Revealing unknown or extinct lineages within Isoetes (Isoetaceae) using DNA sequencesfrom hybrids

Iso?tes, a heterosporous lycopod with a fossil record dating back to the Paleozoic, has numerous putative allopolyploids (resulting from hybridization events coupled with doubling of chromosome number). By using the highly variable nucleotide sequences from the second intron of a LFY homologue in Iso?tes, species could be delimited and hybrid origins determined. The data suggest that reticulate evolution is both common and complex within a more derived species complex of Iso?tes. Sequences of identifiable parentage and sequences that are unlike any diploid species known were recovered, leading to the conclusion that one or both of the putative parents have not yet been discovered or are extinct. A range of observations concerning allopolyploid speciation were categorized as follows: (1) verification of previous hypotheses regarding parentage (e.g., I. riparia, I. appalachiana), (2) determination that two morphologically distinct allotetraploid species can share the same parentage (I. azorica and I. acadiensis), (3) recognition of a cryptic allotetraploid species, indicated by the presence of different parental genomes (I. "appalachiana" from Florida), and (4) identification of allotetraploid species with one or two unknown parents (e.g., I. tuckermanii, I. acadiensis, I. azorica, and I. hyemalis). Some sequences from diploid species are remarkably uniform among populations (e.g., I. echinospora from various locations in North America, Iceland, and Wales), while others are variable at the subspecies level (e.g., northern and southern populations within I. engelmannii).     

Spore morphology of Isoëtes (Isoëtaceae) from China

Micromorphological characters of mega- and microspores of five Isoëtes species from China were observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Megaspores of I. hypsophila have a levigate ornamentation, and are 358 µm in diameter (mean, n=30), microspores of this species have a gyrus ornamentation, and are 22 µm in length (mean, n=30); megaspores of I. yunguiensis have a cristate-reticulate ornamentation, with a size of 390 µm in diameter (mean, n=30), while microspores nearly smooth with some fine granulates, and with a size of 22 µm in length (mean, n=30); megaspores of I. taiwanensis are tuberculate and 312 µm in diameter (mean, n=30), echinate microspores are 24 µm in length (mean, n=30); cristate megaspores of I. sinensis are 409 µm in diameter (mean, n=30), and echinate microspores are 28 µm in length (mean, n=30); megaspores of I. orientalis have a cristate-reticulate ornamentation, with diameter of 420 µm (mean, n=30), microspores of this species have an echinate-tuberculate ornamentation with a size of 34 µm in length (mean, n=30). Based on the morphological characters of spores and chromosome numbers among taxa, it was found that mean spore size in each species of Isoëtes generally reflected the ploidy level. I. hypsophila, I. yunguiensis and I. taiwanensis, with smaller mean spore size, are diploidy with 2n=22; I. sinensis (2n=44) and I. orientalis (2n=66), with larger mean spore size, are polyploidy. The spore morphology of Isoëtes still plays an important role in identification and classification of Isoëtes from China.     

Origin and diversification of African ferns with special emphasis on Polypodiaceae

Although Africa harbors low species diversity compared to the neotropics or South East Asia, the African fern flora is of interest because of its specific composition and geographic location between the neotropics and Asia. We address the question of how the evolution of the African fern flora may have been enriched by repeated input from the neotropics and Asia. For the purpose of this paper we consider ihree major biogeographic regions: the neotropics, Africa and Madagascar, and Asia including Malesia and Australasia. We interpret distribution data for six clades of Polypodiaceae in a molecular phylogenetic framework. We conclude that African fern taxa shared with or closely related to ones in the neotropics or Asia have been brought about by ancient and recent dispersal events with or without subsequent speciation. The African fern flora is interpreted as being composed of endemic, neotropical, and Asian elements and as being situated in a zone of overlap of typical neotropical and Asian fern floras.     

