Multiple genotypes of <i>Phelipanche ramosa</i> indicate repeated introduction to the Americas

The geographic and ecological cohesiveness of four distinct genetic groups supports a hypothesis of multiple introductions to the Americas, presumably from Eurasia, followed by little to no subsequent gene flow among them. However, such groups do not align with existing morphological or ecological species concepts for P. ramosa and P. nana. In practice, threat assessment of Phelipanche populations to agricultural settings should be evaluated regionally given the phylogeographic and ecological heterogeneity.