Abstract
The long geographic isolation of New Zealand, an archipelago with a large latitudinal range (29°to 54°S) and an extensive coastline, has resulted in a high level of endemism in both land and coastal marine flora. The genus Porphyra in NZ is represented by 5 epiphytic species and a number of epilithic species, many of which are undescribed. Systematic studies aimed at understanding variation inmorphology and life history are underway, and have led to the description of a number of new species. The present study uses sequence data from the18S rDNA locus to investigate genetic variation in New Zealand Porphyra. Sequences have been fully determined for 10 epilithic species. A subset of these data has been shown to be sufficient to distinguish established taxa and to identify new entities. Our data indicate that New Zealand harbours at least 12 epilithic species of Porphyra, establishing the NZ coastline as a repository of diversity for this genus. Phylogenetic trees based on division in complete 18S rDNA sequence data show a deep division in the genus that is not obviously correlated with existing morphological characters, and indicate that representatives of the New Zealand flora have undergone long reproductive isolation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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.
