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A supra-annual, community-level synchronous flowering prevails in several parts of the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and its evolution has been hypothesized to be linked to pollinator shifts. The aseasonal Southeast Asian lowland rainforests are dominated by Dipterocarpaceae, which exhibit great floral diversity, a range of pollination syndromes and include species with annual and supra-annual gregarious flowering. Phylogenetic relationships within this family are still unclear, especially in the tribe Shoreeae. Here, we develop a pipeline to maximize recovery of genome-wide SNPs from restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) in non-model organisms across wide phylogenetic scales. We then infer phylogenomic relationships in the tribe Shoreeae using both traditional and coalescent analyses. The phylogenetic trees obtained with these methods are congruent to each other and highly resolved. They allow reconstructing the evolutionary patterns of floral traits (number of stamens, anther structure and anther/appendage size) in the group. Our inferences indicate that species with many stamens, but smaller, globose anthers and longer appendages and have evolved multiple times from species with fewer stamens, but larger, oblong anthers and shorter appendages. This could have happened in parallel to iterative shifts in pollinators across the uncovered phylogeny from larger, longer generation to smaller, shorter-generation insects that can quickly build up the necessary population sizes during mass flowering episodes., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

DNA barcoding is a fast and reliable tool to assess and monitor biodiversity and, via community phylogenetics, to investigate ecological and evolutionary processes that may be responsible for the community structure of forests. In this study, DNA barcodes for the two widely used plastid coding regions rbcL and matK are used to contribute to identification of morphologically undetermined individuals, as well as to investigate phylogenetic structure of tree communities in 70 subplots (10 × 10m) of a 25-ha forest-dynamics plot in Brunei (Borneo, Southeast Asia). The combined matrix (rbcL + matK) comprised 555 haplotypes (from ≥154 genera, 68 families and 25 orders sensu APG, Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, 2016), making a substantial contribution to tree barcode sequences from Southeast Asia. Barcode sequences were used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships using maximum likelihood, both with and without constraining the topology of taxonomic orders to match that proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. A third phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using the program Phylomatic to investigate the influence of phylogenetic resolution on results. Detection of non-random patterns of community assembly was determined by net relatedness index (NRI) and nearest taxon index (NTI). In most cases, community assembly was either random or phylogenetically clustered, which likely indicates the importance to community structure of habitat filtering based on phylogenetically correlated traits in determining community structure. Different phylogenetic trees gave similar overall results, but the Phylomatic tree produced greater variation across plots for NRI and NTI values, presumably due to noise introduced by using an unresolved phylogenetic tree. Our results suggest that using a DNA barcode tree has benefits over the traditionally used Phylomatic approach by increasing precision and accuracy and allowing the incorporation of taxonomically unidentified individuals into analyses.

Background and Aims: Capsicum (Solanaceae), native to the tropical and temperate Americas, comprises the well-known sweet and hot chili peppers and several wild species. So far, only partial taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses have been done for the genus. Here, the phylogenetic relationships between nearly all taxa of Capsicum were explored to test the monophyly of the genus and to obtain a better knowledge of species relationships, diversification and expansion., Methods: Thirty-four of approximately 35 Capsicum species were sampled. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses were performed using two plastid markers (matK and psbA-trnH) and one single-copy nuclear gene (waxy). The evolutionary changes of nine key features were reconstructed following the parsimony ancestral states method. Ancestral areas were reconstructed through a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis., Key Results: Capsicum forms a monophyletic clade, with Lycianthes as a sister group, following both phylogenetic approaches. Eleven well-supported clades (four of them monotypic) can be recognized within Capsicum, although some interspecific relationships need further analysis. A few features are useful to characterize different clades (e.g. fruit anatomy, chromosome base number), whereas some others are highly homoplastic (e.g. seed colour). The origin of Capsicum is postulated in an area along the Andes of western to north-western South America. The expansion of the genus has followed a clockwise direction around the Amazon basin, towards central and south-eastern Brazil, then back to western South America, and finally northwards to Central