Determination of common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel) varieties inFlorida

摘要

The common reed (Phragmites australis [Cav.] Trin. ex Steudel, hereafter referred to as Phragmites) has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all continents except Antarctica, and may be the most widely distributed flowering plant in the world (Tucker 1990). Over the past 150 years, Phragmites has become much more widespread and abundant in North America and is considered invasive at many locations (Meyerson et al. 2009a). The spread of Phragmites has been attributed to changing land use patterns, increased nutrient availability, and to the cryptic invasion of a lineage of European or Asian origin that was recendy identified using genetic typing (Marks et al. 1994, Saltonstall 2002, Meyerson et al. 2009a). The varieties of Phragmites currently found in North America can be identified based on chloroplast DNA sequences (Saltonstall 2002): a native variety found along the east coast and inland in North America, a Gulf Coast variety, and a nonnative Eurasian variety.