title: In the wild hybridization of annual Datura species as unveiled by morphological and molecular comparisons.
abstract: The present work aimed to verify whether intermediate variants were natural crosses between Datura species (D. stramonium forms and D. ferox). Their existence has been long ago insinuated but has not been studied using morphological features and molecular tools. The variants differed in stem coloring, upper bearing forks, and fruit characters.
  
  
  
  Principal Components Analysis of 11 morphological characteristics showed that D. ferox and D. stramonium (forms stramonium and tatula) were quite different and the putative hybrids were intermittent. The D. ferox × D. stramonium f. tatula was closer to the latter of its parents. Sequencing analysis revealed identical amplified trnL intron in all variants and a 100% homology with D. stramonium accession number EU580984.1 suggested that this plastid cannot discern Datura variants. However, genomic analysis with URP markers indicated that the hybrids had >60% genetic makeup similarity with both parents suggesting that the intermediate variants were putative inter-specific hybrids. Moreover, the dendrogram stemmed from cluster analysis of the fingerprint profile of variants placed D. stramonium and D. ferox in different branches indicating their genetic differentiation from each other as well as from their hybrids.
  
  
  
  The findings suggest that the natural hybridization of annual Datura species occurs. Extrapolating, this hybridization could be the first step for speciation. More possibly, it can alter population composition, its weediness and adaptability to local conditions.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory of Agronomy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Tsialtas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Efstathia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patelou
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences, Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 6EY UK.
authors.forename: Nikolaos S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kaloumenos
authors.affiliation: ELGO-"Demetra", Agricultural Research Center of Northern Greece, 570 01 Thermi, Greece.
authors.forename: Photini V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Mylona
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Alexios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polidoros
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory of Agronomy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menexes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory of Agronomy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ilias G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Eleftherohorinos
keywords: Fierce thornapple; Hybrids; Jimsonweed; Self fertilization; Solanaceae