Systematics of Berberis sect. Wallichianae (Berberidaceae) of Taiwan and Luzon with description of three new species, B. schaaliae, B. ravenii, and B. pengii

Abstract

Berberis sect. Wallichianae are species of evergreen shrubs that in Taiwan are found in subalpine and montane-temperate areas and which have a notoriously controversial taxonomic history. Based on multivariate statistical analyses of morphometric data and an explicitly stated species criterion, the taxonomy of the group in Taiwan and its close relative in Luzon (B. barandana) is revised and their endemicity is evaluated by molecular data. In addition to the six species recognized in the Flora of Taiwan (rbcL, ycf6-psbM, and psbA-trnH) place all Taiwanese species and B. barandana in a strongly supported clade derived from within the continental Asian species of sect. Wallichianae, indicating their independent evolutionary history and supporting their endemic status.

Why Mahonia? Molecular recircumscription of Berberis s.l., with the description of two new genera, Alloberberis and Moranothamnus

“…On the other hand, DNA sequences of M. oiwakensis of Taiwan and M. philippinensis of Luzon are all identical (Fig. 5C), suggesting a close biogeographic relationship between the two areas (e.g., Yu & Chung, 2014) long overlooked in previous work. The full biogeographic implications of our dataset will be dealt with in a separate paper.…”

“…(2009). Total genomic DNA was isolated from silica-gel dried leaves or herbarium material using the protocol outlined in Yu & Chung (2014). DNA sequencing.…”

“…600 species, widespread in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with Berberis extending to the Andes and temperate habitats in South America and to North and East African highlands ( Fig. 3) (Ahrendt, 1961;Landrum, 1999;Kim & al., 2004a;Harber, 2012;Yu & Chung, 2014;Adhikari & al., 2015). Berberis and Mahonia both are highly prized for their medicinal (Ying & al., 2011;Srivastava & al., 2015) and horticultural properties, commonly cultivated for ornament and hedging worldwide (Ahrendt, 1961;Huxley & al., 1992;Dirr, 2009;Hinkley, 2009).…”

Assessment of diversity in the genus Berberis L. (Berberidaceae) in Pindari Valley, Uttarakhand

“…The genus Berberis L. is the largest genus of the family Berberidaceae, characterized by simple-leaved deciduous or evergreen shrubs, 1-3armed spines structures at the stem nodes (3)(4)(5)(6). It comprises about 622 taxa worldwide (7, 8), distributed in semiarid, temperate and alpine habitats of the northern hemisphere (3,4).…”

New taxa of Berberis (Berberidaceae) with greenish flowers from a biodiversity hotspot in Sichuan Province, China

“…Some important taxonomic characters and their variations have at times inevitably been absent or incorrectly described in their protologues ( Chamberlain and Hu, 1985 , Fan et al., 2015 , Li and Zhang, 2014 , Li et al., 2015b , Ying, 2011 ). In Asian Berberis , the color types of flowers are always recorded as yellow or sometimes greenish yellow ( Adhikari et al., 2012 , Ahrendt, 1961 , Rao et al., 1998 , Ying, 2011 , Yu and Chung, 2014 ), with a few exceptions being purplish red or bicolored, e.g., Berberis sanguinea Franch., Berberis bicolor H. Léveillé and Berberis × baoxingensis X. H. Li ( Ahrendt, 1961 , Li et al., 2015a , Ying, 2011 ). In South America, the flowers are reported as golden yellow, orange or reddish yellow ( Ahrendt, 1961 , Landrum, 1999 ).…”