2026-10-11T12:59:17Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33986545 2026-09-24T15:30:38Z category_13 category_24 category_272 category_39 category_734 category_931 category_61 portal_87 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Morphological plasticity and species limits in <i>Smilax</i> sect. <i>Macranthae</i>: evidence for conspecificity of <i>S. wightii</i> and <i>S. zeylanica</i> Geetika Sukhramani (25104634) Ritesh Kumar Choudhary (7288850) Genetics Evolutionary Biology Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified Ecology Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Information Systems not elsewhere classified Developmental Biology confocal microscopy integrative taxonomy morphological plasticity RAD sequencing Sarsaparilla SNPs <p>Species delimitation in morphologically plastic plant lineages remains a persistent challenge, often leading to taxonomic instability and inflated species numbers. The genus <i>Smilax</i> exemplifies such complexity, particularly within the <i>S. ovalifolia–S. wightii–S. zeylanica</i> complex, which has long been subject to taxonomic uncertainties. Within this complex, <i>S. ovalifolia</i> represents a key reference lineage, exhibiting comparatively stable morphological and anatomical traits that contrast with the pronounced variability observed in <i>S. wightii</i> and <i>S. zeylanica</i>. Building on this contrast, we integrate restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) with detailed morphological, anatomical, and phylogenetic analyses to reassess species limits and lineage relationships. Genome-wide data provide a framework for evaluating evolutionary cohesion and reveal patterns of divergence not evident from morphology alone. Evidence from molecular phylogenetic analyses, neighbour-joining networks, and population genetic structure consistently supports the genetic distinctiveness of <i>S. ovalifolia</i>, while demonstrating a lack of meaningful genetic separation between <i>S. wightii</i> and <i>S. zeylanica</i>. Instead, these two taxa form a single evolutionary lineage rather than independently evolving species. Levels of genetic differentiation among sampled individuals are low and appear to be influenced by geographic distance and ongoing gene flow, highlighting how population structure and phenotypic plasticity influence morphological variation, potentially leading to misinterpretation in taxonomic assessments. This reassessment clarifies species boundaries in a taxonomically problematic group and highlights the need for multi-evidence approaches when evaluating species limits in morphologically plastic taxa.</p> 2026-09-24T15:30:38Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33986545.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Morphological_plasticity_and_species_limits_in_i_Smilax_i_sect_i_Macranthae_i_evidence_for_conspecificity_of_i_S_wightii_i_and_i_S_zeylanica_i_/33986545 CC BY 4.0