Adaptive divergence with gene flow in incipient speciation of Miscanthus floridulus/sinensis complex (Poaceae).

Young incipient species provide ideal materials for untangling the process of ecological speciation in the presence of gene flow. The Miscanthus floridulus/sinensis complex exhibits diverse phenotypic and ecological differences despite recent divergence (approximately 1.59 million years ago).

Development of 12 genic microsatellite loci for a biofuel grass, Miscanthus sinensis (Poaceae).

Premise Of The Study: Miscanthus, a nonfood plant with high potential as a biofuel, has been used in Europe and the United States. The selection of a cultivar with high biomass, photosynthetic efficiency, and stress resistance from wild populations has become an important issue. New genic microsatellite markers will aid the assessment of genetic diversity for different strains.