SMICK, GEOFF A. Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132. - Molecular phylogeny of Streblacanthus (Acanthaceae) with notes on morphology.
The genus Streblacanthus is currently recognized by four
species with a distribution ranging from Southern Mexico to
Northeastern Argentina. Previous molecular phylogenetic analyses
support the monophyly of Streblacanthus and its position in the
Tetramerium lineage. In this study, I infer species relationships
within Streblacanthus using a combination of the trnL-F
(chloroplast) and ITS (nuclear) genes. 15 taxa representing different
populations of the 4 currently recognized species are sampled along
with one additional taxon that is considered a new species. Additional
notes on morphology, including pollen structure, are discussed and
their phylogenetic utility is addressed.
Key words: Acanthaceae, ITS, molecular phylogeny, phylogeny, Streblacanthus, trnL-F