DNA Barcode Screening and Preliminary Study on Phylogeny of Sea Snake Based on Genes COI and cytb

[Objectives]The most common gene fragment used in animal DNA barcode technology is COI,but it is not necessarily suitable for all species.This study was conducted to screen genes suitable for the DNA barcode of sea snakes.[Methods]All COI and cytb gene sequences on GenBank were searched and downloaded.After the comparison with Mega software,clustering trees of MrBayes system were established.[Results]Interspecies distances were greater than intraspecies distances for the two genes.The topological structures of their molecular hierarchical clustering trees were clear,and the support rates were high.[Conclusions]Therefore,it is concluded that not the DNA barcode of each species must be gene COI.Cytb is more suitable in terms of the mitochondrial gene of sea snakes.

Prospects and Problems for Identification of Poisonous Plants in China using DNA Barcodes

Objective Poisonous plants are a deadly threat to public health in China. The traditional clinical diagnosis of the toxic plants is inefficient, fallible, and dependent upon experts. In this study, we tested the performance of DNA barcodes for identification of the most threatening poisonous plants in China. Methods Seventy-four accessions of 27 toxic plant species in 22 genera and 17 families were sampled and three DNA barcodes （motK, rbcL, and ITS） were amplified, sequenced and tested. Three methods, Blast, pairwise global alignment （PWG） distance, and Tree-Building were tested for discrimination power. Results The primer universality of all the three markers was high. Except in the case of ITS for Hemerocollis minor, the three barcodes were successfully generated from all the selected species. Among the three methods applied, Blast showed the lowest discrimination rate, whereas PWG Distance and Tree-Building methods were equally effective. The ITS barcode showed highest discrimination rates using the PWG Distance and Tree-Building methods. When the barcodes were combined, discrimination rates were increased for the Blast method.

Screening of DNA Barcode of Quarantine Phytophthora

Phytophthora is genus of plant-damaging Oomycetes, whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on crops worldwide. In the present study, four candidate genes ITS, CO1, EF-1α and β-tubulin were tested using 123 strains of 80 species of Phytophthora to investigate the feasibility of ser- ving as DNA barcoding markers. The results showed that among the four candidate genes, ITS and CO1 had the highest success rate of PCR amplification and se- quencing, up to 100% and 96.7%. There were obvious barcode gaps in ITS, CO1 andβ-tubulin, but their frequency distributions of intra- and interspecific genetic distances were slightly overlapped. Wilcoxon rank sum test on intraspecific genetic distances of the four genes showed ITS = CO1 = β - tubulin = EF-1α indicating they bad the same effect on intraspecific discrimination, while the test on interspecific genetic distances of the four genes showed ITS 〉 C01 〉 β- tubulin 〉 EF - 1α. In summary, ITS and COl should be used in combination as the primary barcodes, β-tubulin as the complementary barcede for the identification of 11 quaran- tine Phytophthora species.

The Potential of DNA Barcode-Based Delineation Using Seven Putative Candidate Loci of the Plastid Region in Inferring Molecular Diversity of Cowpea at Sub-Species Level

The novelty and suitability of the mitochondrial gene CO1 in DNA barcoding as a reliable identification tool in animal species are undisputed. This is attributed to its standardized sequencing segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase-1 gene (CO1) which has the necessary universality and variability making it a generally acceptable barcode region. CO1 is a haploid single locus that is uniparentally-inherited. Protein-coding regions are present in high-copy numbers making it an ideal barcode. The mitochondrial oxidase subunit I (COI) gene is a robust barcode with a suitable threshold for delineating animals and is not subject to drastic length variation, frequent mononucleotide repeats or microinversions. However, a low nucleotide substitution rate of plant mitochondrial genome [mtDNA] precludes the use of CO1 as a universal plant DNA barcode and makes the search for alternative barcode regions necessary. Currently, there exists no universal barcode for plants. The plastid region reveals leading candidate loci as appropriate DNA barcodes yet to be explored in biodiversity studies in Kenya. Four of these plastid regions are portions of coding genes (matK, rbcL, rpoB, and rpoC1), and three noncoding spacers (atpF-atpH, trnH-psbA, and psbK-psbL) which emerge as ideal candidate DNA loci. While different research groups propose various combinations of these loci, there exists no consensus;the lack thereof impedes progress in getting a suitable universal DNA barcode. Little research has attempted to investigate and document the applicability and extend of effectiveness of different DNA regions as barcodes to delineate cowpea at subspecies level. In this study we sought to test feasibility of the seven putative candidate DNA loci singly and in combination in order to establish a suitable single and multi-locus barcode regions that can have universal application in delineating diverse phylogeographic groups of closely related Kenyan cowpea variants. In this study, our focus was based on genetic parameters including analyses of intra- and infra-specific genetic divergence based on intra- and infra-specific K2P distances;calculation of Wilcoxon signed rank tests of intra-specific divergence among loci and coalescence analyses to delineate independent genetic clusters. Knowledge of DNA candidate loci that are informative will reveal the suitability of DNA barcoding as a tool in biodiversity studies. Results of this study indicate that: matK, trnH-psbA, psbK-psbL, and rbcL are good barcodes for delineating intra and infraspecific distances at single loci level. However, among the combinations, matK + trnH-psbA, rpoB + atpF-atpH + matK are the best barcodes in delineating cowpea subvariants. rbcL gene can be a suitable barcode marker at single locus level, but overall, multi locus approach appears more informative than single locus approach. The present study hopes to immensely contribute to the scanty body of knowledge on the novelty of DNA barcoding in cataloguing closely related cowpea variants at molecular level and hopes to open up future research on genomics and the possibility of use of conserved regions within DNA in inferring phylogenetic relationships among Kenyan cowpea variants.

