Exploring the Phylogenetic Relationship among Citrus through Leaf Shape Traits: A Morphological Study on Citrus Leaves

Ryan C. Traband; Xuesong Wang; Jill Lui; Lei Yu; Yoko Hiraoka; Ira A. Herniter; Christian Bowman; Mariano Resendiz; Zixian Wang; Sara P. Knowles; Sassoum Lo; Daniel H. Chitwood; Louis Santiago; Tracy Kahn; Danelle Seymour; Mikeal L. Roose; John M. Chater; Zhenyu Jia

doi:10.3390/horticulturae9070793

Horticulturae (Jul 2023)

Exploring the Phylogenetic Relationship among Citrus through Leaf Shape Traits: A Morphological Study on Citrus Leaves

Ryan C. Traband,
Xuesong Wang,
Jill Lui,
Lei Yu,
Yoko Hiraoka,
Ira A. Herniter,
Christian Bowman,
Mariano Resendiz,
Zixian Wang,
Sara P. Knowles,
Sassoum Lo,
Daniel H. Chitwood,
Louis Santiago,
Tracy Kahn,
Danelle Seymour,
Mikeal L. Roose,
John M. Chater,
Zhenyu Jia

Affiliations

Ryan C. Traband: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Xuesong Wang: Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Jill Lui: Pacific Academy, Irvine, CA 92604, USA
Lei Yu: Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Yoko Hiraoka: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Ira A. Herniter: Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Christian Bowman: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Mariano Resendiz: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Zixian Wang: College of Letters and Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90016, USA
Sara P. Knowles: Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Sassoum Lo: Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Daniel H. Chitwood: Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Louis Santiago: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Tracy Kahn: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Danelle Seymour: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Mikeal L. Roose: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
John M. Chater: Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
Zhenyu Jia: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070793
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 7
p. 793

Abstract

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This study utilized the Fourier-based method to analyze the morphology of over 4000 leaves from more than 190 accessions selected from the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection at the University of California Riverside, one of the world’s most diverse collections of citrus and closely related genera. Our analysis revealed significant variations in leaf morphology among the major citrus species groups, and hybrid varieties produced through breeding exhibited intermediate leaf morphology compared to their parental citrus species. We found a positive correlation between leaf area in native citrus species and temperature in lower tropical latitudes, while negative/positive associations between aspect ratio and temperature/rainfall were also observed, respectively. These results suggest that citrus leaves may have evolved into larger but thinner leaves to increase their photosynthetic capacity per unit area while maintaining water balance by reducing water loss through transpiration. Our analysis also indicates that the existing biodiversity observed in citrus species can be attributed to their migrations across the foothills of the Himalayas, southward to the islands of Indonesia, and northward to the islands of Japan. Our study supports the hypothesis that citrus species have adapted to warm areas lacking extreme daily and nightly temperatures, where a large number of species of origin are found. Overall, this study presents a promising approach to investigate the morphological variation in citrus leaves, which could potentially aid in the selection and breeding of citrus cultivars with superior physiological traits and deepen our understanding of citrus diversity.

Published in Horticulturae

ISSN: 2311-7524 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Plant culture
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/horticulturae

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