Abstract Nigella damascena (Ranunculaceae) is a common Mediterranean species traditionally used as condiment and healing herb. Its perianth dimorphism has been known since 1591. In all modern accessions examined to date, a single allele of the NdAP3–3 gene characterized by a MITE insertion has been found to be responsible for the mutant morph, lacking a corolla. Based on herbarium collections, we aimed at (i) reconstructing the evolution of the worldwide distribution area of both morphs of N. damascena, and (ii) assessing the diversity in the molecular origin of the mutant allele. We compiled a database of more than 3000 collections of N. damascena across four centuries. When possible, specimens were georeferenced, and distribution maps were built for the wild-type and mutant morphs. Additionally, we genotyped the NdAP3–3 locus, based on DNA extracted from herbarium specimens collected from various localities and at different times. We observe a consistently larger and denser distribution area of wild-type plants in Europe and North Africa compared with the mutant morph. The relative proportions of mutant and wild-type morph plants collected in the last couple of centuries are roughly similar. Interestingly in herbarium specimens, NdAP3–3 alleles without a MITE insertion can be found in plants exhibiting the mutant morph. The diachronic study of the distribution area of N. damascena and a literature survey showed that populations exhibiting the mutant phenotype have been present since the end of the 16th century, though not frequently, in the broad Mediterranean Basin. Our genotyping results indicate that the origin of the mutant morph may be multiple and suggest that the NdAP3–3 allele with the MITE insertion typically found in all modern accessions to date, is only a sample of the variability susceptible to disrupt petal formation and development in Nigella damascena.

中文翻译：

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地中海大马士革黑种藻分布区的演变及其花被二形性的可能多分子起源

摘要 Nigella damascena (毛茛科) 是一种常见的地中海物种，传统上用作调味品和治疗药草。它的花被二态性自 1591 年以来就已为人所知。在迄今为止检查的所有现代种质中，已发现以 MITE 插入为特征的 NdAP3-3 基因的单个等位基因是突变体的原因，缺乏花冠。基于植物标本馆的收藏，我们旨在 (i) 重建大马士革猪笼草两种形态的全球分布区域的进化，以及 (ii) 评估突变等位基因分子起源的多样性。我们编制了一个数据库，其中包含跨越四个世纪的 3000 多个大马士革猪笼草。在可能的情况下，对标本进行地理参考，并为野生型和突变型构建分布图。此外，我们对 NdAP3-3 基因座进行了基因分型，基于从不同地点和不同时间收集的植物标本馆标本中提取的 DNA。与突变体相比，我们观察到欧洲和北非野生型植物的分布区域始终更大、更密集。过去几个世纪收集的突变型和野生型变种植物的相对比例大致相似。有趣的是，在植物标本馆标本中，可以在表现出突变形态的植物中发现没有 MITE 插入的 NdAP3-3 等位基因。对大马士革猪笼草分布区的历时研究和文献调查表明，自 16 世纪末以来，在广阔的地中海盆地中就出现了表现出突变表型的种群，尽管并不频繁。