Abstract Detail

Recent Topics Posters

Williams, Dean [1], Overholt, William [2], Copeland, Robert [3], Cuda, James [4].

Origin of a disjunct population of Hydrilla verticillata Royle (Hydrocharitaceae) in the East African Great Lakes .

Hydrilla verticillata Royle (Hydrocharitaceae) is an aquatic plant that is widely distributed across Asia and the Indo-Pacific, with disjunct populations occurring in NE Europe and the Great Lakes of East Africa. Hydrilla has recently been introduced by humans to a number of areas around the world and has become highly invasive. African hydrilla is morphologically distinct from Asian plants and it was first collected in the East African Great Lakes by Speke during his 1860-1863 expedition. Hydrilla was thus thought to be native to this region and probably genetically distinct due to its isolation. We sequenced 135 samples at the trnD-psbM and trnL-trnF chloroplast regions to determine the genetic relationships of hydrilla throughout most of the species native range to evaluate whether African populations were genetically distinct from Asian forms. Our data indicate that hydrilla is genetically diverse throughout S.E. Asia and the Indo-Pacific with 15 haplotypes, while only a single haplotype was found in India and Pakistan. A single chloroplast haplotype was found in Burundi and Uganda and this haplotype differed from the India and Pakistan haplotype by one mononucleotide repeat. These data suggest African hydrilla has a west Asian origin and may have been introduced by migratory waterfowl.

Broader Impacts:

1 - Texas Christian University, Biology, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
2 - University of Florida, Department of Entomology and Nematology , Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory , 2199 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, FL, 34945, USA
3 - ICIPE (International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology), P.O. Box 30 , 40305 , Mbita, Kenya
4 - University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology , Bldg. 970, Natural Area Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

Keywords:
Hydrilla verticillata
Biogeography
historical introduction
aquatic plants.

Presentation Type: Recent Topics Poster
Session: P
Location: Hall A/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PRT025
Abstract ID:1128