BAYER, RANDALL J.*, DAVID G. GREBER, AND NEIL H. BAGNALL. Australian National Herbarium, Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia. - A phylogenetic reconstruction of Australian Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) based on four chloroplast and nuclear sequences.
The Gnaphalieae are a group of sunflowers that have their greatest
diversity in Australia, South America, and Southern Africa and are
represented in the Northern hemisphere by relatively few genera. The
objective of this study was to reconstruct a phylogeny of the
Gnaphalieae in Australia using sequence data from three chloroplast
DNA sequences, the trnL intron, trnL/trnF intergenic
spacer, matK and one nuclear sequence, the external transcribed
spacer (ETS) of nrDNA. The primary aim was to test the monophyly of
the Australian endemic subtribe Angianthinae. Results indicate that
two genera, Cratystylis, and Isoetopsis should be
excluded from the Gnaphalieae. Cratystylis aligns with the
Plucheeae and Isoeotopsis allies with the Astereae. In most
trees Pterygopappus, the only member of subtribe Loricariinae
in Australia, comprises a clade that is sister to the remainder of the
Australian Gnaphalieae. The base of the Australian Gnaphalieae is
comprised primarily of genera of woody shrubs or subshrubs of subtribe
Cassiniinae, such as Ozothamnus and Cassinia, from
eastern Australia. Annual western Australian genera, such as
Gnephosis and Angianthus of subtribe Angianthinae,
dominate the derived clades. However, the Australasian subtribe
Angianthinae is non-monophyletic, as are Australiasian members of the
Cassiniinae, and the genus Myriocephalus. Nevertheless, there
is general agreement between our molecular analysis and that of
morphology, particularly in the terminal branches of the trees.
Key words: Angianthinae, Asteraceae, Australia, Gnaphalieae, molecular systematics, phylogeny