Resolving species complexes among taramea, speargrasses, Aciphylla (Apiaceae) using ddRADseq.

Leon Perrie (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa); Lara Shepherd (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa).

The 40 species of Aciphylla endemic to New Zealand make it one of the country’s biggest indigenous genera.  In the Apiaceae, the colloquial name of speargrasses reflects that the leaflets of most species have sharp, stiff, skin-piercing apices with the potential to draw blood from trampers incautious through tussocklands.  The bigger species are known as taramea in Te Reo Māori.  Despite being icons of New Zealand’s uplands, Aciphylla includes many species-level taxonomic uncertainties.  In some instances, morphological variation is correlated with geography, and it has been unclear whether two species are present or a single clinal species.  Additionally, there are some ten tag-names of uncertain status. Initial analyses indicate that the genomic sequencing method of ddRADseq has promise for resolving many of these taxonomic uncertainties.  Examples will be discussed ranging from the giant Aciphylla scott-thomsonii to the petite A. polita and the abundant A. aurea.