Abstract
Abstract Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ETS, ITS and atpB - rbcL spacer sequences assessed the phylogenetic status of the southern Brazil sea asparagus species of the genus Salicornia (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae). Accessions of Patos Lagoon estuary (32° S) were obtained from wild plants and two pure line lineages, selected from contrasting prostrate (BTH1) and decumbent (BTH2) ecomorphotypes found locally. Patos Lagoon wild plants, BTH1 and BTH2 f4 progenies showed 100% identical sequences for the atpB - rbcL and ITS spacers, only two mutations for ETS. Comparison of the sequences of these three markers with GenBank records confirmed the identity of Brazilian accessions as Salicornia neei . Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis of ETS sequences indicated that the southern Brazilian accessions of Salicornia certainly are not close to any of the Salicornia ambigua accessions in GenBank, which are restricted to the northern hemisphere, nor are they related to any Salicornia fruticosa/Salicornia perennis clade accessions, which are also restricted to Eurasia. All above cited species have been wrongly applied to the southern Brazil sea asparagus.
Highlights
The small succulent shrubs with leafless stems and branches of the genera Salicornia L. and Sarcocornia A.J.Scott (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae) are characterized as ‟extreme halophytes” based on their ability to thrive in seawater-flooded and hypersaline soils (Davy et al 2006; Steffen et al 2015)
Molecular markers confirm the identity of southern Brazilian accessions as S. neei and show (ETS) small differences among their nucleotides sequences
Nucleotide substitutions on southern Brazilian Salicornia accessions support the genetic base of prostrate and decumbent growths in pure lineages of local ecomorphotypes
Summary
The small succulent shrubs with leafless stems and branches of the genera Salicornia L. and Sarcocornia A.J.Scott (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae) are characterized as ‟extreme halophytes” based on their ability to thrive in seawater-flooded and hypersaline soils (Davy et al 2006; Steffen et al 2015). Steffen et al (2015) using molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ETS, atpB-rbcL and rpl32trnL characterized S. fruticosa and S. perennis as exclusively Eurasian and partially supported Alonso & Crespo (2008) classification of South American Salicornia, but no accessions from the Brazilian coast was assessed. Both morphological (Scott 1977; Alonso & Crespo 2008) and molecular studies (Steffen et al 2015; Piirainen et al 2017) recognized the occurrence of Salicornia ambigua in Americas, they worked with specimens from distinct locations and poorly sampled the Brazilian coast. Using molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ETS, ITS and atpB-rbcL spacer sequences, the present study is aimed at clarifying the phylogenetic status of the southern Brazil Salicornia population by comparison with GenBank records
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
