Phenetic relationships between Juan Fernandez and continental Chilean species of Sophora (Fabaceae) based on flavonoid patterns

Twenty-three flavonoids were isolated from the leaves of two species of Sop hora (Fabaceae) from the Juan Fernandez Islands (S.. fernandeziana and S. m asafuerana), two related species from continental Chile (S. macrocarpa and S. microphylla) and one sample from New Zeland (S. microphylla). A phenetic analysis was used to evaluate chemical similarities. Flavonoid profiles su ggest that Chilean and New Zealand populations of S. microphylla are most c losely related to each other. Sophora masafuerana appears most closely rela ted to S. microphylla and this pair of species is also fairly closely relat ed to S. fernandeziana. S. macrocarpa is more distantly related to the clus ter of other species. The results suggest that the two Juan Fernandez endem ic species are derived from two separate introductions. The exact origin of S. masafuerana remains unclear, as the evidence does not enable us to dist inguish between or clarify its possible relationships with New Zealand or S outh American populations.