Abstract
Background: Clivia is a genus of the family Amaryllidaceae endemic to South Africa and Swaziland. Six species and one natural hybrid have been described. Some morphological traits overlap between some species, thus causing taxonomic confusion.Objectives: The discriminatory power of the core DNA barcodes (matK and rbcLa) was evaluated, and the current taxonomy of Clivia was assessed.Method: Seventy-four two-locus DNA barcodes from 4 to 18 specimens per species were generated.Results: The matK region had a higher mean intraspecific variation of 0.21 compared with the 0.02 of rbcLa. The two-locus barcodes have an aligned length of 1335 base pairs. Three species, Clivia mirabilis, Clivia nobilis and Clivia caulescens, are monophyletic in the Bayesian Inference (BI) cladogram. The remaining Clivia species (Clivia miniata, Clivia gardenii, Clivia robusta and their affinities) are paraphyletic. Clivia is divided into 17 haplogroups with those of C. mirabilis and C. nobilis being unique. Clivia caulescens has three haplotypes. The Clivia species from the north-eastern distribution range of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces have 11 haplogroups and no species-specific DNA barcodes. These groups have no correlation with the current taxonomy or geographical distribution.Conclusions: Only 37.33% of the species can be correctly identified with the ‘best match’ option in SpeciesIdentifier. Clivia mirabilis, C. nobilis and C. caulescens have unique DNA barcodes to identify them. Specimens from the Ngome area in KwaZulu-Natal have a unique DNA barcode, separating them from the rest of C. gardenii. A taxonomic revision is suggested.
Highlights
Clivia Lindl., a shade-loving member of the family Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil., is endemic to South Africa and Swaziland and consists of six species, C. mirabilis Rourke, C. nobilis Lindl., C. caulescens R.A
This study supports the findings of Ran, Hammett and Murray (2001a) that C. miniata, C. gardenii and C. robusta are closely related and we suggest that these species need taxonomic revision
This article is the first report of the use of matK and rbcLa DNA barcodes to support the motivation for a taxonomic revision of Clivia
Summary
Clivia Lindl., a shade-loving member of the family Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil., is endemic to South Africa and Swaziland and consists of six species, C. mirabilis Rourke, C. nobilis Lindl., C. caulescens R.A. Dyer, C. miniata (Lindl.) Regel, C. gardenii Hook., C. robusta B.G. Murray et al, and a natural hybrid C. ×nimbicola Z.H. Swanevelder et al Clivia miniata is the only species with trumpet-like flowers, while the other species have pendulous flowers. Swanevelder and Fisher (2009) attempted to resolve the problem by creating a taxonomic key. This key is only helpful when identifying an adult plant in full bloom accompanied by additional information such as the collection site. Some morphological traits overlap between some species, causing taxonomic confusion
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
