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Inferring interfamilial relationships within the eudicot order Ericales has remained one of the more recalcitrant problems in angiosperm phylogenetics, likely due to a rapid, ancient radiation. As a result, no comprehensive time-calibrated tree or biogeographical analysis of the order has been published. Here, we elucidate phylogenetic relationships within the order and then conduct time-dependent biogeographical and diversification analyses by using a taxon and locus-rich supermatrix approach on one-third of the extant species diversity calibrated with 23 macrofossils and two secondary calibration points. Our results corroborate previous studies and also suggest several new but poorly supported relationships. Newly suggested relationships are: (1) holoparasitic Mitrastemonaceae is sister to Lecythidaceae, (2) the clade formed by Mitrastemonaceae + Lecythidaceae is sister to Ericales excluding balsaminoids, (3) Theaceae is sister to the styracoids + sarracenioids + ericoids, and (4) subfamilial relationships with Ericaceae suggest that Arbutoideae is sister to Monotropoideae and Pyroloideae is sister to all subfamilies excluding Arbutoideae, Enkianthoideae, and Monotropoideae. Our results indicate Ericales began to diversify 110 Mya, within Indo-Malaysia and the Neotropics, with exchange between the two areas and expansion out of Indo-Malaysia becoming an important area in shaping the extant diversity of many families. Rapid cladogenesis occurred along the backbone of the order between 104 and 106 Mya. Jump dispersal is important within the order in the last 30 My, but vicariance is the most important cladogenetic driver of disjunctions at deeper levels of the phylogeny. We detect between 69 and 81 shifts in speciation rate throughout the order, the vast majority of which occurred within the last 30 My. We propose that range shifting may be responsible for older shifts in speciation rate, but more recent shifts may be better explained by morphological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosa sections Chinenses and Synstylae contain approximately 39 wild species mainly distributed in East Asia and are closely related according to previous studies. But the specific relationships within these two sections were still obscure due to limited sampling, low genetic variation of molecular markers, and complex evolutionary histories. In this study, we used four chloroplast ( ndhC-trnV , ndhF-rpl32 , ndhJ-trnF and psbJ-petA ) and two nuclear (ribosomal ITS and GAPDH ) markers with an extensive geographic and taxonomic sampling to explore their evolutionary history. Our phylogenetic analyses suggested that Rosa sections Chinenses and Synstylae defined in traditional taxonomic system are not monophyletic and close to sections Caninae and Gallicanae . Additionally, our results showed incongruence between chloroplast and nuclear markers, and the patterns of incongruence might be due to ancient hybridization (genetic introgression). One putative hybrid species and three samples identified as interspecific hybrids are further discussed in terms of topological incongruence, biological characters and distribution patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently established tribe Gomphostemmateae (Lamiaceae) consists of Gomphostemma, Bostrychanthera and Chelonopsis, but relationships within and between these genera have not been well studied. Only six of the approximately 46 species of Gomphostemmateae have been included in any previous phylogenetic analysis. In the present study, we used DNA sequences of two nuclear regions (ITS, ETS) and five plastid loci (psbA-trnH, rpsl6, trnL intron, trnL-trnF spacer, trnS-trnG) to reconstruct the phylogeny of the East Asian genus Chelonopsis for the first time. The molecular results indicate that the tribe Gomphostemmateae is monophyletic; Bostrychanthera is embedded in Chelonopsis; and Chelonopsis comprises two clades, one encompassing the taxa of Chelonopsis subg. Chelonopsis and the genus Bostrychanthera and the other consisting of Chelonopsis subg. Aequidens. This split is supported by several morphological characters. These results, which are further strengthened by morphological and cytological data, indicate that Bostrychanthera should be transferred to Chelonopsis. In addition, our results show that within C. subg. Aequidens, sect. Aequidens and sect. Microphyllum are monophyletic. Further-more, two major clades are concordant with the Sino-Japanese and Sino-Himalayan distribution patterns.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]