Phylogenetic relationships of Biebersteinia Stephan (Geraniaceae) inferred from rbcL and atpB sequence comparisons

Abstract

Phylogenetic analysis of rbcL and atpB gene sequences from Biebersteinia Stephan (represented by B. orphanidis Boiss.) and from selected taxa of the rosids I and II clades does not support traditional grouping of this genus in Geraniaceae s. s. nor in Geraniales, but indicates strong support for a position nested within Sapindales (as recently delimitated). The rbcL and atpB phylogenies obtained were congruent but differently resolved and do not link Biebersteinia to any other clade within Sapindales. Biebersteinia is on a long branch on its own which, given the particular combination of apomorphic morphological characters, justifies familial status.

Placing Biebersteiniaceae, a herbaceous clade of Sapindales, in a temporal and geographic context

“…Although the molecular data of Bakker et al (1998) provided evidence of a sapindalean rather than geranialean affinity of Biebersteinia, their analysis included only B. orphanidis (and 27 genera of Sapindales compared to 85 included here). Our study now provides strong support for the monophyly of Biebersteinia and its inclusion in Sapindales (with generally 100 bootstrap support and posterior probability, PP; Figs.…”

“…Besides the four species of Biebersteiniaceae, our rbcL matrices include representatives of the other eight families of Sapindales (Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Kirkiaceae, Meliaceae, Nitrariaceae (including Peganaceae and Tetradiclidaceae), Rutaceae, Sapindaceae, and Simaroubaceae) plus representatives of the related orders Malvales, Brassicales, Oxalidales, Geraniales, and Saxifragales (cf. Bakker et al 1998, APG II 2003. Voucher information is given in Wikstro¨m et al (2001) and Muellner et al (2003Muellner et al ( , 2006.…”

“…Biebersteinia, however, never fit well in Geraniaceae in having only one ovule per locule, in its pollen morphology, and in having a gynophore, and Takhtajan (1997) therefore recognized it as a separate order and family (as first suggested by Endlicher 1841). Phylogenetic analyses based on the plastid DNA markers rbcL and atpB revealed that B. orphanidis belongs in the Sapindales, albeit in an isolated position (Bakker et al 1998), and this result is reflected in the classifications of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, which rank Biebersteinia as one of the nine families of the Sapindales (APG 1998, APG II 2003.…”

Comparative floral structure and development of Nitrariaceae (Sapindales) and systematic implications

“…For instance, if Nitraria and Peganum are taken separately, they appear as sister to the remainder of Sapindales in Fernando and Quinn ( 1995 ) and Worberg et al ( 2009 ), but Nitraria appears as sister to the clade of Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae in Wang et al ( 2009 ). If Nitraria and Peganum (including Malacocarpus ) are taken together, they appear as sister to the remainder of Sapindales (Gadek et al, 1996 ;Bakker et al, 1998 ). In contrast, when Tetradiclis is added, Nitrariaceae are nested within Sapindales, but they are either sister to the clade of Anacardiaceae + Burseraceae (Savolainen et al, 2000 ), or appear as the second basal most sapindalean family (Muellner et al, 2007 ).…”

“…Th ey fi rst showed that Nitrariaceae were more closely related to Sapindales of malvids than to the remainder of Zygophyllaceae, which are now in Zygophyllales of fabids ( Fig 8.1 A;Fernando et al, 1995 ;Gadek et al, 1996 ;Sheahan and Chase, 1996 ;Bakker et al, 1998 ;Savolainen et al, 2000 ;Muellner et al, 2007 ;Wang et al, 2009 ;Worberg et al, 2009 ). Th ese studies also showed that Nitraria , Peganum , Malacocarpus and Tetradiclis consistently form a clade, in which Nitraria is always sister to the other three, and Tetradiclis is sister to Peganum + Malacocarpus ( Fig 8.1 B;Sheahan and Chase, 1996 ;Savolainen et al, 2000 ;Muellner et al, 2007 ).…”