PHYLOGENY OF THE EASTERN SWEETSHRUB (CALYCANTHUS FLORIDUS, CALYCANTHACEAE) AND THE GEORGIA ENDEMIC CALYCANTHUS BROCKIANA (CALYCANTHACEAE) USING A MOLECULAR APPROACH

Abstract

PHYLOGENY OF THE EASTERN SWEETSHRUB (CALYCANTHUS FLORIDUS, CALYCANTHACEAE) AND THE GEORGIA ENDEMIC CALYCANTHUS BROCKIANA (CALYCANTHACEAE) USING A MOLECULAR APPROACH

Dr. James T. Diggs, Katie Horton, Samantha Shea and Courtney Kitchens

Calycanthus (Calycanthaceae) is a basal angiosperm genus that has characteristic flowers and floral scent. The genus Calycanthaceae is present in California and in various states on the east coast of the United States with central concentration in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, the Carolinas and Tennessee. In the past, the genus Calycanthus has been split into as many as six different species and four varieties outside of cultivation. Weakley (2015) currently recognizes two species: C. floridus and C. brockiana. Calycanthus floridus is a highly variable woody shrub native to the East coast of the United States and is common in mesic hardwood forests throughout its range. Calycanthus brockiana has been described by one previous study (Ferry, 1987) but has not been re-located since. No studies have compared C. brockiana to other Calycanthus species. This study will use molecular phylogenetic techniques to determine the relatedness of C. brockiana to C. floridus. Plastid trnK/matK intron and nuclear ribosomal ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 will be used to obtain DNA sequences. As of Spring 2017 no results have been obtained, but sequencing and collection of new samples will continue.

Keywords: Calycanthaceae; Calycanthus brockiana; Calycanthus floridus; phylogenetics