Abstract

Evaluation of the taxonomic status of water dropwort (Oenanthe, Apiaceae) accessions from East Asia based on nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences

Oenanthe L. is a taxonomically complex genus, several species of which have long been used as vegetables and traditional medicines in East Asia. In order to clarify the taxonomic status of Oenanthe accessions and provide baseline data for the sustainable use of its genetic resources, we examined sequence variations in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of Oenanthe accessions collected from a wide geographical area in China and its neighboring countries. For comparison, ITS sequences in GenBank for almost all currently reported species of Oenanthe were also included in our analyses. Both phylogenetic tree construction methods (Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood) revealed that the accessions tended to cluster into two groups, which were closely related to O. mildbraedii and O. sarmentosa. However, these two species have never been recorded in China or its neighboring countries. Therefore, it seems probable that in our sampled locations, Oenanthe accessions have been given an incorrect name, such as O. javanica. Future studies should carefully check the morphological characteristics of 25other Oenanthe species and sequence their ITS regions in order to clarify the taxonomic status of the genus.

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