Abstract
Antrophyum is one of the largest genera of vittarioid ferns (Pteridaceae) and is most diverse in tropical Asia and the Pacific Islands, but also occurs in temperate Asia, Australia, tropical Africa and the Malagasy region. The only monographic study of Antrophyum was published more than a century ago and a modern assessment of its diversity is lacking. Here, we reconstructed a comprehensively sampled and robustly supported phylogeny for the genus based on four chloroplast markers using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses. We then explored the evolution of the genus from the perspectives of morphology, systematics and historical biogeography. We investigated nine critical morphological characters using a morphometric approach and reconstructed their evolution on the phylogeny. We describe four new species and provide new insight into species delimitation. We currently recognize 34 species for the genus and provide a key to identify them. The results of biogeographical analysis suggest that the distribution of extant species is largely shaped by both ancient and recent dispersal events.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Cladistics : the international journal of the Willi Hennig Society
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.