Molecular Phylogeny of Tribe Theeae (Theaceae s.s.) and Its Implications for Generic Delimitation |
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| Authors: | Wei Zhang Sheng-long Kan Hong Zhao Zhen-yu Li Xiao-quan Wang |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Marine College, Shandong University at Weihai, Weihai, China.; 2. State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, |
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| Abstract: | Tribe Theeae, which includes some economically important and widely grown plants, such as beverage tea and a number of woody ornamentals, is the largest member of the Theaceae family. Using five genomic regions (chloroplast: atpI-H, matK, psbA5''R-ALS-11F, rbcL; nuclear: LEAFY) and 30 species representing four of the five genera in this tribe (Apterosperma, Camellia, Polyspora, and Pyrenaria s.l.), we investigated the phylogeny of Theeae and assessed the delimitation of genera in the tribe. Our results showed that Polyspora was monophyletic and the sister of the three other genera of Theeae investigated, Camellia was paraphyletic and Pyrenaria was polyphyletic. The inconsistent phylogenetic placement of some species of Theeae between the nuclear and chloroplast trees suggested widespread hybridization between Camellia and Pyrenaria, Polyspora and Parapyrenaria. These results indicate that hybridization, rather than morphological homoplasy, has confused the current classification of Theeae. In addition, the phylogenetic placement and possible allies of Laplacea are also discussed. |
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