On phylogeny of Hippophae (Elaeagnaceae)

A cladistic analysis of the genus Hippophae (Elaeagnaceae) was undertaken. based on 37 characters. The five species of the genera Shepherdia and Elaeagnus were included in the analysis as the outgroup taxa. The operational taxonomic units of Hippophae were the species H. gyantsensis, H. neurocarpa, Hsalicifolia and H. tibetana plus eight subspecies of H. rhamnoides . The analysis revealed 117 or 14 equally parsimonious trees depending on whether the multistate characters were treated as ordered whenever possible, or all characters were treated as unordered. The results are not directly in accordance with any of the formerly proposed taxonomies. After successive weighting only two trees were retained both with ordered and unordered characters and the combinable component (semistrict) consensus trees give support to recognition of the two species in the genus, H. rhamnoides and Hsalicifolia . Three new combinations H. rhamnoides ssp. neurocarpa, H. salicifolia ssp. sinensis and H. salicifolia ssp. yunnanensis (Rousi) Hyvönen are proposed.