Are climate, soil and morphology strong associates? Disentangling variation in a Brunfelsia (Solanaceae) complex
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Background and aims
This study combines morphological and environmental data to better understand a Brunfelsia (Solanaceae) species complex, aiming to clarify patterns of variation and identify ecological factors that shape morphotype boundaries. Such an approach provides a broader perspective on how organisms respond to environmental gradients and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of biodiversity.
Methods
We analyzed 273 herbarium specimens for 13 morphological traits using univariate and ordination analyses, namely PCA and CVA. Climatic and edaphic variables were extracted for 147 specimens with georeferenced records. To assess habitat suitability and the ecological niche of each predefined morphotype, niche models under present conditions and niche overlap tests were conducted. A redundancy analysis (RDA) was applied to evaluate how environmental predictors explain variation in vegetative and floral traits. Finally, DAPC was used to estimate membership probabilities based on morphological and environmental data.
Key Results
Two well-differentiated groups were recovered: the capitata – hydrangeiformis morphotype, allegedly composing a cline, and the ecologically and morphologically distinct “ bahia ” morphotype. Variation in floral traits was better explained by environmental predictors than variation in vegetative traits; moreover, floral traits were able to delineate morphotypes more robustly when plotted in isolation. However, when analyzing the results of ecological niche overlap, a significant ecological separation of the “ bahia ” morphotype from the others was observed. Therefore, key morphological characters for the taxonomy of Brunfelsia covary in part with environmental variables.
Conclusions
These findings support the recognition of “ bahia ” morphotype as a distinct species to be formally described. This integrative approach contributes to understanding diversification processes in biodiversity hotspots and highlights hidden taxonomic diversity within Brunfelsia , where many rare and narrow-endemic taxa lie.
