Genetic Diversity and Origin of Cultivation in Angelica keiskei (Apiaceae)

Abstract

Angelica keiskei is endemic to Japan and is cultivated as a vegetable, particularly on the Izu Islands. Although various medicinal applications have been reported, few studies have been conducted on A. keiskei using widely collected wild plants. To clarify the genetic diversity, relationships between wild and cultivated plants, and the cultivation origin of A. keiskei, the genetic structure was co-analyzed using 52 wild and 33 cultivated specimens from the Izu Islands and surrounding areas. The results of single-nucleotide polymorphisms from MIG-seq showed that the wild populations on Hachijojima Island were genetically distinct from those in non-Hachijojima areas. Most cultivated plants belong to the Hachijojima type, which coincides with the hearsay of cultivation, although some cultivated plants are likely derived from local wild plants. Several putative hybrids of these two types have been observed among cultivated plants. Attention is required to prevent outcrossing through artificial cultivation to conserve genetically distinct lineages of wild plants.