Recurrent hybridisation events between Primula vulgaris , P . veris and P . elatior (Primulaceae, Ericales) challenge the species boundaries: using molecular markers to re‐evaluate morphological identifications

Recurrent hybridisation between Primula vulgaris, P. veris, and P. elatior challenges traditional species boundaries at Møns Klint, Denmark. Genetic analysis of 168 specimens revealed that many previously identified hybrids, such as P. × digenea (P. vulgaris × P. elatior) and P. × polyantha (P. veris × P. vulgaris), are later-generation backcrosses rather than first-generation hybrids. Molecular markers also uncovered unexpected ancestry in some specimens, including P. veris genetic material in a P. vulgaris plant, suggesting greater genetic exchange than previously recognised. The study used species-specific SNPs, chloroplast trn L polymorphisms, and simple sequence repeats to re-evaluate morphological identifications, providing insights into hybridisation dynamics that complicate taxonomic distinctions.

Tendal, K., Ørgaard, M., Larsen, B., & Pedersen, C. (2018). Recurrent hybridisation events between Primula vulgaris , P . veris and P . elatior (Primulaceae, Ericales) challenge the species boundaries: using molecular markers to re‐evaluate morphological identifications. Nordic Journal of Botany, 36(9). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/njb.01778