SEQUENTIAL RADIATIONS AND PATTERNS OF SPECIATION IN THE HAWAIIAN CRICKET GENUS LAUPALA INFERRED FROM DNA SEQUENCES

The tremendous diversity of endemic Hawaiian crickets is thought to have originated primarily through intraisland radiations, in contrast to an interisland mode of diversification in the native Hawaiian Drosophila. The Hawaiian cricket genus Laupala (family Gryllidae) is one of several native genera of flightless crickets found in rain-forest habitat across the Hawaiian archipelago. I examined the phylogenetic relationships among mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences sampled from 17 species of Laupala, including the 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (RNA)^val and 16S rRNA regions. The distribution of mtDNA variants suggests that species within Laupala are endemic to single islands. The phylogenetic estimate produced from both maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony supports the hypothesis that speciation in Laupala occurred mainly within islands. The inferred biogeographical history suggests that diversification in Laupala began on Kauai, the oldest rain-forested Hawaiian island. Subsequently, colonization to younger islands in the archipelago resulted in a radiation of considerable phylogenetic diversity. Phylogenetic patterns in mtDNA are not congruent with prior systematic or taxonomic hypotheses. Hypotheses that may explain the conflict between the phylogenetic patterns of mtDNA variation and the species taxonomy are discussed.     

Phylogeny and diversification of Chinese Araliaceae based on nuclear and plastid DNA sequence data

Chinese Araliaceae consist of 20 genera and ca. 175 species. To assess the evolutionary relationships of Araliaceae and their biogeographic diversification in China, the phylogeny of Chinese Araliaceae was constructed by sampling 96 accessions representing 20 genera and 50 species of Chinese Araliaceae and 45 closely related taxa using sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and six plastid regions (the ndhF gene, the trnL-trnF region, the rps16intron, the atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer, the rpl16 intron, and the psbA-trnH intergenic spacer). Phylogenetic analyses of the combined plastid and ITS data supported the results of the previously studies that the Chinese members of Araliaceae were scattered within the Asian Palmate group and the Aralia-Panax group withOsmoxylon at the base of core Araliaceae. The generic status of Pentapanax and Tupidanthus is not supported. Our analysis clearly places them in Aralia and AsianSchefflera, respectively. In a broader phylogenetic framework of Araliaceae, based on the fossil-calibrated Bayesian dating, Chinese Araliaceae was inferred to have originated in Asia and underwent a rapid radiation in its evolutionary history. Its diversification is hypothesized to have been driven largely by the orogenies in Asia during the Cenozoic. In China, the distribution pattern of the phylogenetic diversity of Araliaceae corresponds with its taxonomic diversity across the entire region.     

Phylogeny and biogeography of the family Cyprinidae in the Middle East inferred from cytochrome b DNA- evolutionary significance of this region.

The phylogenetic relationships of cyprinid species from the Middle East and neighboring biogeographical areas were investigated using cytochrome b sequence variation in order to test hypotheses that consider the Middle Eastern area as an important interchange area or a center of speciation for the freshwater fauna. A total of 62 cyprinid species were analyzed over the complete cytochrome b fragment (1140 bp); 28 belong to the Leuciscinae subfamily and 34 to the Cyprininae. All the Leuciscinae lineage fish recorded in the Middle East are also found in Europe, which was interpreted as an important Palearctic influence in the Middle Eastern ichthyofauna consistent with the Lago Mare dispersion. However, it has also been suggested that several Danube species have their origins in the Middle East. In contrast, the Cyprininae subfamily showed three highly divergent lineages, one shared with the Euro-Mediterranean area (Barbus/Luciobarbus genus) relict of the Lago Mare dispersion, one shared with Africa (Carasobarbus/Varicorhinus subgenus), and the third shared with Asia (Garra genus). Furthermore, clades observed in the phylogenetic reconstructions are not consistent with morphometric or karyological data and disagree with previous taxonomic assumptions. Lastly, the dispersion history in the Middle East of this subfamily appears much more complicated and ancient than that of the Leuciscinae. However, taking into account Cyprininae and Leuciscinae distribution, the Middle East appears more like an important interchange area for the freshwater ichtyofauna than a center of speciation.     

Speciation within genomic networks: a case study based on Steatocranus cichlids of the lower Congo rapids

Hybridization in animals is a much more common phenomenon as previously thought and may have profound implications for speciation research. The cichlid genus Steatocranus (Teleostei: Cichlidae), a close relative to members of the East African cichlid radiations, radiated under riverine conditions in the lower Congo rapids and produced a small species flock. Previous phylogenetic analyses suggested that hybridization occurred and contributed to speciation in this genus. A re-analysis of an already published 2000 loci-AFLP data set explicitly testing for patterns of ancient gene flow provided strong evidence for a highly reticulate phylogenetic history of the genus. We provide, to our knowledge, the first example of a complex reticulate network in vertebrates, including multiple closely related species connected through ancient as well as recent gene flow. In this context, the limited validity of strictly bifurcating tree hypotheses as a phylogenetic basis for hypothesis testing in evolutionary biology is discussed.     

