SANTIAGO-VALENTIN, EUGENIO1* and RICHARD G. OLMSTEAD2. 1Universidad de Puerto Rico, Jardin Botanico, Apartado 364984, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-4984; 2University of Washington, Department of Botany, Box 355325, Seattle, Washington 98195-5325. - Biogeography of the Goetzeoideae (Solanaceae).
Recent phylogenetic reconstruction of the Goetzeoideae using DNA
sequence data from the chloroplast genome and the nuclear genome has
provided evidence to understand its historical biogeography and
present trends of morphological and ecological evolution. Our results
demonstrate that the Greater Antillean genera Coeloneurum,
Espadaea, Goetzea, and Henoonia belong to a clade
that includes two basal lineages endemic to South America:
Duckeodendron and Metternichia. This clade is one of the
first lineage splits of the family Solanaceae. Pollen morphology shows
congruence with the relationships outlined by the molecular phylogeny.
The phylogeny indicates that in some lineages, there has been
evolution towards xeric environments. In additon, there has been
considerable morphological changes in reproductive structures and
pollination syndromes between the continental lineages and the Greater
Antillean lineages.
Key words: Caribbean, Goetzeoideae, Greater Antilles, Island biogeography, Phylogeny, Solanaceae