Utility of RAPD Markers in Evaluating the Status of the Hawaiian Tree Fern Cibotium x heleniae

Abstract

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers provide data consistent with the conclusion based on morphological characters that the recently named taxon Cibotium xheleniae is indeed of hybrid origin. This assertion is supported by (I) placement of C. xheleniae intermediate to the parent taxa, as determined by genetic similarity data; (2) location of C. xheleniae individuals on a clade intermediate to the parent species in the cladistic analysis; and (3) clustering of the C. xheleniae individuals between clusters of parental individuals in principal components analysis. Additivity of parental genetic markers in the putative hybrid ranged from 54 to 64%, providing additional though modest support for the hypothesized origin of C. x heleniae. Our results indicate that RAPD data can be of considerable value in assessing potential hybridity of individuals in naturally occurring populations.