36th International Carrot Conference Abstract

Taxonomy, distribution, and germplasm collection needs of Daucus

David Spooner and Philipp Simon

USDA Vegetable Crops Res Unit Madison WI

The flowering plant family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) comprises 300–455 genera and some 3000– 3750 species. It is cosmopolitan, and most diverse in the northern hemisphere. Carrot is by far its most economically important member. The obvious distinctive characters of many of these plants, such as herbs with hollow or pith-filled stems, pinnately divided leaves with sheathing bases, small unspecialized flowers in compound umbel inflorescences, and specialized fruits, make all members of Apiaceae easily identifiable to the family. The ease of family recognition is strongly contrasted, however, with unclear and vague circumscription of genera within the family. Such generic circumscriptions often appear arbitrary, with great discordance in their application among taxonomists. Recent molecular investigations do not support many genera within the Apiaceae as monophyletic. This is particularly problematic within Daucus, where molecular data include the following as ingroups: Athamanta della-cellae (Libya), Cryptotainia elegans (Canary Islands), Margotia gummifera (Western Mediterranean widespread), Melanoselenium decipiens (Madeira), Monizia edulis (Madeira), Pachyctenium mirabile (Libya), Pseudorlaya minuscula (Portugal, Spain), Pseudorlaya pumila (Morocco, Israel, France, Spain, Greece) Albania, Bulgaria, Crete, Sicily), Tornabenea annua (Cape Verde Islands), and Tornabenea tenuissima (Cape Verde Islands). Currently recognized Daucus diversity comprises 26 species, with 19 varieties or subspecies recognized within the cultivated and wild species D. carota. The genus is most common in the northern hemisphere, with a concentration of diversity in the Mediterranean region, but some species are found in the southern hemisphere as well. Based on collection needs for these non-Daucus ingroups, taxonomic problems within traditional Daucus, and current germplasm holdings, germplasm collection priorities include Spain, the Macronesian Islands (Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde), Algeria, and France.

Last updated Thursday, 25-Jul-2013 11:54:45 CDT