Abstract
Serapias ausoniae, here described as a new species, is known only from the southern part of the Apulia, Italy. The new taxon is morphologically similar to S. parviflora but is larger than sympatric S. parviflora specimens. Serapias ausoniae is characterized by larger floral elements, in particular, the bract is longer (~ 5.0 cm) and wider (~ 1.5 cm) and the dimensions of epichile, hypochile, petals and sepals are on average 40–50% larger than S. parviflora. Karyological analyses showed that the new taxon is a tetraploid (2n = 72), whereas sympatric and allopatric S. parviflora specimens are diploids (2n = 36). Moreover, genetic analyses suggest that the new taxon is of autopolyploid origin.
References
<p>Bateman, R.M. Murphy, A.R.M. & Tattersall, B.G. (2017) ×<em>Dactylodenia lacerta</em> (Orchidaceae): a morphologically cryptic hybrid orchid new to science from the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall. <em>New Journal of Botany</em> 7: 64–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/20423489.2017.1408189</p>
<p>Baumann, H. & Künkele, S. (1989) Die Gattung <em>Serapias</em> L. <em>Eine taxonomische Übersicht Arbeitskreis Heimische Orchideen Baden-Württemberg </em>21: 701–946.</p>
<p>Bellusci, F., Pellegrino, G. & Palermo, A.M. (2008) Phylogenetic relationships in the orchid genus <em>Serapias</em> L. based on noncoding regions of the chloroplast genome. <em>Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution</em> 47: 986–991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.019</p>
<p>Bellusci, F., Pellegrino, G. & Musacchio, A. (2009) Different levels of inbreeding depression between outcrossing and selfing <em>Serapias</em> species. <em>Biologia Plantarum </em>53: 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-009-0029-8</p>
<p>Chase, M.W., Cameron, K.M., Freudestein, J.V., Pridgeon, A.M., Salazar, G., van der Berg, C. & Schuiteman, A. (2015) An updated classification of Orcihdaceae. <em>Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society</em> 177: 151–174. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12234</p>
<p>Cheng, T., Xu, C., Lei, L., Li, C., Zhang, Y. & Zhou, S. (2015) Barcoding the kingdom Plantae: new PCR primers for ITS regions of plants with improved universality and specificity. <em>Molecular Ecology Resources </em>16: 138–149. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12438</p>
<p>Cristaudo, A., Galesi, R. & Lorenz, R. (2009) Über zwei stabilisierte Hybridpopulationen aus der Gattung Serapias auf Sizilien. <em>Journal Europäischer Orchideen</em> 41: 587–610.</p>
<p>Delforge, P. (2016). G<em>uide des orchidées d’Europe, d’Afrique du Nord et du Proche-Orient</em>. Delachaux et Niestlè.</p>
<p>Doyle, J.J. & Doyle J.L. (1990) Isolation of plant DNA from fresh tissue. <em>Focus </em>12: 13–15.</p>
<p>Forsskål, P. (1775) <em>Flora Aegyptiaco-Arabica: sive descriptiones plantarum</em>. Hauniæ :ex officina Mölleri, Copenhagen, 31.</p>
<p>Galesi, R., Cristaudo, A. & Maugeri, G. (2004) Contributo allaa conoscenza delle Orchidaceae nella provincia di Caltanissetta (Sicilia). <em>Journal Europäischer Orchideen</em> 36: 465–526.</p>
<p>Gennaio, R., Medagli, P. & Rugiero, L. (2010) <em>Orchidee del Salento</em>. Grifo, Lecce, 184 pp.</p>
<p>Goudet, J. (2002) Fstat v. 2.9.3.2.: a computer program to calculate f-statistics. <em>Journal of Heredity </em>86: 485–486. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111627</p>
<p>Grünanger, P. (2001) Orchidee d’Italia. <em>Quaderni di Botanica Ambientale Applicata </em>11: 3–80.</p>
<p>Krzanowski WJ, 1997. Recent trends and developments in computational multivariate analysis. <em>Statistics and Computing </em>7: 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018565514339</p>
<p>Linneaus, C.V. (1753) <em>Species plantarum</em>. Salvius, Stockholm, 560 pp.</p>
<p>Loureiro, J., Rodriguez, E., Dolezel, J. & Santos, C. (2007) Two new nuclear isolation buffers for plant DNA flow cytometry: a test with 37 species. <em>Annals of Botany </em>100: 875–888. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcm152</p>
<p>Meirmans, P.G. & van Tienderen, P.H. (2004) GENOTYPE and GENODIVE: two programs for the analysis of genetic diversity of asexual organisms. <em>Molecular Ecology Notes</em> 4: 792–794. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-8286.2004.00770.x</p>
