PHYLOGENY OF THE RUBIACEAE RUBIOIDEAE, IN PARTICULAR THE TRIBE RUBIEAE - EVIDENCE FROM A NONCODING CHLOROPLAST DNA-SEQUENCE

A phylogenetic analysis of 39 species of the tribe Rubieae and of 15 t axa belonging to 12 other tribes of Rubiaceae has been performed using the DNA sequence of the chloroplast atpB-rbcL intergene region. The s ubfamily Rubioideae may be characterized as a monophylum, i.e., by a c haracteristic 204-bp deletion, shared by the representative tribes Coc cocypseleae, Psychotrieae, Hedyotideae (paraphyletically linked to Spe rmacoceae) Anthospermeae, Theligoneae, and Paederieae, which, in this order, step-wise approach the advanced Rubieae. This tribe is clearly monophyletic and characterized by an additional 50-bp deletion. Five c lades can be recognized within Rubieae, which mostly corroborate, but also partly contradict, traditional groupings (i.e., Galium and Asperu la appear to be of polyphyletic origin); some of these results may hav e taxonomic implications.