America., Conclusions: New insights are provided regarding interspecific relationships, character evolution, and geographical origin and expansion of Capsicum A clearly distinct early-diverging clade can be distinguished, centred in western-north-western South America. Subsequent rapid speciation has led to the origin of the remaining clades. The diversification of Capsicum has culminated in the origin of the main cultivated species in several regions of South to Central America., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: Some plant groups, especially on islands, have been shaped by strong ancestral bottlenecks and rapid, recent radiation of phenotypic characters. Single molecular markers are often not informative enough for phylogenetic reconstruction in such plant groups. Whole plastid genomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) are viewed by many researchers as sources of information for phylogenetic reconstruction of groups in which expected levels of divergence in standard markers are low. Here we evaluate the usefulness of these data types to resolve phylogenetic relationships among closely related Diospyros species., Methods: Twenty-two closely related Diospyros species from New Caledonia were investigated using whole plastid genomes and nrDNA data from low-coverage next-generation sequencing (NGS). Phylogenetic trees were inferred using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference on separate plastid and nrDNA and combined matrices., Key Results: The plastid and nrDNA sequences were, singly and together, unable to provide well supported phylogenetic relationships among the closely related New Caledonian Diospyros species. In the nrDNA, a 6-fold greater percentage of parsimony-informative characters compared with plastid DNA was found, but the total number of informative sites was greater for the much larger plastid DNA genomes. Combining the plastid and nuclear data improved resolution. Plastid results showed a trend towards geographical clustering of accessions rather than following taxonomic species., Conclusions: In plant groups in which multiple plastid markers are not sufficiently informative, an investigation at the level of the entire plastid genome may also not be sufficient for detailed phylogenetic reconstruction. Sequencing of complete plastid genomes and nrDNA repeats seems to clarify some relationships among the New Caledonian Diospyros species, but the higher percentage of parsimony-informative characters in nrDNA compared with plastid DNA did not help to resolve the phylogenetic tree because the total number of variable sites was much lower than in the entire plastid genome. The geographical clustering of the individuals against a background of overall low sequence divergence could indicate transfer of plastid genomes due to hybridization and introgression following secondary contact., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.)

To clarify phylogenetic relationships among New Caledonian species of Diospyros, sequences of four plastid markers (atpB, rbcL, trnK-matK and trnS-trnG) and two low-copy nuclear markers (ncpGS and PHYA) were analysed. New Caledonian Diospyros species fall into three clades, two of which have only a few members (1 or 5 species); the third has 21 closely related species for which relationships among species have been mostly unresolved in a previous study. Although species of the third group (NC clade III) are morphologically distinct and largely occupy different habitats, they exhibit little molecular variability. Diospyros vieillardii is sister to the rest of the NC clade III, followed by D. umbrosa and D. flavocarpa, which are sister to the rest of this clade. Species from coastal habitats of western Grande Terre (D. cherrieri and D. veillonii) and some found on coralline substrates (D. calciphila and D. inexplorata) form two well-supported subgroups. The species of NC clade III have significantly larger genomes than found in diploid species of Diospyros from other parts of the world, but they all appear to be diploids. By applying a molecular clock, we infer that the ancestor of the NC clade III arrived in New Caledonia around 9 million years ago. The oldest species are around 7 million years old and the youngest ones probably much less than 1 million years., (Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We aimed to clarify phylogenetic relationships within the pantropical genus Diospyros (Ebenaceae sensulato), and ascertain biogeographical patterns in the New Caledonian endemic species. We used DNA sequences from eight plastid regions (rbcL, atpB, matK, ndhF, trnK intron, trnL intron, trnL-trnF spacer, and trnS-trnG spacer) and included 149 accessions representing 119 Diospyros species in our analysis. Results from this study confirmed the monophyly of Diospyros with good support and provided a clearer picture of the relationships within the genus than in previous studies. Evidence from phylogenetic analyses suggests that Diospyros colonized New Caledonia multiple times. The four lineages of Diospyros in New Caledonia also differ in their degree of diversification. The molecular data indicate that one lineage is paleoendemic and derived from an ancient Australian species. The other three lineages are more closely related to several Southeast Asian species; two of them are neoendemics, and one has radiated rapidly and recently.