Comprehensive DNA barcode reference library and optimization of genetic divergence threshold facilitate the exploration of species diversity of green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Chrysopidae are a family of Neuroptera of significant importance in biocontrol against agricultural pests because of their predatory larvae.Currently,the taxonomy of Chrysopidae lacks a comprehensive revision,which impedes the exploration of species diversity as well as the selection and the conservation of green lacewings as biocontrol agents.We have established a DNA barcode reference library of the Chinese green lacewings based on an approximately complete sampling(95.63%)in 25 of the 34 provincial regions in China,comprising 1119 barcodes of 25 genera and 197 species(representing 85%genera and 43.62%species from China).Combining other 1049 high quality green lacewing DNA barcodes,we first inferred the optimal threshold of interspecific genetic divergence(1.87%)for successful species identification in multiple simulated scenarios based on present data.We further inferred the threshold of genetic divergence(7.77%)among genera with biocontrol significance.The inference and performance of the threshold appears to be mainly associated with the completeness of sampling,the proportion of closely related species,and the analytical approaches.Six new combinations,Apertochrysa platypa(Yang&Yang,1991)comb.nov.,Apertochrysa shennongana(Yang&Wang,1990)comb.nov.,Apertochrysa pictifacialis(Yang,1988)comb.nov.,Apertochrysa helana(Yang,1993)comb.nov.,Plesiochrysa rosulata(Yang&Yang,2002)comb.nov.,and Signochrysa hainana(Yang&Yang,1991),are proposed according to integrative species delimitation.Our library and optimal threshold will effectively facilitate the exploration of species diversity of green lacewings.Our study also provides a methodological reference in molecular delimitation of other insects.

First record of abnormal body coloration in a rockfish Sebastes koreanus(Scorpaenoidei:Sebastidae)from coastal water of China based on morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding

The first record of abnormal body coloration in Sebastes koreanus Kim and Lee,1994,from the Yellow Sea of China,was documented based on morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding.The two rockfish specimens were collected from the coastal waters of Qingdao,China,and the whole body and all fins of them were red.Of the two red-colored rockfish,there were tiny deep red spots on each fin,2 red radial stripes behind and below the eyes and 1 large deep red blotch on the opercula,while the similar stripe and spot patterns are also present in the S.koreanus specimens with normal body coloration.The countable characteristics of the two specimens are in the range of the morphometry of S.koreanus.To further clarify the species identity and taxonomic status of the two specimens,DNA barcode analysis was carried out.The genetic distance between the red-colored rockfish and S.koreanus was 0,and the minimum net genetic distances between the red-colored rockfish and other Sebastes species except for S.koreanus were 3.0%,which exceeds the threshold of species delimitation.The phylogenetic analysis showed that the DNA barcoding sequences of the two red-colored rockfish clustered with the S.koreanus sequences.The above results of DNA barcode analysis also support that the two red-colored rockfish could be identified as the species of S.koreanus.The mechanism of color variation in S.koreanus is desirable for further research and the species could be an ideal model to study the color-driven speciation of the rockfishes.

