Phylogenetic analyses confirm polyphyly of the genus Campanula (Campanulaceae s. str.), leading to a proposal for generic reappraisal

Previous phylogenetic analyses found that the largest genus in the tribe Campanuleae, Campanula L. is polyphyletic. The genus is extremely intermingled, involving more than 50 genera, but no generic reappraisal has been attempted. For undertaking further phylogenetic analyses and subsequent generic reappraisal of the tribe, we sampled 333 samples, representing 27 of 28 genera currently recognized. Among them, 146 samples and two genera, Cylindrocarpa Regel and Sergia Fed., were newly sequenced. Six chloroplast DNA loci (atpB-rbcL, matK, petD-intron, rbcL, rpl16, and trnL-F) and internal transcribed spacer were used to undertake phylogenetic analyses. Our chloroplast DNA phylogeny comprises 24 clades, that is, 18 Cam clades and six genera, Feeria Buser, Homocodon D. Y. Hong, Jasione L., Peracarpa Hook. f. & Thomson, Trachelium L., and Favratia Feer. Campanula species are scattered among the 18 Cam clades and the six genera, and some of them join with well-established genera like Phyteuma L. and Adenophora Fisch. In the phylogeny Musschia Dumort. is at the basal position, but Jasione's position is unclear, whether in the tribe Campanuleae or in Wahlenbergieae; the other 22 lineages are grouped into two major clades: clade A comprising Cam 13–17 plus Feeria and Trachelium, and clade B comprising Cam 02, 03, 04-1, 04-2, and 06-12 plus Homocodon and Peracarpa. We found that the molecular phylogeny is closely correlated with morphology, particularly pollen morphology: clade A with pollen 3-porate and capsule dehiscent mostly by basal pores; and clade B with pollen mostly 4 (5–15)-porate and capsule dehiscent mostly by apical-middle pores. A generic reappraisal of the tribe is suggested based on the integrated phylogenetic analyses.     

The taxonomy and systematics of Apocynaceae: where we stand in 2012

In their most recent classification of Apocynaceae in 2000, Endress and Bruyns recognized five subfamilies of Apocynaceae (Rauvolfioideae, Apocynoideae, Periplocoideae, Secamonoideae and Asclepiadoideae). Subsequently, through various studies using molecular data, it has been shown that most tribes and subtribes of Rauvolfioideae were not monophyletic, and new tribes and subtribes have been erected to reflect improved phylogenetic understanding of the family: Aspidospermeae in Rauvolfioideae; Nerieae, Odontadenieae and Baisseeae in Apocynoideae; Fockeeae in Asclepiadoideae; and Orthosiinae in Asclepiadeae. Several genera in Rauvolfioideae have been reassigned to different tribes in order to improve the monophyly of these tribes. The sister group of Asclepiadoideae plus Secamonoideae is not Periplocoideae, as formerly assumed, but tribe Baisseeae. Periplocoideae are nested in Apocynoideae. However, tribal composition remains unclear in some parts of the family. Clade structure in Apocynaceae is now generally well understood. The principal challenges now lie in identifying characters that can reflect and articulate these clades in a formal classification. Species‐rich, recent radiations such as core Asclepiadinae in Africa and the Metastematinae in Latin America present particular problems in this regard. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

A worldwide phylogenetic classification of the Poaceae (Gramineae) III: An update

We present an updated worldwide phylogenetic classification of Poaceae with 11 783 species in 12 subfamilies, 7 supertribes, 54 tribes, 5 super subtribes, 109 subtribes, and 789 accepted genera. The subfamilies (in descending order based on the number of species) are Pooideae with 4126 species in 219 genera, 15 tribes, and 34 subtribes; Panicoideae with 3325 species in 242 genera, 14 tribes, and 24 subtribes; Bambusoideae with 1698 species in 136 genera, 3 tribes, and 19 subtribes; Chloridoideae with 1603 species in 121 genera, 5 tribes, and 30 subtribes; Aristidoideae with 367 species in three generaand one tribe; Danthonioideae with 292 species in 19 generaand 1 tribe; Micrairoideae with 192 species in nine generaand three tribes; Oryzoideae with 117 species in 19 genera, 4 tribes, and 2 subtribes; Arundinoideae with 36 species in 14 genera and 3 tribes; Pharoideae with 12 species in three generaand one tribe; Puelioideae with 11 species in two generaand two tribes; and the Anomochlooideae with four species in two generaand two tribes. Two new tribes and 22 new or resurrected subtribes are recognized. Forty-five new (28) and resurrected (17) genera are accepted, and 24 previously accepted genera are placed in synonymy. We also provide an updated list of all accepted genera including common synonyms, genus authors, number of species in each accepted genus, and subfamily affiliation. We propose Locajonoa, a new name and rank with a new combination, L. coerulescens. The following seven new combinations are made in Lorenzochloa: L. bomanii, L. henrardiana, L. mucronata, L. obtusa, L. orurensis, L. rigidiseta, and L. venusta.     

