Phylogeny and phylogeography of Arenaria section Pseudomoehringia

Abstract

[EN]Phylogeographic and evolutionary studies are necessary to establish solid taxonomic treatments and toimplement effective conservation programs. Unfortunately, a well‐argued and well‐founded taxonomicframework is still lacking for some Mediterranean taxa. This is the case of ArenariasectionPseudomoehringia,a group that currently comprises three species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula (A. funiculata, A. suffruticosa, andA. tejedensis) andA. glochidisperma, which is restricted to the Rif mountains, North Africa. However, thetaxonomic boundaries and phylogenetic relationships among these species are still uncertain. To explore theevolutionary history and phylogeographic patterns within this section, analyses based on nuclear (amplifiedfragment length polymorphism and internal transcribed spacer) and plastid DNA markers (psbA‐3’trnK‐matKandrps16)were performed. Our study has confirmed the monophyly of the section, in which two species are clearlyidentified (A. funiculataandA. glochidisperma) and an additional species complex (“A. suffruticosa+A. tejedensiscomplex”) is also supported as a monophyletic clade. The phylogeographic results point toward a dispersal eventof a common ancestor of the group from the Iberian Peninsula, giving rise toA. glochidispermain North Africa.Moreover,A. funiculataandA. glochidispermaare identified as closely related species edaphically differentiatedacross the Strait of Gibraltar. Our study indicates low levels of a recent geneflow among populations of the“A.suffruticosa+A. tejedensiscomplex,”which are genetically highly structured and suggest an isolation by distancepattern, probably due to a combination of ecological and geographic barriers. Furthermore, the taxonomic andconservation status of taxa included inArenariasectionPseudomoehringiahas been reviewed.