Abstract.
Erithalis consists of 8–10 species endemic to the Caribbean Basin. DNA sequences of chloroplast (trnF-trnL) and nuclear non-coding spacers (ITS and ETS) indicate that Erithalis is monophyletic. ETS was the most informative marker, resolving some interspecific relationships. Analyses of the combined data revealed two weakly supported clades: one composed of E. fruticosa and E. nk;harrisii, and a sister clade of the remaining species. Since fossil records indicate the presence of Erithalis-like pollen from the Eocene Gatuncillo Formation of Panama, it is possible that an initial colonization may have been from Central America. Through trans-oceanic dispersal, most likely by birds, Erithalis colonized the Caribbean islands. Some of the inter-island colonizations were accompanied by speciation and low molecular divergence, supporting a recent radiation across these islands.
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Received October 3, 2001; accepted March 4, 2002 Published online: November 7, 2002
Address of the authors: Vivian Negrón-Ortiz (e-mail: negronv@muohio.edu), Linda E. Watson, Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA.
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Negrón-Ortiz, V., Watson, L. Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Erithalis (Rubiaceae), an endemic of the Caribbean Basin. Plant Syst. Evol. 234, 71–83 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-002-0192-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-002-0192-2