Federico Luebert

Phylogenetic insights into Andean plant diversification

Andean orogeny is considered as one of the most important events for the developmentof current plant diversity in South America. We compare available phylogenetic studies anddivergence time estimates for plant lineages that may have diversified in response to Andeanorogeny. The influence of the Andes on plant diversification is separated into four major groups:The Andes as source of new high-elevation habitats, as a vicariant barrier, as a North-Southcorridor and as generator of new environmental conditions outside the Andes. Biogeographicalrelationships between the Andes and other regions are also considered. Divergence timeestimates indicate that high-elevation lineages originated and diversified during or after the majorphases of Andean uplift (Mid-Miocene to Pliocene), although there are some exceptions. Asexpected, Andean mid-elevation lineages tend to be older than high-elevation groups. Mostclades with disjunct distribution on both sides of the Andes diverged during Andean uplift.Inner-Andean clades also tend to have divergence time during or after Andean uplift. This isinterpreted as evidence of vicariance. Dispersal along the Andes has been shown to occur ineither direction, mostly dated after the Andean uplift. Divergence time estimates of plant groupsoutside the Andes encompass a wider range of ages, indicating that the Andes may not benecessarily the cause of these diversifications. The Andes are biogeographically related to allneighbouring areas, especially Central America, with floristic interchanges in both directionssince Early Miocene times. Direct biogeographical relationships between the Andes and otherdisjunct regions have also been shown in phylogenetic studies, especially with the easternBrazilian highlands and North America. The history of the Andean flora is complex and plantdiversification has been driven by a variety of processes, including environmental change,adaptation, and biotic interactions

Phylogenetic Analysis and Evolutionary Diversification of Heliotropium Sect. Cochranea (Heliotropiaceae) in the Atacama Desert

Abstract Heliotrapium sect. Cochranea (Heliotropiaceae) consists of 19 species endemic to the coastal Atacama Desert of Chile and Peru. This section has one of the most restricted geographic distributions and is the largest among the South American sections of Heliotropium. We performed a phylogenetic analysis of a total of 92 species using nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast ndhF, rpsl6, and trnL-trnF sequences, and estimated the divergence times of major lineages of the group. Our results suggest that Heliotropium sect. Cochranea is monophyletic. There are two main well-supported lineages within the section: one is H. pycnophyllum, which is sister to rest of the species in the section. Within this second lineage, H. filifolium, H. glutinosum, H. krauseanum, and a large polytomous group composed of 15 species form a tetratomy. The age estimates using the penalized likelihood method suggests a minimum age of 14.0 ± 2.0 My for section Cochranea, and 4.6 ± 0.9 My for the large polytomous group within it. Heliotropium sect. Cochranea may have originated in the Miocene during the major uplift of the Andes, and then radiated in the Pliocene in the Atacama Desert.

Diversification in the Andes: age and origins of South American Heliotropium lineages (Heliotropiaceae, Boraginales).

The uplift of the Andes was a major factor for plant diversification in South America and had significant effects on the climatic patterns at the continental scale. It was crucial for the formation of the arid environments in south-eastern and western South America. However, both the timing of the major stages of the Andean uplift and the onset of aridity in western South America remain controversial. In this paper we examine the hypothesis that the Andean South American groups of Heliotropium originated and diversified in response to Andean orogeny during the late Miocene and a the subsequent development of aridity. To this end, we estimate divergence times and likely biogeographical origins of the major clades in the phylogeny of Heliotropium, using both Bayesian and likelihood methods. Divergence times of all Andean clades in Heliotropium are estimated to be of late Miocene or Pliocene ages. At least three independent Andean diversification events can be recognized within Heliotropium. Timing of the diversification in the Andean lineages Heliotropium sects.Heliothamnus, Cochranea, Heliotrophytum, Hypsogenia, Plagiomeris, Platygyne clearly correspond to a rapid, late Miocene uplift of the Andes and a Pliocene development of arid environments in South America.

