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Towards a phylogeny for Astragalus section Caprini (Fabaceae) and its allies based on nuclear and plastid DNA sequences

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Abstract

We conducted phylogenetic analyses of the sect. Caprini and its closely related sections within Astragalus. Analyses of a combined dataset including nrDNA ETS and three cpDNA markers using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference from 44 species of sect. Caprini and its allied taxa yielded congruent relationships among several major lineages. These results largely disagree with previously recognized taxonomic groups, most notably in the following ways: (1) subsects. Caprini and Purpurascentes of sect. Caprini are not natural groups; (2) sects. Alopecuroidei and Laxiflori are nested within sect. Astragalus; and (3) subsect. Chronopus constitutes a separate phylogenetic lineage. Representatives of sects. Astragalus, Alopecuroidei, and Laxiflori share a common ancestor with that of sect. Caprini. Our studies indicate that Astragalus annularis is an outlier species for the genus Astragalus and sect. Caraganella is the first-diverging clade within the genus Astragalus. Results of these analyses are supported by morphology and suggest the need for new taxonomic delimitations, which are forthcoming. Key morphological characters were mapped onto the phylogenetic tree and discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted in Prof. Dr. D. Podlech (Munich) for his critical comments and suggestions. We thank the following: Dr. F. Attar, Dr. H. Ebrahimzadeh, Dr. V. Niknam, and M. Mirmasoumi (Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tehran) for providing lab facilities. We are grateful to the curators of Central Herbarium of University of Tehran (TUH) and the Herbarium of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (TARI) for the loan of materials and permission to extract DNA from selected specimens. Grants from the Research Council, as well as Council of International Office of the University of Tehran to S.Z. are gratefully acknowledged. Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (Germany) also supported S.Z. through a generous scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran

    Mehrshid Riahi & Shahin Zarre

  2. Department of Botany, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, P.O. Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Aasghar Maassoumi

  3. Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran, Iran

    Shahrokh Kazempour Osaloo

  4. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA

    Martin F. Wojciechowski

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  1. Mehrshid Riahi
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  2. Shahin Zarre
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Correspondence to Shahin Zarre.

Appendix

Appendix

List of investigated specimens, with GenBank accession numbers for the ETS, psbA-trnH, trnY/T, trnS/G region, including voucher numbers. Sections and species of Astragalus are in alphabetical order. All specimens are kept in the Central Herbarium of Tehran University (TUH). All sequences are new for this study.

Genbank accession number of taxa

For species whose markers were sequenced during this study, complete voucher information as well as GenBank accession numbers are given. All samples were collected mostly in Iran and the vouchers are deposited in Tehran University Herbarium (TUH). Where the country is not indicated, the specimen was collected from Iran.

Astragalus section Alopecoroidei : A. alopecias Pall., Khorrassan, Mashahad, 21906, JF409729, JF409766, JF409808, JF409852; A. jessenii Bunge, Tehran, Damavand, 7727, JF409742, JF409779, JF409822, JF409865; A . ponticus Pall., Kordestan, Kamyaran, 9737, JF409752, JF409790, JF409835, JF409878; A. echinops Boiss., Lorestan, Khorramabad, 23723, JF409737, JF409775, JF409849, JF409860.

Astragalus section Annulares : A. annularis Forssk., Arak, 28828, JF409730, JF409768, JF409809, JF409850.

Astragalus section Astragalus : A. dacylocarpus Boiss. subsp. dactylocarpu s, Khuzestan, Masjed-Soleyman, 33598, JF409894, JF409773, JF409816, JF409858; A. vanillae Boiss., Isfahan, Zarrin-Shahr, 54838; A. siversianus Pall., Khorasan, Quchan, 27320, JF409758, JF409798, JF409842, JF409886.