Subfamily Barnadesioideae (Asteraceae) consists of nine genera and 91 species endemic to South America. They include annual and perennial herbs, arching shrubs and trees up to 30m tall. Presumed sister to all other Asteraceae, its intergeneric relationships are key to understanding the early evolution of the family. Results of the only molecular study on the subfamily conflict with relationships inferred from morphology. We investigate inter- and intrageneric relationships in Barnadesioideae with novel DNA sequence data and morphological characters using parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian inference. All results verify Barnadesioideae as monophyletic and sister to the rest of the family. A basal split within the subfamily is recognized, with Chuquiraga, Doniophyton and Duseniella in one clade, and Arnaldoa, Barnadesia, Dasyphyllum, Fulcaldea, Huarpea and possibly Schlechtendalia in another. The largest genus, Dasyphyllum, is revealed as biphyletic with the two clades separating along subgeneric and geographic lines. Schlechtendalia, suggested as the earliest diverging lineage of the subfamily by morphological studies and parsimony analyses, is found in a more derived position under model-based inference methods. Competing phylogenetic hypotheses, both previous and present, are evaluated using likelihood-based tests. Evolutionary trends within Barnadesioideae are inferred: hummingbird pollination has developed convergently at least three times. An early vicariance in the subfamily's distribution is revealed. X=9 is supported as the ancestral base chromosome number for both Barnadesioideae and the family as a whole.

With information on fossils and extant distribution of diversity/endemism in the mahogany family, we perform a global biogeographic study of Meliaceae using plastid rbcL data for all subfamilies, tribes and nearly all genera. Our study indicates that: (1) Meliaceae are of western Gondwanan origin; (2) dispersal played an important role for the current distribution of mahogany biota; and (3) the direction of dispersal was most likely an "out-of-Africa" scenario with important dispersal routes across Eurasia and between Eurasia and North America provided by Beringia and the North Atlantic land bridge and North America and South America via island chains and/or direct land connections. Populations in North America, Europe, and East Asia were presumably eliminated as tropical climates disappeared from these areas during the Miocene. Extensive Meliaceae fossil findings confirm that the entry of megathermal (frost-intolerant) angiosperms into southern continents from Oligocene to Pliocene must be considered as an important means of establishing pantropical distribution patterns.

Molecular phylogenetic studies of seven plastid DNA regions were used to resolve circumscriptions at generic and infrageneric levels in subfamily Tillandsioideae of Bromeliaceae. One hundred and ten tillandsioid samples were analyzed, encompassing 10 genera, 104 species, and two cultivars. Two species of Bromelioideae, eight species of the polymorphic Pitcairnioideae, and two species of Rapateaceae were selected as outgroups. Parsimony analysis was based on sequence variation of five noncoding (partial 5' and 3' trnK intron, rps16 intron, trnL intron, trnL-trnF intergenic spacer, atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer) and two coding plastid regions (rbcL and matK). Phylogenetic analyses of individual regions produced congruent, but mostly weakly supported or unresolved clades. Results of the combined data set, however, clearly show that subfamily Tillandsioideae is monophyletic. The earliest divergence separates a lineage comprised of Glomeropitcairnia and Catopsis from the 'core' tillandsioids. In their present circumscriptions, genera Vriesea and Tillandsia, and their subgenera or sections, as well as Guzmania and Mezobromelia, are poly- and/or paraphyletic. Genera Alcantarea, Werauhia, Racinaea, and Viridantha appear monophyletic, but separation of these from Vriesea and Tillandsia makes the remainder paraphyletic. Nevertheless, Tillandsioideae separates into four main clades, which are proposed as tribes, viz., Catopsideae, Glomeropitcairnieae, Vrieseeae, and Tillandsieae. Key words: atpB-rbcL; Bromeliaceae; coding and noncoding plastid DNA; molecular phylogeny; rps16 intron; Tillandsioideae; trnK-matK; trnL-trnF.

Phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses were performed including all genera except one (Pseudomonotes) for the three subfamilies of Dipterocarpaceae. We also included representatives of Sarcolaenaceae and Cistaceae with Bixaceae as the ultimate outgroup. Three plastid regions (six markers), partial rbcL, trnK-matK-trnK (partial trnK intron including complete matK) and trnT-trnL-trnF (partial trnT, complete trnT-trnL intergenic spacer, complete trnL, complete trnL-trnF intergenic spacer and partial trnF), were analysed. We also investigated additional accessions for genome size and chromosome numbers. Our phylogenetic results differ in three important respects from previous interpretations of morphological characters, as reflected in recent classifications. First, our analyses strongly support assignment of Pakaraimaea (subfamily Pakaraimaeoideae) to Cistaceae. Second, the morphological concepts of Dipterocarpeae and Shoreeae in subfamily Dipterocarpoideae are not supported because Dipterocarpus is sister to Dryobalanops plus tribe Shoreeae. Our analysis revealed four clades: (1) Dipterocarpus; (2) Dryobalanops, for which tribal assignment has been contentious; (3) genera of Shoreeae; and (4) the remaining genera of Dipterocarpeae. Third, Shorea is not monophyletic. Monotoideae are weakly supported as sister to Dipterocarpoideae; Sarcolaenaceae (endemic to Madagascar) are sister to this pair. Divergence in extant Dipterocarpoideae occurred c. 55 Mya. Genome sizes for all accessions examined are small (0.3264-0.6724 pg), and the additional chromosome numbers we collected fit into the patterns previously observed for Dipterocarpaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Capsicum (Solanaceae), native to the tropical and temperate Americas, comprises the well-known sweet and hot chili peppers and several wild species. So far, only partial taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses have been done for the genus. Here, the phylogenetic relationships between nearly all taxa of Capsicum were explored to test the monophyly of the genus and to obtain a better knowledge of species relationships, diversification and expansion. Methods Thirty-four of approximately 35 Capsicum species were sampled. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses were performed using two plastid markers (matK and psbA-trnH) and one single-copy nuclear gene (waxy). The evolutionary changes of nine key features were reconstructed following the parsimony ancestral states method. Ancestral areas were reconstructed through a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis. Key Results Capsicum forms a monophyletic clade, with Lycianthes as a sister group, following both phylogenetic approaches. Eleven well-supported clades (four of them monotypic) can be recognized within Capsicum, although some interspecific relationships need further analysis. A few features are useful to characterize different clades (e.g. fruit anatomy, chromosome base number), whereas some others are highly homoplastic (e.g. seed colour). The origin of Capsicum is postulated in an area along the Andes of western to north-western South America. The expansion of the genus has followed a clockwise direction around the Amazon basin, towards central and south-eastern Brazil, then back to western South America, and finally northwards to Central America. Conclusions New insights are provided regarding interspecific relationships, character evolution, and geographical origin and expansion of Capsicum. A clearly distinct early-diverging clade can be distinguished, centred in western-north-western South America. Subsequent rapid speciation has led to the origin of the remaining clades. The diversification of Capsicum has culminated in the origin of the main cultivated species in several regions of South to Central America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pantropical orchid genus Polystachya is the subject of ongoing taxonomic work. We inferred phylogenetic relationships in the genus using 5.3 kb ofplastid DNA, for 83 out of ca. 240 species and 12 out of 15 sections, as well as five outgroup species. We also collected ploidy data using chromosome counts and genome size estimates. Bayesian and parsimony trees were congruent with each other and well resolved. Polystachya appears monophyletic based on current sampling, provided that the name P. neobenihamia is used instead of Neobenthamia gracilis for that species. The current sectional classification does not define monophyletic groups, but the present study can be used as the basis for a future sectional classification. Areas postulated as Pleistocene refugia for wet tropical forests in Africa also form centres of diversity for the genus. Biogeographical analyses using DIVA and Lagrange show an early radiation in eastern Africa, followed by separate radiations in eastern and western Africa. Subsequent dispersal from western to eastern