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Phylogenetic, biogeographical, and morphological diversity of the Paronychia chartacea (Caryophyllaceae) clade from the Coastal Plain Floristic Province of North America

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The Coastal Plain Floristic Province is a biogeographic hotspot that contains a diverse flora, but botanists are still striving to learn the extent of its species diversity. Nine species of Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae) occur in the Coastal Plain Floristic Province, and an additional four species are distributed in the adjacent Appalachian Mountains. A recent study of ecological speciation in Paronychia taxa that occur in the Coastal Plain identified substantial phylogenetic distance between P. chartacea var. chartacea and P. chartacea var. minima. We evaluated the taxonomic status of the varieties and provide evidence for the recognition of P. minima at the specific level. Phylogenetic distances estimated from a posterior distribution of chronograms identified the two former varieties as being more divergent than other species pairs in the genus. In addition to a substantial geographic distance between the two disjunct taxa, we identified a suite of previously overlooked morphological traits that differentiate the two taxa. In recognizing P. chartacea var. minima at the specific rank, we recommend a reevaluation of its conservation status. A key is provided that allows for the identification of all Paronychia species from the Coastal Plain Floristic Province and Appalachian Mountains.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the Florida Native Plant Society (to ADA and JJS separately), a Marie Mellinger Field Botany Research Grant through the Georgia Botanical Society, a Student Research Grant through the Society of Herbarium Curators, the Georgia Southern University Honors Program, and a Chandler Scholarship through the Georgia Southern University Department of Biology. Travel awards were provided through the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Georgia Southern University Office of Research and Student Government Association. We thank L. Majure and K. Perkins (University of Florida Herbarium (FLAS), Florida Museum of Natural History) for providing locality data; L. Anderson (Florida State University) and R. Farley (Florida Department of Transportation) for assistance locating new populations of Paronychia minima; and L. Anderson, B. Benson (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service), E. Menges (Archbold Biological Station) and B. Pace-Aldana (The Nature Conservancy) for assisting with obtaining collection permits. We thank Loren Anderson, Benjamin Torke, and an anonymous reviewer for their many thoughtful comments that greatly improved a previous draft of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701-2979, USA

    John J. Schenk

  2. Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460-8056, USA

    Andrea D. Appleton

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  1. John J. Schenk
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  2. Andrea D. Appleton
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Correspondence to John J. Schenk.

Appendix

Appendix

Appendix 1. List of selected specimens examined in this study. Herbarium acronyms follow Thiers (2021). Specimens with asterisks indicate voucher specimens for SEMs in Fig. 4

