Taxonomic Review of the Genus Echinochloa in Korea (I): Inferred from Sequences of cpDNA and nrDNA

The genus Echinochloa (L.) P. Beauv. comprised of approximately 30-40 species in the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world, including numerous interspecific and intraspecific types which make the genus difficult to identify. As an attempt to identify the species within the genus easier, the taxonomy of the genus Echinochloa, Poaceae in Korea was reviewed on the basis of sequencing data derived from nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and external transcribe spacer and chloroplast DNA trnL intron, trnL-F intergenic spacer and matK regions using a total of 46 accessions representing all the species in Korea. The results of maximum parsimony found separate lineage comprised of E. colona and E. frumentaceae which are not Korean species, but no resolution within Korean Echinochloa species, supporting the suggestion of Yamaguchi group that E. crus-galli, E. oryzoides, and E. esculenta should be considered to belong to the same species. However, the relationship between these three species and the other species, i.e. E. oryzicola should be better understood with more detail studies.