The specific status of Melastoma kudoi (Melastomataceae, Melastomeae)

Jin-Hong Dai,Qiu-Jie Zhou,Che-Wei Lin,Chun-Mei Li,Ren-Chao Zhou,Ying Liu

doi:10.1186/s40529-019-0253-2

Jin-Hong Dai, Qiu-Jie Zhou + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-019-0253-2

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Abstract

BackgroundMelastoma has undergone rapid species radiation during the last one million years, and circumscription of some species in the genus has remained controversial. Melastoma kudoi, an erect species narrowly endemic to central Taiwan was previously treated as a synonym of M. intermedium, a semicreeping hybrid between the erect species M. candidum and the creeping M. dodecandrum, making its identity questionable. We addressed this question based on molecular and morphological data.ResultsPhylogenetic analyses based on nrITS sequence data revealed that M. kudoi is most closely related to M. dodecandrum. Further analyses of six nuclear genes (cam, chi, gapC, gbss, tpi and vr) and two chloroplast markers (trnL–trnF and psbA) showed that M. kudoi is well diverged from its close relatives. Morphologically, it is also easily distinguished from related species by its erect habit, center-positioned stigma, and spreading, basally enlarged hairs on the hypanthium.ConclusionsBoth molecular phylogenetic and morphological data suggest that M. kudoi is well separated from M. intermedium, M. dodecandrum, and O. scaberrima, and should be treated as a distinct species. Taxonomic treatment and detailed description of M. kudoi are provided.

Highlights

Melastoma has undergone rapid species radiation during the last one million years, and circumscrip‐ tion of some species in the genus has remained controversial
Aside from the above taxa, four other species of Melastoma and one species of Osbeckia L., viz. M. intermedium, M. malabathricum, M. normale, M. sanguineum, and Osbeckia nepalensis Hook. were combined into the analyses using nrITS sequences downloaded from GenBank
M. candidum was selected as an outgroup, and M. kudoi, M. dodecandrum and Otanthera scaberrima as ingroups for subsequent analyses

Summary

Introduction

Melastoma has undergone rapid species radiation during the last one million years, and circumscrip‐ tion of some species in the genus has remained controversial. An erect species narrowly endemic to central Taiwan was previously treated as a synonym of M. intermedium, a semicreeping hybrid between the erect species M. candidum and the creeping M. dodecandrum, making its identity questionable. We addressed this question based on molecular and morphological data.

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