A PHYLOGENY OF THE EUROPEAN GENTIANS INFERRED FROM CHLOROPLAST TRNL (UAA) INTRON SEQUENCES

Phylogenetic relationships between the European species of the genus G entiana L. (Gentianaceae) were inferred from chloroplast trnL (UAA) in tron sequence data. The phylogeny obtained is largely in accordance wi th the classification of species into sections Gentiana, Megalanthe an d Calathianae. Few synapomorphies support the branching of the main li neages and thus could suggest a rapid radiation following the coloniza tion of Europe. Within section Gentiana, our results are highly congru ent with the previous distinction of G. montserratii Vivant from G. lu tea L. Section Megalanthe is divided into two well separated lineages, both of which comprise calcicole and calcifuge species. The 'star phy logeny' obtained in section Calathianae suggests that most of the taxa speciated almost simultaneously. Relative-rate tests between two line ages suggested that section Chondrophyllae displays higher mutation ra tes than the rest of the genus Gentiana and that cpDNA can violate ass umptions of rate constancy at lower taxonomic level. (C) 1996 The Linn ean Society of London.