Abstract
In this work, the seed morpho-colorimetric differentiation of the Sardinian endemic species of Anchusa (Boraginaceae) was evaluated. In Sardinia, the Anchusa genus includes the following seven taxa: A. capellii, A. crispa ssp. crispa, A. crispa ssp. maritima, A. formosa, A. littorea, A. montelinasana, and A. sardoa. Seed images were acquired using a flatbed scanner and analyzed using the free software package ImageJ. A total of 74 seed morpho-colorimetric features of 2692 seed lots of seven taxa of Anchusa belonging to 17 populations were extrapolated and used to build a database of seed size, shape, and color features. The data were statistically elaborated by the stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to compare and discriminate each accession and taxon. In addition, the seed morpho-colorimetric differences among coastal and mountainous taxa were evaluated. Considering the ecological conditions, the LDA was able to discriminate among the Anchusa taxa with a correct identification of 87.4% and 90.8% of specimens for mountainous and coastal plants, respectively. Moreover, the LDA of the 17 populations of Anchusa showed a low separation among species and populations within the coastal group, highlighting how the long-distance dispersal by flotation on the sea water surface and the pollination network may influence the similarity patterns observed. In addition, a misattribution was observed for A. crispa ssp. crispa, which was misclassified as A. crispa ssp. maritima in 14.1% of cases, while A. crispa ssp. maritima was misidentified as A. crispa ssp. crispa in 21.1% of cases, highlighting a close phenotypic relationship between these two taxa. The statistical results obtained through the seed image analysis showed that the morpho-colorimetric features of the seeds provide important information about the adaptation and evolution of Anchusa taxa in Sardinia.
Highlights
In the Old World, the Boragineae tribe (Boraginaceae family) consists of 16 genera and about170 taxa
About 40 taxa [3,6] of the genus Anchusa L. are known in the Mediterranean Basin, with a main diversity center in the southern part of the Balkan peninsula [7]
On the basis of a previous study carried out by Bacchetta et al [13], in which they investigated the phylogenetic relationships of the endemic taxa of the genus Anchusa present in Sardinia, this work aims to characterize these taxa on the basis of seed morpho-colorimetric features through image analysis techniques
Summary
In the Old World, the Boragineae tribe (Boraginaceae family) consists of 16 genera and about170 taxa. The two islands represent an important center of differentiation of the genus Anchusa due to the presence of eight endemic taxa [6,11]. These endemic taxa have a narrow or even dot-like distribution range and grow in different habitats, from coastal to mountain regions [6]. The genus Anchusa is considered to be recent in the ambit of the family Boraginaceae, dating to the Pliocene–Pleistocene [12], and Sardinian-Corsican taxa are considered to be involved in a recent, still ongoing process of differentiation and speciation [6,13]. The very restricted range and low population size of the Anchusa taxa present, in Corsica and Sardinia, give the endemism a very precarious conservation status [6]
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