Molecular phylogeny of Acacia subgenus Phyllodineae (Mimosoideae: Leguminosae) based on DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region

Abstract

The largest monophyletic group within Acacia is subgenus Phyllodineae, with more than 950 predominately Australian species, the majority characterised by adult foliage consisting of phyllodes. Molecular sequence data from the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA repeat were used to investigate the monophyly of seven sections within the subgenus. A nested PCR approach was used to amplify the ITS region. Fifty-one species representative of all sections were sequenced together with one outgroup taxon Lysiloma divaricata (Ingeae). Phylogenetic parsimony analysis suggested that there are two main clades within Phyllodineae but that only one section, Lycopodiifoliae, is ..