WALLANDER, EVA* AND VICTOR A. ALBERT. Botanical Institute, Systematic
Botany, Gothenburg University, P.O.Box 461, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden;
The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics Studies,
The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458-5126. - Phylogeny of
Oleaceae based on the trnL-F region and rps16 intron of the
plastid genome.
The family Oleaceae comprises 24 genera distributed worldwide, and
according to the latest review of the entire family (Johnson 1957), it is
divided into two subfamilies: Oleoideae and Jasminoideae. Oleoideae is
believed to constitute a natural, though secondarily diversified, group of
15 genera with worldwide distribution. Jasminoideae, on the other hand, is
a heterogeneous group, chiefly distinguished by not being Oleoideae, and is
presumed to contain some primitive genera of Asian origin. The position of
the Oleoideae and relationships among the genera of Jasminoideae have
remained obscure, and no molecular systematic study of the entire family
has yet been published. To this end, we present a cladistic analysis based
on DNA sequences of the plastid-encoded trnL intron, trnL-F
spacer and rps16 intron from at least two species (where obtainable)
of each Oleaceae genus. Outgroups used were four species of Rubiaceae and
six species of Loganiaceae sensu lato. The consensus of most-parsimonious
trees largely confirms the current taxonomy. However, one genus,
Schrebera, clearly belongs in the Oleoideae instead of Jasminoideae,
which is paraphyletic. Relationships among the major clades of the
monophyletic Oleoideae are better resolved with ITS sequences.
Jasminum and Menodora are resolved as the most basal group.
Nyctanthes, which has been suggested to belong in Verbenaceae,
Oleaceae, or elsewhere, is clearly nested within Oleaceae, sister to
Myxopyrum. This research was supported by the Lewis B. and Dorothy
Cullman Foundation.
Key words: molecular systematics, Nyctanthes, Oleaceae,
Schrebera, trnL-F, rps16