Phylogeny, historical biogeography and characters evolution of the drought resistant fern Pyrrosia Mirbel (Polypodiaceae) inferred from plastid and nuclear markers

Abstract

Pyrrosia s.l. comprises ca. 60 species with a disjunct Africa/Asia and Australia distribution. The infrageneric classification of Pyrrosia s.l. is controversial based on the phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast markers and morphology. Based on the expanded taxon sampling of Pyrrosia s.l. (51 species), we investigated its phylogeny, biogeography, character evolution and environmental adaptation by employing five chloroplastid markers (rbcL, matK, psbA-trnH, and rps4 + rps4-trnS) and one single (low)-copy nuclear gene, LEAFY. Pyrrosia s.l. was divided into six major clades and eight subclades. Reticulate evolution was revealed both among clades and among species in Pyrrosia s.l. Ancestral character state optimization revealed high levels of homoplastic evolution of the diagnostic characters in Pyrrosia s.l., while the crassulacean acid metabolism pathway seems to have an independent origin. Molecular dating and biogeographic diversification analyses suggested that Pyrrosia s.l. originated no later than the Oligocene and the main clades diversified during the Oligocene and Miocene, with southern Asia, the Indo-China Peninsula and southwestern and southern China as the most likely ancestral areas. Transoceanic long-distance dispersal, rather than vicariance, contributed to the intercontinental disjunction. Diversification scenarios of Pyrrosia s.l. under geological movements and climate fluctuation are also discussed.

East Asian origins of European holly oaks (Quercus section Ilex Loudon) via the Tibet‐Himalaya

“…Many subtropical plant and animal lineages exhibit a disjunct distribution in the pan‐Mediterranean and East Asia (Valcarcel, Guzman, Medina, Vargas, & Wen, ; Velitzelos, Bouchal, & Denk, ). This East Asian‐Tethyan disjunction is one of several so‐called “Tethyan disjunctions,” a suite of disjunct patterns among Mediterranean Europe, North Africa, and East Asia that have been reported in a wide range of taxa (e.g., Xie, Yang, Wen, Li, & Yi, ; Wei et al, ; Liu et al, ). The cause of these disjunctions is not fully understood (Milne, ).…”

“…Uvaria L., Zhou, Su, Thomas, & Saunders, ), transoceanic transport (e.g. Pyrrosia Mirbel in Lamarck & Mirbel, Wei et al, ; Paederia L., Nie, Deng, Meng, Sun, & Wen, ), or by a combination of vicariance and dispersal (e.g. Pistacia L., Xie et al, ; Smilax L., Chen et al, ).…”

The complete chloroplast genome of Pyrrosia bonii (Polypodiaceae), an important ornamental and medical fern

“…The dried leaves of P. bonii have been used to substitute for medicinal materials 'Shiwei' to treat urinary infection and urolithiasis, although it has not been recorded in the Chinese pharmacopoeia (National Pharmacopoeia Committee 2010). In addition, there are many difficulties and controversies in species-level classification in Pyrrosia due to high similarity in morphology (Wei et al 2017). The monophyly and systematic position of Pyrrosia in Platycerioideae also occur controversy (Hovenkamp 1986).…”

“…In addition, there are many difficulties and controversies in species-level classification in Pyrrosia due to high similarity in morphology (Wei et al. 2017 ). The monophyly and systematic position of Pyrrosia in Platycerioideae also occur controversy (Hovenkamp 1986 ).…”

The complete chloroplast genome of Pyrrosia calvata (Polypodiaceae), a traditional Chinese medicinal fern only restricted to Guangxi, China

“…is a vital terrestrial fern genus in Polypodiaceae, comprising ca. 60 species (Wei et al 2017). However, the infrageneric classification of Pyrrosia is controversial based on chloroplast markers and morphology (Hovenkamp 1986;Vasques et al 2017).…”