title: A new phylogenetic analysis sheds new light on the relationships in the Calanthe alliance (Orchidaceae) in China.
abstract: The taxonomy of the Calanthe alliance (Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae), consisting of Calanthe, Cephalantheropsis, and Phaius, has been difficult for orchidologists to understand because of the presence of common morphological features. In this study, in addition to morphological and geographical analyses, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses were performed based on nucleotide sequences of the nuclear internal transcribed spacer and cpDNA genes of 88 taxa representing the major clades of the Calanthe alliance in China. The results indicated that Cephalantheropsis is monophyletic, while both Phaius and Calanthe are polyphyletic. In Phaius, a total of three species, P. flavus, P. columnaris, and P. takeoi, were segregated to form a new genus, Paraphaius. In Calanthe, subgenus Preptanthe and sect. Styloglossum were both categorized as distinct genera from Calanthe. Our results also confirm that Calanthe delavayi and C. calanthoides are members of Calanthe. Previous studies assigned C. delavayi to Phaius and C. calanthoides to Ghiesbrechtia. Five sections, namely, Alpinocalanthe, Puberula, Ghiesbrechtia, Tricarinata, and Calanthe, three of which are new taxa, were recognized in Calanthe. Therefore, we propose that the Calanthe alliance is composed of six genera: Calanthe, Cephalantheropsis, Paraphaius, Phaius, Preptanthe and Styloglossum.
authors.affiliation: College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, The National Orchid Conservation Center of China and The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518114, China; Orchid Conservation and Research Center of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, The National Orchid Conservation Center of China and The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518114, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, The National Orchid Conservation Center of China and The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518114, China.
authors.forename: Meina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, The National Orchid Conservation Center of China and The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518114, China.
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei 10066, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Jardín Botánico Nacional, Apartado Postal 21-9, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
authors.forename: Francisco Jiménez
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Kushlan Tropical Science Institute, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Coral Gables, Miami, FL 33156, USA.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Francisco-Ortega
authors.affiliation: College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Orchid Conservation and Research Center of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Si-Ren
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China. Electronic address: xinfw@scib.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Fu-Wu
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, The National Orchid Conservation Center of China and The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518114, China. Electronic address: liuzj@sinicaorchid.org.
authors.forename: Zhong-Jian
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002681:China; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D029595:Orchidaceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant
keywords: Calanthe; Cephalantheropsis; Orchidaceae; Phaius; Phylogenetics; The Calanthe alliance