Phylogenetic studies of the tribe Brongniartieae (Fabaceae) using nuclear DNA (ITS-1) and morphological data

Nuclear DNA sequence data (Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 of the 45S rDNA ci stron) and morphological data were used for phylogenetic studies of the tri be Brongniartieae (Fabaceae), a tribe of four Australian and two tropical A merican genera. Alignment of the ITS-1 region was largely unambiguous and t he phylogeny produced using parsimony methods had a high consistency index. Morphological data were mostly congruent with the molecular data and were informative for some nodes where molecular data were lacking. Combining mol ecular and morphological data resulted in a well-resolved phylogeny, Analys es confirm the monophyly of the tribe and show that the American genus Bron gniartia is more closely related to Australian genera than to Harpalyce, th e other American genus in the tribe. There is evidence that the Australian genus Plagiocarpus is related to Brongniartia. Templetonia is polyphyletic. Templetonia biloba, T incana, and Lamprolobium form a monphyletic group. A nalyses also support the recognition of three groups within the Australian endemic genus Hovea.