POWELL, E. ANN* and KATHLEEN A. KRON. Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. - Interesting biogeographical patterns in a "distinctive genus" of neotropical blueberry, Satyria (Vaccinieae, Ericaceae).
Satyria, a genus of neotropical blueberries, is a member of the
Andean clade of tribe Vaccinieae (Ericaceae) and is distinguished from
other neotropical Vaccinieae by alternately unequal stamens composed
of connate filaments of equal length and unequal, rigid anthers with
divergent tubules. The genus occurs from southern Mexico, south to
northern Bolivia and east to French Guiana and is one of only a few
species of neotropical Vaccinieae found in both montane and lowland
habitats. Satyria may be critical for understanding the origin
and biogeography of the blueberry tribe in South and Central America.
Although Satyria has been described as a "distinctive
genus" of neotropical blueberries, preliminary molecular
phylogenetic analyses in tribe Vaccinieae (matK and nrITS)
suggest that Satyria is not monophyletic. The goal of this
study was to use molecular data from the chloroplast genes
matK, ndhF and rps4, and nrITS for approximately
50 species of blueberries from the Andean clade, (including 12 species
of Satyria) and three outgroups to assess the monophyly of
Satyria and to determine its phylogenetic position in the
Andean Clade. The data were analyzed, individually and in combination,
using parsimony. Results show that Satyria is not monophyletic
but rather forms two well-supported clades: northern and southern
clades that correspond to at least two of the regions of high
diversity and endemism identified in neotropical Ericaceae. In the
northern clade, species of Satyria from Central America and
northern South America (including the widely distributed S.
panurensis) form a strongly-supported monophyletic group that is
sister to a clade that includes Cavendishia and one species of
Thibaudia. In the southern clade three species of
Satyria from southern Peru and northern Bolivia are
paraphyletic with two species of Thibaudia. Results suggest
that the southern species of Satyria have been misidentified
and should be transferred from Satyria to Thibaudia.
Key words: biogeography, Ericaceae, neotropical blueberries, Satyria, Vaccinieae