Relationships between Nordic dogroses (Rosa L. sect. Caninae, Rosaceae) assessed by RAPDs and elliptic Fourier analysis of leaflet shape

The taxonomy of the dogroses (Rosa sect. Caninae) is notoriously problemati c and all the members of the section are characterized by a form of unbalan ced meiosis (so-called "canina meiosis"). We used a novel combination of ra ndom amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and elliptic Fourier analysis of leaflet shape to investigate relationships within and between the seven common dogrose tara in the Nordic countries. A between-individual genetic distance matrix calculated on the basis of the presence/absence of RAPD han ds was used in a non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. Population d ata from elliptic Fourier analysis of leaflet shape were analyzed with cano nical variates analysis. Elliptic Fourier analysis of leaflet shape provide d a valuable complement to traditional, often subjectively-assessed, morpho logical characters and detected subtle patterns of within- and between-taxo n differentiation that are generally consistent with the relationships reco gnized in the current taxonomic treatments of the section. In contrast, RAP Ds emphasize the discontinuities between three groups of taxa and suggest t hat R. canina and the two subspecies of X. dumalis, as well as the taxon-pa ir A, sherardii and X. villosa subsp. mollis, are more closely related than can be concluded on the basis of morphological characters.