Miconieae is the most diverse tribe of the Melastomataceae, with 28-30 genera and over 2200 species. The tribe is characterized by its fleshy fruits and partially to totally inferior ovaries. The tribe is found throughout the Neotropics, and it is composed mostly of small trees and shrubs, although a small number of taxa might be climbing or herbaceous. The genus Miconia accounts for close to half of the species diversity in the tribe, while most other genera have less than 30 species, and six are monotypic. In spite of its diversity and abundance the phylogenetic relationships within the tribe are poorly understood. Morphological and sequence data from ITS 1 & 2 were gathered and analyzed separately, as well as combined, in order to assess the phylogenetic relationships within the Miconieae. Using exemplars of the tribe Merianieae as outgroup, most species of Miconia are resolved as basal within the tribe, with most of the sections of this genus not recovered as monophyletic. Most terminal-flowered genera seem to be derived from within Miconia (such as Tococa and Leandra), as it is Clidemia (an axillary flowered genus with over 160 species). The remaining cauliflorus and axillary-flowered taxa seem to be derived from within Clidemia. Henriettella and Henriettea form a clade, but neither genus seems to be monophyletic. Lastly, Bellucia and Loreya are resolved as sister taxa, derived from within Clidemia. Several taxa in the tribe present reductions of the anther appendages and the calyx, which seem to have been independently derived in several occasions. Because current taxonomic classifications rely on these characters, several groups are not monophyletic. This analysis is being used as the base for a better understanding of character evolution within this diverse group

Key words: anther evolution, ITS, Melastomataceae, Miconieae, Myrtales, phylogenetics