"A numerical taxonomic study of Chara zeylanica and related species" by Robert Frank McGuire
 

Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

3-1971

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Botany

Major Professor

Walter R. Herndon

Committee Members

Sandra L. Bell, Dewey L. Bunting, A. Murray Evans

Abstract

Eighteen clones of Chana zeylanica and closely related species were selected from the charophyte collection of V. W. Proctor, Texas Technological University, Lubbock. All of the clones were C. zeylanica Klein ex Willd. sensu R. D. Wood. By a recent taxonomic revision of the C. zeylanica complex by V. W. Proctor, D. G. Griffin III, and A. T. Hotchkiss, one of these (X-066) was C. rusbyana Howe, one (369) was C. foliolosa Muhl. ex Willd. (=C. sejuncta Braun), one (X-029b) was C. martiana Br. ex Wallman, two (406 and X-103) were C. haitensis Turpin, and 13 (415, X-008, X-027, X-039, X-041, X-064, X-076, X-251, X-351, X-115, X-180, H, and W-1) were C. zeylanica Klein exWilld. H and W-1 were hybrids; namely, H from X-041 and X-180, and W-1 from X-064 and 415.

All of the clones were cultured in soil-water preparations during the Spring and Summer of 1970. Data for 75 characters were collected for each of the 18 clones. Means, standard deviations, and maximum and minimum values were calculated by use of a computer program. Means were used as the primary guide for the assignment of character states.

Three sets of simple matching coefficients were tabulated. The first set involved 50 nonratio characters from morphological data. The second set involved 25 ratio characters and 19 independent nonratio characters. The third set involved all 75 characters. From each of the three sets of simple matching coefficients, a dendrogram was drawn.

The unweighted-pair group method using arithmetic averages was used in the construction of the dendrograms.

The results of this study supported the proposed classification by Proctor, Griffin, and Hotchkiss and differed from the classification by Wood; therefore, the conclusions are written with reference to the former classification. There was as much divergence among the 13 C. zeylanica clones as there was among the five clones which have been considered other species. All the C. zeylanica clones were more similar to one another than they were to any of the non- C. zeylanicaclones.

X-066, 369, and X-029b appeared to be separate species. X-029b had a chromosome number of 28, while both X-066 and 369 had chromosome numbers of 14. Evidence indicated that X-103 and 406, both of which had a chromosome number of 56, were the same species. This study provided definite evidence that there was more than one species among the 13 C. zeylanica clones studied. One of the better criteria for separating the £. zeylanica clones was chromosome number, since those clones with a chromosome number of 28 tended to be separated from those with a chromosome number of 42. There were strong indications to suggest that X-064 was a separate species from all the other clones, X-027 and X-115 were members of the same species, and X-008 and X-251 were members of the same species. X-064, X-027, and X-115 had a chromosome number of 42, while X-008 and X-251 had a chromosome number of 28. There was also very good evidence to indicate that H, X-076, 415, and X-041 were the same species. X-180, X-039, and X-351 were likely members of the same species as this latter group of four clones. V but there was some evidence that X-180 may be more closely related to X-008 and X-251 and that X-351 might be a separate species. H, X-076, 415, X-041, X-180, X-039, and X-351 had chromosome numbers of 28. W-1 appeared to be a new species created in the laboratory. Evidence from this study showed that the parents of W-1, X-064 and 415, were morphologically dissimilar. The creation of the partially self-fertile W-1 hybrid with a chromosome number of 70 establishes need for further investigation into the relationships between the two groups of C. zeylanica clones with chromosome numbers of 42 and 28.

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