We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree of Chinese vascular plants (Tracheophyta) using sequences of the chloroplast genes atpB, matK, ndhF, and rbcL and mitochondrial matR. We produced a matrix comprising 6098 species and including 13 695 DNA sequences, of which 1803 were newly generated. Our taxonomic sampling spanned 3114 genera representing 323 families of Chinese vascular plants, covering more than 93% of all genera known from China. The comprehensive large phylogeny supports most relationships among and within families recognized by recent molecular phylogenetic studies for lycophytes, ferns (monilophytes), gymnosperms, and angiosperms. For angiosperms, most families in Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV are supported as monophyletic, except for a paraphyletic Dipterocarpaceae and Santalaceae. The infrafamilial relationships of several large families and monophyly of some large genera are well supported by our dense taxonomic sampling. Our results showed that two species of Eberhardtia are sister to a clade formed by all other taxa of Sapotaceae, except Sarcosperma. We have made our phylogeny of Chinese vascular plants publically available for the creation of subtrees via SoTree (http://www.darwintree.cn/flora/index.shtml), an automated phylogeny assembly tool for ecologists.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. The University of Chicago Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to International Journal of Plant Sciences.Dryopteridaceae are a large family of leptosporangiate ferns exhibiting a rich diversity of morphological characteristics and generating many taxonomical controversies. Previous efforts to systematize this large group without a cladistic phylogenetic framework have not reached a consensus on circumscription of the family. In order to circumscribe the family and identify major groups within it, a broadscale phylogenetic analysis was conducted on these ferns plus representatives of putatively related families within the Eupolypods I clade. Two chloroplast loci, rbcL and atpB, were used in this study. A combined analysis of the two genes generated a well-resolved and strongly supported overall phylogeny of the Dryopteridaceae. The results indicate that the Dryopteridaceae form a monophyletic group with the exception of Didymochlaena, Hypodematium, and Leucostegia and are sister to a large clade comprising Lomariopsidaceae, Tectariaceae, Polypodiaceae, Davalliaceae, and Oleandraceae. Of the three previously unincorporated genera, Leptorumohra and Phanerophlebiopsis are nested within the genus Arachniodes, and Diacalpe is closely related to Acrophorus. The genus Pleocnemia, previously classified in Tectariaceae, clearly belongs in Dryopteridaceae and shows a close affinity to Lastreopsis. This study identifies four major lineages within the family, each strongly supported as a monophyletic group. Two large genera, Dryopteris and Polystichum, as traditionally defined, are shown to be polyphyletic and need to be revised in the future.