Phylogeographical patterns based on trnH-psbA plastid DNA shed light on evolution within Waldsteinia (Rosaceae)

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Abstract
WaldsteiniaWilld. is a small herbaceous genus presumably of Neogene age and formerly wide-distributed around the Northern Hemisphere and now presents the remnants of the tertiary flora. According to the latest taxonomic revision,Waldsteiniais considered a group nested inGeumL. A comparatively low level of morphological divergence together with fuzzy ploidy patterns withinWaldsteiniacould not be reliable evidence to establish the former distributions and migration pathways of species. In the present study, using plastid DNA (trnH-psbA) data we tried to throw light onWaldsteiniahistory. Based on our data we believe that the taxonomic decision of nestingWaldsteiniainGeumdoes not reflect the complex structure of the obtained clade. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the objectivity of previous divisionWaldsteiniaon two subgenera,WaldsteiniaandComaropsis(Rich. ex Nestl.) Teppner, which was based on morphological differences, is becoming controversial. We also suggest an East Asian origin ofWaldsteiniaand subsequent speciation and taxa distribution in the direction of Europe and North America.W. ternates.l. (traditionally includingW. maximowicziana,W. ternata, andW. trifolia) is appeared to be a polyphyletic group and at leastW. maximowiczianashould be considered a distinct species.

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