Africa has occurred at a much higher rate than from east to west. Dispersal to the Neotropics occurred more than once, and one lineage has spread recently and rapidly throughout the tropics. Polyploidy has occurred several times during the diversification of the genus, most notably in association with the recent pantropical dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic analyses of Melioideae, including representatives of all currently recognized tribes, were carried out using nuclear ITS ribosomal DNA sequence data. The secondary structure models employed for ITSI and ITS2 allowed optimization of the alignment across Meliaceae genera of both subfarnilies, yielding a maximum amount of information without the exclusion of some highly variable sites. This study is the first to assess the current circumscription of Melioideae and its tribes in detail, with data independ- ent of morphology. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of nuclear ITS, in contrast to analyses based on plastid rbcL, confirm monophyly for Aglaieae, Sandoriceae and Melieae, an isolated position for Vavaeeae, the position of Pterorhachis and Quivisianthe in Melioideae, and a close relationship between Turraeeae and Trichilieae. Trichilieae are morphologically and genetically the most complex tribe. Trichilieae cannot be separated from Turraeeae, Vavaeeae and Sandoriceae. Anthocarapa and "Pseudocarapa" form a dade but exhibit a high number of autapomorphies, which needs further investiga- tion. We propose to keep Naregamia separate from Turraea, and to reconsider the present circumscription of Trichilieae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity within and among Chilean Araucaria araucana populations was estimated using allozyme variability. A total of 537 individuals were sampled from nine populations. Twelve loci were scored in all populations and used for analyses. In general, the genetic variability of A. araucana were high as shown by mean expected heterozygosity (HE = 0.151), percentage of polymorphic loci (P = 91.7%), mean number of alleles per locus (A = 1.73) and mean number of alleles per polymorphic locus (AP = 2.4). Although the most of this genetic variation was within populations (HS = 0.151), an important proportion of the total genetic diversity (HT = 0.212) was among population (GST = 0.287). To analyze the relationships between populations we constructed a tree based on Nei's genetic distances using UPGMA methods, and calculated FST between population pairs. Our results showed complex patterns of genetic relationships among Chilean Araucaria araucana populations. Tree topology suggested the existence of three distinct groups of populations: The first group included populations from low-elevation central Andean range and Coastal range populations. The second group, included northern Andean populations. The third group of populations was composed of central high-elevation Andean populations. These patterns of population clustering are congruent with multiple glacial refugia hypothesis. In order to understand the present patterns of distribution of the genetic diversity and post-glacial colonization routes of Araucaria araucana, paleogeographical, paleoclimatic and biogeographical evidence is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic relationships of the pantropical family Ebenaceae s.I. were investigated using plastid DNA sequence data from six regions: atpB, matK, nd/iF, trnK intron, trnL intron, and trnL-trnF spacer. Sampling included representatives of all currently recognized genera of Ebenaceae, Diospyros, Euclea, and Lissocarpa, and nearly all taxa that were previously recognized at the generic level, e.g., Cargillia, Gunisanthus, Maba, Macreightia, Royena, and Tetraclis. Our results strongly support monophyly of Ebenaceae s.l. and demonstrate that the previous infrafamilar classifications of the family do not circumscribe monophyletic groups. A new infrafamilial classification based on a phylogenetic approach is proposed here and consists of two subfamiiies, Lissocarpoideae and Ebenoideae, and four genera, Lissocarpa, Euclea, Royena, and Diospyros. Relationships and potential synapomorphic characters are discussed and summarized. This study supports a western Gondwanan origin of family and indicates that both vicariant and long-distance dispersal events played an important role in attaining current distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic relationships within tribe Phyllantheae, the largest tribe of the family Phyllanthaceae, were examined with special emphasis on the large genus Phyllanthus. Nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid matK DNA sequence data for 95 species of tribe Phyllantheae, including representatives of all subgenera of Phyllanthus (except Cyclanthera) and several hitherto unplaced infrageneric groups, were analyzed. Results for ITS and matK are generally concordant, although some species are