Systematic Relationship of Weeping Katsura Based on Nuclear Ribosomal DNA Sequences
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HORTSCIENCE 37(3):595–598. 2002. Spongberg, 1979), it is treated as a variety by others (Bean, 1970; Flint, 1997; Griffiths, 1994). Systematic Relationship of Weeping All pendulous or weeping katsura (known as shidare-katsura in Japan) were originally Katsura Based on Nuclear Ribosomal placed within C. japonicum, being described as C. japonicum var. pendulum Miyoshi DNA Sequences (Makino, 1931). Later, this taxon was treated as a form by Ohwi (1953): C. japonicum forma Jianhua Li1, Michael S. Dosmann2, and Peter Del Tredici3 pendulum (Miyoshi) Ohwi. Spongberg (1979) then recombined all weeping katsura to C. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, magnificum forma pendulum (Miyoshi) MA 02130 Spongberg. At the time, Spongberg (1979) 1 hypothesized that weeping trees might be hy- Susyn Andrews brids between the two species, although this Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, theory was later refuted (Andrews, 1998). United Kingdom Documented cultivation of weeping katsura dates back to between 1576 and 1635, when a Additional index words. Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Cercidiphyllum magnificum, ITS, weeping Cercidiphyllum was found by a priest sequence divergence, taxonomy in a forest in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, and brought to the grounds of the Ryugenzi Temple Abstract. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA at Ohgayu near Morioka (Lancaster, 1997; were used to examine genetic divergence of the two species of katsura [Cercidiphyllum Miyoshi, 1936). Subsequent clonal propaga- japonicum Sieb. & Zucc. and Cercidiphyllum magnificum (Nakai) Nakai] and four clones tion of this tree, or possible reintroductions of weeping katsura (‘Amazing Grace’, ‘Tidal Wave’, ‘Pendulum’, and ‘Morioka Weep- from the original natural stand (if it existed), ing’), and to characterize the affinity of these weeping katsura to both species. Our results led to the establishment of these trees as land- indicate that C. japonicum and C. magnificum are genetically distinct, supporting the marks in local temples. Their pendulous yet recognition of them as separate species. Based on our DNA sequence data and morphologi- excurrent growth habit and form are easily cal evidence, all weeping selections are phylogenetically derived from C. japonicum, not C. recognizable. In more recent times, weeping magnificum; nor are they of a hybrid origin between C. japonicum and C. magnificum. We katsura of rounded form and lacking central propose the new cultivar-group Cercidiphyllum japonicum Weeping Group to include all leaders have been cultivated in North America katsura clones of weeping or pendulous habit, and recognize the cultivar epithet ‘Morioka and Europe. Weeping’ and its application to the excurrent and upright clone obtained from Japan and Koller (1987) acknowledged variation distributed in North America by the Arnold Arboretum. among weeping katsura trees and refers to cultivars (‘Pendulum’) of both species. Those Cercidiphyllum (Cercidiphyllaceae), a ge- neric family or order (Endress, 1986; Harms, he described as C. magnificum ‘Pendulum’ nus endemic to Japan and China, includes two 1916). Based on both morphological and mo- represent clonal material acquired from an species of dioecious trees with opposite, lecular evidence, Cercidiphyllaceae is gener- historic monumental tree near Morioka, Ja- rounded, simple, petiolate leaves. Staminate ally considered most closely related to pan, in 1981 by the Arnold Arboretum, which flowers are axillary, subsessile, solitary or Daphniphyllaceae and Hamamelidaceae (An- was subsequently propagated and distributed. fascicled; pistillate flowers are solitary, axil- giosperm Phylogeny Group, 1998; Harms, This represented the upright and excurrent lary, pedicellate, and have four to six carpels 1916; Manos et al., 1993; Qiu et al., 1998, genotype that can reach upwards of 30 m in that develop into small, banana-shaped fol- 1999; Soltis and Soltis, 1997). height. What Koller described as C. japonicum licles. Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. & Within Cercidiphyllum, however, the tax- ‘Pendulum’, on the other hand, predated the Zucc. of Japan and China is widely cultivated onomy is less clear. Cercidiphyllum japonicum former clone in North American cultivation, as an ornamental. This species is commonly was first described from Japan (Hoffman and was rounded in form, less vigorous, and gen- known as katsura and lian xian shu, in Japan Schultes, 1853), and is the best-known species erally grafted several meters high on seedling and China, respectively. Cercidiphyllum of the genus. Nakai (1919) published a second stems. Dirr (1998) noted that weeping C. magnificum (Nakai) Nakai, the hiro-ha-katsura variety, C. japonicum var. magnificum Nakai, japonicum ‘Pendula’ (sic) and C. magnificum (or broad-leaved katsura) of Japan, is a rare that was raised to specific status the following ‘Pendulum’ are both common in commerce at plant and also has many ornamental attributes, year (Nakai, 1920). In Japan, C. japonicum is the present time. as described by Haag (1982) and Dosmann widely distributed up to 1000 m above sea Genotypes other than the cultivars ‘Pendu- (2000). level in Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and lum’ are also available in the trade and repre- Cercidiphyllum is systematically isolated, Kyushu, while the rarer C. magnificum is sent both weeping habits. Recently released and has been treated as a distinct monoge- confined to higher elevations (1000 to 2800 ‘Amazing Grace’ is a selection discovered by m) of central and northern Honshu. These two the late Theodore Klein of Yew Dell Nursery, species are rarely sympatric and, even in places Crestwood, Ky., around 1960 (Cappiello, where both species occur, no intermediate 1999). Another weeping clone of similar ori- Received for publication 2 July 2001. Accepted for forms have been found (Lindquist, 1954). gin is ‘Tidal Wave’, discovered by H. William publication 21 Nov. 2001. We thank the following Cercidiphyllum magnificum has smooth bark Barnes of Lorax Farms, Warrington, Pa. for providing living and dried plant material for this (vs. deeply furrowed), broadly crenate leaf (Barnes, 1995). Both of these named selec- study: Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, margins (vs. crenate to serrulate margins), tions were found among seedlings of C. Clermont, Ky.; Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, overlapping short-shoot basal leaf lobes (vs. japonicum and become rounded in form. Del Ill.; Lorax Farms, Warrington, Pa.; Quarryhill non-overlapping), partially splitting follicles Tredici (2000) applied the name ‘Morioka Botanic Garden, Glen Ellen, Calif.; Ringve Botanic with strongly recurved apices (vs. splitting Weeping’ to the excurrent genotype described Garden, Trondheim, Norway; and Royal Botanic follicles with slightly recurved apices), yel- by Koller (1987) as C. magnificum ‘Pendulum’ Garden, Edinburgh, Scotland. We also thank Jeff Iles, Mark Widrlechner, and two anonymous re- lowish-white seeds (vs. tan-colored seeds), and distributed by the Arnold Arboretum. viewers for their helpful comments and suggestions. and seeds winged at both ends (vs. seeds The debate over the legitimacy of the two 1Horticultural Taxonomist. winged at the proximal ends). Though C. species, and the various (re)classifications of 2Putnam Research Fellow. magnificum is accepted by many (Andrews, weeping trees, has resulted in much confusion 3Director of Living Collections. 1998; Dosmann, 1999; Krüssmann, 1965; pertaining to the classification and nomencla- HORTSCIENCE, VOL. 37(3), JUNE 2002 595 6957, p. 595-598 595 5/14/02, 3:17 PM BREEDING, CULTIVARS, ROOTSTOCKS, & GERMPLASM RESOURCES ture of pendulous katsura. The object of this Materials and Methods were analyzed using an ABI 377 Automated investigation was to answer the following ques- DNA Sequencer (La Jolla, Calif.), and were tions concerning Cercidiphyllum: 1) Are C. Plants. Eleven individual plants were edited using Sequencher 3.0 (Gene Codes magnificum and C. japonicum genetically dis- sampled, representing C. japonicum, C. Corp., Ann Arbor, Mich.). To verify base tinct species? 2) To what species do the weep- magnificum, and four weeping cultivars (Table calling, we assembled and compared sequence ing clones of Cercidiphyllum belong? and 3) 1). Individuals representing both species in- chromatograms obtained from primers of op- Are the weeping Cercidiphyllum of hybrid clude those of cultivated and wild origin, and posite directions using Sequencher 3.0. Se- origin between C. magnificum and C. the weeping cultivars represent four unique quences were then imported into PAUP* ver- japonicum? We chose to use sequences of the introductions. Voucher specimens have been sion 4.0b7 (Swofford, 2000) and were aligned Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of deposited at the Arnold Arboretum. readily by eye. Limits of the ITS-1, 5.8S, and nuclear ribosomal DNA since this region has Molecular techniques. DNAs were ex- ITS-2 were determined by comparing pub- been successfully used to investigate genetic tracted from silica-gel dried leaves or buds by lished sequences in the GenBank (Li et al., relationships of plant groups at the species using a Qiagen DNeasy Mini Kit (Santa Clarita, 1999). The UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group level (Baldwin et al., 1995; Gould and Calif.), following the manufacturer’s proto- Method with Arithmetic mean) was used to Donoghue, 2000; Li et al., 2000; Padgett et al., col. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was generate a phylogram showing