Relationships of the MadagascarBignoniaceae: A striking case of convergent evolution

Most MadagascarBignoniaceae have indehiscent fruits and have been assigned to the tribeCrescentieae. As thus constituted, theCrescentieae are remarkably disjunct between Central America (and the West Indies) and Madagascar with a single monotypic genus also on continental Africa. This paper analyzes the evolutionary relationships of the MadagascarCrescentieae and concludes that they are descended from a different ancestral stock than the New WorldCrescentieae. A revised tribal taxonomy is proposed to reflect phylogenetic relationships withCrescentieae restricted to the neotropic species andColeeae resurrected for the indehiscent-fruited Madagascar species.