Park Sang Hee, Kim Jung Sung, Kim Hyoung Tae
Department of Forest Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Chungbuk, Korea.
Department of Crop Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 37224, Kyungpook, South Korea.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 10;15(1):1619. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-86000-3.
The genus Vandenboschia exhibits significant diversity, driven by complex hybridization events and varying ploidy levels in the natural habitats of Korea, leads to misidentifications that obscure its true distribution and classification. To address this issue, the present study employed morphological, cytological, and genotype analyses to clarify the taxonomical circumscription and distribution patterns of the Vandenboschia radicans complex in Korea. The V. radicans complex in the genus refers to V. radicans and its closely related species and exhibits significant morphological variation, making classification challenging. Previous molecular studies have revealed that it consists of several non-hybrid and hybrid species among them. Through the present study, comprehensive sampling from Jeju and Ulleung Islands identified five distinct taxa from the V. radicans complex: two non-hybrid species (Vandenboschia kalamocarpa and Vandenboschia nipponica), and three hybrids (Vandenboschia × stenosiphon, Vandenboschia × quelpaertensis, and Vandenboschia kalamocarpa × Vandenboschia nipponica × Vandenboschia striata). Notably, hybrids exhibited broader geographic distributions compared to non-hybrid species, which were confined to specific microhabitats. While overlapping morphological traits among the species complicate identification without genetic analysis, rhizome diameter and the width-to-length ratio of the involucre can serve as key morphological traits for distinguishing members of the Vandenboschia radicans complex in Korea. Additionally, cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers and cloning techniques were employed for species identification, particularly when morphological traits were inconclusive. These findings highlight the need to integrate genetic tools with traditional taxonomic methods to resolve complex species relationships within Vandenboschia in Korea and emphasize the importance of conservation efforts for geographically restricted and genetically distinct populations.
万德藓属表现出显著的多样性，这是由韩国自然栖息地中复杂的杂交事件和不同的倍性水平驱动的，导致了错误鉴定，掩盖了其真实分布和分类。为了解决这个问题，本研究采用形态学、细胞学和基因型分析来阐明韩国万德藓复合体的分类界限和分布模式。该属中的万德藓复合体是指万德藓及其近缘物种，表现出显著的形态变异，使得分类具有挑战性。先前的分子研究表明，其中包括几个非杂交种和杂交种。通过本研究，对济州岛和郁陵岛进行了全面采样，从万德藓复合体中鉴定出五个不同的分类群：两个非杂交种（卡拉莫果万德藓和日本万德藓），以及三个杂交种（狭叶万德藓、济州万德藓和卡拉莫果万德藓×日本万德藓×条纹万德藓）。值得注意的是，与局限于特定微生境的非杂交种相比，杂交种表现出更广泛的地理分布。虽然物种之间重叠的形态特征在没有遗传分析的情况下会使鉴定复杂化，但根状茎直径和总苞的宽长比可以作为区分韩国万德藓复合体成员的关键形态特征。此外，切割扩增多态性序列（CAPS）标记和克隆技术被用于物种鉴定，特别是在形态特征不确定的时候。这些发现强调了将遗传工具与传统分类方法相结合以解决韩国万德藓属内复杂物种关系的必要性，并强调了对地理上受限和基因上独特的种群进行保护的重要性。
