DNA amounts for five pteridophyte species fill phylogenetic gaps in C-value data

Abstract

C-values are important biodiversity characters, yet data for pteridophytes are scarce. A recent survey showed that reliable C-value data were available for only 62 species. This paper reports C-value estimates for a further five pteridophyte species which were selected to fill phylogenetic gaps identified in previous work: Angiopteris lygodiifolia, of the eusporangiate fern family Marattiaceae (1C = 7.10 pg); Lygodium japonicum, of the basal leptosporangiate fern family Schizaeaceae (1C = 11.66 pg); Marsilea quadrifolia, of the heterosporous water fern order Marsileales (1C = 4.01 pg); Isoetes lacustris (1C = 11.97 pg) and Lycopodium clavatum (1C = 2.86 pg), of the lycophyte families Isoetaceae and Lycopodiaceae, respectively. The C-value estimates are discussed in the context of other C-value data. Further, the range of C-values in lycophytes (0.16 pg – 11.97 pg), which comprise Selaginellaceae, Isoetaceae and Lycopodiaceae, is discussed in relation to nucleotypic constraints imposed by sperm flagella number. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 140, 169−173.