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Phylogeny of Celastrus L. (Celastraceae) inferred from two nuclear and three plastid markers

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Abstract

This is the first comprehensive molecular investigation of the genus Celastrus L. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus were assessed based on sequences of two nuclear (ETS, ITS) and three plastid (psbA-trnH, rpl16 and trnL-F) regions using the Bayesian inference and the maximum parsimony methods. Our results show that Celastrus, together with Tripterygium, formed a maximal supported clade. Within the cluster, Celastrus is composed of a basal clade and a core Celastrus clade, and the latter is consisted of six subclades. Relationships among species are more influenced by latitude than continental distribution patterns. The cauline cyme and lunate seeds are distinct characters to one of the maximal supported subclades. Their close relationship, similar geographical pattern and habitat imply that C. flagellaris may be a potential invasive species threatening C. scandens in North America. Celastrus leiocarpus, C. oblanceifolius and C. rugosus are confirmed as synonyms of C. punctatus, C. aculeatus and C. glaucophyllus, respectively. Discordance between the molecular data and previous morphology-based subgeneric classifications are noted. More works are needed to clarify the relationship between Celastrus and Tripterygium and the species within Celastrus.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Andrew J. Ford, Bao-Jiang Zheng, Bin Chen, Bing Liu, Bo Xu, Mark P. Simmons, Yun-Hong Tan, Arnold Arboretum (A), and Missouri Botanical Garden (MO) for samples, Mark P. Simmons, Lei Xie and Qin-Wen Lin’s kindly suggestions and help to improve the manuscript, and the National Science Foundation of China for funding to Zhi-Xiang Zhang (grant no. 30870149). We would also like to thank Christine Verhille at the University of British Columbia for her assistance with English language and grammatical editing of the manuscript. The lab work was conducted at the Laboratory of Systematic Evolution and Biogeography of Woody Plants of Beijing Forestry University.

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Correspondence to Zhi-Xiang Zhang.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Taxa, specimen numbers, voucher information, herbaria where the specimens are deposited (all specimens are deposited in BJFC except special instruction), and GenBank accession numbers for sequences used in this study. Dash indicates the sequence is not available for the species. Accession numbers are given in the following order: ETS, nrITS, psbA-trnH, rpl16 and trnL-F. Abbreviations of herbaria follow Index Herbariorum (Holmgren et al. 1990).

