Two new hybrid species of Salvia (S. × karamanensis and S. × doganii) from Turkey: evidence from molecular and morphological studies

Abstract

Salvia L. is an ideal exemplar to demonstrate prezygotic isolation mechanisms in sympatric populations due to their wellknown staminal lever mechanism. Mechanical, phenological, and ethological isolation mechanisms have been reported among sympatric species of Salvia. However, it has been shown that if closely related species are sympatric and flower at the same time, they can potentially hybridize. In this study, we describe two new hybrid species of Salvia (S. × karamanensis Celep & B.T.Drew, and S. × doganii Celep & B.T.Drew) from Turkey based on morphological and molecular evidence. Salvia × karamanensis (S. aucheri Benth. subsp. canescens (Boiss. & Heldr.) Celep, Kahraman & Doğan × S. heldreichiana Boiss. ex Benth.) is known from near Karaman city in the central Mediterranean region of Turkey, and S. × doganii (S. cyanescens Boiss. & Bal. × S. vermifolia Hedge & Hub.-Mor.) occurs near Sivas in central Anatolia, Turkey. Morphological comparisons between the hybrid species and their putative parents are given with notes on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list categories, biogeography and ecology of the two hybrid species.

Pharmacological and Nutritional Properties: Genus Salvia

“…Turkey, on the other hand, has more Salvia species than the southwest Asian regions along with the Mediterranean region. There are 100 species in Turkey, and approximately 53% are endemic [9].…”

Hiding in plain sight: Integrative analyses uncover a cryptic Salvia species in Europe

“…or the Asclepiadaceae Borkh., a feature that allows sharing of pollinators by multiple species while avoiding interbreeding or competition (Pauw, 2006), and conform to the “ Pedicularis type” of mechanical isolation (Grant, 1994), where reproductive isolation is induced by the change in the specific region of pollen deposition on the pollinator's body. Thus, the staminal lever can ensure mechanical prezygotic isolation between sympatric Salvia species (Claßen‐Bockhoff & al., 2004b; Celep & al., 2020b) by allowing different co‐flowering species to share the same pollinator without interbreeding.…”

“…As a third scenario, random changes in flower morphology might have led to the reproductive isolation of the two forms while occurring in sympatry. This type of non‐adaptive speciation is known to happen rarely (see, e.g., Straw, 1956; Grant, 1981; Armbruster, 1993; Armbruster & al., 1994, 2014; Cozzolino & Widmer, 2005), and is extremely unlikely in our case, considering that even more distantly related Salvia species—sometimes even with quite different pollen placement strategy—are known to hybridize (e.g., Kerner von Marilaun, 1891; Hihara & al., 2001; Wester & Claßen‐Bockhoff, 2002; Herraiz‐Peñalver & al., 2015; Nachychko & Sosnovsky, 2020) usually producing offspring with intermediate morphology (Webb & Carlquist, 1964; Bernáth & Németh, 2000; Tychonievich & Warner, 2011; Celep & al., 2020b). Therefore, even low levels of hybridization would eliminate prezygotic isolation in two sympatric populations.…”

Chemical Profiling and Wetting Behaviors of Endemic Salvia absconditiflora Greuter & Burdet (Lamiaceae) Collected from Gypsum Areas

“…It is known that Salvia taxa, which have antibacterial, carminative, stimulant, diuretic, and spasmolytic properties, have been used for treatment since the earliest times (4)(5)(6). Salvia, the diversity of which varies according to leaf shapes, calyx structure, length, and color of petals, has 100 species and 107 taxa in the flora of Turkey (7)(8)(9)(10), and Turkey is very important in terms of its import and use (11). Salvia absconditiflora Greuter & Burdet (Synonym: S. cryptantha Montbret & Aucher ex Bentham) is a perennial and endemic plant.…”