Phylogeny of Abildgaardieae (Cyperaceae) Inferred from ITS and trnL–F Data

Abstract

Within the tribe Abildgaardieae, the relationships between Fimbristylis and its relatives have not been certain, and the limits of Fimbristylis have been unclear, with Bulbostylis and Abildgaardia variously combined with it and each other. The relationships and limits of tribes Abildgaardieae and Arthrostylideae and their genera were evaluated across 49 representative species using parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of ITS (nuclear ribosomal) and trnL-F (plastid) DNA sequence data separately and combined. The evolutionary reconstructions derived from sequences of cpDNA and nrDNA disagree about the position of tribe Arthrostylideae relative to Abildgaardieae; Arthrostylis and Actinoschoenus are either nested within Abildgaardieae (trnL-F data) or very closely related to this tribe (ITS data). The reconstructions also disagree about the monophyly of genus Abildgaardia (excluding A. vaginata). Crosslandia and A. vaginata form a clade that is nested within Fimbristylis. Bulbostylis is monophyletic and clearly separated from Fimbristylis. Further sampling of taxa and characters is needed to resolve and/or strengthen support for some of these ''deep'' and fine-scale relationships.

Occurrence and evolutionary inferences about Kranz anatomy in Cyperaceae (Poales)

“…Herein, we showed the multiple origins of Kranz anatomy in Cyperaceae in different phylogenetic groups, confirming the results of Soros and Bruhl (2000), Muasya et al (2002), Ghamkhar et al (2007, Thomas et al (2008) and Roalson et al (2010). Thus, this study represents adaptive convergence, as phylogenetic relationships are not reflected.…”

“…This hypothesis is confirmed by phylogenomic and phylogenetic studies (Besnard et al 2009, Ghamkhar et al 2007, suggesting the initial onset of C 4 photosynthesis in Bulbostylis (ca. 19.6 ± 4.9 Ma), followed by Fimbristylis (ca.…”

“…To illustrate the occurrence of the Kranz anatomical types in Cyperaceae, these data were plotted onto cladograms from previously published phylogenetic analyses for each tribe: Abildgaardieae (Ghamkhar et al 2007), Cypereae ), Eleocharideae (Roalson et al 2010 and Rhynchosporeae (Thomas et al 2008).…”

“…In subsequent studies using molecular markers, five potential appearances of Kranz anatomy were reported: two types in Eleocharideae and one type in each of the remaining Kranz tribes (Besnard et al 2009). Phylogenetic studies of Abildgaardieae (Ghamkhar et al 2007) and Eleocharideae (Roalson et al 2010) indicated multiple origins of C 4 photosynthesis.…”

“…Among these, only Abildgaardieae and Eleocharideae are closely related in phylogenetic studies (Ghamkhar et al 2007, Muasya et al 2008. The Kranz Cypereae species present a Kranz anatomy of the chlorocyperoid type, while the Abildgaardieae species present a Kranz anatomy of the fimbristyloid type .…”