DNA-based Phylogenetic Analyses Research Articles

Rediscovery of Lycodongammiei (Blanford, 1878) (Serpentes, Colubridae) in Xizang, China, with comments on its systematic position.

Lycodongammiei (Blanford, 1878), a rarely encountered species of Asian snake, is characterized by ambiguous systematics and biology. Based on a sole specimen of L.gammiei rediscovered in southeastern Xizang, China, we conduct a detailed morphological examination and description, and investigate the systematic position of this species. Morphologically, the newly collected specimen is closely aligned with specimens previously described. Mitochondrial DNA-based phylogenetic analyses reveal that L.gammiei constitutes an independent evolutionary lineage, forming a clade with L.fasciatus (Anderson, 1879), L.gongshan Vogel & Luo, 2011, L.butleri Boulenger, 1900, and L.cavernicolus Grismer, Quah, Anuar, Muin, Wood & Nor, 2014. The closest genetic distance between L.gammiei and its congeners was 10.2%. The discovery of L.gammiei in Medog County, China, signifies an eastward expansion of its known geographical distribution.

Proposal of Brotulella n. gen. for Monogeneans from the Gills of the Pacific Bearded Brotula Brotula clarkae Hubbs, 1944 (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae) Based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence

Based on morphological and molecular data, Brotulella n. gen. is proposed to accommodate the dactylogyrid monogeneans Brotulella laurafernandae n. sp. (type species) and Brotulella luisahelenae n. sp. on the gill filaments of the Pacific bearded brotula Brotula clarkae Hubbs, 1944 (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae) from Puerto Pizarro in the Tumbes region (northern Peru). Species of the new genus are distinguished from all other dactylogyrids by the combination of the following features: (1) anchors with a stocking-shaped sheath associated with the distal end of superficial and deep roots, (2) tandem gonads, (3) a vas deferens looping left intestinal caecum, (4) a distally twisted male copulatory organ (MCO) with a delicate membranous accessory piece articulated to the shaft of the MCO, (5) a U-shaped ovary, (6) an almost sigmoid seminal vesicle, and (7) two prostatic reservoirs with thick muscular walls. A 28S ribosomal DNA-based phylogenetic analysis (Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) of sequences of two new species of Brotulella n. gen. from the Southeastern Pacific Ocean, along with sequences from closely related genera of the marine Dactylogyridae, supports the establishment of the new genus for the dactylogyrid parasites on the gills of the Pacific bearded brotula.

Phylogeny and chemophenetics of the newly described Doronicum ×longeflorens and related Doronicum taxa (Senecioneae, Asteraceae)

Doronicum × longeflorens E.Chr. is a newly discovered, but already long existing, and at least in the East of Schleswig-Holstein/Germany, well established hybrid. The hybrid stems from a crossing of Doronicum columnae Ten. and Doronicum pardalianches L. The newly described taxon has presumably been grown in gardens in Eastern Holstein since decades. The new taxon was characterized morphologically, chemophenetically, and using DNA-based phylogenetic methods. Chemophenetic investigations also included related taxa D. austriacum Jacq., D. clusii (All.) Tausch, D. columnae, D. orientale Hoffm., D. pardalianches, D. plantagineum L. as well as the hybrids D. × excelsum (N.E.Br.) Stace (D. columnae × D. pardalianches × D. plantagineum), and D. × willdenowii (Rouy) A.B.Jacks (D. pardalianches × D. plantagineum). Chemophenetic investigations were performed analyzing the phenolic compounds of flowering heads by UHPLC-DAD-MS. While chemophenetic data showed only slight quantitative differences between the analyzed taxa, data of DNA-based phylogenetic analyses supported the assumption, based on the morphology of the taxon, that D. × longeflorens is a hybrid derived from D. columnae and D. pardalianches.

Highly Resolved Papilionoid Legume Phylogeny Based on Plastid Phylogenomics.