Evolutionary relationships in the showy mistletoe family (Loranthaceae)

Loranthaceae (73 genera and ca. 900 species) comprise mostly aerial hemiparasitic plants. Three monotypic genera considered relicts are root parasites. The family is diverse in tropical areas, but representatives are also found in temperate habitats. Previous classifications were based on floral and inflorescence morphology, karyological information, and biogeography. The family has been divided into three tribes: Nuytsiae, Elytrantheae (subtribes Elytranthinae and Gaiadendrinae), and Lorantheae (subtribes Loranthinae and Psittacanthinae). Nuytsiae and Elytrantheae are characterized by a base chromosome number of x = 12, whereas subtribes Loranthinae (x = 9) and Psittacanthinae (x = 8) numbers are derived via aneuploid reduction. To elucidate the phylogeny of the family, we analyzed sequences from five genes (nuclear small and large subunit rDNA and the chloroplast genes rbcL, matK, and trnL-F) representing most genera using parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian inference. The three root parasites, Nuytsia, Atkinsonia, and Gaiadendron, are supported as successive sister taxa to the remaining genera, resulting in a monophyletic group of aerial parasites. Three major clades are resolved each corresponding to a subtribe. However, two South American genera (Tristerix and Notanthera) and the New Zealand genus Tupeia, which were previously classified in subtribe Elytranthinae, are weakly supported as part of a clade representing the South American subtribe Psittacanthinae.     

Phylogenetic relationships of the Aurantioideae inferred from chloroplast DNA sequence data

The tribes and subtribes of Aurantioideae, an economically important subfamily of the Rutaceae, have a controversial taxonomic history because of the lack of a phylogenetic framework. The rps16 and trnL-trnF sequences of the chloroplast were analyzed phylogenetically to construct an evolutionary history and evaluate the most recent classification system of Swingle and Reece (The Citrus Industry, volume 1 [1967]). Taxa representing tribes Citreae and Clauseneae and five of the six subtribes were sampled. Conflicts in the positions of some taxa between the rps16 and trnL-trnF trees are poorly supported. In all analyses, the Aurantioideae are monophyletic. The strict consensus tree of the combined analysis indicates that the two tribes along with the subtribes sampled are not monophyletic. The combined topology is not congruent with the widely used classification of Aurantioideae by Swingle and Reece. The tribes and subtribes are in need of revision.     

Phylogeny and morphological evolution of tribe Menispermeae (Menispermaceae) inferred from chloroplast and nuclear sequences

The Menispermaceae family contains ca. 72 genera with 450 species that are almost entirely tropical. Its phylogeny at the tribal level has never been examined using molecular data. Here we used DNA sequences of the chloroplast matK gene and trnL-F regions, and the nuclear ITS region to study the delimitation and position of the tribe Menispermeae within the family and its subtribal monophyletic groups. Family-wide phylogenetic analyses of the chloroplast data produced two strongly supported clades. The first clade contains two subclades: Coscinieae including Arcangelisia and Anamirta, and Tinosporeae sensu lato including Fibraureae, supported by morphological characters, such as traits of the cotyledon, stylar scar and embryo. The second clade consists of the tribes Menispermeae sensu DC. and Tiliacoreae Miers. All our analyses surprisingly recognized that tribe Menispermeae is not monophyletic unless tribe Tiliacoreae is included, suggesting that characters of cotyledon and stylar scar are very important for the infrafamilial classification, and that endosperm presence vs. absence was over-emphasized in traditionally tribal division of the family. Our topologies indicate a secondary loss of endosperm. The monophyly of two subtribes of the tribe Menispermeae, Stephaniinae and Cissampelinae, is supported by the cpDNA and ITS data, as well as by morphological characters, including aperture types and shapes, and colpal membrane features of pollen grains, and sepal number of male flowers. The Cocculinae was recognized as a paraphyletic group containing the remaining genera of the tribe Menispermeae.     

