TRUSTY, JENNIFER L.1*, ARNOLDO SANTOS-GUERRA2, and JAVIER FRANCISCO-ORTEGA1. 1Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, University Park, Miami FL, 33199 and Fairchild Tropical Garden, 11935 Old Cutler Road, Miami FL, 33156; 2Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava, Calle Retama Número 2, Puerto de La Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands, E-38400, Spain. - Interspecific relationships and morphological adaptation within the Macaronesian endemic genus Bystropogon (Lamiaceae): Evidence from the Internal Transcribed Spacer.
The Canary Islands consist of seven islands forming a volcanic
archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa. The location and
relative isolation of these islands has made them a rich source of
endemic plants. The unique flora of the Canary Islands includes
approximately 600 endemic species with at least 23 endemic genera that
represent 40% of the native plant species of these islands. The genus
Bystropogon (Lamiaceae) is endemic to the Macaronesian region
and is represented by 11 species in the Canary Islands and one species
in Madeira. These taxa are distinguished by both morphological and
ecological differentiation in addition to geographic distribution. The
incredible morphological flexibility of island plants that allows them
to adapt to new and diverse environments has made the study of the
systematic relationships of island endemics a challenging endeavor.
The recent use of molecular tools has allowed for new insights in
understanding the systematic and biogeographic relationships of island
taxa. An ITS phylogeny of all the species of Bystropogon has
resolved the relationships of these taxa in Macaronesia and offers
insight into the plasticity of morphological adaptation in this
group.
Key words: Bystropogon, Canary Islands, ITS, molecular phylogeny