Comprising 501 genera and around 14,000 species, Papilionoideae is not only the largest subfamily of Fabaceae (Leguminosae; legumes), but also one of the most extraordinarily diverse clades among angiosperms. Papilionoids are a major source of food and forage, are ecologically successful in all major biomes, and display dramatic variation in both floral architecture and plastid genome (plastome) structure. Plastid DNA-based phylogenetic analyses have greatly improved our understanding of relationships among the major groups of Papilionoideae, yet the backbone of the subfamily phylogeny remains unresolved. In this study, we sequenced and assembled 39 new plastomes that are covering key genera representing the morphological diversity in the subfamily. From 244 total taxa, we produced eight datasets for maximum likelihood (ML) analyses based on entire plastomes and/or concatenated sequences of 77 protein-coding sequences (CDS) and two datasets for multispecies coalescent (MSC) analyses based on individual gene trees. We additionally produced a combined nucleotide dataset comprising CDS plus matK gene sequences only, in which most papilionoid genera were sampled. A ML tree based on the entire plastome maximally supported all of the deep and most recent divergences of papilionoids (223 out of 236 nodes). The Swartzieae, ADA (Angylocalyceae, Dipterygeae, and Amburaneae), Cladrastis, Andira, and Exostyleae clades formed a grade to the remainder of the Papilionoideae, concordant with nine ML and two MSC trees. Phylogenetic relationships among the remaining five papilionoid lineages (Vataireoid, Dermatophyllum, Genistoid s.l., Dalbergioid s.l., and Baphieae + Non-Protein Amino Acid Accumulating or NPAAA clade) remained uncertain, because of insufficient support and/or conflicting relationships among trees. Our study fully resolved most of the deep nodes of Papilionoideae, however, some relationships require further exploration. More genome-scale data and rigorous analyses are needed to disentangle phylogenetic relationships among the five remaining lineages.

Multiple origins of moss-inhabiting flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): molecular phylogeny, overview of genera and a new genus from Africa

Abstract Flea beetles (Alticini) are a diverse lineage of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with the majority of genera living on vascular plants. However, several genera are associated with mosses or leaf litter, as an alternative strategy, often accompanied by changes in morphology and biology. Here, we present the first comprehensive DNA-based phylogenetic analysis of Alticini including 13 moss-inhabiting genera. We show that moss-association is a common phenomenon in Alticini; based on our ancestral-state mapping, we reveal at least nine independent origins of moss-inhabiting, and four independent origins of leaf-litter-inhabiting life-strategy. Our findings illustrate that both cryptic strategies induce parallel evolution of similar ecomorphological adaptations, such as flight loss and a convex body shape. An overview of known moss-inhabiting flea beetle genera is also provided. We describe Benedictoides munclingeri gen. et sp. nov. from the cloud forests of Mount Cameroon, the first flea beetle genus clearly assigned to the moss-inhabiting strategy from tropical Africa. Additionally, our phylogeny provides new insights into the relationships among various flea beetle genera. We estimate six main clades grouping the majority of studied genera, and propose several new generic groups. Along with our phylogenetic results, we discuss moss-inhabiting flea beetle evolution and perspectives of their systematics.

Five Novel Taxa from Freshwater Habitats and New Taxonomic Insights of Pleurotheciales and Savoryellomycetidae.

Pleurotheciales is the largest order in Savoryellomycetidae with a large proportion of species known from freshwater habitats. In order to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of taxa within Pleurotheciales and contribute to their diversity, submerged wood was collected from freshwater habitats in China (Yunnan Province) and Thailand. Two dematiaceous, sporodochial hyphomycetes and one annulatascales-like ascomycete with unusual morphology as compared to extant ones were discovered. They were subjected to DNA-based phylogenetic analyses and the results revealed three distinct lineages in Savoryellomycetidae. This morpho-phylo taxonomic study supports the establishment of five novel taxa including two novel genera, Obliquifusoideum and Saprodesmium, and three novel species, Coleodictyospora muriformis, Obliquifusoideum guttulatum and Saprodesmium dematiosporum. Coleodictyospora muriformis and S. dematiosporum are placed in Pleurotheciales, while O. guttulatum is referred to Savoryellomycetidae genera incertae sedis. The phylogenetic relationships are also presented for Coleodictyospora and Pseudocoleodictyospora, which raises an intriguing taxonomic issue. These two genera are positioned in two different classes, viz Sordariomycetes and Dothideomycetes, although they are quite similar except for the presence of a conidial sheath. This study expands our knowledge of the fungal diversity of freshwater fungi, and also indicates that Pleurotheciales species are mostly found in freshwater habitats.

