, it highlights the importance of including a filtering step for potential “outlier” positions before the final AHE data analysis is conducted. 1

National Autonomous University of Mexico, Botany department, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, CoyoacÁn A.P. 70-367, Mexico City, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico2INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA, UNAM, INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA, UNAM, APARTADO POSTAL 70-367, MEXICO, D.F., N/A, 04510, Mexico3National Autonomous University of Mexico, Herbario de la Facultad de Ciencias (FCME), Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Uni-

versitaria, Copilco, CoyoacÁn A.P. 70-367, Mexico City, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico4Instituto De Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, 3er Circuito De Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacan, A.P. 70-233, Mexico City, Mexico D.F., N/A, 04510, Mexico5Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL, FL 32306-4295, USA6National Autonomous University of Mexico, Jardín Botánico, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, CoyoacÁn A.P. 70-367, Mexico City, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico7Instituto de Biología, National Autonomous University of Mexic, Botany department, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, CoyoacÁn A.P. 70-367, Mexico City, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico

808

HAGSATER, ERIC 2, VAN DER BERG, CASSIO 3, MAGALLÓN, SUSANA 4, MORIARTY LEMMON, EMILY 5 and LEMMON, ALAN R. 5

Enhanced phylogenetic resolution of the highly-diverse Neotropical genus Epidendrum (Orchidaceae) using Anchored Hybrid Enrichment

arge-scale sequence data collection for macro- and micro-evolutionary studies has recently been boosted by the application of novel genomic partitioning strategies (GPS), a set of methods focused on simultaneously sequencing selected portions of the genome that are expected to be highly informative for specific phylogenetic scopes. Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE; Lemmon et al. 2012) is a novel and highly efficient GPS for phylogenomics. Its probe design targets the capture of hundreds of loci with different proportions of conserved vs. non-conserved regions, therefore capturing loci that are potentially useful for a range of evolutionary depths. Although AHE was first tested in vertebrates, a newly-developed plant-capture probe set was recently applied to angiosperm lineages. The present work demonstrates the application of the AHE method in Epidendrum (Orchidaceae, Asparagales), a highly diverse Neotropical genus whose relationships have not been resolved. Our aims were to evaluate the effectiveness of gene capture and sequencing of the AHE in Epidendrum and estimate the performance of the obtained loci in resolving and supporting phylogenetic relationships along a range of taxonomical depths. For this we used a representative taxon sampling including 18 species of Epidendrum and one species each of the genera Caularthron, Barkeria, Broughtonia and Arpophyllum (Subtribe Laeliinae). Pleurothallis cardiothallis of subtribe Pleurothallidinae was used to root the phylogenetic tree. The method captured and sequenced 335 loci with an average copy number ranging from 0.66 to 0.89 and an average length of 581 bp (ranging from 163 to 1495 bp). A maximum likelihood analysis of all the loci concatenated retrieved a fully resolved and highly supported phylogenetic tree (all nodes with bootstrap support ≥92). The feasibility of applying AHE to plants is here corroborated for Epidendrum. The loci obtained were highly informative along the full range of taxonomical depths herein tested, including relationships of closely related species and genera of Tribe Epidendreae. 1

National Autonomous University of Mexico, Institute of Biol-

338

Phylogenomics ogy, Botany Department, Departamento de BotÁnica, Instituto de Biología, U.N.A.M. Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, CoyoacÁn A.P. 70-367 México, Ciudad de México, Mexico City, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico2 HERBARIO AMO, Montanas Calizas 490, Lomas De Chapultepec, MEXICO, N/A, 11000, Mexico3Universidade Estadual De Feira De Santana, Av. Transnordestina S/n, Ed. Labio, Sala 13, FEIRA DE SANTANA-BA, N/A, 44036-900, Brazil4Instituto De Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico, 3er Circuito De Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacan, A.P. 70-233, Mexico City, Mexico D.F., N/A, 04510, Mexico5Florida State University, Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Dr., P.O. Box 3064295, Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee, FL, 4295, USA

809

FOSTER, CHARLES* 1, SAUQUET, HERVE 2, VAN DER MERWE, MARLIEN 3, MCPHERSON, HANNAH 3, ROSSETTO, MAURIZIO 4 and HO, SIMON 5

Evaluating the impact of genomic data and priors on Bayesian estimates of the angiosperm evolutionary timescale

he evolutionary timescale of angiosperms has long been a key question in biology. The oldest crowngroup fossils date to the early Cretaceous (~140 Ma), yet fossils attributed to the angiosperm stem lineage date back to 247.2-242.0 Ma. Molecular estimates of the angiosperm evolutionary timescale have shown considerable variation, being influenced by differences in taxon sampling, gene sampling, fossil calibrations, evolutionary models, and choices of priors. However, a common theme in modern molecular dating studies is that the angiosperm crown age far predates the oldest fossils by a non-trivial amount of time, even by up to ~100 Ma. Did crown-group angiosperms really arise in the Triassic? Or are the substantially older molecular dating estimates a product of methodological biases? Here, we analyse a data set comprising 76 protein-coding genes from the chloroplast genomes of 195 taxa spanning 86 families, including novel genome sequences for 11 taxa, to evaluate the impact of models, priors, and gene sampling on Bayesian estimates of the angiosperm evolutionary timescale. Using a Bayesian relaxed molecularclock method, with a core set of 35 minimum and two maximum fossil constraints, we estimated that crown angiosperms arose 221 (251-192) million years ago during the Triassic. Based on a range of additional sensitivity and subsampling analyses, we found that our date estimates were generally robust to large changes in the parameters of the birth-death tree prior and of the model of rate variation across branches. We found an exception to this when we implemented fossil calibrations in the form of highly informative gamma priors rather than as uniform priors on node ages. Under all other calibration schemes, including trials of seven maximum age constraints, we consistently found that the earliest divergences of angiosperm clades substantially predate the oldest fossils that can be assigned unequivocally to their crown group. Our results also suggest that increases in gene sampling are unlikely to produce substantial changes in estimates of the angiosperm evolutionary timescale. Instead, our understanding of this important question is likely to improve through increased taxon sampling, significant methodological changes, and/or

new information from the fossil record. 1

University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia2Universite Paris-Sud, CNRS UMR 8079, Bat. 360, Orsay, N/A, 91405, France3National Herbarium of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia4National Herbarium Of NSW, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW, N/A, 2000, Australia5University of Sydney, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

810

LIN, QIANSHI* 4, LAM, VIVIENNE K. Y. 2, GOMEZ, MARYBEL SOTO 3, MARQUES, ISABEL 4, MERCKX, VINCENT 5 and GRAHAM, SEAN W. 4

Mitochondrial phylogenomics of mycoheterotrophic lineages of monocots

uch progress has been made in monocot phylogeny and classification, although several major uncertainties persist. Mycoheterotrophic lineages (plants that rely on fungi for their nutritional needs) have been particularly difficult to place in monocot phylogeny because of substantial morphological modification, elevated substitution rates in all three plant genomes, and gene loss in the plastid genome. Here we report on progress in using mitochondrial genomes to infer higher-order relationships in monocot clades that include fully mycoheterotrophic lineages, with a focus on three orders with an especially rich representation of mycoheterotrophic lineages: Dioscoreales, Pandanales and Petrosaviales. In Dioscoreales we retrieved mitochondrial gene sets for eight of ~nine photosynthetic genera, and eight mycoheterotrophic species from Burmanniaceae and Thismiaceae. In Pandanales we retrieved full mitochondrial gene sets representing up to ~37 mitochondrial genes from 23 of ~25 photosynthetic genera and one mycoheterotrophic genus (Sciaphila; Triuridaceae). Several species of Petrosavia and both genera in Petrosaviales are included, along with mycoheterotrophic representatives of Asparagales (Geosiris in Iridaceae) and Liliales (Corsiaceae). We use these new data for phylogenomic analyses and to explore the molecular evolution of the mitochondrial genes. Mitochondrial genes generally evolve more slowly than plastid and nuclear genes, but there appears to be proportionately less rate elevation in mycoheterotroph mitochondrial genomes than in their plastid counterparts. Inferred relationships for autotrophic and heterotrophic lineages based on mitochondrial gene sets are generally well supported, and correspond well to plastid-based inferences for the same taxa. The phylogenetic position and monophyly of Thismiaceae, a mycoheterotrophic family in Dioscoreales, have been problematic. Here we confirm Thismiaceae to be distantly related to Burmanniaceae. This conflicts with the treatment of these families in recent angiosperm classifications, but agrees with few-gene molecular phylogenetic studies based on mitochondrial and nuclear data. We also infer non-monophyly of Thismiaceae and convergent losses of photosynthesis in this clade.

University Of British Columbia, Botany, Bio Sciences BLDG, 6270 University BLVD, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada2University Of British Columbia, Botany, Bio Sciences BLDG, 6270 University

339

BLVD, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada3University Of British Columbia, Botany, 118-425 E11th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5T 4K8, Canada4University Of British Columbia, Botany, Bio Sciences BLDG, 6270 University BLVD, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada5Leiden University, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, Leiden, 2300RA, Netherlands

811

MARTIN, MICHAEL D.* 1

Phylogenomics and transcriptomics of Galápagos daisy trees (Scalesia)

he Galápagos archipelago is home to the endemic plant genus Scalesia (Asteraceae, the daisy/sunflower family). All are descendants of a daisy-like ancestor from the westestern coast of South America that arrived to the newly forming volcanic islands potentially within the last 4 million years. Then occurred a rapid radiation into at least 15 species with an astounding diversity in leaf morphology and habitat, ranging from woody rainforest canopy species to small shrubs that grow directly from bare lava rock. Known as the botanical equivalent of Darwin’s finches, the plants are important members of the islands’ endemic vegetation, famously specialized even amongst the organic riches of the Galápagos. But as rapid radiation left Scalesia species highly invariant at nuclear genetic markers, phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships within the genus are largely unknown. We exploit a unique collection of both living and herbarium specimens to investigate the phylogeny biogeography of these astonishing group of plants during millions of years of adaptive radiation and dispersal amongst newly forming volcanic islands. We employed in vitro chromatin assembly-derived libraries, enabling extremely long-range de novo genome assembly and phasing. We present reference genome and transcriptome assemblies for four species, which along with genus-wide shotgun sequencing, fully resolves the phylogeny of the genus in a first step towards understanding its biogeography. With this dataset we provide an initial look at the pace and architecture of plant genome evolution, the gene families that make this genus unique, and the evolutionary genomic processes that so rapidly generated Scalesia’s morphological diversity. 1

University Museum, Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway2University of Copenhagen, Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark3University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, Ole Maalí¸es Vej 5, Copenhagen, Denmark4University of Copenhagen, Botanical Garden, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Sí¸lvgade 83, Copenhagen, Denmark

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SINN, BRANDON T.* 1, DARAGAN, CHRISTINA 2 and FREUDENSTEIN, JOHN V. 3

Phylogenomics of Asarum subgenus Heterotropa section Hexastylis: serial derivations of similar floral forms spawned from two geographically-widespread species

ow-level phylogenetic relationships between species of Asarum subgenus Heterotropa section Hexastylis have not been resolved by analyses using plastid and nuclear markers. Using Double-Digestion Restriction Enzyme-Associated DNA Sequencing (ddRADseq), we have generated and analyzed phylogenomic datasets of up to ~5,000,000 characters from 97 individuals, representing all taxa in section Hexastylis. Using a custom pipeline, we combined elements of Stacks, pyRAD, RAxML, and multiple R libraries to streamline and automate dataset generation and analysis by integrating phylogenetic, niche equivalency and morphometric analyses. ML analyses recover two major diversification events within section Hexastylis, each with a phyletic grade of a geographically-widespread, paraphyletic progenitor species which has repeatedly spawned geographically-restricted species with novel floral shapes. 1

New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 104582The Ohio State University, 1315 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH, 43212, USA3Ohio State University, MUSEUM OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, 1315 KINNEAR RD, COLUMBUS, OH, 432121157, USA

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ROTHFELS, CARL* 1, PRYER, KATHLEEN 2 and LI, FAY-WEI 3

Next-generation polyploid phylogenetics: Low-cost, high-throughput resolution of hybrid polyploid complexes using PacBio and PURC

uclear sequence data are critically important for phylogenetic inference in plants, where polyploidy, hybridization, and gene-family evolution can be especially confounding. These data remain difficult and expensive to generate, however, especially for those taxonomic groups with few available genomic resources, or where multiple, distinct gene copies (homeologs or paralogs) are often present in individual accessions. Here we describe an amplicon-sequencing method for generating long (~1kb) sequences of multiple nuclear loci from multiple mostly-polyploid accessions. Our protocol utilizes the PacBio sequencing platform to generate data quickly and cheaply. It has limited upfront investment of time or money, does not require any downstream sequence phasing or assembly, and yields all the copies (alleles, homeologs, or paralogs) amplified by a given primer pair, for each accession. Our newly-developed bioinformatics package PURC (“Pipeline for Untangling Reticulate Complexes”) then takes the raw sequence reads as input and infers the true biological sequences, producing alignments for each lo-

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Phylogenomics cus, with each sequence labeled according to its source accession and its depth of sequencing coverage. PURC trims primer and barcode sequences from the data and, via an iterative clustering process, corrects PCR and sequencing errors and also removes PCR-mediated recombinant sequences (chimeras). PURC then matches sequences to source accessions based on sequence similarity as well as barcode sequence, allowing individual barcodes to be used multiple times within a single run. Using data from four nuclear loci for a sample of mostly polyploid accessions from the fern family Cystopteridaceae, we demonstrate the efficacy of this combined wet lab/bioinformatics approach, and also its prospects for yielding novel evolutionary insights. 1

University of California Berkeley, University Herbarium and Dept. of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA2Duke University, Biology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA3University of California Berkeley, Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

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KARIMI, NISA* 1, STENZ, NOAH 1 , GROVER, CORRINNE 2, JOSEPH, GALLAGHER 3, JONATHAN, WENDEL 4 and BAUM, DAVID 1

Assessing genealogical discordance within Adansonia (Malvaceae) by targetedsequence capture

he nine named species of baobab (Adansonia) are iconic trees of Africa, Madagascar and northwestern Australia. Adansonia digitata, a tetraploid, occurs widely in continental Africa, alongside a recently described but still questionable diploid species, A. kilima. A. gregorii is endemic to northwestern Australia, and the remaining six species are restricted to Madagascar. The Malagasy species are divided into two sections primarily based on floral morphology; Brevitubae have short, mammal-pollinated flowers and Longitubae very elongated, hawkmoth-pollinated flowers. Previous phylogenetic analyses of the genus found three distinct clades organized by geography (Africa, Australia, Madagascar), but numerous questions remain about their evolutionary history, especially the validity of A.kilima and the extent of hybridization among species in Longitubae. In order to investigate these questions, we are employing a sequence capture (hyb-seq) strategy that targets 380 coding sequences (each at least 800 base pairs) that show strong conservation between Adansonia and Gossypium. We developed a bioinformatic pipeline for assembly of the targeted exons, spanned introns, and flanking regions in the absence of a reference genome. This approach includes paralogy inference and, consequently, allows SNP-calling and haplotype phasing. Analyses of the resulting sequence data using species tree and explicit network methods supported the three geographic clades but thus far failed to resolve their relationships, presumably because of a very short internal branch. Our preliminary analysis (and other data sources) rejected distinction of A. kilima. Species tree and concatenation analysis supported non-monophyly of Longitubae, placing A. rubrostipa sister to a

clade containing Brevitubae and the other three species of Longitubae. Phylogenetic network reconstructions suggested at least one hybridization edge among the Malagasy species, possibly accounting for homoplasy in floral traits. Our hyb-seq approach coupled with new methods developed for exploring discordance can be applied to resolve numerous evolutionary phenomena including incomplete lineage sorting and introgression in many non-model systems. 1

University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States2Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Ames, IA, 50011, USA3Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Ames, IA, 50011, USA4Iowa State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-1020, USA

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MCKAIN, MICHAEL* 1, MCALLISTER, CHRISSY 2, BIANG, KATHRINES 2, CLEWEL, SARAH 2, AUBUCHON, TAYLOR 1 , SAEIDI, SAMAN 1, ART-HAN, WATCHARA 4, PASQUET, REMY 5, TRAIPERM, PAWEENA 4 and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH ANNE 1

Phylogenomics and adaptive trait evolution of ecologically dominant grasses

rasslands, including savannahs, play a pivotal role in biogeochemical processes and fostering biodiversity. They account for upwards to 30% of global carbon sequestration, enriching valuable prairie-like soils and producing economically viable cellulosic materials for biofuel production. Many of the ecologically dominant taxa of these ecosystems are members of the grass tribe Andropogoneae, which includes crops like maize, sorghum, and sugarcane. Nested within the core Andropogoneae is a monophyletic group of 250 species we call the DASH clade, which includes the genera Diheteropogon, Andropogon, Schizachyrium, and Hyparrhenia. The clade represents the majority of both the species diversity and total biomass of tropical, semitropical, and North American grasslands. Included in this group are iconic species of the North American prairie: big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, and little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium. We sought to 1) define the circumscription of genera of the DASH clade, 2) reconstruct species relationships within the clade, and 3) explore the role of diaspore morphology as a potential factor in the success of this clade. We find that many generic limits within the Andropogoneae need to be reconsidered, particularly for the widespread, ecologically dominant genus Andropogon. Polyploidy is rampant across the DASH genera and includes some examples of intergeneric allopolyploidy, like in the hexaploid species Andropogon gerardii. In addition to its namesake genera, the clade includes the previously unplaced Old World genera, Exotheca, Eylmandra, and Monocymbium. We explore the relationships of these genera and their constituent species. We find that some aspects of diaspore morphology correlate with the envi-

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ronment, hinting at possible drivers of diversification. We further investigate the link between environment and diaspore morphology in the context of evolutionary relationships. 1

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Department Of Biology, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA2Principia College, 1 Front Gate Rd, Elsah, IL, 62028, United States3Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil4Mahidol University, Department of Plant Science, Bangkok, Thailand5ICIPE

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ROBERT EATON, DEREN ALEXANDER* , PARK, BRIAN 2, SPRIGGS, ELIZABETH L. 3 and DONOGHUE, MICHAEL 4 1

Shape and scale in RAD-seq phylogenomics: Approaches for inferring trees for hundreds of taxa and millions of SNPs

estriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) methods can be used to efficiently sample sequence data for many individuals and species for phylogenetics. However, as the size of these data sets grows, both in terms of the number of species (e.g., hundreds) and the number of sites (e.g., millions) they become computationally unfeasible to analyze with many standard phylogenetic methods. As an example, we have assembled a RAD-seq data set for the angiosperm clade Viburnum in which our largest supermatrix is composed of 180 taxa and >35 million base pairs, and includes >3 million parsimony informative SNPs. We compare multiple approaches including concatenation, quartet-based species/super-tree construction, and concordance factor analysis, all of which yield similar results, but with a few pointed differences. Due to the size and structure of RAD-seq data sets we propose that quartet-based methods are particularly promising, and we describe new software and approaches for optimizing this type of analysis for RAD-seq data. 1

Yale University, Committee On Evolutionary Biology, 21 Sachem St., New Haven, CT, 06511, USA2Yale University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Science Center 366, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States3498 Whitney Ave Apt 1D, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA4Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 21 Sachem Street, PO BOX 208105, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

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XIANG, QIU-YUN (JENNY) 1, DONG, YIBO* 1, DOUGLAS, NORMAN 2 , JI, XIANG 3, OBATA, SHIHORI 1, PAIS, ANDREW 1 and PEET, ROBERT 4

Phylogeography of Nyssa sylvatica complex (Nyssaceae, Cornales) - Integrative evidence from GBS data and gene sequencing

enotyping by sequencing (GBS) has been shown to be a cost-effective useful approach for phylogeographic and population genomic studies. Due to some potential limitations of the approach, especially potentially large amounts of missing data, one is often left wondering how comparable the results are with those from regular DNA sequencing. We conducted a GBS study of the Nyssa sylvatica complex from the eastern United States, which is sister to Nyssa sinensis in China, and compared the results with analyses of plastid matK and trnH-K and nuclear antR and LFY sequences. The species complex consists of three previously recognized species (N. sylvatica, N. biflora, an N. ursina) and four sometimes-recognized varieties within N. sylvatica that are difficult to distinguish due to complex morphological variation. We sampled across a wide range of the natural distribution from over 90 locations. The GBS data were generated using Illumina NextSeq and gene sequence data were generated with Sanger sequencing. Analyses of these data were performed to answer the following questions: (1) Is there evidence supporting three species and four varieties as defined by morphology? (2) What is the pattern of evolutionary divergence, and is it spatially or taxonomically structured? (3) Are the results from Sanger sequencing data congruent with results from GBS data? Our results from analyses of phylogeny, gene genealogy, population structure, and genetic variation pattern were largely in concert between GBS and gene sequence data in suggesting two genetic groups with evident gene flow and most genetic variation occurring within the genetic groups. Samples of N. ursina and N. bilfora are in general placed in the same group with a few exceptions, while samples N. sylvatica are spread in both groups, showing little correspondence between the genetic boundary and taxonomic identity. The current range, mating system, ecology, and high levels of phenotypic diversity in the species complex are consistent with these interpretation. 1

North Carolina State University, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, United States2University of Florida, Department of Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 326113North Carolina State University, Bioinformatics Research Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 276954University of North Carolina, Biology, 413 Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC

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POKORNY, LISA* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, GARDNER, ELLIOT 3 and WICKETT, NORM 3

Plant Science and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA4Real Jardín Botánico-CSIC, Biodiversity and Conservation Department, Plaza de Murillo 2, Madrid, 28014, Spain

The evolutionary origins of the Rand Flora pattern in the Sweet Tabaiba (Euphorbia balsamifera): Hyb-Seq helps bridge the micro-macroevolutionary gap

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he Rand Flora is an enigmatic biogeographic pattern in which plant lineages from different families share a similar disjunct distribution across the continental margins of Africa and adjacent islands: Macaronesianorthwest Africa, Western African mountains, Horn of Africa-South Arabia, East Africa, and Southern Africa. First described in the XIX century by Swiss Botanist H. Christ, the pattern takes its name from the Germanic word “Rand”, aka “rim”, since Rand Flora lineages are confined to the margins of the continent by seemingly inhospitable areas (ecological barriers) such as the northern Sahara Desert and the tropical lowlands of Central Africa. One paradigmatic example of this disjunction is the Sweet Tabaiba, Euphorbia balsamifera (subgen. Athymalus sect. Balsamis) with three subspecies: balsamifera —found in NW Africa and the Canaries—, adenensis —from the Horn of Africa and Southern Arabia—, and sepium —from western Sahel. Several explanations have been proposed for this disjunction, ranging from vicariance of an Early Cenozoic macroflora by climate-driven extinction to long-distance dispersal events in more recent times, or other ecological factors. New molecular estimates of phylogenetic relationships and lineage divergence times have placed the origin of the disjunction around the Miocene-Pliocene coincident with periods of global drought. However, the traditional Sanger approach of sequencing a few selected plastid and nuclear markers failed to provide enough resolution at shallow phylogenetic levels, whereas the low number of taxa hampered the application of macroevolutionary models for testing the climate extinction vs. recent dispersal hypothesis. Here we explore the potential of Hyb-Seq to provide data for improved resolution at different phylogenetic scales, from species to populations and individuals. Hyb-Seq allows simultaneous collection of single-to-low-copy nuclear coding regions together with high copy un-enriched regions that can be used to address questions at both macro and microevolutionary levels. Using two Euphorbia transcriptomes (E. mesembryanthemifolia and E. pekinensis), and the Ricinus communis genome, we designed a 20K-probes kit targeting 431 exons. These were used to sequence Euphorbia sect. Balsamis and close relatives, with a focus on population-level sampling of all currently recognized subspecies of E. balsamifera. In addition to nuclear exons, the approach proved successful to recover introns and chloroplast sequences; the latter retrieved mapping off-target reads to an existing E. virgata (subgen. Esula) chloroplast. Bayesian and likelihood-based gene-species tree methods and statistical phylogeographic approaches were used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and explore hypotheses on the spatial and temporal origins of the disjunction. 1

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, TW9 3DS, UK2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States3Chicago Botanic Garden,

LINDO, JULIETA* 1, DONG, YIBO 2, OBATA, SHIHORI 3, JI, XIANG 4 and XIANG, QIU-YUN (JENNY) 5

Phylogenomic study of Blue/WhiteFruited Dogwoods (Cornus, Cornaceae) using GBS data

ornus (Cornaceae) is a temperate and subtropical genus with ca. 58 species of small trees and shrubs that are commonly cultivated as ornamentals. Several phylogenetic studies based on molecular and morphological data have been conducted in the past to understand phylogenetic relationship within the genus. These studies revealed four major lineages different in morphology. These are the Big-Bracted dogwoods (BB), the Dwarf Dogwoods (DW); the Cornelian Cherries (CC), and the Blue- or White-fruited dogwoods (BW). Among them, the BW group is the largest, consisting of approximately 35 species with the diversity centered in eastern Asia and eastern North America, and a few species in Europe, western North America, and South America. Species relationships within the group have remained poorly resolved, hampering evolutionary studies (such as biogeography and character evolution) and classification that relies on a well-resolved and strongly supported phylogeny. A variety of new methods are available for generating genome-wide data for phylogenomic analyses. Genotype By Sequencing (GBS) was recently shown to be a cost-effective method for resolving species relationships in a genus. The objective of my study is, therefore, to generate Genotype By Sequencing (GBS) data for the BW species and explore their utility in resolving species relationships through phylogenomic analyses. A total of 110 accessions representing all BW species and outgroup taxa were included in the GBS library for 75 bp sequencing by Illumina NexSeq at GSL. After filtering the data, matrices containing different levels of missing data were generated using the program pyRAD for phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using RAxML implemented in CIPRES Gateway using GTRCAT model and 100 replicates of bootstrap. Results showed grouping of samples of the same species, and pattern of species relationships is similar the previous study based on ITS and matK data with a few exceptions. However better resolution and greater nodal support were obtained for analyses of the GBS data. Two eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunct lineages were identified. The phylogeny is used to examine the biogeographic history and character evolution. 1

Plant And Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Gardner Hall 2115, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, USA2North Carolina State University, Plant and Microbial Biology, Raleigh, NORTH CAROLINA, 27695, United States3North Carolina State University, Plant and Microbial Biology, Raleigh, North Carolina, 276954North Carolina State University, Bioinformatics Research Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 276955North Carolina State University, Gardner Hall 2115, CAMPUS BOX 7612, RALEIGH, NC, 27695-7612, USA

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HANCOCK, LILLIAN PINE* 1, MOORE, ABIGAIL 2, HOLTUM, JOSEPH 3 and EDWARDS, ERIKA 4

Phylogeny and evolution of Australian Calandrinia (Montiaceae): a CAMevolving, succulent plant lineage from Australia, and the coolest plant radiation youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never heard of

ustralia is the driest vegetated continent and yet it harbors no native, large stem-succulents, and only 0.6% of the plants are known to use CAM photosynthesis. The most speciose succulent, CAM-evolving group in Australia is Calandrinia. These small, succulent herbs display broad variation in habitat, growth form, vegetative morphology, flower number and architecture, life history strategies, and photosynthesis (C3 to CAM). Calandrinia s.l. is placed within the Montiaceae, which in turn is sister to the rest of the Portulacineae (Caryophyllales). Biogeographically, it includes two disjunct radiations, one in the Americas, Calandrinia s.s., with about 14 species, and one in Australia: Parakeelya, or Australian Calandrinia, with about 70 species. Past analyses of the Montiaceae presented conflicting hypotheses for the phylogenetic placement and monophyly of Calandrinia. Using targeted gene enrichment, we sequenced 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of full length loci from multiple gene families of interest, from a nearly complete sampling of Australian Calandrinia and other Portulacineae. With these data we assess the relationship between new world and old world Calandrinia and estimate the first phylogeny for Australian Calandrinia. We explore the biogeographic history and rapid radiation of Australian Calandrinia and the evolution of character traits (i.e. photosynthesis, succulence, life history, environmental niche) within this remarkable lineage. 1

Brown University, EEB, 80 Waterman Street, Box G-W, Providence, RI, 02912, USA2Brown University, 80 Waterman St., Box G-W, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, United States3James Cook University, School Of Marine And Tropical Biology, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia4Brown University, Box G-W, 80 Waterman St, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

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from 4,618 exons (longer than 120 bp) from 1,180 orthologous nuclear loci (longer than 960 bp), and plastome DNA (86 coding regions). Putative orthologous loci were selected based on comparison of genome skimming data of Curcuma ecomata and transcriptome of C. longa. Processing of 150 bp paired-end MiSeq reads and phylogenomic analysis followed a combination of established pipelines and custom scripts. Concatenated data matrices were analyzed using RAxML and supported individual gene trees were merged using a coalescent framework in ASTRAL. All analyses accounted for differences in gene evolutionary rates and minimized the amount of missing data per species and per locus. Only one fully supported topology was recovered in all analyses, with no significant conflicts found among data type and/or analysis type. This topology recognizes two clades, sister to each other, splitting at the base of the order. One clade contains the families Musaceae (Heliconiaceae (Lowiaceae + Strelitziaceae)), whereas the second clade includes (Costaceae + Zingiberaceae) (Marantaceae + Cannaceae). This second clade has been traditionally well-resolved in all previous studies. However, the placement of Musaceae, and in some cases Heliconiaceae, has until now been contested, even in studies using other genomic scale datasets, where these families were previously placed as the basal lineages to all other families in the order. Among individual gene trees, the previous basal placement of Musaceae was only seen in 7% of the genes included in our study, and not well supported in any analysis. Consequently, concatenated and coalescent analyses performed here did not support that relationship, but instead placed Musaceae as a member of the clade containing Heliconiaceae, Lowiaceae and Strelitziaceae, finally resolving one of the most elusive relationships in the order Zingiberales. 1

Smithsonian Institution, Botany Department, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20560, USA2Charles University, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic3 Smithsonian Institution, Botany, MRC-166 National Museum Of Natural History, PO Box 37012, WASHINGTON, DC, 20013-7012, USA

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WALKER, JOSEPH* 1, YANG, YA , MOORE, MICHAEL 3, BROCKINGTON, SAMUEL 4 and SMITH, STEPHEN 5

CARLSEN, MONICA* 1, FER, TOMAS and KRESS, JOHN 3

Gene family evolution in the carnivorous clade of Caryophyllales

A fully resolved phylogeny of the tropical Zingiberales using targeted gene enrichment

he primarily tropical order Zingiberales, which includes eight families, approx. 100 genera and 2,000 species, has traditionally been a group where phylogenetic relationships among the advanced taxa have been generally accepted, but reconstructions have been difficult to establish among the basal branches of the clade due to rapid lineage radiation. Previous attempts to recover a fully resolved phylogeny for the order have suffered in part from the lack of comprehensive generic sampling within families. In this study, hybridizationbased target enrichment was used to obtain sequences

arnivorous plants have long been a fascination to both scientists and the general public. Carnivory appears across the tree of life multiple times, with an estimated nine independent origins of this adaptation. Obtaining nitrogen through animal sources allows these plants to survive in nutrient poor soil. However, this requires investment in trapping and digestive mechanisms. With a single origin and multiple different mechanisms of capturing prey, the carnivorous clade in Caryophyllales represents one of the most species rich developments of carnivory. Between the diverse morphology and wide distribution, this clade provides a rich evolutionary history for studying carnivory. Here, we use transcriptome data to help resolve some of the major family relationships of this clade and further ana-

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Phylogenomics lyze gene and genome duplications that are present in this group. We also use a time series data set consisting of Drosera binata and Nepenthes alata, to identify genes that change in expression between life stages and gene family evolution associated with this change.

