A PARSIMONY ANALYSIS OF THE ASTERIDAE-SENSU-LATO BASED ON RBCL SEQUENCES

A parsimony analysis of 156 representative sequences of the Asteridae sensu lato and 28 outgroup sequences was conducted using a two-tiered approach. First, an analysis of the entire group, including 105 sequences, examined relationships among major lineages within the Asteridae s.l.; subsequently, several clades within the larger group were examined individually in greater detail by including more sequences for the group in question. The search strategy was designed to discover multiple islands of equal parsimony using the heuristic search routine in PAUP. In the broad search and in each more detailed search of subclades, multiple islands were found that imply substantially different relationships. The results suggest a monophyletic Asteridae s.l., comprising the Ericales, Primulales, Ebenales and relatives of the Dilleniidae sensu Cronquist; Cornales, Apiales, and Hydrangeaceae of the Rosidae sensu Cronquist; and the conventionally circumscribed Asteridae. Within the Asteridae s.l., 11 groups were congruent between islands and are designated as follows: (1) Cornales, (2) ericalean clade, (3) Garrya clade, (4) Ilex clade, (5) Apiales, (6) Dipsacales, (7) Asterales s.l., (8) Gentianales, (9) Solanales, (10) Boraginales, and (11) Lamiales s.l. The only grouping between the level of these 11 clades and the whole Asteridae s.l. that is congruent between islands is the clade consisting of the Gentianales, Selanales, Boraginales, and Lamiales s.l., i.e., the Lamiidae of Takhtajan.