placed differently in the plastid and ITS trees, indicating that hybridization/paralogy is involved. Results confirm paraphyly of Phyllanthus in its traditional circumscription with embedded Breynia, Glochidion, Reverchonia, and Sauropus. We favor the inclusion of the embedded taxa in Phyllanthus over further generic segregation. Monophyletic Phyllanthus comprises an estimated 1269 species, making it one of the ‘giant’ genera. Phyllanthus maderaspatensis is sister to all other species of Phyllanthus, and the genus appears to be of paleotropical origin. Subgenera lsocladus, Kirganelia, and Phyllanthus arc polyphyletic, whereas other subgenera appear to be monophyletic. Monotypic Reverchonia is sister to P. abnormis, arborescent section Emblica to herbaceous Urinaria, free-floating aquatic P. fluitans to the weed P. caroliniensis, and the phyllocladous section Choretropsis to the delicate leafy P. clattssenii. The unique branching architecture known as ‘phyllanthoid branching’ found in most Phyllanthtls taxa has been lost (and/or has been derived) repeatedly. Taxonomic divisions within Phyllantheae based on similar pollen morphology are confirmed, and related taxa share similar distributions. We recommend recognition of six clades at generic level: Flueggea s.l. (including Richeriella), Lingelsheimia, Margaritaria, Phyllanthus s.l. (including Breynia, Glochidion, Reverchonia, and Sauropus), P. diandrus, and Savia section Heterosavia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The N Hemisphere genus Achillea includes about 130 perennial and allogamous species, is centered in SE Europe/SW Asia, and exhibits a complex phyletic structure due to excessive hybridization and polyploidy. About half of the species and five of the six traditional sections together with several outgroup genera were studied using nrITS and plastid trnL-F DNA sequences. In spite of some discordance, these markers were shown by Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference to be suitable for revealing relationships with generic allies and for distinguishing the main lineages within Achillea. With the inclusion of Otanthus (and possibly Leucocyclus) Achillea s.1. becomes monophyletic and appears as sister to Anacyclus. A basal clade is formed by the xerophytes of Achillea sections Babounya and Santolinoideae in SW Asia together with the Mediterranean coastal Otanthus. Achillea sect. Ptarmica s.l. has to be divided into the mesoto hygrophytic herbs of A. sect. Ptarmica s.s. in the N Hemisphere and the mountain species of A. sect. Anthemoideae. The latter differentiated in the mountains from NW Anatolia to the Pyrenees, possibly originating from ancestors related to the extant A. ligustica. Finally, taxa of sect. Achillea s.l. (to be merged with A. sect. Filipendulinae) radiated from a center in SE Europe, occupied very different open habitats, and reached an extensive distribution with the very polymorphic polyploid and reticulate complex A. millefolium agg. Here and in other groups of Achillea, various instances of conflicting evidence from nrITS, plastid trnL-F, and morphology point to hybridization and lineage sorting. This means that reticulate evolution is not only involved in recent radiations but must have been active already in the early diversification of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years molecular data, especially from DNA, have provided more precise estimates of relationships among vascular plants. Different types of data have been used efficaciously at different levels of the taxonomic hierarchy from ordinal and familial classifications to genetic variation within populations. The impact on systematics has been enormous, often confirming previous hypotheses established through morphological or other data, but sometimes offering novel and surprising insights. Although it is far from clear which genes or intergenic regions will eventually be known to contain the most helpful phylogenetic information for general and special classification, it is abundantly clear that a genetic yardstick will be used routinely. The impact of molecular data on plant systematics is now having a similar import in biogeography. Sequence data, as well as DNA fingerprinting of various types, are now being employed to assess patterns of isolation and speciation, timing of changes of distributions and speciation events, routes of migration and/or dispersal, population-level divergence, and hybridization. Systematics and biogeography, therefore, are melding together more closely than ever before, because the same kinds of data can be used to address questions regarding evolutionary relationships as well as patterns of distribution in space and time. Data at the populational level are especially helpful in a multidisciplinary context for answering questions regarding infraspecific affinities and for explaining distributions resulting from recent historical and ecological factors. Examples from the