MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF ANAGALLIS (MYRSINACEAE) BASED ON ITS, trnL-F, AND ndhF SEQUENCE DATA.

The phylogeny of Anagallis was elucidated by analysis of sequences from nuclear ribosomal ITS and two chloroplast regions, ndhF and trnL-F. The study included 20 species from the genus Anagallis; two species each of the three small genera Asterolinon, Pelletiera, and Trientalis; and 21 Lysimachia species. The result of a combined analysis using all sequences supports an Anagallis clade that also includes Asterolinon and Pelletiera as well as two Lysimachia species, Lysimachia nemorum and Lysimachia serpyllifolia, making Anagallis paraphyletic in its present circumscription. The clade was not found when analyzing separate data sets. The result contradicts earlier studies that indicate a distant relationship between Anagallis s.str. and Anagallis minima (Centunculus) and a close relationship between L. nemorum, Lysimachia nummularia, and Lysimachia punctata. We also found strong support for a large monophyletic group of Lysimachia species, including the monotypic genus Glaux, and for a basal placement of Lysimachia ciliata and Lysimachia quadrifolia in the tribe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]