A preliminary phylogenetic study of Paraphlomis (Lamiaceae) based on molecular and morphological evidence

Abstract

Paraphlomis is a genus of Lamiaceae with about 30 species distributed mainly in subtropical China. In this study, we carried out the first molecular phylogenetic analyses to elucidate the relationships within the genus based on two nuclear and four plastid DNA regions. Our results, which recovered a species of Matsumurella within Paraphlomis , indicate that the genus is not monophyletic. The two sections and most of the series previously described within the genus are also shown to be polyphyletic. Combining with morphological evidence, our study indicates that nutlet morphology rather than calyx morphology is of phylogenetic value for the infrageneric classification of Paraphlomis . Moreover, P. jiangyongensis , a new species from southern China, is here described, and P . coronata , formerly treated as a variety of P . javanica , is here resurrected as a distinct species within the genus.

Paraphlomis jinggangshanensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from Jiangxi, China

“…The aligned sequences of ITS were 627 bp in length. The resulting phylogenetic tree of Paraphlomis in this study was similar to that in a previous study ( Chen et al 2021 ). Our putative new species formed a separate branch (Fig.…”

“…Our putative new species formed a separate branch (Fig. 1 : ML = 62) that was sister to the previously suggested clades II, and IV by Chen et al (2021) . Fruit morphology is the main factor to distinguish subordinate grades of Paraphlomis .…”

“…The nuclear DNA Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) was used for reconstructing the phylogeny of the suspected new species and related taxa based on previous study (Chen et al 2021;Chen et al 2022a). Most sequences were downloaded from GenBank, except for the new species, which was newly sequenced in the present study.…”

“… Paraphlomis (Prain) Prain, a member of the tribe Paraphlomideae Bendiksby ( Lamiaceae : Lamioideae ) ( Bendiksby et al 2011 ; Li et al 2016 ; Zhao et al 2021 ), is characterized by its herbaceous habit, actinomorphic calyx with five lobes less than half as long as the tube, corolla 2-lipped (1/3) with hairy upper lip but hardly bearded along the margin, included stamens and an apically truncate ovary ( Wu and Li 1977 ; Bendiksby et al 2011 ; Ko et al 2014 ; Chen et al 2021 ). Paraphlomis is endemic to eastern and southeastern Asia, including China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam ( Li and Hedge 1994 ; Ko et al 2014 ; Zhang et al 2020 ; Chen et al 2021 ).…”

Two new species and a new combination from Zhejiang, East China

“…Notes. Twenty-eight species with nine varieties within the genus Paraphlomis are currently recognized, which are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical evergreen and mixed forests (Chen et al 2021). Li (1965) revised Paraphlomis from China and 21 species with eight varieties were recognized.…”