Abstract
Pachyanthus (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) is traditionally circumscribed as a group of 20 species of Caribbean shrubs, mostly local Cuban endemics. However, the exact number of species is unknown because generic delimitations are still unclear for most genera of Miconieae. To test the monophyly of Pachyanthus, we produced a molecular phylogeny using nrITS and plastid trnS-G sequence data for 38 taxa of Miconieae in the genera Pachyanthus, Calycogonium, Tetrazygia, and Miconia. A species of Graffenrieda, a member of the sister group, Merianieae, was used as an outgroup. In the single-gene and combined analyses Pachyanthus is never recovered as a monophyletic group in any of its traditional circumscriptions. However, it is possible to distinguish a clade, Pachyanthus s.s., which is characterized by ovate to obovate petals that are conspicuously unguiculate; calyx lobes connate before anthesis, that separate into sepal-like segments; straight, ovate to oblong, yellow anthers without connective appendages or, if present, then inconspicuous, anthers dehiscing by small apical pores, and fruits with numerous seeds, 1–2 mm long, obpyramidal, with a smooth testa. The remaining species traditionally included in Pachyanthus do not have any of these features. They do not form a single monophyletic group, but instead are scattered across several clades, which also contain species of Calycogonium, Miconia, and Tetrazygia. Additional detailed molecular and morphological studies are needed in the Miconieae to ascertain whether these clades should be treated as new genera or recircumscribed as part of currently recognized genera in the Caribbean region, such as Calycogonium and Tetrazygia.
Resumen
Pachyanthus (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) ha sido reconocido tradicionalmente como un grupo de unas 20 especies de arbustos caribeños, mayormente endémicos locales de Cuba. Sin embargo, el número exacto de especies es aun desconocido porque las delimitaciones genéricas de la mayoría de los géneros en Miconieae son aun dudosas. Para probar la monofilia de Pachyanthus, se realizó un análisis filogenético molecular con las secuencias de nrITS y de trnS-G del cloroplasto de 38 taxones de Miconieae pertenecientes a los géneros Pachyanthus, Calycogonium, Tetrazygia y Miconia. Como grupo externo se utilizó una especie de Graffenrieda, perteneciente a la tribu hermana Merianeae. En ninguno de los análisis de cada gen por separado, o en el análisis combinado se resuelve Pachyanthus como grupo monofilético como tradicionalmente se ha definido. Sin embargo es posible distinguir un grupo, Pachyanthus s.s., que se caracteriza por poseer pétalos ovados a obovados, conspicuamente unguiculados, lóbulos del cáliz fusionados antes de la antesis, pero que se separan en segmentos a manera de sépalos, anteras ovadas a oblongas, rectas, amarillas, sin apéndices en el conectivo o, si presentes, inconspicuos, dehiscencia de las anteras por un poro apical pequeño, y numerosas semillas de solo 1–2 mm de longitud, obpiramidales, con una testa lisa. Las restantes especies tradicionalmente ubicadas en Pachyanthus no poseen ninguna de esas características. Estas otras especies no forman un grupo monofilético, por el contrario se ubican por varios grupos, que también incluyen especies de Calycogonium, Miconia, y Tetrazygia. Son necesarios nuevos estudios moleculares y morfológicos más detallados, en la tribu Miconieae, para determinar si estos grupos deben ser tratados como nuevos géneros o redefinirlos como parte de otros géneros ya reconocidos del Caribe, tales como Calycogonium y Tetrazygia.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the staff of the herbarium of the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, especially W. Mark Whitten, Norris Williams, and Kent Perkins. Thanks also to Karen L. Kelley and Lynda Schneider from the Electron Microscopy Core Laboratory at the University of Florida. We also thank Javier Francisco Ortega and Eugenio Santiago for organizing the Symposium “Evolución en las Antillas: la Perspectiva Molecular” at the IX Latin American Botanical Congress in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in June 2006, where this research was originally presented. A grant from the International Association of Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) supported, in part, the research of the first author. The National Science Foundation funded portions of this research through grants WJ (DEB-0515636) and FAM (DEB-0515665).
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Bécquer-Granados, E.R., Neubig, K.M., Judd, W.S. et al. Preliminary Molecular Phylogenetic Studies in Pachyanthus (Miconieae, Melastomataceae). Bot. Rev 74, 37–52 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-008-9010-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-008-9010-z