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Hybridization and asymmetric introgression between Rhododendron eriocarpum and R. indicum on Yakushima Island, southwest Japan

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Abstract

We examined natural hybridization between two morphologically and ecologically divergent species on Yakushima Island—the light-purple flowered Rhododendron eriocarpum native to seaside habitats and the red flowered R. indicum native to riverside habitats. By investigation of morphological traits and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) we found that hybrid individuals morphologically and genetically intermediate between the two species grow mainly in the seaside areas of the island. The degree of morphological and genetic variation was different among the seaside hybrid populations. Although most pollinator species were exclusive to one of the two flower color groups, the halictine bees of Lasioglossum were observed in both the color types. The crucial interspecific incompatibility after pollination has not been previously described. Geographic distance between the populations is likely to be an important primary factor in bringing about natural hybridization and determining the degree of introgression between R. eriocarpum and R. indicum. The fact that hybrids occur mostly in the seaside area on Yakushima Island indicates that asymmetrical introgression occurs from R. indicum to R. eriocarpum. Alternatively, strong habitat-mediated selection from recurrent floods may prevent the hybrids from colonizing riverside habitats.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr Osamu Tadauchi for help with identification of pollinators, Dr Miyuki Nakazawa for help in the AFLP analysis, and Dr Tetsukazu Yahara and Dr Yuki Tsujita-Ogura for helpful commentary on our study. We also thank Mr Kazuyuki Sakan, Ms Tomie Sakan and Mr Toshihiro Saitou for their assistance during the fieldwork.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Horticultural Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Shuichiro Tagane

  2. Laboratory of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Michikazu Hiramatsu & Hiroshi Okubo

Authors
  1. Shuichiro Tagane
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  2. Michikazu Hiramatsu
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  3. Hiroshi Okubo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shuichiro Tagane.

Electronic Supplementary Material

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10265_2008_167_MOESM1_ESM.doc

Table S1. Population code names, geographic information and accession numbers of the 20 investigated populations of R. eriocarpum, R. indicum and their natural hybrids (DOC 80 kb)

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Tagane, S., Hiramatsu, M. & Okubo, H. Hybridization and asymmetric introgression between Rhododendron eriocarpum and R. indicum on Yakushima Island, southwest Japan. J Plant Res 121, 387–395 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-008-0167-7

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