MOLECULAR AND GENETIC RESEARCH OF INVASIVE SPESIES OF<i> AMELANCHIER</i> Medik
When examining populations of invasive species of Amelanchier spicata and A. alnifolia in the European part of Russia, we have found difficult-to-define variants of morphotypes, characterized by intermediate characters, in addition to typical morphotypes. Molecular and genetic analysis of the nuclear regions ITS1-2 revealed intragenomic polymorphism, probably indicative of hybridogenic origin of A. spicata. The genealogical relations of the haplotypes ITS1-2 of the invasive species A. spicata are traced, allowing to link its formation with hybridization involving A. humilis and A. alnifolia and to establish a hypothetical area of origin of the original forms in North America.