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Grow a backbone: mitochondrial exome sequencing provides a surprisingly rich source of phylogenetically informative characters in the enigmatic Australian clade Goodenia s.l

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology2University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 2071 Kraus Natural Science Building, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA3Oberlin, Biology4Department Of Plant Science, Downing Site, Cambridge, N/A, CB23AE, United Kingdom5University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States

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JABAILY, RACHEL SCHMIDT* 1, GARDNER, ANDY 2, SESSA, EMILY BUTLER 3, MICHENER, PRYCE 4, JOHNSON, EDEN 5 and SHEPHERD, KELLY A. 6

Molecules, morphology, and monophyly: revising the enigmatic Australian clade Goodenia s.l. (Goodeniaceae) using comprehensive sampling and big data

revious phylogenetic efforts by our research team have identified the clade Goodenia s.l. as the most species rich and taxonomically challenging in the predominantly Australian plant family Goodeniaceae. The largest genus, Goodenia, is not supported by consistent morphological characters. Molecular phylogenetics resolve it into three major clades with multiple embedded smaller genera, which are individually variously supported by both molecular and morphological data. We have sought to identify and describe monophyletic clades as genera within Goodenia s.l. Our ultimate efforts at fully exploring the phylogeny of Goodenia s.l. have included nearly complete sampling of 220+ described species, as well as many undescribed, potentially new species. Sequences of loci trnL-trnF, matK, and nrITS for all included species were scaffolded onto a strongly supported phylogenetic backbone from next generation genome skimming sequencing of 28 target species. Draft plastome analysis found maximum phylogenetic support for all clades except several key nodes within Goodenia Clade C, the most morphologically variable and taxonomically complex clade of Goodenia s.l. Mitochondrial exomes yield very high phylogenetic support, and potential phylogenetic conflict between chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear histories was fully explored particularly within Clade C. New genera to be described within Goodenia s.l. encompass considerable morphological variability, particularly with convergence in floral form, but now will have strong support from both morphological and molecular data.

Rhodes College, Botany, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, USA2California State University Stanislaus, Department of Biological Sciences, One University Circle, Turlock, CA, 95382, USA3University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA4Rhodes College, Biology, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, USA5University of Missouri, Department of Biological Sciences, 105 Tucker Hall, Columbia, MO , 652116Western Australian Herbarium, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Technology Park, Western Precinct, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia

MICHENER, PRYCE* 1, SESSA, EMILY BUTLER 2, BUSH, CAROLINE 3, SHEPHERD, KELLY A. 4 and JABAILY, RACHEL SCHMIDT 5

elatively ancient, rapid radiations can lead to short and poorly resolved branches deep in a phylogeny. Resolving these relationships can be difficult with Sanger sequences, and even with some of the outputs of next generation sequencing. An under-resolved backbone uniting the clades of Goodenia sensu lato (Goodeniaceae) has hampered efforts to identify monophyletic groups ahead of a taxonomic revision of this largest clade (220+ species) in the primarily Australian family. Goodenia s.l. is composed of multiple major clades that have consistently received strong support, but the relationships between most of the major clades was underresolved in Sanger sequence based studies. Furthermore, analysis of two nuclear loci revealed relationships conflicting with chloroplast evidence at key nodes, suggesting potential ancient hybridization events. Genome skimming was performed for 28 taxa spanning Core Goodeniaceae, with sampling representing all of the major clades of Goodenia s.l. Draft plastomes primarily composed of genic regions generated for these taxa greatly increased confidence in almost all major backbone nodes, except within the most taxonomically complex Goodenia Clade C. In addition to the chloroplast and other high-copy nuclear genetic elements, portions of the mitochondrial genome are easy to isolate from genome-skimming data, and readily align to available references because of the highly conserved sequences. Despite relatively low rates of molecular evolution in plants (in contrast to animals), the mitochondrial exomes analyzed across Goodenia s.l. have yielded a rich source of phylogenetically informative characters, leading to a fully resolved phylogeny even within Clade C. Rigorous testing of potential incongruences between mitochondrial genes, as well as against chloroplast and nuclear gene histories, was also conducted. While sequencing of individual mitochondrial genes for plant systematics may not yield highly resolved phylogenies, the great amount of mitochondrial gene sequences included from next generation genome skimming is a rich, and underutilized, source of characters to build highly resolved phylogenies, particularly at deep nodes. 1

Rhodes College, Dept. of Biology, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, United States2University of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, United States4Western Australian Herbarium, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Technology Park, Western Precinct, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia5Rhodes College, Botany, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN, 38112, USA

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ZULUAGA-TROCHEZ, ALEJANDRO* , MORIARTY LEMMON, EMILY 2, LEMMON, ALAN 3 and CAMERON, KEN 4 1

Re-evaluation of subfamily relationships of Araceae using phylogenomics 1

Universidad del Valle, Biology, Calle 13 # 100-00, Cali, ColombiaFlorida State University, Department of Biological Science, Tallahassee, FL, USA3Florida State University, Department of Scientific Computing, Tallahassee, FL, USA4University Of Wisconsin, Department Of Botany, 154 Birge Hall, 450 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA 2

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ESERMAN, LAUREN* 1 and LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 2

Phylogenetics of the sweet potato complex: A comparison of RAD-seq and targeted gene capture for resolving relationships

weet potato ranks among the top ten most produced crops in the world. The rich carbohydrate and vitamin A reserves in the storage roots of sweet potato are a vital source of nutrition for people in many developing countries. Currently, improvement of sweet potato is dependent upon existing genetic variation a small number of breeding lines. Whereas wild relatives of crop species can be an important source of genetic material for crop improvement, the relationships of sweet potato breeding lines to their wild relatives are unknown. We are utilizing genomic approaches to resolve relationships between sweet potato and its wild relatives (the Batatas complex) and shed light on the genetic changes that contributed to the evolution of storage roots in cultivated sweet potato. Estimating the phylogeny of the Batatas complex is complicated by three main factors: 1) this is a relatively young group of species, 2) there may be ongoing gene flow among geographically proximal populations, and 3) species vary in their ploidy level. We will present a comparison of RADseq and gene capture approaches and the ability of both types of data to resolve relationships among 16 closely-related members of the Batatas complex. We are applying modern phylogenomic methods to estimate relationships within the Batatas complex as well as to reconstruct the evolutionary history of polyploidization and storage root development in the Batatas complex. These findings have the potential to advance sweet potato breeding efforts, including recent work to develop productive and robust cultivars for Africa.

827

MALLEY, CLAIRE 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, GOFFINET, BERNARD 3, SHAW, A JONATHAN 4 and WICKETT, NORM* 5

Circumscribing a core set of conserved, orthologous genes for moss phylogenetics

ften, the first step in a phylogenetic analysis using hundreds of nuclear genes is to determine orthologous clusters from a pool of thousands of candidate gene families. The determination of orthology is a critical step in that it allows us to circumscribe a set of genes that we infer to have arisen by speciation, which may be preferable for reconstructing species relationships. Whenever possible, orthologous gene families (often called single copy genes) should be circumscribed using the inferred protein sets of sequenced genomes, mitigating the effects of processes that may confound a clustering analysis using other types of data, for example transcriptomes (alternative splicing, lack of expression, incompletely assembled transcripts etc.). However, under-studied or non-model lineages are often characterized by a lack of complete genome sequences and, instead, orthologous gene families must be described using transcriptome data and, if possible, any available genomic resources. In addition to a diversity of input data, there are several different methods available to circumscribe orthologs (e.g. OrthoFinder, Proteinortho). Here, we explore how the identification of orthologous gene families differs among methods and among program-specific parameters using a set of six transcriptomes and a single genome (Physcomitrella patens), allowing us to identify single-copy gene families that are robust to changes in both program and parameters. We then discuss the applicability of the identified conserved, orthologous genes to the reconstruction of the back-bone phylogeny of mosses using an additional 55 transcriptomes.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, Illinois, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States3University of Connecticut, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA4130 Science Drive, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA5Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Science and Conservation, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University Of Georgia, 4503 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

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Phylogenomics 828

OVERSON, RICK* 1, JOHNSON, MATTHEW 2, FANT, JEREMIE 3, LEVIN, RACHEL 4, MOORE, MICHAEL 5, WAGNER, WARREN L. 6, RAGUSO, ROBERT A. 7, SKOGEN, KRISSA 1 and WICKETT, NORM

A phylogeny of the evening primrose family (Onagraceae) using a target enrichment approach for 322 nuclear loci

he evening primroses (Onagraceae) are a large family of approximately 655 species in 7 tribes and 17 genera. A majority of these species are from the New World, especially western North America. Comparative studies in this group are focused on the striking variation in floral morphology and floral scent, pollination syndrome, embryology, and cytology, among other characteristics. However, these efforts are limited by the lack of a comprehensive, well-resolved phylogeny. Previous molecular studies using relatively few nuclear and chloroplast markers strongly support the monophyly of the family, the sister relationship of the families two largest tribes (Onagreae. 262 spp., and Epilobieae, 172 spp.), and the paraphyly of the large genus Oenothera as defined at the time. However, several relationships within the family remain to be resolved, including the placement of two sections recently sunk within Oenothera: Calylophus and Pachylophus. Here, we use a target enrichment approach to reconstruct the phylogeny of Onagraceae using 322 highly conserved, low-copy nuclear loci assembled with the HybPiper pipeline. We present a phylogeny for Onagraceae with taxa sampled throughout the family, including a majority of taxa in the tribe Onagreae. This phylogenetic resource will augment ongoing projects focused on the ecology, genomics, and coevolutionary dynamics of this important group. 1

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States2Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Sciences, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60626, United States3Chicago Botanic Gardens, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA4Amherst College, Department Of Biology, McGuire Life Sciences Building, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA5Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA, 419-499-41716Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Botany, 10th and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC, USA7Cornell University, Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Room W355, Seeley G Mudd Hall 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY8Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Conservation Science, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA

829

CHANDERBALI, ANDRE 1, BERGER, BRENT* 2, HOWARTH, DIANELLA 3, SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 4 and SOLTIS, PAMELA S. 5

Grappling with gamma--a new look at an old WGD event

hole-genome duplication (WGD, polyploidy) is a rich source of genetic raw material for evolutionary change and a key feature of flowering plant evolution. Indeed, all extant flowering plants share an ancient polyploid event that predates their evolutionary origin, and multiple independent WGDs are evident in younger lineages. The largest extant clade of flowering plants, the core eudicots, with ~75% of all angiosperm species, exhibits a triplicate genome structure suggestive of ancient hexaploidy resulting from two WGDs - termed “gamma” - that occurred in close succession. The phylogenetic placement of “gamma” is of particular interest because “gamma” may be directly related to changes in floral morphology and other innovations associated with the unparalleled evolutionary success of the core eudicots. Efforts to pinpoint the precise positions of the two WGDs contributing to “gamma” have narrowed the possibilities to a broad evolutionary window spanning much of the phylogenetic grade of basal eudicots immediately preceding the core eudicot clade, but has otherwise remained uncertain. Here we show that the “gamma” WGDs may have occurred along two consecutive stem lineages spanning the lattermost stages of the transition from basal to core eudicots. Our phylogenomic analyses suggest that ~50% of the ancient duplicate genes (paleologs) that originated during eudicot diversification were duplicated along the branch that immediately subtends all core eudicots (i.e., Gunnerales and Pentapetalae), while the remaining ~50% were duplicated earlier, most likely along the branch leading to a clade comprising two basal eudicot lineages (Buxales and Trochodendrales) and all core eudicots. This earlier WGD, potentially the first of the two contributing to “gamma,” however, is not as well supported as the later (pre-core eudicot) WGD and could have conceivably occurred after the divergence of Buxales and Trochodendrales. Nevertheless, our results provide significant phylogenetic support for placing the “gamma” event near, and possibly across, the two lattermost stem lineages subtending the origin of core eudicots.

University Of Florida, 357 DICKINSON HALL MUSEUM ROAD & NEWELL DRIVE, P.O. BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2St. John's University, Biological Sciences, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA3St. John's University, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, St. Albert Hall Rm 257, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamiaca, NY, 11439, USA4University of Florida, Dept. of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States5University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville , FL, 32611, USA

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830

FISHBEIN, MARK* 1, STRAUB, SHANNON C.K. 2, HANSEN, KIMBERLEY 3 , CRONN, RICHARD C. 4 and LISTON, AARON 5

The Natural History and Phylogeny of the Milkweed (Asclepias, Apocynaceae) Plastome 1

Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States2Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA3Northern Arizona University, Biological Sciences Department, 617 S. Beaver St., P.O. Box 5640, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA4USDA Forest Service, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA5Oregon State University, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 973312902, USA, 541/737-5301

831

WARSCHEFSKY, EMILY* and VON WETTBERG, ERIC

A fruitful endeavor: Using RAD-seq to reveal the evolutionary relationships of the mango genus

rop wild relatives have recently garnered much attention for their potential as reservoirs of genetic diversity that can be used for crop breeding and improvement. In tree crops, such as mango (Mangifera indica L.), these wild relatives are of additional value as potential rootstocks onto which cultivars can be grafted. Because graft compatibility between two species depends on a complex suite of characteristics, including genetic similarity, rootstock selection can be informed by a systematic understanding of the crop and its wild relatives. The mango genus, Mangifera, is one of the largest in the family Anacardiaceae, with the latest revision including 69 species spanning from Eastern India to the Solomon Islands. In addition to the economically important M. indica (mango), some 26 other species are regionally cultivated for their edible fruits, and many others present potentially beneficial traits such as salinity tolerance and disease resistance. Previous work based on morphological evidence proposed the delimitation of Mangifera into two subgenera and six sections, but published gene trees have called into question this classification. Here, we present the first multilocus molecular phylogeny for Mangifera, which includes representatives from all subgenera and sections. Reduced representation genomic data were obtained by double digest restriction site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing. Reads were quality filtered, then processed with the software pyRAD to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms. Phylogenetic reconstruction was performed using both Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood frameworks. The monophyly of currently delimited subspecies and sections was tested using Shimodaira-Hasegawa (SH), Kishino-Hasegawa (KH), and approximately unbiased (AU) tests. These results greatly improve our understanding of the evo-

lutionary history of Mangifera, and indicate a clade of species that is most likely to be of use to mango growers. In addition, this research lays the groundwork for further investigations into the morphological diversification and phylogeography of this globally and regionally important genus. Florida International University & , Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 11200 SW 8th st, Miami, FL, 33199, United States

832

STRAUB, SHANNON C.K.* 1, LISTON, AARON 2, WEITEMIER, KEVIN 3, MCDONNELL, ANGELA JEAN 4 and FISHBEIN, MARK 4

Phylogenomics of Temperate North American Milkweeds (Asclepias) based on 768 nuclear genes

orth American milkweeds are plants in the genus Asclepias (Apocynaceae) well-known for their interactions with insect herbivores, such as monarch butterfly larvae, that are mediated by host plant chemistry. Resolving the relationships in this genus of ca. 115 species has been difficult because it is a recent, rapid evolutionary radiation that exhibits low sequence variation and problematic levels of incomplete lineage sorting, and to a more limited extent, introgression. Here we focus on the phylogenomics of the temperate North American clade of ca. 50 species by using the Hyb-Seq approach for high-throughput data collection for 768 putatively single copy nuclear genes, as well as whole plastomes, for multiple individuals per species from populations across their ranges. Species tree analyses of nuclear data result in topologies that conflict with the topology of the plastome tree, but are more similar to relationships that are expected based on morphology. 1

Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA2Oregon State University, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-2902, USA, 541/737-53013Oregon State University, Botany And Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall 2082, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA4Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States

833

KATES, HEATHER ROSE* 1, SOLTIS, PAMELA Â S. 2 and SOLTIS, DOUGLAS 3

Species tree estimation in Cucurbita provides new insight into the genetic diversity of multiple crop species and their wild relatives

hylogenetics can aid the study of plant domestication by resolving sister relationships between crops and their wild relatives, thereby identifying the ancestors of cultivated plants. Previous phylogenetic studies of Cucurbita (pumpkins and squashes) suggest histories of deep coalescence within the group that complicate uncovering the genetic origins of the six crop subspecies. Here we revisit the results of our recent species tree estimation for multiple individuals for each of the

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Phylogenomics twenty Cucurbita species and subspecies to compare different patterns and levels of genetic diversity within four crop-wild subspecies pairs. We based our species tree estimation on 44 loci derived from introns of single-copy nuclear genes. Our results provide new insight into relationships between wild and domesticated species and illustrate the need for extensive geographic and genetic sampling for phylogeny-based reconstruction of relationships between crops and wild plants. 1

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-19643Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Dickinson Hall - Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

834

WASHBURN, JACOB 1 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS* 2

Genome-Guided Phylo-Transcriptomics

he past few years have witnessed a paradigm shift in molecular systematics from phylogenetic methods (using one or only a few genes) to those that can increasingly be thought of as phylogenomics (phylogenetic inference with whole genomes). One approach that has recently emerged is phylo-transcriptomics (transcriptome-based phylogenetic inference). When compared to other sequencing approaches, phylo-transcriptomics has the benefit of providing more genetic loci for inference than sequence capture approaches while being more cost effective than whole genome sequencing. To date, many orthology inference approaches have used phylogenetically-based orthology detection methods without taking advantage of conserved genome synteny. In this study, we combine de novo transcriptome data and sequenced genomes from an economically important group of grass species, the tribe Paniceae. We inferred syntenic orthologs from sequenced genomes as anchor points for the transcriptomes. This method, which we call genome-guided phylo-transcriptomics, is then compared to recently published orthology determination methods. These comparisons reveal some of the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches and provide a framework for future researchers to evaluate the costs and benefits of adding sequenced genomes to transcriptome data sets. In addition, this study provides the most comprehensive and robust nuclear phylogeny of the tribe Paniceae (Poaceae) to date and enables a detailed dissection of systematic gene tree/species tree incongruence within the tribe. 1

University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA2University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211-7310, USA

835

TIMILSENA, PRAKASH RAJ* 1, WAFULA, ERIC K. 2, LEEBENS-MACK, JIM 3 and DEPAMPHILIS, CLAUDE W. 4

Phylogenetic study of the monocots using many single copy nuclear genes

onocots are a monophyletic group within angiosperms, that comprises of 11 orders, 77 families (APG III) and about 60,000 species. In addition, it contains an unplaced family Dasypogonaceae. The phylogenetic positions of some orders, especially within the commelinid clade remains yet fully unresolved. The objective of this study is to resolve these relationships using a large set of nuclear genes, that were mostly retained as single copies across a set of 12 monocot genomes. An ortho-MCL based classification of proteomes was performed using 9 monocot genomes along with additional 2 eudicot genomes and the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda genome to create a plants tribe database. From the global classifications of the target set of transcriptomes, using this database, a set of 602 orthogroups, were identified as putatively single copy and used for phylogenomic studies. Several post processing analyses were performed to for the removal of contaminants, duplicated sequences and fragmented sequences. Phylogenetic trees were obtained using coalescent as well as concatenated methods. Our coalescent and concatenated trees were highly consistent and strongly congruent, with strong bootstrap supports. We will be presenting the results of the analysis.

The Pennsylvania State Univers, Biology, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA2The Pennsylvania State Univers, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA3University Of Georgia, 4503 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA4The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, State College

836

BAILEY, C. DONOVAN* 1, KOVAR, LYNSEY , MADHUGIRI, NAGESWARARAO 2, DUGAS, DIANA V. 2, MUHYI, NOOR R. 2, ORTEGA-RODRIGUEZ, SEALTIEL 2, KOENEN, ERIK 3 and HUGHES, COLIN E. 3 2

A progress report: clarifying the evolutionary history of Leucaena (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) using chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear transcriptome data

he evolutionary history of the mimosoid legume genus Leucaena has been influenced by paleopolyploidy, diploidization, divergent diploid speciation, and allotetraploid speciation. However, prior sequence data from four cpDNA regions and six nuclear loci have only provided modest phylogenetic resolution and insufficiently variable markers to more fully investigate each of these evolutionary mechanisms. Further investigation of Leucaena requires large numbers of variable markers from each genomic compartment. Here we use transcriptome data derived from three young seedlings per species to obtain comparable sets of sequences representing the chloroplast, mitochondrial, nuclear

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genomes. The cpRNA derived results identify wellsupported lineages that are congruent with previously recognized major clades, but with greater resolution and support therein. The mtRNA sequence data resolved the same major clades as the chloroplast; however, there were some differences within these lineages. The nuclear derived data are explored to further clarify patterns of divergence among the diploid taxa of Leucaena as well as maternal/paternal origins of the five allotetraploid species. 1

New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001 MSC 3AF, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA2New Mexico State University, Biology, Rm 120 Foster Hall (Stores), Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003, United States3University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany, Zurich, Switzerland

837

LEEBENS-MACK, JIM* 1, HEYDUK, KAROLINA 2, COMER, JASON 3, ESERMAN, LAUREN 2, HARKESS, ALEX 3 and MCKAIN, MICHAEL 4

From phylotranscriptomics to anchored phylogenomics

hylogenetic frameworks for species relationships and gene families are becoming increasingly essential for organization and analysis of the avalanche of sequence data that has come with development of massively parallel sequencing technologies. Phylogenetic analyses of approximated gene families are yielding improved understanding of species relationships and new insights into gene and genome evolution. The OneKP consortium has generated transcriptome data for over 1200 species distributed across the Viridiplantae, providing gene family circumscription and phylogenetic gene tree and species tree estimation. Transcriptomic phylogenetic analyses are perhaps less feasible for lineage-specific analyses, particularly from herbarium samples that may face issues of degradation over time. However, phylotranscriptomics, and in particular the data generated by OneKP, provides an invaluable resource for generating sequence capture baits for large portions of the land plant tree of life. Here I describe how the OneKP data are being used to develop sequence capture baits to enrich for targeted loci in both live and herbarium specimens.

838

MAHADWAR, GOURI* , HANSEN, MATTHEW S. and EGAN, ASHLEY N.

Estimating species relationships within Pueraria s.s.: combining phylogenies and networks

ueraria is a genus in the Fabaceae family that is recognized as a polyphyletic grouping. Although phylogenetic work has begun on Pueraria, certain species relationships remain unresolved, especially within Pueraria sensu stricto. This research hopes to expand on previous work by using a robust collection of 103 accessions across 4 gene regions from both the chloroplast (matk, trnD-trnT) and nuclear (AS2, ITS) genomes to help parse unresolved relationships within Pueraria s.s. This work will help delimit species within Pueraria s.s. particularly those within the kudzu species complex, which includes the invasive pest kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata), and will address the relationship between Pueraria and the sister genus Nogra. Making use of nuclear vs. chloroplast markers will also enable us to detect evidence of hybridization among species using phylogenetic and network analyses. Our results will improve understanding of the evolutionary processes at work to create extant species diversity within Pueraria and inform potential taxonomic revisions. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, 10th and Constitution Ave., Washington DC, DC, 20560, USA

University Of Georgia, 4503 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA3University of Georgia, Department of Plant Biology, Athens, GA, 30602, USA4Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Department Of Biology, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA

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Phylogenomics POSTERS 839

LAWRENCE, TRAVIS JOSEPH* and ARDELL, DAVID

Using tRNA class informative features to determine the phylogenetic placement of Gnetophyta

netophyta is a small gymnosperm clade of about 90 species of tropical evergreen trees, shrubs, and lianas that have been one of the most enigmatic problems in seed plant phylogenetics. Before the use of cladistic methods early studies supported conflicting hypotheses placing Gnetophyta either with conifers, cone-bearing gymnosperms, or with angiosperms. The first set of cladistic studies using morphological data united Gnetophyta with angiosperms appearing to confirm earlier hypotheses. The close relationship of Gnetophyta and angiosperms was disputed by early studies analyzing molecular data which recovered Gnetophyta as either sister to all seed plants or sister to extant gymnosperms. Subsequent molecular phylogenetic and phylogenomic studies have converged on two hypotheses: 1) the Gnecup hypothesis that unites Gnetophyta with Cupressophyta conifers and 2) the Gnepine hypothesis that unites Gnetophyta with Pinaceae. Interestingly, the Gnecup hypothesis is supported by plastid phylogenomic data, whereas nuclear phylogenomic data and certain partitions of plastid data support the Gnepine hypothesis. o address this conflict I used a new phylogenetic method currently being developed in my lab. This method is based on the putative tRNA-protein interaction determinants called tRNA class informative features (CIFs). Despite the very high structural similarity of all tRNAs each must interact productively with only one type of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) to be charged with its cognate amino acid. CIFs are a set of structural features (e.g. Cytosine at position 7) on a tRNA that promote recognition by its cognate aaRS. These sets of structural features that determine a tRNAs class are not static and have been shown to vary widely across the tree of life providing a slowly evolving phylogenetic marker. Putative tRNA CIFs are determined bioinformatically from genomic sequence data using a conditional probability framework using the ideas of molecular information theory. o test between the Gnecup and Gnepine hypotheses, I used all publicly available chloroplast genomes of Gymnosperms, Angiosperms, and ferns to determine tRNA CIFs. Chloroplast tRNA CIFs are unique because they are possibly influenced by both the evolutionary history of nuclear genome, where the aaRSs genes are located, and the evolutionary history of the chloroplast genome, where the tRNA genes are located. From the chloroplast tRNA CIFs I reconstructed phylogenetic trees using the neighbor-joining method with a distance metric calculated from tRNA CIFs.

840

SHIVAKUMAR, VIKRAM 1, APPELHANS, MARC 2, CARLSEN, MONICA 3 , JOHNSON, GABRIEL* 4 and ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 5

Analysis of whole chloroplast genomes from the genera of the Clauseneae, the Curry tribe (Rutaceae, Citrus family)

he Clauseneae (Aurantioideae, Rutaceae) is an economically important tribe in the Citrus family. Although this group contains the culinary and medicinally-useful curry tree (Bergera koenigii L.), it has been relatively understudied. Recent and dramatic taxonomic revisions of this tribe warranted this first genomic investigation. Whole chloroplast genome sequencing with Illumina MiSeq was performed for six species, representing each of the four genera (Bergera, Clausena, Glycosmis (2 species) and Micromelum) in the Clauseneae tribe plus one closely related outgroup (Merrillia). The published sequence of Citrus sinensis was used as a reference plastome. To identify regions of highest variability for future studies, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data were analyzed among the seven species and variability frequencies were recorded for each region. Non-coding regions exhibited a higher percentage of variable characters as expected, and the phylogenetic markers ycf1, matK, trnG-trnR spacer, ndhF, and trnH-psbA spacer proved to be the most variable regions. Other markers frequently used in previous phylogenetic studies of the Rutaceae, e.g. rbcL, atpB-rbcL, and trnL-trnF, proved to be far less variable. Bayesian inference (BEAST) and Maximum Likelihood (RAxML) analyses of the alignment yielded a completely supported phylogeny. 1

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 6560 Braddock Rd, Alexandria, VA, 22312, USA2University of GoÌˆttingen, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute of Plant Scie, Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Untere KarspuÌˆle 2, GoÌˆttingen, 37073, Germany3Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, YSA4Smithsonian Institution, Botany, P.O. Box 7012, NMNH, MRC 166, Washington, D.C., 200135Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012

University of California, Merced, Quantitative and Systems Biology Program, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA, 95343, USA

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841

LIU, SHIH-HUI* 1, CHIANG, TZEN-YUH 2, HUANG, CHAO-LI 2, HSU, TSAI-WEN 3, CHANG, CHIA-HAO 4, RAVEN, PETER H. 5, HOCH, PETER C. 6 and BARBER, JANET C. 1

Targeted capture of putative single copy genes using next generation sequencing yields new insights into polyploid evolution of Ludwigia section Macrocarpon (Onagraceae)

hile polyploidization is considered a major evolutionary force in angiosperms, the origins, patterns, and impacts of polyploidization are still not fully understood. The primary goal of our study is to increase understanding of polyploid evolution and the role of polyploidy in speciation using section Macrocarpon (Ludwigia L., Onagraceae) as a model. This section contains two diploid species (L. bonariensis, L. lagunae) and one putative tetraploid species (L. neograndiflora), all of which have restricted distributions; a fourth polyploid species, L. octovalvis, is distributed worldwide. A phylogeny of genus Ludwigia based on discrete nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences strongly supports the monophyly of section Macrocarpon but was unable to resolve relationships among species in the section. In this study, we developed a relatively rapid and inexpensive next generation sequencing workflow to capture putative single copy genes. We screened genome-wide scaffolds of L. palustris, identified putative single copy orthologous nuclear genes, and designed a set of primers to target these genes. Homoeologous alleles were identified and used in our phylogenetic analyses. Our preliminary results based on 32 genes in 16 samples from sect. Macrocarpon and one outgroup, L. palustris, suggest that all ingroups, except diploid L. octovalvis, exhibit heterozygotes in the studied genes. Hexaploid L. octovalvis likely arose from hybridization between tetraploid and diploid L. octovalvis. Moreover, L. lagunae is closely related to L. bonariensis, while L. bonariensis may have contributed to polyploid speciation in L. neograndiflora.

Saint Louis University, Biology, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA2National Cheng Kung University, Life Sciences, No.1, University Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan3Endemic Species Research Institute, No. 1, Ming-shen East Road,, Chichi Township, , Nantou County , 552, , Taiwan4Academia Sinica, Biodiversity Research Center, 128 Academia Road Sec. 2, Taipei City , 115, Taiwan5Missouri Botanical Garden, 2345 TOWER GROVE, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA6Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, , St. Louis, , MO, 63166-0299, USA

842

WILLS, PETER* 1, GERNANDT, DAVID S. 2, VASQUEZ LOBO, ALEJANDRA 3 and WILLYARD, ANN 4

Phylogenomics of the Ponderosa Pine Species Complex using High Throughput Sequencing

pecies-level phylogenetics using plastid genes or just a few nuclear genes has proven ineffective at resolving groups like the ponderosa pine species complex where incomplete lineage sorting and plastid transfers create conflicting species trees depending on the data used. High throughput sequencing provides a costeffective method of sequencing the hundreds of genes needed to resolve some species trees. Enrichment of targeted low-copy nuclear loci via biotinylated RNA probes reduces the complexity of plant genomes, producing much more useful data for the determination of these genetic relationships. The goal of the experiment was to sequence at least 100 low-copy nuclear genes from each putative species. We designed our probes for 700 low-copy nuclear loci from a list of published pine sequences. Sheared DNA was hybridized in solution to the biotinylated probes to enrich for these low-copy loci and their flanking regions prior to Illumina sequencing with 100 bp paired end reads. We used genomic skimming to assemble plastome, high-copy nuclear ribosomal, and mitochondrial sequences, and de novo and reference-guided assembly to arrange the raw reads, and filter out putative paralogs using multi-sequence alignments. We investigated the feasibility of aligning introns and non-coding regions of the genome that we obtained along with the targeted exons, which we expected to provide additional means of determining low order taxonomic relations among pine populations. We selected a group of the most reliably aligned genes to create gene trees, which were in turn used to build a species tree.

