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Does sex make a difference? Genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure in two co-occurring species of Gagea (Liliaceae) with contrasting reproductive strategies

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Abstract

Gagea lutea and G. spathacea are spring geophytes naturally co-occurring in woodlands, characterised by contrasting reproductive strategies probably caused by divergent ploidy levels. The hexaploid G. lutea relies on vegetative reproduction by subterranean bulbils in young stages but completely switches to sexual reproduction once a certain bulb size is attained. The nonaploid G. spathacea seems to be sterile and reproduces only vegetatively; the plants continue to form bulbils even in the rare event of flowering. This study used AFLP genotyping to investigate the consequences of these reproductive strategies for genetic diversity. For 150 and 100 samples from three Western Pomeranian populations of G. lutea and G. spathacea, respectively, AFLP fingerprints were analysed for three different spatial scales, the patch, the transect, and the region. Applying a threshold for genotypic identity of <0.05 simple matching distance, 22–30 genets were detected in the three G. lutea populations, with all genets confined to single populations. Clonal genets consisted of 2–9 samples and extended over up to 28 m, but never occupied the whole length of a transect; 67–75% of all patches had different genets. Genetic distances between genets within populations were similar to those recorded between populations. Genotyping of G. spathacea revealed a single clonal genet for all three populations sampled within a distance of 30 km. The absent genetic diversity confirms the suspected sexual sterility. Gagea spathacea seems to be one of the few non-apomictic, fully clonal vascular plants able to occupy a significant range solely by dispersal of vegetative diaspores.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank Susanne Starke and several student collaborators for their help in sampling; David Harter, Noreen Formella, and Anna Roschanski for help with DNA extraction and AFLP reactions; and Dr Igor Levichev and Dr Angela Peterson for sharing and discussion of ideas. Permission from environmental authorities (Staatliches Amt für Umwelt und Natur Ueckermünde) to collect plant material in the nature reserve “Eldena” is gratefully acknowledged. This study was supported by a Käthe-Kluth scholarship of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald to T.P.

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  1. Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Grimmer Straße 88, 17487, Greifswald, Germany

    Tanja Pfeiffer, Anja Klahr, Anika Heinrich & Martin Schnittler

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  1. Tanja Pfeiffer
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  2. Anja Klahr
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Correspondence to Tanja Pfeiffer.

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Pfeiffer, T., Klahr, A., Heinrich, A. et al. Does sex make a difference? Genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure in two co-occurring species of Gagea (Liliaceae) with contrasting reproductive strategies. Plant Syst Evol 292, 189–201 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-010-0404-0

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