Taxonomy of Festuca in Uganda

Mary Namaganda

Festuca is a cosmopolitan genus of about 450 species, mainly in temperate and subtropical regions, extending to mountains in the tropics.

Festuca grassland on Mt. Elgon, Uganda; at about 4000 meters above sea level Foto: Mary Namaganda

Eight species of Festuca are known from Uganda; six are narrow-leaved and two are broad-leaved.

The taxonomy of Festuca in tropical Africa, and Uganda in particular, has not been fully investigated. Recent research including use of modern molecular methods has concentrated on temperate, arctic and Mediterranean Festuca, ignoring the representative species from the tropics. Our study focuses on Ugandan material and compares them to some European species, in order to contribute to the overall understanding of the taxonomy of the genus. Festuca is a large and highly polymorphic genus, which is taxonomically very difficult owing to the fact that some species in the genus can hybridize with related genera. The limits of Festuca are not well defined, and some authors argue that related genera like Vulpia and Lolium should be included in the genus. The taxonomy of these species is in confusion, yet some species of the genus are of economic importance.

Small Festuca abyssinica tufts regenerated after a bush fire; Mt. Elgon, Uganda; at about 3550 meters above sea level. Foto: Mary Namaganda

This study is using AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) DNA fingerprinting, cytogenetics, anatomy and morphology as evidences to investigate the genetic, phenetic and possibly phylogenetic relationships between the Ugandan species of Festuca. In combination with the traditional taxonomical methods (morphology and anatomy), molecular analyses will provide a more solid classification of these species of Festuca. Cytogenetics knowledge of Ugandan Festuca is so far limited to chromosome numbers of F. abyssinica and F. pilgeri only (2n = 28). This calls for the need to investigate the remaining species also. The study will carry out an objective attempt to classify these Festuca using numerical analyses of morphological and anatomical characters, which has not been performed on tropical African Festuca before. A detailed investigation of populations will reveal whether anatomy is a useful character in separating the species as is implied in literature. Within the genus, the relationship between the narrow- and broad-leaved species will be investigated as well as the variations within the two groups. The allied genera, Vulpia and Lolium, and also some Ethiopian species of Festuca will be included in the investigation.

Objectives
1. To determine the genetic relationships within the species and compare them to selected European Festuca, using AFLPs.
2. To determine chromosome numbers of the species.
3. To study genome relationships between these species of Festuca via chromosome counts (and probably painting).
4. To investigate whether anatomy is a useful character in separating the species as is implied in literature and carry out a numerical analysis of morphological characters.


Goal
To improve our understanding of taxonomic and genetic relationships within the grass genus Festuca and its allied genera Lolium and Vulpia.

Project coordinator at UMB:
Professor Kåre Lye

Ph.D.- student:
Mary Namaganda

Project collaboration:
Professor Manfred Heun, INA

Financed by:
NUFU Project 63/2003
Department of Botany, Makerere University, Uganda


Updated: 31.01.06
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