Assessing the Clonal Nature of Running Glade Clover (Trifolium calcaricum J.L. Collins & T.F. Wieboldt; Fabaceae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Limestone cedar glades, one of the rarest ecosystems in the world, are home to several uncommon species, including Trifolium calcaricum (Fabaceae), the running glade clover. Due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, the states of Tennessee and Virginia have listed T. calcaricum as an endangered species. To preserve T. calcaricum and increase its numbers, a reintroduction effort was initiated in 2016 in which individual plants were transplanted from a source site to secondary locations at Cedars of Lebanon State Park and Vesta Cedar Glade State Natural Area in Tennessee. In the current project, the extent of clonality among transplanted individuals was assessed using fluorescently tagged inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Sampled individuals were determined to be moderately clonal, with 46 sampled ramets representing 14 unique genets, with the estimated size of the largest genet being approximately 100 meters across. We provide baseline data for this understudied species and provide context for future work.