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Numerical Taxonomy of Combretum Loefl. from Southeastern Nigeria |
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C. Ekeke,
I.O. Agbagwa and B.E. Okoli |
Abstract:
Numerical taxonomic study of eleven Combretum Loefl. species common
in southeastern Nigeria was carried out based on morphological and anatomical
characters. PAST software was used to calculate the Euclidean distances and
the coefficients were clustered by unweighted pair-group clustering method (UPGCM).
From the 107 characters employed in the numerical analysis, the species were
separated into two broad clusters (C1 represented by C. zenkeri and
C2-the remaining 10 species). The clustering further suggested that there were
groups within the genus hence C2 separated into two subgroups with C. glutinosum,
a lone sub-cluster and the other nine species, which separated into four other
sub-clusters. The similarity coefficient among the Combretum species
studied ranged from 4.69 between C. mooreanum and C. bracteatum
to 8.72 between C. glutinosum and C. zenkeri. Generally, results
obtained favour species arrangement and clustering based on phylogenetic relationship
as in C. mooreanum, C. bracteatum and C. platypterum and
habitat preference. The unknown species, Combretum sp.1 is more closely
related to C. bracteatum than any other species studied. However,
C. constrictum, C. dolichopetalum, C. glutinosum, C. hispidum,
C. paniculatum, C. platypterum, C. racemosum and C.
zenkeri have been confirmed as individual taxa based on previous classifications.
Though each Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) is confirmed species, we assert
that the closeness observed amongst the OTUs imply that introgression as a mechanism
of speciation in the wild, is at play in the genus.
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How to cite this article:
C. Ekeke, I.O. Agbagwa and B.E. Okoli, 2014. Numerical Taxonomy of Combretum Loefl. from Southeastern Nigeria. Journal of Plant Sciences, 9: 25-31.
DOI: 10.3923/jps.2014.25.31
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jps.2014.25.31
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