First record of Goodyera × tamnaensis (Orchidaceae) from Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, based on morphological and molecular data

First record of Goodyera × tamnaensis (Orchidaceae) from Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, based on morphological and molecular data

Several individuals of an unknown taxon of Goodyera were discovered in Boso Peninsula, Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Detailed morphological investigation suggests that this taxon is a presumably natural hybrid between G. schlechtendaliana and G. velutina based on traits such as leaf venation pattern, the color of bract, ovary and inflorescence, the shape of the lip, lateral petal and sepal and column, hair length on inflorescence and ovary. Molecular data based on genome-wide markers using the next-generation sequencing platform (i.e., MIG-seq data) provide further support of the hybrid status of the plants from Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The natural hybrid between G. schlechtendaliana and G. velutina was recently described as G.×tamnaensis in Jeju Island, South Korea. Therefore, based on our findings, we reported the first occurrence of G.×tamnaensis in Japan.