Phytochemical, phylogenetic, and anti-inflammatory evaluation of 43 Urtica accessions (stinging nettle) based on UPLC–Q-TOF-MS metabolomic profiles

Several species of the genus Urtica (especially Urtica dioica, Urticaceae), are used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments. To better understand the chemical diversity of the genus and to compare different accessions and different taxa of Urtica, 63 leaf samples representing a broad geographical, taxonomical and morphological diversity were evaluated under controlled conditions. A molecular phylogeny for all taxa investigated was prepared to compare phytochemical similarity with phylogenetic relatedness. Metabolites were analyzed via UPLC-PDA-MS and multivariate data analyses. In total, 43 metabolites were identified, with phenolic compounds and hydroxy fatty acids as the dominant substance groups. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) provides a first structured chemotaxonomy of the genus. The molecular data present a highly resolved phylogeny with well-supported clades and subclades. U. dioica is retrieved as both para- and polyphyletic. European members of the U. dioica group and the North American subspecies share a rather similar metabolite profile and were largely retrieved as one, nearly exclusive cluster by metabolite data. This latter cluster also includes - remotely related - Urtica urens, which is pharmaceutically used in the same way as U. dioica. However, most highly supported phylogenetic clades were not retrieved in the metabolite cluster analyses. Overall, metabolite profiles indicate considerable phytochemical diversity in the genus, which largely falls into a group characterized by high contents of hydroxy fatty acids (e.g., most Andean-American taxa) and another group characterized by high contents of phenolic acids (especially the U. dioica-clade). Anti-inflammatory in vitro COX1 enzyme inhibition assays suggest that bioactivity may be predicted by gross metabolic profiling in Urtica.

Familial classification of the Boraginales

The Boraginales are now universally accepted as monophyletic and firmly placed in Lamiidae. However, a consensus about familial classification has remained elusive, with some advocating recognition of a single, widely variable family, and others proposing recognition of several distinct families. A consensus classification is proposed here, based on recent molecular phylogenetic studies, morphological characters, and taking nomenclatural stability into consideration. We suggest the recognition of eleven, morphologically well-defined and clearly monophyletic families, namely the Boraginaceae s.str., Codonaceae, Coldeniaceae fam. nov., Cordiaceae, Ehretiaceae, Heliotropiaceae, Hoplestigmataceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Lennoaceae, Namaceae, and Wellstediaceae. Descriptions, synonomy, a taxonomic key, and a list of genera for these eleven families are provided, including the new family Coldeniaceae (monogeneric) and Namaceae (segregated from Hydrophyllaceae and comprising Nama, Eriodictyon, Turricula, and Wigandia), the latter necessitating a revised circumscription of a more morphologically coherent Hydrophyllaceae.

From capsules to nutlets—phylogenetic relationships in the Boraginales

Multiple family‐level subdivisions of Boraginales have been proposed in the past. The relationships of several constituent genera have been enigmatic, including Codon (Codonaceae), Hoplestigma (Hoplestigmataceae), Pholisma (Lennoaceae), Vahlia (Vahliaceae), and Wellstedia (Wellstediaceae), all of which are included in the present study. We present a molecular analysis with four chloroplast loci, including 89 ingroup taxa and a broad outgroup sampling in the asterids. The genus Vahlia is excluded from Boraginales and appears to represent an early branching lineage of Lamiales. The study provides a well supported topology for the relationships within Boraginales, including all of the genera with previously unclear relationships. Within Boraginales, two major clades are recognized, with “herbaceaous” Boraginales I resolved as [Codonaceae,[Wellstediaceae,[Boraginaceae]]] and “woody” Boraginales II resolved as [Hydrophyllaceae I,[Hydrophyllaceae II,[Heliotropiaceae,[Cordiaceae,[Ehretiaceae,Lennoaceae]]]]. A close relationship between Ehretiaceae and Lennoaceae is well supported, but the exact placement of Lennoaceae remains unresolved. The Cordiaceae lineage includes the monotypic genus Coldenia and the aberrant western and central African genus Hoplestigma. Woody Boraginales II are retrieved in two highly supported clades. Hydrophyllaceae are retrieved in two separate clades, but with poor support. There appear to be clear morphological progressions in vegetative, floral, and fruit morphology in both major Boraginales lineages. Thus capsular fruits are found in the first branching lineages of both clades, whereas reduced seed numbers in indehiscent fruits predominate in the more derived phylogenetic positions. Based on these results, we advocate the recognition of eight morphologically well defined clades in the order, namely Boraginaceae s.str., Codonaceae, Cordiaceae (incl. Coldenia and Hoplestigmataceae), Ehretiaceae (incl. Lennoaceae), Heliotropiaceae, Hydrophyllaceae I and Hydrophyllaceae II, and Wellstediaceae.

