Evolution of the Australasian families Alseuosmiaceae, Argophyllaceae, and Phellinaceae

• Based on results from cladistic analyses of morphology and DNA sequences (the two chloroplast genes rbcL and ndhF), the three Australasian families Alseuosmiaceae, Argophyllaceae, and Phellinaceae are each monophyletic, belong within Asterales, and together form a monophyletic group. Two new rbcL sequences and thirteen new ndhF sequences were obtained. Congruence tests did not reveal any significant incongruence between the two molecular data sets or between the molecular and morphological data. The character evolution of the Alseuosmiaceae-Argophyllaceae-Phellinaceae group is discussed. The Australasian ancestor of this group was probably a woody plant with simple, alternate, serrate leaves and regular, choripetalous, epigynous flowers borne in panicles. All tree families should be retained in line with the "principle of ease of identification."

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