The characterisation of microsatellite markers reveals tetraploidy in the Greater Water Parsnip, Sium latifolium (Apiaceae).

BACKGROUND: The Greater Water Parsnip, Sium latifolium (Apiaceae), is a marginal aquatic perennial currently endangered in England and consequently the focus of a number of conservation translocation projects. Microsatellite markers were developed for S. latifolium to facilitate comparison of genetic diversity and composition between natural and introduced populations. RESULTS: We selected 65 S. latifolium microsatellite (MiSeq) sequences and designed primer pairs for these. Primer sets were tested in 32 individuals. We found 15 polymorphic loci that amplified consistently. For the selected 15 loci, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 17. For all loci, S. latifolium individuals displayed up to four alleles indicating polyploidy in this species. CONCLUSIONS: These are the first microsatellite loci developed for S. latifolium and each individual displayed 1-4 alleles per locus, suggesting polyploidy in this species. These markers provide a valuable resource in evaluating the population genetic composition of this endangered species and thus will be useful for guiding conservation and future translocations of the species

Laserocarpum, a new genus of Apiaceae endemic to Greece

Laserpitium pseudomeum is an endemic umbellifer of Greece occurring in the mountains of Sterea Ellas and northern Peloponnese. Molecular data indicate that it is not related to its putative congeners, but instead constitutes an isolated lineage. The nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS tree places it as a weakly supported sister group to Portenschlagiella ramosissima, the sole species in its genus, whereas the tree inferred from three noncoding cpDNA loci does not confirm this relationship. Portenschlagiella ramosissima is sometimes placed in Athamanta, an affinity supported neither by molecular data nor by fruit morphology. Laserpitium pseudomeum notably differs from P. ramosissima in vegetative, flower, and fruit characteristics, and no obvious morphological synapomorphies indicate their close relationship. Therefore, we place L. pseudomeum in the newly described genus Laserocarpum and lectotypify the species with the specimen Orphanides 2019 (G00766460) at G-Boiss. © The Author(s) 2019