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Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Leonardoxa (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) inferred from chloroplast t rnL intron and t rnL‐ t rnF intergenic spacer sequences
Author(s) -
Brouat Carine,
Gielly Ludovic,
McKey Doyle
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.2307/2657134
Subject(s) - biology , paraphyly , caesalpinioideae , subspecies , genus , allopatric speciation , monophyly , evolutionary biology , phylogenetic tree , botany , clade , zoology , fabaceae , genetics , population , gene , demography , sociology
The African genus Leonardoxa (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) comprises two Congolean species and a group of four mostly allopatric subspecies principally located in Cameroon and clustered together in the L. africana complex. Leonardoxa provides a good opportunity to investigate the evolutionary history of ant–plant mutualisms, as it exhibits various grades of ant–plant interactions from diffuse to obligate and symbiotic associations. We present in this paper the first molecular phylogenetic study of this genus. We sequenced both the chloroplast DNA trnL intron (677 aligned base pairs [bp]) and trnL‐trnF intergene spacer (598 aligned bp). Inferred phylogenetic relationships suggested first that the genus is paraphyletic. The L. africana complex is clearly separated from the two Congolean species, and the integrity of the genus is thus in question. In the L. africana complex, our data showed a lack of congruence between clades suggested by morphological and chloroplast characters. This, and the low level of molecular divergence found between subspecies, suggests gene flow and introgressive events in the L. africana complex.