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Issue: Vol. 777 No. 3: 2 Oct. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-10-02
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.777.3.4
Page range: 261-271
Abstract views: 55
PDF downloaded: 4

First confirmed record of Vallisneria spiralis in China based on morphological and molecular evidence

School of Resources and Environmental Science; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China
College of Life Sciences; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China
School of Resources and Environmental Science; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China
School of Resources and Environmental Science; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China
China South To North Water Diversion Middle Route Corporation Limited; No. 1; Yuyuantan South Road; Haidian District; Beijing 100038; China
Erhai Plateau Lake Ecosystem Research Station; Institute of Hydrobiology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Dali 671000; China; State Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture; Institute of Hydrobiology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430072; China
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Ecological Restoration; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; China
School of Resources and Environmental Science; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response; Hubei University; Wuhan 430062; China
Monocots China Hydrocharitaceae ITS Molecular phylogenetics New record trnK intron Vallisneria spiralis

Abstract

The genus Vallisneria L. comprises submerged aquatic plants distributed worldwide, plays a fundamental role in the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Due to its high phenotypic plasticity in vegetative organs, difficulty in obtaining reproductive structure, and frequent interspecific hybridization, species classification and identification within the genus are challenging. The distribution history of V. spiralis, the type species of the genus, has long remained unclear in China. In this study, we conducted phylogenetic analyses on samples collected from multiple locations in China using nuclear ITS and chloroplast trnK intron sequences. Our results suggest that samples from different locations in China form a highly supported clade with European and African reference sequences of V. spiralis, thus providing the first molecular evidence for the occurrence of V. spiralis in China. In addition, V. spiralis and V. denseserrulata showed prominent differences in fruit morphology and phylogenetic tree position, which supported their distinction as independent species. We further detected six stable nucleotide sites in the ITS region, which can be used to distinguish V. spiralis and V. denseserrulata. Phylogenetic analyses also confirmed that the three recognized species of Vallisneria (V. natans, V. spinulosa and V. denseserrulata) in China were indeed three distinct branches. In summary, our study not only reported new distributional records of V. spiralis in China, but also provided molecular methods and data for species identification of similar taxa in Vallisneria.

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How to Cite

Shang, Y.-J., Huang, L.-J., Xiang, N.-Y., Yang, W.-H., Liu, X., Zhang, X.-L., Chen, J.-M. & Dai, C. (2026) First confirmed record of Vallisneria spiralis in China based on morphological and molecular evidence. Phytotaxa 777 (3): 261–271. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.777.3.4