Intergeneric relationships in the Australian Vitaceae: new evidence from cpDNA analysis

Taxa related to important agricultural species are likely to contain a cons iderable amount of potentially valuable genetic diversity. Nevertheless, be fore breeding programs or gene discovery projects can be initiated it is im portant to understand the phylogenetic relationships between the species in volved. A component of a major gene discovery project in grapes at the Cent re for Plant Conservation Genetics (Southern Cross University, Australia) i s directed at the discovery of novel genes in native Vitaceae. As a result a study was conducted in order to assess the phylogenetic relationships bet ween V. vinifera and the native members of the three major Australian gener a: Cayratia, Cissus and Tetrastigma. CpDNA sequence analysis (from the trnL intron) adequately resolved intergeneric relationship between the majority of the species studied and provided some useful new information on the phy logenetic relationships within the Vitaceae. This preliminary project ident ified two species, C. hypoglauca and C. sterculiifolia, as being closely re lated to V. vinifera and worthy of further in-depth investigation.