<p>Myers, N. & Cowling, R. (1999) Mediterranean Basin. <em>In:</em> Mittermeier, R.A., Myers, N. & Goettsch Mittermeier, C. (Eds.) <em>Hotspots—Earth’s biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions</em>. CEMEX & Conservation International, Mexico City, pp. 254–267.</p>
<p>Moody, M.E., Mueller, L.D. & Soltis D.E. (1993) Genetic variation and random drift in autotetraploid populations. <em>Genetics</em> 134: 649–657. https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/134.2.649</p>
<p>Okada, M., Lanzatella, C. & Tobias, C.M. (2011) Single-locus EST-SSR markers for characterization of population genetic diversity and structure across ploidy levels in switchgrass (<em>Panicum virgatum</em> L.). <em>Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution</em> 58: 919–931. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-010-9631-z</p>
<p>Otto, S.P. & Whitton, J. (2000) Polyploid incidence and evolution. <em>Annual Review of Genetics </em>34: 401–437. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.genet.34.1.401</p>
<p>Parisod, C., Holderegger R. & Brochmann C. (2010) Evolutionary consequences of autopolyploidy. <em>New Phytologist</em> 186: 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03142.x</p>
<p>Parlatore, F. (1837) Nova serapidis species ex orchidarum familia.<em> Giornale di Scienze, Letteratura ed Arti per la Sicilia</em> 59: 66–67.</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Cafasso, D., Widmer, A., Soliva, M., Musacchio, A. & Cozzolino, S. (2001) Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from the orchid <em>Serapias vomeracea</em> (Orchidaceae) and cross-priming to other <em>Serapias</em> species. <em>Molecular Ecology Notes</em> 1: 279–280. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1471-8278.2001.00106.x</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Musacchio, A., Noce, M.E., Palermo, A.M. & Widmer A. (2005) Reproductive versus floral isolation among morphologically similar <em>Serapias</em> L. species (Orchidaceae). <em>Journal of Heredity</em> 96: 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esi006</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Palermo, A.M., Noce, M.E., Bellusci, F. & Musacchio, A. (2007) Genetic population structure in the Mediterranean <em>Serapias vomeracea</em>, a nonrewarding orchid group. Interplay of pollination strategy and stochastic forces? <em>Plant Systematics and Evolution</em> 263: 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-006-0485-y</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Bellusci, F. & Palermo, A.M. (2015) Effects of population structure on pollen flow, clonality rates and reproductive success in fragmented <em>Serapias lingua </em>populations.<em> BMC Plant Biology</em> 15: 222. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-015-0600-8</p>
<p>Sardaro, M.L.S., Atallah, M., Picarella, M., Aracri, B. & Pagnotta, M.A. (2012) Genetic diversity, population structure and phylogenetic inference among Italian orchids of the <em>Serapias</em> genus assessed by AFLP molecular markers. <em>Plant Systematics and Evolution</em> 298: 1701–1710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-012-0671-z</p>
<p>Šegota, V., Hršak, V., Vuković, N., Alegro, A., Besendorfer, V., Sedlar, Z., Bogdanović, S. & Poljak, I. (2018) Disentangling the kinship of <em>Serapias ×todaroi</em> Tin. (Orchidaceae) along the eastern Adriatic using chromosome count and morphometry. <em>Flora</em> 249: 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2018.09.006</p>
<p>Soltis, P.S. & Soltis, D.E. (2000) The role of genetic and genomic attributes in the success of polyploids. <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA </em>97: 7051–7057. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.97.13.7051</p>
<p>Soltis, D.E., Soltis, P.S. & Rieseberg, L.H. (1993) Molecular data and the dynamic nature of polyploidy. <em>Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences</em> 12: 243–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689309701903</p>
<p>Stein, P.G., Matey, J.R. & Pitts, K. (1997) A review of statistical software for the Apple Macintosh. <em>The American Statistician</em> 51: 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/00031305.1997.10473593</p>
