Table of Contents

01 January 2020, Volume 58 Issue 1

Cover illustration: Cyrtandromoea and Wightia are two enigmatic genera with their familial placements once unresolved in the order Lamiales. Evidence shows that they should be placed in the LMPO clade (comprising Lamiaceae, Mazaceae, Phrymaceae, Paulowniaceae, and Orobanchaceae) based on a large-scale phylogenetic reconstruction of Lamiales. Further phylogenetic analyses of the LMPO clade using six chloroplast markers and two nuclear ribosomal regions, respectively, reveal that Cyrtandromoea is consistently nested within Phrymaceae, while Wightia is supported as sister to Phrymaceae by cpDNA dataset or to Paulowniaceae by nrDNA dataset. Based on these results, as well as comprehensive investigation of morphological and anatomical characters, an updated tribal classifi cation for Phrymaceae is carried out, and a new family, Wightiaceae Bo Li, Bing Liu, Su Liu & Y. H. Tan, fam. nov., is proposed. Photographs by B. Liu, B. Li, Y. H. Tan, N. Joshee and R. B. Zhu. Designed by B. Li. See Liu et al., pp. 1–17 in this issue. [Detail] ...

  

Issue Information
• Issue Information

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 0-4.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12507

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Research Articles
• Phylogenetic relationships of Cyrtandromoea and Wightia revisited: A new tribe in Phrymaceae and a new family in Lamiales

  Bing Liu, Yun-Hong Tan, Su Liu, Richard G. Olmstead, Dao-Zhang Min, Zhi-Duan Chen, Nirmal Joshee, Brajesh N. Vaidya, Richard C. K. Chung, and Bo Li

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 1-17.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12513

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  The familial placements of Cyrtandromoea Zoll. and Wightia Wall., two small and enigmatic South‐East Asian genera, have long been controversial in Lamiales. Here we adopt a two‐step approach to resolve their phylogenetic relationships. We initially reconstructed a large‐scale phylogeny of Lamiales using six chloroplast markers (atpB, matK, ndhF, psbBTNH, rbcL, and rps4). The results showed that both Cyrtandromoea and Wightia emerged in the LMPO clade, including Lamiaceae, Mazaceae, Phrymaceae, Paulowniaceae, and Orobanchaceae. Based on the second set of six chloroplast markers (atpB, matK, ndhF, rbcL, rps16, and trnL‐F) and two nuclear ribosomal regions (external transcribed spacer and internal transcribed spacer) for the analyses focusing on the LMPO clade, our results revealed that Cyrtandromoea was consistently nested within Phrymaceae, whereas Wightia was supported as sister to Phrymaceae by the chloroplast DNA dataset or sister to Paulowniaceae by the nuclear ribosomal DNA dataset. Morphological and anatomical evidence fully supports the inclusion of Cyrtandromoea in Phrymaceae, and an updated tribal classification is done for Phrymaceae with five tribes, that is, Cyrtandromoeeae Bo Li, Bing Liu, Su Liu & Y. H. Tan, trib. nov., Diplaceae Bo Li, Bing Liu, Su Liu & Y. H. Tan, trib. nov., Leucocarpeae, Mimuleae, and Phrymeae. The conflicting phylogenetic position of Wightia indicated by different genome markers results in difficulty placing the genus in either Phrymaceae or Paulowniaceae. Considering the distinct morphological differences between Wightia and other families in the LMPO clade, we here propose a new family, Wightiaceae Bo Li, Bing Liu, Su Liu & Y. H. Tan, fam. nov., to accommodate it, which is the 26th family recognized in Lamiales.
• Exploring the potential of nuclear and mitochondrial sequencing data generated through genome‐skimming for plant phylogenetics: A case study from a clade of neotropical lianas

  Luiz Henrique M. Fonseca and Lúcia G. Lohmann

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 18-32.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12533

