The Mexican Balsam, Impatiens mexicana Rydb: A Redescription Based on Morphological and Phylogenetic Studies, with an Update of the Current Geographical Range of the Species
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Published:2024-01-31
Issue:2
Volume:16
Page:87
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ISSN:1424-2818
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Container-title:Diversity
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Diversity
Author:
Monzalvo René123, Escorcia-Guerrero Diana Lizbeth4, García-Montes Mario Adolfo2ORCID, Rewicz Agnieszka5ORCID, Rewicz Tomasz6ORCID, Manríquez-Morán Norma L.1ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Laboratorio de Sistemática Molecular, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Mineral de la Reforma 42184, Hidalgo, Mexico 2. Laboratorio de Genética, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Mineral de la Reforma 42184, Hidalgo, Mexico 3. School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901-6501, USA 4. Laboratorio de Ecología de Poblaciones, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Mineral de la Reforma 42184, Hidalgo, Mexico 5. Department of Geobotany and Plant Ecology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland 6. Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
Abstract
Impatiens mexicana is a native balsam restricted to the cloud forests of central and southwest Mexico, which is currently known to exist in four states (Zacatecas, Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca), and is probably threatened by geographic restriction. Morphological and distributional information about this species is still scarce, with only a couple of investigations since its first description in 1910, which means the phylogenetic position of this species has yet to be placed. In order to contribute to knowledge of I. mexicana, morphological and molecular studies were carried out with material collected in the localities of Hidalgo, Veracruz, and Oaxaca, during expeditions from July to October 2021 and in 2022. The specimens selected were measured, photographed, and compared with morphological information from the six American balsams. At the same time, phylogenetic studies were carried out by using two regions of the cpDNA and one of the nrDNA. We report I. mexicana for the first time in Hidalgo state, and identify new registers in the Veracruz and Oaxaca localities, thus increasing the knowledge in its geographic distribution. We also redescribe the Mexican balsam by using new and complementary traits: we note that while the species is morphologically similar to I. capensis, it is distinguished by differences in flower color, the distribution of spot patterns on the upper petal, lower sepal, and lateral petals, and geographic information such as endemic geographic distribution in Mexico’s Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF). We also carried out phylogenetic analyses by using ITS and ITS + atpb-rbcL, which showed the Mexican balsam was independent from its Asian-American congeners. Interestingly, our genetic distance analyses reveal differences of 0.01–0.16% between I. mexicana and the other North American congeners that use ITS, atpb-rbcL and trnL-F, both independently and as concatenated genes: this low divergence most likely occurred because of the recent diversification of the group. However, both future redescriptions and phylogenetic studies in American species are imperative, as this will enable better discrimination.
Subject
Nature and Landscape Conservation,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous),Ecological Modeling,Ecology
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