Zebrus pallaoroi sp. nov.: a new species of goby (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae) from the Mediterranean Sea with a dna-based phylogenetic analysis of the Gobius-lineage

Abstract The gobies (Gobiidae) are the most diverse fish family in the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, knowledge on their diversity, taxonomy, and phylogenetic relationships is still inadequate. The phylogenetic analyses reveal two genetically highly distinct clades among specimens identified as Zebrus zebrus. A new species, Zebrus pallaoroi sp. nov., is described based on an integrative approach. The neotype of Zebrus zebrus is designated. Genetic data confirm a pronounced level of divergence between Z. pallaoroi and Z. zebrus, with the mean genetic distance on cytochrome b being 18.1% and 1.07% on rhodopsin. Phylogenetic relationships within the Gobius-lineage were estimated on both markers. Morphologically, Z. pallaoroi is distinguished from the only congener Z. zebrus by having a snout longer than its eye, posterior nostril about 4/5–9/10 of the anterior nostril, eye diameter 4.3−4.7 in head length, ventrolateral head ridges transversally connected on the anterior side by a short transversal ridge, anterior membrane midline depth about 2/3 of the spinous ray, head canal pore α diameter about half of the distance between pore ρ and ρ1, suborbital sensory papillae row 5i going downwards to or near the level of row d, the distance between row 5i and row d absent or much smaller than the length of row 5i, and the body with ten to eleven vertical dark brown bands. Zebrus pallaoroi was recorded from the southern Adriatic, northern Ionian, and northern and western Aegean Seas, and is a cryptobenthic fish from very shallow waters.

Hymenochaetaceae (Basidiomycota, Hymenochaetales) from the Guineo-Congolian phytochorion: Phylloporia rinoreae sp. nov., an additional undescribed species from the Forest Global Earth Observatory Plot in Gabon

Background and aims – The aim of this study is the continuation of an ongoing survey of Hymenochaetaceae (Basidiomycota, Hymenochaetales) from the lower Guinean sub-region in Central Africa. In this frame, a new species of Phylloporia is described from Gabon, based on morphological, ecological and phylogenetic data. Methods – The species is described using morphological methods, and ecological data. DNA-based phylogenetic analysis are also used to search for affinities.Key results – A new species of Phylloporia, P. rinoreae, is described based on specimens collected on living twigs of a shrubby Rinorea species (Violaceae), occurring in the Guineo-Congolian rain forest. Phylogenetic inferences using DNA sequence data from partial nuc 28S (region including the D1/D2/D3 domains) resolved this species as a distinct clade within the Phylloporia lineage. An identification key to the species reported from the Guineo-Congolian phytochorion is provided.Conclusion – Phylloporia rinoreae is the seventh species of the genus described from and so far only known from Gabon in the Lower Guinean phytogeographical sub-region.

DNA-based phylogenetic analysis of mugwort for moxibustion from Japan, China, and South Korea

IntroductionMoxibustion, along with acupuncture, is an important therapeutic approach in traditional East Asian medicine. As such, the burning of moxa floss on the skin to thermally stimulate body surfaces.Presently, moxa floss is manufactured from mugwort leaves mainly in Japan, China, and South Korea. The genus Artemisia, to which the mugwort belongs, reportedly includes more than 250 wild species in the world and more than 30 in Japan.This study was conducted to characterize Japanese moxa floss by identifying various varieties of moxa floss mugwort (MFM) material collected from leading places of moxa floss production in the world by DNA-based phylogenetic analysis. MethodsDNA was extracted from Japanese mugwort (9 families), South Korean dry mugwort (1 family), and Chinese dry moxa floss (4 types), and the nuclear DNA ITS and chloroplast DNArpl32-trnL, trnQ-5′rps16, and trnH-psbA regions were sequenced. ResultsAll Japanese mugwort samples were found to have the same DNA sequence in the ITS region; there were no location-specific sequences. Chinese and South Korean mugwort samples were found to have species-specific mutations, and their mutated sequence was found to be identical to the sequence ofA. argyi, a species remote from Japanese Artemisia. Discussion/conclusionsBy identifying the various MFM varieties in Japan as the same species, this study showed that Japanese moxa floss can be characterized not only by manufacturing process, but also by raw material. The identification is also believed to provide basic information to understand the historical changes of places of MFM production.

