North American cottonwoods (Populus, Salicaceae) of sections Abaso and Aigeros

Phylogenetic and Taxonomic Status Analyses of the Abaso Section from Multiple Nuclear Genes and Plastid Fragments Reveal New Insights into the North America Origin of Populus (Salicaceae)

Although, the Abaso section is widely accepted as an independent section, the taxonomic status of Populus mexicana (section Abaso) has not yet been resolved due to the limited availability markers and/or the lack of P. mexicana specimens in previous studies. Thirty-one poplar species that represent six sections of the Populus genus were sampled, and 23 single-copy nuclear DNA and 34 chloroplast...

Widespread Triploidy in Western North American Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

We document high rates of triploidy in aspen (Populus tremuloides) across the western USA (up to 69% of genets), and ask whether the incidence of triploidy across the species range corresponds with latitude, glacial history (as has been documented in other species), climate, or regional variance in clone size. Using a combination of microsatellite genotyping, flow cytometry, and cytology, we de...

Clonal dynamics in western North American aspen (Populus tremuloides).

Clonality is a common phenomenon in plants, allowing genets to persist asexually for much longer periods of time than ramets. The relative frequency of sexual vs. asexual reproduction determines long-term dominance and persistence of clonal plants at the landscape scale. One of the most familiar and valued clonal plants in North America is aspen (Populus tremuloides). Previous researchers have ...

Molecular Identification and Karyological Analysis of a Rampant Aspen Populus tremula L. (Salicaceae) Clone

A rampant highly heterozygous aspen (Populus tremula L.) clone "Meshabash" has been revealed in course of population genetic diversity analysis in a native stand in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. Here we report the results of karyological analysis showing that this highly vigorous clone is diploid (2n = 38) while typically triploid aspen demonstrates increased growth rate and resistance to ...

A Functional Framework for Improved Management of Western North American Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)