The Phylogeny of the Alstroemeriaceae, Based on Morphology, rps16 Intron, and rbcL Sequence Data

Abstract

Separate and combined analyses of morphology, rps16, and rbcL data were conducted on a total of 27 Al- stroemeriaceae species including 23 Alstroemeria, three Bomarea ,a ndLeontochir. We wished to examine the monophyly of Alstroemeria and Bomarea as well as explore the phylogenetic position of Leontochir and two controversial monotypic genera segregated from Alstroemeria: Schickendantzia and Taltalia. Monophyly of the Chilean and Brazilian Alstroemeria species were explored. The results support monophyly of the family. Alstroemeria and Bomarea are both monophyletic with the former genus being more strongly supported. Bomarea and the monotypic genus Leontochir form a clade distinguished from Alstroe- meria by a set of morphological characters. Bomarea could not be defined by morphological characters without including Leontochir. Resolution within Alstroemeria is only weakly supported and formal subdivisions should not be made until the Brazilian members are revised and/or more appropriate phylogenetic markers at the species level have been found. Alstroe- meria graminea or A. pygmaea never appear in a position that makes their segregation from Alstroemeria possible (as Taltalia and Schickendantzia, respectively), without making Alstroemeria paraphyletic. The resolution best supported in this study divides Alstroemeria into subclades roughly corresponding to geography: a clade from northern Chile, a clade from central Chile, and a clade containing the Brazilian species. Most of the trans-andean species could not be unambigously placed by this study.