Analysis of the Authenticity of Stone Medicinal Plants by DNA Barcoding

The genus Pyrrosia belongs to the family Polypodiaceae and are medium-sized epiphytic ferns,where the dried leaves of Pyrrosia lingua,Pyrrosia sheareri,Pyrrosia lanceolata,and Pyrrosia calvata are commonly used in medicinal practice.In this study,the authenticity of the collected medicinal plant samples of Shiwei was identified with the help of DNA barcoding technology using the internal transcribed spacer 2(ITS2)as the identifying sequence.The experimental samples were analyzed using the basic local alignment search tool(BLAST)and the authenticity of the samples was further verified with the results of similarity comparison.The results proved that the sequences of the experimentally collected samples of Pyrrosia lingua,Pyrrosia sheareri,Pyrrosia lanceolata,and Pyrrosia calvata had a similarity of more than 97%when compared with the corresponding sequences that were uploaded on the Internet.

DNA Barcoding of Insects and Its Direct Application for Plant Protection

The introduction of invasive insect pests across national borders has become a major concern in crop production. Accordingly, national plant protection organizations are challenge to reinforce their monitoring strategies, which are hampered by the weight and size of inspection equipment, as well as the taxonomic extensiveness of interrupted species. Moreover, some insect pests that impede farmer productivity and profitability are difficult for researchers to address on time due to a lack of appropriate plant protection measures. Farmers’ reliance on synthetic pesticides and biocontrol agents has resulted in major economic and environmental ramifications. DNA barcoding is a novel technology that has the potential to improve Integrated Pest Management decision-making, which is dependent on the ability to correctly identify pest and beneficial organisms. This is due to some natural traits such as phenology or pesticide susceptibility browbeaten by IPM strategies to avert pest establishment. Specifically, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence information was applied effectively for the identification of some micro-organisms. This technology, DNA barcoding, allows for the identification of insect species by using short, standardized gene sequences. DNA barcoding is basically based on repeatable and accessible technique that allows for the mechanisation or automation of species discrimination. This technique bridges the taxonomic bio-security gap and meets the International Plant Protection Convention diagnostic standards for insect identification. This review therefore discusses DNA barcoding as a technique for insect pests’ identification and its potential application for crop protection.

ITS2,a Better DNA Barcode than ITS in Identification of Species in Artemisia L.

Objective To select a more suitable DNA barcode to identify the species in Artemisia L. Methods ITS, ITS2, and three other major universal barcode candidates（mat K, rbc L, and psb A-trn H） were evaluated in the identification efficiency using a total of 1433 sequences downloaded from Gen Bank representing 343 species in Artemisia L. ITS and ITS2 were evaluated in the PCR and sequencing rate, sequencing peak quality（Q value）, and misread rate. One hundred and twelve A. annua samples were collected from 11 populations across over China, which were amplified with universal primers on the ITS and ITS2 regions. Results ITS and ITS2 shared a higher identification efficiency and exhibited 71.43% and 64.11% detectability at the species level, respectively. The Q values of ITS and ITS2 showed that the direct PCR sequencing data were reliable for the ITS2 region and ITS exhibited poor sequencing trace quality. In certain sites, the ITS sequences exhibited reading ambiguities and errors, indicating that the misread and deletion sites in the ITS region would incorrectly inflate the identification ratio. Conclusion ITS2 is a suitable barcode for identification of species in Artemisia L., which enlarges the optimal range of divergence levels for taxonomic inferences using ITS2 sequences.

Prospects for discriminating Zingiberaceae species in India using DNA barcodes

We evaluated nine plastid （matK, rbcL, rpoCl, rpoB, rp136-rpsS, ndhJ, trnL-F, tmrnH-psbA, accD） and two nuclear （ITS and ITS2） barcode loci in family Zingiberaceae by analyzing 60 accessions of 20 species belonging to seven genera from India. Bidirectional sequences were recovered for every plastid locus by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction （PCR） amplicons in all the accessions tested. However, only 35 （58%） and 4o accessions （66~） yielded ITS and ITS2 sequences, respectively, by direct sequencing. In different bioinformatics analyses, matK and rbcL consistently resolved 15 species （75%） into monophyletic groups and five species into two para- phyletic groups. The 173 ITS sequences, including 138 cloned sequences from 23 accessions, discriminated only 12 species （6o%）, and the remaining species were entered into three paraphyletic groups. Phylogenetic and genealogic analyses of plastid and ITS sequences imply the possible occurrence ofnatural hybridizations in the evolutionary past in giving rise to species paraphyly and intragenomic ITS heterogeneity in the species tested. The results support using matK and rbcL loci for barcoding Zingiberaceae members and highlight the poor utility of iTS and the highly regarded ITS2 in barcoding this family, and also caution against proposing ITS loci for barcoding taxa based on limited sampling.

