Adiciones para la flora de Tenerife (Islas Canarias, España)

Additions to the flora of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain).- Recent fieldwork in Tenerife, especially in September 2010, yielded several interesting new records of non-native vascular plants. Bothriochloa ischaemum var. songarica, “Asian” Cardamine flexuosa, Cestrum parqui, Digitaria violascens, Ficus lyrata, Ficus rubiginosa, Hoffmannseggia glauca, Hyparrhenia rufa subsp. altissima, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Merremia tuberosa, Passiflora morifolia, Phytolacca dioica, Schefflera actinophylla and Solanum abutiloides are reported for the first time from the Canary Islands, while Eragrostis barrelieri var. pygmaea, Ficus microcarpa, Ipomoea purpurea, Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata, Sechium edule, Tradescantia zebrina and Turnera ulmifolia are new to the flora of the island of Tenerife. New records of Acacia cyclops, Atriplex suberecta, Heliotropium curassavicum, Paspalum dilatatum, P. notatum, Pluchea ovalis, Pulicaria paludosa, Sclerophylax spinescens and Solanum villosum subsp. miniatum confirm their recent expansion on the island of Tenerife. New records are provided for the recently described Sporobolus copei . Finally, Paspalum vaginatum (hitherto possibly confused with P. distichum) and Potentilla indica are confirmed from the island of Tenerife.Adiciones para la flora de Tenerife (Islas Canarias, España).- Algunos recientes trabajos de campo en Tenerife, especialmente en Septiembre de 2010, trajeron consigo varias nuevas e interesantes adiciones de plantas vasculares no autóctonas. Bothriochloa ischaemum var. songarica, Cardamine flexuosa “Asiática”, Cestrum parqui, Digitaria violascens, Ficus lyrata, Ficus rubiginosa, Hoffmannseggia glauca, Hyparrhenia rufa subsp. altissima, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Merremia tuberosa, Passiflora morifolia, Phytolacca dioica, Schefflera actinophylla y Solanum abutiloides son citadas por primera vez para las islas Canarias mientras que Eragrostis barrelieri var. pygmaea, Ficus microcarpa, Ipomoea purpurea, Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata, Sechium edule, Tradescantia zebrina y Turnera ulmifolia son nuevas para la flora de la isla de Tenerife. Nuevas localidades para Acacia cyclops, Atriplex suberecta, Heliotropium curassavicum, Paspalum dilatatum, P. notatum, Pluchea ovalis, Pulicaria paludosa, Sclerophylax spinescens y Solanum villosum subsp. miniatum confirman su reciente expansión en la isla de Tenerife. También se recogen nuevas localidades para el recientemente descrito Sporobolus copei. Finalmente, se confirma para la isla de Tenerife Paspalum vaginatum (hasta ahora posiblemente confundido con P. distichum) y Potentilla indica

Diversidad, rareza, evolución y conservación de la flora endémica de las Islas Canarias

The endemic vascular flora of the Canary Islands comprises over 680, taxa collectively accounting for more than 50% of the total native flora. To investigate geographical patterns of diversity within the endemic flora, distribution data from published sources together with other field observation and herbarium data were used to compile a data matrix comprising the distributions of ca. 90% of endemic taxa scored on a 10 × 10km UTM grid. WORLDMAP was then used to investigate patterns of endemic diversity, range size rarity (a measure of endemicity), phylogenetic diversity and threatened taxon richness. Endemic taxon richness was found to be highly heterogeneous across the archipelago, with cells containing between one and 139 taxa each (0.05-22.82% of endemic diversity). Patterns of variation in range size rarity and phylogenetic diversity were found to be largely congruent with endemic diversity, although some cells exhibited markedly higher range size rarity scores than would be predicted by their endemic diversity scores. In contrast, the pattern of endangered taxon richness across the archipelago differed markedly from endemic taxon richness. Many cells in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria exhibit higher endangered taxon richness scores than would be predicted from their endemic richness scores whereas in Tenerife, El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera, the converse is generally true. The implications of the results both for understanding the evolution of Canary Island endemic diversity and for the conservation of the region’s unique and vulnerable flora are considered.La flora vascular endémica de las Islas Canarias comprende unos 680 táxones, lo que viene a representar más del 50% de la flora nativa. Con objeto de investigar patrones geográficos de diversidad en la flora endémica, se recopilaron los datos publicados que, junto con otras observaciones de campo y datos de herbario, sirvieron para completar una matriz de datos que abarca la distribución de cerca del 90% de los táxones endémicos usando cuadrículas UTM de10 × 10 km. A continuación, se utilizó el programa WORLDMAP para investigar los patrones de diversidad de los endemismos, el rango del grado de rareza (una medida de endemicidad), la diversidad filogenética y la riqueza en táxones amenazados. Se observó que la riqueza en endemismos es muy heterogénea a lo largo del archipiélago, con unos valores por cuadrícula que oscilan entre 1 y 139 táxones (0,05-22,82% de la diversidad de táxones endémicos). Los patrones de variación del rango del grado de la rareza y la diversidad filogenética resultaron ser en gran parte congruentes con la diversidad en endemismos, aunque algunas cuadrículas mostraron valores mucho más altos de rareza de los que podían ser predichos dada su diversidad de endemismos. En contraste, los patrones de riqueza en especies amenazadas en el archipiélago difirieron marcadamente de la riqueza en táxones endémicos. Muchas cuadrículas de Lanzarote, Fuerteventura y Gran Canaria mostraron valores más altos de riqueza en especies amenazadas que las que pudieran ser predichas sobre la base de su riqueza en táxones endémicos, mientras que en Tenerife, El Hierro y La Gomera la regla fue generalmente lo contrario. Se consideran las implicaciones que estos resultados suponen para la comprensión de la evolución de la diversidad de endemismos canaria y para la conservación de su singular y vulnerable flora