<p>Tanaka, N. & Kamemoto, H. (1983) Chromosomes in orchids: counting and numbers. <em>In</em>: Arditti, J. (Ed.) <em>Orchid biology: reviews and perspectives</em>. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, pp. 323–410.</p>
<p>Tineo, V. (1846) <em>Plantarum rariorum Siciliae minus cognitarum</em>. Barbavecchia, Palermo, 87 pp.</p>
<p>Tomaselli, V., Di Pietro, R. & Sciandrello, S. (2011) Plant communities structure and composition in three coastal wetlands in southern Apulia (Italy). <em>Biologia </em>66: 1027–1043. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-011-0113-3</p>
<p>Baumann, H. & Künkele, S. (1989) Die Gattung <em>Serapias</em> L. <em>Eine taxonomische Übersicht Arbeitskreis Heimische Orchideen Baden-Württemberg </em>21: 701–946.</p>
<p>Bellusci, F., Pellegrino, G. & Palermo, A.M. (2008) Phylogenetic relationships in the orchid genus <em>Serapias</em> L. based on noncoding regions of the chloroplast genome. <em>Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution</em> 47: 986–991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.019</p>
<p>Bellusci, F., Pellegrino, G. & Musacchio, A. (2009) Different levels of inbreeding depression between outcrossing and selfing <em>Serapias</em> species. <em>Biologia Plantarum </em>53: 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-009-0029-8</p>
<p>Chase, M.W., Cameron, K.M., Freudestein, J.V., Pridgeon, A.M., Salazar, G., van der Berg, C. & Schuiteman, A. (2015) An updated classification of Orcihdaceae. <em>Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society</em> 177: 151–174. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12234</p>
<p>Cheng, T., Xu, C., Lei, L., Li, C., Zhang, Y. & Zhou, S. (2015) Barcoding the kingdom Plantae: new PCR primers for ITS regions of plants with improved universality and specificity. <em>Molecular Ecology Resources </em>16: 138–149. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12438</p>
<p>Cristaudo, A., Galesi, R. & Lorenz, R. (2009) Über zwei stabilisierte Hybridpopulationen aus der Gattung Serapias auf Sizilien. <em>Journal Europäischer Orchideen</em> 41: 587–610.</p>
<p>Delforge, P. (2016). G<em>uide des orchidées d’Europe, d’Afrique du Nord et du Proche-Orient</em>. Delachaux et Niestlè.</p>
<p>Doyle, J.J. & Doyle J.L. (1990) Isolation of plant DNA from fresh tissue. <em>Focus </em>12: 13–15.</p>
<p>Forsskål, P. (1775) <em>Flora Aegyptiaco-Arabica: sive descriptiones plantarum</em>. Hauniæ :ex officina Mölleri, Copenhagen, 31.</p>
<p>Galesi, R., Cristaudo, A. & Maugeri, G. (2004) Contributo allaa conoscenza delle Orchidaceae nella provincia di Caltanissetta (Sicilia). <em>Journal Europäischer Orchideen</em> 36: 465–526.</p>
<p>Gennaio, R., Medagli, P. & Rugiero, L. (2010) <em>Orchidee del Salento</em>. Grifo, Lecce, 184 pp.</p>
<p>Goudet, J. (2002) Fstat v. 2.9.3.2.: a computer program to calculate f-statistics. <em>Journal of Heredity </em>86: 485–486. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111627</p>
<p>Grünanger, P. (2001) Orchidee d’Italia. <em>Quaderni di Botanica Ambientale Applicata </em>11: 3–80.</p>
<p>Krzanowski WJ, 1997. Recent trends and developments in computational multivariate analysis. <em>Statistics and Computing </em>7: 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018565514339</p>
<p>Linneaus, C.V. (1753) <em>Species plantarum</em>. Salvius, Stockholm, 560 pp.</p>
<p>Loureiro, J., Rodriguez, E., Dolezel, J. & Santos, C. (2007) Two new nuclear isolation buffers for plant DNA flow cytometry: a test with 37 species. <em>Annals of Botany </em>100: 875–888. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcm152</p>
<p>Meirmans, P.G. & van Tienderen, P.H. (2004) GENOTYPE and GENODIVE: two programs for the analysis of genetic diversity of asexual organisms. <em>Molecular Ecology Notes</em> 4: 792–794. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-8286.2004.00770.x</p>
<p>Myers, N. & Cowling, R. (1999) Mediterranean Basin. <em>In:</em> Mittermeier, R.A., Myers, N. & Goettsch Mittermeier, C. (Eds.) <em>Hotspots—Earth’s biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions</em>. CEMEX & Conservation International, Mexico City, pp. 254–267.</p>
<p>Moody, M.E., Mueller, L.D. & Soltis D.E. (1993) Genetic variation and random drift in autotetraploid populations. <em>Genetics</em> 134: 649–657. https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/134.2.649</p>
