Project name: Erythranthe guttata

Description: The genus Erythranthe has been a model plant for ecological and evolutionary biology for more than 50 years. It includes several highly diverse populations and closely related species exhibiting large range of diverse features. They show differences in floral morphology, mating systems, growth forms ranging from annual herbs to perennial woody shrubs, and habitats. It is highly tolerant of soil conditions surviving in soils with high levels of heavy metals. Erythranthe species are found worldwide though the two major radiations are centered in western North America and Australia. E. guttatus species complex is one of the most thoroughly studied plant model species for ecological and evolutionary genetics. It is found throughout the western North America. It is self-compatible but reproduces by outcrossing as well as self-fertilization. E. guttatus has a small genome of about 430 Mb. DOE Joint Genome Institute is in the process of sequencing the genome of E. guttatus. In order to develop genomics tools for this ecologically important genus so as to understand the process of speciation, NSF has funded an integrated ecological and genomic analysis project to study the genomes of E. guttatus, E. nasutus, E. lewisi, and E. cardinalis.

Relevance: Environmental

Last updated: 2005-09-09