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Phylogenetic analysis of Asian Symplocos (Symplocaceae) based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences

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Abstract

Thirty species and one variety of Symplocos (Symplocaceae), including all taxa distributed in Japan, were phylogenetically analyzed with DNA sequence data. The evolution of morphological characters is discussed on the basis of the phylogenetic relationships obtained. All species were Asian, except one, S. austromexicana, from Mexico. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and two intergenic spacer regions, between trnL and trnF, and between trnH and psbA of chloroplast DNA were used. The topologies of trees obtained from ITS and the chloroplast intergenic spacers are largely congruent. S. sonoharae, the representative of the subgenus Symplocos in Asia, was sister to all other species. The position of the American species, S. austromexicana, which also belongs to the subgenus Symplocos, was not well resolved. The phylogenetic tree based on combined sequence data largely supports the monophyletic origin of the infrageneric sections proposed earlier. However, the phylogenetic relationship between them is not well resolved, probably due to rapid diversification. The section Palura, a deciduous group, is well defined in the DNA analysis, suggesting its independent status in the genus Symplocos. In spite of their morphological divergence, the three endemic species of the Bonin Islands are monophyletic. The occurrence of curved seeds seems to be homoplastic, scattered over the phylogenetic tree without showing a particular infrageneric relationship.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Drs. Akiyo Naiki, Shinji Fujii, and Tadashi Kajita for collecting some materials; and Drs. Daisuke Honda and Hiroaki Setoguchi for their kind advice on analyzing sequence data. We are grateful to Minori Yamamoto for providing sequence data. This research was partly supported by a fund from the Showa Seitoku Memorial Foundation (to H.N.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 599-8531, Japan

    Akiko Soejima

  2. The Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto, Japan

    Hidetoshi Nagamasu

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  1. Akiko Soejima
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  2. Hidetoshi Nagamasu
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Correspondence to Akiko Soejima.

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Soejima, A., Nagamasu, H. Phylogenetic analysis of Asian Symplocos (Symplocaceae) based on nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences. J Plant Res 117, 199–207 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-004-0151-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-004-0151-9

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