KRON, KATHLEEN A.*, WALTER S. JUDD, ARNE A. ANDERBERG, DARREN M. CRAYN, ROY FULLER, PAUL A. GADEK, JAMES L. LUTEYN, CHRISTOPHER J. QUINN, AND PETER S. STEVENS. Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Botany, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA; Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Biological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Department of Botany and Tropical Agriculture, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia; New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, USA; Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA. - Major clades of Ericaceae II: Molecular Evidence.
Nucleotide sequence data was obtained for approximately 150
representatives of Ericaceae, Monotropaceae, Pyrolaceae, Epacridaceae,
and Empetraceae. Taxa were chosen to represent the range of
morphological variability, geographic distribution, and taxonomic
complexity within the group. Sampling for DNA sequencing was
coordinated with the morphological sampling. Approximately 90 taxa
were sampled for rbcL, 120 for matK, and 60 for a combined matK - rbcL
analysis. In addition, analysis of nr18s and nrITS data was performed
for selected photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic taxa within the
ericads. Parsimony analysis results indicate that Enkianthus is
sister to the remaining ericads. Early branching lineages within
ericads are: pyroloids, including three clades - two monotrop and one
Pyrola-Chimaphila clade, and arbutoids. The remaining ericads
form a monophyletic group that is also supported by the morphological
character of anther inversion early in floral development. Within
this large group the following major clades are well-supported
(parsimony jackknife): Ericoideae, including Ericeae (Daboecia,
Calluna, Erica), Empetreae, and Rhodoreae;
Epacridoideae, and Vaccinioideae. A new classification is based on the
results of the molecular and morphological analyses.
Key words: cladistics, classification, Ericaceae, molecular