Using Morphology to Test DNA-Based Phylogenetic Relationships within the Guiana Shield Catfish Tribe Lithoxini (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)

As DNA-based phylogenetic analyses have exploded, historically phenotype-based evolutionary hypotheses throughout the tree of life have been rewritten. However, rarely are DNA-based phylogenetic hypotheses tested via the reanalysis of phenotypic data. Skeletons representing all four recognized genera of the Guiana Shield endemic suckermouth armored catfish clade Lithoxini were examined to test a recently published DNA-based phylogenetic hypothesis using morphological evidence. Phylogenetic analysis of 54 mostly osteological characters yielded a single most parsimonious tree of 90 steps that was congruent with the molecular hypothesis: (Avalithoxus, ((Exastilithoxus), (Lithoxus, Paralithoxus))). Lithoxini was a well-supported clade with 20 synapomorphies, as was each of the genera within this clade. Avalithoxus jantjae, which was originally described in Lithoxus, was found to be missing the unique synapomorphies of Lithoxus Paralithoxus: a spoon-shaped, ventrally oriented process on the metapterygoid and a process on the preoperculo-hyomandibular ridge.

Two New Temperate Polypore Species of Skeletocutis (Polyporales, Basidiomycota)

DNA-based phylogenetic analyses have revealed more species in the fungal genus Skeletocutis than has traditionally been acknowledged. Here we describe two resupinate species as new: S. delicata Niemela & Miettinen and S. exilis Miettinen & Niemela. They are very similar to S. brevispora, S. papyracea and S. kuehneri, but differ from them mostly by their spore size and pore characteristics. The relationships of these species are discussed, and the importance of exact spore measurements is emphasized. Skeletocutis friata Niemela & Saaren. is reduced to synonymy under Tyromyces chioneus, and misidentifications of some published records are corrected.

New combinations in Campanulorchis (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae): a reappraisal of the genus

Tribe Podochileae are a systematically highly challenging orchid group. Although the delimitation of Podochileae is relatively stable and monophyly of this tribe was confirmed by DNA-based phylogenetic analysis (Ng 2002), taxonomic categories within this group have changed frequently. Some groups are well separated morphologically and have been widely accepted as separate genera for a long time, whereas the majority of species was usually placed into a single genus Eria Lindley (1825: 904). Morphological traits have indicated polyphyly of this genus, which led some authors at various times to propose segregate genera. Nevertheless, these concepts were poorly supported by relevant data, and other authors retained these species in Eria s.l. Finally, combined DNA analysis confirmed the polyphyly of Eria (Ng 2002) and resulted in recognition of several previously neglected groups at generic level (Cribb & Ng 2005), including Campanulorchis Brieger (1981: 750).Campanulorchis was originally proposed by Brieger (1981) with the single species C. globifera Brieger (1981: 750). Seidenfaden (1982, 1992) demonstrated that this species was likely to be closely related to other species of Eria and classified it in Eria sect. Strongylaria Pfitzer (1888: 175). Later, Seidenfaden (1992) suggested separation of E. pannea Lindley (1842: 64) from remaining Indochinese species of E. section Strongylaria. Phylogenetic analyses of Ng (2002) confirmed polyphyly of the section Strongylaria. The type species of E. section Strongylaria, E. pannea, was transferred to Mycaranthes Blume (1825: 352; Chen & Wood 2009), and three of the remaining taxa were transferred to a revised concept of Campanulorchis (Ng & Cribb 2005, Cribb & Ng 2005): C. globifera, C. leiophylla (Lindley 1858: 57) Ng & Cribb (2005: 272) and C. pellipes (Riechenbach in Hooker 1890: 802) Ng & Cribb (2005: 272). Four years later Chen & Wood (2009) added C. thao (Gagnepain 1950: 503) Chen & Wood (2009: 346) because it shares many morphological characters with the other Campanulorchis species, especially with C. globifera. Finally, C. pseudoleiophylla (Wood 1981: 209) Wood (2011: 176) was added (Wood et al. 2011) because this species is morphologically similar to C. leiophylla (Wood 1981). Thus, five species were accepted in the most recent orchid classification (Chase et al. 2015, Govaerts 2017). Here I add two more species to Campanulorchis.