Celastrus aculeatus Merr. 9, XY Mu 017, JQ424039, JQ424096, JQ424150, JQ424206, JQ424260; C. aculeatus Merr. 10, XY Mu 036, JQ424038, JQ424095, JQ424149, JQ424205, JQ424259; C. angulatus Maxim. 12, XY Mu B, JQ424040, JQ424097, JQ424151, JQ424207, JQ424261; C. angulatus Maxim. 13, XY Mu 013, JQ424041, JQ424098, JQ424152, JQ424208, JQ424262; C. australis Harv. & Muell. H, unknown, BRI, JQ424042, JQ424099, --, JQ424209, JQ424263; C. flagellaris Rupr. 5, BJ Zheng 001, NEFI, JQ424043, JQ424100, JQ424153, JQ424210, JQ424264; C. flagellaris Rupr. 8, BJ Zheng 005, NEFI, JQ424044, JQ424101, JQ424154, JQ424211, JQ424265; C. gemmatus Loes. 15, XY Mu B2, JQ424045, JQ424102, JQ424155, JQ424212, JQ424266; C. gemmatus Loes. 79, XY Mu 076, JQ424046, JQ424103, JQ424156, JQ424213, JQ424267; C. glaucophyllus Rehd. & Wils. 19, STET 2785, JQ424047, JQ424104, JQ424157, JQ424214 , JQ424268; C. glaucophyllus Rehd. & Wils. 20, XY Mu 08009, JQ424048, JQ424105, JQ424158, JQ424215, JQ424269; C. hindsii Benth. 21, ZX Zhang 001, JQ424049, JQ424106, JQ424159, JQ424216 , JQ424270; C. hindsii Benth. 22, XY Mu 033, JQ424050, JQ424107, JQ424160, JQ424217, JQ424271; C. hirsutus Comber 23, XY Mu 042, JQ424051, JQ424108, JQ424161, JQ424218, JQ424272; C. hirsutus Comber 24, XY Mu 042-2, JQ424052, JQ424109, JQ424162, JQ424219, JQ424273; C. hookeri Prain 86, XY Mu 189, JQ424053, JQ424110, JQ424163, JQ424220, JQ424274; C. hypoleucus (Oliv.) Warb. 26, XY Mu C, JQ424054, JQ424111, JQ424164, JQ424221, JQ424275; C. hypoleucus (Oliv.) Warb. 3, XY Mu 002, JQ424055, JQ424112, JQ424165, JQ424222, JQ424276; C. kusanoi Hayata 27, ZX Zhang 002, JQ424056, --, JQ424166, JQ424223, JQ424277; C. kusanoi Hayata 28, ZX Zhang 003, JQ424057, JQ424113, JQ424167, JQ424224, JQ424278; C. leiocarpus Hayata 34, ZX Zhang 004, JQ424058, JQ424114, JQ424168, JQ424225, JQ424279; C. leiocarpus Hayata 35, ZX Zhang 005, JQ424059, JQ424115, JQ424169, JQ424226, JQ424280; C. monospermoides Loes. 58, XY Mu 163, JQ424060, JQ424116, JQ424170, JQ424227, JQ424281; C. monospermoides Loes. 82, XY Mu 157, JQ424061, --, JQ424171, JQ424228, JQ424282; C. monospermus Roxb. 29 , XY Mu 038, JQ424062, JQ424117, JQ424172, JQ424229, JQ424283; C. monospermus Roxb. 31, XY Mu 033, JQ424063, JQ424118, JQ424173, JQ424230, JQ424284; C. oblanceifolius Wang & Tsoong 33, XY Mu 014, JQ424064, JQ424119, JQ424174, JQ424231, JQ424285; C. obovatifolius X.Y. Mu & Z.X. Zhang 2, XY Mu 060, JQ424065, JQ424120, JQ424175, JQ424232, JQ424286; C. obovatifolius X.Y. Mu & Z.X. Zhang 32, XY Mu 009, JQ424066, JQ424121, JQ424176, JQ424233, JQ424287; C. orbiculatus Thunb. 1, XY Mu, JQ424067, JQ424122, JQ424177, JQ424234, JQ424288; C. orbiculatus Thunb. 36, SST 241, JQ424068, JQ424123, JQ424178, JQ424235, JQ424289; C. orbiculatus Thunb. 84, BJ Zheng 007, NEFI, JQ424069, JQ424124, JQ424179, JQ424236, JQ424290; C. paniculatus Willd. 38, XY Mu 032, JQ424070, JQ424125, JQ424180, JQ424237, JQ424291; C. paniculatus Willd. 39, XY Mu 019, JQ424071, JQ424126, JQ424181, JQ424238, JQ424292, C. pringlei Rose G, RA Howard 20279, A, JQ424072, JQ424127, JQ424182, --, JQ424293; C. punctatus Thunb. 44, ZX Zhang 006, JQ424073, JQ424128, JQ424183, JQ424239, JQ424294; C. punctatus Thunb. 87, B Chen, JQ424074, JQ424129, JQ424184, JQ424240, JQ424295; C. rosthornianus Loes. 41, XY Mu 018, JQ424075, JQ424130, JQ424185, JQ424241, JQ424296; C. rosthornianus Loes. 80, XY Mu 086, JQ424076, JQ424131, JQ424186, JQ424242, JQ424297; C. rugosus Rehd. & Wils. 42, XY Mu 056, JQ424077, JQ424132, JQ424187, JQ424243, JQ424298; C. rugosus Rehd. & Wils. 43, XY Mu 057, JQ424078, JQ424133, JQ424188, JQ424244, JQ424299; C. scandens L. 74, MP Simmons 1783, BH, JQ424079, JQ424134, JQ424189, JQ424245, JQ424300; C. stylosus Wall. 45, XY Mu 022, JQ424080, JQ424135, JQ424190, JQ424246, JQ424301, C. stylosus Wall. 47, STET 2198, JQ424081, JQ424136, JQ424191, JQ424247, JQ424302; C. subspicatus Hook. 62, AF 4994, BRI, JQ424082 , JQ424137, JQ424192, JQ424248, JQ424303; C. tonkiensis Pitard 83, B Liu 1303, JQ424083, JQ424138, JQ424193, JQ424249, JQ424304; C. vaniotii (Loes.) Rehd. 77, XY Mu 074, JQ424084, JQ424139, JQ424194, JQ424250, JQ424305; C. vaniotii (Loes.) Rehd. 78, XY Mu 075, JQ424085, JQ424140, JQ424195, --, JQ424306; C. virens (Wang & Tang) C.Y. Cheng & T.C. Kao 81, XY Mu 127, JQ424086, JQ424141, JQ424196, JQ424251, JQ424307; C. virens (Wang & Tang) C.Y. Cheng & T.C. Kao 85, XY Mu 187, JQ424087, JQ424142, JQ424197, JQ424252, JQ424308; C. vulcanicolus Donn. 64, RG Alberto et al. 5138, MO, JQ424088, --, JQ424198, --, JQ424309; Euonymus cornutus Hemsl., XY Mu 061, JQ424089, JQ424143, JQ424199, JQ424253, JQ424310; E. nitidus Benth., XY Mu 005, JQ424090, JQ424144, JQ424200, JQ424254, JQ424311; E. wui J.S. Ma, XY Mu 007, JQ424091, JQ424145, JQ424201, JQ424255, JQ424312; Glyptopetalum rhytidophyllum (Chun & F.C. How) C.Y. Cheng, XY Mu 023, JQ424092, JQ424146, JQ424202, JQ424256, JQ424313; Tripterygium regellii Sprague & Takeda, BJ Zheng 008, NEFI, JQ424093, JQ424147, JQ424203 , JQ424257, JQ424314; Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f., B Xu 001, JQ424094, JQ424148, JQ424204, JQ424258, JQ424315.

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Mu, XY., Zhao, LC. & Zhang, ZX. Phylogeny of Celastrus L. (Celastraceae) inferred from two nuclear and three plastid markers. J Plant Res 125, 619–630 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-012-0484-8

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