Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of (Lamiaceae subfamily Lamioideae) in China: Insights from molecular and morphological data.

, with 150-170 species, is the second largest and perhaps most taxonomically challenging genus within the subfamily Lamioideae (Lamiaceae). With about 60 species, China is one of three major biodiversity centers of . Although some species from China have been included in previous molecular phylogenetic studies, a robust and broad phylogeny of this lineage has yet to be completed. Moreover, given the myriad new additions to the genus, the existing infrageneric classification needs to be evaluated and revised. Here, we combine molecular and morphological data to investigate relationships within , with a focus on Chinese species. We observed that plastid DNA sequences can resolve relationships within better than nuclear ribosomal internal and external transcribed spacer regions (nrITS and nrETS). Molecular phylogenetic analyses confirm the monophyly of , but most previously defined infrageneric groups are not monophyletic. In addition, morphological analysis demonstrates the significant taxonomic value of eight characters to the genus. Based on our molecular phylogenetic analyses and morphological data, we establish a novel section within , and propose three new combinations as well as three new synonyms. This study presents the first molecular phylogenetic analyses of in which taxa representative of the entire genus are included, and highlights the phylogenetic and taxonomic value of several morphological characters from species of from China. Our study suggests that a taxonomic revision and reclassification for the entire genus is necessary in the future.