Pollen morphology of the tribes Eritrichieae and Cynoglosseae (Boraginaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula and its taxonomic significance

DÍEZ, M. J. & VALDÉS, B., 1991. Pollen morphology of the tribes Eritrichieae and Cynoglosseae (Boraginaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula and its taxonomic significance.
The pollen morphology of 33 species of Boraginaceae from the Iberian Peninsula belonging to the tribes Eritrichieae and Cynoglosseae has been studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. The results confirm the eurypalinous character of this family, in which a large number of species can be recognized by their pollen characters.
The pollen of these two tribes is basically heterocolpate, a type which is very uncommon in the angiosperms, with 6, 8 or 10 apertures, sometimes with ectoapertures anastomosed at the equator (ectocingulum), or diorate, minute or small in size, outline elliptic or rectangular-elliptic in equatorial view, with or without a constriction at the equator, exine 0.5-1.0 urn thick and the tectum psilate with granules around the colpi. The similarity in shape and apertural system found in several genera such as Asperugo, Gyrocarion and Omphalodes, and some species of Myosotis, does not permit the two tribes to be distinguished on pollen characters. The generic limits of Cynoglossum and the infrageneric classification of Myosotis are discussed.     

A revision of the higher taxonomy of the Afrotropical freshwater crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) with a discussion of their biogeography

The higher taxonomy of the 20 known genera of Afrotropical freshwater crabs is revised to reflect the evolutionary relationships revealed by the consensus of a series of recent morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of the group. The Afrotropical freshwater crab genera fall into two monophyletic groups, one from Socotra with two genera (Potamidae) and another that includes the remaining 18 genera. The latter group, which includes the bulk of the region's freshwater crab fauna, forms a well-supported monophyletic clade. We recognize two monophyletic sister groups (subfamilies) within the Potamonautidae, one for seven genera from Africa (the Potamonautinae) and one for 11 genera from Africa, the Seychelles, and Madagascar (the Deckeniinae). The Deckeniinae includes two monophyletic groups (tribes), one with seven genera from Madagascar (the Hydrothelphusini), and one with four genera from Africa and the Seychelles (the Deckeniini). The Deckeniini is further divided here into two subtribes, the Deckeniina and the Globonautina. The Platythelphusidae is not recognized, and the Deckeniidae and Globonautinae are lowered in rank. There is no phylogenetic support for the continued inclusion of any genus from the Afrotropical region in the Gecarcinucidae which is treated here as an exclusively Oriental family. The Afrotropical freshwater crabs (excluding those from Socotra) form a monophyletic assemblage that has no representatives outside of the region. The wider biogeographical implications of the taxonomic revision are discussed.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 93 , 399–413.     

Phylogenetic relationships of the Aurantioideae (Rutaceae) based on the nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS region and three noncoding chloroplast DNA regions, atpB-rbcL spacer, rps16, and trnL-trnF

The tribes and subtribes of Aurantioideae, an economically important subfamily of the Rutaceae, have a controversial taxonomic history because a phylogenetic framework has been lacking. In order to construct an evolutionary history and evaluate the most recent classification system [Swingle and Reece 1967. The botany of Citrus and its wild relatives, in: The Citrus Industry, vol. 1, History, World Distribution, Botany, and Varieties. University of California, Berkeley, pp. 190-430], one nuclear and three noncoding chloroplast genes were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically along with selected non-molecular characters. Taxa representing tribes Citreae and Clauseneae and their six subtribes were sampled. In all analyses Aurantioideae is monophyletic. The majority-rule consensus tree from the combined analysis indicates that the two tribes are not monophyletic. The combined topology is not congruent with the widely used classification of Aurantioideae by Swingle and Reece (1967). The tribes and subtribes are in need of revision.     