DNA Barcode ITS Effectively Distinguishes the Medicinal Plant Boerhavia diffusa from Its Adulterants

Boerhavia diffusa （B. diffusa）, also known as Punarnava, is an indigenous plant in India and an important component in traditional Indian medicine. The accurate identification and collection of this medicinal herb is vital to enhance the drug＇s efficacy and biosafety. In this study, a DNA barcoding technique has been applied to identify and distinguish B. diffusa from its closely-related species. The phylogenetic analysis was carried out for the four species of Boerhavia using barcode candidates including nuclear ribosomal DNA regions ITS, ITS1, ITS2 and the chloroplast plastid gene psbA-trnH. Sequence alignment revealed 26% polymorphic sites in ITS, 30% in ITS1, 16% in ITS2 and 6% in psbA-trnH, respectively. Additionally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed for 15 species using ITS sequences which clearly distinguished B. diffusa from the other species. The ITS1 demonstrates a higher transition/transversion ratio, percentage of variation and pairwise distance which differentiate B. diffusa from other species of Boerhavia. Our study revealed that 1TS and ITS1 could be used as potential candidate regions for identifying B. diffusa and for authenticating its herbal products.

Identification of Dian Ji Xue Teng(Kadsura interior) with DNA barcodes

Objective: To identify Kadsura interior(Dian Ji Xue Teng, Schisandraceae) by using DNA barcoding.Methods: We analyzed five DNA barcodes(ITS, ITS2, psb A-trn H, mat K and rbc L) using DNA barcoding in terms of distance-based,tree-based and character-based identification to distinguish Kadsura interior and its adulterants.Results: In distance-based and tree-based identification, K. interior could be distinguished easily from the species of Schisandra and K. coccinea.In character-based identification, there are two single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in ITS and one SNP in psb A-trn H which can be used to distinguish K. interior from K. heteroclita and K. longipedunculata.Conclusion: The results indicate that DNA barcoding can be used to identify K. interior. ITS and psb A-trnH sequence can be the most ideal DNA barcode for discriminating K. interior and its adulterants by the combination analysis of distance-based, tree-based and character-based identification(SNPs).

Testing complete plastomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences for species identification in a taxonomically difficult bamboo genus Fargesia

Fargesia,the largest genus within the temperate bamboo tribe Arundinarieae,has more than 90 species mainly distributed in the mountains of Southwest China.The Fargesia bamboos are important components of the subalpine forest ecosystems that provide food and habitat for many endangered animals,including the giant panda.However,species-level identification of Fargesia is difficult.Moreover,the rapid radiation and slow molecular evolutionary rate of Fargesia pose a significant challenge to using DNA barcoding with standard plant barcodes(rbcL,matK,and ITS) in bamboos.With progress in the sequencing technologies,complete plastid genomes(plastomes) and nuclear ribosomal DNA(nrDNA)sequences have been proposed as organelle barcodes for species identification;however,these have not been tested in bamboos.We collected 196 individuals representing 62 species of Fargesia to comprehensively evaluate the discriminatory power of plastomes and nrDNA sequences compared to standard barcodes.Our analysis indicates that complete plastomes have substantially higher discriminatory power(28.6%) than standard barcodes(5.7%),whereas nrDNA sequences show a moderate improvement(65.4%) compared to ITS(47.2%).We also found that nuclear markers performed better than plastid markers,and ITS alone had higher discriminatory power than complete plastomes.The study also demonstrated that plastomes and nrDNA sequences can contribute to intrageneric phylogenetic resolution in Fargesia.However,neither of these sequences were able to discriminate all the sampled species,and therefore,more nuclear markers need to be identified.

