GENETIC-EVIDENCE THAT LOMATIA-TASMANICA (PROTEACEAE) IS AN ANCIENT CLONE

Lomatia tasmanica W.M.Curtis is an endangered species with only one po pulation. The population occurs over a distance of 1.2 km and consists of several hundred stems. Although it flowers occasionally, fruit pro duction has never been observed, and it propagates vegetatively. The g enetic diversify in L. tasmanica, and its relationship with the other species of this genus in Tasmania was investigated using allozyme anal ysis and chromosome counts. Sixteen isozyme loci were scored on 78 L. tasmanica plants collected from throughout the range of the species. N o genetic diversity was found in L. tasmanica. Lomatia tinctoria posse ssed 22 (2n = 22) chromosomes, like other Lomatia species previously c ounted, while L. tasmanica had 33 to 29 chromosomes, which makes it an unstable triploid. The triploid nature of L. tasmanica would explain its lack of genetic diversity and its apparent sterility. This suggest s that the entire species may be one genet, one of the largest plant c lone ever found. Fossilised leaves identified as L. tasmanica by Jorda n et al. (1991) and dated as at least 43 600 years old may indicate th e minimum age of this genet. This clone maybe one the world's oldest k nown living plant individual.