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  Few botanical studies have explored the potential of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data obtained through genome skimming for phylogeny reconstruction. Here, we analyzed the phylogenetic information included in the nrDNA and mtDNA of 44 species of the “Adenocalymma‐Neojobertia” clade (Bignoniaceae). To deal with intraindividual polymorphisms within the nrDNA, different coding schemes were explored through the analyses of four datasets: (i) “nrDNA contig,” with base call following the majority rule; (ii) “nrDNA ambiguous,” with ambiguous base calls; (iii) “nrDNA informative,” with ambiguities converted to multistate characters; and, (iv) “mitochondrial,” with 39 mitochondrial genes. Combined analyses using the nrDNA and mtDNA data and previously published “plastid” datasets were also conducted. Trees were obtained using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian criteria. The congruence among genomes was assessed. The nrDNA datasets were shown to be highly polymorphic within individuals, while the “mitochondrial” dataset was the least informative, with 0.36% of informative bases within the ingroup. The topologies inferred using the nrDNA and mtDNA datasets were broadly congruent with the tree derived from the analyses of the “plastid” dataset. The topological differences recovered were generally poorly supported. The topology that resulted from the analyses of the “combined” dataset largely resembles the “plastid” tree. These results highlight limitations of nuclear ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial genes for phylogeny reconstruction obtained through genome skimming and the need to include more data from both genomes. The different topologies observed among genomes also highlight the importance of exploring data from various genomes in plant phylogenetics.
• Floristic composition and endemism pattern of vascular plants in Ethiopia and Eritrea

  Sheng-Wei Wang, Biyansa Hirpo Boru, Antony Waigwa Njogu, Anne Christine Ochola, Guang-Wan Hu, Ya-Dong Zhou, and Qing-Feng Wang

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 33-42.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12527

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  Traditional attempts to delineate floristic regions are typically based on the qualitative analysis of species distribution, often ignoring the phylogenetic relationships among their taxa. Ethiopia and Eritrea are in the Horn of Africa, known as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. We quantitatively classified the flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea into meaningful geographical units by analyzing the taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity at genera, total species, and endemic species levels at a scale of 0.5° × 0.5° grid cells. Hierarchical clustering was used to quantitatively delimitate the flora and analysis of similarities was used to test the significant difference between the derived groups in taxonomic composition and phylogenetic relatedness. In total, two floristic subprovinces, five floristic districts, and 13 floristic subdistricts, as well as three centers of species endemism associated with three floristic subdistricts were identified. Our results also showed that the species diversity, endemism, and turnover of the highlands in Ethiopia and Eritrea were much higher than the lowlands, indicating that the floristic differences are closely related to the topography of the East African Rift. In this study, we provided a scientific framework for the composition and relationships of the floristic units in the Horn of Africa, and similarly provided a scientific basis for better conservation of the diversity in this region.
• A reevaluation of the Andean Genus Petroravenia (Brassicaceae: Thelypodieae) based on morphological and molecular data

  Diego L. Salariato, Fernando O. Zuloaga, and Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 43-58.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12486

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  Petroravenia was until recently considered as a genus of three species (P. eseptata, P. friesii, and P. werdermannii) distributed along the Central Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. This genus was included in the tribe Thelypodieae and was morphologically characterized by being tiny rhizomatous perennial herbs with rosulate leaves, dendritic trichomes, capsular silicles, and incumbent cotyledons. However, the phylogeny of Petroravenia, and its tribal placement, was never analyzed using molecular data. The lack of such studies, as well as the paucity of herbarium collections, suggesting that Petroravenia species are vulnerable and/or endangered, prompted us to address the molecular phylogeny of this genus. For this purpose, we generated comprehensive molecular phylogenies using nuclear (ITS) and plastid (trnL‐F and trnH‐psbA) data, and conducted morphological comparisons between these species and their closest related taxa. Results from the phylogenetic analyses showed that Petroravenia represents a polyphyletic group, with P. eseptata included in tribe Halimolobeae, and P. friesii and P. werdermannii placed within tribe Eudemeae and related to the genus Alshehbazia. Based on the results obtained from morphological and molecular data, we decided herein to retain the original circumscription of Petroravenia as monospecific within the tribe Halimolobeae and to transfer P. friesii and P. werdermannii to the genus Alshehbazia within the tribe Eudemeae. Systematic implications of these results are also discussed.
• Recruitment of the high elevation cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides is limited by competition, thus threatened by currently established vegetation

  Jian-Guo Chen, Yang Yang, Song-Wei Wang, Jürg Stöcklin, De-Li Peng, and Hang Sun

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 59-68.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12481

