Taxonomic Study of Japanese Deparia petersenii (Woodsiaceae) Based on Cytological and Molecular Information

Abstract

Deparia petersenii has a large morphological variation in plant size and leaf shape in Japan. To reveal possible distinct biological units of this species, we determined the chromosome numbers and nucleotide sequences of the rbcL and ndhF genes of 58 plant samples from 16 different localities in Japan. We found three cytotypes (tetraploid, hexaploid, and pentaploid) and ten cpDNA haplotypes in Japanese D. petersenii. The cpDNA haplotypes of the tetraploid were different from those of the hexaploid, thus genetically differentiating these two cytotypes. Morphological differentiation was also observed between the two cytotypes. As a result, we recognized two distinct biological units in Japanese D. petersenii.