Application of DNA barcodes for testing hypotheses on the role of trait conservatism and adaptive plasticity in Acer L. section palmata pax (sapindaceae).

Horticultural breeding mediates the selection of traits of interest, providing an opportunity for tracking phylogenetic potential of the trait shift. Here, we used Acer L. Sect. Palmata Pax and A. palmatum Thunb. cultivars as models to test phylogenetic signals of taxonomically relevant traits. Common chloroplast DNA barcoding markers facilitated the evaluation of genetic distance and phylogenetic relationships between these maple species. The determined short genetic distances resulted in unresolved relationships between A. palmatum cultivars and other Acer Sect. Palmata species after non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, but was improved by discriminate analysis of principal components. However, genetic relationships among cultivars were clustered and admixed, indicating the same maternal source species for horticultural breeding.