Pollen morphology of the subfamily Aurantioideae (Rutaceae)

The Aurantioideae is one of seven subfamilies of the Rutaceae consisting of two tribes, the Clauseneae, containing five genera, and the Citreae, with 28 genera. Each tribe contains three subtribes. The pollen morphology of the subfamily Aurantioideae is described and illustrated for the first time based on light and scanning electron microscopy. Five pollen types have been recognised in the subfamily, based mainly on aperture number and exine ornamentation. The pollen grains show a high degree of intergeneric variation. Pollen grains of Clauseneae are 3-colporate, microstriate or microstriato-reticulate, whereas pollen grains of Citreae are almost always 4/5 colporate with exines varying from microperforate to coarsely reticulate. Congruence between pollen types and the currently accepted classification is discussed, as well as the systematic implications of pollen morphology for the subfamily.     

Phylogeny of the tribe Fumarieae (Papaveraceae s.l.) based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences: Evolutionary and biogeographic implications

? Premise of the Study: Little research has been done at the molecular level on the tribe Fumarieae (Papaveraceae). Papaveraceae is a model plant group for studying evolutionary patterns despite the lack of a reference phylogeny for this tribe. We investigated the phylogenetic relationships within the tribe to complete the molecular data for this family in order to help understand its character evolution and biogeographic pattern. ? Methods: We used maximum-parsimony and Bayesian approaches to analyze five DNA regions for 25 species representing 10 of the 11 Fumarieae genera and five outgroups. Evolutionary pathways of four characters (habit, life span, type of fruit, and number of seeds per fruit) were inferred on the phylogeny using parsimony. The ancestral distribution areas were reconstructed using dispersal-vicariance analysis. ? Key Results: Fumarieae is monophyletic and includes three groups that agree with the morphology-based subtribes: Discocapninae, Fumariinae, and Sarcocapninae. Within subtribes, the relationships among genera were different from those obtained with morphological data. Annual life span, nonchasmophytic habit, and a several-seeded capsule were the basal character states for the tribe. The ancestor occupied a continuous area between West Eurasia and Africa. Vicariances explain the divergence between lineages Discocapninae (South Africa) and Fumariinae-Sarcocapninae (Mediterranean), and the disjunction of Fumariinae (Mediterranean-Central Asia). ? Conclusions: Molecular phylogeny confirms the subtribal classification of Fumarieae based on morphology. However it provides different results regarding the relationships among genera within each subtribe, which affects the inference of the evolutionary pathway followed by the four selected characters. The disjunct distribution of the tribe is explained by different vicariance scenarios.     

中国十字花科植物系统分类近期研究进展

十字花科 ( Cruciferae ulma Brassicaceae)植物有 330多个属 ,约 35 0 0种 ,主产于北温带 ,尤以伊朗 -吐兰 ( Irano- Turanian)、地中海区域和西北美分布最多 ,我国有 1 0 2属、41 2种[1] ,广泛分布于全国各地 ,以西南、西北、东北高山区及丘陵地带为多 ,平原及沿海地区较少 [2 ] 。该科植物经济价值较大 ,其中芸苔属和萝卜属为我国主要的蔬菜和油料作物 ,另有一些种类可以供药用或观赏 ,或作为饲料、染料、调味品等 ;现代植物分子生物学研究的模式材料——拟南芥也属于这一类群。在系统发育上 ,十字花科属于白花菜目 ,与白花菜科 ( Capp…     