Systematic Evaluation of Isoëtes asiatica Makino (Isoëtaceae) based on AFLP, nrITS, and Chloroplast DNA Sequences

On the basis of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and nucleotide sequence data from nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and three chloroplast DNA regions (rbcL, cpITS, and trnS-psbC spacer), we investigated the species delimitation and the evolutionary lineage of Isoëtes asiatica from Hokkaido, Japan. The neighbor-joining (NJ) dendrogram based on AFLP markers revealed the well-defined clusters (bootstrap value?=?100%) of I. asiatica. Results from the principal component analysis are largely congruent with those obtained in the NJ dendrogram. The maximum parsimony analysis, based on data from nrITS and three chloroplast DNA sequences, supported a monophyly of three species, I. asiatica, Isoëtes echinospora, and Isoëtes maritima from Hokkaido, Kamchatka, and Alaska regions. The distinct species status of I. asiatica was also well supported in the combined chloroplast DNA phylogeny. Therefore, I. asiatica appear to represent example of gradual speciation due to spatial isolation of ancestral populations followed by genetic divergence. Our results also suggest that I. asiatica is probably not the ancestral diploid of the polyploids occurring in East Asia.     

Phylogeny and Biogeography of Wood-Feeding Cockroaches, Genus Salganea Stål (Blaberidae: Panesthiinae), in Southeast Asia Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

Molecular phylogenetic relationships among 25 species of the wood-feeding cockroach belonging to the genus Salganea St?l (Panesthiinae; Blaberidae) in Southeast Asia were analyzed based on the DNA sequence of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II (COII) gene. Most basal relationships among species of Salganea are poorly resolved by both neighbor-joining and nonweighted parsimony analyses, suggesting the possibility of a hard polytomy due to a rapid and potentially simultaneous radiation early in the history of the genus. For more apical relationships, however, some interesting phylogenetic relationships were recognized. The monophyly of the two species groups, morio and foveolata, the former of which is distributed mainly in the Sunda lands (containing the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo), whereas the latter is Sulawesi endemic, was strongly supported. Based on the inferred phylogenetic patterns and recent palaeogeographic scenario for Southeast Asia, it is suggested that a radiation of Salganea species occurred in Southeast Asia presumably in the early Tertiary, and several barriers against dispersal and gene flow, such as the formation of straits or high mountains, have arisen from the middle Tertiary. Received: 4 April 2001 / Accepted: 20 April 2001     

Mitochondrial sequence data reveals the phylogeny of the Asian Helice group of crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura: Varunidae)

The taxonomy of the Helice s. l. crabs has been recently revised, subdividing the Asian species in three genera, Helice , Helicana and Pseudohelice . The last one is widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific Ocean and a single species, Pseudohelice subquadrata , is found in Asia. The other two genera appear to be endemic to Asia. However, phylogenetic affinities among the Asian representatives of Helice s. l. are poorly understood, and different morphology-based hypotheses of relationships remain untested. In this study, we used sequence data from a mitochondrial gene-block spanning three different genes [16S rDNA- trnL ₁ - IGS -nad1 ] to perform phylogenetic analyses. The results provide independent molecular evidence supporting the splitting of the Asian species into Helice and Helicana . Helice is suggested to be paraphyletic with respect to P. subquadrata . In addition, the heterogeneity of the genus Pseudohelice is shown when including the East Asian and East African counterparts. We propose that the two genera, Helice and Pseudohelice , are not monophyletic in their current composition.     

