Genetic variation in Bromus tectorum (Poaceae): population differentiation in its North American range

S. J. Novak, R. N. Mack, D. E. Soltis

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90 Scopus citations

Abstract

Allelic variation in seedlings from 60 North American populations of the alien annual grass Bromus tectorum was determined at 25 loci. Populations were collected from E of the Rocky Mountains, Nevada/California, the Intermountain West, and British Columbia. Compared to other diploid seed plants, genetic variation within these populations of B. tectorum is low: 4.60% of loci are polymorphic per population, with an average of 1.05 alleles per locus and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.012. No heterozygous individuals were detected. The mean genetic identity (Nei's I) between population pairs was 0.980 and indicates a high level of overall genetic similarity among populations. The among-population component of the total gene diversity is high (GST = 0.478), indicating substantial genetic differentiation among populations. Results are consistent with previous reports for highly self-pollinating plants of low genetic variation and substantial genetic differentiation among populations. Despite the lack of genetic variation, this weedy grass has become exceedingly abundant in a diverse array of arid environments throughout much of W North America, perhaps due to phenotypic plasticity. -from Authors

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1150-1161
Number of pages12
JournalAmerican Journal of Botany
Volume78
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 1991

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