TRIBAL INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF THE ASTERACEAE

Abstract— A cladistic analysis involving 27 tribes and subtribes of Asteraceae and 81 characters is presented. The terminal taxa are mainly those of present tribal classification, though some apparently poly- and paraphyletic tribes, notably the Mutisieae and the Inuleae, have been represented by sub-tribal taxa. Characters are assembled from all available sources. Corolla types, styles and stamens have provided many characters. The Lobeliaceae are used as an outgroup and are considered as the most probable sister group of the Asteraceae. There is a basal dichotomy in the family, the Mutisieae-Barnadesiinae being the monophyletic sister group of the remaining major, also monophyletic part of the family. The recent family division into two subfamilies about equal in size, the Cichorioideae and the Asteroideae, neither represents a basal dichotomy nor a sister group relationship within the Asteraceae. The Asteroideae are monophyletic and have their sister group within the paraphyletic Cichorioideae. Interrelationships among the cichorioid tribes are still unclear. The Lactuceae, Eremothamneae, Vernonieae and Liabeae may be one monophyletic group, and the Arctoteae, Carlineae, Echinopsideae and Cardueae another. The Mutisieae are a paraphyletic grade at the base of the family. Within the subfamily Asteroideae tribal interrelationships are also rather unclear. The Anthemideae and the Heliantheae sensu lato (including the Helenieae, Tageteae, Coreopsideae and all helenioid/helianthoid representatives sometimes placed in the Senecioneae) may be sister groups. The Heliantheae appear to be monophyletic and there is little support for the hypothesis that other tribes are derived from or have their sister group within the Heliantheae. The Astereae and the Eupatorieae may be sister groups, though a closer relationship between the Eupatorieae and the Heliantheae is possible. The Inuleae are a paraphyletic grade group at the base of the subfamily Asteroideae in the same way as the Mutiseae are a grade group at the base of the family.     

Pollen morphology of the tribe Lithospermeae of Boraginoideae in China and its taxonomic significance

The pollen morphology in 15 species representing five genera in the tribe Lithospermeae of Boraginoideae (Boraginaceae) has been investigated and illustrated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The tribe Lithospermeae is very diverse in pollen morphology. The pollen grains are 10.4–41.8 × 7–33.1 μm in size with subspheroidal, prolate, cocoon, dumbbell, and ovoid shapes. The pollen apertures are of five types: 3-colporate, 3-syncolporate, 4-8-colporate, 4-6-syncolpate, and 6-7-colpate types. The exine ornamentations are generally smooth or rugulose, sparsely echinulate, and rarely rugulate. Based on pollen morphology, we developed a key to identify the genera of the tribe Lithospermeae, compared the pollen apertures among tribes of Boraginoideae, explained the evolutionary trends of the pollen grains, and discussed the taxonomic position of the tribe Lithospermeae. The palynological data suggest pollen of the eurypalynous type and support the proposal that the tribe Lithospermeae is in the primitive position of the subfamily Boraginoideae, and Echium Linn. is in the tribe Lithospermeae rather than in a novel tribe. Our observations have application potential for identification of pollen fossils of the tribe Lithospermeae.     

A biophysical model for buzz pollination in angiosperms

The stamens of most of the world's flowering plants are longitudinally dehiscent, releasing their pollen passively, whereupon floral visitors may collect it. In nearly 400 genera in 65 plant families, the anthers dehisce by means of short apical slits or true pores. In these forms, the small light pollen can only be efficiently released by native bees capable of vibrating these stamens. This intrafloral behavior propels pollen out of the pores striking the bees on their venters. It is then collected for use in larval cell provisions. Aspects of the historical development of this novel pollination syndrome, known as “buzz” or vibratile (equals vibrational) pollination, are presented including a discussion and figures of a poricidal anther, a buzzing bee and the model system.A biophysical model for the pollen/locule wall interactions resulting in pollen expulsion upon bee or artificial vibration is developed. The model was created with the morphology of anthers of Solanum (Solanaceae) in mind, but the results obtained are generally applicable to any apically dehiscent flower which is vibrated by bees to release pollen.The anthers were modeled as a tall rectangular box with an apical pore and containing numerous small particles. As the box vibrates, particles striking the walls rebound elastically. If a pollen grain strikes a receding wall, it loses energy. If a grain strikes an advancing wall, it gains energy in the collision. In each oscillation, there is a net gain in the energy of the particles. As the anther (box) is shaken, vibrational energy is transmitted from the pterothorax of the bees to the flower, the pollen grains gaining significant energy. As the energy increases and the particles begin to move about more and more vigorously, they will begin to escape through the hole in the box (or stamina] pore). The rate at which particles leave the box and time required to empty the box are calculated as functions of the geometry of the model system and the frequency of vibration.In order to test the influence of air currents, Bernolli effects and viscous drag, the flowers were mecahnically vibrated in vacuum. The pollen cloud thus produced was virtually unchanged ans so it seems unlikely that air plays any significant role in the phenomenon of vibrational pollen release.Finally, variables such as: inelastic interactions, electrostatic forces, slightly sticky pollen due to presence of “pollenkitt”, duration and types of bee buzzes are discussed in relation to the mathematical model presented.     