DNA barcoding of fishes from Zhoushan coastal waters using mitochondrial COI and 12S rRNA genes

Accurate species identification is a key component of biodiversity research.DNA barcoding is an effective molecular method used for fish species identification.We aimed to study the DNA barcoding of fish in Zhoushan coastal waters,explore the differences and applicability of two gene fragments(12S rRNA and COI)of DNA barcoding in fish species identification,and established a comprehensive fish barcoding reference database.Two hundred and eighty-seven captured fish samples from Zhoushan coastal waters were identified using morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding.A total of 26412S rRNA sequences(belonging to eight orders,31 families,55 genera,and 66 species)and 188 COI sequences(belonging to seven orders,30 families,48 genera,and 58 species)were obtained.The lengths of the 12S rRNA sequences ranged from 165 to 178 bp,and the guanine-cytosine(GC)content was 45.37%.The average 12S rRNA interspecific and intraspecific genetic distances(K2P)were 0.10%and 26.66%,respectively.The length of the COI sequence ranged 574–655 bp,and the content of GC was 45.97%.The average 12S rRNA interspecific and intraspecific genetic distances(K2P)were 0.16%and 27.45%,respectively.The minimum interspecific genetic distances of 12S rRNA and COI(1.23%and 1.86%)were both greater than their maximum intraspecific genetic distances(2.42%and 8.66%).Three molecular analyses(NJ tree,ABGD,and GMYC)were performed to accurately identify and delineate species.Clustering errors occurred when the 12S rRNA sequences were delimited using the NJ tree method,and the delimitation results of ABGD and GMYC are consistent with the final species identification results.Our results demonstrate that DNA barcoding based on 12S rRNA and COI can be used as an effective tool for fish species identification,and 12S rRNA has good application prospects in the environmental DNA(eDNA)metabarcoding of marine fish.

DNA barcoding of Antarctic marine zooplankton for species identification and recognition

Polar zooplankton are particularly sensitive to climate change, and have been used as rapid-responders to indicate climate-induced changes in the fragile Antarctic ecosystem. DNA barcoding provides an alternative approach for rapid zooplankton species identification. Ninety-four specimens belonging to 32 Antarctic zooplankton species were barcoded to construct a compre- hensive reference library. An 830 to 1 050 base-pair region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I （mtCOI） gene was obtained as DNA barcodes. The intraspecific variation of the gene ranged from 0 to 2.6% （p-distance）, with an average of 0.67% （SD=0.67%）. The distance between species within the same genera ranged from 0.1% （Calanus） to 29.3%, with an average of 15.3% （SD=8.4%）. The morphological and genetic similarities between Calanus propinquus and C. simillimus raise new questions about the taxonomic status of C. simillimus. With the exception of the two Calanus species, the intraspecific genetic divergence was much smaller than the interspecific divergence among congeneric species, confirming the existence of a barcode gap for Ant- arctic zooplankton. In addition, species other than Calanus sp. formed a monophyletic group. Therefore, we have confirmed DNA barcoding as an accurate and efficient approach for zooplankton identification in the Antarctic area （except for Hydromedusa, Tu- nicata, and other gelatinous zooplankton）. Indicator vector analysis further confirmed this conclusion. The new primer sets issued here may facilitate the study of Antarctic marine zooplankton species composition by environmental metagenetic analysis.

Pharmacognostical s tudies o n Spermacoce p usilla Wallich

Background:Spermacoce pusilla Wallich(S.pusilla)is widely used in Guangdong province of China.It has valuable medicinal value in treating trauma,fractures,carbuncle,swelling,and poisonous snake bites.Method:The present study was carried out to provide a scientific basis for the identification and authenticity of S.pusilla with the help of pharmacognostical parameters,which has not been done before.In this study,a series of related identification information such as source,character,microscopic observation,physical and chemical reaction,and molecular markers were employed to establish accurate,comprehensive pharmacognostic identification information of S.pusilla.Results:The study provided some basic data regarding the genuine crude drug.The identification efficiency of ITS sequences obtained in this study is high,the psbA-trnH sequence was obtained from S.pusilla and sequenced for the first time in this study.Conclusion:In this study,traditional pharmacognosy identification and molecular marker identification of S.pusilla in the Guangdong region were carried out,and a systematic and comprehensive pharmacognosy identification information system was established.

