Molecular phylogenetics and the morphology of the Lycopodiaceae subfamily Huperzioideae supports three genera: Huperzia, Phlegmariurus and Phylloglossum.

Abstract

The generic classification of huperzioid Lycopodiaceae was tested using Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from four chloroplast loci for 119 taxa and optimisation of 29 morphological characteristics onto the phylogeny. Consistent with previous studies, the subfamilies Lycopodioideae and Huperzioideae are monophyletic and diagnosable by synapomorphies that correlate with differences in their life-histories. Within the Huperzioideae, the monophyly of the widely adopted genus Huperzia (excl. Phylloglossum) is poorly supported. Three clades of huperzioid Lycopodiaceae were recovered in all analyses of molecular data: Phylloglossum drummondii, Huperzia sensu stricto and Phlegmariurus sensu lato. These clades are strongly supported by morphological characters, including differences in spores, gametophytes, sporophyte macro-morphology, as well as growth habit and life-histories. Our findings indicate that either a one-genus (Huperzia s.l.) or a three-genus (Phylloglossum, Huperzia s.s. and Phlegmariurus s.l.) classification of huperzioid Lycopods are equally supported by molecular evidence, but a two-genus system (Huperzia s.l.+Phylloglossum) is not. We recommend recognising three genera in the huperzioid Lycopodiaceae, as this classification best reflects evolutionary, ecological, and morphological divergence within the lineage.