PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE JACKFRUIT, THE BREADFRUIT AND 9 OTHER ARTOCARPUS SPP. FROM RFLP ANALYSIS OF AN AMPLIFIED REGION OF CPDNA

The phylogenetic relationships among eleven Artocarpus species, includ ing two economically important species, the jackfruit (A. heterophyllu s Lamk) and the breadfruit (A. altilis Fosberg), were estimated by com paring 30 restriction-site mutations in an amplified region of chlorop last DNA (cpDNA). Neighbor-joining and parsimony analyses were perform ed on the data to identify the relationships. The jackfruit and chempe dak (A. integer Merr.) were monomorphic and therefore indistinguishabl e for all restriction sites. This confirmed the close relationship bet ween these two species. The breadfruit and A. elasticus formed a monop hyletic group with strong support from both neighbor-joining and parsi mony analyses, indicating the possibility that the breadfruit was deri ved from A, elasticus or its close relatives. In general, our results were in agreement with the conventional classifications in Artocarpus species except for the position of A. chaplnsha. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sci ence B.V.