Molecular phylogenetic study of Xamilenis Raf. recognized as the segregate genus in the Sileneae tribe

Abstract

Xamilenis is an oligotypic genus recognized in the Sileneae tribe since 2001. We have considered the justification of recognizing Xamilenis as the small segregate genus by molecular phylogeny methods. We analyzed nuclear (ITS1-5,8S-ITS2) and chloroplast (gene trnL intron) sequences obtained from several species of the genus from different localities and compared a number of other Sileneae species. Phylogeny trees were constructed via the neighbor-joining and Bayesian methods. Xamilenis species did not form a monophyletic clade and were closely related to the Silene species from the Siphonomorpha subgenus. The conception of Xamilenis as a segregate genus was not confirmed by the molecular phylogeny data.