Multiple origins of Nothoscordum gracile

Nothoscordum gracile is an apomitic tetraploid with a rare karyotype with 2n = 19 and is widely distributed throughout the Americas. It has been suggested to form a species complex with sexual and apomictic N. nudicaule and N. macrostemon. Souza et al. provide cytogenetic and molecular evidence that diploids of N. nudicaule and N. macrostemon are recently diverged species, whereas tetraploid apomicts with 2n = 18, 19 have originated from multiple independent hybridization events between them. Nothoscordum gracile is likely to be an assemblage of hybrids involving at least N. macrostemon and N. nudicaule.