Detection of sibling species in the mangrove genus Ceriops using biochemical genetics

Populations of Ceriops tagal var. tagal and C. tagal var. australis were sampled from five sites in northern Queensland in 1987. Collections were made from Missionary Bay (April), Port Douglas (July), Lucinda (October) and Cardwell (October). Samples were collected five times between March and December from the same six trees of each variety at Cape Ferguson, to detect seasonal variation in enzyme phenotypes. C. decandra was also sampled from the Murray River, Lucinda and Cardwell. Branch tips with at least two pairs of fully expanded leaves were collected and the apical buds and their stipules were removed and stored in liquid nitrogen.Twenty-one enzymes were investigated (AAT, ACON, ACP, ALP, DIA, EST, GDH, G3PD, GPI, G6PD, HK, IDH, LAP, LDH, MDH, ME, PER, 6PGD, PGM, SKDH, TPI). Eleven enzymes were resolved adequately for all samples of the three taxa (AAT, EST, GDH, GPI, IDH, LAP, MDH, PER, 6PGD, PGM, SKDH). This research was undertaken to investigate the taxonomic status of the two varieties of the mangrove tree Ceriops tagal using enzyme electrophoresis.