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  Cushion plants have been confirmed to be keystone species of alpine ecosystems. However, the adaptive strategies responsible for their recruitment and persistence remain largely unclear. Also, the effect of competition by species already established in surrounding vegetation is not known. We first assessed population size and the frequency distribution of individuals of different size in communities of the keystone cushion Arenaria polytrichoides Edgew. along an elevational gradient in southwestern China. Furthermore, in controlled experiments the effects of soil quality, light availability, and competition by other species on seedling recruitment and survival was tested. At lower elevation individuals were larger (elder), but population size (density) was lower compared to higher elevation; similarly, adults and old individuals were relatively more frequent at low elevation, whereas juvenile and small individuals were more frequent at higher elevations. Seedling recruitment differed depending on soil origin with seeds sown in soils from low elevation having a higher germination percentage and seedling survival when grown without competition. Competition by other species delayed germination but did not influence the final germination percentage, but it increased seedling mortality and reduced their survival. Full light accelerated the germination process, but did not affect final germination percentage and seedling mortality. Results suggest that the recruitment and persistence of A. polytrichoides is strongly affected by competition, whereas temperature and soil quality are less important. We speculate that when populations of cushion A. polytrichoides are likely to be exposed to higher competition due to environmental changes, this species is in danger of being weeded out.
• Molecular diversity of the 5S nuclear ribosomal DNA in Campeiostachys with StHY haplome constitution

  Cai-Rong Yang, Bernard R Baum, Douglas A Johnson, Hai-Qin Zhang, and Yong-Hong Zhou

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 69-76.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12484

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  To detect the genomic constitutions and investigate the evolutionary relationships between Campeiostachys Drobov and Elymus L. species, we have cloned and analyzed 271 5S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences from 27 accessions of these species, mostly of Chinese origin. We identified Long H1, Short S1, and Long Y1 unit classes in nine Campeiostachys or Elymus species. The identification of the three orthologous unit classes was confirmed by the neighbor‐joining tree of each unit class from PAUP and the phylogeny tree of three unit classes from MrBayes. The results suggested that these Elymus species comprise StYH haplomes and should be included in Campeiostachys. The phylogeny tree showed a clear separation between the S1 unit class and Y1 unit class. However, Y1 unit class sequences formed a sister clade to the S1 unit class, implying that although the St and Y haplomes might have some affinity, they are distinct from one another. The phylogeny tree also indicated that the five species in sect. Turczaninovia (C. dahurica var. cylindrica, C. dahurica var. dahurica, C. dahurica var. tangutorum, E. purpuraristatus, and E. dahuricus Turcz. ex Griseb. var. violeus C. P. Wang & H. L. Yang) might share a more recent common ancestor, whereas the four species in sect. Elymus (C. nutans, E. breviaristatus (Keng) Keng ex Keng f., E. sinosubmuticus (Keng) Keng f., and E. atratus (Nevski) Hand.‐Mazz.) share a close relationship. By identifying only one type of unit class for each haplome, we propose that the 5S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences of species within Campeiostachys might have undergone haplome‐specific concerted evolution.
• DNA barcoding evaluation of Vicia (Fabaceae): Comparative efficacy of six universal barcode loci on abundant species

  Fei-Fei Wu, Qiu Gao, Fang Liu, Zan Wang, Jian-Li Wang, and Xian-Guo Wang

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 77-88.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12474

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  Vicia L. is an invaluable genus with considerable agricultural and economic importance due to its high value as feed, green manure, and medicine. However, most of this genus is not well known and remains underutilized. Due to the imprecise circumscription and delineation of Vicia species, the taxonomic history of this genus is controversial, which has hindered the identification of species with high economic potential. Therefore, rapid and accurate identification of Vicia species is essential. Simultaneously, species identification through DNA barcoding has become an effective taxonomic classification tool. Here, the species‐discrimination abilities of matK, rbcL, trnH‐psbA, trnL‐trnF, ITS1, and ITS2 were tested in 161 Vicia species with both sequence similarity (nearest neighbor, best match, and best close match) and tree‐based (maximum likelihood tree) methods. Among the single barcode sites, trnH‐psbA had the highest level of polymorphism (52.4% variable sites; nucleotide diversity, 0.1338). Additionally, trnH‐psbA had the highest mean interspecific distance (0.1352) and intraspecific distance (0.0071). The combined barcode matK+trnH‐psbA had the highest correct identification rate by the sequence similarity method. Both trnH‐psbA (75.38%) and matK (70.73%) showed higher species discrimination rates than the other barcodes when using the tree‐based method. Based on overall performance, matK and trnH‐psbA, alone or in combination, were the best barcodes for Vicia. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) also showed good performance and provided essential information regarding nuclear DNA, so this site is also recommended as a backup barcode for Vicia. These Vicia barcodes can be used to identify species and to evaluate germplasm resource collections.

