2007 Volume 58 Issue 2_3 Pages 57-68
The phylogeny of Japanese Cyperaceae was investigated using chloroplast ndhF sequence data from 37 species in 27 genera. Our results show some congruence with the classification of Goetghebeur (1998). The 5.8S rDNA was analyzed for 37 species in 24 genera. Three base substitutions and 1-bp deletion were observed. A 3-bp indel (CAT) was found in many genera of Cyperaceae. Our results indicate that these mutations of 5.8S rDNA occurred in the ancestor of the family. The monophyly of subfamilies Mapanioideae, Sclerioideae, and Caricoideae is strongly supported. However, the monophyly of subfamily Cyperoideae is not supported because subfamily Caricoideae is nested within it. The monophyly of tribes Cariceae, Abildgaardieae, Eleocharideae, and Cypereae is strongly supported, but Schoeneae, Scirpeae, and Fuireneae are polyphyletic. Two groups were distinguished in the ndhF tree: (1) Dulichieae to Cariceae, and (2) Cypereae to Abildgaardieae.
