Phenetic Analysis of Morphological and Molecular Traits in Acanthaceae Juss

Usama K Abdel-Hameed,Mohamed E Tantawy,Mohamed A Salim,Magdy M Mourad,Ishak F Ishak

doi:10.4236/jbm.2015.33004

Abstract

Acanthaceae has received considerable taxonomic attention at the familial, subfamilial, tribal and subtribal levels. Several different infra-familial classifications have been proposed for the Acanthaceae, but no taxonomic consensus has yet been reached. The main objective of the present study is to throw light on the phenetic relationships and to explore the contribution of morphological and molecular characters in systematics of Acanthaceae. The morphological data viz. macromorphology, stomatography, lamina architecture and ISSR profiles of 30 Egyptian acanthaceous taxa were investigated. The phenetic analysis using NTSYS-PC version 2.02 software based on 55 potentially informative morphological and molecular characters indicated that the used morphological and ISSR criteria is likely to be useful and valuable taxonomic traits. The morphological characters and ISSR aspects of all the studied species produced a phenogram that showed two series; one of them had two subseries, the first one comprised only three taxa while the second divided into two clusters, each contained two groups. The delimitation and the membership of the studied taxa clearly merit additional study using more criteria. The phenetic analysis of both morphological and molecular attributes clarified the segregation of genus Avicennia as a distinct identity away from Acanthaceae. Acanthus mollis & A. montanus are isolated in its own series that comparable to tribe Acantheae of the current taxonomic systems. The studied species of Thunbergia are gathered its own subseries that comparable to tribe Thunbergiae and Ruellia in its own group that comparable to tribe Ruellieae.

Highlights

Acanthaceae has received considerable taxonomic attention at the familial, subfamilial, tribal and subtribal levels by various workers, the earlier system of infra-familial classifications of Acanthaceae is that of [1], he subdivided the family on the basis of two to four stamens and recognized either genera viz. Acanthus, Barleria, How to cite this paper: Abdel-Hameed, U.K., Tantawy, M.E., Salim, M.A., Mourad, M.M. and Ishak, I.F. (2015) Phenetic Analysis of Morphological and Molecular Traits in Acanthaceae Juss
The strict consensus tree of [3] and [34] resolved Acanthaceae sensu [2] as a group. These analyses demonstrated that there is no support for separating Thunbergia from Acanthaceae as proposed by [5]
The phenetic analysis of both morphological and molecular attributes generated a dendrogram that clarifies the segregation of genus Avicennia as a distinct identity owing to three characters viz. the shrub habit, the presence of moderately developed areolation and the ocellate adaxial surface sculpture

Summary

Introduction

Acanthaceae has received considerable taxonomic attention at the familial, subfamilial, tribal and subtribal levels by various workers, the earlier system of infra-familial classifications of Acanthaceae is that of [1], he subdivided the family on the basis of two to four stamens and recognized either genera viz. Acanthus, Barleria, How to cite this paper: Abdel-Hameed, U.K., Tantawy, M.E., Salim, M.A., Mourad, M.M. and Ishak, I.F. (2015) Phenetic Analysis of Morphological and Molecular Traits in Acanthaceae Juss. The family has been subjected to various taxonomic treatments and has received attention from many authors; [2] recognized four subfamilies viz. Nelsonioideae, Mendoncioideae, Thunbergioideae and Acanthoideae on the basis of types of fruits, number of ovules and presence or absence of retinacula and their shape. He further subdivides Acanthoideae into two sections (Contortae and Imbricatae)

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Discussion

Conclusion