Phylogeny of Abies (Pinaceae) inferred from nrITS sequence data

Abstract

Abies comprises ~48 species with a disjunct distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the economic and ecological importance of the genus, phylogenetic relationships among the species remain unclear. The complete nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was sequenced for 31 species of Abies and its outgroup Keteleeria to reconstruct the phylogeny of the genus. The results revealed three small subrepeats with a motif (5′-GGCCACCCTAGTC-3′), that is conserved across Pinaceae, and the 298 bp large subrepeats, specific to Abies occurring in all firs. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS recovered nine of the ten formerly recognized sections (sects. Abies, Amabilis, Balsamea, Bracteata, Grandis, Momi, Nobilis, Piceaster, Pseudopicea). The results suggest merging sect. Oiamel and Grandis. The monophyly of western North American species is suggested with robust support by ML and MP analysis. A close relationship between European and Asian species is also inferred, but with weak support.

Ectomycorrhization of Tricholoma matsutake with Abies veitchii and Tsuga diversifolia in the subalpine forests of Japan

“…ITS2 sequences of A. veitchii were obtained using the newly designed primer P5.8S, and exhibited complete identity (208/208; 100%) to that of A. veitchii sequence EF063713 (Xiang et al 2009). ITS2 sequencing was also used to confirm T. diversifolia, with complete identity (206/206; 100%) to that of T. diversifolia sequence EF395494 (Havill et al 2008).…”

Natural hybridization in eastern-Mediterranean firs: The case ofAbies borisii-regis

“…According to Farjon (2010), it comprises 59 species organized in two subgenera and 14 sections. However, infrageneric taxonomy is highly controversial, many taxa recognized as separate species are treated as hybrids or subspecies by different authors (see Farjon & Rushforth 1989;Xiang et al 2009). Recent molecular evidence suggests that the genus is monophyletic (Xiang et al 2009).…”

“…However, infrageneric taxonomy is highly controversial, many taxa recognized as separate species are treated as hybrids or subspecies by different authors (see Farjon & Rushforth 1989;Xiang et al 2009). Recent molecular evidence suggests that the genus is monophyletic (Xiang et al 2009). While the genus itself is supposed to have originated in northern Eurasia in the late Cretaceous (Xiang et al 2007), and the Mediterranean firs (sections Abies and Piceaster) in the Miocene /10.1080/11263504.2015.1011723 (Aguirre-Planter et al 2012, diversification of the section Abies has probably taken place much more recently, in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene (Liu 1971).…”

Elevation Shift in Abies Mill. (Pinaceae) of Subtropical and Temperate China and Vietnam—Corroborative Evidence from Cytoplasmic DNA and Ecological Niche Modeling

“…These plants have stringent biological requirements for humidity and temperature stability, which have made them good paleoclimatic indicators (Xu et al, 1980; Shi, 1996). The climatic requirements of firs are highly conserved phylogenetically (Xiang et al, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2015; Fan, 2006), and makes them a good model system to study historical elevational shifts as well as responses to ongoing climate changes.…”

“…comm.). Using morphological characters, Abies of China has been divided into as many as three questionably distinct subsections (Liu, 1971; Farjon and Rushforth, 1989), though all species form one clade according to recent molecular phylogenetic studies (Xiang et al, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2015; Shao and Xiang, 2015). Such a monophyletic group is suitable to study diversification processes by recovering intraspecific divergences and phylogeographic patterns for multiple-species (Liepelt et al, 2010; Liu et al, 2012).…”