Karyological and Phylogenetic Analyses of Aster koshikiensis Kitamura (Asteraceae, Astereae), Endemic to the Koshiki Islands, Kagoshima (Kyushu, Japan)

Abstract

The hypothesized hybrid origin of Aster koshikiensis (Asteraceae, Astereae), a species endemic to the Koshiki Islands, Japan, was tested using karyological features and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Molecular phylogenetic analyses suggested that A. koshikiensis is a member of the A. leiophyllus complex, while a karyological analysis indicated its close relationship with A. satsumensis, a species on southern Kyushu, Japan.