Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 9a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2014 May;74:97-110. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.01.028. Epub 2014 Feb 6.
The genus Knautia (Caprifoliaceae, Dipsacoideae) encompasses 40-60 species mainly distributed in western Eurasia, with highest species diversity in the Alps and the Balkan Peninsula. It is traditionally regarded as one of the taxonomically most challenging European genera due to the widespread occurrence of polyploidy, the high incidence of hybridisation and the maintenance of morphologically intermediate forms. A prerequisite for assessing the complex spatiotemporal diversification of a polyploid group is a comprehensive hypothesis of the phylogenetic relationships among its diploid members. To this end, DNA sequence data (nrDNA ITS and plastid petN(ycf6)-psbM) combined with AFLP fingerprinting were performed on 148 diploid populations belonging to 35 taxa. Phylogenies obtained by maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses were used to test the monophyly of the genus and its three sections Trichera, Tricheroides and Knautia, to provide insights into its evolutionary history and to test previous hypotheses of inter- and intrasectional classification. Both nuclear and chloroplast datasets support the monophyly of Knautia and its three sections, with ambiguous placement of K. cf. degenii. The majority of species belong to the nearly exclusively perennial section Trichera (x=10). Within section Trichera all markers revealed largely unresolved phylogenetic relationships suggesting rapid radiation and recent range expansion. In addition, extensive sharing of plastid haplotypes across taxa and wide geographic ranges of plastid haplotypes and ribotype groups were observed. The molecular data are partly at odds with the traditional informal grouping of taxa within section Trichera. Whereas the traditional groups of K. dinarica, K. drymeia and K. montana can be maintained, the new, smaller and well supported Midzorensis and Pancicii Groups as well as the SW European Group are separated from the heterogeneous traditional K. longifolia group. The former groups of K. arvensis, K. dalmatica, K. fleischmannii and K. velutina are clearly polyphyletic. Their diploid members have to be rearranged into the Xerophytic Group, the Carinthiaca Group, and the Northern and Southern Arvensis Groups. The annual sections Tricheroides (x=10) and Knautia (x=8) with only a few taxa are resolved in the ITS and plastid trees on long branches as early diverging lineages within the genus.
头状苦荬菜属（川续断科，川续断族）包含约 40-60 种，主要分布于西欧亚，以阿尔卑斯山脉和巴尔干半岛的物种多样性最高。由于多倍体广泛存在、杂交频繁以及形态中间形式的维持，该属被传统认为是欧洲分类上最具挑战性的属之一。评估多倍体群体复杂的时空多样化的前提是对其二倍体成员的系统发育关系进行全面假设。为此，对属于 35 个分类群的 148 个二倍体种群进行了 nrDNA ITS 和质体 petN(ycf6)-psbM 序列数据与 AFLP 指纹分析。最大简约法和贝叶斯分析获得的系统发育树用于检验该属及其三个亚属（ Trichera 、 Tricheroides 和 Knautia ）的单系性，为其进化历史提供了见解，并检验了之前的分类群内和群间分类假设。核和质体数据集均支持头状苦荬菜属及其三个亚属的单系性，仅 K. cf. degenii 的位置不确定。大多数物种属于几乎完全是多年生的 Trichera 亚属（x=10）。在 Trichera 亚属内，所有标记均揭示了很大程度上未解决的系统发育关系，表明快速辐射和最近的分布范围扩张。此外，观察到跨分类群广泛共享的质体单倍型以及广泛的质体单倍型和核糖体型组的地理分布范围。分子数据与 Trichera 亚属内传统分类群的非正式分组部分不一致。虽然可以维持传统的 K. dinarica 、 K. drymeia 和 K. montana 组，但较小的、支持良好的 Midzorensis 和 Pancicii 组以及西南欧组与异质的传统 K. longifolia 组分离。K. arvensis 、 K. dalmatica 、 K. fleischmannii 和 K. velutina 的前几组显然是多系的。它们的二倍体成员必须重新排列到旱生组、Carinthiaca 组以及北部和南部 Arvensis 组。ITS 和质体树中仅包含少数分类群的一年生亚属 Tricheroides （x=10）和 Knautia （x=8）在属内作为早期分化的谱系位于长枝上。