16S rRNA is a better choice than COI for DNA barcoding hydrozoans in the coastal waters of China

Identification of hydrozoan species is challenging, even for taxonomic experts, due to the scarcity of distinct morphological characters and phenotypic plasticity. DNA barcoding provides an efficient method for species identification, however, the choice between mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I（COI） and large subunit ribosomal RNA gene（16S） as a standard barcode for hydrozoans is subject to debate. Herein, we directly compared the barcode potential of COI and 16S in hydrozoans using 339 sequences from 47 pelagic hydrozoan species. Analysis of Kimura 2-parameter genetic distances（K2P） documented the mean intraspecific/interspecific variation for COI and 16S to be 0.004/0.204 and 0.003/0.223, respectively. An obvious ＂barcoding gap＂ was detected for all species in both markers and all individuals of a species clustered together in both the COI and 16S trees. These results suggested that the species within the studied taxa can be efficiently and accurately identified by COI and 16S. Furthermore, our results confirmed that 16S was a better phylogenetic marker for hydrozoans at the genus level, and in some cases at the family level. Considering the resolution and effectiveness for barcoding and phylogenetic analyses of Hydrozoa, we strongly recommend 16S as the standard barcode for hydrozoans.

DNA Barcoding and Mini-DNA Barcoding Reveal Mislabeling of Salmonids in Different Distribution Channels in the Qingdao Area

There is an increasing demand for salmonid authentication due to the globalization of the salmonid trade.DNA barcoding and mini-DNA barcoding are widely used for identifying fish species based on a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I(COI)sequence.In this study,rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss),steelhead trout(O.mykiss),and Atlantic salmon(Salmo salar)collected from two salmonid aquaculture bases in China were authenticated by DNA barcoding(about 650 bp)and mini-DNA barcoding(127 bp)to evaluate the accuracy of the two methods in the identification of different salmonid species.The results revealed that both methods could effectively distinguish O.mykiss and S.salar with 100%accuracy.However,the two methods failed to separate rainbow trout(O.mykiss)and steelhead trout(O.mykiss),which are the same species but cultured in different water environments.Moreover,salmonid samples from three main distribution channels in the Qingdao area(traditional supermarkets,online supermarkets,and sushi bars)were identified by the two methods.Substitution of S.salar with O.mykiss was discovered,and the 27.78%overall substitution rate of salmonids in the Qingdao area was higher than those in other regions reported in previous studies.In addition,the mislabeling rates of salmonids from traditional supermarkets,online supermarkets,and sushi bars were compared in this study.The mislabeling rate was significantly greater in sushi bars(50%)than in the other two channels(16.67%),suggesting that stronger monitoring and enforcement measures are necessary for the aquatic food catering industry.

Identification and DNA Barcoding of a New Sillago Species in Beihai and Zhanjiang,China,with a Key to Related Species

A new Sillago species,Sillago parasihama sp.n.,is identified based on 127 specimens collected from the southern coast of China.We compared the morphological characters between Sillago parasihama and all other 11 Sillago species with two posterior extensions on the swim bladder.The new species is like S.sihama in the countable characters and color pattern,but is different from the latter by the distinct swim bladders.The swim bladder of S.parasihama is without lateral process.The posterior sub-extensions of anterolateral extensions are unique with some dendritic or sometimes stunted blind tubule,which are unilateral and outward,ex-tending along the abdominal,and are about one-third to half of the body of swim bladder in length.But the swim bladder of S.si-hama with 8-10 lateral processes,the posterior sub-extensions of anterolateral extensions are kinky,long and complicated,extend-ing along the abdominal wall below the peritoneum to the base of posterior extensions.S.parasihama can be distinguished from other species in this group by color pattern,meristic,and morphometric characters.Moreover,the results of genetic analysis using sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I(COI)fragment show significant interspecific-level genetic distances(0.159-0.231)between S.parasihama and 8 congeners in the group,which also support the validity of new species.We also provide a distribution map and a key of the related species.

Identification of Kalidium species(Chenopodiaceae)by DNA barcoding

DNA barcoding is an increasingly prevalent molecular biological technology which uses a short and conserved DNA fragment to facilitate rapid and accurate species identification. Kalidium species are distributed in saline soil habitat throughout Southeast Europe and Northwest Asia, and used mainly as forage grass in China. The discrimination of Ka-lidium species was based only on morphology-based identification systems and limited to recognized species. Here, we tested four DNA candidate loci, one nuclear locus （ITS, internal transcribed spacer） and three plastid loci （rbcL9 matK and ycflb）, to select potential DNA barcodes for identifying different Kalidium species. Results showed that the best DNA barcode was ITS locus, which displayed the highest species discrimination rate （100%）, followed by matK （33.3%）,ycflb （16.7%）, and rbcL （16.7%）. Meanwhile, four loci clearly identified the variant species, Kalidium cuspidatum （Ung.-Stemb.） Gmb.var.A. J. Li,as a single species in Kalidium.