A phylogenetic analysis of Dipsacaceae (Dipsacales) based on four DNA regions.

Abstract: Authors studied the phylogeny of Dipsacaceae using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses on sequence data from chloroplast (trnL intron, trnL-trnF intergenic spacer, psbB-psbH gene complex) and nuclear genomes (ITS1 and ITS2). Both data partitions as well as their combination show that Dipsacaceae is a monophyletic group. Topology in tribe Scabioseae is similar to those of other recent studies, except for the position of Pycnocomon, which is nested in Lomelosia. Pycnocomon, the pollen and epicalyx morphologies of which closely resemble those of Lomelosia, is interpreted as a psammophilous morphotype of Lomelosia, and its nomenclature has been revised accordingly. Exclusion of Pseudoscabiosa, Pterocephalidium, Pterocephalodes (and probably Bassecoia), Succisa, Succisella from Scabioseae is confirmed. Pterocephalodes hookeri is the sister group to the rest of the family. Its remoteness from Pterocephalus has been confirmed on molecular grounds. Lack of evident synapomorphies for various clades is interpreted as a possible consequence of fast adaptative radiation.