Paronychia chartacea.—UNITED STATES. Florida. Highlands County: Archbold Biological Station, west side of Old State Route 8, 13 Aug 2020, A. Appleton 108* & 109* (GAS); South Lake Sebring (High93), 1 Oct 1986, S. Christman 949 & D. Dorman (UF); Archbold South (HighT19), Sec. 06, T39S, R30E (Venus quad), 4 Apr 1987, S. Christman 1652 (UF); Avon Park Airport Scrub (High89), Sec. 29, T33S, R28E (Avon Park quad), 24 Sep 1986, S. Christman 673 & R. Simons (UF); Bonnet Lake South Scrub (High88), Sec. 08, T34S, R29E (Lake Arbuckle SW quad), 24 Sep 1986, S. Christman 723 & R. Simons (UF); Carlton Ranch South B (High68), Sec. 10, T38S, R29E (Venus NW quad), 10 Nov 1987, S. Christman 2026 (UF); Carter Creek West (High T08), Sec. 10, T34S, R29E (Lake Arbuckle SW quad), also Sec. 9, 16, 15, 3, 3 Mar 1987, S. Christman 1409 & J. Buckner (UF); College Scrub (HighT16), Sec. 34, T33S, R28E (Avon Park quad), 27 Mar 1987, S. Christman 1590 & L. Thompson (UF); East of Holmes Ave. Scrub (High59), Sec 4, T37S, R30E (Lake Placid quad), 4 Mar 1986, R. Huck 3597 & S. Christman (UF); Flamingo Villa (HighT40), Sec. 12, T35S, R29E (Sebring quad), 22 Apr 1987, S. Christman 1690 (UF); Hendrie Ranch West (HIGH95), Sec 8, T39S, R30E (Venus quad), 21 Aug 1986, R. Huck 4273 (UF); Josephine Creek SW US 27 (High05), Sec. 03, T36S, R29E (Lake June quad), 1 Mar 1987, S. Christman 1360 & L. Beck (UF); Lake Jackson Northwest Scrub (High 69), Sec. 23, T34S, R28E (Lake Arbuckle SW quad), 28 Feb 1987, S. Christman 1321 & L. Beck (UF); Lake June North (HighT41), Sec. 26, T36S, R29E (Lake June quad), 12 Nov. 1987, S. Christman 2036 (UF); Lake Lotela Drive (HighT12), Sec. 36, T33S, R28E (Lake Arbuckle SW quad), 18 Mar 1987, S. Christman 1538 (UF); Little Red Water Lake Scrub (High91), Sec. 12, T34S, R28E (Lake Arbuckle SW quad), 25 Sep 1986, S. Christman 755 & R. Simons (UF); Payne Road East Scrub (High87), Sec. 25, T35S, R28E (Sebring quad), 25 Sep 1986, S. Christman 789 & R. Simons (UF); Sebring Southgate Scrub (High07), Sec. 02, T35S, R28E (Sebring quad.), 12 Mar 1987, S. Christman 1492 (UF); Skipper Road South Scrub (High40), Sec. 28, T35S, R29E (Sebring quad), 24 Apr 1986, S. Christman 537 (UF); U.S. 98 South (HighT24), Sec. 13, T35S, R29E (Lorida quad), 22 Apr 1987, S. Christman 1685 (UF); Venus ESE Scrub (High97), Sec. 19, T39S, R30E (Venus quad), 4 Apr 1987, S. Christman 1633 (UF); Venus Scrub (HIGH27), Sec 19, T39S, R30E (Venus quad), 30 Jun 1986, R. Huck 4234 (UF); [Restricted Data], 7 Nov 1990, E. Menges s.n. (FSU); Archbold Biological Station, 10 miles SW of Lake Placid, 18 Jan 1945, L. Brass 14,458 (FSU); found in white sand of Virginia Avenue scrub, E of city of Lake Placid, sec 29, T36S, R30E, 13 Nov 1990, S. Wallace s.n. (FSU); Placid View Drive, W side of Lake Placid, ca 2.9 mi N of jct with Rte 66, 2 Nov 1980, W. & B. Judd 2887 (FSU). Orange County: Spring Lake West (Oran21), Sec. 26, T23S, R28E (Lake Jessamine quad), 7 Dec 1987, S. Christman 2138 & D. Dorman (UF); Frontage Road Scrub (Oran02), Sec. 27, T24S, R28E (Windermere quad), 24 Sep 1987, S. Christman 1898 & J. Stout (UF); Lake Crowell South (Oran18), Sec. 10, T24S, R28E (Lake Jessamine quad.), 4 Dec 1987, S. Christman 2133 & D. Dorman (UF); Lake Willis South (Oran28), Sec. 23, T24S, R28E (Lake Jessamine quad), 14 Dec. 1987, S. Christman 2188 & L. Thompson (UF); Palm Lake Road Scrub (Oran15), Sec. 22, T23S, R28E (Windermere quad), 24 Sept. 1987, S. Christman 1887 & J. Stout (UF); Spring Lake East Scrub (Oran09), Sec. 26, T23S, R28E (Orlando West quad.), 4 Dec. 1987, S. Christman 2122 & D. Dorman (UF). Polk County: Saddle Blanket Scrub Preserve, 15,900 Avon Park Cut Off Road, 13 Aug 2020, A. Appleton 110 & 111 (GAS); Tiger Creek Preserve (northeast of office buildings), 13 Aug 2020, A. Appleton 112 & 113 (GAS); along RR tracks about 3 miles NW of US 98 at West Frostproof (Polk52), Sec. 22, T31S, R27E (Babson Park quad),28 Feb. 1986, S. Christman 186 (UF); Flaming Arrow Scrub (Polk21), Hesperides quad, Sec 5, T30S, R29E, off Route 60, take Boy Scout Rd. North, 15 Oct 1986, R. Huck 4504 (UF); Lake Clinch West North (Polk79), Sec. 25, T31S, R27E (Babson Park quad), 29 Apr 1987, S. Christman 1714 (UF); Lake Henry North (Polk61), Sec. 16, T31S, R26E (Alturas quad), 9 Oct 1986, S. Christman 991 & D. Dorman (UF); Trout Lake North Scrub (Polk35), Sec. 34, T32S, R28E (Frostproof quad), 29 Sep 1986, S. Christman 818 & D. Dorman (UF); West Lake Wales Scrub (Polk85), Sec. 17, T30S, R27E (Eloise quad), along RR tracks, South of West Lake Wales, 30 Sep 1987, S. Christman 1942 & D. Dorman (UF); by US Rte 27, just S of Lake Polk Co. line, N of Haines Cite, longleaf pine turkey oak ridge, 27 Nov 1980, R. Godfrey 78,321 (FSU).

