ASYSTASIA OF SINGAPORE

Abstract

This study's objective was to determine the taxonomic statuses of the common Asystasia taxa found in Singapore, namely Asystasia gangetica (L.) T. Anders. ssp. micrantha (Nees) Ensermu, A. gangetica ssp. gangetica and A. gangetica ssp. mendeliana Kundu and Pal, as the application of these names were often erroneous and different authors have recognised different taxonomic levels between/within these taxa. Morphological data and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA profiles (RAPD) were used to construct similarity matrices. Both Principal Coordinate and cluster analyses were performed using different clustering strategies (Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Averages [UPGMA] and Nearest Neighbour) and similarity measures (Simple Matching Coefficient, Jaccard's coefficient and Gower's General Similarity Coefficient), using the software Multivariate Statistical Programme (MVSP) ver. 3.1. Results showed that A. gangetica var. mendeliana is conspecific to A. gangetica ssp. gangetica while there was insufficient infonnation to determine whether Asystasia gangetica ssp. micrantha and A. gangetica ssp. gangetica should be species or subspecies, although they were shown to be distinct entities .