Historical biogeography and ecology of a Continental Antarctic mite genus, Maudheimia (Acari, Oribatida): evidence for a Gondwanan origin and Pliocene-Pleistocene speciation

Of the eight genera (30 species) of extant Acari in Continental (= East) Antarctica, the genus Maudheimia Dalenius & Wilson, 1958 (Oribatida; Maudheimiidae) is uniquely endemic. A Gondwanan origin is proposed for the genus based on antiquity, inferred from endemism, a widespread distribution throughout Continental Antarctica and a limited dispersal capacity. Adaptation for a high montane epilithic existence, a necessity for the origination and long-term persistence in Antarctica, is inferred from the life history, physiology and ecology of Maudheimia. Phylogenetic analysis placed all four Maudheimia species in a single (generic) clade with the following structure (M. pelronia Wallwork, 1962 (M. tanngardenensis Coctzee, 1997 (M. manhalli Coetzee, 1997 (M. wilsoni Dalenius & Wilson, 1958)))). Geographical distributions of the Maudheimia species, in relation to their phylogenetic relationships, support the hypothesis that post-Gondwanan speciation occurred as a consequence of isolation during glaciation of Antarctica.     

Phylogeny of Hystrix and related genera (Poaceae: Triticeae) based on nuclear rDNA ITS sequences

The taxonomic status of Hystrix and phylogenetic relationships among Hystrix and its related genera of Pseudoroegneria (St), Hordeum (H), Psathyrostachys (Ns), Elymus (StH), Leymus (NsXm), Thinopyrum bessarabicum (E(b)) and Lophopyrum elongatum (E(e)) were estimated from sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The type species of Hystrix, H. patula, clustered with species of Pseudoroegneria, Hordeum, Elymus, Th. bessarabicum and Lo. elongatum, while H. duthiei ssp. duthiei, H. duthiei ssp. longearistata, H. coreana and H. komarovii were grouped with Psathyrostachys and Leymus species. The results indicate that: (i) H. patula is distantly related to other species of Hystrix, but is closely related to Elymus species; (ii) H. duthiei ssp. duthiei, H. duthiei ssp. longearistata, H. coreana and H. komarovii have a close affinity with Psathyrostachys and Leymus species, and H. komarovii might contain the NsXm genome of Leymus; and (iii) the St, H and Ns genomes in Hystrix originate from Pseudoroegneria, Hordeum and Psathyrostachys, respectively, while the Xm in Hystrix and Leymus has a complex relationship with the E or St genomes. According to the genomic system of classification in Tiritceae, it is reasonable to treat Hystrix patula as Elymus hystrix L, and the other species of Hystrix as species of a section of Leymus, Leymus Sect. Hystrix.     

Phylogenetic discordance at the species boundary: comparative gene genealogies among rapidly radiating Heliconius butterflies

Recent adaptive radiations provide excellent model systems for understanding speciation, but rapid diversification can cause problems for phylogenetic inference. Here we use gene genealogies to investigate the phylogeny of recent speciation in the heliconiine butterflies. We sequenced three gene regions, intron 3 ( approximately 550 bp) of sex-linked triose-phosphate isomerase (Tpi), intron 3 ( approximately 450 bp) of autosomal mannose-phosphate isomerase (Mpi), and 1,603 bp of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunits I and II (COI and COII), for 37 individuals from 25 species of Heliconius and related genera. The nuclear intron sequences evolved at rates similar to those of mitochondrial coding sequences, but the phylogenetic utility of introns was restricted to closely related geographic populations and species due to high levels of indel variation. For two sister species pairs, Heliconius erato-Heliconius himera and Heliconius melpomene-Heliconius cydno, there was highly significant discordance between the three genes. At mtDNA and Tpi, the hypotheses of reciprocal monophyly and paraphyly of at least one species with respect to its sister could not be distinguished. In contrast alleles sampled from the third locus, Mpi, showed polyphyletic relationships between both species pairs. In all cases, recent coalescence of mtDNA lineages within species suggests that polyphyly of nuclear genes is not unexpected. In addition, very similar alleles were shared between melpomene and cydno, implying recent gene flow. Our finding of discordant genealogies between genes is consistent with models of adaptive speciation with ongoing gene flow and highlights the need for multiple locus comparisons to resolve phylogeny among closely related species.     

