Nickel hyperaccumulation and systematics of Alysseae
- Nickel hyperaccumulation and systematics of Alysseae
Nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulation is a rare form of physiological specialization shared by a small number of angiosperms growing on ultramafic soils. Molecular phylogenetic analyses by Cecchi et al. reveal that Ni-hyperaccumulation has a double origin in Alysseae. Genetic continuity and strong phenotypic plasticity in the A. murale complex call for a reduction of the number of Ni hyperaccumulator taxa formally recognized.