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Molecular phylogeny and character evolution of Flemingia (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Phaseoleae, Cajaninae) inferred from three cpDNA and nrITS sequence data

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Abstract

The genus Flemingia belonging to the family Leguminosae (Papilionoideae, Phaseoleae, Cajaninae) comprises ca. 30–35 species and is distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Oceania. Previous systematic studies of the genus Flemingia were based on morphology only, or aimed at reconstructing relationships, delimiting distinct evolutionary lineages based on morphological and molecular data, focusing on its allied genera or the tribe Phaseoleae as a whole and thus included a limited sampling of the genus Flemingia. In this present study, phylogeny of Flemingia was inferred from molecular data of three cpDNA plastid markers (matK, rps16-trnQ, and psbA-trnH) and one nuclear region (nrITS) of 73 accessions representing ca. 31 species and all five previously recognized infrageneric groups (subgenus/section) of Flemingia. Results revealed the para- and polyphyly of four previously recognized subgenera/sections within the genus Flemingia, the exception for the group Lepidocoma. Our nuclear phylogeny recovered four major clades and one single species clade, F. faginea. This species was, however, grouped in clade III (Ostryodium group) in chloroplast phylogeny. Incongruence between the trees of chloroplast and nuclear markers may point to either introgression or incomplete lineage sorting. Furthermore, the evolution of three major morphological features in Flemingia was discussed. The results of this research are not in the favor of synonymization of F. glutinosa with F. lineata, and F. ferruginea, F. cumingiana, F. phillipinensis, F. latifolia, F. prostrata, F. stricta, F. wallichi, F. grahamiana, F. sootepensis with F. macrophylla.

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The newly generated sequences were submitted to NCBI.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Vietnam Administration of Forestry as well as the staff of the visited localities for issuing collecting permits. We also acknowledge Yunnan Peng from Chengdu Institute of Biology, Huang Jan from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden for their field assistance and providing samples; the curators of the following herbaria: AAU, BKF, BRI, CIB, DR, HITBC, IBK, KUN, MEL, NIMM, VNM, and VNMN for loan of material and the permission to use leaf tissue for DNA extraction. Lastly, we would like to thank Stephen Maciejewski, Gesneriad Society, Michael LoFurno, Temple University, USA for their editorial assistance and the editors, anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments.

Funding

This study was funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative (#2017PB0098) to the first author, supporting a research at Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, China.

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  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Truong Van Do, Bo Xu & Xin-Fen Gao

  2. Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18th Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Truong Van Do

  3. Graduate Academy of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18th Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Truong Van Do

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Online Resource 1. Taxon sampling, voucher data and accession numbers of taxa used in this study.

Online Resource 2. Final alignment of the nrITS dataset.

Online Resource 3. Final alignment of the cpDNA dataset.

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Van Do, T., Xu, B. & Gao, XF. Molecular phylogeny and character evolution of Flemingia (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Phaseoleae, Cajaninae) inferred from three cpDNA and nrITS sequence data. Plant Syst Evol 307, 30 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-021-01749-0

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