<p class="Default">Systematics of Mappia (Icacinaceae), an endemic genus of tropical America

Abstract

Mappia includes four species of trees and shrubs distributed in Central America, Mexico and the Greater Antilles. Mappia has historically been associated with the genera Casimirella (=Humirianthera), Icacina, Leretia and Nothapodytes, collectively comprising the Mappia complex, and over the years authors have merged or maintained these genera based on various lines of morphological and anatomical evidence. Here we present a phylogenetic study of the Mappia complex, based on morphological and molecular data, to assess monophyly of Mappia as well as relationships among other icacinaceous genera. Our results indicate that Mappia is sister to the Asiatic genus Nothapodytes, consistent with previous studies, and that Leretia, Icacina and Casimirella form a clade more closely related to other genera of Icacinaceae (e.g., Alsodeiopsis, Iodes, Phytocrene) than to Mappia+Nothapodytes. These results support recognition of Mappia as a distinct entity, and here we provide an updated taxonomic treatment for the genus, recognizing four species including three from Mexico and Central America (M. longipes, M. mexicana, and M. multiflora) and one from the Greater Antilles (M. racemosa).

Phylogenetic relationships of Icacinaceae focusing on the vining genera

“…This relationship has not been proposed previously, but their bisexual, pentamerous flowers and vining habit are putative synapomorphies (Howard, ). The clade consisting of the Neotropical Mappia and Asiatic Nothapodytes Blume is strongly supported as sister to the rest of the Icacina group (Figs , ), a result consistent with previous studies (Kårehed, ; Angulo et al ., ).…”

“…Recent opportunistic collecting by the authors of additional genera and species not analysed by Kårehed () and Angulo et al . () has provided the opportunity to investigate generic affinities and relationships within the family further. This article aims to investigate the intergeneric phylogenetic relationships within the family and relationships with other early diverging lamiids, and to evaluate the monophyly of those genera for which several species are included in the study.…”

“…and only 16 of the 35 genera of Icacinaceae sensu APG; his morphological analyses included all genera, but Kårehed (2001) was not satisfied with the placement of some of the genera for which DNA data were lacking. Angulo, Duno de Stefano & Stull (2013) sampled Neotropical species, focusing on Mappia Jacq., but with several additional genera sampled. Casimirella Hassl.…”

“…The rarity of many species of Icacinaceae, combined with the often vining habit and unisexual flowers, have made it difficult to obtain adequate material for many genera for molecular analyses because of infrequent and often misidentified field collections. Recent opportunistic collecting by the authors of additional genera and species not analysed by Kårehed (2001) and Angulo et al (2013) has provided the opportunity to investigate generic affinities and relationships within the family further. This article aims to investigate the intergeneric phylogenetic relationships within the family and relationships with other early diverging lamiids, and to evaluate the monophyly of those genera for which several species are included in the study.…”

Systematics and phylogeny of Oecopetalum (Metteniusaceae), a genus of trees endemic to North and Central America

“…The first phylogenetic study of the Icacinaceae, based on combined molecular and morphological characters, showed Oecopetalum to be part of the 'Emmotum group' comprising six genera: Calatola, Emmotum, Oecopetalum, Ottoschulzia, Platea, and Poraqueiba (Kårehed, 2001). Two others studies (Angulo, Duno de Stefano, & Stull, 2013;Byng, Bernardini, Joseph, Chase, & Utteridge, 2014) suggested that Oecopetalum is the sister group of Ottoschulzia. Finally, a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the clade Lamiidae, using extensive data from the plastid genome, proposed a new classification of the whole clade, including the recognition of a reduced Icacinaceae (with 23 genera and 160 species) and an expanded Metteniusaceae (with 11 genera and 59 species; Stull, Duno de Stefano, Soltis, & Soltis, 2015).…”