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Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Infra-familial phylogeny of Urticaceae, using chloroplast sequence data

Julisasi T. Hadiah A B C , Barry J. Conn B D and Christopher J. Quinn B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A University of New South Wales, Faculty of Science, Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

B National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.

C Current address: Kebun Raya Bogor, Jl. Ir. H. Juanda 13, PO Box 309, Bogor 16122, Indonesia.

D Corresponding author. Email: barry.conn@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Australian Systematic Botany 21(5) 375-385 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB08041
Submitted: 4 October 2007  Accepted: 9 September 2008   Published: 5 December 2008

Abstract

Recent studies of the phylogeny of the Urticales have suggested that Cecropiaceae, at least in part, should be included within Urticaceae. To evaluate phylogenetic relationship between these two taxa, together with the consequences on tribal concepts (of the Urticaceae) of including any part of Cecropiaceae within Urticaceae, we analysed sequence variation for larger databases of both rbcL and trnL-F sequences. We conclude that the circumscription of Urticaceae needs to be broadened to include taxa of Cecropiaceae, with Urticeae here expanded to include Poikilospermum. The tribal placement of Cecropia and Coussapoa (both Cecropiaceae) remains unclear but their affinities are with the Forsskaoleeae, Parietarieae and Boehmerieae. The circumscription of Boehmerieae should be changed to exclude Myriocarpa, with the latter genus exhibiting a strong relationship with Elatostemeae. The intratribal structure of the Elatostemeae is unclear because of the uncertainty of the position of Myriocarpa, but there is a strong suggestion that the tribe consists of two sister taxa, one of Elatostemeae sensu stricto, including Elatostema and Procris, and the other consisting of Lecanthus and Pilea. It is reconfirmed that Pellionia should not be recognised as a distinct genus and is here regarded as a synonym of Procris, rather than part of the synonymy of Elatostema, as previously suggested. Boehmeria, Cypholophus and Laportea as currently circumscribed are all paraphyletic. There are three evolutionary lineages in the Urticaceae revealed by our study, namely (1) Boehmeriea–Cecropieae–Forsskaoleeae–Parietarieae, (2) Urticeae and (3) Elatostemeae.


Acknowledgements

The authors thank Esti Ariyanti (Kebun Raya Purwodadi, Indonesia) for her field assistance and companionship in Sumatera (Indonesia); Frank Zich (QRS, formerly Kebun Raya Indonesia) for field assistance in Jawa Barat and Bali; Adjun, Nanang Suryana and Rustandi (all Kebun Raya Cibodas, Indonesia) for field assistance in Jawa and for skilful cultivation of plants; Ruspandi (Kebun Raya Bogor, Indonesia) for assisting with initial identification. Dedy Darnaedi (then Director) and staff of Kebun Raya Bogor (Indonesia) provided considerable logistical field support for our field work in Sumatera (for JTH & BJC) and accommodation while in Bogor (for BJC). Kipiro Damas, Kaigube Fazang, Tory Kuria and Oliver Paul (all LAE) provided field support in Papua New Guinea. Margaret Heslewood and Andrew Perkins (both NSW) generously provided technical assistance and advice on DNA laboratory techniques. We thank the Directors and staff of the following herbaria for making collections available as loans and donations, namely A, BRI, CANB, E, K, L, LAE, MEL, MO and NY. David Orr, Waimea Valley Audubon Center, Hawaii provided a DNA sample and images of the living material of Woolliams 547. Peter Goldblatt (MO) and Suseth Foster (NBG) located a herbarium voucher of AM235160 (as cited in GenBank). Debby McGerty (NSW) kindly edited the figures for publication. Jeremy Bruhl (NE) provided us with a copy of the recent paper on the classification of the Urticaceae by T. I. Kravtsova and George Orel (University of Western Sydney) kindly translated the Russian text. One of us (JTH) was generously supported by a post-graduate AusAID scholarship.


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