Polyphyly of the genus Actinodaphne (Lauraceae) inferred from the analyses of nrDNA ITS and ETS sequences

Abstract

A phylogenetic analysis of the genus Actinodaphne (Lauraceae) was conducted using sequences from the nrDNA (nuclear ribosomal DNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and external transcribed spacer (ETS) regions. Maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis methods were employed to analyse the data sets (ITS, ETS and ITS/ETS). All analyses suggested that the sampled Actinodaphne species were not monophyletic, clustering instead as several clades amongst other genera in the tribe Laureae. This result indicates that the generic delimitations between Actinodaphne and related genera need to be reevaluated, and that inflorescence features, which are mostly consistent with the current molecular inferences, might be the both important and reliable characters for their redefinition. However, because of the relatively small number of taxa sampled, and conflicts between the separate analyses, more detailed studies are required to clarify the relationships which emerged in our study and to allow for more precise generic delimitation and hypotheses about phylogeny in Actinodaphne.