Molecular phylogeny of Astilbe: Implications for phylogeography and morphological evolution

Abstract

Astilbe (Saxifragaceae) is a genus well known for its disjunctive distribution in Asia and eastern North America. In this study, we reconstructed a molecular phylogeny of the genus using the sequences of ITS regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA. A total of 17 species representing major lineage of Astilbe and closely related taxa were included in the phylogenetic analyses. We obtained a Bayesian phylogenetic tree in which Saxifragopsis was positioned as a sister group to Astilbe. The Japanese endemic species, A.platyphylla was the most basal lineage within the genus. This species is well known for its distinct morphological features such as unisexual flowers, apetaly, and calyx with 7-11 lobes. Two species, A. biternata, a New World representative of the genus, and A. rivularis widely distributed in S. Asia, branched off early in the evolution of Astilbe. The remaining species formed a strongly supported core clade, which diverged into two robust geographical lineages: the first (Japonica clade) of species distributed in Japan, Taiwan, and Philippines and the other (Rubra clade), of taxa in China and Korea. The ITS phylogeny indicates that the Bering land bridges were the major route for the origin and dispersal of A. biternata. The two Taiwanese taxa and A. philippinensis were found to derive from the Japanese member, as the genus advanced southwards. The ITS phylogeny suggests that apetaly originated independently at least two times within the genus. Our results do not support Engler's classification system of the genus based on the leaf type (simple vs. compound), but reaffirm Hara's taxonomic idea which primarily considered the features of calyx.