title: [Molecular phylogeny and systematics of flowering plants of the family Crassulaceae DC].
abstract: Crassulaceae is the most species rich (ca. 1400) family in the order Saxifragales. Most members of the family are succulent plants. Phenotypic diversity and a large number of species complicate systematics of the family and reconstruction of relationship within it. Phylogenetic analyses based on morphological and molecular markers placed Crassulaceae as one of the crown clades of Saxifragales. In this contribution a review of phylogenetic studies of the family Crassulaceae, based on DNA nucleotide sequence comparisons is presented; major clades established in the family are characterised; their structure and polyphylesis of some genera related to it are discussed. It was shown that the traditional taxonomic structure of Crassulaceae contradicts pattern of phylogenetic relationships between its members. We critically analysed recent taxonomic systems of the family and stress that homoplasy of morphological characters does not allow to use them to reconstruct relationships between crassulacean taxa even at the low taxonomic levels.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Goncharova
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Goncharov
mesh_terms: D029627:Crassulaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant