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Title: The never ending story: multigene approaches to the phylogeny of Amaryllidaceae, and assessing its familial limits.

Author
item Meerow, Alan
item SNIJMAN, DIERDRE - COMPTON HERBARIUM, SOUTH

Submitted to: Aliso
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/19/2004
Publication Date: 6/30/2006
Citation: Meerow, A.W., Snijman, D.A. 2006. The never ending story: multigene approaches to the phylogeny of Amaryllidaceae, and assessing its familial limits. Aliso 22:353-364.

Interpretive Summary: Results to date using various chloroplast DNA sequences have shown that the amaryllis family is a natural group, but failed to resolve the relationships among several major lineages in the family. We present analysis of the chloroplast gene ndhF that fully resolve the major groups of the family. We also present preliminary nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence analysis of the Eurasian clade, which includes such horticulturally important genera as Narcissus and Galanthus.'

Technical Abstract: Results to date with various plastid genes confirmed the monophyly of the Amaryllidaceae s. s. as a whole, strongly supported the mostly African tribe Amaryllideae as sister to the rest of the family, and resolved geographically-based monophyletic groups, but failed to resolve the relationships among several basal lineages in the family. We present analysis of plastid ndhF sequences that fully resolve the major clades of the family. The baccate-fruited Haemantheae and the Calostemmateae are sister tribes, and the African endemic Cyrtantheae is sister to them both. This clade is sister to the American/Eurasian clade. We also present preliminary nuclear ribosomal ITS sequence analysis of the Eurasian clade. Lycorideae is basal in the group and begins a grade that continues with Hannonia, then Pancratium, then Lapiedra. The genera Narcissus, Sternbergia and Galanthus are resolved as monophyletic with strong support. Leucojum is paraphyletic, and recognition of Acis for the Mediterranean species is supported. Recent phylogenetic analyses of various tribes and genera of the family are reviewed. Above the family level, Amaryllidaceae, Agapanthaceae and Alliaceae form a well supported monophyletic group, but exact resolution of the relationships among the three subclades varies depending on the sequence matrix utilized. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has advocated combining all three into a single family, Alliaceae. We discuss this decision, which has historical precedent, but recommend that Amaryllidaceae be conserved as the name for the family in such a treatment.