Phylogenetic analysis of Crocus (Iridaceae) and inference of the phylogeography of Crocus biflorus in Anatolia

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The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) consists of about 90 species, occurring with the highest species numbers in the Balkans and Turkey. Many Crocus species are used as ornamental plants, and C. sativus is the source of saffron. Crocus is divided in two subgenera, Crociris and Crocus, the latter with two sections and 15 series. The largest series within Crocus are the Biflori taxa with about 13 species, of which C. biflorus is further subdivided into c. 15 subspecies. These subspecies occur mainly in the mountains of Anatolia and are often restricted to small mountain ranges or even single summits. Forests growing at lower elevations effectively isolate the populations on sky islands. With this project we want to analyze phylogenetic relationships within the entire genus with a nested approach using nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences. Particularly the unclear species delimitations in the C. biflorus species complex will be analyzed with phylogenetic and phylogeographic methods, which allow drawing conclusions on species history during Pleistocene climate changes and processes occurring during speciation. Generally, Crocus species can function as representatives for the high mountain vegetation of Anatolia.