Hendrix College, Biology Department, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA2Instituto De Biologia, UNAM, Apartado Postal 70-233, Coyoacan, Mexico, N/A, 04510, Mexico3Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, Centro de Investigacion en Biodiversidad y Conservacion, Universidad No. 1001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62209, Mexico4Hendrix College, Biology Dept, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA

843

MINCEY, KATHERINE* 1, MELTON, ANTHONY 2, HALL, NATHAN 3, GOERTZEN, LESLIE 3 and BOYD, ROBERT STEVEN 4

Intraspecific plastid genome variation and phylogenetic structure within the nickel hyperaccumulator Streptanthus polygaloides (Brassicaceae)

treptanthus polygaloides (Brassicaceae) is an annual nickel hyperaccumulator endemic to the serpentine soils along the western side of the Californian Sierra Nevada. These serpentine areas are often open, steep habitats that are fragmented along the landscape and may be isolated from the nearest patch by many kilometers. Four morphologically and ecologically diverse morphs

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Phylogenomics of S. polygaloides have been described that vary in sepal color, leaf morphology, height as well as geographic location. The morphs range from being widespread along northern and central California to being geographically isolated from all other morphs by approximately one hundred kilometers. To examine whether the four morphs are genetically distinct we examined complete plastid genome sequences assembled from highthroughput sequencing data. Genomic DNA samples from eight populations of S. polygaloides (2 of each morph: yellow, purple, yellow/purple, and undulate) were sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq platform. Plastid genome sequences were assembled in an iterative fashion with contigs confirmed by mapping original reads back to intermediate stages of assembly. All eight fulllength plastid genome sequences were annotated and aligned with various outgroup Brassicaceae. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses were performed with multiple partitioning strategies. Phylogenetic analyses strongly support clades containing purple and undulate samples, although there is a strong geographic signal in the phylogeny overall. Numerous morph-specific plastid SNPs were identified that can be tested more widely across the S. polygaloides range with additional sampling. Ongoing research also includes a transcriptome sequence experiment including all of the morphs. 1

Auburn University, 1309 Gatewood Dr #1102, Auburn, AL - Alabama, 36830, United States2University of Florida, Department of Biology3Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences4Auburn University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 101 ROUSE LIFE SCIENCES BLDG, AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL, 368495407, USA

844

DEAL, HALEY* 1, SOZA, VALERIE LYNN 2, RAMAGE, ELIZABETH 3 and HALL, BENJAMIN 4

A phylogenetic analysis of CYCLOIDEA throughout the subgenera of Rhododendron 1

University of Washington , Biology , University of Washington, Johnson Hall 202A, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, US2University Of Washington, Department Of Biology, BOX 351800, SEATTLE, WA, 98195-1800, USA3University of Washington , Biology , University of Washington, Box351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, USA4University of Washington, Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, USA

845

ANDERSEN, ETHAN* 4, NEPAL, MADHAV P. 1, REESE, R. NEIL 2, ALI, SHAUKAT 3 and NEUPANE, SURENDRA 4

Evolutionary Divergence of Disease Resistance Genes in Six Monocot Species

isease resistance genes (R-genes) in plants encode important receptor proteins that are an integral part of the plantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; defense against pathogens. The main objectives of this study were to 1) identify R-genes in six monocot species (Aegilops tauschii, Triticum urartu, barley, foxtail millet, wheat, and banana), and 2) elucidate their evolutionary divergence. We performed a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) search for CNL members of the R- genes in each of the six genomes and analyzed conserved motifs within the NB-ARC region, namely the P-Loop, Kinase-2, and GLPL motifs. Phylogenetic analyses were performed to study their evolutionary relationships within and between genomes and structural variation and chromosomal clustering were visualized. The A. tauschii and T. urartu genomes were closely compared to wheat, since they are likely the contributors of the wheat D and A genomes, respectively. We identified 442, 334, 175, 242, 618, and 55 CNL genes in Aegilops tauschii, Triticum urartu, barley, foxtail millet, wheat, and banana, respectively. Of the four clades (A-D) initially reported in Arabidopsis thaliana, our data shows that monocot genomes have retained clade C, with reduction in clades A, B, and complete loss of clade D. Many instances of likely tandem duplication and chromosomal clustering were found. A prevalence of purifying selection was also seen, which has been shown in domesticated species. Characterization of the candidate R-genes involved in stem and leaf rust diseases is underway. Implications will include not limited to better understanding of evolutionary pressure of the gene families and application in crop improvement with durable resistance. 1

South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA2 South Dakota State University, Bio/Micro, SNP 249B, Box 2140D, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA3South Dakota State University, Plant Science, Brookings, SD, 570074South Dakota State University , Biology and Microbiology , Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Laboratory , Brookings , SD, 57007

846

MCKAIN, MICHAEL* 1, WILSON, MARK and KELLOGG, ELIZABETH ANNE 2

Fast-Plast: Rapid de novo assembly and finishing for whole chloroplast genomes

hloroplast genome sequences are often seen as a byproduct of many sequencing projects. Whole genome shotgun, genome survey, and target enrichment sequencing in angiosperms all have a relatively high percentage of chloroplast genome sequence present for most species. Besides being a by-product, chloroplast genome datasets are often generated for phylogenetic studies as they represent a locus that has a simple orthology, often uni-parental history, and almost ubiquitous presence across angiosperms. Many chloroplast

353

genome phylogenies use only protein-coding genes as they are relatively easy to assemble and provide a large proportion of the total chloroplast genome sequence. Protein-coding genes are limiting when dealing with closely related species or population-level chloroplast sequences due to the relatively low mutation rate of most chloroplast genomes. Assembling whole chloroplast genomes can be a challenge due to variability of coverage across the genome caused by AT-rich regions, low sequence complexity, and higher indel variation in intergenic regions of the plastome. Here, we present Fast-Plast, a software package that leverages existing and novel programs to quickly assemble, orient, and verify whole chloroplast genomes. With input of sufficient amounts of raw sequencing reads, Fast-Plast will assemble complete chloroplast genomes using a de novo assembly method and output a chloroplast genome oriented in the large single copy—inverted repeat—small single copy—inverted repeated format, assuming the sequenced species exhibits the typical chloroplast genome structure. Final genome sequences are verified using a coverage analysis of the raw reads against the proposed chloroplast genome sequence. We explore the limits of Fast-Plast using datasets from previous studies and simulations. We also demonstrate the breadth of Fast-Plast’s capabilities by assembling plastomes with non-traditional architectures. For most datasets, Fast-Plast is able to produce a full-length chloroplast genome assembly in approximately 30 minutes with no user mediation. This software provides a much needed de novo, high-throughput assembly for whole chloroplast genomes allowing for further utilization of existing data. 1

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Department Of Biology, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA2Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Department of Biology, 975 N Warson, St Louis, Missouri, 63132, United States

847

DISMUKES, WADE 1, EDGER, PATRICK 2, HALL, JOCELYN C 3, WASHBURN, JACOB 4 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS* 5

Interrogating the phylogenomics of the Cleomaceae using transcriptomic data

ecent improvements in the identification and orthology of genes has allowed for next generation sequencing datasets to improve phylogenetic resolution and elucidate genome evolution among plant families. To improve our understanding of the phylogenomics of the Cleomaceae, we sequenced 20 transcriptomes and performed genome survey sequencing across Cleomaceae, Capparaceae, and Brassicaceae. We then used sequence similarity and phylogenomic approaches, as well as a genome guided phylo-transcriptomics approach, to identify orthologs and paralogs. We then used a large single-copy gene list to infer a species tree of the Cleomaceae with Capparaceae and Brassicaceae as outgroups. Collectively, these approaches allowed us to examine and identify the phylogenetic placement of a whole genome triplication that is known to have occurred within the Cleomaceae. We were then able to explore patterns of gene retention and loss and their implications following this genome triplication. 1

University of Missouri, Biological Sciences, Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA2Michigan State University, Horticulture, Plant and Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI, 488241325, USA3University Of Alberta, Harvard University Herbaria, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada4University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA5University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211-7310, USA

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Population Genetics Population Genetics ORAL PAPERS 848

WENZEL, AARON* 1 and WOLFE, ANDREA D. 2

Population genetics, systematics, and phylogeography of Penstemon linarioides (Plantaginaceae), a widespread and variable species from western North America

enstemon linarioides (Plantaginaceae) is a species native to the Intermountain Region of western USA, having a large distribution that ranges from southern Arizona and New Mexico to southern Utah and Colorado. It also contains five subspecies that represent slight morphological variants seen throughout its range. However, questions have remained as to (1) the relationships between these subspecies and (2) the potential presence of more subspecies, especially in the variable subsp. sileri from southwest Utah and Arizona (Holmgren 1984). This study presents the results from a population genetics study of P. linariodies using seven Penstemon-specific microsatellite loci. 22 populations were included in the study, with most sampling including the subspecies linarioides, coloradoensis, and sileri; one population of subsp. compactifolius was included as well. Measures of within-population genetic diversity were relatively high, although populations of subsp. coloradoensis consistently showed lower measures of allelic richness, number of alleles, and observed/expected heterozygosity compared to subspecies linarioides and sileri. Subspecies coloradoensis also had higher (and significant) values of the inbreeding coefficient (FIS=0.27) relative to subspecies linarioides (0.15) and sileri (0.10). AMOVA found evidence for limited population structure in P. linarioides (71% of variance distributed within individuals); however, results from a Neighbor-joining tree, principle coordinates analysis, and STRUCTURE revealed that populations consistently clustered with one another according to subspecies. These analyses also revealed a close relationship between subspecies linarioides and coloradoensis. There was evidence for additional clusters within subsp. sileri, with populations forming three clusters: one for the Bull Valley/ Pine Valley Mountains in southwest Utah, one for the Markagunt Plateau further to the east, and one for the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona. Finally, a historical demographic analysis using Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) found that the historical scenario with the highest posterior probability involved an ancestral population of subsp. sileri that gave rise to a lineage that ultimate split to form subspecies linarioides and coloradoensis. Using estimates of divergence times from the analysis places the timing of these events during the end of the Pleistocene, when a warming/changing climate had significant impacts on the evolution of many organisms.

43210, United States2Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA

849

STONE, BENJAMIN W.* , HAUCK, JONATHAN and WOLFE, ANDREA D.

Conservation and population genetics of Penstemon bicolor in Clark County, Nevada

enstemon bicolor is a short-lived perennial herb found in the Mojave desert of southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona, and southeastern California. Currently, P. bicolor is listed as a sensitive species in both Arizona and Nevada. P. bicolor contains two varieties, P. bicolor var. bicolor and P. bicolor var. roseus, which are differentiated primarily by the color of the corollas (yellowish white and pink to magenta, respectively). P. bicolor var. roseus is found throughout the range of the species, while var. bicolor is restricted to Clark County, Nevada; anthropogenic pressure from the expansion of the urban areas surrounding Las Vegas is currently threatening these populations. In previous analyses, P. palmeri has been identified as a sister species and closest relative to P. bicolor. We collected a combined dataset of 152 ISSR loci and 76 AFLP loci to assess infraspecific variation and distinctiveness between populations of P. bicolor. Data were collected from 231 individuals representing 7 populations of P. bicolor var. bicolor and 5 populations of P. bicolor var. roseus. In addition, individuals collected from nearby populations of P. palmeri were included as an outgroup and represent a potential source of gene flow via hybridization. Populationgenetic structure was assessed using STRUCTURE (v. 2.3.4). To investigate patterns of spatial distribution, we incorporated geographic localities of each sampled population into our analyses using TESS (v 2.3.1). A population-level neighbor-joining tree was created using the package ape in R. Results indicated that the most likely number of clusters is three, with genetic admixture present between most populations. One cluster was composed of two populations of var. bicolor within the Spring Mountains; the other two clusters comprised populations without immediate correspondence to taxonomy or geography. The neighbor-joining tree is similarly entangled, with two of the var. bicolor populations grouping with a clade containing all of the var. roseus populations. Our results are consistent with a pattern of recent infraspecific differentiation and ongoing gene flow between populations. Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 432101293, USA

Ohio State University, EEOB, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, Ohio,

355

850

WENZEL, AARON* 1 and WOLFE, ANDREA D. 2

Population genetics, systematics, and polyploidy in Penstemon caespitosus (Plantaginaceae) from Utah

enstemon caespitosus is one of several widespread species in section Ericopsis of Penstemon, with a range stretching from Utah into western Colorado and southern Wyoming. The species consists of three varieties that have been described based on morphological variations existing throughout its range. However, no study has considered the varieties of P. caespitosus using molecular markers. In addition, a recent flow cytometry study found that one of the varieties, desertipicti from southwest Utah and northern Arizona, is a tetraploid (4x=4n=32), differing from diploid varieties caespitosus and perbrevis (2x=2n=16). The nature of the polyploidy of var. desertipicti (i.e., autopolyploidy vs. allopollyploidy) is not known. The aim of this study was to use microsatellite markers in a population genetics study of the varieties of P. caespitosus in Utah in order to investigate patterns of population genetic diversity, population differentiation, and polyploidy in var. desertipicti. Seven microsatellite loci were used for 9 populations of P. caespitosus collected in Utah (222 total individuals). Results indicated varying levels of genetic diversity in the three varieties, with var. caespitosus consistently showing lower measures of allelic diversity and heterozygosity. Variety desertipicti, comparatively, had the highest values of these measures, with total heterozygosity over all loci equaling 89%. Analysis of molecular variance found that the majority of variation (88%) occurred within populations, suggestive of strong population genetic structuring. This was corroborated in high and significant pairwise PhiPT values (averaged PhiPT=0.124). Varieties perbrevis and desertipicti, however, exhibited a closer relationship as measured by PhiPT values and three clustering analyses (PCoA, Neighbor joining tree, and STRUCTURE). These results indicate that the northern var. caespitosus may be experiencing isolation from the other two varieties. Variety desertipicti contains many unique alleles that are not present in either the two varieties of P. caespitosus or P. linarioides subsp. sileri (a related species from southern Utah), a pattern consistent with an allotetraploid origin. Variety desertipicti did, however, share a substantial percentage of alleles with var. perbrevis (17% of total alleles), and the two varieties cluster close to one another in all analyses. It is concluded that var. perbrevis is mostly likely one of the parent progenitors of var. desertipicti; P. linarioides subsp. sileri can be neither confirmed nor rejected as the other progenitor, so other species (especially P. thompsoniae) should be considered in future studies.

851

WINKLER, DANIEL E.* 1, CHAPIN, KENNETH J. 2, GARMON, DAVID 3 and HUXMAN, TRAVIS E. 4

Population genomics and the rapid colonization of Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) in the United States

ince its introduction in California in the early 20th century, Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) has successfully colonized semi-arid regions eastward from California to Texas and northward into Nevada and Utah. The dispersal and genetic mechanisms that have enabled its success remain unexplored and are a major hurdle in the successful control of the species. The recent, rapid invasion of this species provides an opportunity to address hotly debated questions in invasion biology. We used a next-gen genotyping by sequencing technique to generate reduced representation genomics for 943 individuals from 55 locations and six states across the species’ invaded range to identify population structure and invasion history. Further, we hypothesized that human-mediated dispersal is driving colonization in the US. To address this, we tested for roadways as dispersal corridors as an alternative to isolation by distance models. We used STRUCTURE to infer discrete populations and an analysis of molecular variance to calculate the hierarchical genetic structure within and among locations. Last, we identified introduction, expansion, and admixture events in the species’ history. We identified 1164 single nucleotide polymorphisms across the 55 locations sampled. There was no evidence of isolation by distance among locations, suggesting discrete genetic structure across the range. AMOVA results revealed a significant amount of genetic variation across and within locations. Bayesian clustering analyses using STRUCTURE supports distinct genetic clusters of Sahara mustard in the US. Overall genetic diversity was low across sites, perhaps due to the species dispersal modality and natural history. Surprisingly high heterozygosity across the species range likely indicates admixture of multiple introduction sites after initial invasions. Overall, we found moderate to low levels of genetic structure supporting human-mediated migration along roadways. Sahara mustard has invaded 720,000 sq km across six states and eight ecoregions, despite being introduced in North America as recently as the 1920’s. We present Sahara mustard as an eminently-suited study system to understand invasion evolutionary biology, and discuss our next steps aimed at genomic analyses in the species native range. 1

University of California, Irvine, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697-2525, USA2University of California, Los Angeles, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Los Angeles, CA, USA3Tubb Canyon Desert Conservancy, Borrego Springs, CA, USA4University of California, Irvine, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Irvine, CA, USA

Ohio State University, EEOB, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States2Ohio State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 318 W. 12th Avenue, COLUMBUS, OH, 43210-1293, USA

356

Population Genetics 852

SEDAGHATPOUR, MARYAM* 1, OLDHAM, KAROLINE 2 and WEEKS, ANDREA 3

Patterns in the population genetic diversity of the North American hemiparasite Melampyrum lineare (Orobanchaceae)

elampyrum lineare Desr. (narrowleaf cowwheat) is a hemiparasitic annual flowering plant native to North America that obtains water and nutrients by penetrating the roots of its host species, which include maple trees, pine trees, and members of Ericaceae among others. Due to this physiological dependency, M. lineare is limited to the geographical range of its hosts. Within the United States, its distribution encompasses the southern Appalachian Mountains to throughout the northeastern states and westward to Minnesota, with disjunct populations in Idaho and Montana. Within Canada, it is distributed at lower latitudes from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island as well as further north along the more temperate Pacific coast. A recent morphological revision of its four taxonomic varieties showed that this highly polymorphic species cannot be partitioned into sub-specific categories reliably, yet morphological diversity seems greatest in the eastern-most part of its range. Molecular phylogeographic investigation was begun to uncover patterns of this species’ genetic diversity as a complement to our morphological work and to test Francis Pennell’s 1935 hypothesis that M. lineare found historical refuge in the southern Appalachian region and subsequently recolonized North America from this location. Under Pennell’s biogeographical scenario, we would expect greater genetic diversity of M. lineare in the southern-most part of it range. Molecular data were collected from 29 eastern U.S. populations ranging from Georgia to Maine and 20 Canadian populations in Alberta and British Columbia provinces. Four nuclear microsatellite markers (MsO66P, MsO70M, MsG2, and MsB58) developed for M. sylvaticum cross-amplified and showed allelic variation. A survey of 15 chloroplast gene regions found that four showed inter- and intrapopulation variability (trnS-trnG, psbA-trnH, trnTtrnL, and rps16-trnQ). Analysis of trnS-trnG indicated nine haplotypes are shared among 170 individuals in 49 populations. Two haplotypes are present in Canada and all nine are present in southeastern US populations, a pattern consistent with Pennell’s origin hypothesis. Further analysis of microsatellite and other chloroplast gene regions data will refine our ability to fingerprint populations, test patterns of M. lineare’s historical range expansion, and to better describe its biological diversity in areas where it must be managed as a legally rare or threatened species. 1

George Mason University , Department of Biology , 4400 University Dr., MSN 3E1, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA2George Mason University , School of Systems Biology, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA3George Mason University, 4400 University Drive MSN 5F2, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

853

BAUGHMAN, JENNA T.* 1, PAYTON, ADAM C. 2, PAASCH, AMBER E. 1 , MCDANIEL, STUART F. 2 and FISHER, KIRSTEN M. 1

Males of the Mojave Desert moss Syntrichia caninervis (Pottiaceae) are rare and shy

emale biased sex ratios are a common yet unexplained phenomenon in bryophyte populations; a pattern that, for some species, appears to be correlated with increased environmental stress. Natural populations of the dioicous moss Syntrichia caninervis, an important component of the Mojave Desert biological soil crust, are highly female-biased, based on expression of gametangia. This may be because males experience greater mortality at some point in the life cycle, and are therefore rare (the rare male hypothesis), or males may simply produce sexual structures less frequently (the shy male hypothesis). To distinguish between these two alternatives, we used double digest restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing to survey the clonal diversity within two Mojave Desert populations of S. caninervis and determine whether sex ratios inferred from genetic data are consistent with ratios based on sex expression. We first identified 200 candidate sexassociated loci in a sample of 11 females and 10 males by selecting RAD sequences that were only found in one sex. Next we searched for these markers within RAD sequences of 131 sterile branches of unknown sex from two sites that differed in water availability, and potentially level of stress. Samples that were found to only have potential sex-associated loci from a single sex were identified as that sex. About two thirds of the 200 candidate loci tested showed signature of sex linkage in the full dataset. The observed phenotypic female:male sex ratio was 18:1 for the higher elevation, less stressful site (SCH) and no sex expression was observed at a dryer lower elevation site (SCL). However, using the putative sex-linked markers, we found a 2:1 genetic female bias in SCH, suggesting that males in this population are "shy”, while SCL was entirely genetically female, suggesting that males are absent. Clonal diversity was higher in SCH than SCL (Simpson’s, p-value < 0.05) and females were more clonally diverse than males in SCH (Shannon index, p-value = 0.001). Higher clonal diversity in SCH suggests fewer genotypes may be capable of growth in the lower elevation, higher stress site. Together, these results suggest that: (1) both the rare male and shy male hypotheses may contribute to observed phenotypic sex ratios in the field, and (2) sexspecific differences in life history and survival interact with environmental stress to determine the proportion of males in S. caninervis populations.

California State University, Los Angeles, Biological Sciences, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA2University of Florida, Biology Department, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

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854

CANTLEY, JASON* 1, JORDONTHADEN, INGRID 1, ROCHE, MORGAN 2, HAYES, DANIEL 1 and MARTINE, CHRIS 1

Monolithic sandstone continental islands of northern Australia unlock secrets of breeding system evolution in five sympatrically occurring species of the Australian spiny Solanum (Solanaceae) lineage

hile functional dioecy is rare in the genus Solanum (Solanaceae), a relatively high concentration of species (around 20) with the condition occur in northern Australia. These taxa, all members of the “spiny solanums” (Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum), are associated with large sandstone monoliths/escarpments, with populations effectively isolated by vast swaths of uninhabited arid lands. Dioecy appears to be a recently evolved breeding system in Australian Solanum and it has been hypothesized that its geographic prevalence was a response to selective pressure towards obligate outcrossing to increase genetic diversity in insular habitats. Other Solanum subg. Leptostemonum taxa occur sympatrically and fundamentally differ only in population size, in breeding systems that allow for the ability to reproduce via self-fertilization (either a hermaphroditic or andromonoecious breeding system), and the ability to produce clones through underground rhizomes. We used these comparable breeding systems as a model system to assess how population genetics are differentially maintained among 20 populations of five taxa representing three sympatric breeding systems using ddRADtag protocols, Illumina sequencing, and the STACKS pipeline. Demographic histories via Extended Bayesian Skyline Plots were used to assess past effective breeding size and bottlenecks. Descriptive statistics plus admixture bar plots suggest dioecious taxa have the highest amount of genetic diversity when populations—i.e. the effective breeding size—are large. The one hermaphroditic taxon had the lowest level of observed genetic heterozygosity and heterozygosity was comparably similar for the andromonoecious taxon. However, a dioecious taxon with small population sizes had genetic diversity similar to that of the two self-fertilizing breeding systems. Further consideration reveals that this dioecious taxon has a different demographic history than the other dioecious taxa examined. Moreover, the taxon is further limited in genetic diversity by the ability to easily produce genetically identical clones through underground rhizomes. This study suggests that the evolution of a dioecious breeding system in “spiny solanums” of Australia may represent an adaptive advantage by increasing genetic diversity through the generation of obligately outcrossing lineages. Therefore, dioecy appears to represent an effective mechanism to avoid inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity. However, the evolutionary advantages of dioecy may be rendered null due to a decreased opportunity for gene migration when population sizes fall below a critical threshold, become extremely isolated, or have a strong propensity to generate clonal genets. This information has implications for the future conservation of dioecious solanums in Australia, which are often uncommon or rare.

Bucknell University, Biology, 701 Moore Ave, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States2Bucknell University, 701 Moore Ave, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States

855

CASTILLO, ANA C.* 1, JOHNSEN, KURT H. 2 and GOLDFARB, BARRY 1

Assessment of Genetic Variation of Growth and Water-Use Efficiency in Mature Longleaf Pine

ongleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) trees may live up to 400 years and, thus, are likely to experience substantial climate variability throughout the course of their lifetime. Longleaf pine was once the most common tree in the coastal plains of the Southeastern United States, but less than 3% of the original ecosystem area remains today. Extensive efforts to restore longleaf pine ecosystems in the U.S. Southeast were initiated due to its high biodiversity value and potential resilience to climate change-related disturbances such as drought. One strategy to maximize the resilience of this system is to grow trees that exhibit high growth while minimizing water use, i.e. high water-use efficiency (WUE). Our study assesses genetic variation of WUE and growthWUE relationships in longleaf pine, which is a first step towards determining the potential for breeding for high WUE in this species. e measured δ13C - a commonly used proxy for WUE - from 107 resin-extracted longleaf pine cores representing nine genetic families. The trees were planted by the USDA Forest Service at the Harrison Experimental Forest in Saucier, Mississippi and were 54 years old at the time of the experiment. The tree cores were divided into segments corresponding to ages 7-17, 18-30 and 31-40 representing early, intermediate, and late growth of the trees. DBH and height growth rates varied among families and were significantly greater during the early growth period when compared to the two later periods. We found weak correlations between δ13C and height and diameter across time periods. No significant differences in mean δ13C were found among families or between growth periods. e were unable to identify genetic variation of WUE in this longleaf pine population. However, because there were family differences in growth traits, our results indicate that it could be possible to select for growth without comprising WUE. This research is the first to examine genetic variation of WUE in mature longleaf pine trees.

W 1

North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States2USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 1577 Brevard Rd., Asheville, NC, 28806, United States

856

GADDIS, KEITH DONALD* and CAIRNS, DAVID

Reproductive and Dispersal Patterns of White Spruce Along Alaskan Treelines

reeline advance in response to climatic shifts has been documented as a global phenomenon. The degree to which this advance influences genetic variability, and thus the evolutionary potential of treeline species is dependent on the reproductive mode and dispersal pattern in expanding populations. It’s been sug-

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Population Genetics gested that new establishment occurs primarily through clonal layering, which would reduce genetic diversity on the population edge. Additionally, new individuals established by seed dispersal may originate more from the population edge and not from internal forest, resulting in a genetic bottleneck as populations expand. We examine these two factors in the Alaskan treeline forming species white spruce (Picea glauca). We have found in some white spruce populations, dispersal occurs anisotropically, with a preference for movement along treeline rather than from forest interior. Although clonal reproduction occurs at most sites, it constitutes a small fraction of the total reproductive events we recorded. These results indicate a potential for genetic loss in expanding populations which may be mitigated by dominant sexual reproduction.

are highly differentiated, extinction of local populations will result in permanent loss of population-specific genetic variation and conservation efforts should focus on preserving these populations for future use in crop improvement. 1

Miami University, Botany, 700 East High St. , 333F PSN, OXford, Ohio, 45056, USA2Miami University, Botany, 649 Erin Dr. Apt. #5, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA3Miami University, Botany, 316 Pearson, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

858

MOORE, RICHARD C.* 1, BROWN, JENNIFER 2, LEEDS, BLAKE 3, HICKEY, RYAN 3, HOANG, BAO TRAM 3 and ADU, ESTHER 3

Texas A&M University, 3147 tamu, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States

The signature of local adaptation for the Carica papaya Y chromosome

857

ARLINGHAUS, KELLEN R* 1, MARDONOVICH, SANDRA 2 and MOORE, RICHARD C. 3

Gene flow in wild populations of Carica papaya in the fragmented landscape of Central America

ild crop relatives serve as a natural genetic reservoir for crop improvement as they may harbor alleles that aid in disease resistance and environmental adaptability. Conservation of these wild relatives is essential for maintaining a robust gene pool for crop breeding efforts. One major threat to the reservoir of genetic diversity in wild populations is habitat fragmentation which isolates populations and reduces genetic admixture across agricultural lands. Carica papaya is a dioecious early successional species native to Central America that can be found growing along roadsides, abandoned fields, and secondary lowland forests. I hypothesize that the variable fragmented landscape in Central America isolates wild papaya populations, impeding gene flow and increasing inbreeding within populations. Populations of wild papaya were collected from both Costa Rica and Nicaragua including 8 regional populations in Costa Rica and 9 regional populations in Nicaragua. Levels and patterns of genetic differentiation were assessed using 20 microsatellite loci across the papaya genome. Gene flow was measured using pairwise F statistics, AMOVA, and STRUCTURE analysis and compared with cultivars. Distinct genetic clusters identified distinguished Costa Rican and Nicaraguan populations, with a zone of introgression identified in populations at the boundary between the two countries. Some introgression from cultivars was also observed in northwest Costa Rica. Connectivity throughout the landscape was further quantified using CIRCUITSCAPE toolbox in ArcGIS which uses circuit theory as an analog for gene flow throughout a heterogeneous landscape. Corridors of continuous forest were identified as potential areas for pollinators or seed dispersers to travel through while areas of heavy use like roads or farms added resistance to gene flow. If diversity is partitioned equally among populations, the loss of isolated populations can be tolerated without affecting the pool of allelic diversity. Alternatively, if populations

he tropical fruit crop, papaya (Carica papaya) is dioecious in the wild and sex is determined by the presence of an active Y chromosome; males are XY while females are XX. In many XY chromosome systems, the Y chromosome has a paucity of genetic variation due to its reduced effective population size, as well as the increased effect of background selection (selection against deleterious mutations) and/or positive selection in this region of suppressed recombination. In natural populations of Costa Rican papaya, we have discovered the signature of increased polymorphism relative to expectations. We used population genetic analyses to address the hypothesis that local adaptation favors the disproportionate distribution of three Y haplotypes (MSY1, MSY2, and MSY3) among the five regional populations of Costa Rica. The distribution of three Y haplotypes among the five regions varies, such that the Northwest (NW) region and the Nicoya peninsula almost exclusively have males with the MSY3 haplotype. Pair-wise FST values for Y-linked loci comparing the NW Pacific or Nicoya populations with all other populations are significantly elevated relative to X-linked and autosomal loci. Elevated FST comparisons for the Nicoya and NW Pacific populations are consistent with locally adapted Y chromosomes in these regions, with selective deterrence of the migration of certain haplotypes into these populations. However, low levels of within population diversity may also result in elevated FST. We therefore used an absolute measure of diversity, Da, the net sequence divergence, to estimate the amount of genetic differentiation between populations. Consistent with the hypothesis of local adaptation, Y-linked Da values are significantly greater than those for X-linked and autosomal loci for almost all comparisons between either the NW Pacific or Nicoya populations and all other regional populations. Thus, we propose that the MSY3 haplotype confers some significant advantage to males within the NW and Nicoya populations of Costa Rica and that MSY1 and MSY2 migrants are selectively excluded from these regions. 1

Miami University, Botany, 316 Pearson, Oxford, OH, 45056, USASouth Carolina Governor's School, 401 Railroad Avenue, Hartsville, South Carolina , 295503Miami University, 212 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, United States 2

359

859 1

MAJOR, CATHERINE KENDALL* and MANDEL, JENNIFER R 2

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in the Clonal Plant Trillium recurvatum

rillium recurvatum is a long-lived herbaceous perennial plant found in the central and eastern United States. It is currently threatened in Michigan and rare in Wisconsin. Threats to this species include: forest management practices, land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, and pollen limitation. The species is clonal and self-incompatible; therefore, pollination could be difficult if there are only a few different genetic individuals in a specific area. Clonality can, sometimes, be associated with a low level of genetic diversity. An entire plot could be one genetic individual, connected underground by rhizomes. The ramets possess identical phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. This could be problematic if that specific genotype was to be adversely affected by a predator or by the environment. Due to the clonality and self-incompatibility of T. recurvatum, it is possible that entire groups would be one genetic individual. My research project aims to explore the genetic diversity of T. recurvatum at the University of Memphis Meeman Biological Station. This study will provide the first population genetic analysis of it and any Shelby County population of T. recurvatum. In March 2014, 220 T. recurvatum leaf samples were collected from the Meeman Biological Station. The DNA was extracted from these leaves and used in PCR reactions to amplify 10 Simple Sequence Repeats or microsatellite loci. These loci were then analyzed using capillary electrophoresis and subsequently visualized using the software package GeneMarker. From the resulting data, measures of genetic and clonal diversity were calculated and these findings were correlated with previously collected demographic data for this population. Based on the data analyzed, the genetic diversity of T. recurvatum was higher than expected. 108 unique genotypes were found in 182 individuals, which correspond to roughly 59% genotypic diversity. Furthermore, genetic individuals are not necessarily clustered in their spatial distribution within the population as many clusters consisted of multiple genotypes. The findings here also suggest that pollination within clusters has a high likelihood of generating a successful fertilization since many individuals within clusters were actually different genets.

