title: TRUE IDENTITY OF THE EUROPEAN FRESHWATER ULVA (CHLOROPHYTA, ULVOPHYCEAE) REVEALED BY A COMBINED MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL APPROACH(1).
abstract: A set of 18 freshwater and morphologically similar marine samples of Ulva were collected from inland and coastal waters throughout Europe to assess their taxonomic identity and invasive potential. An additional 11 specimens were obtained from herbaria. The material was studied using a combination of classical morphological methods and molecular techniques; the latter included sequencing of the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and the chloroplast RUBISCO LSU (rbcL) gene and comparison of the ITS2 secondary structure predictions. Based on classical methods, all the specimens could be determined as U. flexuosa Wulfen and could be further divided into three groups matching three infraspecific taxa. This pattern was generally well supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses. All sequenced samples formed a monophyletic lineage within Ulva, showing a putative synapomorphy in the ITS2 secondary structure. The individual subspecies corresponded to phylogenetic clusters within this lineage. In freshwater habitats, the dominant taxon was U. flexuosa subsp. pilifera, but subsp. paradoxa was also occasionally recorded. In marine habitats, only U. flexuosa subsp. flexuosa and subsp. paradoxa were located. These findings support the view that U. flexuosa subsp. pilifera is primarily a freshwater alga that probably dominates in Europe. As confirmed by the study of herbarium specimens, U. flexuosa should be regarded as indigenous, although it has a tendency to form blooms under certain conditions. Besides clarifying the identity of prevailing European freshwater Ulva, the study provides novel data concerning the distribution and morphological plasticity within the U. flexuosa complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Botany ASCR, Centre for Phycology, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Algology and Mycology, University of Łódź, 90-237 Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., PolandDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mareš
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Botany ASCR, Centre for Phycology, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Algology and Mycology, University of Łódź, 90-237 Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., PolandDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leskinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Botany ASCR, Centre for Phycology, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Algology and Mycology, University of Łódź, 90-237 Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., PolandDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Botany ASCR, Centre for Phycology, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Algology and Mycology, University of Łódź, 90-237 Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., PolandDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Skácelová
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Botany ASCR, Centre for Phycology, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Algology and Mycology, University of Łódź, 90-237 Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., PolandDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jaanika
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blomster
keywords: RNA secondary structure; RUBISCO LSU; Ulva; biogeography; green algae; internal transcribed spacer; molecular phylogeny; morphology; taxonomy