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The closely related species present in the subgenera of Urostigma are challenging to classify due to the existence of overlapping morphological characteristics, which makes identification habitually problematic. It is still unresolved whether the species of the Ficus virens complex, which includes F. virens, F. middletonii, F. caulocarpa, F. concinna, and F. superba, are the same or distinct species due to the complexities in classification. To clarify the circumscription between the species and re-evaluate the taxonomical status, morphological characteristics were extensively examined; further, a phylogenetic reconstruction based on two DNA markers (ITS2 and trnH-psbA)in combination with morphological traits was carried out. The phylogenetic tree constructed using the combined morphology and DNA markers revealed that the five species should be demarcated as independent species. This study supports the importance of using both molecular and morphological data for efficient discrimination of species having high similarities. Further investigation into the species present in the subgenera Urostigma may provide additional information regarding the ancestral traits and its evolutionary history. Key words: cluster analysis, phylogenetics, species delimitation. Les especes proches qui font partie du sous-genre Urostigma sont difficiles a classifier en raison de caracteres morphologiques chevauchants. Il demeure non-resolu si les especes du complexe Ficus virens, lequel comprend F. virens, F. middletonii, F. caulocarpa, F. concinna et F. superba, forment une seule espece ou des especes distinctes en raison de la complexite de la classification. Pour eclairer cette question et pour reevaluer leur statut taxonomique, leurs caracteres morphologiques ont ete examines minutieusement. De plus, un arbre phylogenetique a ete produit sur la base de deux marqueurs de l'ADN (ITS2 et trnH-psbA) ainsi que des caracteres morphologiques. L'arbre phylogenetique construit en combinant les donnees morphologiques et moleculaires a revele que les cinq especes forment effectivement des especes distinctes. Cette etude souligne l'importance d'utiliser ces deux types de donnees, morphologiques et moleculaires, pour distinguer de maniere efficace les especes qui presentent une grande similitude. Des etudes plus approfondies des especes au sein du sous-genre Urostigma pourraient apporter de plus amples informations sur les caracteres ancestraux et l'histoire evolutive au sein de ce groupe. Mots-cles : analyse de groupement, phylogenetique, delimitation des especes., Introduction Ficus L. (Moraceae), commonly known as fig, constitutes one of the largest families of angiosperms with almost 750 species distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions (Chaudhary et al. [...]

Ficuskrishnae is considered as native to India and is well-known for the peculiarity in nature of its cup-shaped leaves where both the vernacular name (Krishna Fig) and specific epithet were derived. The taxonomic status of Ficuskrishnae is still unclear and currently treated as a subspecies or variety under Ficusbenghalensis . In the present study, morphological characters and molecular analysis were employed to address their species delimitation. The spacer markers ITS2 and trnH-psbA were used for constructing phylogenetic trees along with morphometric analysis. Ficuskrishnae distinctly differs from Ficusbenghalensis by having cup-forming leaves and the nature of the aerial roots, stipules, petioles, ostiolar bracts of the receptacle, DNA content, chromosome differences and nodal anatomy. The results showed that the highest divergence is observed in trnH-psbA (20.8 ± 12.2), followed by ITS2 (5.7 ± 3.2). The phylogenetic tree construction using Bayesian analysis showed a divergent boundary between the two species suggesting that F.krishnae could be an independent species, not a variety of F.benghalensis . The present study's findings support the view that these two floras can be treated as different species., (Karthikeyan Mahima, Senthilkumar Umapathy, Jana Venkata Sudhakar, Ramalingam Sathishkumar.)