A DNA-Based Assessment of the Phylogenetic Position of a Morphologically Distinct, Anchialine-Lake-Restricted Seahorse.

Isolated populations provide special opportunities to study local adaptation and incipient speciation. In some cases, however, morphological evolution can obscure the taxonomic status of recently founded populations. Here, we use molecular markers to show that an anchialine-lake-restricted population of seahorses, originally identified as Hippocampus reidi, appears on the basis of DNA data to be Hippocampus erectus We collected seahorses from Sweetings Pond, on Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, during the summer of 2014. We measured morphological traits and sequenced 2 genes, cytochrome b and ribosomal protein S7, from 19 seahorses in our sample. On the basis of morphology, Sweetings Pond seahorses could not be assigned definitively to either of the 2 species of seahorse, H. reidi and H. erectus, that occur in marine waters surrounding the Bahamas. However, our DNA-based phylogenetic analysis showed that the Sweetings Pond fish were firmly nested within the H. erectus clade with a Bayesian posterior probability greater than 0.99. Thus, Sweetings Pond seahorses most recently shared a common ancestor with H. erectus populations from the Western Atlantic. Interestingly, the seahorses from Sweetings Pond differ morphologically from other marine populations of H. erectus in having a more even torso to tail length ratio. The substantial habitat differences between Sweetings Pond and the surrounding coastal habitat make Sweetings Pond seahorses particularly interesting from the perspectives of conservation, local adaptation, and incipient speciation.

A polyphasic approach for characterization of a collection of cereal isolates of the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex

DNA-based phylogenetic analyses have resolved the fungal genus Fusarium into multiple species complexes. The F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) includes fusaria associated with several diseases of agriculturally important crops, including cereals. Although members of FIESC are considered to be only moderately aggressive, they are able to produce a diversity of mycotoxins, including trichothecenes, which can accumulate to harmful levels in cereals. High levels of cryptic speciation have been detected within the FIESC. As a result, it is often necessary to use approaches other than morphological characterization to distinguish species. In the current study, we used a polyphasic approach to characterize a collection of 69 FIESC isolates recovered from cereals in Europe, Turkey, and North America. In a species phylogeny inferred from nucleotide sequences from four housekeeping genes, 65 of the isolates were resolved within the Equiseti clade of the FIESC, and four isolates were resolved within the Incarnatum clade. Seven isolates were resolved as a genealogically exclusive lineage, designated here as FIESC 31. Phylogenies based on nucleotide sequences of trichothecene biosynthetic genes and MALDI-TOF MS (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry) were largely concordant with phylogeny inferred from the housekeeping gene. Finally, Liquid Chromatography (Time-Of-Flight) Mass Spectrometry [LC-(TOF-)MS(/MS)] revealed variability in mycotoxin production profiles among the different phylogenetic species investigated in this study.

Phylogeny and differentiation of the St genome in Elymus L. sensu lato (Triticeae; Poaceae) based on one nuclear DNA and two chloroplast genes.

