A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF MORPHOLOGY, CHLOROPLAST-DNA AND DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE GENUS CRINUM (AMARYLLIDACEAE)

Seven species of the genus Crinum, C. asiaticum L., C. glaucum A. Chev ., C jagus (Thomps.) Dandy, C. latifolium L., C. macowanii Bak., C. po litifolium Wahlstrom, and C. zeylanicum (L.) L., are included in the s tudy. The variation pattern in morphology is compared to the variation pattern found in chloroplast DNA restriction fragment length polymorp hism (RFLP). The different phylogenies established by cladistic analys es based on the two different data sets are not in accordance. The var iation pattern in the chloroplast DNA fits the geographic distribution pattern of the species analysed better than their morphological varia tion pattern. East African taxa studied are linked more closely to the Indian-Pacific ones than they are to the West African ones. If the DN A cladogram reflects the true phylogeny of the species, it indicates t hat conspicuous traits in the flower morphology must be due to paralle l evolution or to reversals. The delimitation of subgenus Crinum and s ubgenus Codonocrinum is not supported.