Christopher J. Quinn

Relationships within Cupressaceae sensu lato: a combined morphological and molecular approach.

Parsimony analysis of matK and rbcL sequence data, together with a nonmolecular database, yielded a well-resolved phylogeny of Cupressaceae sensu lato. Monophyly of Cupressaceae sensu stricto is well supported, and separate northern and southern hemisphere subclades are resolved, with Tetraclinis within the northern subclade; there is no support for any of the tribes sensu Li. Taxodiaceae comprise five separate lineages. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis falls within Cupressus, clustering with a robust clade of New World species. Libocedrus Florin is paraphyletic and should incorporate Pilgerodendron. Evolution of several characters of wood and leaf anatomy and chemistry is discussed in light of this estimate of the phylogeny; numerous parallelisms are apparent. A new infrafamilial classification is proposed in which seven subfamilies are recognized: Callitroideae Saxton, Athrotaxidoideae Quinn, Cunninghamioideae (Sieb. & Zucc.) Quinn, Cupressoideae Rich. ex Sweet, Sequoioideae (Luerss.) Quinn, Taiwanioideae (Hayata) Quinn, Taxodioideae Endl. ex K. Koch. The rbcL sequence for Taxodium distichum is corrected, and the implications for a previously published estimate of the minimum rate of divergence of the gene since the Miocene are highlighted.

Phylogenetic Classification of Ericaceae: Molecular and Morphological Evidence

A new classification of Ericaceae is presented based on phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequence data, morphology, anatomy, and embryology. Eight subfamilies and 20 tribes are recognized. In this classification Epacridaceae are included as Styphelioideae and Empetraceae as tribe Empetreae within the Ericoideae. The herbaceous taxa previously recognized as Pyrolaceae and Monotropaceae by some authors are also included within Ericaceae, in the subfamily Monotropoideae. A key, morphological descriptions, and representative images are provided for all named groups. Two new combinations inKalmia (K. buxifolia andK. procumbens) are made, and three new taxa are described: Oligarrheneae, Richeeae, and Cosmelieae (all within Styphelioideae).ResumenSe presenta una clasificación nueva de las Ericaceae basada en análisis filogenéticos, empleando secuencias de ADN nuclear y de cloroplasto, morfología, anatomía y embriología. Se reconocen ocho subfamilias y 20 tribus. En esta clasificación las Epacridaceae son incluídas como Styphelioideae y las Empetraceae como la tribu Empetreae dentro de Ericoideae. Los grupos herbáceos previamente reconocidos como Pyrolaceae y Monotropaceae por algunos autores también se incluyen dentro de las Ericaceae, en la subfamilia Monotropoideae. Se dan una clave, descripciones morfológicas e imágenes representativas de todos los grupos nombrados. Se hacen dos combinaciones nuevas enKalmia (K. buxifolia yK. procumbens), y se describen tres nuevos taxones: Oligarrheneae, Richeeae y Cosmelieae (todos dentro de Styphelioideae).

Relationships within Myrtaceae sensu lato based on a matK phylogeny

Abstract.Parsimony analysis of matK sequence data from 81 taxa representing 68 genera of Myrtaceae sensu lato, and a representative of each of three related families as outgroups, produced an estimate of the phylogeny of the family with little basal resolution but a number of well-supported clades containing most of the genera. Monophyly of Myrtaceae sensu stricto has moderate support but a broader circumscription, including the small genera Psiloxylon and Heteropyxis that are frequently placed in monogeneric families, is more strongly supported. Analysis of matK plus available sequences for the 5′ spacer region for a subset of 56 taxa resolved 14 major clades that received strong jackknife support. Relationships between these were, for the most part, incompletely resolved or poorly supported. A new infrafamilial classification is proposed which recognises two subfamilies (Myrtoideae, Psiloxyloideae) and 17 tribes (Backhousieae stat. nov., Chamelaucieae, Eucalypteae stat. nov., Heteropyxideae, Kanieae, Leptospermeae, Lindsayomyrteae trib. nov., Lophostemoneae trib. nov., Melaleuceae, Metrosidereae stat. nov., Myrteae, Osbornieae trib. nov., Psiloxyleae, Syncarpieae trib. nov., Syzygieae trib. nov., Tristanieae trib. nov., Xanthostemoneae trib. nov.).

