Cerastium is a genus of c. 200 herbaceous species, being most abundant in temperate and cold regions with a centre of diversity on the Balkan Peninsula and in western Asia. We will examine the evolution of the highly polyploid complex of perennial Balkan and Alpine species (e.g., C. alpinum and C. banaticum groups) and their connections with arctic taxa. Among the taxa to be investigated is the Balkan endemic Cerastium dinaricum, a Natura 2000 species, and thus a priority species for EU-wide conservation efforts.

Coordinators:
M. Niketić and B. Frajman

Selected results
The rare mountain plant Cerastium dinaricum is endemic to the Dinaric mountains. Employing amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid ndhJ-trnT sequences as well as relative genome size data, we examined the species’ phylogeographic structure in order to provide a basis for the designation of tailored conservation strategies. Analyses of various datasets congruently revealed two genetic groups with NW/SE vicariant distribution. a, population graphs based on AFLP profiles; b, NeighbourNet diagram based on AFLPs; c, Nei`s gene diversity; d, frequency down weighted marker values; e, STRUCTURE clustering of the AFLP data from separate analyses of the NW and the SE group; f, statistical parsimony network and geographic distribution of plastid DNA haplotypes.