BackgroundHybridization and polyploidization can be major mechanisms for plant evolution and speciation. Thus, the process of polyploidization and evolutionary history of polyploids is of widespread interest. The species in Elymus L. sensu lato are allopolyploids that share a common St genome from Pseudoroegneria in different combinations with H, Y, P, and W genomes. But how the St genome evolved in the Elymus s. l. during the hybridization and polyploidization events remains unclear. We used nuclear and chloroplast DNA-based phylogenetic analyses to shed some light on this process.ResultsThe Maximum likelihood (ML) tree based on nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (nrITS) data showed that the Pseudoroegneria, Hordeum and Agropyron species served as the St, H and P genome diploid ancestors, respectively, for the Elymus s. l. polyploids. The ML tree for the chloroplast genes (matK and the intergenic region of trnH-psbA) suggests that the Pseudoroegneria served as the maternal donor of the St genome for Elymus s. l. Furthermore, it suggested that Pseudoroegneria species from Central Asia and Europe were more ancient than those from North America. The molecular evolution in the St genome appeared to be non-random following the polyploidy event with a departure from the equilibrium neutral model due to a genetic bottleneck caused by recent polyploidization.ConclusionOur results suggest the ancient common maternal ancestral genome in Elymus s. l. is the St genome from Pseudoroegneria. The evolutionary differentiation of the St genome in Elymus s. l. after rise of this group may have multiple causes, including hybridization and polyploidization. They also suggest that E. tangutorum should be treated as C. dahurica var. tangutorum, and E. breviaristatus should be transferred into Campeiostachys. We hypothesized that the Elymus s. l. species origined in Central Asia and Europe, then spread to North America. Further study of intraspecific variation may help us evaluate our phylogenetic results in greater detail and with more certainty.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12870-015-0517-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Assessing the potential for reverse colonization among Japanese birds by mining DNA barcode data

Reverse colonization from an island to a continent runs counter to the classic models of speciation in island biogeography. We mined the Barcode of Life Data Systems and generated mitochondrial DNA-based phylogenetic analyses for 118 Japanese bird species to identify candidates for reverse colonization histories from Japan to mainland Asia. Mitochondrial DNA tree topologies suggested 5 strong and 35 weak candidate species for reverse colonization from Japan to mainland Asia. Thirty-nine mitochondrial DNA topologies contradicted a reverse colonization hypothesis. For the remaining 39 species the ancestral distribution is ambiguous from the available mitochondrial DNA gene tree topology. A combination of geography and climatic and geologic history are likely drivers of avian speciation in the Japanese Islands and subsequent reverse colonization events to mainland Asia. These data highlight the utility of large scale DNA barcoding databases in generating phylogenetic and biogeographic hypotheses.

One step closer to eliminating the nomenclatural problems of minute coccoid green algae: Pseudochloris wilhelmii, gen. et sp. nov. (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta)

‘Chlorella’ and ‘Nannochloris’ were traditional genera of minute coccoid green algae with numerous species described in the past century, including isolates used as experimental test organisms. In the last few years, the introduction of DNA-based phylogenetic analyses resulted in a large number of taxonomic revisions. We investigated and reclassified a taxonomically problematic group within the Trebouxiophyceae (comprising ‘Nannochloris eucaryotum’ UTEX 2502, ‘N. eucaryotum’ SAG 55.87 and ‘Chlorella minutissima’ SAG 1.80), distantly related to the recently described Chloroparva isolates (97.5–97.9 % 18S rRNA gene pairwise similarity). Cryopreserved material of SAG 55.87 was selected as holotype for a novel species – Pseudochloris wilhelmii Somogyi, Felföldi & Vörös – whose phylogenetic position confirmed the proposal of a new genus. Pseudochloris wilhelmii had spherical to oval cells with an average diameter of 2.6 × 2.8 µm and a simple ultrastructure characteristic of small green algae. Vegetative cells sometimes contained several lipid droplets occupying a large portion of the cells. The cell wall consisted of an outer trilaminar layer and an inner microfibrillar sheet. Cells divided by autosporulation, forming two or four daughter cells per autosporangium. The pigment composition was typical of green algae, with chlorophylls a and b, and lutein as the dominant carotenoid.