• Mummified Magnoliaceae woods from the upper Oligocene of South China, with biogeography, paleoecology, and wood trait evolution implications

  Lu-Liang Huang, Jian-Hua Jin, Cheng Quan, and Alexei A. Oskolski

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 89-100.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12480

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  In this paper, we describe a new species Magnolia nanningensis sp. nov., based on exceptionally well‐preserved mummified fossil woods from the late Oligocene of the Nanning Basin, Guangxi, South China. The features of these woods indicate a close affinity to the section Michelia of the subgenus Yulania belonging to the genus Magnolia sensu lato (Magnoliaceae). Magnolia nanningensis is the first fossil record of the section Michelia from China, the modern diversity center of this group. These mummified woods provide fossil evidence supporting molecular dating that estimated an Oligocene age for divergence of the tropical evergreen section Michelia and the temperate deciduous section Yulania. Helical thickenings on vessel walls and a high degree of vessel grouping found in these fossil woods could be adaptive to temporary, possibly seasonal, droughts and, as suggested by other woods from the Nanning Basin, could be indicative of a monsoon‐influenced tropical climate in Guangxi during the late Oligocene. Helical thickenings have not been reported in magnoliaceous fossil woods prior to the Oligocene. The appearance of this trait was presumably a response to abrupt climate cooling near the Eocene–Oligocene boundary, followed by increase in climate seasonality. The associated increase of latitudinal zonation might be a possible trigger for divergence between the tropical evergreen sect. Michelia and the temperate deciduous sect. Yulania.
• List of Reviewers

  J Syst Evol. 2020, 58(1): 101-102.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12561

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  The Journal of Systematics and Evolutionwould like to acknowledge and thank the following reviewers for their contributions in the period January 1–December 31 in 2019:

  Abbott, Richard

  Abdelaziz, Mohamed

  Appelhans, Marc

  Aptroot, Andre

  Bachelier, Julien

  Bai, Wei‐Ning

  Balao, Francisco

  Barker, Bill

  Barkworth, Mary E.

  Bauret, Lucie

  Berrached, Rachda

  Besnard, Guillaume

  Bisang, Irene

  Blanco, Candela

  Bomfleur, Benjamin

  Boratyński, Adam

  Campillo, Luke C.

  Capblancq, Thibaut

  Castells, Juli Caujape

  Cellinese, Nico

  Chanderbali, Andre

  Charboneau, Joseph

  Chen, Wen‐Li

  Chen, Zhi‐Duan

  Clement, Wendy

  Cohen, James

  Costion, Craig M.

  Cronberg, Nils

  Crowl, Andrew A.

  Davies, Jonathan

  De Franceschi, Dario

  de Jong, Hans

  Del Rio, Cedric

  Dickinson, Timothy A.

  Drummond, Chloe

  Du, Fang

  Duckett, Jeffrey

  Düsseldorf, Klaus

  Ebersbach, Jana

  Ebihara, Atsushi

  Elliott, Tammy L.

