On the phylogeny of the genus Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae) as inferred from ITS and plastid matK sequences

Abstract

AbstractThe chloroplast gene matK and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) were used to explore taxonomic placement of and phylogeny within Calceolaria and related genera of Calceolarieae (= Calceolariaceae), a group traditionally referred to the polyphyletic Scrophulariaceae. Calceolarieae appear as a strongly supported monophyletic group and receive moderate support as the sister group of the family Gesneriaceae. The monotypic genus Porodittia is deeply nested inside Calceolaria and is reduced to synonymy under the latter genus. The phylogenetic trees retrieved for Calceolaria reveal that many presently recognised sections are polyphyletic. They also suggest that temperate species have retained the most ancestral character states in the genus. The phylogeny of Calceolaria features a number of well supported clades, which are difficult to characterize morphologically. A renewed interpretation of morphological characters diagnosing natural groups within Calceolaria is called for. The role of the Huancabamba Deflection as an important factor in the biogeography of Calceolaria is strongly alluded by the inferred phylogeny.