title: Chemical and genetic characterization of Phlomis species and wild hybrids in Crete.
abstract: The genus Phlomis is represented in the island of Crete (Greece, Eastern Mediterranean) by three species Phlomis cretica C. Presl., Phlomis fruticosa L., the island endemic Phlomis lanata Willd. and three hybrids Phlomis x cytherea Rech.f. (P. cretica x P. fruticosa), Phlomis x commixta Rech.f. (P. cretica x P. lanata) and Phlomis x sieberi Vierh. (P. fruticosa x P. lanata). This work describes (a) the profile of hybrids and parental species concerning their volatile compounds, (b) the suitability of ribosomal nuclear (ITS region), chloroplast (trnH-psbA), and AFLP markers to identify hybrids and (c) their competence to characterize the different chemotypes of both hybrids and their parental species. The cluster analysis and PCA constructed from chemical data (volatile oils) suggest that there are three groups of taxa. Group IA includes P. cretica and P. fruticosa, group IB includes P. x cytherea, whereas group II consists of P. x commixta, P. x sieberi and P. lanata. Volatile compounds detected only in the hybrids P. x sieberi and P. x commixta correspond to the 3% of the total compounds, value that is much higher in P. x cytherea (21%). Neighbor-joining, statistical parsimony analysis and the observations drawn from ribotypes spectrum of ITS markers divided Phlomis species in two groups, P. lanata and the complex P. cretica/P. fruticosa. In contrast to the ITS region, the plastid DNA marker follows a geographically related pattern. Neighbor-Net, PCA and Bayesian assignment analysis performed for AFLP markers separated the genotypes into three groups corresponding to populations of P. cretica, P. fruticosa, and P. lanata, respectively, while populations of P. x commixta, P. x cytherea, and P. x sieberi presented admixed ancestry. Most of the P. x cytherea samples were identified as F1 hybrids by Bayesian assignment test, while those of P. x commixta and P. x sieberi were identified as F2 hybrids. Overall, high chemical differentiation is revealed in one of the three hybrids, which is likely related with niche variation. Moreover, molecular markers show potential to identify Phlomis taxa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 714 09, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Georgescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Heraklion 710 03, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Michalis K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Stefanakis
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kokkini
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Heraklion 710 03, Crete, Greece; Botanical Garden, University of Crete, Gallos Campus, 741 00 Rethymnon, Greece.
authors.forename: Haralambos E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Katerinopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 714 09, Crete, Greece; Botanical Garden, University of Crete, Gallos Campus, 741 00 Rethymnon, Greece. Electronic address: pirintsos@biology.uoc.gr.
authors.forename: Stergios A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pirintsos
mesh_terms: D005819:Genetic Markers; D006115:Greece; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D031345:Phlomis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: AFLP markers; Chloroplast markers; Flora of Crete; Hybridization; Lamiaceae; Phlomis; Ribosomal nuclear markers; Volatile compounds