The genetic structure of a columnar cactus with a disjunct distribution:: Stenocereus gummosus in the Sonoran desert

Stenocereus gummosus is a columnar cactus endemic to the Sonoran desert that exhibits a disjunct distribution: it is widely distributed in Baja California and restricted to a small coastal area in mainland Sonora. In this paper, we examine the genetic structure and the mating system of this species in order to explore the origin of the disjunction and describe aspects of the pollination biology. Flowers are nocturnal, pollinated mainly by sphingids and self-incompatible. Polymorphism for allozymes (11 loci) was relatively high (P = 75%) but moderate levels of heterozygosity were detected (H-o = 0.103 and H-e = 0.261). Sonoran populations exhibited higher levels of genetic variation than peninsular populations. H-e declined with latitude when just peninsular and two island populations are included. Substantial levels of inbreeding within populations (f = 0.60), moderate differentiation among populations (theta = 0.10), and no evidence of isolation by distance were detected. The neighbor-joining phenogram showed Sonoran and island populations nested within peninsular populations. Mainland populations showed greater genetic similarity to island populations, supporting a dispersal hypothesis for the origin of the disjunction. Future studies using DNA markers are suggested in order to better understand the forces that have shaped the genetic structure of this species.