Are the Great Plains wildrye (<i>Elymus canadensis</i>) and the Siberian wildrye (<i>Elymus sibiricus</i>) conspecific? A study based on the nuclear 5S rDNA sequences

Abstract

Elymus canadensis L. and Elymus sibiricus L. are difficult to separate by morphology. The latter is found mainly in Asia and extends into northern North America; the former is confined to North America. We obtained the DNA sequences of 135 5S rDNA units collected from 19 localities throughout their respective ranges. The results of statistical parsimony, analysis of molecular variance, and sequence polymorphism analyses show that the two taxa are not conspecific.