860

BRZYSKI, JESSICA* 1, STIEHA, CHRISTOPHER 2 and MCLETCHIE, NICHOLAS 3

Distribution of genotypes and the sexes within and between spatially structured populations of a clonal organism

n spatially structured populations (SSP), within-population processes and between-population dispersal drive population dynamics. In many species capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction, these processes will be influenced by clonal growth, and sexual and asexual propagule dispersal, but the overall effect on the within- and between-population distribution of genotypes and the sexes are not well studied. Using genetic techniques, this study tests for variation in clumping of genotypes and the sexes to elucidate the effects of reproduction mode (sexual and asexual) and sex (male/ female) on SSP dynamics. Because both within and among population dynamics can be largely affected by the size of the habitat patch, we also included patch size in our analyses. We quantified the spatial distribution of the sexes and genotypes within and between five pairs of small-large populations within SSP of Marchantia inflexa, a dioecious plant with both modes of reproduction. Within populations, males were more likely to be near individuals of the same sex relative to females. For both sexes, this likelihood was greater on small patches than on large patches. However, on large patches, male genotypes were almost three times more likely to be near clonemates than female genotypes were. Although we found that asexual reproduction dominates in within population processes, we observed both sexual and asexual dispersal across populations. Our study shows that genotypes and the sexes can be structured differently both within and among populations and that studying only the sexes and not their genotypes (or vice versa) can limit our understanding of the extent that reproductive modes influence the population structure both within and between populations.

Seton Hill University, Biology, 1 Seton Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA, 15601, USA2Case Western Reserve University, Biology, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA3University of Kentucky, Biology, 101 T.H. Morgan Building, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA

University of Memphis , Biological Sciences2University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA

360

Population Genetics POSTERS 861 2

JINGA, PERCY* 1, PALAGI, JASON and ASHLEY, MARY V. 3

Development of microsatellite loci of pod mahogany, Afzelia quanzensis (Fabaceae), by Illumina shotgun sequencing, and crossamplification in Afzelia africana

remise of the Study: Microsatellite loci were developed for Afzelia quanzensis as a first step towards investigating genetic diversity and population structure of the species in its native range. Methods and Results: Illumina shotgun sequencing was used to generate raw sequence reads, which were searched for potential microsatellite loci. A total of 70 potential microsatellite loci were tested for amplification and polymorphism, and 39 successfully amplified. Of the 39 loci that amplified, 12 were polymorphic while 27 were monomorphic. The 12 polymorphic loci were cross-amplified in Afzelia africana, and eight successfully amplified. Conclusions: The 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci can be used for genetic studies of A. quanzensis, which can help determine its conservation status. Eight loci can also be used for genotyping in A. africana. 1

University of Illinois at Chicago, Biological Sciences Department, 845 W. Taylor Street, Rm 1028 SEL West, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA2University of Illinois at Chicago, Biological Sciences Department, 845 W. Taylor Street, Rm 1031 SEL West, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA3University Of Illinois At Chicago, 845 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

862

KWAK, MYOUNGHAI* , HONG, JEONG-KI , KIM, WONHEE and LEE, BYOUNG-YOON

Population genetic analysis of an endangered Korean fir (Abies koreana, Pinaceae) and conservation implication

he Abies koreana E. H. Wilson, known as one of the charismas trees, is an endemic and rare species from Korea, whose distribution is limited to the high elevation of mountains in the Jejudo and the southern region of Korean peninsula. This species is considered to be endangered by IUCN because of repeated population reduction. We have developed 22 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers and the characteristics of these loci based on 454 GS-FLX Titanium sequencing data and were determined in A. koreana and A. nephrolepis, the most closely related species. Population genetic analysis of 265 individuals of wild and cultivated A. koreana and 146 individuals of A. nephrolepis was performed using these novel microsatellite markers. Abies koreana was divided into two metapopulations. The Halla population was isolated from rest of local populations in Korean peninsula, showing lowest genetic diversity even though the biggest population of this spe-

cies. Among local populations in Korean peninsula, the Jiri population represented the highest genetic population and asymmetrically higher gene flow to other local populations, implying a critical role to maintain genetic diversity of other smaller local populations. All wild populations have undergone recent genetic bottleneck and a certain level of gene flow from A. nephrolepis exists. The afforest area of A. koreana in Jiri Mountain and Moodeung Mountain shows mixed genetic composition from Halla and Korean peninsula metapopulation. Also, all Europe and US commercial breds and Korean commercial individuals were identified from Halla metapopulation. Based on this result, we suggest that this two metapopulation should be considered as separate conservation management units and more deliberated afforestation plan is needed. Also, Jiri population might be investigated as a good genetic resource for further breed improvement of A. koreana. National Institute of Biological Resources, Plant Resources Division, Hwangyeongro-42, Seo-gu, Incheon, 22689, Korea

863

PAN, CHING- WEN 1, HSU, TSAIWEN and CHIANG, YU-CHUNG* 3 2

Population differentiation between two populations of Juniperus formosana (Cupressaceae) distinctive distributed on high and low altitude in Taiwan using multilocus analyses

n Taiwan, Juniperus formosana Hayata distributed on ecologically distinct habitats in altitude, including huge populations grown over 2500 meters altitudes of the Central Mountain region and small populations grown on 300 meters altitudes of the Qingshui Cliff. The morphology of J. formosana is similar among populations in Taiwan. Isolated populations may induce local adaptation and intraspecific differentiation by environmental selection. In this study, we contributed two transcriptomes from high and low altitude populations of J. formosana. Compared two transcriptomes, we obtain 44 unigenes that the expression levels over 50 times in high altitude population than in low altitude population and 142 unigenes that the expression levels over 50 times in low altitude population than high altitude population. In addition, we surveyed sequence variation, including 3 cpDNA spacers and more than 15 nuclear genes, and genotyping using polymorphic microsatellite loci among 60 individuals sampled from high and low altitude populations. The topological demography is shown obvious divergence between high and low altitudes populations. A distinct pattern also supported by clustering with STRUCTURE analyses and principal coordinates analysis (PCoA). In conclude, due to adapt environmental difference, J. formosana diverge into different lineages caused by adaptive radiation.

National Sun Yat-Sen University, Department Of Biological Sciences, No. 70, Lienhai Road , Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan2Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, 1, Ming-shen East Road, Chichi, Nantou County, 552, Taiwan3National Sun Yat-Sen University, Department Of Biological Sciences, No. 70, Lienhai Road,, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, N/A, 80424, Taiwan

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864

SWIFT, JOEL* 1, LINDSAY, DENISE , EDWARDS, CHRISTY 1, JUNG, MICHAEL 2 and LANCE, RICHARD 2 2

The relative effects of geographic distribution on patterns of genetic structure in two Agave (Agavaceae) species with similar life history strategies

any factors may affect the structuring of genetic variation in plants, including their pollinators, seed dispersers, and the continuity of their geographic ranges. In this study we examined the relative effects of these three factors in structuring genetic variation Agave palmeri (diploid) and Agave parryi (autotetraploid), which share the same pollinator and seed dispersal mechanism, but differ in the continuity of their geographic distributions. Both of these species are thought to be predominantly bat pollinated and wind dispersed, which because they allow long-distance migration are generally thought to have the effect of reducing population differentiation. However, the two species differ in their distributions, which may have contrasting effects on the structuring of genetic variation; A. palmeri has a widespread distribution throughout lower elevation areas in northern Mexico, southern Arizona, and New Mexico, whereas A. parryi is more restricted in its distribution and is found only in higher elevations on sky islands in central Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and the highlands of Mexico. In this study, we examined whether the patchy distribution of A. parryi has caused stronger structuring of genetic variation relative to A. palmeri, or whether pollinators and seed dispersal reduces these effects. We sampled 12 populations of each of the two Agave species from Arizona and New Mexico , genotyped individuals at 9 microsatellite loci, and analyzed patterns of genetic diversity and structure. Results show genetic structure in populations of A. parryi, forming 3 distinct clusters that correspond to geographic locations. Since genetic variation is structured only in A. parryi, we can conclude that the patchy distribution limits gene flow in A. parryii even though pollen and seeds should be able to allow genetic material to travel long distances. Results indicate that the continuity of the geographic distribution of a species has important effects population processes.

Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, USA2U.S. Army Engineer Research and Developement Center, Environmental Laboratory, 3909 Halls Ferry Road , Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA

865

CARTER, CHRISTY T 1, BALLARD JR, HARVEY E* 2 and UNGAR, IRWIN A 2

Soil seed banks can be less genetically diverse than any aboveground population: An investigation of three annual halophyte species in an inland salt marsh through time

t has been documented that soil seed banks are a collection of genetic information over many years past and, at any given point in time, are reported to be more genetically diverse than any aboveground population for a single species. Using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) analysis, genetic diversity of three annual halophytes (Atriplex prostrata, Salicornia depressa, and Spergularia salina) from an inland salt marsh was investigated. For each of these autogamously reproducing species, genetic diversity was compared within and among three cohorts that represented populations from 1981, 1998, and the persistent seed bank of 2000. Genetic variation was examined using three ISSR primers on thirty samples representing thirty individuals for each cohort of each species, with one exception for the 1981 cohort of S. depressa where nine samples were used but still captured 98.5% of the variation. For each species, Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) indicated that cohorts from 1981, 1998, and the persistent seed bank of 2000 were significantly different. Turnover in genetic composition was evident over the 17-y period between the 1981 and 1998 cohorts as evidenced by the Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA). Aboveand belowground cohorts also showed a high degree of separation. Percent polymorphic loci showed that the 2000 seed banks of S. salina and S. depressa were less diverse than either of their respective aboveground cohorts from 1981 or 1998. In fact, the seed bank of S. salina was monomorphic. Alternatively, the persistent seed bank from 2000 of A. prostrata was more diverse than the 1981 or 1998 aboveground cohorts. There was an increase in genetic diversity from 1981 to 1998 for S. salina and A. prostrata, but a decrease in diversity for S. depressa. Our findings show that seed banks do not always function as a long-term storehouse of genetic information. They can be less genetically diverse than any one population. Genetic diversity may increase or decrease for any given population over time across multiple species in a single habitat. More multi-year or cross-decade investigations on seed banks and aboveground vegetation in annual wetland species, especially in extreme habitats such as inland salt marshes, are needed. (Published in 2016 as “Genetic variability of three annual halophyte species in an inland salt marsh through time.” In: Sabkha Ecosystems Vol. V, The Americas. Tasks for Vegetation Science Vol. 48. (Khan, Boër, Ozturk, Clüsener-Godt, Gul, and Breckle, eds.) Springer International Publishing, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.)

Wingate University, Department of Biology, 216 Cedar Street, Bridges Bldg. 112, Wingate, NC, 28174, USA2Ohio University, Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, 315 Porter Hall, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

362

Population Genetics 866

MARTIN, MICHAEL D.* 1 and ZIMMER, ELIZABETH 4

The population genomic basis of geographic differentiation in North American common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.)

mbrosia artemisiifolia is an invasive pioneer weed nearly ubiquitous in disturbed sites in its native range of eastern North America and present in growing a growing range of locales in Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Containing one of the most potent natural allergens known, ragweed’s winddispersed pollen represents a threat to public health wherever it blows. Although widely distributed today, paleo-records from sediment cores of North American lakes indicate that the species was relatively uncommon before disturbance and eventual transformation of the landscape by European and American agriculture. A recent study used microsatellite loci and chloroplast SNP data from both modern populations and historical herbarium collections to show that this native range disturbance was associated with a large-scale shift in the genetic structure of this species before it was introduced to novel ranges abroad. While such structure is intriguing in itself, the environmental factors and genomic adaptations that potentially influence this structure have not yet been identified, and it remains unclear whether inter-population admixture during historical landscape disturbance contributed to the accelerated growth and other invasive characteristics of introduced European ragweed populations. Here we applied the Genotypingby-Sequencing (GBS) genome reduction method to investigate fine-scale genetics of modern common ragweed populations across their native range. We used the UNEAK pipeline within the software TASSEL to cope with a large SNP dataset in this non-model organism, which lacks a reference genome. Through phylogeogenetic and population genetic analyses of approximately 6,000 biallelic SNP loci, we confirm the phylogeographic domains detailed in the previous study while further segmenting the Western genetic cluster into two domains inside and outside of Florida. Analyzing nonsynonymous exome polymorphisms that correlate with the phylogeographic pattern, we identify Gene Ontology (GO) categories likely associated with adaptation of common ragweed populations to different locales in eastern North America. 1

University Museum, Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway2University of Copenhagen, Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark3University of Copenhagen, Centre for GeoGenetics, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark4Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012

867

MOHN, REBEKAH* 1, YATSKIEVYCH, GEORGE A. 2, SWIFT, JOEL 3 and EDWARDS, CHRISTY 4

A population genetic analysis to test the causes of a disjunction between the Ozarks and Appalachians in tall larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum)

elphinium exaltatum, a perennial herb that has insect pollenated flowers and gravity and water dispersed seeds, is globally considered vulnerable (G3) and is most threatened by encroachment of woody species due to fire suppression. Its distribution exhibits an over 650 km disjunction between the Ozarks in southern Missouri and the Appalachians, and the biogeographical forces that have been hypothesized to have caused this disjunction include isolation by vicariance by high waters during interglacial times in the Pleistocene, recolonization into similar habitats from a Pleisocene refugium in the coastal plain, or more recent longdistance dispersal. In this study, we investigated levels of genetic diversity and patterns of genetic structure in D. exaltatum with the goal of understanding the biogeographical forces that have caused this disjunction between the Appalachians and Ozarks. Twelve populations (five from the Missouri Ozarks and seven from the Appalachians and Eastern United States) totaling 253 samples were analyzed at ten microsatellite loci. Bayesian analyses of genetic structure split the populations into the following four clusters: 1) one containing all the Ozark populations and populations in eastern Tennessee, 2) one containing the central Appalachian populations in North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, 3) one containing the only population east of the Appalachians in North Carolina, and 4) one containing one population from Ohio. Genetic analyses did not support the hypothesis that the disjunction between the Ozarks and Appalachians was the result of a vicariance. The patterns of genetic structure in D. exaltatum indicate that the species likely occupied at least two refugia during the Pleistocene and that the species has subsequently expanded its range. The disjunction occurred relatively recently, and was likely caused either by recent extirpations in some part of its range or by long-distance dispersal that allowed migration between populations in the Ozarks and Tennessee. 1

Miami University, Department of Biology, Oxford, Ohio, 45056, USA2University of Texas at Austin, Plant Resources Center, 110 Inner Campus Dr., Stop F0404, Austin, TX, 78712-1711, USA3Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, USA4Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, United States

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868

AGUILAR-GUTIERREZ, ESTEFANIA* and WASELKOV, KATHERINE

Does subspecific variation correspond to cytotypic variation in the widespread taxon Phlox speciosa (Polemoniaceae)?

hlox speciosa, or showy phlox, ranges from the Sierra Nevada of California into the Coast and Cascade Ranges of the Pacific Northwest (to British Columbia), and into the Rocky Mountains in Idaho and western Montana. It grows at low to middle elevations (100-2400 m), in rocky, wooded slopes and sagebrush habitat, and is easily distinguishable from congeneric taxa that grow in the same habitats by its upright habit, showy flowers, and short length of the style relative to the stigmas. Several subspecies and varieties were identified by previous taxonomists (originally Edgar Wherry in 1955), based on the obvious morphological variation in the group, but this variation does not correspond well to geography, and the current Flora of North America taxonomic treatment has suspended the recognition of subspecific taxa in P. speciosa pending extensive genetic and cytotypic investigation. We are exploring the genetic diversity and connectivity of 20 populations from across the range of this species, which is expected to have ploidy level variation between populations, based on its phylogenetic position in Phlox, its broad geographic range, and the huge amount of morphological and ecological variation the species encompasses. The project uses flow cytometry and microsatellite genotyping (with markers previous designed and implemented in other western North American Phlox species), and field sampling is guided by ecology and morphology of previously collected herbarium specimens. By combining these different sources of evidence, this research will inform important evolutionary questions about species limits and subspecific variation in the genus Phlox. California State University, Fresno, Biology Department, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave., MS SB 73, Fresno, California, 93740, USA

869

SIDOTI, BRIAN* 1 and CAMERON, KEN 2

Population genetics of Tillandsia fasciculata (Bromeliaceae) across Florida and the Bahamas: taxonomic and conservation implications

ith over 4,200 native and naturalized plants, Florida is one of the most floristically diverse states in the USA. Habitat loss due to urbanization, agriculture, and tourism threaten Florida’s remaining natural vegetation. Invasive exotic species also endanger Florida’s wildlife. In the early 1990s, the invasive Mexican bromeliad weevil, Metamasius callizona, began to spread throughout southern Florida, attacking its native bromeliads. The decimation of Tillandsia fasiculata by M. callizona resulted in its listing as a state endangered plant in 1998. Genetic data, especially at the population level, are lacking for the T. fasciculata group, but such data are critical for developing and implementing effective conservation measures for this ecologically important plant group. The goals of this study are to 1) examine genetic variation and population structure of

the T. fasciculata group in Florida and the Bahamas and 2) evaluate purported parentage of the natural hybrid T. ×floridana. Leaf material was collected across 18 populations from Florida and the Bahamas. Based on eight microsatellite loci, we found high levels of heterozygosity over loci and populations, and low levels of inbreeding per population. At least three population centers/ clusters were identified: 1) a T. fasciculata var. densispica f. alba group and purple flowered T. fasciculata var. densispica including individuals in Collier, St. Lucie, and Martin Counties, FL; 2) a southwestern Florida, southern Florida, and Bahamas group; and 3) a T. ×floridana group that forms a genetic population with T. bartramii. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed greater variation within populations than among populations. The results of this study will inform park managers and local bromeliad societies about the degree to which cultivated bromeliads represent the genetic diversity of their wild counterparts, and thereby contribute to ex situ conservation efforts. 1

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, 244 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706-1381, USA2University Of Wisconsin Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

870

SANTIAGO, MERCEDES* 1, WASELKOV, KATHERINE 2, HEIDEL, BONNIE 3, MAYFIELD, MARK H. 1 and FERGUSON, CAROLYN J. 1

Genetic diversity of the Wyoming endemic Phlox pungens (Polemoniaceae), placed within a taxonomic context

opulation genetic data enable study of diversity within taxa of interest and can also provide insights on taxonomy when placed within a broader context of investigation. We have applied microsatellite data to examine genetic diversity among populations of Phlox pungens Dorn, occurring in deserts of the Wyoming Basins Ecoregion in west central Wyoming. We have included samples of P. pungens from across its documented distribution (including parts of the Wind River and Green River Basins [P. pungens sensu stricto and the “Ross Butte” morph]; 10 populations total) as well as samples of additional Phlox taxa (6 additional species, 8 populations total). In the course of study, we have also documented polyploidy in P. pungens: based on flow cytometry data (and tied to chromosome counts for related taxa), both diploid and polyploid populations occur in the Wind River Basin, while Green River Basin populations are polyploid. Polyploidy complicates scoring of allelic data, and careful approaches to data scoring are discussed as well as appropriate methods of data analysis. We present our population genetic findings and discuss them relative to morphological, cytotypic and geographical patterns, and address their implications to the broader taxonomy of western cespitose Phlox species.

Kansas State University, Herbarium and Division of Biology, Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506-4901, USA2California State University, Fresno, Biology Department, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave., MS SB 73, Fresno, California, 93740, USA3University of Wyoming, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA

364

Population Genetics ber-joining, mean overserved and expected heterozygosities, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and probability of individual identification (PID) value were analyzed. The result showed with combinations of these microsatellite markers could be used as geo-regional population identification of Salvia milttiorrhiza in a high resolution, and provided a foundation for understanding its population structure and domestication history.

871

ANDERSON, BLAKE* 1, EVANS, MATTHEW 1 and STEWART, J. RYAN 2

Population genetics of Agave utahensis: SNP analysis of a keystone succulent species

gave utahensis (Utah agave) is an endemic species complex native to Arizona, Nevada, and Utah and plays a key ecological role in its native habitat. Utah agave contributes to soil formation and provides pollination services for bats, bees, birds, and hawkmoths. Like many desert plant species, it employs both asexual and sexual reproductive strategies, which likely influence its overall genetic structure. Moreover, its slow growth, monocarpy, and apparent dependence on clonal spread impairs its ability to remain genetically diverse. Rapid urbanization and the increase in frequency and intensity of fires in the southwestern U.S. also will likely lead to a decrease in genetic diversity. Recognizing differences in genetic structure in the putative Utah agave subspecies will serve as foundational information for formulating conservation strategies for the species. On average, 30 genotypes per population were sampled from 27 populations across the native range of Utah agave. DNA was isolated and subjected to PCR analysis using specially designed primers, which was followed by SNP detection and analysis. Twenty-six polymorphic loci were identified. We also determined variation among and between populations. The changes between certain populations can be hypothesized due to reproductive mechanism and ecological factors. The conclusions gathered allow for further discussion of conservation strategies to maintain diversity within these populations.

College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China2College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, and Laboratory of Systematic & Evolutionary Botany an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, China

873 AARON

WILLYARD, ANN 2 and LISTON,

Multilocus phylogeography of recently differentiated Pinus greggii varieties

he great diversity harbored by the genus Pinus in North America, where 75 species are found, has been explained by the mixed presence of species of ancient origin and species resulting from recent radiation. We studied the recent diversification in this group with a phylogeographic analysis of Pinus greggii, an ecologically and economically important species with serotinous cones. Pinus greggii includes two varieties, var. greggii and var. australis, distributed in two disjunct regions in the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. We used a hybridization enrichment approach to sequence nuclear genes and plastomes in 40 individuals representing both varieties from northern and southern populations. We inferred gene genealogies for each genomic dataset using coalescence methods and evaluated the impact of geological and climatic changes in the region on the differentiation of intraspecific gene pools and the persistence of ancient polymorphisms.

4105 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA22124 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

872

LIU, RUIZHENG 1, QI, ZHECHEN* 1, SHEN, CHAO 1, LI, PAN 2 and LIANG, ZONGSUO 1

Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de, Departamento de Botánica, Apartado Postal 70-233, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico, CM, 04510, Mexico2Hendrix College, Biology Dept, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA3Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de, Jardín Botánico, Circuito exterior S/N Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico, DF, 04510, Mexico4Oregon State University, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-2902, USA, 541/737-5301

Genetic diversity and population structure of a Traditional Chinese Medicine, Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), based on transcriptome derived SSR markers

anshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza, Lamiaceae) is an herb medicine endemic to China. It has significant medicinal effects on treating cardiovascular diseases and neurasthenic insomnia. While many of the studies are focusing on its plant metabolics and developmental genetics, Danshenââ ¬â ¢s wild genetic resources and population structure has never been studied. Understanding its population genetics could clarify the effects of domestication on genetic diversity and also is necessary for selective breeding application. Here, we sampled 55 wild populations of Salvia miltiorrhiza covering its natural distribution in China and 5 domesticated populations to assess its germplasm resources and genetic structure. 45 novel eligible simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci were developed from an assembled transcriptome of Salvia milttiorrhiza. The allele number, Neigh-

874

HAY, NIKOLAI* 1, ULREY, CHRIS , KAUFFMAN, GARY 3, MURRELL, ZACK E. 4 and ESTEP, MATT C. 5

The diversity of populations and genetic structure of the rare endemic Geum radiatum

eum radiatum Michx (Rosaceae) commonly known as Appalachian Avens or Spreading Avens, is a high-elevation rock outcrop, federally endangered, Southern Appalachian endemic herb, which is widely

365

recognized as a relic species. G. radiatum is a charismatic plant, historically sought after by botanists, which has been negatively affected by botanical collecting and has received considerable conservation attention. G. radiatum is a hexaploid (2n=6x=42) and little is known about itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genetic diversity, population interactions, and the long and complicated history of conservation strategies with introductions, reintroductions, and augmentation of populations. In past attempts to increase genetic diversity and populations size plants have been moved 100s of miles from one population to another. Previous genetic work has focused on highly conserved allozyme loci or comparative studies between G. radiatum and G. peckii using RAPDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. This study has sampled populations across the narrow range of G. radiatum and employed 11 microsatellite markers to explore the genetic diversity of this species. A history of augmentations and reintroductions has also been constructed that identifies where plants are from and when those plants were relocated. Using these resources and the discrete nature of populations of G. radiatum it becomes possible to assign individuals into original populations before augmentation and describe the current genetic structure of extant populations. The majority of the genetic diversity was identified in the largest populations, and the most unique populations were geographically isolated on the periphery of the species range. This information provides a greater understanding of the genetic structure of populations and should be utilized to sustainability protect the most valuable populations G. radiatum and help this imperiled ice age relic species survive on a warming earth.

875

RIEKERT, BRANDY* and MCNEAL, JOEL R.

Development of Population Genetics Markers for the Rare Parasitic Plant Cuscuta harperi

arperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dodder (Cuscuta harperi), is a rare stem parasitic annual vine that is endemic to a low number of scattered populations in Georgia and Alabama. It is a habitat specialist, occurring only on exposed sandstone and, more rarely, granite outcrops and barrens within its range. Populations of C. harperi are widely disjunct, and most populations are comprised of only a few individuals. Current methods in ecological genetics allow detection of genetic variation within and among populations, and variation can be used as an indicator of organismal fitness. Population genetics data can also be used to determine conservation priorities for populations that may be at greater risk for inbreeding depression as compared to populations with higher levels of variation. We will develop genetic markers for high-throughput sequencing to detect levels of variation within and among populations of C. harperi to elucidate population structure and identify populations that are in greatest need of conservation efforts. Kennesaw State University, Biology, 1000 Chastain Rd., Kennesaw, GA, 30144-5591, USA

Appalachian State University, Biology, 572 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28608, USA2National Park Service , Blue Ridge Parkway, 199 Hemphill Knob Rd , Asheville, NC, 28803, United States3National Forest Service, 160 Zillicoa St, Asheville, NC, 28801, USA4APPALACHIAN ST UNI, Department Of Biology, 572 RIVERS ST. RANKIN SCI BLDG, BOONE, NC, 28608, USA5Appalachian State University, 572 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28608, United States

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Reproductive Biology Reproductive Biology ORAL PAPERS 876

BLAKE-MAHMUD, JENNIFER* 1 and STRUWE, LENA 2

Late season changes in sex expression in striped maple, Acer pensylvanicum (Sapindaceae)

n plants sex is usually a fixed trait: while the environment may modulate sex allocation in some species, the individual’s sex remains constant. However, in some situations, a plant may change gender during its lifetime. The change from one primary gender phase to another phase, diphasy, is most commonly attributed to developmental changes in size. A better understanding of the mechanisms influencing gender plasticity is important to our understanding of theory regarding sex allocation and the evolution of dioecy. One of these rare sex-changing species is striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum; Sapindaceae), which grows at higher elevations along the Appalachian mountains. Unlike other documented diphasic species, a striped maple tree can change sex repeatedly over its lifetime. Amongst five study populations located in New Jersey, approximately one in four trees exhibited a change in sex expression between flowering seasons. The most common transition was from male to female, while nonreproductive trees that became reproductive the following year changed exclusively to male. Among trees that maintained their sex expression, males were most likely to remain male in the second year. Of trees dying of natural causes, almost all were female before dying. The mechanisms causing changes in sex expression in striped maple are poorly understood. Preliminary data suggest that both size, injury, and carbohydrate reserves may impact the frequency and direction of gender change. The switch in sex expression from male to female correlates with increased carbohydrate reserves the winter immediately prior to flowering and with decreased health. Furthermore, forced flowering studies indicate that the final sex of a flower is determined within one month of flowering, in contrast to most woody perennials which set buds the previous year. The combination of sexual plasticity and late-developing buds suggest that striped maple may remain receptive to environmental sex-determining cues through early spring. The resulting changes in in sex ratios may change mortality rates, seed set, and persistence of striped maple and the recruitment of other desirable hardwoods witch striped maple commonly suppresses.

Rutgers University, Ecology, Evolution, And Natural Resources, 237 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Rd, Cook Campus, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901-8551, USA2Rutgers University, Dept of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources & Dept of Plant Biology and Pathology, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

877 CHRISTOPHER, DOROTHY* 1 and CHANG, SHUMEI 2 Sex allocation in hermaphrodites of the gynodioecious Geranium maculatum

ioecy has arisen independently in the angiosperms many times. Understanding how separate male and female sexes have evolved is therefore an important question in plant biology. The theory to receive the most support suggests that dioecy evolves from hermaphroditism through a gynodioecious intermediate stage; the presence of females puts selective pressure on hermaphrodites to increase male function at the expense of female function. We tested this prediction in the gynodioecious Geranium maculatum. In ten populations that ranged from 0-35% female, we measured floral traits important for male and female function to examine whether the sex allocation of hermaphrodites changes with the population sex ratio. We found that hermaphrodites in high female frequency populations do not increase allocation to male traits; flower production and pollen counts did not differ between populations. However, hermaphrodites in high female frequency populations had fewer flowers set fruit than hermaphrodites in hermaphrodite-only populations. This might suggest that hermaphrodites are reducing allocation to female function when females are present. Future work will incorporate the effect of spatial structuring of the sexes within populations, as well as analyze the patterns of direct selection on floral traits. 1

University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, 120 Carlton St , Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

878

BONACORSI, NIKOLE* 1 and LESLIE, ANDREW 2

Strobilus evolution in lycophytes: architectural constraints and reproductive convergence

eproductive strobili, or aggregations of fertile tissues, have independently evolved many times across plants, and are present in members of lycophytes, horsetails, Ophioglossales, nonflowering seed plants (e.g. conifers, Ginkgo), and flowering seed plants (e.g. the catkins of Betulaceae). These strobili often appear strikingly similar; they tend to have high concentrations of sporangia, minimal amounts of other tissues, and are often long and thin. Such similarities may reflect convergent evolution towards a high proportion of fertile tissue for the production of large amounts of spores or pollen, although this idea has rarely been tested explicitly. In this study, we focus on lycophytes, the sister group to other vascular plants, which show both compact strobili and more diffuse “fertile zones” of sporangia. We use the extensive fossil record and living diversity of lycophytes to ask if they converge on the strobilus morphology found in seed plants, particularly the pollen producing cones of conifers, which have a similar overall function. Using published literature combined with fresh and herbarium specimens, we compiled a data set of morphological characters describing cone size, spo-

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rangium size, and plant architecture that includes over 100 extinct and extant lycophyte taxa. We find that lycophytes show a more diverse range of strobilus shapes and sizes than conifer pollen cones, but this variation reflects branch diameter and branching architecture of the parent plant rather than fundamental differences in reproductive biology. For example, herbaceous, arborescent, and smaller, single-trunked â&#x20AC;&#x153;pseudoherbaceousâ&#x20AC;? lycophytes all show different scaling relationships in cone size, sporangium size, and axis diameter. Branching architecture is also more important in determining strobilus morphology than specific differences in reproductive biology within lycophytes, as megasporangiate and microsporangiate strobili of heterosporous lycophytes have essentially the same cone construction. The degree to which lycophyte strobili converge on morphologies seen in euphyllophyte cones therefore appears to reflect plant architecture and branching patterns more than similarities in reproductive biology. Nevertheless, lycophytes show a restricted range of branching patterns and therefore compact strobili that resemble those of conifers and other euphyllophytes are a recurring feature of their evolutionary history. 1

Brown University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Providence, RI, 02912, USA2Brown University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 80 Waterman Street, Box G-W, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

879

THILGES, KATHERINE 1, CHAMBERLIN, MARK 1, ALBERTSEN, MARC 2 and HORNER, HARRY* 3

A combined microscopic study of a malesterile, female-sterile line in Glycine max

completely male-sterile, female-sterile mutant was identified in a transformation study for sterility in soybean (Glycine max L.). This double-sterile mutant exhibited abnormalities in both the male and female organs during micro- and mega-sporogenesis, and gametogenesis. Vegetatively, the mutant line showed no differences from the wild-type line. Analyses using squashes and a fluorescent dye staining of the chromosome behavior during male meiosis was done to better understand any issues that could occur that would cause sterility. Clearings of aldehyde-fixed wild-type and mutant anthers and ovules were done throughout their development, followed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and optical sectioning to compare any abnormalities, and to determine the timing of mutant abortion in both the male and female organs. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the differences between wild-type and mutant anthers and male cells prior to and following mutant abortion. Preliminary results indicate there are chromosomal abnormalities during male mutant meiosis. Mutant megasporogenesis proceeds through meiosis and the early formation of a megagametophyte when development ceases. Mutant anther development proceeds through the released microspore stage after which the resulting male cells become irregular and eventually abort. These first-time results will be compared with an already published molecular study of this double-sterile mutant and will provide insights as to the specific mechanism causing this dual sterility. 1

DuPont Pioneer, Trait Discovery and Optimization, 7100 NW

62nd Ave, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA2DuPont Pioneer, 7250 NW 62nd Ave. PO Box 552, JOHNSTON, IA, 50131-0552, USA3Iowa State University , Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology & Microscopy and Nanoimaging Facility, 2200 Osborn Drive, Ames, IA, 50011-4009, USA

880

GOODWILLIE, CAROL* 1 and WEBER, JENNIFER 2

Delayed selfing: underappreciated, overinterpreted, or both?

elf-fertilization that occurs late in anthesis, after opportunities for outcrossing, has been argued to be a best-of-both-worlds strategy that provides the genetic benefits of outcrossing but also assures seed set in the absence of pollinators. Despite the intuitive appeal of this hypothesis, empirical data on the frequency, function and fitness benefits of delayed selfing mechanisms are relatively rare. We argue that delayed selfing has likely been overlooked in many species. On the other hand, some of the putative mechanisms of delayed selfing that have been reported have not been experimentally tested and may have evolved for other functions. Here we briefly review the literature on the topic, survey the proposed floral mechanisms of delayed selfing and evaluate the strength of evidence for their adaptive value. We discuss a case study in Triodanis perfoliata. Experimental data provide some evidence for delayed selfing in Triodanis; yet the presence of other floral traits call into question whether delayed selfing represents an adaptation shaped by natural selection in this species. We suggest the need for more rigorous experimental studies of delayed selfing and its consequences.