Molecular phylogeny of hybridizing species from the genus Spartina Schreb. (Poaceae)

Interspecific hybridization events have been reported in the genus Spartina Schreb. (Poaceae), involving the east American species Spartina alterniflora, and including either introgression (e.g., with the western American Spartina foliosa) or allopolyploid speciation (e.g., with the Euro-African Spartina maritima). Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus has been undertaken in order to understand phylogenetic relationships and genetic divergence among these hybridizing species. Twelve Spartina species have been sequenced for two nuclear DNA regions (ITS of ribosomal DNA, and part of the Waxy gene) and one chloroplast DNA spacer (trnT-trnL). Separate and conditional combined phylogenetic analyses using Cynodon dactylon as the outgroup have been conducted. Spartina is composed of two lineages. The first clade includes all hexaploid species: the Euro-African S. maritima (2n = 60), the East-American S. alterniflora (2n = 62) and the West-American S. foliosa (2n = 60). Spartina alterniflora appears as a closely related sister species to S. foliosa. Although belonging to the same lineage, Spartina maritima appears consistently more genetically differentiated from S. alterniflora than S. foliosa. The tetraploid species S. argentinensis (2n = 40) is placed at the base of this first clade according to the Waxy data, but its position is not well resolved by the other sequences. The second well-supported main lineage within genus Spartina includes the other tetraploid American species. Significant incongruence has been encountered between the waxy based tree and both the ITS and trnT-trnL trees concerning the position of S. densiflora, suggesting a possible reticulate evolution for this species. The results agree with hybridization patterns occurring in Spartina: introgression involving closely related species (S. alterniflora and S. foliosa) on one hand, and alloploid speciation involving more differentiated species (S. alterniflora and S. maritima) on the other hand.     

Testing geographical pathways of speciation in a recent island radiation

Determining the mode, or geographical context, of speciation is a critical first step to understanding the evolutionary mechanisms that cause new species to arise. In this study, we estimated phylogenetic relationships in the cerasina species group of the Hawaiian cricket genus Laupala (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) to test competing phylogeographical hypotheses and thus infer the mode of speciation. A previous phylogenetic result based on nuclear sequence data suggested that populations of L. cerasina on the Big Island of Hawaii are the result of two independent colonizations from Maui, implying parallel speciation and convergent song evolution, and contradicting systematic hypotheses based on behavioural and morphological data. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms to investigate further the relationships among species and populations in the cerasina species group. Results of these analyses provide a robust estimate of phylogenetic relationships and support the phylogeographical history indicated by behavioural and morphological data.     

基于序列trnL-trnF和ITS的榉属系统发育与地理分布格局的初步分析

榉属(Zelkova)是包含6个种的榆科小属, 呈东亚、西亚和南欧间断分布。该文基于DNA序列trnL-trnF和ITS构建了榉属的分子系统发育树, 大体上把此属分为3个分支, 分别对应东亚、西亚和南欧的种类, 与前人仅依据ITS序列的结果不同。生物地理的扩散和隔离分化分析(DIVA)表明, 榉属的原始祖先分布区可能是欧亚北温带, 包括了东亚、西亚和南欧的某个大的区域。分化过程以隔离分化为主要特征, 即3个分布区域是逐步隔离分化的。由于东亚的物种多样性, 北太平洋有可能是起源中心。榉属的现代分布格局可能主要是由于渐新世发生的古地中海西退、中新世发生的青藏高原大范围隆升, 以及第四纪冰川活动引起的分布区的收缩。     

Molecular phylogeny and evolutionary biology of Acrodipsas (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Most butterflies in the family Lycaenidae associate with ants but fewer than 3% are myrmecophagous. Larvae of the Australian endemic butterfly genus Acrodipsas parasitise the nests of ants from two subfamilies and, thus, constitute an interesting and uncommon myrmecophagous radiation within the Lepidoptera. Phylogenetic relationships among Acrodipsas species were inferred from fragments of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunits I and II totalling 1155 bp using maximum parsimony and a neighbour joining method. Monophyly of the genus was confirmed, as was the sister genus status of Lucia. Acrodipsas myrmecophila was established as the plesiotypic Acrodipsas species, which together with Acrodipsas brisbanensis parasitises the ancestral dolichoderine host-ants. A speciation event associated with a radical host-ant shift to Myrmicinae occurred in an ancestor of Acrodipsas cuprea but subsequent speciation events may have been driven by climatic fluctuations during the Pleistocene. Modifications to leg morphology in several species were found to be a synapomorphic state, which arose subsequent to the host-shift to Myrmicinae. Minimal genetic variation detected in allopatric species exhibiting divergent morphology suggests that phenotypic variability has been driven by strong environmental selective pressures. As a result, morphological differences between closely related allopatric species have evolved faster than genetic differences, most notably between Acrodipsas arcana and Acrodipsas illidgei. In contrast, sympatric lineages of A. brisbanensis across similar habitats show considerable genetic differentiation, yet have remained phenotypically indistinguishable. Successful amplification of short overlapping fragments of DNA from museum specimens confirms their utility for phylogenetic analysis when the availability of fresh tissue is limited.     

