Molecular Identification and Karyological Analysis of a Rampant Aspen Populus tremula L. (Salicaceae) Clone

A rampant highly heterozygous aspen (Populus tremula L.) clone “Meshabash” has been revealed in course of population genetic diversity analysis in a native stand in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. Here we report the results of karyological analysis showing that this highly vigorous clone is diploid (2n = 38) while typically triploid aspen demonstrates increased growth rate and resistance to aspen trunk rot caused by fungus Phellinus tremulae. By means of DNA identification of a series of model trees using 14 SSR loci we outlined the area occupied by this clone (at least 1.94 ha) and demonstrated that its ramets constitute 40 out of 48 genotyped trunks on the plot with the maximal distance between ramets 254 m. Since aspen is able to regenerate after cutting or die-off of maternal tree by root suckers at a distance up to 20–35 m this assumed that current stand appeared as a result of such spreading from an ortet tree during at least 5 generations. Trunk rot damage in the wood of model trees indicated low influence of this pathogen on viability and performance of the studied clone that can be associated with its extreme heterozygosity level (0.926) exceeding all the studied trees in this research plot and in three other control samples.