Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 119: 673-688.
Abstract
Detailed knowledge of the geographic distribution of cytotypes is a prerequisite for any experimental or molecular study of ploidy-variable plant systems. The Arabidopsis arenosa group, an intricate di-tetraploid complex from the plant model genus Arabidopsis, has remained largely neglected regarding the distribution and habitat associations of its cytotypes. Using flow cytometry, we conducted a large population-level cytological screen across the A. arenosa group range, involving more than 2900 individuals from 194 populations. We characterized a largely parapatric distribution of the diploid (Southeast Europe) and tetraploid (Northwest Europe) cytotypes with two contact zones – a narrow contact zone in the Slovenian Forealps and a diffuse contact zone across the Carpathians. In addition, a previously unknown isolated diploid lineage with distinct ecology was revealed from sandy areas of the southeastern Baltic coast. We also recorded several adult triploid individuals for the first time in wild Arabidopsis arenosa. Particularly in the Western Carpathians, the diploid and tetraploid populations are largely intermingled, and both cytotypes are spread along the whole lowland-alpine gradient of habitats, exhibiting no signs of ploidy-linked habitat differentiation. In contrast with the complexity at the landscape scale, the within-population cytological homogeneity and the rare occurrence of triploids indicate that the contact zone is rather stable.
