BUTHOD, AMY AND MIA MOLVRAY.* Dept. of Botany-Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019. - Sectional Relationships in Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae).
Bulbophyllum has approximately 1500 species distributed
throughout the Old and New World tropics. Many segregate genera have
been established, and Bulbophyllum itself has been subdivided
into 6-8 subgenera and numerous sections. Some sections are poorly
circumscribed and many morphological characters cannot be
unambiguously partitioned into discrete states. We have used
nucleotide data in an attempt to clarify relationships in
Bulbophyllum. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of
nuclear ribosomal DNA was chosen because initial data indicate
sequence divergence levels in this region range from 2%-12%.
Preliminary results indicate that some of the segregate genera
proposed are not supported by molecular data although some sections
may be supported.
Key words: Bulbophyllum,ITS,molecular systematics,Orchidaceae