Comparing macroecological patterns across continents: evolution of climatic niche breadth in varanid lizards

Macroecological analyses often test hypotheses at the global scale, or among more closely related species in a single region (e.g. continent). Here, we test several hypotheses about climatic niche widths among relatively closely related species that occur across multiple continents, and compare patterns within and across continents to see if they differ. We focus on the lizard genus Varanus (monitor lizards), which occurs in diverse environments in Africa, Asia, and Australia. We address three main questions. 1) How do climatic niche breadths of species on a given niche axis change based on the position of species along that niche axis? (E.g. are species that occur in more extreme environments more narrowly specialized for those conditions?) 2) Are there trade‐offs in niche breadths on temperature and precipitation axes among species, or are niche widths on different axes positively related? 3) Is variation in niche breadths among species explained primarily by within‐locality seasonal variation, or by differences in climatic conditions among localities across the species range? We generate a new time‐calibrated phylogeny for Varanus and test these hypotheses within and between continents using climatic data and phylogenetic methods. Our results show that patterns on each continent often parallel each other and global patterns. However, in many other cases, the strength of relationships can change dramatically among closely related species on different continents. Overall, we found that: 1) species in warmer environments have narrower temperature niche breadths, but there is no relationship between precipitation niche breadth and niche position; 2) temperature and precipitation niche breadths tend to be positively related among species, rather than showing trade‐offs; and 3) within‐locality seasonal variation explains most variation in climatic niche breadths. Some of these results are concordant with previous studies (in amphibians and North American lizards), and might represent general macroecological patterns.     

粉条儿菜属(肺筋草科)的地理分布及其物种多样性和分化中心

粉条儿菜属(AletrisL.)隶属于肺筋草科,全世界有23种1变种,东亚有18种1变种,北美东南部有5种,为典型的东亚-北美间断分布的属.本文在种(变种)的水平上,研究了粉条儿菜属的地理分布及其分布中心和多样化中心,并对其起源和分化以及现代洲际间断分布格局的成因进行了分析.结果表明,(1)中国共分布有粉条儿菜属植物15种1变种,而广义的横断山地区集中分布有13种1变种,是东亚粉条儿菜属植物分布最为集中的地区,而且包含该属植物各个进化阶段的代表.因此,广义的横断山地区是粉条儿菜属在东亚的分布中心和多样化中心.(2)根据粉条儿菜属及其近缘属的分布格局推测,该属可能在不晚于第三纪早期,起源于古北大陆.东亚和北美的粉条儿菜属植物形态区别明显,应该是隔离分化的结果.(3)该属植物可能曾经广布于北半球,后来地质、气候以及冰川等因素的变化,导致该属在一些地区灭绝,而仅存于东亚和北美东南部.(4)尽管横断山及其周边地区是东亚粉条儿菜属的多样化中心,但该地区很可能并不是粉条儿菜属最早的分化中心,因横断山地区周边的一些特有种可能是在晚近的时期形成的新特有种;另外,东亚粉条儿菜属一些原始的种类主要分布于我国中东部到日本一带.所以,中国中东部到日本一带可能是粉条儿菜属早期的分化中心.     

A phylogeny of the ITS and ETS for Montanoa (Asteraceae: Heliantheae)

A phylogeny of the genus Montanoa based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the external transcribed spacer (ETS) is presented. Each of the two clades revealed by the Bayesian and parsimony analyses has approximately half of the number of species in the genus. One lineage is composed mostly of central and southern Mexican species whereas the other lineage contains those species endemic to Mesoamerica and South America. The molecular phylogeny is compared to previous phylogenetic hypotheses based on morphological characters. Key features in the structure of the capitulum such as pale morphology, heavily used in the past to construct hypotheses of relationship within the genus, are viewed as of minimal value to circumscribe natural groups. The relationships of Montanoa to other genera in the Heliantheae are briefly discussed.