Paronychia minima.—UNITED STATES. Florida. Bay County: [Restricted Data], 3 Aug 1990, L. Anderson 13,182 (FSU); [Restricted Data], 13 Jun 2000, L. Anderson 19,342 (FSU); [Restricted Data], 14 Aug 1990, R. Godfrey & A. Gholson 83,951 (FSU); along E edge of White Western Lake, 0.4 mi W of Rte 77, 6 air mi NW of Vicksburg, SW1/4 of NE 1/4 Sec 13, T1S, R14W, 1 Oct 1990, L. Anderson 13,305 (FSU); clearing along N shore of Shirt Tail Lake, just S of Rte 20, 7 air mi NNE of Vicksburg, SE1/4, Sec 4, at Sec 9 line, T1s, R14w, 3 Aug 1990, L. Anderson 13,184 (FSU). Washington County: north edge of Whitewater Lake, just west of Porter Pond Road, 18 July 2020, A. Appleton 100 & 101* (GAS); east edge of Hammock Lake, just west of Pine Ridge Equestrian Trail, 18 Jul 2020, A. Appleton 102* & 103 (GAS); south of Boat Lake, just off Shenandoah Blvd., 18 Jul 2020, A. Appleton 104 & 105 (GAS); near west edge of Blue Homestead Lake, just off Yorkshire Drive, 18 Jul 2020, A. Appleton 106 & 107 (GAS); [Restricted Data], 6 Jul 1990, L. Anderson 13,080 (FSU), 3 Aug 1990, L. Anderson 13,151 (FSU), 3 Aug 1990, L. Anderson 13,160 (FSU), 3 Aug 1990, L. Anderson 13,167 (FSU), 1 Oct 1990, L. Anderson 13,279 (FSU), 27 Dec 1990, L. Anderson 13,343 (FSU), 27 Dec 1990, L. Anderson 13,352 (FSU); in loose sand of E shore of Boat Lake just N of swimming area, Sunny Hills, 4 air mi NE of Greenhead, NE corner of SE1/4 Sec 25, T2N, R14W, 3 Aug 1990, L. Anderson 13,181 (FSU); infrequent in loose, white sand along N shore of Main lake of Whitewater Lakes, 6.5 air mi ESE of Greenhead, SE corner of SE1/4 Sec 16, T1N, R13W, 3 Aug 1990, L. Anderson 13,172 (FSU); on open coarse white sand of upper shoreline of Crystal Lake (W side of this karst lake), 11 air mi S of Vernon, E1/2 of NE1/4, Sec 35, T1N, R15W, 1 Oct 1990, L. Anderson 13,301 (FSU).

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Schenk, J.J., Appleton, A.D. Phylogenetic, biogeographical, and morphological diversity of the Paronychia chartacea (Caryophyllaceae) clade from the Coastal Plain Floristic Province of North America. Brittonia 73, 383–392 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-021-09682-9

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