Abstract Detail

Systematics

Tiernan, Nichole M. [1], Jestrow, Brett [2], Burns, Christina [1], Oviedo Prieto, Ramona [3], Commack, Tracy [4], Campbell, Keron [4], Jiménez-Rodríguez, Francisco [5], Cinea, William [6], Francisco-Ortega, Javier [1].

Taxonomy and Systematics of Plumeria (Apocynaceae) in the Caribbean Islands.

The Neotropical genus Plumeria L. (Apocynaceae), commonly known as Frangipani, is an ornamental garden plant that occurs throughout the Caribbean Islands. The most recent treatments of the genus Plumeria are contradictory and based only on morphological analysis and classification. Many advances have recently been made using molecular systematics to understand the taxonomic relationships within the family Apocynaceae and the tribe Plumerieae. However, despite its popularity as an ornamental plant, the taxonomy and systematics of Plumeria are relatively unclear. Field collections have been completed in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica. Using silica dried material and the living collection of Plumeria at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG), sequence data was obtained using targeted long PCR and next-generation DNA sequencing methods on an Illumina MiniSeq. In addition to chloroplast data, nuclear data will be used to produce phylogenies based on this combined dataset. Using the living collection of Plumeria plants at FTBG, an ongoing pollination and breeding system study will provide vital understanding to the floral biology and compatibility relationships of this ornamental genus. Conservation biologists recognize the Caribbean as a biodiversity hotspot, ranking top five in worldwide priority. The majority of wild growing Caribbean species of Plumeria are not present either in FTBG’s collection or anywhere in horticulture, adding a sense of urgency to document the diversity of the genus. Classification studies such as this one provide a framework for what and where to conserve. In order to encourage new cohorts of tropical botanists, both undergraduate and high school interns are involved in this project through the Fairchild Challenge.

1 - Florida International University, Biology, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL, 33199, United States
2 - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL, 33156, United States
3 - Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y el Medio Ambiente, A.P. 8029, 10800, La Habana, Cuba
4 - Institute of Jamaica, Herbarium, Natural History Museum of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica
5 - Jardin Botánico Nacional, Avenida República de Colombia, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
6 - Jardin Botanique des Cayes, Les Cayes, Haiti

Keywords:
Apocynaceae
Neotropics
Caribbean
phylogeny
pollination
Next generation sequencing
Plumeria.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 19, ASPT Cooley Awards I
Location: 110/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Tuesday, July 24th, 2018
Time: 10:45 AM
Number: 19011
Abstract ID:421
Candidate for Awards:George R. Cooley Award