Research Training ProgramSmithsonian
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| Thinley Namgyel University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin W. John Kress, Ph.D. "The program has been a valuable learning experience that provided an introduction to the research process and also a starting point for my interest in Himalayan flora." |
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An examination of a little known Himalayan genus, Cautleya (Zingiberaceae)
ABSTRACT
Cautleya is a genus of plants in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) found in the Himalayas at altitudes above 1000 meters. Five species have been recognized in the genus for the past century: C. gracilis, C. cathcartii, C. spicata, C. robusta and C. petiolata, but there is some doubt as to how many species should be recognized. C. petiolata is a dubious species since it was described from an unpublished figure and there have been no reports of it being collected since that treatment. It has been suggested that C. cathcartii may be synonymous with C. gracilis, and that C. spicata and C. robusta may also be synonymous. The differences in the robustness of these pairs of species could be due to altitudinal variations so morphological and biogeographical analysis was performed to test this hypothesis. 73 herbarium specimens of C. gracilis and C. spicata were examined for morphological features but type specimens were not obtained for any of the species within the project period. Only one specimen identified as C. cathcarti, another as C. robusta and none of C. petiolata was available for examination. A few specimens identified as C. gracilis fit the description of C. cathcartii and a morphological analysis was run in a cluster analysis program to see if the two were different entities. Preliminary DNA sequence data (ITS and TRNLF spacer region) of three accessions identified as C. gracilis (with differences in robustness) and two identified as C. spicata were also collected to complement the morphological analyses. Pollen from the C. gracilis samples was also observed using SEM. The results of molecular data analysis will need to be confirmed by further observation of type and fresh specimens. DNA and cluster analysis results were unavailable at the time of preparation of this summary but it is clear that there are at least two entities in the genus,C. gracilis and C. spicata. Further study is necessary before a satisfactory conclusion can be made about the confusion in the genus. Information from the project will be used for a treatment of the genus in Genera Zingiberanum.
This project was made possible with a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee.