Phylogenetic position and taxonomic status of the genus Aegialitis and subfamilies Staticoideae and Plumbaginoideae (Plumbaginaceae): evidence from plastid DNA sequences and morphology

Circumscription of Plumbaginaceae is evaluated using sequence data from thr ee plastid regions (rbcL, the intron of trnL and the intergenic spacer of t rnL-trnF) and a morphological dataset of 51 characters. Thirteen species re presenting the major genera of Staticoideae and Plumbaginoideae, as well as one species of Aegialitis, have been analysed using three species of Polyg onaceae as an outgroup. Analyses of the molecular, morphological and combin ed datasets yield similar results. Plumbaginaceae are divided in two well-s upported groups corresponding to subfamilies Staticoideae and Plumbaginoide ae. Aegialitis is sister to the rest of Staticoideae. In the light of these data, we can conclude that the classification of Plumbaginaceae in two sub families is well supported. Moreover, Aegialitis should be regarded as a tr ibe in Staticoideae.