genus Hypochaeris (Asteraceae) from southern South America, using DNA sequence and AFLP data, are used to illustrate these points. The genus appears to have originated in Eurasia, dispersed to South America during the past several million years, and radiated into more than 45 species that are adapted to many different ecological regimes. In den letzten Jahren haben molekulare Daten, besonders DNA-Daten, präzisere Einblicke in die Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen zwischen Höheren Pflanzen ermöglicht. Unterschiedliche Datentypen wurden erfolgreich auf verschiedenen taxonomischen Rangstufen verwendet, von Ordnungs- und Familien-Klassifikationen bis hin zu genetischer Variation innerhalb von Populationen. Der Einfluss auf die Systematik war enorm, wobei frühere, von morphologischen oder anderen Daten abgeleitete Hypothesen oft bestätigt wurden, manchmal jedoch neue und überraschende Einblicke resultierten. Obwohl bei weitem noch nicht geklärt ist, welche DNA-Regionen den höchsten phylogenetischen Informationsgehalt für die Klassifikation von Gattungen und Arten enthalten, ist vollkommen klar, dass man in Zukunft einen genetischen Maßstab routinemäßig verwenden wird. Der Einfluss, den molekulare Daten bis jetzt auf die Pflanzensystematik ausgeübt haben, trägt nun in gleicher Weise zur Klärung biogeographischer Fragestellungen bei. So werden Sequenzdaten und verschiedene DNA Fingerprinting-Methoden dazu verwendet, Isolations- und Artbildungsmuster, Migrationsrouten, Verbreitung durch Pollen und Samen, Differenzierung von Populationen und Hybridisierung zu erforschen. Systematik und Biogeographie verschmelzen enger als je zuvor, weil dieselben Daten verwendet werden, um evolutionäre Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse und Verteilungsmuster in Raum und Zeit zu untersuchen. Daten auf dem Populationsniveau sind in einem multidisziplinären Zusammenhang besonders hilfreich, um zwischenartliche Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse zu untersuchen und Verteilungen zu erklären, die aus historischen und ökologischen Faktoren resultieren. Um diese Punkte zu illustrieren, verwenden wir DNA Sequenz- und AFLP-Daten anhand des Beispiels der Gattung Hypochaeris (Asteraceae) aus dem südlichen Südamerika. Es scheint, dass diese Gattung in Eurasien entstanden ist, innerhalb der letzten Millionen Jahre nach Südamerika vorgedrungen ist und dort eine Radiation in mehr als 45 Arten durchgemacht hat, die an viele verschiedene ökologische Nischen adaptiert sind. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Phyllanthaceae are a pantropical family of c. 2000 species for which circumscription is believed to be coincident with subfamily Phyllanthoideae of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato (Malpighiales) excluding Putranjivaceae. A phylogenetic study of the family using DNA sequence data has delivered largely congruent results from the plastid atpB, matK, ndhF, rbcL, and the nuclear PHYC. Our analyses include sampling from 54 of 59 genera, representing all tribes and subtribes of Phyllanthoideae. The family falls into two major clades characterized by inflorescence and leaf anatomical features. Several traditional taxonomic groupings were retrieved with minor modifications, but most clades recovered are considerably different from previous non-molecular based ideas of relationships. The enigmatic genus Dicoelia and the geographically disjunct genus Lingelsheimia are shown to be embedded in Phyllanthaceae. The taxonomic status of Leptopus diplospermus (=Chorisandrachne) and the debated placement of Andrachne ovalis have been clarified, and Protomegabaria and Richeriella are newly placed. Paraphyly of Cleistanthus and Phyllanthus is confirmed, having three and four other genera embedded, respectively. Petalodiscus is also paraphyletic, including all other Malagassian Wielandieae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Resupination is the orientation of zygomorphic flowers during development so that the median petal obtains the lowermost position in the mature flower. Despite its evolutionary and ecological significance, resupination has rarely been studied in a phylogenetic context. Ten types of resupination occur among the 210 species of the orchid genus Bulbophyllum on Madagascar. We investigated the evolution of resupination in a representative sample of these species by first reconstructing a combined nrITS and cpDNA phylogeny for a sectional reclassification and then plotting the different types of inflorescence development, which correlated well with main clades. Resupination by apical drooping of the rachis appears to have evolved from apical drooping of the peduncle. Erect inflorescences with resupinate flowers seem to have evolved several times into either erect inflorescences with (partly) non-resupinate flowers or pendulous inflorescences with resupinate flowers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]