A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of tiger beetles (Coleoptera,Carabidae, Cicindelinae)

Tiger beetles are a remarkable group that captivates amateur entomologists, taxonomists and evolutionary biologists alike. This diverse clade of beetles comprises about 2300 currently described species found across the globe. Despite the charisma and scientific interest of this lineage, remarkably few studies have examined its phylogenetic relationships with large taxon sampling. Prior phylogenetic studies have focused on relationships within cicindeline tribes or genera, and none of the studies have included sufficient taxon sampling to conclusively examine broad species patterns across the entire subfamily. Studies that have attempted to reconstruct higher‐level relationships of Cicindelinae have yielded conflicting results. Here, we present the first taxonomically comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Cicindelinae to date, with the goal of creating a framework for future studies focusing on this important insect lineage. We utilized all available published molecular data, generating a final concatenated dataset including 328 cicindeline species, with molecular data sampled from six protein‐coding gene fragments and three ribosomal gene fragments. Our maximum‐likelihood phylogenetic inferences recover Cicindelinae as sister to the wrinkled bark beetles of the subfamily Rhysodinae. This new phylogenetic hypothesis for Cicindelinae contradicts our current understanding of tiger beetle phylogenetic relationships, with several tribes, subtribes and genera being inferred as paraphyletic. Most notably, the tribe Manticorini is recovered nested within Platychilini including the genera Amblycheila Say, Omus Eschscholtz, Picnochile Motschulsky and Platychile Macleay. The tribe Megacephalini is recovered as paraphyletic due to the placement of the monophyletic subtribe Oxycheilina as sister to Cicindelini, whereas the monophyletic Megacephalina is inferred as sister to Oxycheilina, Cicindelini and Collyridini. The tribe Collyridini is paraphyletic with the subtribes Collyridina and Tricondylina in one clade, and Ctenostomina in a second one. The tribe Cicindelini is recovered as monophyletic although several genera are inferred as para‐ or polyphyletic. Our results provide a novel phylogenetic framework to revise the classification of tiger beetles and to encourage the generation of focused molecular datasets that will permit investigation of the evolutionary history of this lineage through space and time.     

Evolutionary relationships in the Asteraceae tribe Inuleae (incl. Plucheeae) evidenced by DNA sequences of ndhF; with notes on the systematic positions of some aberrant genera

The phylogenetic relationships between the tribes Inuleae sensu stricto and Plucheeae are investigated by analysis of sequence data from the cpDNA gene ndhF. The delimitation between the two tribes is elucidated, and the systematic positions of a number of genera associated with these groups, i.e. genera with either aberrant morphological characters or a debated systematic position, are clarified. Together, the Inuleae and Plucheeae form a monophyletic group in which the majority of genera of Inuleae s.str. form one clade, and all the taxa from the Plucheeae together with the genera Antiphiona, Calostephane, Geigeria, Ondetia, Pechuel-loeschea, Pegolettia, and Iphionopsis from Inuleae s.str. form another. Members of the Plucheeae are nested with genera of the Inuleae s.str., and support for the Plucheeae clade is weak. Consequently, the latter cannot be maintained and the two groups are treated as one tribe, Inuleae, with the two subtribes Inulinae and Plucheinae. The genera Asteriscus, Chrysophthalmum, Inula, Laggera, Pentanema, Pluchea, and Pulicaria are demonstrated to be non-monophyletic. Cratystylis and Iphionopsis are found to belong to the same clade as the taxa of the former Plucheeae. Caesulia is shown to be a close relative of Duhaldea and Blumea of the Inuleae-Inulinae. The genera Callilepis and Zoutpansbergia belong to the major clade of the family that includes the tribes Heliantheae sensu lato and Inuleae (incl. Plucheeae), but their exact position remains unresolved. The genus Gymnarrhena is not part of the Inuleae, but is either part of the unresolved basal complex of the paraphyletic Cichorioideae, or sister to the entire Asteroideae.