Abstract Detail

Recent Topics Posters

Rahfeldt, Wolfgang [1], Olmstead, Richard [2].

The Phylogeny of Hackelia (Boraginaceae).

Hackelia, commonly known as stickseed, is a genus of plants comprised of about forty species distributed primarily across the dry forests and mountains of interior western North America. This study seeks to build a high resolution phylogeny of Hackelia using DNA sequences from both the chloroplast and nuclear genomes. Analyses suggest possible conclusions regarding their geographic history and the evolution of their fruit characteristics. The genus appears to have originated in the Great Basin area, with several independent migrations. One migration moved through Southwestern North America, into the California area, resulting in a large number of Californian species. Another major migration moved into the Pacific Northwest, giving rise to another major clade. Several other minor migrations also occurred, such as a second migration to Southwest North America. Many morphological traits used to key out Hackelia, such as flower color and fruit morphology, don’t appear to be phylogenically conserved, with such traits appearing all across the tree. Finally, there may be more species in this genus than are currently recognized. When sampled from multiple geographic regions, common species such as H. deflexa come out in significantly different clades. This study will help us understand how plants have diversified in western North America, as well as how physical traits can be evolutionarily variable or conservative. 

1 - 3118 NE 123rd, Apt 35, Seattle, WA, 98125, USA
2 - University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box # 355325, Seattle, WA, 98195-5325, USA

Keywords:
Hackelia
Boraginaceae
phylogenetics
Evolution
Biogeography.

Presentation Type: Recent Topics Poster
Session: P
Location: /
Date: Monday, July 28th, 2014
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PRT020
Abstract ID:1258
Candidate for Awards:None