Phylogenetic and biogeographical inferences for Pancratium (Amaryllidaceae), with an emphasis on the Mediterranean species based on plastid sequence data

The phylogenetics and biogeography of Pancratium (Amaryllidaceae) were investigated, with a focus on the Mediterranean and adjacent areas, with the aim of contributing new information towards a better understanding of the evolutionary history of the genus and the taxonomic placement of P. linosae and P. hirtum. To address these questions, we sequenced four plastid DNA markers: the ndhF and rbcL genes, the trnL(UAA)-trnF(GAA) intergenic spacer and the trnL(UAA) intron, analysing them using parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian approaches. The results show that the relationships among the majority of the species are resolved; however, the relationships of one of the major clades of the genus are…