The Asian clade of the core Araliaceae consists of 20 genera with a wide distribution in eastern and South Asia and the Himalayan region. The phylogeny of the clade was constructed with sequences of the nuclear ribosomal ITS regions and the chloroplast ndhF gene. The sampling scheme of the study included all genera, 75-100% of species in smaller genera (those with 1-10 species), and broad representatives to cover the morphological diversity of larger genera (those with more than 10 species). The ITS and ndhF phylogenies produced congruent topologies. With few exceptions, most genera of the Asian clade were supported to be monophyletic. Strong support was observed for several clades of closely related genera, e.g., the Brassaiopsis-Trevesia clade, the Macropanax-Metapanax clade, and the Chengiopanax-Gamblea clade. However, the two molecular markers showed little resolution for the deeper nodes, which had relatively short branch lengths. The phylogenetic pattern observed in the Asian clade of the core Ariaceae suggests rapid evolution in the early diversification of the Asian clade. The highly diverse ecological habitats and a wide geographic region occupied by taxa of this Asian clade may have driven the rapid evolution of major lineages within this clade.

Key words: Araliaceae, Asia, ITS, ndhF, rapid evolution