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, Department Of Biology, Mail Stop 551, GREENVILLE, NC, 27858, USA2Southern IL University, Carbondale, Department of Plant Biology, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

881

DIEDRICH, JOHN* 1 and LESLIE, ANDREW 2

Cone scale shape determines seed wing morphology in Pinaceae

he seeds of many species in the Pinaceae family of conifers have conspicuous wings, which aid in wind dispersal by causing falling seeds to autorotate and thus lowering their settling velocity. These wings show a wide variety of shapes across Pinaceae species and genera, and understanding the origin of these differences is important because seed wings may contain useful systematic characters for both living and fossil species. Differences in Pinaceae seed wing morphology may reflect optimization for specific aerodynamic properties, although alternatively, their shape may reflect seed cone morphology and have little association with aerodynamics. This is because Pinaceae wings are unique in being formed through the abscission of the upper surface of the cone scale that supports the seeds, which means the shape of the wing may simply mirror the shape of the cone scales. In this study, we test which of these two factors is more important in determining wing shape within Pinaceae. We quantified seed wing

368

Reproductive Biology size and shape in 154 species from 11 genera using traditional linear measurements, and we specifically analyzed wing outline using Elliptical Fourier Descriptors. Wherever possible, we also measured linear dimensions of the cones and cone scales that produced the seeds. We then measured the settling velocity of 20 artificial seed models with different wing morphologies in order to test if seed shape was related to aerodynamic properties. When analyzed within the context of a large Pinaceae phylogeny, our results show a strong correlation between wing shape and cone scale shape, consistent with expectations from seed development. Aerodynamic tests showed no significant relationship between wing morphology and settling velocity, suggesting that the shapes of specific Pinaceae seeds are unlikely to reflect selection for more efficient seed dispersal by wind. Although more detailed aerodynamic modeling is needed, our results suggest that the diversity of Pinaceae seed morphologies is mostly due to the diversity of Pinaceae cone scales, which in turn reflect the many different ways in which the group constructs its seed cones. The extent to which seed wing morphology is useful as a phylogenetic character is therefore closely related to the extent to which cone scale shape is useful. 1

Brown University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA2Brown University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G-W, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

882

GROCHOLL, JOHN J.* 1, SCHAFRAN, PETER 2 and JONES, MARCUS 3

Effects of Day Length on Cattleya sp.(Orchidaceae) Seed Germination ohn J. Grocholl , Peter W. Schafran , Marcus E. JJones Department of Biological Sciences, Old Do1

2 1

minion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA 2Kaplan Orchid Conservatory, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA Effects of Day Length on Cattleya sp.(Orchidaceae) Seed Germination Propagation of tropical orchids by seed is common orchid in cultivation. Seeds of various orchid species show a wide range of germination rates when placed in different light levels. In laboratories, seeds receive a distinct intensity of light for a predetermined number of hours to simulate a natural day. Some germinate better with an extended day length of about 12 hours, while others show a higher germination rate in complete darkness. We test the effects of a varying photoperiod on the germination of Cattleya sp. (Orchidaceae) seeds. Seeds will be planted on growth plates for a 24-hour cycle, a 12-hour cycle, a 4-hour cycle, and in complete darkness. Germination rate is evaluated over eight weeks for each treatment group or until sufficient time has passed for germination to occur. This work can be applied to other cultivated orchids, enhancing germination fro commercial and conservation purposes. 1

Old Dominion University, Botany, 5115 Hampton BLVD, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA2Department Of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529-0266, USA3Old Dominion University, Department of Biological Sciences, 5115 Hampton BLVD, Norfolk, VA, 23529, United States

POSTERS 883

BEST, HANNAH* 1 and KYRA,

KRAKOS 2

The Breeding System and Assessment of Pollen Limitation for Nine Native Missouri Species

n this study, we determined the breeding system and current pollen limitation status of nine native Missouri plant species collected from Shaw Nature Reserve. Self-compatibility may confer reproductive assurance for a plant species; however, it can also result in negative impacts such as inbreeding depression. Therefore, many self-compatible species may still require pollinator services to achieve reproductive success. Pollen limitation can be the result of reduced pollinator visits or visitors carrying the incorrect species pollen, which then results in stigma clogging. The purpose of this project is to determine if these native species are self-compatible and experiencing pollen limitation, specifically by addressing the following questions: 1) Which of the nine species are self-compatible? 2) Are self-compatible species experiencing pollen limitation? 3) Are any of the species experiencing stigma clogging? We used hand pollination treatments and a fluorescent microscope to determine pollen deposition and pollen tube growth. Our results indicate that seven species are self- compatible, Aquilegia canadensis (p= 0.69), Ruellia humilis (p= 0.57), Camassia scilloides (p= 0.70), Dodecatheon media (p= 0.12), Mertensia virginica (p= 0.63), Monarda bradburiana (p= 0.46), and Tradescantia virginica (p= 0.14), while Tradescantia ohiensis, and Tradescantia subaspera are self- incompatible. Only Aquilegia canadensis is experiencing pollen limitation (p= 4.42E-09). None of the species are experiencing stigma clogging from foreign pollen. Compatibility systems and pollination needs are important data to consider for any management plan to restore native prairie and forest locations.

Maryville University, Biology, 403 Enchanted Parkway, APT 201, Manchester, MO, 63021, USA2Maryville University, Biology, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63141, USA

884

MOLANO-FLORES, BRENDA* , COONS, JANICE 2, ANNIS, JENNA 3, PRIMER, SAMANTHA 4, SHIRLEY, RHEA 2 , COUTANT, NANCY 2, ZAYA, DAVID 1 and MINNAERT-GROTE, JAMIE 5 1

Reproductive and Seed Ecology of Physaria kaibabensis, an Endemic Species of the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona

hysaria kaibabensis (Brassicaceae) is endemic to the Kaibab Plateau of northern Arizona. The species is found in open areas where Kaibab limestone is exposed. Plants are perennials with a basal rosette of leaves where flower stalks arise in early summer. Due to a limited range, its status is being evaluated for federal listing. Our main objectives were: 1) to describe

369

and compare different sites where plants occur, 2) to assess reproductive potential of plants for seed production, and 3) to evaluate germination potential. Using historic records and site visits, six sites were chosen in 2015. In early June, transects and quadrats were used to determine plant cover, bare ground and litter. Also, the presence/absence of damage from ungulates (probably deer) or rodents (probably ground squirrels) was recorded. Sites ranged from 26-72% plant cover, 2070% bare ground, and 4-42% litter. Plant densities were negatively correlated with litter cover (r= -0.821, n=6, p=0.045). Ungulate damage and rodent damage were observed in 0-88% and 0-20% of quadrats, respectively. Ungulate damage was positively correlated with percentage of vegetative plants (r= +0.925, n=6, p=0.008). Flower stalks were counted on one plant per quadrat, and the tallest stalk was collected to measure reproductive traits. Number of flower stalks ranged from 2.4-4.4/ plant at different sites. Buds, flowers, fruits and pedicels were counted to calculate seed production. Estimates were 3-70 seeds/plant at different sites. Fruits were assessed for herbivory damage with 0-33% having holes, and 0-3% having galls at different sites. Fruits were collected in late June and mid-July to obtain seeds for germination trials. Seeds were placed on moistened filter paper in petri dishes (3 replications of 50 seeds each) in a chamber at 25oC with a 16-hour photoperiod following treatments used to break dormancy. Germination ranged from 32-41% with no significant differences in control (no seed treatment), moist-stratified at 4oC for 10.5 weeks, or 24-hr presoak in 0.5 mg/ml GA. Germination trials also were performed to compare seed lots from different sites and collection dates. For these trials, 3 replications of 20 seeds each were used due to limited seed numbers. Significant differences occurred between seed lots collected at different sites with 2-52% germination for June and 43-95% germination for July. These findings demonstrate that sites differed in reproductive and seed characteristics, demonstrating the importance of conducting trials at multiple sites. This information should be useful for making management and federal listing decisions regarding Physaria kaibabensis. 1

Illinois Natural HIstory Survey, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA2Eastern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL, 61920, USA3Florida Natural Areas Inventory, 1018 Thomasville Road, #200-C, Tallahassee, FL, 32303, USA4University of Illinois, Plant Biology, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA5Illinois Natural History Survey, Herbarium, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA

885 DANA A 2

DAVIS, SANDRA* 1 and DUDLE,

Floral pinkness and anthocyaninidin synthase (ANS) expression during floral development in the protandrous herb Saponaria officinalis.

aponaria officinalis (bouncing bet) produces protandrous flowers. As the flowers transition from staminate to pistillate phase, a series of additional morphological changes occur such that staminate- and pistillate-phase flowers differ in size, shape, and color. However, we know little about the proximate mechanisms involved in these changes and their relative timing. Here we report on phenological investigations performed to answer these questions at the morphological and cellular levels. In summer 2015, we observed marked flowers on plants growing in an experimental garden. Every 3 hours between 6am and 9pm, we estimated the flowers’ sexual stage and recorded their color according to a scale of “pinkness” created from the natural variation observed in local populations. Previous results have shown that increased coloration of petals in S. officinalis is associated with an increase in concentration of anthocyanin pigments. A major enzyme involved in one of the final steps in the production of anthocyanins is anthocyanidin synthase. Therefore, we hypothesized increased pigmentation in pistillate-phase flowers compared to staminate-phase flowers should parallel an increase in the expression of the ANS gene (ANS). We marked buds on 10 plants and collected them at 5 developmental stages. RNA was isolated from the petals from these flowers using guanidiniumphenol-chloroform extraction, and converted to cDNA using reverse transcriptase. A portion of ANS cDNA and actin cDNA (an internal control) was amplified by PCR using a primer pair specific for ANS and a universal actin primer pair. The results were used to create a time-course of ANS expression that we compared with the morphological changes we observed during floral development. These studies demonstrated that floral pinkness, associated with anthocyanin production, increased gradually throughout the lifetime of the flowers, for several days after flowers entered the pistillate phase. The pattern of ANS expression within flowers over time was less straightforward than our observations of floral pinkness, indicating that microenvironmental factors experienced by individual flowers on a plant interact with floral age to influence floral color.

University Of Indianapolis, Department Of Biology, 1400 E. HANNA AVE., Indianapolis, IN, 46227, USA2DEPAUW UNIVERSITY, Department Of Biology, 114 Olin Hall Of Biological Sciences, 1 E. Hanna Street, GREENCASTLE, IN, 46135, USA

370

Reproductive Biology 886

COHEN, JIM

Breeding system variation in Oreocarya crassipes

reocarya crassipes (Boraginaceae) is an endangered species endemic to Brewster Co., Texas in the area just north of Big Bend National Park. Plants are known from upwards of a dozen populations, all of which are on private land. The ecology and edaphic specialization of the plant have been investigated, but other aspects of the biology of O. crassipes remain unknown. Indeed, one of the primary aspects of the biology of the species, its breeding system, is understudied. O. crassipes is heterostylous, but the morphological variation within and between the long-style and short-style floral morphs has not been quantified. In 2014, mature flowers from individuals from four populations of O. crassipes were collected, and stigma height, anther height, antherstigma height separation, corolla length, corolla tube length, corolla width, and corolla tube width were measured. These results were compared within and between morphs and among populations. Between the morphs, stigma height and anther height are significantly different. This was also the case for anther-stigma separation, with the long-style morph having greater separation than the short-style morph. Corolla tube width was also significantly different, with the short-style morph having a wider corolla tube compared to the long-style morph. These differences help to better understand the morphological variation and breeding system of this rare species.

1010 Blanchard Ave., Flint, MI, 48503, USA

371

372

Symbioses: Plant, Animal, & Microbe Interactions Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions

888

ORAL PAPERS

Biotic interactions and allopolyploidy in perennial soybean relatives (Glycine subgenus Glycine)

887

WALLACE, LISA* 1 and BOBO,

RACHEL 2

Molecular variation of the Nod factor receptor Nfr5 does not reflect specificity between Chamaecrista fasciculata (Fabaceae) and its nitrogen-fixing bacterial symbionts

hrough symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, legumes can efficiently access proper nitrogen for growth. Effective symbioses are formed after nodulation (Nod) factors are released by the bacterial symbiont to initiate symbiosis. Host plant receptors, including Nfr1 and Nfr5, are among the earliest acting genes to respond to Nod factors and establish symbiosis in the roots of legumes; these regulating receptors may therefore be useful in determining symbiotic specificity and host choice. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that host plants that associate with genetically diverse rhizobia symbionts are able to do so because they harbor genetic diversity at Nod factor receptors involved in establishing symbioses. To test this hypothesis, DNA sequences of a portion of the Nfr5 gene were assessed in Chamaecrista fasciculata host plants containing multiple nodules with either genetically divergent or genetically similar rhizobia, previously determined by genotyping with two bacterial genes. Plants forming symbiosis with more divergent rhizobia were predicted to exhibit higher levels of diversity in Nfr5 compared to plants with more similar rhizobia, and the highest levels of polymorphism were expected in the LsyM2 region. Contrary to our predictions, host plants in the two groups exhibited similar levels of diversity (divergent group nucleotide diversity (Ď&#x20AC;) = 0.00057, haplotype diversity (Hd) = 0.490; non-divergent group Ď&#x20AC; = 0.00034 and Hd = 0.324. Individuals in both groups exhibited a high number of heterozygous sites. However, no signal of adaptive evolution in Nfr5 was found in C. fasciculata. The high degree of diversity observed in Nfr5 may underlie the broad symbiotic tolerance of C. fasciculata across Bradyrhizobium. It is also likely that other genes are involved in recognizing suitable rhizobia for symbioses in this host species. Future studies will include analysis of other genes present in host plant interactions with bacterial Nod factors to further knowledge of how legumes and rhizobia establish symbioses.

WEI, JING 1, POWELL, ADRIAN , SHERMAN-BROYLES, SUE 3, JANDER, GEORG 1 and DOYLE, JEFF* 3

olyploidy is known to affect many if not all aspects of plant biology, and polyploids are often more invasive than diploids. Members of the extensive allopolyploid complex in perennial relatives of soybean (Glycine subgenus Glycine) have colonized territory beyond the largely Australian range of their diploid progenitors. These allopolyploids show numerous, often transgressive genetic and physiological differences relative to their progenitors. We are studying several different biotic interactions in these polyploids, including fungal pathogenesis, bacterial mutualism, and insect herbivory. Both diploid and tetraploid accessions of several different perennial Glycine species show resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (white mold), an important pathogen of soybean (G. max). The allopolyploid, G. dolichocarpa, forms effective nodules with a wider range of rhizobial genotypes than do either of its diploid progenitors. The tetraploid shows a more robust response at the level of root hair deformation, shows a distinctive root flavonoid exudate profile, and up-regulates several key genes involved in early stages of rhizobial signaling. The two diploid progenitors of allotetraploid G. dolichocarpa show differential herbivore susceptibility. Whereas G. tomentella is resistant to soybean aphids (Aphis glycines) and susceptible to pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and soybean loopers (Chrysodeixis includens), G. syndetika is resistant to pea aphids and soybean loopers but susceptible to soybean aphids. In contrast, the allotetraploid is resistant to all three tested insect species. Non-targeted metabolite profiling by HPLC-MS shows dynamic, species-specific changes in the leaf metabolome during aphid infestation. For each aphid species, the overall metabolic responses of the two aphid-resistant soybean species are more similar to one another than to the aphid-sensitive soybeans.

Boyce Thompson Institute, 533 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 148531801, USA2Cornell University, Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853-4301, USA3Cornell University, Section of Plant Breeding & Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, 240 Emerson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853-4301, USA

Mississippi State University, PO Box GY, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA2Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences, 1100 College St. MUW-1627, Columbus, MS, 39701, USA

373

889

STEPHENS, JESSICA* 1, ROGERS, WILLIE 2, DETERMANN, RON 3 and MALMBERG, RUSSELL 2

890

Plants have guts, too! A comparative analysis of the carnivorous pitcher plant (Sarracenia sp.) microbiome

A metagenomics approach to characterizing the soil microbiome of two endangered orchids

he microbiome can extend the phenotypic capabilities of its host, potentially driving eukaryote evolution. In particular, it can influence host health and nutrient acquisition. Similar to animal gut microbiomes, the plant rhizosphere assists in the nutrient uptake by the host plant. A key difference is the ability of the animal gut microbiome to facilitate the breakdown of materials containing essential nutrients. Unique in the plant kingdom are carnivorous plants, which garner most of their nutrients through the digestion and absorption of insect prey, similar to animals. The mechanisms by which this occurs is not fully understood, but it is thought to result as a synergistic relationship of microorganisms and plant enzymes. The degree of synergy is predicted to vary across different carnivorous plant species based on things such as diet, trap type, location, and species relationships. Sarracenia (pitcher plants) traps insects via passive pitfall traps and prey decomposition occurs over weeks. Recent work highlights a diverse assemblage of bacteria and temporal variation across some species, but little is know about the community structure across the genus. Here, we did a comparative approach to examine how the pitcher plant microbiome is structured across closely related species and whether there is community structure between seasons and years. To this end, eight leaves per 14 pitcher plant species were collected in spring and fall of 2014 and 2015 at an outdoor common garden. Communities were determined using 16S rRNA and analyzed in QIIME. Results suggest that there are significant differences between microbiomes in spring and fall samples within a species. Additionally, there are significant differences among Sarracenia species microbiomes within a season and these microbiome differences are highly correlated with diet and leaf traits. Examination within species that feed primarily on flying insects shows additional community differences, suggesting that the plant may be imposing some control on the microbiome. Lastly, nitrogen-fixing bacteria were prominent members of the community, making up roughly 10-25% of the bacteria community, possibly indicating another way in which these species get nitrogen in nutrient poor environments. 1

University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 306023Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309

RAVELO, ANDREA V* 1, BUBACK, STEVEN 2, CONANT, GAVIN 3 and PIRES, JOSEPH CHRIS 4

rchids are obligate dependents on mycorrhizal fungi for the successful germination of their seeds, resulting in a relationship with a significant impact on the orchid life cycle. However, mycorrhizae are just one component of the orchid microbial community. Other members such as bacteria, archaea and non-mycorrhizal fungi also interact and affect the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth and development. This underground network might influence the abundance and distribution of orchids, which is of particular importance in species of conservation concern. Furthermore, understanding the characteristics of the soil microbiota of endangered species could provide key insights when evaluating potential habitat for species reintroduction and management. The western and eastern prairie fringed orchids (Platanthera praeclara and P. leucophaea, respectively) had historic ranges throughout most of North America but, with the cultivation of the prairie, suffered great habitat loss and fragmentation. Consequently, their populations were adversely affected and they are now federally listed as threatened. In Missouri, the only known populations of these orchids have been closely monitored for over twenty years by the Department of Conservation but there are still many unknowns regarding the biotic and abiotic factors that affect them. This study aimed to characterize the microbial communities associated with the orchids by analyzing soil samples obtained from each of the orchid sites as well as from sites of highquality prairie but without known populations. Samples were collected at varying distances from the plants, allowing comparisons of microbial community profiles. To obtain a more complete picture of the communities, a two-pronged approach was used for DNA sequencing. To inform on the microbial diversity across the different samples, we used amplicon sequencing, targeting the 16S rRNA gene (bacteria & archaea) as well as ITS (fungi). A shotgun metagenomics approach was used to gain insights on the functional characteristics of the microbiome. Preliminary results indicate that the taxonomic composition of the bacterial communities differs significantly between some sites but not within a same site at varying distances from the orchids. This would indicate certain plasticity and tolerance for distinctly diverse microbiomes.

University of Missouri-Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 E. Rollins, Columbia, Mo, 65251, USA2Missouri Department of Conservation, 701 James Mccarthy Dr., St. Joseph, Mo, 64507, USA3University of MissouriColumbia, Division of Animal Sciences, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, Mo, 65211, USA4University Of Missouri, 371 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211-7310, USA

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Symbioses: Plant, Animal, & Microbe Interactions 891 SHUMEI

PUTNEY, KATIE* 1 and CHANG,

Do arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities play a role in the evolution of separate sexes in Geranium maculatum?

or gynodioecious plant species (both female and hermaphroditic plants in some populations), the establishment and success of females holds the key to our understanding of the evolution of separate sexes. One common pattern found in gynodioecious species is that females tend to become established in the “harsher” portion of their distribution. The Sex Differential Plasticity hypothesis suggests that females are more likely to establish in stressful environments, where hermaphrodites may allocate more resources to male function thus allowing females to exceed the threshold relative seed fitness they require to invade. We are exploring treating the available AMF partners in a site as environmental conditions to be considered for plant benefit. If AMF communities are important factors for female establishment, we predict that females may establish in populations with lower quality AMF partners. In a previous survey, we found that AMF community composition was significantly different between populations with females versus those without females, and to some extent may correlate with female frequency. In the current study, we followed up on these findings to ask: Do AMF communities collected from populations with females present (dimorphic) differ in their benefit to hermaphrodite plant growth and/or fitness than AMF inocula from populations without females present (monomorphic)? We addressed this question by conducting two factorial greenhouse experiments with all possible combinations of either rhizomes or seeds and AMF inocula from 6 monomorphic and 7 dimorphic populations of the gynodioecious plant species Geranium maculatum. We found that AMF from dimorphic soils were more beneficial for seedling aboveground biomass than AMF from monomorphic soils. We also found that whole soil inocula from dimorphic sites resulted in faster rhizome leaf rates than soils from monomorphic sites. Our findings show that neither AMF, nor soil biota as a whole, represent the harsh environmental conditions that allow for female establishment in some sites over others. Rather, we believe an evolutionary and/or ecological history between this plant species and the soil biota in these potentially stressful sites may have lead to a higher prevalence of soil biota that confer relatively greater benefits to plant growth in sexually dimorphic sites than in sexually monomorphic sites.

University of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, Georgia, 30602, United States2University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

892

LOAYZA, ANDREA* , PEÑA, MARA , SQUEO, FRANCISCO and RIOS, RODRIGO

Surviving under conspecifics: the benefits of short-distance dispersal for the recruitment of a critically endangered plant of central Chile

eed dispersal is a key process in the reproductive cycle of a plant because it determines the locations in which seeds and seedlings live or die. One of the benefits of seed dispersal is escape from high mortality due to distance- or density-dependent factors near conspecifics. In arid environments, however, remaining close to conspecifics may be beneficial because intra-specific facilitation can alleviate abiotic constraints on recruitment, particularly for plants with desiccation-sensitive seeds. Pouteria splendens is a critically endangered tree endemic to Central Chile that frequently grows in monospecific patches, and less so as isolated trees in open areas. This species has recalcitrant seeds that are dispersed by native and introduced mammals. We compared spatial patterns of seed dispersal generated by each dispersal agent and experimentally quantified seedling emergence and survival to determine the overall probability of a seed becoming a sapling in the different habitats where seeds are dispersed. Mean dispersal distances varied among frugivores, rodents and skunks dispersed seeds the shortest distances (0-6 m), whereas foxes and sheep dispersed seeds farther (10-20m). Seeds were predominantly dispersed to three habitats: under conspecifics, in open interspaces, and in riverbanks. Seedling emergence was significantly higher under conspecifics than in the other two habitats. Similarly, seedling survival was highest under conspecific plants. Overall, the probability of establishment was higher in areas of high conspecific density. Our results suggest that the seed dispersal the pattern generated by rodents persists in the long-term spatial distribution of saplings, and may account for the aggregated distribution of adult plants.

Universidad de La Serena, Biology, Raul Bitran 1305, Campus Colina El Pino, La Serena, Coquimbo, 1721377, Chile

893

YOUNGINGER, BRETT* and BALLHORN, DANIEL

Temporal turnover of endophytic fungi in the cosmopolitan host, western sword fern (Polystichum munitum)

ndophytic microfungi inhabit all land plants and likely alter their host’s phenotype, analogous to the microbiomes of other higher organisms. A significant number of studies have endeavored to uncover the functional effects of endophytes, but many additional questions remain unanswered. Surprisingly, we lack a clear understanding of how these fungi initially colonize their hosts and how their community composition shifts in time over the growing season. Studies that characterize endophyte community composition from single sampling events do not accurately capture the

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dynamic nature of these microbes. Furthermore, the likelihood of using endophytic fungi as biological agents conferring herbivore or pathogen resistance decreases if they only colonize plants transiently. We sought to address this deficiency by analyzing the temporal turnover in an understudied plant lineage and unstudied plant host: western sword fern (Polystichum munitum). We sampled fern leaflets in 20 plant individuals upon the initial emergence of croziers in the spring and also one month later and sequenced fungal DNA on the Illumina MiSeq platform in a culture-independent manner. Fungal colonization in leaflets was low or non-existent immediately following their emergence from croziers, but one month later a substantial increase in fungal diversity occurred. Additionally, fungi found early in the growing season waned while other, more abundant fungi came to dominate the community in the following month. This work is the first to document the temporal turnover and initial colonization pattern of fungal endophytes in an unstudied fern host utilizing cultureindependent methods. Portland State University, Biology, 1719 SW 10th Ave, SRTC Room 246, Portland, OR, 97201, USA

POSTERS 894

CARPER, DANA* 1, CARRELL, ALYSSA , KUEPPERS, LARA 3 and FRANK, A. CAROLIN 4 2

The effect of climate change and site on the above- and belowground bacterial endophytic communities of subalpine conifer seedlings

limate warming is expected to drive uphill shifts in the distribution of subalpine forests, with seedling establishment presenting a critical bottleneck for migration and persistence. The plant microbiome, all the microorganisms living on or inside plants, plays a role in plant response to biotic and abiotic stress, yet is rarely considered in studies that examine how plants respond to climate change. Seedling endophyte communities may dynamically respond to environmental conditions, potentially aiding seedling establishment under a range of conditions. Alternatively, endophyte communities may be strongly conserved across environmental conditions if the taxa perform critical metabolic or physiological functions required by establishing seedlings. To determine the effects of climate change on seedling microbiomes across and beyond the elevation range of subalpine forest, we used Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to examine the above- and belowground endophytic communities in 1-year old seedlings of Pinus flexilis (limber pine) establishing in common gardens subject to experimental climate manipulations. The most abundant members of both root- and shoot communities were identical to strains with antifungal activity (e.g., Janthinobacterium and Massilia), perhaps suggesting a role in protecting seedlings against biotic stress. We found that the root and shoot communities were significantly different in their diversity and taxonomic composition, and that they responded differently to biotic and abiotic differences between forest and higher elevation sites, as well as to climate treatments. This potentially reflects differences in adaptation and colonization routes between root and shoot endophytes, and suggests that if they are significant for seedling establishment under climate change, shoot and root communities could play distinct roles.

University of California, Merced , Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, 5200 North Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA2Duke University, Biology, 2127 Campus Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA3Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA4University of California Merced, Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, 5200 North Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA

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Symbioses: Plant, Animal, & Microbe Interactions 895

PRETZ, CHELSEA* 1, MUTKA, ANDREW 2 and REBECCA, BART 3

Investigation of Virulence Functions of Type III Effectors in the Cassava Pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis (Bondar) Using Bioluminescence Imaging

assava, Manihot esculenta Crantz, is a dietary staple in many tropical countries, accounting for a third of calories consumed in the world. Cassava is grown agriculturally in large populations making it susceptible to spread of several diseases. The primary bacterial pathogen is, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis Bondar (Xam) that causes the disease Cassava Bacteria Blight (CBB). Xam, like many other bacteria, interacts with the host cell using the Type 3 Secretion System. This system has a needle-like protein complex structure that is inserted and secretes effector proteins in the host cell. Preliminary bacterial growth assays in the host were done with knockout mutant of these different effector proteins and showed subtle changes in phenotypes. The result of these assays showed slight differences between wild type and mutant strains. To explore the virulence through other phenotypes we utilized imaging techniques that allow us to observe spatial and temporal dimensions of the infection. To look at the Xam motility within the vascular system, bioluminescence imaging was used. There is a notable difference in how fast the disease spreads and even which strain spreads first. Future studies will consider (1) Proximity to major vein when being inoculated. There might be a smaller distance the strain has to travel before it integrates itself into the host. (2) The developmental stage of the inoculated leaf. Some leaves may be activity taking up more nurturance and have a strong pull in the vascular system. (3) Lastly, the environmental factors, such as temperature, and humidity.

6979 Plainview Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63109, USA2Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63132, USA3Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63132, United States

896

TAYLOR, ALEXANDER* 1 and QIU, YIN-LONG 2

Evolutionary History of Genes Recruited for Nodulation

odulation evolved multiple times independently but is restricted to the nitrogen-fixing clade of rosids. This phylogenetic distribution has raised questions about how many times nodulation originated and the degree of homology between different nodulating symbioses. Each examined nodulating lineage recruited genes for nodulation from an ancestral “common symbiotic” signaling pathway that mediates symbiosis with Arbuscular Mycorrhizae, suggesting that nodulation is an example of deep homology. In this study we combined genes associated with nodulation from multiple nodulating lineages with publicly available genomic and transcriptomic data to examine the evolutionary history of homologous genes from the “common symbiotic”

pathway. We found multiple rounds of both tandem and whole genome duplication in these gene families, and differential recruitment of homologs for nodulation. In some cases, such as the subtilase gene family, the genes recruited for nodulation in different lineages were paralogs that diverged before the origin of angiosperms. These findings enhance our understanding of the deep homology of nodulation across different nodulating clades. 1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 830 N University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, USA2University Of Michigan, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 830 N University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA

897

GARCIA, MICHELLE* 1 and MOODY, MICHAEL 2

Initial discoveries in the phytobiomes of two achlorophyllous plants in the Madrean Archipelago

lant-associated microbial communities found in the rhizosphere (below ground) and the phyllosphere (above ground), together referred to as the phytobiome, may play an essential role in determining host plant vigor and potential to colonize new areas. Though we have long been aware or the complex relationship between plants and their microbiota, the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology has made it possible to explore patterns of coevolution and community assemblage more thoroughly. The Madrean Archipelago (SW Sky Islands) is a sky island complex in Southwest North America which runs from the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico to the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona. This region exhibits high levels of biodiversity and serves as an ecotone of several biological communities. Climatic variations, elevational gradients, and historical aridification have led to isolation among mountain ranges, creating an ideal setting for studying microbial community specificity both between species and populations of species. Plant-microbe interactions are particularly important in achlorophyllous plants which often rely on mycorrhizal interactions for germination and nutrient uptake. Several achlorophyllous taxa can co-occur across the disjunct sky Island complex. Here, I use NGS and a targeted metagenomics approach to investigate the differences between microbial communities of the phytobiomes of Corallorhiza maculata, a highly variable species complex of mycoheterotrophic orchids, and Monotropa hypopitys, a species of achlorophyllous mycoheterotroph in the family Ericaceae, with a focus on the bacterial and fungal communities. Additionally, microbial communities were compared between two discreet populations of C. maculata. Plants were obtained from two separate sky islands in New Mexico and DNA was extracted and sequenced from three separate structures of each plant: the rhizome, the stem and the fruit. Sequences were then compared against database sequences for identification. The ITS region was used to identify fungal inhabitants and the 16s rRNA gene was used to identify bacterial inhabitants. This work is among the first characterizations of phytobiome inhabitants among achlorophyllous plants in the SW Sky Island region.

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The University of Texas at El Paso, Department of Biological Sciences, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, Texas, 79902, United States2University Of Texas At El Paso, Department Of Biology, 500 W. University Ave., Bioscience Bldg 2.120, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA

898

KELLAM, KANE* 1, HARRIS, KODY 1, WARD, JAKE 1, TWANABASU, BISHNU 1 and SAPKOTA, JHAPENDRA 2

Mycorrhizal Fungi in Prairie Restoration in Texas

ess than 1% of the historic 20 million acres of North Central Texas Prairies remain today, which are in need of immediate conservation and restorations. Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) in Fort Worth, Texas is attempting to regrow the natural prairie on the land formerly used as a building and a concrete parking lot by Tarrant County Public Health Department for more than half a century. BRIT is currently examining effectiveness of live prairie soil amendments as a restoration tool. Three treatment plots were established in November 2012 by adding living soil transplanted from a local ranch, compost tea (SGTX mix -Sustainable Growth Texas) made from living prairie soil, and a control plot without soil amendment. Mycorrhizal fungi forming a symbiotic relationship with more than 90% all plants are found in almost all ecosystems. This symbiotic fungi help prairie plants to access the soil nutrients which otherwise may be unavailable to the plants. Mycorrhizal fungi shape the prairie vegetation by influencing plant community structure and diversity in the prairies. Native prairie plants colonized by mycorrhizal fungi out compete other plants. To determine the effects of soil amendments on the below ground symbiotic fungi, we collected root samples of eight plant species from each treatment plot in August 2014. Collected root samples were cleared and stained to quantify level of mycorrhizal colonization. Our goal was to determine how mycorrhizal fungi in prairie plants respond to aforementioned prairie restoration methods. We did not find any significance difference in hyphal and vesicular colonization among the treatment plots; however, arbuscular colonization was significantly higher in the control plot (20.19±1.79 %) compared to the plot treated with living soil and the plot with compost tea (10.56±1.53 % and 10.96±1.79 % respectively). Hyphal coil colonization on the other hand was significantly lower in the plot with living soil amendment (8.49±0.95%) compared to compost tea treatment and control plots (13.33±1.79 % and 13.79±1.52% respectively). Furthermore, levels of mycorrhizal colonization were significantly different across the plant species and combined effects of species and treatments as well. As the mycorrhizal fungi are important symbionts of the native prairie plants, we believe this study helps to understand the better management practices for the prairie restoration while considering below ground fungal endophytes. 1

Weatherford College, Biology, 225 College Park Drive , Weatherford, TEXAS, 76086, USA2Oklahoma State University, Statistics, 202 Whitehurst , Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

899 ERIC

CAUDLE, KERI* and GILLOCK,

Phylogenetic distribution of an endogenous strain of Dahlia mosaic virus in members of Asteraceae

ahlia Mosaic Virus (DMV) is a double-stranded DNA viral pathogen. A newly discovered strain of this virus called DMV-D10 was first observed in Dahlia variabilis. DMV-D10 does not induce visible symptoms of infection in the host plant, and is classified as an endogenous pararetrovirus. These viruses have the ability to integrate their viral sequences into the host plant genome, which can be transmitted vertically to offspring. Currently, no studies have examined the host range of DMV-D10. Because DMV-D10 has only been observed in Dahlia, the objective for this study was to determine if presence of DMV-D10 follows an evolutionary relationship among species closely related to Dahlia. It was hypothesized species in the same tribe (Coreopsideae) as Dahlia, such as Cosmos, were more likely to be infected with DMV-D10 compared to species within other tribes in the Asteraceae family. PCR results for a movement protein gene indicate DMV-D10 is more widely spread across Asteraceae than in Dahlia species. DMV-D10 was present in Callistephus chinensis (Astereae tribe), Centaurea cyanus (Cardueae tribe), and Dahlia variabilis (Coreopsideae tribe), but not in Tagetes erecta (Tageteae tribe) or Cosmos bipinnatus (Coreopsideae tribe). Therefore, phylogenetic relationship in host plants does not necessarily determine presence or absence of DMVD10. This leads to questions of how this virus can move to other species in other tribes. Future work will further explore host range, and if there are physiological symptoms associated with DMV-D10 infection. Fort Hays State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 600 Park St., Hays, KS, 67601, United States

900

SUBLETT, JACOB* 1 and MICHAELS, HELEN J. 2

Effects of Seed Coat Variation and Population in Lupinus perennis on PlantMicrobial Interactions

lants in the Fabaceae family are well known for their ability to form symbiotic relationships with rhizobia, which provide nitrogen to plants. The formation and ecological outcome of this partnership depends on the genotypes of both symbionts, along with abiotic and biotic factors in the environment. However, relatively few studies have examined the ecological factors that influence the distribution and abundance of this mutualistic relationship within natural ecosystems. Lupinus perennis is a Midwestern native legume found on dry, sandy soils supporting globally rare oak savannas and tallgrass prairies that vary in light and litter levels across its distribution. L. perennis seed coats are polymorphic in background color and speckling. These seed coat phenotypes, which are also correlated with changes in flavonoid biochemistry, vary in frequency both within and between populations. Here, we examine whether

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Workshops this seed coat variation is related to environmental differences between prairie and savanna habitats and can influence plant-microbe interactions. We hypothesized that dark seeds with higher concentrations of genistein (a flavonoid known to influence plant-microbial interactions) will have higher nodulation rates and larger seedlings. Alternatively, because differences in environmental factors are likely to affect microbial populations, this seed coat variation may also reflect habitat differences in the presence/abundance of rhizobia and pathogens within and among lupine populations. To determine the effects of L. perennis seed coat phenotype variation, along with population and soil inoculum sources on seedling success and rhizobia recruitment, seeds from each of two populations were grown in each of four inoculum treatments, consisting of soil inoculums from grassland vs savanna habitats as well as positive and negative control treatments, in a controlled environment. After ten weeks we scored germination and final above and belowground biomass, along with number and dry mass of nodules. We found that effects of inoculum source and seed color on final seedling size and nodule mass were context dependent. However, only inoculum source affected nodule number. These data provide insight into the potential environmental and genetic factors that impact the distribution and abundance of potential rhizobial mutualists and antagonists, and help identify the evolutionary forces contributing to the maintenance of seed coat polymorphism in this native legume plant species. 1

Bowling Green State University, Biology , Biological Sciences Department, Bowling Green, Ohio, 43403, USA2BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSTITY, Department Of Biological Sciences, Life Science Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

901

WONG, SHAN* 1, DOWNING, JASON and LIU, HONG 1 2

Determining the Fungal Associa3ons of Two Co-ccurring Invasive Orchids in Miami-Dade County

ungal distribution within the environment can be heavily dependent on microhabitat condi?ons, which create mosaic-like fungal networks within that environment. Recent studies showed that orchids that occur within close proximity to each other are likely to share similar fungi associations (McKendrick et al., 2002; McCormick et al., 2004; Xing et al., 2013). Two invasive species Eulophia graminea and Oeceoclades maculata are known to co-occur and are rapidly spreading in municipal mulch sources in Miami- Dade County. In this study, I determine whether these two introduced species are associating with similar groups of fungi, by sampling the fungi from roots of plants from two dis?nct populations and habitat types in Miami (Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and Boystown Pineland County Park).

Florida International University, Earth and Environment Department, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA2Florida International University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

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Workshops Workshops 902

STRAUB, SHANNON C.K.* 1, FISHBEIN, MARK 2 and LISTON, AARON 3

Introduction to Next Generation Sequencing

ext generation sequencing (NGS) describes technologies that produce billions of base pairs of sequence data per experiment. The low cost of these technologies (currently ca. 60 Mbp / dollar) allows an increasing number of biologists to incorporate genomescale sequencing into their research. The goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the essentials of NGS, so that they can develop and initiate their own projects in phylogenetics, population genetics, and gene expression using this technology. In the morning, we will describe the available technologies, applications, and protocols for sample preparation and sequencing. We will also describe options for computational infrastructure and analytical pipelines. In the afternoon, participants will then have an opportunity to work with data from the Illumina platform. Topics covered during the hands-on portion will include plastome sequence assembly and probe design for nuclear gene target enrichment (Hyb-Seq). A laptop computer is required. Fees will cover internet access, extension cords for laptops, a coffee break, and lunch. 1

Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Department of Biology, 300 Pulteney Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA2Oklahoma State University, Dept Of Botany, 301 Physical Science, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA, 405-564-46523Oregon State University, Department Of Botany & Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-2902, USA, 541/737-5301

903

CHAU, MARIAN M.

IUCN Red List Assessment Training and Bioblitz

ecome an official Red List Assessor for your specialty region or taxonomic group! George E. Schatz of the Missouri Botanical Garden/ IUCN Species Survival Commission will provide training, and participating botanists will evaluate several plant species for Red List submission. The IUCN World Conservation Congress will be held in Honolulu in September 2016, which will be the first time the Congress is held in the United States. As botanists in the BSA and other national societies, we can participate in an important global biodiversity initiative and contribute to international conservation goals by conducting Red List assessments of the species that we know best. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is important because it allows us to evaluate the risk of extinction for any given species, providing open-source data that can be used for research, funding, and conservation prioritization - fitting for the Botany 2016 theme “Celebrating Our History, Conserving Our Future.” The workshop will be a full day. Prior to the workshop,

participants will be required to complete online training in Red List assessment methodology, and come prepared with data on their species, including occurrences, population size, and threats. The morning session will include a review of terms, categories, criteria, concepts, and some examples. In the afternoon session, participants will assess species on their own or in small groups with assistance from the workshop leader. By the end of the workshop, each participant should have a Red List assessment ready to submit to IUCN. Brought to you by the BSA Public Policy Committee Lyon Arboretum - University of Hawaii at Manoa, 3860 Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

904

SOLTIS, PAMELA S.

Using Digitized Herbarium Data in Research: A Crash Course

merging cyberinfrastructure and new data sources provide unparalleled opportunities for mobilizing and integrating massive amounts of information from organismal biology, ecology, genetics, climatology, and other disciplines. Key among these data sources is the rapidly growing volume of digitized specimen records from natural history collections. With over 50 million specimen records available online to date, an ever-increasing number, these data provide excellent information on species distributions, changes in distributions over time, phenology, morphology, and more. Particularly powerful is the integration of phylogenies with specimen data, enabling analyses of phylogenetic diversity in a spatio-temporal context, the evolution of niche space, and more. Beyond testing a priori hypotheses, such data-driven synthetic analyses may generate unexpected patterns, yielding new hypotheses for further study. Ongoing efforts to link and analyze diverse data are yielding new platforms for comparative analyses of biodiversity data. However, the inundation of data and methods can be overwhelming. In this fullday workshop, we will provide hands-on instruction on ways to access and download digitized herbarium data (from GBIF, iDigBio, and other aggregators) and prepare data sets for analysis. We will then offer a series of modules on using georeferencing software (GEOLocate), applying Maxent software to construct ecological niche models and do paleoclimatic modeling, linking specimen data to phylogenetic trees, computing phylogenetic diversity measures, reproducible science, and more. In addition to learning how to use various software packages, we will also discuss the assumptions of the analyses and the interpretations of the results. We will divide into groups based on participants’ experience, so novices and advanced users are all welcome. The workshop is free, and lunch is included; sponsored by iDigBio (www.idigbio.org).

University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

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905

ENDARA, LORENA* 1, BURLEIGH, GORDON 2 and CUI, HONG 3

Constructing morphological character matrices from taxonomic descriptions using new software approaches

henotypic data is part of the evolutionary history of organisms and one of the only ways to integrate fossils into phylogenetic studies. Additionally, this type of data can help researchers address scientific questions beyond Taxonomy and Systematics (e.g., studies of plasticity, adaptation, and evolutionary development). Yet phenotypic data can be challenging and time consuming to obtain. This workshop will teach scientists how to use a new semi-automated approach to extract large phenotypic datasets from taxonomic descriptions and transform them into characters useful for phylogenetic research. We will present the software pipeline used to extract phenotypic characters, and participants will work with a sample dataset to learn the different applications of the pipeline. A laptop computer is required. We encourage participants that would like to analyze their own dataset to contact the organizers a few weeks in advance.

University of Florida, Biology, Carr Hall, 217, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA2University Of Florida, P.O. Box 118526, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA3University of Arizona, Information Resources and Library Science, Information Resources & Library Sciences #74, Office 3, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA

906

KIRCHOFF, BRUCE K

Using Visual Learning to Improve Comprehension

isual learning is a powerful modality that allows students to master complex material in a short amount of time. In the workshop you will learn to use free software to increase learning in your classes. The program, IQ, has been successfully used to improve student learning of plant life cycles, plant terminology, and organic chemistry functional groups. Results of the use of the program will be presented and discussed. IQ can be easily adapted to any knowledge domain where images play an important role. This includes the use of schematic images such as life cycles that summarize large amounts of information, and images that teach the proper use of terminology. Participants will have the opportunity to work with the software during the workshop. A few weeks before the workshop you will be contacted with instructions on how to download the software and sample images for use in the workshop. The workshop will be even more meaningful if you bring your own images, but sample images will be provided. In ordedr to use the software you will need to bring your own Mac or PC computer as these will not be provided. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro, Department Of Biology, PO BOX 26170, GREENSBORO, NC, 27402-6170, USA, 919304-2991

907

PROCTOR, NIELS

Web-Based Retrieval Practice as a SelfDirected Study Tool for Students in Botany and Plant Taxonomy

tudents who are learning to identify plants to family or species need a way to practice those identification skills. Self-testing with collected plants carries the risk of learning the features of a particular specimen, rather than the diversity of the broader group. Self-testing with unknown plants in a natural area provides no feedback and carries the risk of learning a misidentification. But widespread access to the internet and to high-quality digital cameras has now made it possible for instructors to provide a web-based study tool where students can practice their identification skills. This workshop will look at web-based retrieval practice sites that have been used in undergraduate plant identification courses at the University of California at Davis and at the University of Florida. We will look at student usage of those sites and talk about how interface design decisions affect usage patterns. We will also go over the steps involved in taking the necessary plant photos and building a new site for a paricular course. Participants will have the chance to try using a botanical retrieval practice site and will receive a copy of the HTML/javascript files for setting up their own sites.

University of Florida, School of Forest Resources & Conservation, PO Box 110410, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

908

EATON, DEREN

Assembly and analysis of genomic RADseq data using ipyrad

estriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) and related methods (e.g., ddRAD, GBS) provide a simple and fast way to sample sequence data from thousands of genomic regions across many sampled individuals. The goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the software ipyrad, which can be used to assemble and analyze RADseq data sets. We will begin with an introduction to what RADseq is, how the data are generated, and what the raw data look like. We will then learn the general workflow of ipyrad, and use it to assemble empirical test data sets. This will be followed by an introduction to more advanced Python scripting using the ipyrad API. We will end with methods for visualizing assembled data and analyzing results with population genetic summary statistics and tests for introgression. This workshop will be taught through the use of Jupyter Notebooks, with a goal of introducing participants to how this tool can be used to create reproducible published bioinformatic workflows. No previous coding experience is required. Attendees will need a laptop running either mac or linux. Yale University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 21 Sachem st., Environmental Science Center 366, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

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Workshops copy of the workbook and online notes from workshop discussions will also be available to participants through the end of 2016.

909

UNO, GORDON 1, SUNDBERG, MARSHALL 2 and ADAMS/, CATRINA* 3

Planting Inquiry in Science Classrooms

Metropolitan State University, Natural Sciences Department, 700 East Seventh Street, St. Paul, MN, 55106, USA2California State University - Dominguez Hills, Department of Biology, 1000 East Victoria Street, Carson, CA, 90747, USA

cience practices play prominent roles in the Next Generation Science Standards, the revised AP Biology Curriculum, and undergraduate teaching reform efforts. In this interactive workshop, we share simple yet effective techniques to help students develop skills ranging from generating questions based on observations of the usual and unusual to exploring alternative explanations. Leave with tested examples, ideas for using them in your own classroom, and increased confidence to up the ante on student-centered learning or introduce inquiry into what you already do. Workshop participants receive a print copy of Inquiring About Plants: A Practical Guide to Engaging Science Practices.

911

MEYER, RACHEL

Tools for the International Botanist: Navigating the Nagoya Protocol

he Convention on Biological Diversity produced the Nagoya Protocol that has been ratified by 197 countries and dramatically changes the landscape of botanical research abroad. The Protocol is a transparent legal document with a full name of “The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity”. It is meant to help establish a fair framework for the providers and users of genetic resources and to protect providers of traditional knowledge by requiring negotiations with appropriate parties to ensure equitable benefits are given in exchange of that knowledge. Many scientists fear the enforcement of this protocol, that in many ways is focused on corporate utilization of genetic and traditional knowledge resources for economic benefit, will dramatically decrease basic science research data and collections because of the additional hurdles it creates. If you do international fieldwork or have international collaborations, it is important to understand how to adhere to the Protocol. Just as the Protocol creates new challenges and considerations, it also provides a platform to leverage new opportunities, such as lasting research partnerships and increased intellectual collaboration. In this two-hour workshop, we break down the Protocol so it becomes more interpretable and provide examples of how researchers have met the new standards and successfully completed projects that involved sensitive genetic resources or traditional knowledge. We also cover essentials for grant proposal applications that now require language about how the Protocol and other documents like the International Treaty will be followed.

University Of Oklahoma, Department Of Botany And Microbiology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA, 405/325-62812Department Of Biological Sciences, 1912 Briarcliff Ln, EMPORIA, KS, 66801, USA, 620/341-56053Botanical Society of America, PO Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166, USA

910

TUOMINEN, L.K.* 1 and THEISS, KATHRYN 2

We are All Plumbers Now: Toolboxes for Building Unconventional STEM Career Pipelines

esearch on the representation in academic science of women, people of color, and people who have experience(d) disability has shown a pattern of decreasing participation at every career level. This phenomenon, commonly known as the “leaky pipeline” effect, is familiar to most science educators, and multiple structural changes to institutional policies and training processes have been proposed to help improve retention of diverse scientists. In this workshop, we will move beyond the familiar data and common focus on institutional change to discover ways in which early career botanists, especially graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and contingent faculty, can apply our problem-solving skills to address our current career challenges and continue towards satisfying science careers. While we will begin from the assumption that all present at the workshop are facing or have faced at least one challenge that has caused them to wonder, “Am I the Leaky Pipeline?”, such challenges need not be disclosed to other participants. Mentors seeking to support human diversity in botany are encouraged to participate. The goals of this workshop are to: · Identify several types of challenges that academic scientists face that may lead them to leave academic science, · Share information about known institutional and professional resources geared towards fostering diversity within biology, · Discuss science career pathways that diverge from the “linear pipeline” model, and · Create personalized written plans to help address a challenge each participant faces at their current career stage by using multiple “plumbing tools.” All participants will receive a workbook that will walk through a step-by-step process to address a current career challenge. An electronic

New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA

383

912 CAHOON, BRUCE 1 and BAKER, STOKES S* 2 Integrating RNA-seq Into Undergraduate Teaching

n recent years, next generation sequencing (NGS) has become a mainstay of modern biology. Two groups have been established to facilitate the integration of RNA-seq (i.e., whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing) data analysis into undergraduate biology curriculum, The Genome Consortium for Active Teaching: NextGen Sequencing Group (GCAT-SEEK; http://lycofs01.lycoming.edu/~gcat-seek/), and iPlant Collaborativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DNA Subway (http://www.iplantcollaborative.org/). In this workshop, resources developed by these two groups will be presented. Workshop participants will learn about how to utilize RNA-seq data repositories and how to use freely available on-line and downloadable software tools to analyze RNA-seq data. Examples of instructional materials developed by the two presenters will also be presented. Workshop participants will be require to bring a laptop with wireless Internet capabilities. Since software will need to be loaded, the participants need administrative rights to their operating system.

The University Of Virginia's College At Wise, Natural Sciences, 1 College Ave, Box 60, Wise, VA, 24293, USA, 615-494-87922University Of Detroit Mercy, Biology Dept, 4001 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI, 48221, USA, (313) 417-9279

914

SMITH, STEPHEN* 1, MOORE, MICHAEL 2, YANG, YA 3, PEASE, JAMES 4 and WALKER, JOSEPH 4

Transcriptome analyses for non-model plants: phylogenomics and more

ranscriptomic sequencing has become more common for non-model organisms as costs have lowered. Often, however, the full utility of these data are not realized because of barriers to data analysis. In this workshop, we will examine many different uses for transcriptomes including phylogenomic analyses, phyloGWAS, differential expression, and more. Workshop participants will be given the necessary scripts, instructions, and test data. No other special knowledge required. Instructions and dependencies to install will be handed out for participants to install and test before workshop. For those who are not familiar with command line interface, additional tutorial instructions will be provided. 1

University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States2Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA, 419-499-41713University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA4University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071 Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109

915 913 ANN 2

MONFILS, ANNA K* 1 and SAKAI,

Applying to Graduate School: Tips for Success

his workshop is a panel discussion designed to introduce undergraduate students to the specific requirements for applying to graduate programs in plant biology. Topics include considering a graduate degree, becoming a competitive applicant, establishing a timetable for application, picking a mentor, preparing a strong application, the campus visit and funding options. Panelists will include both current graduate students and faculty experienced in graduate admissions. 1

Central Michigan University, 180 Brooks Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA, 989-774-24922University Of California-Irvine, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 321 STEINHAUS HALL, IRVINE, CA, 92697-2525, USA, 949/824-6581

KIRCHOFF, BRUCE K

Making a Visual Key: A Lab Exercise with Practical Consequences

n this workshop you will make a completely visual key - a key a key based exclusively on images - and learn about why these types of keys are more effective than traditional text-based keys. This will be a hands-on workshop in which everyone can participate. The procedure you learn can be easily adapted to the classroom and used, with the appropriate modification, at any level from high school through graduate school. - - Although illustrations have played an important role in identification keys and guides since the 18th century, their use has varied widely. Some keys lack all illustrations, while others are heavily illustrated. Even within illustrated keys and guides the way in which images are used varies considerably. During this workshop we will review some best practices for image use in keys, and create a completely visual key. These types of keys have been made possible by advances in digital imaging, which has allowed the rapid collection of standardized photographs of plants. Characters in visual keys are visually, not verbally defined. During the workshop participants will learn how to create a visual key, and will create a visual key to a group of taxa.

University Of North Carolina At Greensboro, Department Of Biology, PO BOX 26170, GREENSBORO, NC, 27402-6170, USA, 919304-2991

384

Workshops

916

917

Targeted next-gen sequencing for plant phylogenomics

Crafting an effective elevator speech and Communicating Broader Impacts of Your Work: A Workshop for Students and PostDocs

MANDEL, JENNIFER R* 1, DIKOW, REBECCA 2 and FUNK, VICKI 3

ext-generation sequencing and phylogenomics hold great promise for elucidating complex relationships in plant lineages. In this workshop, we will present an overview of the use of targeted sequence capture and next-generation sequencing for phylogenetics addressing questions like: What do I need to begin a phylogenomics project? How do I design capture probes in my group? What hurdles do I need to be ready for? What kinds of questions can I answer with any existing genomic data I have? How much does this cost? We have successfully implemented targeted capture of low copy sequences followed by next-generation sequencing on the Illumina platform in the large and diverse angiosperm family Compositae (Asteraceae). In this workshop, we will describe the probe design process and the wet lab protocol for performing sequence capture including helpful information for designing similar experiments in your own research system. Our method generates nuclear data and chloroplast genomes (from off-target capture reads) enabling the comparison of nuclear and chloroplast genomes for phylogenetic analyses. We also analyze multi-copy nuclear genes in our data set using a clustering method during orthology detection, and we apply a network approach to these clustersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;analyzing all related locus copies. The organizers will demonstrate the bioinformatic and phylogenetic workflow, walk participants through the process, and ample time will be provided for questions at the end. As time allows at the end, materials and software information will be distributed and participants are encouraged to bring their laptops to try out the bioinformatic workflow. Examples will be given for implementing this method in the Compositae and will generalizable to other species groups.

MCDONNELL, ANGELA JEAN

Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology & Evolution, 301 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States

918

TANGERINI, ALICE

Introduction to Botanical Drawing with Alice Tangerini Alice Tangerini, Smithsonian Staff Illustrator, for Jingoin this one day-long workshop on basic botanical drawin pencil and pen and ink. This workshop will be a

hands-on experience. Working from pressed plant material and digital prints of simple plants you will learn techniques used to create an accurate botanical plate. No drawing experience necessary.

Smithsonian

University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA2Smithsonian Institute, Smithsonian Institute for Biodiversity Genomics, Washington DC, DC, 20013, USA3 Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, US National Herbarium, NMNH, MRC166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington DC, DC, 20013-7012, USA, 202-6330950

385

386

Author Index

A Abbott, J. Richard 453, 503, 504, 510, 520 Abdi, Ahmed Abdikadir 577 Abdul Ghaffar, Muhammad Akbar 175, 662 Abdul, Suleiman 202, 402 Abdulrazzaq, Mustafa F. 773 Abidi, Shayda 305 Aboulafia, Elie 338 Ackerly, David 12, 583, 584 Adams, Dean 455 Adams, Robert 725 Adams, Catrina 556, 909 Ade-Ademilua, Omobolanle Elizabeth 183 Adebayo, Adedoyin 242 Adebowale, Adekunle 775 Adrian, Platts 760 Adu, Esther 858 Aedo Perez, Carlos 451 Aguilar-Gutierrez, Estefania 868 Aguirre, Natalie 645 Aguirre, Xitlali 496 Ahmad, Berhaman 368 Aiello-Lammens, Matthew 205 Ajiya, Cleophas Bila 473 Akawu, Jedida Jacob 473 Akinloye, Akinwumi Johnson 275 Akinnubi, Funmilola Mabel 275 Akinsulore, Philips Opeyemi 516 Akman, Melis 207 Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan A. 522 Al-Zein, Mohammad S. 754 Ala, Philemon 572 Albertsen, Marc 879 Albrecht, Matthew 206 Alford, Mac 333 Ali, Shaukat 700, 845 Allen, Julie 193 Allen, Sarah 309 Allen, Shilah 796 Alo, Frazer 572 Alsdurf, Jacob 258 Altrichter, Kristine M. 187

Alverson, Andrew 805 Alverson, Bil 768 Amarasinghe, Prabha 517 Ambrose, Barbara 73 Amend, Anthony A. 572 Ames, Mercedes 586 Amico, Patrick 199 Amith, Jonathan D. 271 Amundson, Courtney 794 An, Hong 708, 709 Andersen, Ethan 845 Andersen, Ethan J. 700, 723 Anderson, Benjamin 799 Anderson, Blake 871 Anderson, Sarah 178 Annis, Jenna 884 Ansaldi, Beth 257 Antonenko, Pavlo 91 Appelhans, Marc 840 Apple, Krystal 528 Arbizu, Carlos 413 Ardell, David 839 Arduser, Mike 784 Argent, George 375 Arista Palmero, Montserrat 185, 765 Arlinghaus, Kellen R 857 Armbruster, Scott 749 Armstrong, Joseph 642 Armstrong, Joseph E 25 Arnold, A. Elizabeth 98 Arnold, Paige M. 797 Arriola, Paul E. 795 Arroyo, Mary T. K. 586 Art-han, Watchara 815 Artigues, Renee 563 Ashley, Mary V. 626, 861 Asuzu, Chinwe 524 Atkinson, Brian A 307 Attigala, Lakshmi 454, 455 Aubrey, Doug 65 AuBuchon, Taylor 815 Augustin, Megan 701 Averill, Kristine 121 Axsmith, Brian 333, 340 Azzolini, Jill 563

387

B Baas, Pieter 324 Bachelier, Julien 181 Baer, Alex 44 Baer, Sara 237, 284, 648, 663 Baghaei, Arman 678, 685 Baghai-Riding, Nine Lucille 340, 558 Baider, Clรกudia 368 Bailey, C. Donovan 836 Bailey, Nicholas 502 Baiser, Benjamin 353, 755 Baker, Stokes S 540, 773, 912 Baker, William J. 745 Balci, Yilmaz 491 Baldwin, Bruce G. 12, 14, 113, 412, 583, 584 Balick, Michael J. 572 Balkam, Natalie 267 Ballard Jr, Harvey E 441, 443, 444, 865 Ballhorn, Daniel 893 Barbaro, Tracy 552 Barbazuk, William B. 103, 703 Barber, Janet C. 841 Barbera Sanchez, Patricia 451 Barker, Michael S 358, 708, 709 Barkworth, Mary E 550, 615 Barone Lumaga, Maria Rosaria 188 Barone, John 570 Barr, Jordan 57 Barreiro, Fรกtima S. 15 Barrett, Craig 458, 721, 803 Barrett, Marissa 369 Barrett, Matthew 799 Barrington, David 431, 748 Barry, Kerrie 699 Barthet, Michelle Marie 290 Bartlett, Madelaine 51 Baseggio, Matheus 291 Basham, Anne 555 Batool, Ghania 628 Baughman, Jenna T. 148, 853 Baum, David 814 Baxter, David 12 Bayat, Soheila 461 Bayer, Randall 415

