Clonal and spatial genetic structure in a population of the endangered herb Lycoris sanguinea var. koreana (Amaryllidaceae)

Abstract

For plant species reproducing both sexually and vegetatively, the spatial distribution of clones generally affects the levels of biparental inbreeding and apparent selfing rate, produced via mating by proximity through limited pollen dispersal. We used allozyme loci, join-count statistics, and Moran's spatial autocorrelation statistics to separate the spatial genetic structure caused by clonal reproduction from that maintained in sexually reproducing individuals in a population of Lycoris sanguinea var. koreana. Join-count statistics showed that there were statistically significant clustering of clonal genotypes at short distances 2 m. Both the entire population and the set of sexually reproduced individuals exhibited significant spatial autocorrelation on a scale of 2-6 m in an isolation-by-distance manner due to the limited seed and pollen dispersal, which is consistent with a neighborhood size of about 25.