Morphometric and molecular variation in concert: taxonomy and genetics of the reticulate Pyrenean and Iberian alpine spiny fescues (Festuca eskiacomplex, Poaceae)

Abstract

We thank Victor Sorribas, Shi Ying and Clive Stace for their advice and help with the RFLP and CAPS analyses, the authorities of the Spanish National Parks of Ordesa-Monte Perdido, Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici and Picos de Europa for the permits to sample the Festuca materials in these protected areas, the curators of the G, FCO, JACA, LEB, MA, W, Z and Jochen Muller and Oscar Sanchez-Pedraja (private) herbaria for facilitating the loan of voucher specimens, Jochen Muller for fruitful nomenclatural discussion and Emily Lemonds for linguistic assistance. This work was supported by a Spanish Ministry of the Environment – National Parks Organism research project (059/2009) and by an Instituto de Estudios Altoaragoneses and Aragon Government-European FEDER Bioflora grant. P.T. and A.J.D.-P. were supported by Venezuelan CDCH postdoctoral and PhD grants, respectively. J.G.S.-M. was supported by two consecutive Aragon Government ‘Araid’ and Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation ‘Ramon y Cajal’ postdoctoral contracts. P.C. was supported by an Aragon CAI-Programa Europa XXI fellowship.