SSK-AFLP-Project 2006 (Fingerprint Analysis, Part I)
The genera Sulcorebutia, Weingartia and Cintia are distributed in the Central Andes in South America. Our previous studies demonstrate that these three genera are closely related to each other and well separated from Rebutia (Ritz et al. 2007, www.amjbot.org). The enormous morphological diversity of the group led to an overwhelming flood of species descriptions and synonyms. During this study we investigate the phylogenetic relationships within this complex. We analyze different populations within a narrow geographic sampling of the entire distribution area using DNA sequence data and AFLPs (DNA fingerprint technique). We are especially interested in the following questions:
- Can the genera Sulcorebutia, Weingartia and Cintia separated from each other?
- Which morphological characters support or contradict the genetic data?
- Do we find a geographic pattern within the data that may allow us to reconstruct the evolution and the colonization history of the complex?
Our AFLP data also confirm the result of our DNA sequence analysis in 2005 that Gymnocalycium and Weingartia are not closely related.
This project was conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Jena, Germany. It was financed by the members of the SSK.
Weingartia langeri
Weingartia steinbachii
Weingartia cintiensis
All photos on this Website © Ingrid&Rainer Mecklenburg
Weingartia vasqueziana var. losenickyana
Weingartia azurduyensis
Weingartia mentosa var. albissima
During our AFLP analyses in 2008, Cintia, Sulcorebutia, and Weingartia were merged into one genus Weingartia. Hence, we use the nomenclature in Augustin and Hentzschel (2002) AUGUSTIN, K. und G. HENTZSCHEL. 2002. Die Gattung Weingartia Werdermann. Gymnocalycium 15: 453-472. for Weingartia (old). For Cintia and Sulcorebutia we appy the recombinations in Hentzschel and Augustin (2008)Hentzschel G. & K. Augustin. 2008: Weingartia, Sulcorebutia und Cintia - eine untrennbare Einheit - Merkmalsvergleiche und Neukombinationen. Gymnocalycium 21(2): 767-782.. See note "Sulcorebutia is dead, viva Weingartia!" in SSK news 15/05/2008.
Voucher specimens are deposited in the succulent collection of the Botanic Garden of the University of Jena. Plants were collected as seeds from the original locations and grown in greenhouses of members of SSK according to the CITES instructions.
