Phylogenetic relationships of aroids and duckweeds (Araceae) inferred from coding and noncoding plastid DNA

• Published in: American journal of botany Vol. 95; no. 9; pp. 1153 - 1165
• Main Authors: Cabrera, Lidia I, Salazar, Gerardo A, Chase, Mark W, Mayo, Simon J, Bogner, Josef, Dávila, Patricia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Botanical Society of America 01-09-2008; Botanical Soc America; Botanical Society of America, Inc
• Subjects: Aquatic ecosystems; Araceae; Bayesian analysis; Botanical gardens; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Evolution; Genera; Habitats; Lemnaceae; molecular phylogenetics; Nucleotide sequences; Parsimony; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Plants; plastid DNA; Plastids; Polymerase chain reaction; rbcL; subfamilial and tribal classification; Systematics and Phytogeography; trnK‐matK; trnL‐trnF; Weeds
• ISSN: 0002-9122; 1537-2197
• DOI: 10.3732/ajb.0800073

Familial, subfamilial, and tribal monophyly and relationships of aroids and duckweeds were assessed by parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of five regions of coding (rbcL, matK) and noncoding plastid DNA (partial trnK intron, trnL intron, trnL-trnF spacer) for exemplars of nearly all aroid and duckweed genera. Our analyses confirm the position of Lemna and its allies (formerly Lemnaceae) within Araceae as the well-supported sister group of all aroids except Gymnostachydoideae and Orontioideae. The last two subfamilies form the sister clade of the rest of the family. Monophyly of subfamilies Orontioideae, Pothoideae, Monsteroideae, and Lasioideae is supported, but Aroideae are paraphyletic if Calla is maintained in its own subfamily (Calloideae). Our results suggest expansion of the recently proposed subfamily Zamioculcadoideae (Zamioculcas, Gonatopus) to include Stylochaeton and identify problems in the current delimitation of tribes Anadendreae, Heteropsideae, and Monstereae (Monsteroideae), Caladieae/Zomicarpeae, and Colocasieae (Aroideae). Canalization of traits of the spathe and spadix considered typical of Araceae evolved after the split of Gymnostachydoideae, Orontioideae, and Lemnoideae. An association with aquatic habitats is a plesiomorphic attribute in Araceae, occurring in the helophytic Orontioideae and free-floating Lemnoideae, but evolving independently in various derived aroid lineages including free-floating Pistia (Aroideae).