Myrtaceae revisited: a reassessment of infrafamilial groups

Cladistic analyses are presented of matK sequence data as well as a nonmolecular database for an identical set of exemplar species chosen to represent the core genera or groups of genera in Myrtaceae. Eleven robust clades are recognized on the molecular data. Polyphyly of the previously recognized Metrosideros and Leptospermum alliances is confirmed, and several smaller informal taxonomic groupings are recognized from among the members of the former alliance, i.e., the Tristania, Tristaniopsis, Metrosideros, and Lophostemon groups. The nonmolecular analysis provides only limited resolution of relationships. A degree of congruence exists between the two analyses in that two separate fleshy-fruited clades, the Acmena and Myrtoid groups, are identified, as are the Eucalypt and Tristania groups, and Psiloxylon and Heteropyxis are the first lineages to diverge in both analyses. A combined analysis recognized all 11 clades that received strong support from the molecular data. A high level of homoplasy is revealed in many of the nonmolecular characters when they are examined against the combined estimate of phylogeny.

Familiar concepts and relationships in the conifers based on rbcL and matK sequence comparisons

Analysis of sequence data for the chloroplast encoded genes rbcL and matK for 40 taxa representing all conifer families and subfamilies, rooted on Ginkgo biloba, provides robust support for the family concepts of Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae sensu lato, Pinaceae and Sciadopilyaceae. Whereas Phyllocladus and Cephalotaxus are robustly linked with, but separated from Podocarpaceae sensu stricto and Taxaceae, respectively, these distinctions decay at far fewer steps (+3.7 and +1.7 steps, respectively) than do any of the other families (>25 steps). It is argued that neither of these monogeneric families, Phyllocladaceae and Cephalotaxaceae, is warranted, and that recognition of a more broadly defined Podocarpaceae and Taxaceae is more informative of the relationships among conifers. The analysis provides strong support for Wollemia being sister to Agathis, rather than it being the first diverging lineage within the family. It also strongly supports sister relationships between Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae, between Cupressaceae sensu lato and Taxaceae sensu lato, and between the latter clade and Sciadopityaceae. Pinaceae are strongly supported as the first lineage of extant conifers to diverge.

Generic relationships within and between the gymnosperm families Podocarpaceae and Phyllocladaceae based on an analysis of the chloroplast gene rbcL

Analysis of sequences of the chloroplast gene rbcL for 76 taxa of Podocarpaceae (representing all genera except Parasitaxus) and five species of Phyllocladaceae were undertaken with respect to their relationships to each other and to 28 coniferalean outgroup taxa from seven families. The results indicate that Podocarpaceae are polyphyletic unless expanded to include Phyllocladaceae. Within Podocarpaceae, Sundacarpus is placed in a clade with Prumnopitys, and Falcatifolium is paraphyletic as a basal grade to Dacrydium. Phyllocladus is in an unresloved clade with Halocarpus, Manoao/Lagarostrobos and Prumnopitys/Sundacarpus. The separation of Afrocarpus from Podocarpus and its placement instead as sister to Nageia and Retrophyllum is supported. Podocarpus s. str. is monophyletic, with both subgenera identified, albeit poorly supported. The analysis placed Lepidothamnus and Saxegothaea in an unresolved basal polytomy within the family. There were no clear outgroup relationships with the family. These results differ from the morphological clades found by Kelch (1997), and disagree strongly with his 18S-sequence-based phylogeny (Kelch 1998). However, jackknife support values indicate that although the genera are well supported, relationships both within and between them are not, suggesting that intergeneric relationships in the family require further study. There is also some congruence between our results and those of the gymnosperm 18S study by Chaw et al. (1997), although their study included only three Podocarpaceae and one Phyllocladaceae species.

