Reappraisal of Primula ranunculoides (Primulaceae), an endangered species endemic to China, based on morphological, molecular genetic and reproductive characters

• Published in: Botanical journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 169; no. 2; pp. 338 - 349
• Main Authors: SHAO, JIAN-WEN, WU, YAN-FEI, KAN, XIAN-ZHAO, LIANG, TONG-JUN, ZHANG, XIAO-PING
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2012
• Subjects: nrDNA ITS; Primula; Primulaceae; reproductive mode; section Ranunculoides; taxonomic revision; vegetative reproduction; China, People's Rep
• ISSN: 0024-4074; 1095-8339
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2012.01228.x

The taxonomic status of Primula ranunculoides and other members of section Ranunuculoides is reappraised here based on data from morphological, reproductive and molecular characters. Multivariate analysis of morphological characters indicates that P. ranunculoides is a coherent species that can be distinguished from its sectional congeners P. cicutariifolia and P. merrilliana by the characters of simple kidney‐shaped outer leaves and the unique clonal reproductive ability by which apices of the scape differentiate into bulblets at the late phases of flowering. Recognition of P. ranunculoides at the specific level is also supported by palynological characters, breeding system, cross pollination results and molecular phylogenetic analysis of nrDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. A taxonomic revision of section Ranunuculoides is presented and a possible mechanism of speciation discussed. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 169, 338–349.