Chloroplast capture by a new variety, Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. N. Tashev, from the Balkan peninsula: A putative stabilized relictual hybrid between J. sabina and ancestral J. thurifera

An example of chloroplast capture has been found in Juniperus sabina from Bulgaria and Greece in the Balkan peninsula. The cpDNA from these populations is very uniform and is nearly identical to that of J. thurifera (currently growing in France, Spain and Morocco). The new taxon is recognized as Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. Tashev. At present, the variety, with the thurifera cpDNA, is known only from Bulgaria and Greece

Chloroplast capture in Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. N. Tashev, from the Balkan peninsula: A new variety with a history of hybridization with J. thurifera

example of chloroplast capture has been identified in Juniperus sabina from Bulgaria and Greece in the Balkan peninsula. Nuclear DNA and overall morphology clearly indicate a close relationship to Juniperus sabina, whereas the cpDNA from these populations is very uniform and is nearly identical to that of J. thurifera, an unrelated species currently growing in France, Spain and Morocco. The new taxon is recognized as Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. Tashev. At present, this new variety is known only from locations in Bulgaria and Greece

Chloroplast capture by a new variety, Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. N. Tashev, from the Balkan peninsula: A putative stabilized relictual hybrid between J. sabina and ancestral J. thurifera

An example of chloroplast capture has been found in Juniperus sabina from Bulgaria and Greece in the Balkan peninsula. The cpDNA from these populations is very uniform and is nearly identical to that of J. thurifera (currently growing in France, Spain and Morocco). The new taxon is recognized as Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. Tashev. At present, the variety, with the thurifera cpDNA, is known only from Bulgaria and Greece

Juniperus communis in Azerbaijan: analyses of nrDNA and cpDNA regions

Juniperus \u27pygmaea\u27 from Azerbaijan was analyzed by DNA sequence data from nrDNA plus four cp DNA regions (4315 bp) and found in a clade with J. communis \u27oblonga\u27 (= J. communis) Armenia, not with J. c. forma pygmaea of Bulgaria. It seems prudent to not recognize this variant taxonomically but treat it as J. communis

Discovery of Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. N. Tashev in western Turkey (Anatolia)

Additional analyses of trnS-trnG and nrDNA from herbarium specimens from Europe revealed the presence of J. sabina var. balkanensis in western Turkey near Izmir and expands the range previously known only from Bulgaria and adjacent mountains in Greece. A more detailed map of the taxon\u27s distribution is presented

Geographic variation in nrDNA and four cpDNA regions of Juniperus excelsa: Analysis of new records from Bulgaria, Cyprus and southwestern Turkey

Sequencing of nrDNA, plus four cp DNA regions: petN-psbM, trnS-trnG, trnD-trnT and trnL-trnF of newly acquired samples of J. excelsa from Bulgaria, Cyprus and Turkey showed little variation in J. excelsa (sensu stricto), except for the unusual situation in Lebanon, where J. excelsa and J. polycarpos (and likely J. p. var. turcomanica) grow near each other and may be hybridizing. The genetic composition of the eastern-most populations of J. excelsa in Turkey is unknown and deserves further study

Geographic variation in nrDNA and four cpDNA regions of Juniperus excelsa: Analysis of new records from Bulgaria, Cyprus and southwestern Turkey

Sequencing of nrDNA, plus four cp DNA regions: petN-psbM, trnS-trnG, trnD-trnT and trnL-trnF of newly acquired samples of J. excelsa from Bulgaria, Cyprus and Turkey showed little variation in J. excelsa (sensu stricto), except for the unusual situation in Lebanon, where J. excelsa and J. polycarpos (and likely J. p. var. turcomanica) grow near each other and may be hybridizing. The genetic composition of the eastern-most populations of J. excelsa in Turkey is unknown and deserves further study

Evidence of relictual introgression or incomplete lineage sorting in nrDNA of Juniperus excelsa and J. polycarpos in Asia Minor

DNA analysis of Juniperus excelsa from throughout its range revealed that J. polycarpos, instead of J. excelsa occupies central and eastern Turkey. Based on nrDNA (ITS) data, it appears that relictual hybridization has occurred in southeastern Turkey between J. polycarpos and J. turcomanica. Surprisingly, evidence of incomplete lineage sorting or relictual hybridization between J. polycarpos and J. seravschanica was found in central Turkey and northwest Iran

Discovery of Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis R. P. Adams and A. N. Tashev in Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Central and Southern Italy and relictual polymorphisms found in nrDNA

Additional analyses of trnS-trnG and nrDNA from specimens from Bosnia-Herzegovina, southern and central, Italy, Croatia and Macedonia revealed the presence of J. sabina var. balkanensis in these areas west of the previously known populations in Greece, Bulgaria and western Turkey. Careful chromatogram analysis of eight (8) polymorphic sites in nrDNA revealed that nearly all of the populations of both var. balkanensis and var. sabina contained from 2 to 8 polymorphic sites. For these 8 heterozygous sites, two exclusive patterns were found in J. sabina. One type (GGACCCAG) was found in 16/62 plants and type 2 (ACGACAGT) was found in 4/62 plants. The majority of the plants examined (42/62) were heterozygous for 1 to 8 sites. These two nrDNA types appear to have arisen via hybridization with a J. thurifera ancestor. The two types appear in both v. sabina and v. balkanensis populations. Extant putative hybrids appear to have formed by crosses between present day type 1 and type 2 nrDNA

Dendroflora of calcareous terrains in Bulgaria and its significance for conservation

The work presents characteristics of calciphile species from the dendroflora of Bulgaria (107 species), both facultative (77 species) and obligated (30 species) – their systematic structure according to families and genera, division according to biological types and live forms, as well as floristic geo-elements and spreading on vertical belts and floristic regions in Bulgaria. The conservation significance of calciphiles at national and international level has been shown on the basis of referent documents. A systematic list of calciphile species of the Bulgarian dendroflora has been presented