Bulbous Monocots Native to Japan and Adjacent Areas -Their Habitats, Life Histories and Phylogeny

The results of comparative studies on the life history characteristics of selected members of bulbous monocots in Japan are reported along with molecular systematic analyses using two chloroplast genes, rbcL and matK. In analyzing the inter- and infra-generic relationships in Lilium and allied taxa, the matK gene was sequenced for 35 Lilium, two Nomocharis, one Cardiocrinum, one Notholirion, and two Fritillaria species, with Erythronium japonicum and Medeola virginiana used as outgroup taxa. Phylogenetic analyses utilizing both MP and NJ topologies of the sequence data demonstrated that the genus Lilium consists of three different clades: the first clade includes 13 Lilium species belonging to Sections Archelirion (5 spp.), Leucolirion (2 spp.), Shinomartagon (5 spp.), Pseudolilium (1 spp.), and two Nomocharis species; the second clade includes 16 Lilium species belonging to Sections Daurolirion (1 sp. with 2 subsp.), Shinomartagon (6 spp.), Martagon (4 spp.), Liriotypus (3 spp.), and Leucolirion (2 spp.); the third clade includes six species belonging to Section Pseudolilium. The two Nomocharis species, N. pardanthina and N. saluenensis, were ingroup taxa of the first clade. Notholirion, Cardiocrinum, and Fritillaria were demonstrated to be sister groups to Lilium. The present results have shown many new evidence concerning the phylogenetic relationships among the Lilium and allied taxa, but do not support Comber’s sectional delimitations (1949).