Vegetación de los Andes áridos del norte de Chile

Se realiza un estudio de la vegetacion del Altiplano y Puna aridos de Chile (24-25o S) utilizando la metodologia fitosociologica deBraun-Blanquet. Se proponen nuevos limites altitudinales de los pisos de vegetacion en este territorio: supratropical (3.400-3.800 m), orotropical (3.800-4.200 m), criorotropical (4.200-4.700 m), atermico (> 4.700 m). Como resultado del analisis fitosociologico, fueron reconocidas las siguientes grandes unidades floristicas de vegetacion: Ambrosio artemisioidis-Atriplicion imbricatae all. nov. (matorrales deserticos), Calamagrostietea vicunarum Rivas-Martinez & Tovar 1982 (pajonales y matorrales bajos xeromorficos), Anthochloo lepidulae-Dielsiochloetea floribundae Rivas-Martinez & Tovar 1982 (vegetacion de roquedales y suelos con solifluxion) y, Plantagini rigidae-Distichietea muscoidis Rivas-Martinez & Tovar 1982 (vegas y bofedales alto-andinos). Se identificaron doce asociaciones floristicas, cada una de las cuales se describe en terminos de su composicion especifica, fisionomia general, distribucion geografica, rango altitudinal y condiciones ambientales. El area de estudio se encuentra en una zona de transicion climatica. No obstante, la hipotesis de una consecuente transicion floristica no se ve sustentada, puesto que la flora y vegetacion del area de estudio revela fuertes afinidades con el elemento andino subtropical, y no con el elemento andino mediterraneo.

Molecular delimitations in the Ehretiaceae (Boraginales)

Major taxa of Ehretiaceae (including parasitic Lennoaceae) have not all been included in previous molecular phylogenetic analyses. As a result, the generic limits and their circumscriptions have not been satisfactorily resolved, despite its importance for floristic studies. To clarify which monophyletic groups can be recognized within the Ehretiaceae, sequences from one nuclear (ITS) and three plastid loci (rps16, trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG) were obtained from 67 accessions tentatively assigned to the Ehretiaceae (including 91 new GenBank entries) and covering the known diversity of the group. In phylogenetic analyses, Ehretiaceae were monophyletic when Lennoaceae were included and segregated into nine monophyletic lineages that correspond to accepted, morphologically distinct taxonomic units, namely Bourreria (s.l., paraphyletic in its current circumscription if not including Hilsenbergia), monotypic Cortesia, Ehretia (s.l., paraphyletic in its current circumscription if not including Carmona and Rotula), Halgania, monotypic Lennoa, Lepidocordia, Pholisma, Rochefortia, and Tiquilia. Bourreria and Ehretia have representatives in both the Old World and the New World, but all other taxa are restricted to the tropical and subtropical Americas (Cortesia, Lennoa, Lepidocordia, Pholisma, Rochefortia, Tiquilia) or Australia (Halgania). The historical biogeography of Ehretiaceae can be explained by few colonization events. The molecular trees are also discussed with respect to fruit evolution, where the fusion of endocarp parts may have taken place several times independently.

Genomic Resources Notes accepted 1 April 2015 – 31 May 2015

This article documents the public availability of transcriptomic resources for (i) the stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus, (ii) the flowering plant Campanula gentilis and (iii) two endemic Iberian fish, Squalius carolitertii and Squalius torgalensis.

A revision of Heliotropium sect. Cochranea (Heliotropiaceae)

SummaryA revision of the Heliotropium L. sect. Cochranea (Miers) Kuntze (Heliotropiaceae) is presented and a total of 17 species is recognised. Morphology, ecology, distribution, conservation status and phenology of all species are presented. One subspecies, Heliotropium krauseanum Fedde subsp. jahuayense Luebert is described as a new taxon. Two previously recognised species names, H. sclerocarpum Phil. and H. huascoense I. M. Johnst., are placed in the synonymy of H. chenopodiaceum (A. DC.) Clos and H. stenophyllum Hook. & Arn., respectively. One epitype, one neotype and one lectotype are designated here.