RAD sequencing resolves the phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of Trichophoreae despite a recent rapid radiation (Cyperaceae).

Trichophoreae is a nearly cosmopolitan Cyperaceae tribe that contains ~17 species displaying striking variation in size, inflorescence complexity, and perianth morphology. Although morphologically distinct, the status of its three genera (Cypringlea, Oreobolopsis and Trichophorum) is controversial because recent phylogenetic studies have suggested they might not be reciprocally monophyletic. However, previous analyses have shown conflicting topologies and consistently poor support due to an initial rapid diversification of the tribe.

The rediscovery of the rare Vietnamese endemic redefines generic limits in the Scirpo-Caricoid Clade (Cyperaceae).

For those familiar with boreal bogs and wet tundra, species of ("the cotton grasses") will undoubtedly represent some of the most striking and memorable taxa they have encountered. This small genus of 20 Holarctic sedge species (Cyperaceae) is remarkable because its inflorescences produce large, brilliantly white to rusty-red cottony masses when its flowers develop a perianth of highly elongated bristles after anthesis. In this study, we document the rediscovery of , a narrow Vietnamese endemic known from only two collections made approximately 7 km apart near Sa Pa in Lào Cai Province over 75 years ago.

Why are there so many sedges? Sumatroscirpeae, a missing piece in the evolutionary puzzle of the giant genus Carex (Cyperaceae).

For over a century, the origins and mechanisms underlying the diversification of the enormous temperate genus Carex (>2100 species; Cariceae, Cyperaceae) have remained largely speculative. Characteristics such as its diverse ecology, varied biogeography, and intriguing cytology have made Carex a powerful model for studying plant evolution, but its uncertain sister-group relationships hinder its use in studies that depend on accurate ancestral state estimates and biogeographic inferences. To identify the sister to Carex, we estimated the phylogeny of all genera in the Cariceae-Dulichieae-Scirpeae clade (CDS) using three plastid and two nuclear ribosomal markers.

Resolving Rapid Radiations within Angiosperm Families Using Anchored Phylogenomics.

Despite the promise that molecular data would provide a seemingly unlimited source of independent characters, many plant phylogenetic studies are still based on only two regions, the plastid genome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). Their popularity can be explained by high-copy numbers and universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers that make their sequences easily amplified and converted into parallel datasets. Unfortunately, their utility is limited by linked loci and limited characters resulting in low confidence in the accuracy of phylogenetic estimates, especially when rapid radiations occur.

Three new, early diverging Carex (Cariceae, Cyperaceae) lineages from East and Southeast Asia with important evolutionary and biogeographic implications.

Traditional Cariceae and Carex (1966 spp.) classifications recognised five genera (Carex, Cymophyllus, Kobresia, Schoenoxiphium, Uncinia) and four subgenera (Carex, Vignea, Vigneastra, Psyllophora). However, molecular studies have shown that only Carex, divided into five major lineages (the Core Carex, Schoenoxiphium, Core Unispicate, Vignea and Siderostictae Clades), is natural.

Comparative population structure and genetic diversity of Arceuthobium americanum (Viscaceae) and its Pinus host species: insight into host-parasite evolution in parasitic angiosperms.

In a recent study we revealed that the parasitic angiosperm Arceuthobium americanum is comprised of three distinct genetic races, each associated with a different host in regions of allopatry. In order to assess the role of host identity and geographical isolation on race formation in A. americanum, we compared the genetic population structure of this parasite with that of its three principal hosts, Pinus banksiana, Pinus contorta var.

The discovery of three genetic races of the dwarf mistletoe Arceuthobium americanum (Viscaceae) provides insight into the evolution of parasitic angiosperms.

A population genetic approach was used to explore the evolutionary biology of the parasitic angiosperm Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm. (Viscaceae).