Cytogenetic, geographical, spore type and plastid haplotype data reveal cryptic patterns of species diversity in the cosmopolitan Cystopteris fragilis complex (Polypodiopsida: Cystopteridaceae)

The delimitation of lineages in the Cystopteris fragilis complex is complicated by the presence of multiple cytotypes and a lack of defining morphological characters. One character, the production of rugose instead of regular spiny spores, is sometimes associated with a potential Scottish endemic, C. dickieana; however, whether this character is associated with a distinct lineage is uncertain. To better understand the diversity in the C. fragilis complex, we selected 87 C. fragilis samples of known ploidy (4x, 5x, 6x) for sequencing of two plastid loci and we assessed their spore types. These samples represent the variability found in Northern Hemisphere populations, including the type locality of C. dickieana in Scotland. Our analyses revealed two haplotype lineages, which we label the hemifragilis and reevesiana clades, based on their potential relationship to the two presumed diploid parents of C. fragilis. Hexaploids and tetraploids were both polyphyletic. Rugose spores were rarer overall (26% of samples), but five times more prevalent in the hemifragilis clade. Although proper delimitation and understanding of C. fragilis remains a challenge, this study further describes great genotypic and cytotypic complexity present in this complex. Furthermore, rugose-spored plants are widely distributed and should not be associated with a single name.