Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the fern genus Pteris (Pteridaceae)

Abstract

This first phylogeny of Pteris on a global scale and including more than half of the diversity of the genus should contribute to a new, more reliable infrageneric classification of Pteris, based not only on a few morphological characters but also on ecological traits and geographical distribution. The inferred biogeographical history highlights long-distance dispersal as a major process shaping the worldwide distribution of the species. Colonization of different niches was followed by subsequent morphological diversification. Dispersal events followed by allopatric and parapatric speciation contribute to the species diversity of Pteris.

A well-sampled phylogenetic analysis of the polystichoid ferns (Dryopteridaceae) suggests a complex biogeographical history involving both boreotropical migrations and recent transoceanic dispersals

“…q This paper was edited by the Associate Editor Wang Xiao-Quan. rather than vicariance (Kato, 1993;Moran, 2008;Tryon, 1986) and this biogeographical scenario has received support in several studies on leptosporangiate ferns (Chao et al, 2014;Geiger et al, 2007;Geiger and Ranker, 2005;Hennequin et al, 2014;Kreft et al, 2010;Labiak et al, 2010). However, the extent of fern dispersal capability has been challenged by different studies showing that (i) fern reproductive biology is more complex than previously thought Soltis, 1992, 1987); and (ii) spore dispersal capability is probably limited to short distances at least for species restricted to forest habitats (Raynor et al, 1976).…”

Pteris latipinna sp. nov. (Pteridaceae), a new species segregated from Pteris fauriei

“…Three Pteris species, P. grevilleana , P. longipinna , and P. venusta , were used as outgroups. These bipinnatifid and outgroup species belong to clades A1 and A2, respectively, according to the phylogenetic tree of Pteris (Chao et al 2014). Vouchers and GenBank accession numbers are listed in Appendix 1.…”

“…Total genomic DNA was extracted from young fronds, following a modified cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method (Doyle and Doyle 1990). Two chloroplast genes, rbcL and matK , were amplified using the PCR primers for rbcL and matK as per Chao et al (2014). Alignment was performed with ClustalW (Thompson et al 1994) and manually edited using BioEdit 7.1.3 (Hall 1999).…”

“…Chao et al (2014) revealed that the clade (A1, including those species with bipinnatified laminae mostly) arose more recently than most of other clades in Pteris . Because of similar morphology, the characteristics to delimitate species need to be examined and compared in detail, such as venation, scale color, shapes of pinnae and segments, and pinnae stalked or sessile (Chao et al 2013).…”

Pteris nipponica (Pteridaceae), un nuevo registro para la flora exótica de Buenos Aires, Argentina

“…El género Pteris L., perteneciente a esta familia, tiene también una distribución cosmopolita como resultado de complejos eventos de dispersión a larga distancia, vicarianza y aislamiento (Chao et al, 2014). Dentro de este género se destaca el complejo Pteris cretica, propuesto por Tryon & Tryon (1982), con siete especies en Sudamérica y Centroamérica de las cuales cuatro son nativas y tres provienen de otros continentes (Martínez, 2011).…”