Molecular phylogeny of tribe Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) based on two plastid markers and recognition of a new tribe, Philonotieae, from the neotropics

Abstract

Abstract Tribe Schismatoglottideae comprises one large genus, Schismatoglottis , and six small 'satellite' genera. A combined molecular phylogenetic analysis of matK , the 3′ portion of the trnK intron, and trnL ‐ F sequence data was carried out on 77 taxa representing all genera in the tribe, all informal groups in Schismatoglottis , together with sister tribe Cryptocoryneae, and outgroups from Araceae. Analyses of combined datasets with parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods revealed tribe Schismatoglottideae to be a polyphyletic assemblage. Neotropical Schismatoglottis is shown to be sister to the palaeotropical Schismatoglottideae + Cryptocoryneae. Schismatoglottis acuminatissima is a sister clade to the rest of the Schismatoglottideae. Palaeotropical Schismatoglottis is unsupported as a monophyletic genus. A new neotropical tribe of Araceae, Philonotieae S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce, sister to Cryptocoryneae + palaeotropical Schismatoglottideae, is proposed.