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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 58(1)

Polyploidy and possible implications for the evolutionary history of some Australian Danthonieae

C. Waters A F , B. G. Murray B , G. Melville A , D. Coates C , A. Young D and J. Virgona E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, PMB 19, Trangie, NSW 2823, Australia.

B School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.

C Department of Environment and Conservation, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983, Australia.

D CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

E Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: cathy.waters@industry.nsw.gov.au

Australian Journal of Botany 58(1) 23-34 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT09138
Submitted: 19 August 2009  Accepted: 8 December 2009   Published: 11 March 2010

Abstract

Polyploidy is a widespread feature of some plants that allows for rapid speciation and occurs widely in Poaceae. However, there have been few studies of Australian native grasses reporting the distribution patterns of cytotypes and examining the potential role of different cytotypes in adaptation. We determined chromosome number for 48, 113, 8, 43 and 33 plants of Austrodanthonia bipartita (Link) H.P.Linder, A. caespitosa (Gaudich.) H.P.Linder, A. eriantha (Lindl.) H.P.Linder, A. fulva (Vickery) H.P.Linder and A. setacea (R.Br.) H.P.Linder, respectively, representing 28 wild populations collected in central western New South Wales. A widespread distribution is reported for tetraploids (2n = 48), whereas diploids (2n = 24) and a limited number of hexaploids (2n = 72) appear to be associated with northern and western populations. In all populations, coexistent cytotypes were found, although tetraploids were the most widespread cytotype for the most commonly occurring species, A. caespitosa. The occurrence of low frequencies of putative intermediate cytotypes, particularly triploids, in all five species provides evidence for inter-specific hybridisation and/or intra-specific crossing between cytotypes. The lack of common ecological factors (climate, edaphic or micro-site) that clearly distinguish diploid from tetraploid A. caespitosa plants provides further evidence for hybridisation between cytological races of this species.


Acknowledgements

Technical support for plant collection was provided by NSW Department of Primary Industries support staff Warren Smith, Ian Toole, Sarah-Jayne Jenkins and Rob Pither. Particularly, we thank Dr Nigel Urwin for his help and the use of the flow cytometer at Charles Sturt University. Sue Mortimer provided helpful feedback on a draft of this manuscript. Funding for this research was provided by CRC for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity and a Charles Sturt University Postgraduate Research Scholarship.


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