S05 - Session P4 - Taxonomic Identity of Korean Endemic Plant Syringa fauriei H.Lév

Authors: Da Yeon Kim *, Wan Soon Kim, Jeong Ill Jeon, Jae Sun Yi, Hee Sun Shin

Syringa fauriei H. Lev. belonging to lilacs ( Syringa , Oleaceae), is native to specific geographical areas of the Korean penninsula. Since first in Mt. Geumgang by Faurie in 1906, it has been found near rivers and valleys of Gangwon-do province. It has ornamental values that the entire crown is coverd with lots of white inflorescences during flowering times. S . fauriei has been reported as a synonym for S . reticulata subsp. amurensis , not an independent species. However, the t axonomic relationships of S . fauriei and its allied taxa ( subgenus Ligustrina ) have been still controversial by many researchers. Therefore, we conducted this study to identify the independent taxonomic position in S . fauriei by examining the morphological and molecular differences of two taxa, S . fauriei and S . reticulata var. mandshurica . Phylogenetic relationships between them were also inferred using the molecular markers of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2;ITS) and external transcribed spacer (ETS) regions. Morphological and molecular data revealed that S . fauriei is a Korean endemic species . We presented the species charactersitics of S . fauriei for its taxonomic reestablishment. Furthermore, this result can be applied for speceis conservation.