Relationships and Hybridization among Smilax china and Its Affinities: Evidence from Allozyme Data.

Smilax china L. is a widespread species in China with different ploidy levels. It is morphologically similar to S. davidiana, S. trinervula, and S. glauco-china. In this study, the chromosome number and the variation in allozyme patterns of eight enzyme systems with 25 alleles in 11 populations of S. china and three affinitive species were investigated. The allozyme data, together with morphological and cytological data, suggest that S. glauco-china is not closely related to the other taxa investigated. The diploid species S. davidiana and S. trinervula are involved as ancestor species and share great introgressions with S. china. In S. china, populations from Guilin and Guiyang are allotetraploid; their diploid progenitors probably are diploid populations of S. china and S. trinervula. The results suggest this species arose from multiple origins.


Biochem Genet. 2008 Feb 7

Wang A, Chen Y, Chen G, Lee J, Fu C.

Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China.