Astragalus section Caprini : A. aegobromus Boiss. & Hohen., Tehran, Shemshak, 11617, JF409728, JF409767, JF409807, JF409851; A. antalyensis A.Duran & Podlech, Antalya, Akseki, Turkey, 2792 (GAZI), JF409731, -, JF409810, JF409853; A. apricus Bunge, Azarbaiejan, Marand, Mishou-Dagh, 55246, -, JF409896, JF409811, JF409854; A. avicennicus Parsa, Hamadan, Avaj, 66443, JF409732, JF409769, JF409812, JF409855; A. caprinus L., Turkey, Sanliorfa, Gurbaba merkii, 2319 (GAZI), JF409733, JF409770, JF409813, JF409856; A. chrysanthus Boiss. & Hohen., Tehran, Damavand, 21283, JF409734, JF409771, JF409814, JF409857; A. citrinus Bunge, Gorgan, Mayamey to Golestan Forest, 27307, JF409735, JF409772, JF409815, -; A. gaubae Bornm., Lorestan, Khorramabad, Veisslan, 23730, JF409738, JF409776, JF409818, JF409861; A. gypsicola Maassoumi & Mozaffarian, Khuzestan, Masjed Solyman, 70190, JF409739, JF409777, JF409819, JF409862; A. impexus Podlech, Hamadan, Kuh-e Alvand, 64925, JF409740, -, JF409820, JF409863; A. ischredensis Bunge, Chaharmahal-e Bakhtiari, Broujen, 7750, JF409741, JF409778, JF409821, JF409864; A. johannis Boiss., Shiraz, Dasht-Arjan, 7751, JF409897, -, JF409823, JF409866; A. kashmarensis Maassoumi & Podlech, Golestan, Golestan National Park, 24404, JF409743, JF409780, JF409824, JF409867; A. kermanschahensis Bornm., Lorestan, Eslamabad, 64383, JF409895, JF409781, JF409825, -; A. kirpicznikovii Grossh., Azarbaijan, Ahar, 55358, JF409744, JF409782, JF409826, JF409868; A. leonardii Maassoumi, Lorestan, Khorramabad, 23734, JF409745, JF409783, JF409827, JF409869; A. macropelmatus Bunge subsp. macropelmatus, Esfahan, Abyane, 18213, JF409746, JF409784, JF409848, JF409870; A. mozaffarianii Maassoumi, Azarbaijan, 64475, JF409747, JF409785, JF409828, JF409871; A. multijugus DC., Azarbaiejan, Marand, Iran, 9752, JF409748, -, JF409829, JF409872; A. neopodlechi Maassoumi, Yazd, Taft, 5972, JF409760, JF409829, JF409873, -; A. nephtonensis Freyn, Golestan, Golestan National Park, 24454, JF409749, JF409786, JF409831, JF409874; A. ovinus Boiss., Chaharmahal-e Bakhtiari, Brujen, 54905, JF409750, JF409787, JF409832, JF409875; A. pellitus Bunge, Khorassan, Birjand, 22203, JF409765, JF409788, JF409833, JF409876; A. pinetorum Boiss. subsp. pinetorum Gilan, Deylaman, 18589, JF409751, JF409789, JF409834, JF409877; A. pseudobrachystachys Širj. & Rech.f., Semnan, Firuzkuh, 5729, JF409753, -, JF409837, JF409879; A. pseudoibicinus Maassoumi & Podlech; Chaharmahal-e Backhtiari, Brujen, 57184, JF409754, JF409791, JF409836, JF409880; A. remotijugus Boiss. & Hohen., Mazanderan, Haraz, 6287, JF409755, JF409792, JF409838, JF409881; A. rufescens Freyn, Shiraz 5541, -, JF409795, -, JF409883; A. touranicus Freitag & Podlech, Balouchestan, Iranshahr, 9112, JF409757, JF409797, JF409841, JF409885; A. vereskensis Maassoumi & Podlech, Semmnan, Damghan, 23711, JF409759, JF409799, JF409843, JF409887.

Astragalus section Caraganella : A. reshadensis Podlech, Farah, Afghanistan, 70152 (MSB), JF409756, JF409793, JF409839, JF409882.

Astragalus section Laxiflori : A. dictyolobus Bunge, Kordestan, Divan Darreh, 34594, JF409736, JF409774, JF409817, JF409859.

Outgroups: Chesneya astragalina Jaub. & Spach, Tehran, Eivanakey, 5551, JF409761, JF409800, JF409844, JF409888; Colutea buhsei (Boiss.) Shap., Gorgan, Park-e Golestan, 5865, JF409762, JF409802, JF409845, JF409889; Halimodendrun halodendrun (Pall.) Voss., Tehran, Karaj, 28284, JF409763, JF409803, JF409846, JF409891; Oxytropis aucheri Boiss., Golestan, Golestan National Park, 24412, JF409764, JF409804, JF409847, JF409890.

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Riahi, M., Zarre, S., Maassoumi, A.A. et al. Towards a phylogeny for Astragalus section Caprini (Fabaceae) and its allies based on nuclear and plastid DNA sequences. Plant Syst Evol 293, 119–133 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-011-0417-3

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