Phylogeny and trait variation of Japanese Rubus subgenus Ideaobatus

Abstract

Rubus L. subgenus Idaeobatus is one of the largest groups comprising mostly diploid species within the genus. Idaeobatus species is distributed throughout Japan, showing a wide range of trait variation and climatic distribution. We constructed phylogenetic trees of Idaeobatus that are naturally distributed in Japan. The Bayesian and ML phylogenetic tree found that this subgenus was polyphyletic with at least three genetic groups. The phylogenetic tree of Japanese Idaeobatus also reflects the trait variations for flower colors, fruit colors, and leaf shape (simple vs compound). The species that occurs in subtropical climates was found to be closely related to their sister temperate species in Japanese Idaeobatus. Crossability generally reflected the phylogenetic distances between species. Trait diversity and its phylogenetic relationship among Japanese Idaeobatus can provide additional insights for future breeding and ecological and evolutionary studies.