A Systematic Assessment of the Relationship Between Aloe Macrocarpa Todaro and Aloe Ateritia Engler (Aloaceae
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Date
2000-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Species delimitation in the genus Aloe has proved complicated due to
interlocked morphologies. This study investigated the taxonomic relationships
of Aloe macrocmpa Todaro and A. lateritia Engler using both morphological
and molecular teclmiques. The morphological results indicated that the natme
of variation in the populations of the two taxa is continuous. Microscopic
studies of pollen grains and the leaf cuticle showed little differentiation among
populations of the two taxa. The low genetic distances «0.3) between the
populations studied are in support of the hypothesis that the populations may be
conspecific, suggesting infraspecific rauk(s) for the taxa.
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Biology