An analysis of relationships within the Cupressaceae sensu stricto based on rbcL sequences

The analysis of rbcL sequences of representative species of 13 of the 20 genera of the Cupressaceae sens. str. has produced a cladogram that agrees with data derived from other sources. The monophyly of the family is well supported. The cladogram provides support for the recognition of a basically northern subfamily (Cupressoideae) and a southern subfamily (Callitroideae), but the boundary between the subfamilies needs to be realigned by moving Tetraclinis from the Callitroideae to the Cupressoideae. The tribal arrangement of Li is largely artificial: the Libocedreae, Cupresseae, and Thujopsideae are clearly paraphyletic

Molecular and morphological reassessment of relationships within the Vittadinia group of Astereae (Asteraceae)

Morphological and ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequence data for 40 species of the Austral-Pacific genera Camptacra, Kippistia, Minuria, Peripleura, Tetramolopium, and Vittadinia as well as one semiherbaceous species of Olearia were subjected to cladistic analysis, separately and together. Minuria, Peripleura, and Tetramolopium are paraphyletic as currently defined. Tetramolopium vagans from Australia appears to represent an undescribed genus. Both Kippistia suadefolia and Peripleura diffusa show close affinity to Minuria species, and Minuria macrorhiza appears to contain two distinct but closely related species. Vittadinia and the remaining species of Tetramolopium and Peripleura form a strong affinity group. The distribution of indels and the combined analysis each provide evidence that the Hawaiian and Cook Island species of Tetramolopium are descended from New Guinea species. The combined analysis also suggests that the Cook Island species T. mitiaroense is sister to the Hawaiian clade. Olearia arguta groups strongly with Camptacra and shows no close affinity with either of the arborescent species of Olearia used to root these analyses. Marked homoplasy among morphological characters indicates why generic delimitation in the group has been problematic.

A molecular estimate of the phylogeny of Styphelieae (Ericaceae)

Parsimony analyses of sequence data derived from two regions of the chloroplast genome, matK and the atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer, separately and together, are reported for Styphelieae. Taxonomic sampling includes representatives of all currently accepted genera apart from the two non-Australian monotypics, Cyathopsis Brongn. & Gris and Decatoca F.Muell., and of all subgenera or informal infrageneric groups except for Trochocarpa subgenus Pseudocyathodes Sleumer. A well resolved estimate of the phylogeny of the tribe is obtained, with high levels of jackknife support for terminal groupings. The results provide support for the current concepts of Acrotriche R.Br., Androstoma Hook.f., Croninia J.M.Powell, Cyathodes Labill. sensu Weiller, Leptecophylla C.M.Weiller, Leucopogon R.Br. sensu Taaffe et al., Pentachondra R.Br., Planocarpa C.M.Weiller and Trochocarpa R.Br., but the following genera appear paraphyletic: Astroloma R.Br., Brachyloma Sond., Cyathodes sensu Labill., Leucopogon R.Br. sensu lato, Lissanthe R.Br., Monotoca R.Br. and Styphelia Sm. (sensu Bentham). Several robust clades are identified as potential new genera but formalisation of nomenclatural changes is left, pending morphological analyses of the various clades to identify synapomorphies with which to characterise generic groupings. The general approach to be adopted in this endeavour is discussed, with narrower generic concepts being favoured as more informative and less disruptive of the existing nomenclature.

Phylogenetic relationships of epacrids and vaccinioids (Ericaceae s. l.) based onmatK sequence data

Cladistic relationships of epacrids and vaccinioids (Ericaceae) are investigated using nucleotide sequence data from the chloroplast encodedmatK gene. Sequences of 56 taxa were aligned and analyzed using parsimony methods. Results show thatVaccinioideae as currently recognized are not monophyletic. The epacrids are sister to a clade that includes theLyonia group, theGaultheria group, and theVaccinieae. Arbutus andPyrola branch early inEricaceae, before the rhododendroid group.Enkianthus is sister to the remainingEricaceae (includingEpacridaceae).Vaccinieae are strongly supported as monophyletic, butVaccinium andAgapetes are polyphyletic.