Cladistic analysis of the Lythraceae sensu lato based on morphological characters

GRAHAM, S. A., CRISCI, J. V. & HOCH, P. C, 1993. Cladistic analysis of the Lythraceae sensu lato based on morphological characters. The Lythraceae s. I. comprise 31 mostly highly distinctive genera distributed worldwide. Cladistic analyses of the family were undertaken using 26 characters from anatomy, floral morphology, pollen, and seed morphology. Of four outgroup hypotheses, the Onagraceae offered the best heuristic assessment, generating 3746 trees with a tree length of 83 and consistency index and (C.I.) of 0.41. A strict consensus tree from the 3746 trees produced a basal monophyletic group of five genera (Sonneratia, Duabanga, Punka, Lagerstroemia, Lawsonia) characterized by anthotelic (determinate) inflorescences and wet stigmas, and a second clade with blastotelic (indeterminate) inflorescences, dry stigmas, and reduced carpel number. Successive weighting with Onagraceae as outgroup generated five most parsimonious trees with a tree length of 164 and C.I. of 0.75. Internal branches are weakly supported by only seven non-homoplasious characters. Significant results of the analysis include: (1) recognition of the two major clades and a total of seven monophyletic groups within the family; (2) the paraphyly of subfamily Lythroideae (Lythraceae s. s .); and (3) indication that genera endemic to the New World have been derived from more than one ancient Old World evolutionary line. The current taxonomic classification of the family is not closely correlated with results of the cladistic analysis.