Taxonomic reconsideration of chinese Lespedeza maximowiczii (Fabaceae) based on morphological and genetic features, and recommendation as the independent species L. pseudomaximowiczii

초록

Lespedeza maximowiczii C. K. Schneid. (Fabaceae) is a deciduous shrub which is known to be distributed in the temperate forests of China, Korea and on Tsushima Island of Japan. Due to severe morphological variations within species, numerous examinations have been conducted for Korean L. maximowiczii. However, the morphology of Chinese plants has not been studied as thoroughly, despite doubts about their taxonomy. To clarify this taxonomic issue, we investigated morphological characters and undertook a Bayesian clustering analysis with microsatellite markers. The morphological and genetic traits of Chinese individuals varied considerably from those of typical L. maximowiczii growing in Korea. For example, petals of the former had a different shape and bore long claws, while the calyx lobes were diverged above the middle and the upper surface of the leaflet was pubescent. Their terete buds and spirally arranged bud scales were distinct from those within the series/section Heterolespe-deza, which includes L. maximowiczii. Our Bayesian clustering analysis additionally included L. buergeri as an out-group. Those results indicated that the Chinese samples clustered into a lineage separated from L. maximowiczii (optimum cluster, K = 2), despite the fact that the latter is grouped into the same lineage with L. buergeri. Therefore, we treat those Chinese plants as a new species with the name L. pseudomaximowiczii. © 2018 the Korean Society of Plant Taxonomists.

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