Clonal diversity in taraxacum officinale (compositae), an apomict

SUMMARY Allozyme analysis, morphological characters, and histocompatibility relationships have revealed unexpected amounts of clonal diversity within and among populations of unisexual

animals. Plant studies, likewise, have shown that genetic diversity exists in populations of plants that have restricted recombination. However, no work has been done which investigates the

extent of genotypic diversity within and among populations of an obligate apomict. This study surveyed 22 North American populations of _Taraxacum officinale_, an obligate gametophytic

apomict. Over 20 individuals from each population were assayed electrophoretically for three enzyme systems representing five different migration zones. Seed colour was used to determine

seven phenological classes that, when combined with the allozyme morphs, resulted in 47 discernible clones among 518 individuals sampled. Chromosome analysis revealed the ploidy level to be

triploid in all cases. The number of clones per population ranged from 1-13, with a mean of 5·0. Sixty-six per cent of the clones were restricted to single populations, and the mean number

of populations containing a particular clone is 2·1. One widespread clone was found in all but three of the populations. Diversity values, expressed as clones per individual, indicate that

_T. officinale_ proved to be more genotypically diverse than other clonal plants previously studied. Spearman's Rank Correlation test failed to show a correlation of diversity with

latitude or elevation. SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS MATING SYSTEM AND POPULATION STRUCTURE IN THE NATURAL DISTRIBUTION OF _TOONA CILIATA_ (MELIACEAE) IN SOUTH CHINA Article Open

access 12 October 2020 GENETIC DIVERSITY AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF ADVANCED CLONES SELECTED OVER FORTY YEARS BY A POTATO BREEDING PROGRAM IN THE USA Article Open access 16 April 2021

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officinale_ (compositae), an apomict. _Heredity_ 53, 1–10 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1984.58 Download citation * Received: 09 August 1983 * Issue Date: 01 August 1984 * DOI:

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