Genetic and morphological data support placement of Myrmotherula gularis (Spix) in the monotypic genus Rhopias Cabanis and Heine (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae)

Recent DNA-based phylogenetic analyses of the family Thamnophilidae have shown that the genus Myrmotherula is polyphyletic. Traditional plumage-based taxonomy has been misleading in terms of identifying independently evolving lineages within the complex. Here, we integrate a molecular phylogeny with morphometric information and ancestral reconstruction of syringeal character states of the Musculi vocales ventrales, to investigate the taxonomic position of M. gularis, a species for which phylogenetic affinities have long been uncertain. We show that M. gularis represents a long branch in the tribe Thamnophilini that is not closely related to any other member of the Myrmotherula complex. Its relationships within the tribe remain uncertain because of the lack of phylogenetic resolution at the base of the tribe. M. gularis shares a derived character state of the M. vocalis ventralis with Taraba, Hypoedaleus, and Mackenziaena, which supports a close relationship between M. gularis and the large antshrikes. M. gularis can be diagnosed from Myrmotherula and Epinecrophylla by this condition of its M. vocalis ventralis, and from Isleria by plumage and other morphological traits. The phylogenetic and morphological distinctiveness of M. gularis does not warrant merging it into any other genus. We propose that this species be placed in a monotypic genus, for which the available name Rhopias applies.

Molecular phylogeny of Armillaria from the Patagonian Andes

A number of species in the plant pathogen genus Armillaria are known from South America where they cause root rot disease on a wide variety of hosts. Knowledge pertaining to phylogenetic relationships of these species with those of other Armillaria species is almost non-existent. In addition, very few cultures representing these species are available, making DNA-based phylogenetic analyses impossible. The aim of this study was to characterise a collection of Armillaria isolates from the Patagonian Andes using DNA sequences and to determine their phylogenetic relationships with other Armillaria species. DNA sequences were obtained from the internal transcribed regions (ITS1, 5.8S and ITS4) and ribosomal large subunit (LSU) gene and used in phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic trees generated from the sequences separated the Armillaria isolates into four lineages. Lineages I and II represented A. novae-zelandiae and A. luteobubalina, respectively. Isolates belonging to A. novae-zelandiae from Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and South America showed considerable intra-clade sub-structure. Lineages III and IV are probably distinct species and are most closely related to A. hinnulea and an unnamed species isolated from New Zealand and Kenya. This is the first comprehensive study of the phylogenetic relationships of Armillaria species from Patagonia and it provides a foundation for future research in this region.

Chromosome Numbers in Veroniceae (Plantaginaceae): Review and Several New Counts1

Chromosomal evolution in Veronica L. and related genera (Wulfenia Jacq., Wulfeniopsis D. Y. Hong, Paederota L., Lagotis Gaertn., Picrorhiza Royle ex Benth., and Veronicastrum Heist. ex Fabr.; Veroniceae, Plantaginaceae; formerly Scrophulariaceae) is presented. To this end, we conducted an extensive literature survey of more than 400 publications covering ca. 300 out of 500 species in the tribe. We also report 44 new chromosome counts. Chromosome numbers of Veronica hispidula Boiss. & Huet. (2n = 18, 36) and V. reuteriana Boiss. (2n = 28, 42) are reported for the first time, and both species exhibit intraspecific ploidy level variation. Other new counts confirm chromosome numbers reported previously. The evolution of chromosome numbers in Veroniceae is discussed in light of recent results from DNA-based phylogenetic analyses. Most of the subgenera of Veronica exhibit only one single basic number, i.e., x = 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, or 20/21. In this genus, the putative ancestral base number of 9 has been reduced several times to 8 and 7, respectively (aneuploidy/dysploidy), often associated with transition to annual life history. In contrast, no unambiguous increase of chromosome base number has been inferred. A table that includes all species of Veroniceae and, if known, their chromosome number and full sectional and subsectional classification in Veronica is provided. For this purpose, three new combinations have been introduced (Veronica sect. Acinifolia (Römpp) Albach, Veronica sect. Glandulosae (Römpp) Albach, and Veronica subsect. Cochlidiosperma (Rchb.) Albach).