title: Molecular phylogeny of the Brazilian endemic genus Orthophytum (Bromelioideae, Bromeliaceae) and its implications on morphological character evolution.
abstract: The saxicolous genus Orthophytum (∼60 species, Bromeliaceae) is endemic to eastern Brazil and diversified in xeric habitats of the Atlantic Rainforest, Caatinga and campos rupestres. Within the genus, two main groups are discerned based on the presence or absence of a pedunculate inflorescence, which are further subdivided into several morphological subgroups. However, these systematic hypotheses have not yet been tested in a molecular phylogenetic framework. Here we present the first phylogenetic analysis of Orthophytum using nuclear and plastid markers (phytochrome C, and trnH-psbA and trnL-trnF spacers). Forty species representing the two main groups and all subgroups of Orthophytum, and the related genera Cryptanthus (8 spp.) and Lapanthus (2 spp.) were analyzed. The phylogenetic reconstruction revealed a well-supported clade termed Eu-Orthophytum, containing species with pedunculate inflorescences only. The Orthophytum species with sessile inflorescence formed two clades: (1) the amoenum group and (2) the vagans group plus O. foliosum, the only pedunculate Orthophytum species found outside Eu-Orthophytum. The vagans clade is in sister group position to Eu-Orthophytum. Within the latter, the subgroup mello-barretoi was sister to the most diversified clade, termed Core Orthophytum. Morphological character state reconstructions of floral characters used in previous taxonomic treatments as key diagnostic characters (penduncle presence, corolla form, and petal appendage form) showed different levels of homoplasy.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Botânica, Recife 50670-901, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: rafael.louzada@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: Rafael B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Louzada
authors.affiliation: Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Discovery Drive, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Botânica, Secretaria do Meio Ambiente, Avenida Miguel Stéfano 3687, São Paulo 01061-970, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria das Graças L
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Wanderley
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Research Institute Senckenberg and J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main D-60325, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silvestro
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Research Institute Senckenberg and J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main D-60325, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zizka
authors.affiliation: Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael H J
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Barfuss
authors.affiliation: Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia.
authors.forename: Clarisse
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palma-Silva
mesh_terms: D001499:Bayes Theorem; D031229:Bromeliaceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018087:Plastids / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: Bromelioideae; Espinhaço Range; PHYC; Phytochrome C; trnH-psbA spacer; trnL-trnF spacer