Bayly, Michael J 388, 439 Beaulieu, Jeremy 582 Beaulieu, Jeremy M. 747 Bechen, Lindsey 698 Beck, James Benjamin 11, 474 Becus, Marjie 261 Behling, Emily 164 Belaski, Whitney 609 Bell, David 162 Bell, Karen Leanne 88 Belland, Rene 154 Bello, Nora 258, 284 Belnap, Camille 281 Benedict, John C. 547 Bennert, Jeff 277 Bennert, Jon 277 Bennett, Bradley 273 Berardi, Andrea 730 Berbeo, Asseneth 485 Berger, Brent 677, 691, 829 Berlyn, Graeme P. 56, 59, 343 Bernardini, Benedetta 368 Bernardo, Holly 206 Bernhardt, Peter 784 Berry, Christopher 70 Berry, Paul 369 Best, Hannah 883 Best, Jason H. 483, 493 Bhandari, Gauri Shankar 508 Biang, Kathrines 815 Biersma, Elisabeth M. 112 Biffin, Edward 368 Bippus, Alexander Cole 310 Bird, Kevin 291 Biro, Peter 117 Bishop, Amanda 558 Biver, Weston 520 Blaedow, Ryan 19 Blair, Charles E 221, 244 Blake-Mahmud, Jennifer 556, 876 Blauvelt, Melissa 672 Bleich, Andrew 510 Blischak, Paul 387, 462, 527 Bloemen, Jasper 65 Blossey, Bernd 120, 129 Bobich, Edward 485 Bobo, Rachel 887 Bock, Jane 184 Bock, Jane H 177

BODIN, EMILY 558 Bohs, Lynn 525, 573 Bolin, Jay F. 366 Bonacorsi, Nikole 878 Bontrager, Kristen 644 Booth, Tom 154 Borer, Catherine 350 Borges, Adriana 645 Borowicz, Victoria A. 224, 241, 642 Bourg, Norman 126, 130 Box, Mathew 682 Box, Stephen J. 756 Boyd, Jennifer 655 Boyd, Kate 298 Boyd, Robert Steven 262, 633, 634, 843 Brambach, Fabian 368 Brandão, Rita 751 Brautigam, Andrea 104 Bravo Mendoza, Mariana 58 Breeden, Meredith 796 Brickman, Peggy 557 Briggler, Malissa 636 Brightly, William 336 Brightly, William H 338 Brinda, John C 147 Brochmann, Christian 577 Brockington, Samuel 714, 822 Brodersen, Craig 44 Bronson, Allison 337 Brosi, Berry J. 88 Brouwer, Nathan L. 122 Brown, Amanda 632 Brown, Elizabeth A. 377 Brown, Herrick 298, 601 Brown, Jennifer 858 Brown, Ken 459 Browning, Larry 538 Bruce, Douglas 696 Bruederle, Leo P 598 Bruederle, Leo P. 114 Bruhn, Robert 478 Bruneau, Anne 410 Brzyski, Jessica 860 Buback, Steven 890 Bucior, Danielle 349 Buckley, Liberty 632 Buczynski, Rebekah 563 Budke, Jessica 97 Buell, C. Robin 391 Buide, M. Luisa 253, 592 388

Bukhari, Ghadeer 49, 686 Bullard-Roberts, Angelle 273 Bunner, Allissa 549 Burg, Anika 214 Burgess, Kevin 88, 570, 643 Burke, Janelle M 189, 519 Burke, John 697 Burke, Sean 455 Burkle, Laura 87 Burleigh, Gordon 91, 553, 905 Burns, Amanda 364 Burns, Emily 44 Burns, John 93 Burslem, David 368 Bush, Caroline 824 Bush, Catherine M 737 Butler, Alice 537 Byers, Diane L 83, 84, 238 Byng, James W. 134, 135, 368, 568

C C.D., Anderson 293 Cabrera, Lidia 271 Cahoon, Bruce 912 Cairns, David 608, 856 Calamia, Alex 280 Calderón-Acevedo, Camilo Andrés 233 Caldwell, Morgan 191 Call, Geoff 655 Callodonato, Rebecca 179 Cameron, Ken 396, 420, 423, 448, 586, 595, 768, 825, 869 Campacci, Thiago 750 Campbell, Diane R. 779 Cantley, Jason 80, 239, 245, 246, 248, 526, 537, 736, 854 Cantrill, David 521 Cao, Yanan 613 Caomhanach, Nuala 63 Caraballo-Ortiz, Marcos A. 433 Cardon, Zoe 696 Carey, Sarah B. 699 Carl, James Robert Currie 561

Author Index Carleton, Jim 232 Carlo, Tomas 433 Carlsen, Monica 800, 821, 840 Carlson, Jane 204, 207 Carlson, Matthew 794 Carper, Dana 894 Carr, Mariah 157, 158 Carrell, Alyssa 96, 894 Carter, Christy T 865 Carter, J. Richard 482, 488 Carvajal, Danny E. 668 Carvalho, Monica 170 Carver, Michelle 350 Cary, Katharine 656 Castilla, Antonio R 788 Castillo, Ana C. 855 Castro, Silvia 505 Caton, Tara 736 Catron, Ashley 365 Caudle, Keri 237, 648, 899 Cavaliere, Dario Julian 531 Caverly, Loriel 794 Caviness, Terrance E. 164 Cellinese, Nico 403, 435, 465, 517 Chafin, Linda 2 Chamala, Srikar 401 Chamberlain, Evan 778 Chamberlin, Mark 879 Chambers, Malinda 738 Chambers, Patricia 769 Chambers, Sally 353, 354 Chanderbali, Andre 829 Chanel, Sam 572 Chang, Chia-Hao 841 Chang, Shumei 83, 84, 781, 877, 891 Chang, Ying 162 Chantaranothai, Pranom 368 Chapin, Kenneth J. 851 Chapman, Julia 215 Chapman, Julia I. 213 Charboneau, Joseph 468 Charette, Martin 710 Chatelet, David 647 Chatrou, Lars 751 Chau, Marian M. 629, 903 Chen, Chuan 529 Chen, Kai-Yi 774 Chen, Ko-Hsuan 98 Chen, Lisheng 437 Chen, Zhiduan 367, 440

Cheng, Shifeng 104 Cheong, Eunju 235 Chesnut, Joshua 178 Chester, Micahel 716 Chiang, Tzen-Yuh 841 Chiang, Vincent L. 64 Chiang, Yu-Chung 863 Chiarello, Savannah 659 Chidibere, Chukwu 202, 402 Chitwood, Dan 5 Chmielewski, Matthew 226 Cho, Myong-suk 727 Choi, Jinhee 460 Choi, Jiyeong 262 Choi, Tae Young, 495 Chopra, Ratan 693 Choudhury, Bailey 536 Christenhusz, Maarten 568 Christenhusz, Maaten 368, 571 Christopher, Dorothy 559, 877 Chung, Kuo-Fang 589, 591, 774 Chérubin, Laurent M. 756 Ciotir, Claudia 278 Clark, John L. 385, 597 Clark, John R. 426 Clark, Lia 555 Clark, Lynn 449, 450, 454, 455 Clark, Megan 558 Clark, Theresa An 163 Clary, Renee 539 Clavijo, Laura 385, 597 Clayborn, Jaeson 545, 623 Clement, Wendy L 746 Clements, Mark 586 Cleveland, Claire 339 Clewel, Sarah 815 Clifford, Trevor 332 Clocher, Ilona C 52 Coate, Jeremy 711 Cobb, Neil 615 Cober, Elroy 710 Coburn, Francis 422 Cohen, Jim 635, 886 Collins, Betsy 579 Comer, Jason 837 Comes, Peter 613 Conant, Gavin 890 Connet, Nicole M. 795 Conrad, Roth E. 699 389

Conran, John G 458 Contreras, Dori 306 Cook, Douglas 140, 171, 186, 346, 347 Cook, Joseph 552 Coons, Janice 884 Cooper, Benjamin 411 Cooper, Ranessa 548, 565, 617 Cooper, Toby 192, 777 Corbin, Bradley 225 Cornish, Katrina 175, 662 Cortés, Andrés 731, 767 Costa, David G 666 Costa, Gleicyanne 750 Coutant, Nancy 884 Cox, Monica 449 Cramer, Michael 208 Cramer, Rainier 390 Crane, Peter 325 Crayn, Darren M. 377 Crepet, William 321, 326 Crifò, Camilla 338 Cronn, Richard C. 830 Crowl, Andrew 465 Cruse-Sanders, Jennifer M. 570, 634 Cruzan, Mitch 759, 772 Cui, Hong 91, 553, 905 Culley, Theresa 139, 251, 261, 406 Cummins, Joseph 558 Cuneo, N. Ruben 328 Cusimano, Victoria 563 Czapla, Grant 789

D Dacosta-Calheiros, Emmanuel 186 Dang, Christie L. 187 Daragan, Christina 812 Darrach, Mark 471 Davenport, Lawrence J 297 Davis, Avery 645 Davis, Charles C. 34, 48, 198, 676, 743 Davis, E. Christine 91 Davis, Jerrold I 458 Davis, Kendal 340 Davis, Sandra 885 Davis, Stephen 364

Davis, Stephen Darrel 645, 660 Davis, Thomas M. 734 de Boer, Hugo 174 De Vos, Jurriaan 713, 732 Deal, Haley 844 Decombeix, Anne-Laure 40, 318, 319 Dehne, Frank 710 Del Tredici, Peter 523 Delavoi, Charles 161 Dellinger-Johnston, Rebecca 408 DeMariano, Audra J. 85 DeMoraes, Consuelo 77 Denton, John 337 dePamphilis, Claude W. 433, 704, 752, 835 Der, Joshua 102 Der, Joshua P. 104 DeSpiegelaere, Sarah 460 Determann, Ron 889 Dettmann, Mary 332 Devall, Emerita, Margaret S. 216 Devlin, Donna J. 756 DeVore, Melanie 330, 555 Di Stilio, Veronica S 674, 692 Diaz, Nicolas 246 Dick, Christopher 37 Dickey, Mallory 213 Dickinson, Tim 252, 446, 514 Diedrich, John 881 Dietrick, Erika M. 622 Diggle, Pamela Kathleen 139, 749 Dikow, Rebecca 10, 469, 916 Diller, Carolina 785 Diller, Sara 609 Dillon, Steven 536 DiMaria, Stephen 270 Dismukes, Wade 847 Dobbins, Catherine 496 Dodsworth, Steven 745 Doering, Jennifer 154 Dolan, Benjamin James 217 Donaldson, Andrew M. 158 Dong, Yibo 434, 817, 819 Donoghue, Michael 141, 582, 647, 746, 816

Donovan, Elizabeth 232 Donovan, Lisa 566, 667 Donovan, Sam 552 Dorfzaun, Alexandra 225 Dormontt, Eleanor 13 Doro, Thomas 572 Dorr, Laurence J. 373 Doucette, Alfonso 586 Douglas, Norman 468, 487, 507, 576, 817 Douglas, Rachel 521 Dovo, Presley 572 Downie, Stephen R. 471 Downing, Jason 901 Doyle, James A 306, 320 Doyle, Jane 801 Doyle, Jeff 693, 711, 801, 888 Drake, Ellen 576 Drenovsky, Rebecca 220, 657 Drenovsky, Rebecca E 250, 669 Drew, Bryan 486 Drew, Bryan T 110, 532, 602 Drezner, Taly Dawn 203 Drummond, Chloe 603, 768 Du, Yan-Lei 211 Dudareva, Natalia 391 Dudle, Dana A 885 Dugas, Diana V. 836 Duijnstee, Ivo 39 Dukes, Jeffrey S 231 Dunn, Michael 350 Dupin, Julia 573 Dupree, Katharine 792 Duran, Cody 352 Duran, Kristy 264, 352 Duvall, Mel 455 Dyreson, Curtis 615 DĂĄvalos, Andrea 120, 129

E Eaton, Deren 908 Eckert, Scott 255 Edger, Patrick 847 Edwards, Caroline 507 Edwards, Christy 864, 867 Edwards, Erika 647, 713, 820 Egan, Ashley N. 693, 801, 838 390

Ehardt, Cassie 640 Eilu, Gerald 577 Eily, Ariana 105 Elder, Morgan 366 Ellis, Shari 614 Ellison, Shelby 413 Ellwanger, Claire 285 Ellwood, Elizabeth 477, 478, 552, 614 Elvin, Mark 532 Emerling, Christopher A. 685 Emery, Nancy 210 Emry, David Jason 644 Endara, Lorena 494, 553, 586, 905 Eppley, Sarah 226 Erickson, David 130 Eriksson, Torsten 734 Escapa, Ignacio H 71 Escapa, Ignacio Hernan 72 Escudero, Marcial 114, 598 Eserman, Lauren 826, 837 Espindola, Anahi 593 Espino, Susana 646 Estep, Matt C. 874 Etterson, Julie 599 Evanich, Daniel 17 Evans, Matthew 871 Evans, Timothy 724 Evensen, Arthur 281 Everett, Amanda 416 Ewers, Frank 652, 660

F Faden, Robert 724 Fagan, Camille 182 Fant, Jeremie 82, 285, 618, 698, 715, 783, 828 Farenwald, Max 637 Farruggia, Frank Thomas 232 Fastige, Rachael 563 Feder, ZoĂŤ 657, 669 Fegley, Erin 620 Fehlberg, Shannon D 585 Feist, Mary Ann 420, 471 Feller, Ilka C. 756 Fenster, Charlie 594, 749, 785 Fer, Tomas 821

Author Index Ferguson, Carolyn J. 585, 870 Fernando, Thilina 227 FernĂĄndez, Victoria 167 Fijal, Savannah 773 Fischer, Woodward W. 46 Fishbein, Mark 378, 379, 382, 830, 832, 902 Fisher, Amanda Elizabeth 489 Fisher, Kirsten M. 148, 853 Fitz Gerald, Jonathan 466 Flannery, Maura C. 295 Flemons, Paul 477 Floden, Aaron J 405 Florens, Vincent 368 Flowers, Nicholas 153 Flynn, Colleen 348 Folk, Ryan 367, 401, 435, 436, 486 Forest, FĂŠlix 745 Forrestel, Elisabeth 743 Fortner, A. Renee 622 Foster, Charles 521, 809 Fowler, Rachael M 388 Fox, Laurel 209 Fraga, Naomi 392 Fraley, Philip 658 Frank, A. Carolin 894 Franks, Robert 53, 180 Franks, Steven 257 Franta, Roxanne 738 Frawley, Emma 537 Freeman, Charlotte 127 Freeman, Mary 151, 201 Freese, Daniella 719 Freitas, Karen 469 Freudenstein, John V. 398, 812 Freyman, William A. 12, 412, 432, 583, 584 Fritsch, Peter W 483, 493, 737 Frost, Laura 35, 116, 580 Fryer, Emma R. 304 Fu, Chengxin 529 Fuertes-Aguilar, Javier 522 Fuller, Daniel 447 Fung, Vivian 250 Funk, Vicki 10, 469, 916 Furedi, Mary Ann 144

Furtado Dias, Elisabete 588 Futrell, Caryn J. 220

G Gaddis, Keith Donald 608, 856 Gaither, Jeff 527 Gallaher, Tim 449, 450 Gallaher, Timothy 455 Gallegos, Hilma R 218 Galliart, Matthew 284 Galloway, Laura 766 Gamba, Diana 233 Gan, Xiangchao 684 Gandolfo, Maria A 322, 326, 542 Gao, Ao 688 Gao, Xin-Fen 360 Garanich, Meghan 239 Garavelli, Lysel 756 Garber, Kris 232 Garcia, Michelle 897 Garcia, Nicolas 391, 401 Gardner, Andrew 466 Gardner, Andy 691, 823 Gardner, Elliot 272, 429, 818 Gardner, Jessica 362 Garmon, David 851 Garoutte, Christopher Scott 513 Garrett, Patrick Charles 786 Garwood, Nancy 511, 512 Garza, Elyssa 760, 761, 776 Gatt, Kyle P 444 Gaus, Eve 91 Gavala, Lacey 239 Gaynor, Michelle 770 Gayou, Sean Anthony 550 Gemmill, Chrissen E. C. 472 Gensel, Patricia G 315 Geraci, Blake 716 Gerelle, Wesley 712 Germain-Aubrey, Charlotte 193, 367, 440, 474 German, Dmitry A. 522 Gernandt, David S. 496, 498, 842 Ghandforoush, Titian 376, 425 Ghosh, Nabarun 277 Giblin, David 475 391

Gibson, David 284 Gibson, J Phil 551, 640 Giffei, Bridget L. 187 Gil, Hee-Young 728 Gil, Luis 167 Gilbert, M. Thomas P. 15 Gilderman, Gina 645 Gile, Gillian 105 Gilland, Keith E. 213 Gillespie, Breahna 364 Gillespie, Emily Laura 481 Gillock, Eric 899 Gilman, Ian 393 Giraldo, Giovanny 423, 586 Gitzendanner, Matthew 401, 440, 530, 757 Givnish, Thomas J 420, 586, 768 Gizaw, Abel 577 Gladish, Daniel K 172 Glass, Jennifer 96 Glenny, William 87 Goad, David 682 Godden, Grant 391 Goeckeritz, Charity 525 Goertzen, Leslie 706, 843 Goffinet, Bernard 95, 97, 99, 100, 112, 155, 161, 164, 827 Goldfarb, Barry 855 Golshani, Ashkan 710 Gomes, Shaiany 750 Gomez, Marybel Soto 810 Goncalves, Deise 518 Gonzalez, Lauren 31, 32 Goodwillie, Carol 543, 622, 880 Goolic, Ryan 612 Gorchov, David L 119, 128 Gordon, Judith 621 Gore, Michael 291 Gormally, Cara 557 Gostel, Morgan 469 Grace, Olwen 458 Graham, Jeremy 150 Graham, Linda E. 94 Graham, Sean W 74 Graham, Sean W. 162, 712, 810 Grant, Alannie-Grace 179 Grant, Kirstie 519 Grasso, Matthew 166 Grasty, Monica 759

Gravendeel, Barbara 174 Graça, José 167 Greenwood, Joshua L 147, 149 Grewell, Brenda J. 220 Grierson, Pauline 799 Griffith, Alden B 231 Grillo, Marisa 240 Grimwood, Jane 699 Grocholl, John J. 882 Groff, Paul A. 380 Gross, Briana 283 Grover, Corrinne 814 Grubbs, Kunsiri Chaw 370, 671 Grusz, Amanda 101 Guilliams, C. Matt 107, 513 Guilliams, Matt 108, 113 Gulbranson, Erik L 41, 319 Gulledge, Kim 520 Guo, Jinyan 683 Guo, Wenhu 705 Guralnick, Robert 193, 367, 436, 477 Guzmán-Delgado, Paula 167

H Haak, David 37 Haas, Alexis Suzette 269 Hacke, Uwe 664 Hagsater, Eric 808 Hahn, Matt 37 Hall, Benjamin 375, 844 Hall, Jocelyn C 374, 847 Hall, Nathan 706, 843 Hall, Tara 709 Hallett, Allysa 778 Hammack, David 461 Han, Jiahong 691 Hancock, Laura 223 Hancock, Lillian Pine 713, 820 Hancock, Thomas 199 Hansen, Kimberley 830 Hansen, Matthew S. 838 Hao-Chun, Hsu 680 Harbert, Robert S 335 Harder, Lawrence D 52, 749 Hardy, Christopher 619, 749 Haripersaud, Padmattie 446 Harkess, Alex 681, 837 Harris, Jesse 515

Harris, Kari Megan 554 Harris, Kody 898 Harrison, K. David 572 Hartley, Nathan 619 Hartley, Sue 336 Harvey, Alan 225 Hasenstab-Lehman, Kristen 113, 383 Hauck, Jonathan 849 Havens, Kayri 89, 620 Hawes, Martha 3 Hawkins, Angela K. 760, 761, 776 Hawkins, W. Daryl 761, 776 Hay, Nikolai 874 Hayden, W John 182 Hayes, Daniel 80, 248, 854 Heberling, J. Mason 122 Hedderson, Terry 97 Heidel, Bonnie 870 Henry, Laura 391 Henwood, Murray 521 Heo, Kweon 716 Herendeen, Patrick 325 Herlihy, Chris 227 Herrera Arrieta, Yolanda 452 Herrera, Fabiany 325, 334 Herrera, Maria del Pilar 181 Herrmann, Maria 60, 61 Herron, Sterling 278 Hess, Garrett 563 Hewett Hazelton, Kristen 692 Heyd, Lauren 190 Heydler, Susan G 390 Heyduk, Karolina 694, 837 Hickey, R. James 786 Hickey, Ryan 786, 858 Hidayati, Siti 256 Hieger, Timothy 555 Hildebrand, Terri J 279 Hileman, Lena C 50, 749 Hillabrand, Rachel 664 Hilt, Christina 648, 663 Hipp, Andrew 445, 733 Ho, Simon 521, 809 Hoang, Bao Tram 858 Hoch, Peter C. 85, 841 Hodel, Richard G 195 Hodgson, Wendy 575 Hoekstra, Paul 751 Hogg, Ted 664 Holmlund, Helen 364, 645, 660 392

Holsinger, Kent 28, 204, 802 Holtum, Joseph 820 Hong, Jeong-Ki 862 Hooker, Marcus 587 Hoot, Sara 421 Horn, Charles 394 Horn, James W. 373 Horner, Harry 449, 879 Hove, Alisa A 249 Howard, Cody 403 Howarth, Dianella 466, 677, 690, 691, 829 Howe, Natalie 563 Hsu, Tsai-Wen 841, 863 Hu, Jer-Ming 589 Hu, Jin-Yong 718 Huang, Chao-Li 841 Huang, Sophia 564 Huang, Yu-Lan 774 Huber, John A. 670 Huebner, Cynthia D. 212 Hufford, Larry 587, 749 Hughes, Colin E. 836 Hughes, Mark 447 Hughes, Olivia 536 Hughes, William 230 Huhndorf, Sabine 334 Huiet, Layne 355, 356 Hulsey, Ryan 789 Humphreys, Aelys 512 Hunnicutt, Jessica 671 Hunter, Steven 586 Husby, Chad 665 Huxman, Travis E. 851 Höhna, Sebastian 412

I Iannucci, Maria 220 Ichihashi, Yasunori 5 Ichinnorov, Niiden 325 Ickert-Bond, Stefanie 437, 506 Idu, Macdonald 242 Igwe, David O 630 Illoh, Herbert Chukuma 516 INKSTER, JACLYN 620 Irvin, Lani 639 Itani, Moustapha A. 754 Ivalu, Cacho 760 Ivey, Christopher T 249

Author Index

J Jabaily, Rachel Schmidt 466, 536, 691, 823, 824 Jacobs, Douglass 127 Jacobs, Sarah 462 Jacobs, Sarah J. 463 Jacobsen, Anna L 20 James, Elizabeth 521 James, Shelley 30 James, Thomson 732 Jamzad, Ziba 530 Jander, Georg 888 Jansen, Robert 518 Jansen, Steven 21, 173, 646 Jantzen, Johanna 197 Jaramillo, Carlos 334 Jenkins, Jerry 699 Jenkins, Michael 124, 127 Jensen, Jamie 546 Jensen, Nicholas 616 Jetz, Walter 582 Jha, Shalene 788 Ji, Xiang 817, 819 Jiménez, Jaime E. 164 Jin, Jian-Jun 752 Jin, Jianhua 311 Jinga, Percy 861 Joesting, Heather M 659 Jogesh, Tania 82, 236, 783 Johnsen, Kurt H. 855 Johnson, Cameron 178 Johnson, Eden 823 Johnson, Gabriel 437, 804, 840 Johnson, Leigh 111 Johnson, Loretta 237, 258, 284, 648, 663 Johnson, Matthew 90, 95, 97, 100, 411, 429, 698, 707, 805, 818, 827, 828 Johnson, Melissa 426 Johnson, Robert 293 Jolls, Claudia 620, 622 Jonathan, Wendel 814 Jones, Cynthia S. 169, 205, 649 Jones, Daniel S. 178 Jones, Ian Matthew 218 Jones, Marcus 190, 228, 549, 882 Jones, R. David 232 Jordan, Kristina 511, 512

Jordan, Rebecca 521 Jordon-Thaden, Ingrid 80, 239, 248, 432, 537, 736, 854 Jorgensen, Stacy A 358 Joseph, Camryn 494 Joseph, Gallagher 814 Joshee, Nirmal 639 Jovan, Sarah 142 Jud, Nathan A 312, 331 Judd, Walter 453, 503, 575 Juliano, Steven A. 241 Julias, Margaret 346, 347 Jung, Michael 864 Jung, Sung-Cheol 235 Jutla, Satpal 161 Juzwik, Jennifer 19

K K.M., Farley 293 Kalisz, Susan 122, 179 Kaltenegger, Elisabeth 739 Kamileen, Mohamed Omar 391 Kaminsky, Barry 152 Kana Huisa, Elizabeth 651 Kapgate, Dashrath 308 Karam, Nisrine 754 Karemera, Hassan 498 Karimi, Nisa 814 Kariyat, Rupesh 77 Kariyat, Rupesh R 76, 78 Karrenberg, Sophie 731, 767 Karron, Jeffrey David 778 KASS, LEE B 300 Kates, Heather Rose 833 Kauffman, Gary 874 Keefover-Ring, Ken 264 Kellam, Kane 898 Kellar, Chauncey 509 Kellar, Pamela Roxanne 541, 638 Kellogg, Elizabeth Anne 456, 682, 815, 846 Kempa, Matúš, 522 Kennedy, John Paul 756 Kephart, Susan 251, 292, 406, 501 Kerr, Kelly 661 Kerry, John 701 Kerski, Joesph 552 393

Kessler, Andre 247 Khanday, Imtiyaz 178 Khavari-Nejad, Ramezan-Ali 762 Khojayori, Farahnoz 676, 689 Kiel, Carrie A. 389 Kiernan, Brian 232 Kilbane, Christina 525 Kilgore, Jason Scott 217, 265 Kim, Chan-Soo 235, 727 Kim, Changkyun 404 Kim, Eunsoo 93 Kim, Hye Min 508 Kim, Joo-Hwan 404 Kim, Joonseog 689 Kim, Seon-Hee 384, 574 Kim, Seung-Chul 384, 574, 727, 728 Kim, Wonhee 862 Kim, Yong-In 581 Kim, Young-Dong 581 Kimberly, Paul 477 King, Megan 563 Kington, Sharon 611 Kirchoff, Bruce K 408, 906, 915 Kirst, Matias 103 Kiss, John Z. 191, 345, 351 Klahs, Phillip 450, 455 Klepsch, Matthias 21 Klimczak, Korena 228 Kling, Matthew 12, 583 Knapp, Mary 258, 284 Knapp, Sandra 573 Knight, Tiffany 206 Knopf, Patrick 325 Knox, Eric 464, 800 Knox, John 298 Koch, Marcus 529 Koehler, Samantha 750 Koelling, Vanessa 267 Koenen, Erik 836 Koenig, Max 711 Kolton, Max 96 Kontur, Sophie 742 Koohdar, Fahimeh 753 Kooner, Taj P. 773 Koontz, Stephanie M. 229 Koptur, Suzanne 200, 218, 623 Korn, Randi 156 Kostka, Joel 96 Kovar, Lynsey 836

Krakos, Kyra N. 85 Kramer, Andrea 618 Kramer, Diedre 648 Kramer, Elena 676 Krauss, Siegfried 799 Kress, John 271, 821 Kriebel, Ricardo 369, 420, 424, 586, 768 Krieg, Christopher 665 Krimmel, Erica R. 560 Krinitsyna, Anastasiya A. 535 Kron, Kathleen A 259, 376, 425, 439, 737 Krosnick, Shawn Elizabeth 192, 442, 611, 625, 777 Krstec, Lidija 156 Krug, Michael 744 Ku, Tim C.W. 56, 59, 343 Kubatko, Laura 387, 527 Kueppers, Lara 894 Kulbaba, Mason W 52 Kummer, Tyler 546 Kutchan, Toni 701 Kwak, Myounghai 862 Kwantes, Michiel 684 Kwon, Youl 727 Kyra, Krakos 236, 789, 790, 791, 793, 883

L L.A, Johnson 293 La Farge, Catherine 143 La Rosa, Raffica 210 Labate, Joanne 291 Lacey, Mae 526 Laffan, Shawn 193 Lagomarsino, Laura 34, 743, 800 lai, Yangjun 326 Lam, Vivienne K. Y. 712, 810 Lampley, Jayne 606 Lance, Richard 864 Lance, Ron 514 Landis, Jacob Brian 675, 699 Lane, Amanda 701 Laport, Robert 260, 740, 758, 770, 771 Lara Domínguez, Ana Laura 58

Latimer, Andrew 207 Latvis, Maribeth 462, 463 Laushman, Roger H 214 Lawrence, Travis Joseph 839 Leavitt, Steven D. 145 Lee, Byoung-Yoon 862 Lee, Hye Ji 460 Lee, Michelle 608 Lee, Sangryong 574 Lee, Shih-Chien 395 Leebens-Mack, Jim 397, 681, 694, 701, 826, 835, 837 Leeds, Blake 858 Legler, Ben 475 Leitch, Ilia J. 745 Lekson, Victoria 364 Lemmon, Alan 825 Lemmon, Alan R. 423, 523, 802, 807, 808 Lemmon, Emily 423, 802 Lens, Frederic 135, 174 Leo, Karena 525 Leslie, Andrew 325, 582, 878, 881 Levin, Rachel 698, 828 Lewis, Emily Marie 715 Lewis, Lily R. 99, 112, 164 Lewis, Louise 744 Lewis, Paul 802 Lexer, Christian 767 Li, Chunqi 459 Li, De-Zhu 737, 752 Li, Fay-Wei 104, 105, 106, 813 Li, Feng-Min 211 LI, JIANHUA 434, 459, 523 Li, Pan 529, 768, 872 Liang, Zongsuo 872 Liao, Hui-Ling 98 Lieffers, Victor 664 Lim, Aedric 677 Lim, Gwynne S 458 Limbird, Eric 256 Lin, Qianshi 74, 810 Lin, Tesia 563 Lindo, Julieta 819 Lindsay, Denise 864 Link-Perez, Melanie 365, 544, 561 Lintilhac, Philip 166 Linton, Debra L. 552, 560 394

Liston, Aaron 428, 806, 830, 832, 873, 902 Litt, Amy 179, 678, 679, 685, 717, 730, 749 Little, Damon 531 Little, R John 787 Little, Stefan Allan 673 Liu, Hong 901 Liu, Ruizheng 872 Liu, Shih-Hui 841 Liu, Sitong 532 Liu, Xiang 53, 180 Liu, Xiaoxian 703 Liu, Xiaoyan 311 Liu, Xin 104 Liu, Yang 95, 97, 99, 161 Livshultz, Tatyana 726, 739 Loayza, Andrea 668, 892 Lobo, Alejandra 496 Lockhart, Samuel 497 Locklear, Jared 341 Lohmann, Lucia G 390 Loke, Elena 214, 487 Long, James 243 Looy, Cindy V. 39 Lopez-Portillo, Jorge 56, 58, 59, 343 Loraine, Ann 719 Louis, Joe 79 Love, Kevin 477 Lowe, Phillip D. 482, 488 Lowry II, Porter P. 472 Lu, Lu 737 Lu, Pei-Luen 395 Lu-Irving, Patricia 116 Lucardi, Rima 643 Lucas, Eve 368 Luceño, Modesto 114, 598 Ludwig, Thomas 365 Luftman, Nathan 245 Lumbsch, H. Thorsten 145 Lundberg, Magnus 734 Luo, Yan 718, 719, 720 Lutz, Sue 506 Lutzoni, Francois 98, 744 Lyon, Stephanie 586 Lytle, Erika S 501