Surviving in isolation: genetic variation, bottlenecks and reproductive strategies in the Canarian endemic Limonium macrophyllum (Plumbaginaceae)

Oceanic archipelagos are typically rich in endemic taxa, because they offer ideal conditions for diversification and speciation in isolation. One of the most remarkable evolutionary radiations on the Canary Islands comprises the 16 species included in Limonium subsection Nobiles, all of which are subject to diverse threats, and legally protected. Since many of them are single-island endemics limited to one or a few populations, there exists a risk that a loss of genetic variation might limit their longterm survival. In this study, we used eight newly developed microsatellite markers to characterize the levels of genetic variation and inbreeding in L. macrophyllum, a species endemic to the North-east of Tenerife that belongs to Limonium subsection Nobiles. We detected generally low levels of genetic variation over all populations (HT = 0.363), and substantial differentiation among populations (FST = 0.188;RST = 0.186) coupled with a negligible degree of inbreeding (F = 0.042). Obligate outcrossing may have maintained L. macrophyllum relatively unaffected by inbreeding despite the species’ limited dispersal ability and the genetic bottlenecks likely caused by a prolonged history of grazing. Although several factors still constitute a risk for the conservation of L. macrophyllum, the lack of inbreeding and the recent positive demographic trends observed in the populations of this species are factors that favour its future persistence

Antonio A. de Porlier y Sopranis, 1st Marquis of Bajamar (1722 – 1813) and the genus Porlieria (Zygophyllaceae) — honouring his botany advocacy, and its nomenclature

Porlieria honours Antonio A. de Porlier y Sopranis, 1st Marquis of Bajamar (1722 – 1813), a distinguished Spanish nobleman who served as a high-ranking administrator in the New World Spanish colonies and Spain between 1757 and 1812. Porlier was born in the Canary Islands and was a strong advocate for botanical initiatives in the Americas and in the Canaries. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava (Canary Islands) and for the development of the three major floristics surveys that Spain supported in the New World at that time. These floristic studies were led by well-known botanists such as Martín Sessé, Hipólito Ruiz, José A. Pavón and Celestino Mutis. Porlieria Ruiz & Pav. (Zygophyllaceae) is a South American genus with four species. The nomenclature of the seven names associated with this genus is reviewed, requiring lectotypification of the names Guaiacum angustifolium Engelm., P. arida Rusby, P. hygrometra Ruiz & Pav. and P. lorentzii Engl.Fil: Zanotti, Christian Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; ArgentinaFil: Santos Guerra, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Reyes Betancort, J. A.. No especifíca;Fil: Francisco Ortega, J.. Florida International University; Estados Unido

Geographical isolation, habitat shifts and hybridisation in the diversification of the Macaronesian endemic genus <i>Argyranthemum </i>(Asteraceae)

Inferring the processes responsible for the rich endemic diversity of oceanic island floras is important for our understanding of plant evolution and setting practical conservation priorities. This requires an accurate knowledge of phylogenetic relationships, which have often been difficult to resolve due to a lack of genetic variation. We employed genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to investigate how geographical isolation, habitat shifts, and hybridisation have contributed to the evolution of diversity observed in Argyranthemum Webb (Asteraceae), the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to the Macaronesian archipelagos. Species relationships were resolved, and biogeographical stochastic mapping identified intra-island speciation as the most frequent biogeographic process underlying diversification, contrary to the prevailing view in Argyranthemum and the Canary Islands. D-statistics revealed significant evidence of hybridisation between lineages co-occurring on the same island, however there was little support for the hypothesis that hybridisation may be responsible for the occurrence of nonmonophyletic multi-island endemic (MIE) species. Geographic isolation, habitat shifts and hybridisation have all contributed to the diversification of Argyranthemum, with intra-island speciation found to be more frequent than previously thought. Morphological convergence is also proposed to explain the occurrence of nonmonophyletic MIE species. This study reveals greater complexity in the evolutionary processes generating Macaronesian endemic diversity.</p

Data from: Pleistocene extinctions as drivers of biogeographical patterns on the easternmost Canary Islands

Subtropical islands are often viewed as refuges where Quaternary climatic shifts driving global episodes of extinction were buffered. Island biodiversity, however, may have been impacted by climatic fluctuations at local scales, particularly in spatially heterogeneous island systems. In this study, we generated a conceptual framework for predicting the potential impact of Pleistocene extinctions on the biogeographical pattern of the Canarian spermatophyte flora, with a focus on the easternmost Canarian islands (ECI). Then, we performed an exhaustive bibliographic revision (270 studies) to examine whether taxonomic, phylogenetic and phylogeographical data support our predictions. Although molecular information is limited for many lineages, the available data suggest that the majority of extant ECI plant taxa may be the result of relatively recent (<1 Ma) dispersal from surrounding insular and mainland areas. Different lines of evidence are compatible with the idea of a Pleistocene period of frequent lineage extirpation on ECI. Extinction may thus have provided new ecological opportunities for recent (re)colonization, with some cases of recent establishment mediated by facilitation. Considering background extinction on ECI, we describe five general patterns of colonization for Canarian plant lineages. In addition to factors related to island ontogeny and long‐distance dispersal, we suggest that Pleistocene extinctions may have significantly contributed to extant biogeographical patterns in the Canarian archipelago, such as the biased distribution ranges of island plants and the low endemic richness on ECI. This new scenario provides testable hypotheses for future studies dealing with the phylogeography, taxonomy and conservation of terrestrial biodiversity on the Canarian islands, and possibly, on other near‐shore islands