Phylogeny and classification of Marantaceae

Relationships of Marantaceae were estimated from nucleotide sequence variation in the rps16 intron (plastid DNA) and from morphological characters. Fifty-nine species (21 genera) formed the ingroup, and 12 species (12 genera) of other Zingiberales formed the outgroup. There is no support for the traditional subdivision of Marantaceae into a triovulate and a uniovulate tribe or the informal groups previously proposed. The so-called Donax group forms a paraphyletic grade that is basal within Marantaceae. Thalia appears as the distal branch of this grade, but its position is not supported in jackknife analysis. The so-called Calathea group is monophyletic in all shortest trees but not supported with greater than 50% jackknife. The genus Calathea appears to be paraphyletic. The Maranta and Phrynium groups are clearly polyphyletic. Maranta, Koernickanthe , and genera of the Mymsma group, all neotropical, form a strongly supported monophyletic group. The sister of this group is the palaeotropical genus Halopegia. Koernickanthe is nested within Maranta , as this genus is traditionally circumscribed. The African genera Ataenidia and Marantochloa form a strongly supported clade in which Ataenidia is the sister group to Marantochloa . Based on phylogeny it is concluded that Africa, in spite of being much poorer in species, is the most likely ancestral area of Marantaceae