PYCK, NANCY* and ERIK SMETS. Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, K.U.Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. - Dipsacales phylogeny: combining chloroplast sequences with morphological evidence.
The order Dipsacales is classified in Euasterids II and comprises six
families following APG: Caprifoliaceae, Diervillaceae, Linnaeaceae,
Dipsacaceae, Valerianaceae and Morinaceae. Despite its relatively
small size, many phylogenetic questions on intergeneric and
interfamilial relations still remain in this order. New sequences of
both 5’ and 3’ region of the plastid ndhF gene are generated
and combined with published ndhF sequence data; a combination
with available rbcL sequences and a morphological data set is
also performed. All major lineages within Dipsacales are represented.
Parsimony analysis based on ndhF data shows Heptacodium
as sister to all members of Caprifoliaceae; combined algorithms
suggest an unresolved basal position in the Dipsacales. Trees inferred
from all data sets indicate a paraphyletic nature of the tribe
Patrinieae and suggest that Nardostachys can no longer be
regarded as the basalmost member of Valerianaceae. Morinaceae are
strongly monophyletic and behave as a basal clade to the
Valerianaceae-Dipsacaceae clade. In classifications of Dipsacales the
genus Triplostegia is treated as a member of Valerianaceae,
Dipsacaceae, or even as a monogeneric family. The results presented,
indicate that the position of Triplostegia remains equivocal:
molecular data suggest a basal position in Dipsacaceae, while the
morphological matrix and the total combined data set show
Triplostegia as sister to all Valerianaceae.
Key words: combined analyses, Dipsacales, morphology, ndhF, phylogeny, rbcL