<p>Okada, M., Lanzatella, C. & Tobias, C.M. (2011) Single-locus EST-SSR markers for characterization of population genetic diversity and structure across ploidy levels in switchgrass (<em>Panicum virgatum</em> L.). <em>Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution</em> 58: 919–931. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-010-9631-z</p>
<p>Otto, S.P. & Whitton, J. (2000) Polyploid incidence and evolution. <em>Annual Review of Genetics </em>34: 401–437. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.genet.34.1.401</p>
<p>Parisod, C., Holderegger R. & Brochmann C. (2010) Evolutionary consequences of autopolyploidy. <em>New Phytologist</em> 186: 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03142.x</p>
<p>Parlatore, F. (1837) Nova serapidis species ex orchidarum familia.<em> Giornale di Scienze, Letteratura ed Arti per la Sicilia</em> 59: 66–67.</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Cafasso, D., Widmer, A., Soliva, M., Musacchio, A. & Cozzolino, S. (2001) Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from the orchid <em>Serapias vomeracea</em> (Orchidaceae) and cross-priming to other <em>Serapias</em> species. <em>Molecular Ecology Notes</em> 1: 279–280. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1471-8278.2001.00106.x</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Musacchio, A., Noce, M.E., Palermo, A.M. & Widmer A. (2005) Reproductive versus floral isolation among morphologically similar <em>Serapias</em> L. species (Orchidaceae). <em>Journal of Heredity</em> 96: 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esi006</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Palermo, A.M., Noce, M.E., Bellusci, F. & Musacchio, A. (2007) Genetic population structure in the Mediterranean <em>Serapias vomeracea</em>, a nonrewarding orchid group. Interplay of pollination strategy and stochastic forces? <em>Plant Systematics and Evolution</em> 263: 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-006-0485-y</p>
<p>Pellegrino, G., Bellusci, F. & Palermo, A.M. (2015) Effects of population structure on pollen flow, clonality rates and reproductive success in fragmented <em>Serapias lingua </em>populations.<em> BMC Plant Biology</em> 15: 222. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-015-0600-8</p>
<p>Sardaro, M.L.S., Atallah, M., Picarella, M., Aracri, B. & Pagnotta, M.A. (2012) Genetic diversity, population structure and phylogenetic inference among Italian orchids of the <em>Serapias</em> genus assessed by AFLP molecular markers. <em>Plant Systematics and Evolution</em> 298: 1701–1710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-012-0671-z</p>
<p>Šegota, V., Hršak, V., Vuković, N., Alegro, A., Besendorfer, V., Sedlar, Z., Bogdanović, S. & Poljak, I. (2018) Disentangling the kinship of <em>Serapias ×todaroi</em> Tin. (Orchidaceae) along the eastern Adriatic using chromosome count and morphometry. <em>Flora</em> 249: 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2018.09.006</p>
<p>Soltis, P.S. & Soltis, D.E. (2000) The role of genetic and genomic attributes in the success of polyploids. <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA </em>97: 7051–7057. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.97.13.7051</p>
<p>Soltis, D.E., Soltis, P.S. & Rieseberg, L.H. (1993) Molecular data and the dynamic nature of polyploidy. <em>Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences</em> 12: 243–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689309701903</p>
<p>Stein, P.G., Matey, J.R. & Pitts, K. (1997) A review of statistical software for the Apple Macintosh. <em>The American Statistician</em> 51: 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/00031305.1997.10473593</p>
<p>Tanaka, N. & Kamemoto, H. (1983) Chromosomes in orchids: counting and numbers. <em>In</em>: Arditti, J. (Ed.) <em>Orchid biology: reviews and perspectives</em>. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, pp. 323–410.</p>
<p>Tineo, V. (1846) <em>Plantarum rariorum Siciliae minus cognitarum</em>. Barbavecchia, Palermo, 87 pp.</p>
<p>Tomaselli, V., Di Pietro, R. & Sciandrello, S. (2011) Plant communities structure and composition in three coastal wetlands in southern Apulia (Italy). <em>Biologia </em>66: 1027–1043. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-011-0113-3</p>