Biosystematic Studies on the Status ofSolanum chilense(Dunal) Reiche

Abstract

AbstractMembers ofSolanumsect.Lycopersicumare commonly used as a source of exotic germplasm for improvement of the cultivated tomato, and are increasingly employed in basic research. Although it experienced significant early and ongoing work, the taxonomic status of many wild species in this section has undergone a number of significant revisions, and remains uncertain.Here, we examine the taxonomic status of obligately outcrossing Chilean wild tomato (Solanum chilense) using reduced-representation sequencing (RAD-seq), a range of phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, crossing data, and morphological data.Overall, each of our analyses provides some weight of evidence that the Pacific coastal populations and Andean inland populations of the currently describedS. chilenserepresent separately evolving populations.Despite its vast economic importance,Solanumsect.Lycopersiconstill exhibits considerable taxonomic instability. A pattern of under-recognition of outcrossing species may be common across flowering plants. We discuss the possible causes and implications of this observation, with a focus on macroevolutionary inference.