Phylogeny and systematics of African Melastomateae (Melastomataceae)

Melastomateae are the most species-rich (185 spp./13 gen.) and morphologically diverse tribe within the African Melastomataceae. In this study we present the first in-depth phylogenetic analysis of African Melastomateae using sequences generated from one nuclear (nrITS) and two plastid spacers (accD-psaI, psbK-psbL) sampling 183 accessions representing 75 African, 10 Madagascan and 7 Asian species and a broad outgroup sampling. We infer phylogenetic relationships using maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian approaches and propose a revised generic classification of African Melastomateae based on our molecular trees in combination with a careful reassessment of morphological vari…