Tidskrift: Taxon
Volym: 58
Sidor: 757-768

Abstrakt: (på engelska)

The tribe Alberteae, presently classified in the subfamily Ixoroideae (Rubiaceae), has historically been an artificial grouping of genera. In the present study, phylogenetic analyses of the chloroplast DNA markers rbcL, ndhF, trnS-G, trnT-F and trnH-psbA as well as the ITS region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, are done to assess the delimitation of Alberteae. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis is highly resolved, with most clades strongly supported. The genus Alberta is found to be paraphyletic as presently circumscribed. As a consequence, we propose the new genus Razafimandimbisonia Kainul. & B. Bremer to accommodate the Malagasy species. The newly delimited Alberta is distinguished by having two calycophylls that expand after anthesis as well as awl-shaped stigma lobes. Razafimandimbisonia is distinguished from the remaining Alberteae by having dehiscent fruits and anthers without basal appendages. We demonstrate that the genera Airosperma, Boholia and Crossopteryx are not associated with Alberteae, as has previously been suggested. Alberteae is considered restricted to the genus Alberta endemic to Southeast Africa, and the two Malagasy endemic genera Nematostylis and Razafimandimbisonia.