Phylogenetics of Bauhinia Subgenus Phanera (Leguminosae:Caesalpinioideae) Based on ITS Sequences of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA

The pantropical legume genus Bauhinia is currently subdivided into four subgenera Subgenus Phanera, with ca 150 species, is the largest. A parsimony analysis was conducted on ITS sequence data from 38 species. With representatives from all four subgenera. and species sampled from nine of 11 sections of subgen Phanera, and including two Cercis species as the outgroup The well-resolved strict consensus tree suggests that subgen Phanera and the monotypic subgen Barklya together form a monophyletic group In the Phanera-Barklya dade, the African (sect Tylo5erna), American (sect. Canlotretu5), and Australasian (subgen Barklya. Subgen Phanera sect Lysiphyllnrn) species are the first (paraphyletic) lineages. while the Asian taxa (except species of sect Lysiphyllurn) form a monophyletic group The ITS tree also revealed that sects Phanera and La5ioberna are not monophyletic Monophyletic groups supported by the phylogenetic analysis include ser Fulvae and ser Colyrnbo5ae of sect Phanera, sect Tubicalyx, and the Asian-Australasian sect Lysiphyllurn.