title: Disentangling phylogeography, polyploid evolution and taxonomy of a woodland herb (Veronica chamaedrys group, Plantaginaceae s.l.) in southeastern Europe.
abstract: Southeastern Europe is a centre of European biodiversity, but very little is known about factors causing the observed richness. Here, we contribute to fill this gap by reconstructing the spatio-temporal diversification of the cytologically variable and taxonomically intricate complex of Veronica chamaedrys (Plantaginaceae s.l.), growing in open forests, forest edges and grasslands, with flow cytometry, molecular markers (AFLPs, plastid DNA sequences) and morphometry. Our results show that both diploid and tetraploid cytotypes are widespread, but diploids predominate on the southern Balkan Peninsula. Plastid sequences suggest a first split into three main lineages in the mid-Pleistocene and a continuous diversification during the last 0.4 my. Two of the identified plastid lineages coincide with geographically distinct AFLP clusters. Altogether, the genetic data suggest forest refugia on the southern-most Balkan Peninsula (Greece), in Bulgaria, Istria (Croatia and Slovenia) and maybe the southeastern Carpathians (Romania). Morphometric and genetic data show little congruence with current taxonomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeography and Botanical Garden, Faculty Centre of Biodiversity, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Katharina E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bardy
authors.forename: Dirk C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Albach
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Schneeweiss
authors.forename: Manfred A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schönswetter
mesh_terms: D054458:Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis; D002965:Classification; D005060:Europe; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018745:Genome, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D011123:Polyploidy; D032264:Veronica / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*