Unraveling Reticulate Evolution in Opuntia (Cactaceae) From Southern Mexico

A study challenges the hybrid origin of Opuntia tehuacana, revealing instead introgression involving O. decumbens and O. huajuapensis, while confirming hybridization in O. pilifera with O. decumbens as a probable parent. Using two nuclear intron markers, researchers constructed phylogenetic networks to analyze reticulate evolution in southern Mexican Opuntia species from the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a biodiversity hotspot. The findings suggest new cases of hybridization and introgression among these species, including O. tehuantepecana and O. depressa as parental species for O. velutina and O. decumbens. This research advances understanding of genetic exchange patterns in this taxonomically complex cactus genus.

Granados-Aguilar, X., Granados Mendoza, C., Cervantes, C. R., Montes, J. R., & Arias, S. (2021). Unraveling Reticulate Evolution in Opuntia (Cactaceae) From Southern Mexico. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.606809