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The Genus Isoetes (Lycophyta) in the Southeastern United States. Lytton John Musselman, Rebecca D Bray W Carl Taylor. 10 April 2007. The Genus Isoetes (Lycophyta) in the Southeastern United States. A quarter century review for field botanists. What is a quillwort? Field characters.
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The Genus Isoetes (Lycophyta) in the Southeastern United States Lytton John Musselman, Rebecca D Bray W Carl Taylor 10 April 2007
The Genus Isoetes (Lycophyta) in the Southeastern United States A quarter century review for field botanists
What is a quillwort? Field characters
Obligate hydrophyte with spirally arranged leaves with a groove on the adaxial surface, four air chambers; arising from a “corm-like” structure bearing forked root tips
Obligate hydrophyte with spirally arranged leaves
groove on adaxial surface, four air chambers
groove on adaxial surface, four air chambers
diaphragm groove on adaxial surface, four air chambers
arising from a “corm-like” structure bearing forked root tips
All quillworts look similar! Size can range from 0.01 to 2.0 m Isoetes butleri Isoetes melanopoda Isoetes mattaponica
All quillworts look similar! Isoetes butleri Kentucky Isoetes stellebossiensis South Africa Isoetes olympica Syria
All quillworts look similar! Lots of variability in size in most species Isoetes hyemalis Submersed Terrestrial
The exception to the spiraled leaves, corm structure, and forked roots is Isoetes tegetiformans
Then and Now 1985--Three species of quillworts in Flora of the Carolinas 2007--Six in Weakley
Then and Now 1985--No hybrids 2007--Isoetes are
Then and Now 1985--No hybrids 2007--Isoetes are Promiscuous allcan be expected to hybridize
Then and Now 1985--few species with scales 2007-- all Isoetes have scales
Then and Now 1985--few species with scales 2007-- all Isoetes have scales
Scales and Phyllopodia are Different Scales are modified leaves, phyllopodia are indurated leaf bases
Then and Now 1985--considered infrequent or rare 2007-- most counties in the Southeast probably have/had Isoetes
Then and Now 1985--little vegetative reproduction 2007-- probably widespread
Then and Now 1985--little vegetative reproduction 2007-- probably widespread through branching of the root stock Isoetes flaccida, Putnam Co, FL Unnamed tetraploid, Chesterfield Co, VA
Then and Now 1985--Megaspores essential for determination 2007-- Megaspores still necessary for diploid species
Megaspores confusing for most tetraploids because of similar ornamentation Isoetes hyemalis Isoetes georgiana
The Genus as Currently Understood Taxonomically in the Southeast I. Nine Basic Diploids (2n=22) Isoetes butleri I. engelmannii I. flaccida I. mattaponica I. melanopoda I. melanospora I. “piedmontana’ I. tegetiformans I. valida
The Genus as Currently Understood • I. Basic Diploids (2n=22) • Conservation concern • I. mattaponica • melanospora • I. tegetiformans
The Genus as Currently Understood II. Seven Described Allotetraploids (2n=44) Isoetes acadiensis I. appalachiana I. hyemalis I. louisianensis I. piedmontana I. riparia I. virginica
The Genus as Currently Understood II. Allotetraploids (2n=44) Conservation concerns Cannot be accurately addressed until we know more about the phylogeny of these polyploids, at least some of which are polyphyletic
The Genus as Currently Understood III. Three Described Allohexaploids (2n=66) Isoetes georgiana (includes I. boomii) I. junciformis I. microvela
The Genus as Currently Understood IV. Allohexaploids (2n=66) Conservation concerns Cannot be accurately addressed until we know more about the phylogeny of these polyploids, at least some of which might be polyphyletic
The Genus as Currently Understood IV. One Allooctoploid (2n=88) Isoetes tennesseensis of conservation concern
The Genus as Currently Understood V. One Allodecaploid (2n=110) Isoetes lacustris Of conservation concern in the South, abundant across Canada
The Genus as Currently Understood • VI. Four named primary hybrids • Isoetes × altonharvillii (I. valida x I. • engelmannii, 2n=22) • I. × brittonii (I. engelmannii x I. riparia, • 2n=33) • I. × bruntonii (I. engelmannii x I. hyemalis, • 2n=33) • I. × carltaylorii (I. engelmannii x I. acadiensis, • 2n=33)
Hybrids spores are misshapen and of varying sizes
Hybrids exhibit heterosis Isoetes × altonharvillii Isoetes valida Isoetes engelmannii
The Genus as Currently Understood VI. New Taxa There are several diploid populations that deserve further study, these could be new species. We have several distinct tetraploid populations but cannot formally name them until we understand their phylogeny.
Megaspores have traditionally been the most reliable way to identify quillworts
Until the advent of molecular techniques, megaspores were used to suggest patterns of phylogeny
How many species have been extirpated in the past twenty five years? Isoetes “riparia”, Alligator River, North Carolina
Acknowledgements Khalid Al Arid Mohammad Al Zein Jim Allison Jay Bolin Daniel Brunton Cindy Caplen Kerry Heafner Jim Hickey David Knepper ODU Plant Research Group Charlie Werth Joe Winstead