Phylogeny of the Celastraceae inferred from phytochrome B gene sequence and morphology

Phylogenetic relationships within Celastraceae were inferred using a simult aneous analysis of 61 morphological characters and 1123 base pairs of phyto chrome B exon 1 from the nuclear genome. No gaps were inferred. and the gen e tree topology suggests that the primers were specific to a single locus t hat did not duplicate among the lineages sampled. This region of phytochrom e B was most useful for examining relationships among closely related gener a. Fifty-one species from 38 genera of Celastraceae were sampled. The Celas traceae sensu late (including Hippocrateaceae) were resolved as a monophyle tic group. Loesener's subfamilies and tribes of Celastraceae were not suppo rted. The Hippocrateaceae were resolved as a monophyletic group nested with in a paraphyletic Celastraceae sensu stricto. Goupia was resolved as more c losely related to Euphorbiaceae, Corynocarpaceae. and Linaceae than to Cela straceae. Plagiopteron (Flacourtiaceae) was resolved as the sister group of Hippocrateoideae. Brexia (Brexiaceae) was resolved as closely related to E laeodendron and Pleurostylia. Canotia was resolved as the sister group of A canthothamnus within Celastraceae. Perrottetia and Mortonia were resolved a s the sister group of the rest of the Celastraceae. Siphonodon was resolved as a derived member of Celastraceae. Maytenus was resolved as three dispar ate groups, suggesting that this large genus needs to be recircumscribed.