Journal
PLANT ECOLOGY
Volume 155, Issue 2, Pages 229-235Publisher
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL
DOI: 10.1023/A:1013202008758
Keywords
ecological release; RAPD; sterility; temporal separation
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Despite the widespread distribution and common habitat dominance of clonal plant species the mechanisms for their ecological success often remain uncertain. Allium ampeloprasum var. babingtonii is a sterile plant that reproduces with physiologically independent asexual propagules. The variety is found mainly in the S.W. of England over a wide habitat range including sea cliffs and open woodlands and displays an autumn-spring phenology in common with its close Mediterranean relatives. The role of population genetic structure in the remarkable habitat distribution of the variety is not known. Genetic variation in A. ampeloprasum var. babingtonii was analysed using RAPD markers in single individuals of var. babingtonii from 16 distinct populations and five further individuals from a single population. This analysis revealed no polymorphism suggesting that all sampled individuals are part of a single clone. We offer the conjecture that in the absence of genetic variation an ecological release, due to temporal separation from competing species, may contribute to the ability of var. babingtonii to exploit heterogeneous environmental conditions.
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