  Endress, Peter

  Escudero, Marcial

  Fan, Xing

  Favre, Adrien

  Feldberg, Kathrin

  Feliner, Gonzalo

  Fior, Simone

  Frajman, Bozo

  Fu, Chao‐Nan

  Fujiwara, Tao

  Fuse, Shizuka

  Gao, Lian‐Ming

  Gao, Yong

  Gasson, Pete

  Ge, Xue‐Jun

  Giussani, Liliana

  Granados‐Mendoza, Carolina

  Gueidan, Cecile

  Guo, Chun‐Ce

  Guo, Wen‐Wu

  Guo, Ya‐Long

  Guo, Yan‐Ping

  Hao, Gang

  Hassel, Kristian

  Hassler, Michael

  Haufler, Christopher

  Hawksworth, David

  Herrera, Fabiany

  Hervías, Sandra

  Ho, Boon Chuan

  Hojsgaard, Diego

  Hovenkamp, Peter

  Huang, Shuang‐Quan

  Ickert‐Bond, Stefanie

  Ignatov, Michael

  Iles, Will

  Jia, Gui‐Xia

  Jiang, Xiao‐Long

  Jin, Jian‐Hua

  Kang, Ji‐Chuan

  Knoop, Volker

  Kowlski, Rafal

  Krak, Karol

  Krämer, Ute

  Kvaček, Jiří

  Lakusic, Dmitar

  Larhammar, Dan

  Lashermes, Philippe

  Lazaro, Amparo

  Li, Jianhua

  Li, Lin‐Feng

  Li, Ling

  Li, Min‐Jie

  Li, Rong

  Li, Ying‐Hui

  Li, Zheng

  Li, Zhong‐Hu

  Lim, Jun Ying

  Lin, Zhenguo

  Liu, Jie

  Liu, Zhong‐Jian

  López‐Pujol, Jordi

  Luo, Zhong‐Lai

  Ma, Jian‐Chao

  Ma, Xiao

  Ma, Yong‐Peng

  Magallon, Susana

  Mairal Pisa, Mario

  Manchester, Steven

  Mao, Jian‐Feng

  Mao, Kang‐Shan

  McDonnell, Angela

  McPartland, John

  Meza‐Torres, Esteban

  Montserrat Martí, Josep M.

  Morgan, David

  Moyle, Robert G.

  Murrell, Zack

  Nauheimer, Lars

  Nelson, C. Dana

  Ni, Zhong‐Fu

  Nie, Ze‐Long

  Noshiro, Shuichi

  Ollerton, Jeff

  Olmstead, Richard

  Olsson, Sanna

  Pannell, Caroline

  Paule, Juraj

  Pederneiras, Leandro

  Percy, Diana

  Peruzzi, Lorenzo

  Picco, Anna Maria

  Pigg, Kathleen

  Pirani, Atefeh

  Plunkett, Greg

  Potter, Daniel

  Qian, Hong

  Qiu, Ying‐Xiong

  Rao, Guang‐Yuan

  Reeves, Patrick

  Regalado, Ledis

  Reginato, Marcelo

  Reisch, Christoph

  Ren, Zong‐Xin

  Riess, Kai

  Roedelsperger, Christian

  Roeser, Martin

  Rojas‐Andrés, Blanca

  Rong, Jun

  Ronse De Craene, Louis

  Roux, Claude

  Rubin, Matthew J.

  Sakai, Hiroaki

  Santos, Carmen

  Sauquet, Hervé

  Schinnerl, Johann

  Sengupta, Aniket

  Simpson, Michael

  Singliarová, Barbora

  Smedmark, Jenny

  Smith, James

  Snow, Neil

  Sochting, Ulrik

  Sønstebø, Jørn Henrik

  Spalink, Daniel

  Stark, Lloyd

  Stevens, Peter

  Su, Tao

  Sun, Feng‐Jie

  Sun, Hang

  Sun, Yong‐Shuai

  Sundue, Michael

  Surget‐Groba, Yann

  Tate, Jennifer A.

  Tembrock, Luke

  Testo, Weston

  Tu, Tie‐Yao

  Uemura, Kazuhiko

  Ulrich, Werner

  Vanderpoorten, Alain

  Vera, Ezequiel

  Verstraete, Brecht

  Vigueira, Cynthia

  Vit, Petr

  Walker, Joseph F.

  Wallander, Eva

  Wang, Heng‐Chang

  Wang, Jing

  Wang, Wei

  Wang, Ying‐Qiang

  Wang, Yu‐Fei

  Webb, Campbell

  Wedger, Marshall

  Wen, Jun

  Weng, Ensheng

  Wester, Petra

  Westerberg, Lars

  Wilf, Peter

  Williams, David

  Wu, Zhi‐Qiang

  Xia, Hui

  Xiao, Guang‐Hui

  Xu, Feng‐Xia

  Xu, Qiang

  Xu, Xiao‐Ting

  Yang, Jun

  Yang, Qin‐Er

  Yang, Ze‐Feng

  Yi, Ting‐Shuang

  Yu, Yan

  Yu, Ying

  Zarre, Shahin

  Zhai, Wei‐Wei

  Zhang, Fa‐Qi

  Zhang, Jian‐Wen

  Zhang, Liang‐Sheng

  Zhang, Wen‐Heng

  Zhang, Yong

  Zhang, Ze‐Huang

  Zhang, Zhi‐Yong

  Zhong, Bo‐Jian

  Zhou, Tao

  Zhou, Yong‐Feng

  Zhu, Hai

  Zuntini, Alexandre