The Phylogenetic Positions of Four Endangered Vaccinium Species in Japan

摘要

In total, 19 species and several varieties of Vaccinium are recognized in Japan. Five of them are evaluated to be endangered. In this study, molecular phylogenetic analyses for four of the five endangered species were performed using nuclear ITS and chloroplast matK regions in order to clarify whether they are recent derivatives, as suggested by morphological comparison. The result showed that V. amamianum, V. boninense, V. sieboldii, and V. yakushimense have the same or similar sequences to V. emarginatum, V. wrightii, V. ciliatum, and V. hirtum and relatives, respectively. Small genetic divergences between the endangered species and their respective relatives infer that the endangered species are likely neo-endemic.