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Type: Article
Published: 2016-09-21
Page range: 243–262
Abstract views: 30
PDF downloaded: 1

Morphometric analysis reveals a new species of Aponogeton (Aponogetonaceae) in Sri Lanka

Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
Aponogeton dassanayakei Aquatic plants Cluster analysis Morphology Phenetics Monocots

Abstract

A morphometric analysis of Sri Lankan Aponogeton was performed in order to clarify species delimitations and to facilitate their identifications by comparing states coded for 61 vegetative and reproductive characters. Both cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis resolved five discrete phenetic groups within the genus in the island. Four of these clusters corresponded well with the four previously reported species (A. rigidifolius, A. jacobsenii, A. crispus and A. natans) whereas a fifth cluster delimited a new Aponogeton species, A. dassanayakei, from the wet lowland regions of Sri Lanka. These analyses have disclosed more useful characters for field identification of the species.