Abstract

ALMIRON, Noelia E. A.; MORENO, Ercilia M. S.; PEICHOTO, Myriam C.  and  NEFFA, Viviana G. Solís. Genetic variability and structure of populations of Schizachyrium (Poaceae, Andropogoneae) from the Corrientes Province (Argentina). Bonplandia [online]. 2021, vol.30, n.2, pp.175-189. ISSN 0524-0476.  http://dx.doi.org/10.30972/bon.3024943.

Aiming to assess the usefulness of population genetic studies in the identification ofSchizachyriumspecies and the role of natural hybridization in the evolution of these species, the genetic variability and structure ofS. bimucronatum,S. sanguineumandS. tenerumwere analyzed. The identification of unique RAPD bands and cpDNA haplotypes, together with PCoA and AMOVA results, showed that these species differ genetically from each other. The consistency of these results with previously defined morphological groups suggests that population genetic analyses combining nuclear and chloroplast markers would contribute unambiguously to the identification ofSchizachyriumspecies. Furthermore, the finding of some individuals with a proportion of their genomes assignable to those of other populations or species suggests the occurrence of hybridization followed by introgression or polyploidization events. Finally, the patterns of genetic structuring observed may be related to the characteristics of the reproductive systems of the species studied, while the identification of independent evolutionary units in these species would be of interest for the development of conservation strategies for the species and the communities they belong to.

Keywords : Population genetics; Schizachyrium bimucronatum; S. sanguineum; S. tenerum..