Phylogenetic Origins of the Himalayan Endemic Dolomiaea , Diplazoptilon and Xanthopappus (Asteraceae: Cardueae) Based on Three DNA Regions

Abstract

The findings provide an improved understanding of the intergeneric relationships in Cardueae. The crude calibration of lineages indicates that the uplifts of the Qiinghai-Tibetan Plateau since the Miocene might have served as a continuous stimulus for the production of these morphologically aberrant endemic elements of the Himalayan flora.