Ten new DNA sequences of the 5’ end of the chloroplast ndhF gene, along with 5 new rbcL sequences, were obtained for taxa representing Caprofoliaceae, Valerianaceae, and Dipsacaceae. These were combined with 31 published ndhF sequences, as well as published rbcL sequences and morphological characters. Phylogenetic relationships were estimated using parsimony and maximum likelihood methods. Trees inferred from all datasets and methods are in strong agreement with previous hypotheses based on morphology, rbcL, and combined datasets (M. Donoghue, T. Eriksson, P. Reeves, and R. Olmstead, manuscript in review). There is strong support for the monophyly of traditional Dipsacales and for Adoxaceae (including Viburnum, Sambucus, and Adoxa) and Caprifoliaceae (including Morinaceae, Valerianaceae, and Dipsacaceae). The new sequences also provide additional support for lineages within Adoxaceae and Caprifoliaceae. For example, Tetradoxa and Sinadoxa are related to Adoxa, and Linnaeeae are monophyletic and united with a clade including Morinaceae, Valerianaceae, and Dipsacaceae. We also generated sequence data from several additional chloroplast genes to help resolve phylogenetic relationships within Morinaceae (Morina, Acanthocalyx, and Cryptothladia) and Caprifolieae (Leycesteria, Lonicera, Symphoricarpus, and Triosteum).

Key words: chloroplast genes, Dipsacales, Morinaceae, ndhF, phylogeny, rbcL