title: Comparison of five Calligonum species in Tarim Basin based on morphological and molecular data.
abstract: FiveCalligonumspecies endemic to the Tarim Basin -C. roborowskii,C. kuerlese,C. juoqiangense,C. yengisaricum, andC. taklimakanense- were compared using 14 morphological characteristics and nrDNA ITS and cpDNAtrnL-Fmolecular data. Intraspecific and interspecific morphological variation was uncovered, with variation between species significant for most characteristics. Based on Euclidean distances,C. roborowskiiandC. kuerlesewere the most similar, andC. yengisaricumandC. kuerlesewere the most divergent. There was very little variation in the molecular sequence data: although several variable sites were present in ITS andtrnL-Fregions, none of them were parsimony informative. Results of morphological and molecular analyses suggest that the various morphological characteristics of the studiedCalligonumspecies are strongly shaped by environmental factors, with the observed intraspecific and interspecific morphological variation a product of the spatial isolation and extreme drought of the Tarim Basin.
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100039, China; Key laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Maryamgul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdurahman
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China; Key laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Gulnur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sabirhazi
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China; Key laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China; Key laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Linke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China; Key laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Borong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pan
keywords: Calligonum; ITS; fruit; morphology; trnL-F