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Species delimitation in Epilobium (sec. Epilobium, Onagraceae): morphological, molecular and palynological data

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Abstract

The genus Epilobium L. (Family Onagraceae) with about 200 species is taxonomically complicated due to wide inter-specific gene flow. There is no report on biosystematics of Epilobium species in Iran, therefore we studied 5 species of this genus using a combination of morphological, molecular (ISSR) and palynological data to delimit these species. All data revealed high degree of morphological and genetic overlap among the studied species. However, they could be separated when all studied features were used together. Morphological characters could delimit 3 species while genetic data separated them in two major groups. However, palynological data could delimit all five species studied. The species relationship was highly compatible in all three data sources used.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Masoud Sheidai, Sedigheh Rahimi, Ahmad Reza Mehrabian & Fahimeh Koohdar

  2. Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Zahra Nourmohammadi

Authors
  1. Masoud Sheidai
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  2. Sedigheh Rahimi
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  3. Ahmad Reza Mehrabian
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  4. Fahimeh Koohdar
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  5. Zahra Nourmohammadi
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Correspondence to Fahimeh Koohdar.

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Sheidai, M., Rahimi, S., Mehrabian, A.R. et al. Species delimitation in Epilobium (sec. Epilobium, Onagraceae): morphological, molecular and palynological data. Biologia 73, 1–8 (2018). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-0003-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-0003-z

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