| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section Kron, Kathleen A. [1], Bush, Catherine [1], Frazier, Louis [1], Judd, Walter S. [2]. Morphological Evolution within the Leucothoë group based on analyses of molecular and morphological data. Leucothoë is a group of shrubby species found in eastern North America, the Pacific Coast and in Japan. Up to eight species have been recognized as members of Leucothoë, supported by the presence of serrate leaf margins, buds that overwinter and dry calyces. Analyses including 69 characters from morphology, anatomy, chromosome counts and secondary chemistry were scored for the eight species of Leucothoë and for eight closely related species from the Gaultherieae, Andromedeae, Vaccinieae and Lyonieae in Vacciniodeae. Parsimony analysis of these characters did not support a monophyletic Leucothoë. We also used sequence data from matK, ndhF from the chloroplast genome and ITS from the nuclear genome. These data were analysed using the maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood criteria. Morphological and molecular data were subsequently combined and analysed as above. The results provided additional support for weakly supported clades in the morphological analyses and in the molecular analyses alone. The total evidence tree indicates that Leucothoë is split into two clades that can be characterized by morphological synapomorphies. Leucothoë racemosa, L. recurva, and Chamaedaphne calyculata are strongly supported as a monophyletic group and share characters of a reproductive shoot resembling a vegetative one with long, green, leaf-like bracts that do not enclose the floral buds. The buds themselves are protected by thick sepals enclosing the individual flowers. Leucothoë racemosa and L. recurva possess synapomorphies such as antipodals dividing (vs. not dividing). The remaining six species of Leucothoë form a strongly supported clade. In this clade the distinctive L. grayana is sister to the remaining five taxa. These five taxa are characterized by winged seeds and the floral buds protected by overlapping bracts. Based on these results, Leucothoë is split into 2 named clades: Eubotrys and Leucothoë s. s.
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1 - Wake Forest University, Department of Biology, PO Box 7325, 226 Winston Hall, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27109-7325, USA
2 - University of Florida, Department of Botany, 220 Bartram Hall, P.O. Box 118526, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-8526, USA
Keywords:
Leucothoe
matK
ndhF
morphology
character evolution.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for BSA Sections
Session: 4
Location: Cottonwood D/Snowbird Center
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009
Time: 10:30 AM
Number: 4010
Abstract ID:61 |
