Chloroplast DNA variation among and within taxonomic varieties of Pinuscaribaea and Pinuselliottii

Chloroplast DNA BamHI restriction fragments were studied in Pinuselliottii Engelm. var. elliottii (11 trees), P. elliottii var. densa (2 trees), the three taxonomic varieties of Pinuscaribaea Morelet (39 trees), and Pinusoocarpa Schiede (9 trees). Polymorphism was detected within both P. elliottii varieties, but not within P. oocarpa. Each of the P. caribaea varieties was monomorphic, but the Cuban variety, P. caribaea var. caribaea, differed clearly from the Bahamian (P. caribaea var.bahamensis) and Honduran (P. caribaea var. hondurensis) varieties. Variety caribaea shared the most frequent chloroplast genotype of P. elliottii var. elliottii, while varieties bahamensis and hondurensis shared the second most frequent genotype of P. elliottii var. elliottii. The P. oocarpa chloroplast genotype was not found in other taxa of the present study, but was found previously in Pinusechinata Mill, and Pinuspalustris Mill. The results of this study, taken together with other chloroplast data from subsection Australes, suggest a close relationship between P. caribaea and P. elliottii. This confirms previous morphological and biochemical evidence, but several discrepancies were apparent and are discussed.