Abstract Detail

Systematics Section

Aguirre-Santoro, Julian [1], Betancur, Julio [2], Brown, Gregory [3], Wendt, Tania [4].

Phylogeny and Delimitation of the Disjunct Genus Ronnbergia (Bromelioideae:Bromeliaceae) Based on Morphology and Molecular Data.

Recent phylogenetic studies on Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae) suggested that the reported geographic disjunctions within the most derived groups of this subfamily (also called core Bromeliodeae) may be the result of erroneous generic and infrageneric boundaries. In order to test the disjunct distribution and monophyly of one of these genera, a phylogenetic study of Ronnbergia including its more likely related genera was developed using plastid DNA regions (matK, trnL-trnlF, and psbA-trnH) and morphology. As the events of speciation within the core Bromelioideae may correspond to a recent rapid radiation, our results based on independent analyses of morphological and molecular data provided unresolved and poorly supported trees. Analyses using combined data provided stronger results, showing Ronnbergia as a non-monophyletic group with its species distributed in three clades. The four species endemic to the Atlantic Forest are grouped in one clade with species of the Aechmea lingulata complex.The remaining ten species from Northwestern South America and Central America are distributed in the other two clades. The first clade, Ronnbergia sensu stricto, contains only Ronnbergia species of the Choco biogeographical region, whereas the second clade is formed by Ronnbergia species grouped with species of Aechmea subgenus Pothuava also from this Neotropical biome. Taxonomic changes based on these results will be suggested as a contribution for the reorganization of the core Bromelioideae. This study provides further evidence showing that geographic proximity in groups of recent and rapid speciation is more likely than disjunction, a factor that has to be considered for future taxonomic restructuration of the core Bromelioideae.

Broader Impacts:

1 - The New York Botanical Garden, The Graduate Center/Lehman College-CUNY, Plant Sciences, 2900 Southern Boulevard, New York Botanical Garden, Pfizer Plant Research L, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA
2 - Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Apartado 7495 , Bogotá, Colombia
3 - UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, Department Of Botany, BOX 3165, LARAMIE, WY, 82071-3165, USA
4 - UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO DE JANEIRO, DEPT DE BOTANICA CCS JB, Av. Brigadeiro Trompowsky, S/n, Rio De Janeiro, N/A, 21941-5900, Brazil

Keywords:
Ronnbergia
Bromeliaceae
Geographic disjunction
Neotropical plants
Core Bromelioideae.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 44
Location: Lindell A/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Time: 11:30 AM
Number: 44013
Abstract ID:49