MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF MACROSOLEN (BLUME) RCHB. (LORANTHACEAE) FROM VIETNAM BASED ON MOLECULAR DATA

Abstract

Exploring the phylogenetic relationships between taxa provides important information for science. The phylogenetic study of Macrosolen was conducted based on molecular data sets of 27 taxa with five DNA regions including chloroplast rbcL, matK, and trnL-F and nuclear ribosomal (small subunit rDNA and large subunit rDNA) regions to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationship of Macrosolen. The Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods were used to build the phylogenetic trees. The results of molecular analyses strongly supported the non-monophyly of Macrosolen with two major clades within the genus. The nest of the three genera Elytranthe, Lepidaria, and Macrosolen in the phylogenetic tree was recognized to be congruent in their morphology, molecules and distribution, but further study is necessary to resolve generic boundaries for stable classification for the three genera. The endemic species of Vietnam M. bidoupensis well supported as closely related to M. tricolor by molecular data. Macrosolen from Vietnam is genetically congruent with its individuals of the same species from other countries.