Author Index

M M.R., Steven 293 Ma, Qin 53, 723 Mabry, Makenzie 113 Macon, Jenna 679 Maddaus, Peter 599 Madden, Julie 264 Madhugiri, Nageswara-Rao 836 Madsen, Tom 12 Magallón, Susana 744, 749, 807, 808 Maguiña, Rossana 233 Mahadwar, Gouri 838 Maheepala, Dinusha C. 678, 679, 685 Maisey, John 337 Major, Catherine Kendall 859 Majure, Lucas 453, 503, 504 Majure, Lucas C. 193, 197, 575 Maki, Masayuki 574, 728 Malley, Claire 827 Malmberg, Russell 247, 889 Malone, Amanda 165 Manchester, Steven 134, 308, 324, 334 Manchester, Steven R 136 Mandel, Jennifer R 10, 222, 415, 702, 859, 916 Mandujano, Viridiana 366 Manley, Michael 558 Manos, Paul 733 Mansaray, Janet 189 Mansfield, Donald H. 471 Mao, Yunrui 613 Marchant, Blaine 103, 194 Mardonovich, Sandra 857 Marhold, Karol 522 Marias, Danielle 661 Maricle, Brian 237, 284, 648, 653, 663 Marisco, Travis 643 Mark, Kristiina 145 Marques, Edward 186 Marques, Isabel 810 Marsico, Travis D. 554, 560 Martin, Michael D. 9, 15, 811, 866

Martin, Nicole 648, 653 Martine, Chris 29, 80, 239, 245, 246, 248, 432, 526, 537, 736, 854 Martinez Sancho, Elisabet 664 Martinod, Kylie 128 Martín-Bravo, Santiago 114 Marx, Hannah 427 Masalia, Rishi R. 697 Masao, Catherine Aloyce 577 Mason-Gamer, Roberta J. 457 Mast, Austin 477, 478, 614 Mathew, Febina 723 Mathews, Sarah 582 Matsunaga, Kelly 308 Matthews, Elizabeth 240 Matzke, Nicholas J 573 Mavencamp, Chelsea N 279 Mavrodiev, Evgeny 530, 716 Mayer, Juliana 750 Mayfield, Mark H. 870 Mazer, Susan J 249 McAllister, Chrissy 815 McCarthy, Elizabeth 730 McCauley, Ross A 590, 796 McClain, Katherine 250 McClanahan, Gina 599 McCulloh, Katherine 661 McCune, Bruce 142 McDade, Lucinda 383, 389, 426 McDaniel, James 396, 586 McDaniel, Stuart F. 91, 152, 699, 853 McDonnell, Angela Jean 378, 379, 832, 917 McElroy, J. Scott 706 McEwan, Ryan 215 McGill, David 212 McGlynn, Shawn E. 46 McGuigan, Ashley 572 McGuire, Mary Anne 65 McKain, Michael 397, 456, 682, 815, 837, 846 McLetchie, Nicholas 860 McManus, Brittany 338 McManus, Hilary A 92 McNair, Daniel 333 395

McNeal, Joel R. 695, 875 McPherson, Hannah 809 McShea, William 126, 130 McVay, John 733 Medeiros, Ian 196 Medina, Miles 545 Medina, Rafael 97, 161 Medrano, Esther 659 Meerow, Alan W. 401 Meinzer, Frederick 661 Melton, Anthony 757, 843 Mena, Nicolas 670 Mena-Ali, Jorge 77 Menges, Eric S. 229 Menzel, Annette 664 Merced, Amelia 153 Merckx, Vincent 810 Merritt, Benjamin 251 Mescher, Mark 77 Meulia, Tea 175, 662 Meyer, Rachel 282, 911 Meyer-Berthaud, Brigitte 40 Michaels, Helen J. 797, 900 Michelangeli, Fabian 519 Michener, Pryce 823, 824 Mickle, James E 188, 341 Mickley, James 286, 782 Millard, Avery 350 Miller, Allison 278 Miller, Brittney 143 Miller, Gary 212 MILLER, LINDSEY 500 Miller, Matthew 538 Miller, Thomas E. 719 Miller-Struttmann, Nicole 85 Millette, Katelyn 148 Mincey, Katherine 262, 843 Mindell, Randal A. 329 Minnaert-Grote, Jamie 884 Mishler, Brent D. 12, 193, 583, 584 Mitchell, Nora 204, 802 Mitchell, Randall 778 Mocko, Kerri 205, 649 Moein, Fatemeh 530 Mohn, Rebekah 867 Molano-Flores, Brenda 884 Molgo, Iwan 418 Molnar, Steve 710 Monfils, Anna K 552, 560, 913 Monro, Alex 589

Montgomery, Benjamin R 798 Montgomery, Sean 162 Moody, Michael 897 Moonlight, Peter 447 Moore, Abigail 820 Moore, Abigail J 713 Moore, Jaime A. 158 Moore, Michael 411, 468, 487, 507, 576, 657, 669, 714, 715, 822, 828, 914 Moore, Richard C. 786, 857, 858 Moore, Timothy 205, 208 Morales, Frida 645 Morawetz, Jeffery 461 Moreno, Alejandra 498 Moreton, Steven 558 Morgan, David R. 156 Morgan, Eric C 219 Moriarty Lemmon, Emily 523, 807, 808, 825 Morris, Ashley 474 Morris, Ashley B. 560 Morris, Hugh 21, 173 Morrison, Janet 123, 240, 255, 263, 612 Mortensen, David 121 Mortimer, Sebastian 406 Morueta-Holme, Naia 12 Mota, Juan Francisco 522 Moura, Yohans 750 Mower, Jeff 705 Mower, Jeffrey 725 Moyle, Leonie 37 Muchhala, Nathan C. 233, 800 Mugizi, Tusiime Felly 577 Muhyi, Noor R. 836 Muller, Clare 657, 669 Muller, Gregory 334 Mumich, Mary Margaret 301 Muniz, Paige 784 Murphy, Daniel 388, 596 Murray, Greg 459 Murrell, Zack E. 484, 874 Musselman, Lytton 409 Mutka, Andrew 895 Muwanika, Vincent 577

N N.J., Ricks 293 Naczi, Robert 453, 503, 504, 510, 520 Nadot, Sophie 741 Nagalingum, Nathalie S. 362 Naikatini, Alivereti 572 Najjar, Ramond, Jr. 60, 61 Nakamatsu, Nicole 364 Napier-Jameson, Rebekah 558 Naranjo, Andre 605 Narbona, Eduardo 592 Narechania, Apurva 93 Natesanpayer, Nadimuthu 763 Nathaniel, Pinson 260 Naumann, Julia 704 Neale, Jennifer Ramp 624 Negron-Ortiz, Vivian 627 Nejadsattari, Taher 762 Nelsen, Matthew P. 145 Nelson, Chris W. 312 Nelson, Gil 614 Nelson, Randall L. 720 Nelson, Sarah 645 Nemomissa, Sileshi 577 Nepal, Madhav P. 538, 562, 567, 700, 723, 845 Neubig, Kurt Maximillian 193, 197, 438, 453, 503, 504, 510, 511, 512, 520, 575 Neupane, Suman 419 Neupane, Surendra 700, 723, 845 Ng, Julienne 260, 740, 770, 771 Ng, Molly 266 Nicholas, Ashley 775 Nickrent, Daniel L 438 Nicolas, Devos 95 Nielsen, Tora 731 Niki, Teruo 172 Niklas, Karl 170 Nikolov, Lachezar Atanasov 48, 684 Nixon, Kevin 75, 321, 326, 335, 542 Nnamani, Catherine V 630 Noble, McKayla 742 Nodza, George 578 396

Norcross, Lindsay 544 Norris, David 184 Nosratinia, Sonia 12 Nourmohammadi, Zahra 753 Nowruzi, Bahareh 342, 762 Noyola-Alonso, Karina 366 Nucci, Mary L. 280 Nuzzo, Victoria 120, 129 Nylinder, Stephan 174

O O'Brien, George 545 O'Connell, Megan 788 O'Connor, Sarah 391 O'Keefe, Casey 338 O'Meara, Brian C. 747, 749 Obata, Shihori 817, 819 Ober, Dietrich 739 Odenkirchen, Ed 232 Ogbogo, Ikechukwu. B 630 Ogundipe, Oluwatoyin 183, 578 Oh, Sang-Hun 581 Okpoma, Marian M. 183 Oladipo, Olaniran Temitope 275, 516 Oldham, Karoline 852 Olga, Kopp 276 Olivares, Carlos 563 Oliveira, Renata S. 401 Olmstead, Richard G 116, 137, 390, 475, 573, 580 Olšavská, Katarína 522 Olukoya, Busayo 654 Omoregie, Gloria 242 Opferman, Carol 528 Orozco, Jessica 414 Ortega, Stefan 352 Ortega-Rodriguez, Sealtiel 836 Ortiz, Edgardo M. 430, 518 Ortiz-Herrera, Maria Angeles 185, 607 Osborne, Colin 336 Oshiro, Juliet 209 Ottesen, Andrea 130 Overson, Rick 82, 411, 698, 783, 828

Author Index

P Paasch, Amber 93 Paasch, Amber E. 853 Pace, Matthew Charles 399, 479, 595, 768 Padgett, Jessica 631, 632 Pais, Andrew 817 Pais, Andrew Label 764 Palagi, Jason 861 Palmer, Jeffrey D. 704 Palmeri, Gabriella 645, 660 Pan, Ching- Wen 863 Pandey, Vashist 274 Panero, Jose 467 Papahadjopoulos-Sternberg, Brigitte 646 Paris, Nathan J. 633, 634 Park, Brian 816 Park, Chong-Wook 495, 508 Park, Daniel S. 198 Park, Ji-Hyun 19 Park, Jin Hee 508 Park, MIchael S 118 Parks, Matthew 805 Pasiche Lisboa, Carlos Jose 154 Pasquet, Remy 815 Patel, Nikisha Rashmi 431 Pattillo, Meryom 151 Paul, Deborah 476, 614 Payton, Adam C. 699, 853 Pearson, Katelin D 614 Pease, James 37, 914 Peck, Chuck 232 Peet, Robert 817 Pell, Susan 138 Peng, Ju 737 Pepper, Alan E. 760, 761, 776 Peredo, Elena L 696 Pereira, Joan T. 429 Perez, Leticia 721 Perez, Miguel Anton 684 Perez, Pedro 795 Perkins, Andy 288 Perrie, Leon 362 Perry, Brian A. 572 Persinger, Jessica 260 Peterson, Paul M. 451, 452 PeĂąa, Mara 892 Pfeiler, Kelly C. 302 Philips, Robert W 238

Phillips, Molly 552 Phillips, Nathan 256 Pierce, Emily 645 Piercey-Normore, Michele 154 Pierpont, Christopher Logan 290, 294 Pigg, Kathleen B 330, 555 Pilote, Alex 566, 667 Pilson, Diana 758 Pimenova, Elena 728 Pinson, Jerald 354 Pires, Joseph Chris 291, 397, 708, 709, 834, 847, 890 Pistrang, Mark 655 Pitt, Mackenzie 280 Pittenger, Madison 237 Pittermann, Jarmila 44, 364, 656 Plunkett, Gregory M. 471, 472, 572 Podniesinski, Greg 144 Poinar, George O. 359, 381 Poindexter, Derick 520 Pokorny, Lisa 745, 818 Poland, Jesse 284 Pope, Nathaniel 788 Popp, Magnus 577 Possley, Jennifer 755 Potter, Benjamin 604 Potts, Stephen 209 poulos, Helen Mills 56, 59, 343, 344 Powell, Adrian 711, 801, 888 Prather, L. Alan 585 Pratt, R. Brandon 22 Pretz, Chelsea 895 Price, Taylor 254 Primer, Samantha 884 Proctor, Niels 907 Pryer, Kathleen 104, 105, 355, 356, 813 Puente, Caroline 271, 377 Putney, Katie 891 Puzey, Joshua 348

Q Qi, Xinshuai 708, 709 Qi, Zhechen 872 Qin, Xiao-Liang 211 397

Qiu, Yin-Long 896 Qiu, Yingxiong 613 Quandt, Dietmar 744 Quedensley, Taylor 157 Quedensley, Taylor Sultan 158 Quintanar Sanchez, Alejandro 451

R Rada, Fermin 33 Rafael, Medina 95 Rafferty, Nicole 86 Ragone, Diane 272 Ragsac, Audrey 390 Raguso, Robert 429 Raguso, Robert A. 828 Rahajoe, Joeni 368 Rahiminejad, Mohammad Reza 530 Rahm, Joseph 186 Rahmatpour, Nasim 155 Rajakaruna, Nishanata 196 Rajewski, Alex 678 Ramachandran, Padmini 130 Ramage, Elizabeth 375, 844 Ramirez-Bullon, Natali 627 Ramirez-Cadavid, David A. 662 Ramsey, Adam Joseph 222, 702 Ranathunge, Chathurani 288 Randlane, Tiina 145 Randle, Christopher 461 Ranker, Tom A. 572 Rath, Mary M. 569 Ravelo, Andrea V 890 Raven, Peter H. 841 Ravirajan, Mangaiyarkarasi 763 Ray, Avid 368 Ray, Dustin 169 Ray, Jeremy 694 Ray, Jessica 563 Ray, Rajasri 368 Raymond, Gregory 655 Rebecca, Bart 895 Ree, Richard 752 Reed, Elizabeth 130 Reeds, Karen 301 Reese, R. Neil 700, 723, 845 Reese, Shaquetta 660 Rehman, Tiana F. 483, 493 Reid, Robert 719 Rencher, Benjamin 670 Renzaglia, Karen 153

Revanna, Chandini 277 Reveal, James L 439 Reyes, Elisabeth 741 Reynolds, Alex 570 Riccardi, Greg 478, 614 Ricigliano, Vincent 677, 691 Riekert, Brandy 875 Rios, Rodrigo 892 Roalson, Eric H 374 Robart, Bruce W. 528 Robbins, M.D. 293 Robert Eaton, Deren Alexander 816 Robert, Raguso 82, 247, 698, 783 Robertson, Daniel Jordan 140, 171, 346, 347 Robertson, Larry 291 Robinson, Ashlee D. 488 Roche, Morgan 80, 854 Rock, Janet 124 Roddy, Adam 43 Rodgers, Vikki L 231 Rodriguez, Maria Fabiola 788 Rodriguez, Rachel 563 Rodriguez, Roseana 716 Rodriguez-Pena, Rosa A. 259, 293 Rogers, Willie 889 Romaschenko, Konstantin 451, 452 Rominger, Kody 268 Rork, Adam 236, 790, 793 Rose, Jeff 369, 424 Rose, Jeffrey 768 Rosenwasser, Amy 559 Rossetto, Maurizio 809 Rothfels, Carl 74, 356, 360, 813 Rothwell, Gar W 67, 68, 71, 72, 307, 323, 327 Rowe, Pamela S. 247 Rowland, Steven 5 Rozefelds, Andrew 332 Rozzi, Ricardo 99, 112, 164 Ruck, Elizabeth 805 Ruess, Holly 470 Ruffley, Megan 593 Ruhfel, Brad R 432, 560 Ruhland, Christopher 658 Runyon, Justin 87 Russell, Scott D. 178 Ryberg, Patricia Elizabeth 317 Rybicki, Nancy 641

S Saadeh, Constantine 277 Saag, Andres 145 Saag, Lauri 145 Saarela, Jeffery M. 451 Sack, Lawren 647 Sadle, Jimi 159 Saeidi, Saman 815 Saghatelyan, Anna 600 Saito, Susumu 172 Sakai, Ann 913 Sakai, Ann K. 779 Sakpere, Ayobola Moninuola 654 Salas, Andrea 200 Salazar, Gerardo A. 271, 807 Salmerรณn-Sรกnchez, Esteban 522 Salvi, Amanda M 168 Samanfar, Bahram 710 Sanchez, Vivianna 771 Sancho, Ernesto Sanz 442 Sankula, Sujatha 232 Santiago, Mercedes 870 Sapkota, Jhapendra 898 Sass, Chodon 803 Sathyanarayana, N. 693 Satjarak, Anchittha 94 Sauer, Kaitlyn 364, 645 Saunders, Kelsey 115 Sauquet, Herve 673, 741, 809 Sawa, Fatima B.J. 202, 402 Schafran, Peter 190, 228, 409, 651, 804, 882 Schenk, H. Jochen 16, 21, 646 Schenk, John J. 115, 243, 492, 738, 742 Scherer, Brendan 610 Schiele, Sandra 21 Schilling, Edward 467, 588, 606 Schlichting, Carl 205, 286, 782 Schluepmann, Henriette 104 Schmutz, Jeremy 699 Schneider, Adam 14 Schneider, Harald 363 Schneider, Jessica 794 Schoenenberger, Juerg 741 Schoenrock, Andrew 710 398

Scholtens, Brian 620 Schori, Melanie 131, 132, 133 Schorr, Anna 338 Schroyer, Tina 772 Schuette, Scott 144, 391 Schuettpelz, Eric 101, 102, 360, 363 Schulte, Paul J 666 Schuster, Tanja M 439 Schwabe, Anna L. 624 Schwallier, Rachel M. 174 Schwendemann, Andrew Benjamin 316 Schwoch, Jaime A 287 Scoffoni, Christine 647 Seago, James L 176 Sears, Nicole L 533 Sedaghatpour, Maryam 852 Sederoff, Ronald R. 64 Senalik, Douglas 413, 470 Sengupta, Aniket 296 Senske, Ashly 338 Seo, yeon Ok 235 Serbet, Rudolph 318, 319, 327 Sessa, Emily Butler 91, 103, 353, 354, 755, 823, 824 Shan, Shengchen 722 Shanks, Kevin 352 Shannon, Olivia 793 Sharber, Wyatt 372 Shari, Ellis 476 Sharon, Strauss 760 Shaw, A Jonathan 95, 96, 100, 827 Shaw, Joey 474, 515 Sheidaei, Masoud 753 Shen, Chao 872 Shepherd, Kelly A. 466, 536, 691, 823, 824 Sherman-Broyles, Sue 801, 888 Sherratt, Emma 455 Shetty, Prateek 693 Shi, Gongle 325 Shipley, Emily 790 Shipunov, Alexey 460 Shirley, Rhea 884 Shivakumar, Vikram 840 Sidoti, Brian 448, 869 Sieder, Anton 174

Author Index Sifford, Mason 498 Sigel, Erin 90, 102 Sigmon, Brandi 725 Silman, Miles 37 Simenc, Mathew 104 Simon, Philipp 413, 470 Simpson, Andrew G. 594 Simpson, Beryl 407, 430, 518 Simpson, Michael 107, 108, 113, 416 Šingliarová, Barbora 522 Sinha, Neelima 5 Sinn, Brandon T. 812 Skaer Thomason, Meghan J. 220 Skogen, Krissa 82, 236, 411, 429, 698, 715, 783, 828 Slager, David 116 Slate, Mandy 147 Smart, Cera 648 Smedmark, Jenny E. E. 734 Smets, Erik 368, 568, 751 Smith, Adam 258 Smith, Drew 550 Smith, James F 471 Smith, Jessica 350 Smith, Matthew 152 Smith, Robert J 142 Smith, Selena 7, 168, 266, 308, 547 Smith, Stacey D. 573, 730, 749 Smith, Stephen 37, 367, 440, 714, 749, 822, 914 Smithwick, Erica 121 Snow, Neil 368, 490 Soh, Wuu Kuang 368 Soltis, Douglas 193, 197, 391, 401, 418, 434, 435, 436, 440, 486, 530, 675, 722, 757, 829, 833 Soltis, Douglas E 103, 194, 195, 367, 716 Soltis, Douglas E. 132, 134, 703 Soltis, Pamela S. 132, 134, 486, 703, 829 Soltis, Pamela S. 30, 103, 193, 194, 195, 197, 367, 391, 401, 418, 434, 436, 440, 530, 605, 675, 716, 722, 757, 833, 904

Song, Bao-Hua 718, 719, 720 Song, Gwanpil 235 Song, Qijian 720 Soper Gorden, Nicole L 599 Soreng, Robert J. 451 Soriano, Carmen 334 Sosa, Edgar 471 Sosa, Karla 355 Soza, Valerie Lynn 375, 844 Spalink, Daniel 420, 586, 602, 768 Španiel, Stanislav 522 Specht, Chelsea 266, 547 Speranskaya, Anna S. 535 Spicer, Rachel 17 Spigler, Rachel 780 Spoelhof, Jonathan 716 Spooner, David 413, 470 Spriggs, Elizabeth L. 816 Squeo, Francisco 668, 892 Srivastava, Rashmi 324 St Amand, Paul 284 St Clair, Larry L 146 Stadelmann, Karoline 494 Stammer, Theodore J 746 Stark, Lloyd R 147 Starr, Julian 598 Starr, Julian R. 114 Steger, Laura 285 Stein Jr, William E 70 Stenz, Noah 814 Stephens, Jessica 247, 557, 889 Stephenson, Andrew G 77 Steppe, Kathy 18, 65 Stevens, McKayla 471 Stevens, Peter 749 Stevenson, Dennis WM 67, 69 Stevenson, Dennis Wm. 328 Stewart, Chad M. 126 Stewart, J. Ryan 670, 871 Stickann, Zachary 636 Stieha, Christopher 860 Stinson, Kristina 223 Stockey, Ruth A 307, 323, 329 Stone, Benjamin W. 849 Stone, Heather 289 Stonehouse, Gavin 504 Stoughton, Thomas 417 Strahl, Maya 685 399

Straub, Shannon C.K. 726, 830, 832, 902 Striano, Elizabeth 641 Strijk, Joeri 368 Stromberg, Caroline A. E. 336, 338 Strother, Paul 313 Strunk, Melissa 462 Struwe, Lena 280, 301, 381, 563, 876 Stubbs, Rebecca 435 Stull, Greg 135 Stull, Gregory W. 131, 132, 134, 136 Stults, Debra 333 Su, Huei-Jiun 438 Sublett, Jacob 900 Sukhorukov, Alexander P. 535 Sullivan, Jack 593 Sullivan, Melissa 738 Sumail, Sukaibin 174 Sun, Alexandria 563 Sun, Mei 729 Sun, Miao 367, 440 Sunarti, Siti 368 Sundaresan, V. 178 Sundberg, Marshall 909 Sundue, Michael A 359, 748 Surveswaran, Siddharthan 729 Sutherland, Brittany 766 Svoboda, Harlan 441 Swanson, Brad 609 Swift, Joel 864, 867 Syme, Anna 521 Sytsma, Ken 110, 369, 420, 424, 602, 603, 768 Särkinen, Tiina 573

T Takagi, Yuta 214 Takahashi, Masamichi 325 Talcott, Anna 617 Talent, Nadia 446, 514 Tangerini, Alice 918 Tank, David C. 36, 80, 109, 137, 393, 427, 462, 463, 593 Taran, Aleksandr 728

Tardanico, Joseph P 218 Tarnowsky, Nicole 299 Tarullo, Cara 486 Tary, Anna 548, 565 Taylor, Alexander 896 Taylor, Edith L 318, 319 Taylor, Mackenzie L. 139, 187 Taylor, Mariah 645 Taylor, Thomas N 314, 318, 319 Taylor, W. Carl 409, 804 Taylor, Witt 548, 565 Taylor-Bennetts, Stacy 631, 632 Teisher, Jordan 456 TEPE, ERIC J 500 Teskey, Robert 65 Testo, Weston 748 Thacker, James Heath 625 Thackurdeen, R. Sean 572 Thapa, Ramhari 415 Tharpe, Emily 391 Thayer, Rachel 683 Theiss, Kathryn 292, 910 Theiss, Kathryn E 501 Thiele, Kevin 799 Thiers, Barbara 476 Thigpen, Chris 569 Thilges, Katherine 879 Thomas, Suzanne 696 Thompson, Coleen 527 Thompson, Pam 759, 772 Thompson, Veronica 677 Thorhaug, Anitra 55, 56, 59, 61, 343, 344 Thornhill, Andrew 12, 583, 584 Thum, Ryan 641 Tian, Yuan 527 Ticktin, Tamara 572 Tiehm, Arnold 380 Tiley, Helene 468 Timilsena, Prakash Raj 835 Tippery, Nicholas P 533 Tixier, Aude 650 Todorov, Toma 276 Toledo, Selin 303 Tomaszewski, Caitlin E 52 Tomescu, Alexandru 71, 72, 302, 303, 304, 305, 310 Tong, Jingjing 690 Toski, Daniel 265

Trainer, Patricia A 218 Traiperm, Paweena 815 Tratebas, Alice M 146 Trauth-Nare, Amy 510 Traveset, Anna 6 Travnicek, Pavel 577 Trembath-Reichert, Elizabeth 46 Trevino, Laurel 788 Tripp, Erin A 165, 289 Trotta, Lauren 755 Truelove, Nathan K. 756 Tseng, Yu-Hsin 589 Tsiantis, Miltos 684 Tuiwawa, Marika 572 Tulig, Melissa 480 Tunison, Robert 261, 406 Tuominen, L.K. 62, 66, 234, 910 Twanabasu, Bishnu 898 Twyford, Alex 375 Tyrrell, Christopher D 769 Tzivion, Amit 351 TĂÂľrra, Tiiu 145

U Ulrey, Chris 874 Ungar, Irwin A 865 Uno, Gordon 8, 24, 909 Unruh, Sarah 397 Urban, Adam 648 Uribe-Convers, Simon 31, 32, 36, 800 Utteridge, Timothy M. 134, 745

V Vaidya, Brajesh 639 Valls, Rebecca 186 van der Berg, Cassio 808 van der Merwe, Marlien 809 van Heuven, Bertie Joan 174 van Vugt, Rogier 174 Van Zant, Jeffrey 617 Vandenbrink, Joshua 191, 345, 351 VanEe, Benjamin 369 Varenhorst, Adam 723 Vargas, Oscar M 407 Varma Penmetsa, Ramachandra 186 400

Varvel, Nicholas A 663 Vasquez Lobo, Alejandra 842 Vatanparast, Mohammad 693, 801 Vaughn, Mitchell 612 Veloz, Mitsy 277 Verboom, G. Anothony 208 Verdolin, Jennifer 26 Viccini, Lyderson 750 Vieira, Filipe J. G. 15 Vignovich, William 504 Villaverde, Tamara 114, 598 Visger, Clayton 436 Vitt, Dale 150 Vitt, Pati 89, 620 von Balthazar, Maria 741 von Konrat, Matt 91 von Wettberg, Eric 186, 831

W Wadl, Phillip 764 Wafula, Eric K. 704, 835 Wagner, Warren L. 828 Wahe, Jean-Pascal 572 Waight, Emiko 527 Walck, Jeffrey 227, 256 Walder, Morgan 642 Wales, Nathan 15 Walker, Joseph 822, 914 Wallace, Lisa 502, 887 Waller, Don 125, 420, 768 Walsh, Seana 246 Walter, Lauren 726 Wang, Hong 737, 752 Wang, Jack P. 64 Wang, Ruihong 529 Wang, Yihan 613 Wang, Yongdong 311 Ward, Alex 637 Ward, Jake 898 Warner, Monica 292 Warschefsky, Emily 831 Waselkov, Katherine 868, 870 Washburn, George 738 Washburn, Jacob 834, 847 Watkins, James E. 44, 45, 665 Wear, Donna 621 Weaver, William 260, 740 Weber, Jennifer 257, 880

Author Index Weber-Sauer, Melanie 796 Webster, Christopher 124 Weekley, Carl W. 229 Weeks, Andrea 321, 579, 852 Wefferling, Keir 421 Wei, Jing 888 Wei, Yi-Gang 589 Weiner, Jacob 211 Weisenberger, Lauren 779 Weiss, Amy 299 Weitemier, Kevin 428, 832 Weitzel, Alexander 724 Welch, Aaron 638 Welch, Mark 288 Weller, Stephen G 779 Wells, Jennifer 263 Wen, Jun 437, 506 Wen-Chieh, Chou 680 Wenzel, Aaron 387, 637, 848, 850 Weston, David J 96 Wethey, David 601 Wettewa, Eranga 502 Wheeler, Elisabeth 324 Wheeler, Gregory 288 Wheeler, James 44 Wheeler, Julia 223 Whelan, Kevin 623 Whipple, Clinton 546, 683 White, Abbey 618 White, Dawson 457 Whitehurst, Lauren 643 Whitlock, Barbara A. 371, 372, 380 Whittall, Justen Bryant 107, 117, 253, 564, 592 Whittemore, Alan 445 Whitten, W. Mark 197, 453, 503 Wickett, Norm 95, 97, 100, 411, 429, 698, 707, 805, 818, 827, 828 Widodo, Pudji 368 Wight, Spencer 468 Wilczek, Amity 42 Wilden, Ana E. 187 Wilding, Nicholas 97 Wilf, Peter 328 Wilkinson-Lamb, Sara 550, 615 Will-Wolf, Susan 145

Williams, Norris 160, 575, 586 Wills, Peter 842 Willyard, Ann 496, 497, 498, 806, 842, 873 Wilson, Adam 791 Wilson, Carol A 400 Wilson, Hannah 742 Wilson, Jonathan P. 39, 46 Wilson, Mark 792, 846 Wilson, Peter 368 Windham, Michael D. 355, 356 Wing, Scott L. 594 Winkler, Daniel E. 851 Winn, Alice A. 627 Witherup, Colby 707 Witsell, Theo 251 Wolfe, Andrea D. 23, 27, 293, 386, 387, 527, 637, 848, 849, 850 Wondimu, Tigist 577 Wong, Gane Ka-Shu 104, 434, 757 Wong, Melissa J 692 Wong, Shan 901 Wood, James 151, 201 Wood, Kenneth 504 Woodruff, David 661 Woodruff, Emily D. 699 Woods, Rechelle T. 488 Worcester, Lindsey 382 Worthy, Samantha 570, 643 Wurdack, Kenneth J. 373 Wysocki, Bill 455

X Xiang, Qiu-Yun (Jenny) 47, 53, 180, 434, 764, 817, 819 Xie, Deyu 180 Xu, Hengping 178 Xu, Xiaogang 361

Y Yadav, Sunita 251 Yan, Xue Qi 252, 446 Yan-Fu, Kuo 680 Yang, Ya 714, 822, 914 401

Yannarell, Anthony C. 241 Yatskievych, George A. 355, 867 Yazbek, Mariana M. 754 Yen, Yang 700 Youm, Jung-Won 581 Young, Dirk 232 Young, Ian T. 773 Younginger, Brett 893 YU, Chih Chieh 591 Yu, Chih-Chieh 774 Yu, Wen-Bin 752 Yukawa, Tomohisa 398

Z Zaborsky, John 768 Zaika, Maxim A. 535 Zalapa, Juan 4 Zarrei, Mehdi 446 Zauner, Ranae 276 Zaya, David 884 Zerega, Nyree J.C. 272, 429 Zhan, Shing Hei 74 Zhang, Cong 211 Zhang, Heng-You 719, 720 Zhang, Hui 706 Zhang, Jingbo 49, 676, 687, 689 Zhang, Li-Bing 357, 360, 361 Zhang, Liang 360 Zhang, Ming-Ying 737 Zhang, Ning 437 Zhang, Q 734 Zhang, Wenheng 47, 49, 676, 686, 687, 688, 689 Zhigila, Daniel Andrawus 202, 402, 473 Zhou, Xinmao 357, 360 Zhu, Chuanmei 682 Zhu, Junyi 459 Zhuang, Yongbin 289 Zimmer, Carl 1 Zimmer, Elizabeth 409, 437, 804, 840, 866 Zimmerman, Charles J. 480 Zimmerman, Ephraim 144 Zinnert, Julie 254 Zomlefer, Wendy 2 Zona, Scott 159, 571 Zozomovรก- Lihovรก, Judita 522

Zuluaga, Alejandro 586 Zuluaga-Trochez, Alejandro 385, 597, 825 Zumstein, Kristina 5 Zumwalde, Bethany A 443, 444 Zuo, Yi Y. 646 Zweck, Justin 784 Zwieniecki, Maciej 167

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