Molecular systematics of Malpighiaceae: Evidence from plastid rbcL and matK sequences

Phylogenetic analyses of DNA nucleotide sequences from the plastid genes rb cL and matK were employed to investigate intergeneric relationships within Malpighiaceae. Cladistic relationships generated from the independent data matrices for the family are generally in agreement with those from the comb ined matrix. At the base of Malpighiaceae are several clades mostly represe nting genera from a paraphyletic subfamily Byrsonimoideae. Intergeneric rel ationships among these byrsonimoid malpighs are well supported by the boots trap. and the tribe Galphimeae is monophyletic. There is also a well-suppor ted clade of genera corresponding to tribes Banisterieae plus Gaudichaudiea e present in all trees, and many of the relationships among these banisteri oid malpighs are well supported by the bootstrap. However, tribes Hiraeae a nd Tricomarieae (the hiraeoid malpighs) are paraphyletic and largely unreso lved. Species of Mascagnia are distributed throughout these hiraeoid clades , confirming the suspected polyphyly of this large genus. Optimization of s elected morphological characters on these trees demonstrates clear phylogen etic trends such as the evolution of globally symmetrical from radially sym metrical pollen, increased modification and sterilization of stamens. and s witch from base chromosome number n = 6 to n = 10.