Patterns of genotype variation and demographic history in Lindera glauca (Lauraceae), an apomict-containing dioecious forest tree

Aim: The historical circumstances promoting the transition from sexual to apomictic reproduction in dioecious plant species remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the divergence and demographic history of Lindera glauca, a dioecious tree considered to be facultatively apomictic in China while comprising only females (obligate apomicts) in Japan.

Location: East Asia (China and Japan)

Methods: Samples from 42 populations were genotyped using chloroplast DNA and nuclear microsatellite (nSSR) loci to assess genetic diversity and structure. The nSSR genotypes were also used to detect the mode of reproduction in Chinese and Japanese populations, respectively. Approximate Bayesian Computation on nSSRs and palaeoclimatic niche models provided further insights into the evolutionary and population demographic history.

Results: Chinese L. glauca was found to harbour both sexual and asexual genotypes. Chinese and Japanese L. glauca underwent roughly contemporaneous bottlenecks du...