Abstract
Gleichenia (Gleicheniaceae) is a genus of distinctive branching ferns well represented in Australasia (Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand) where seven of the total eleven species occur. Published chloroplast phylogenies have shown that G. dicarpa is polyphyletic in New Zealand, and that one species from Madagascar and Réunion previously included in Gleichenia represented a separate newly-recognised genus, Rouxopteris. Here, chloroplast rbcL, trnL-trnF and combined trnL-trnF and rps4-trnS phylogenies are produced for all Australasian species. Australasian species formed a clade sister to the type of Gleichenia, G. polypodioides, confirming their placement in Gleichenia. Gleichenia dicarpa occurred in three major clades, which also contained other species or undescribed forms. The three separate lineages of G. dicarpa were morphologically distinct from these other species or forms; however, the three separate chloroplast lineages of G. dicarpa are difficult to morphologically distinguish from each other. Further study is required to elucidate whether the polyphyly of G. dicarpa could be due to unrecognised cryptic species, hybridisation, or incomplete lineage sorting. Low rbcL variation between all Australasian species suggests a radiation in the last five million years and at least six long-distance dispersal events in Australasia are inferred, comprising five between Australia and New Zealand, and one between Australia and New Caledonia.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Rose Barrett, Peter Beveridge, Patrick Brownsey, Peter de Lange, David Glenny, Cameron Hay, Kevin Matthews, Erin May, Stephen Flack, Adele Neale, Ray Ohlsen, Richard Perrie, Tim Rutherford, and John Steel for their assistance with collecting. Molecular work on Australian samples was performed in the Molecular Laboratory of the National Herbarium of Victoria, Melbourne. Samples were collected under flora permits issued by the Conservation, Direction de lÉnvironnement (Province Sud, New Caledonia), Department of Conservation (New Zealand), Department of Environment and Resource Management (Queensland), Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (Tasmania), Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria) and New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife. This study formed part of Daniel J. Ohlsen’s Honours Thesis, Molecular Systematics of Australasian Gleicheniaceae, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne.
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Online Resource 1. Details of accessions used in this study. Details for each accession are given as follows: taxon name; region of collection, collector number (herbarium); trnL-trnF GenBank accession number; rps4-trnS GenBank accession number if sequenced for that accession; and rbcL GenBank accession number if sequenced for that accession.
Online Resource 2. The rbcL alignment for Australasian Gleicheniaceae in nexus format.
Online Resource 3. The trnL-trnF alignment for Australasian Gleichenia samples in nexus format.
Online Resource 4. The combined trnL-trnF and rps4-trnS alignment for Australasian Gleichenia samples in nexus format.
Online Resource 5. Gleichenia dicarpa spore measurements used in this study.
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Ohlsen, D.J., Perrie, L.R., Shepherd, L.D. et al. Chloroplast phylogenies of Australasian Gleichenia ferns (Gleicheniaceae) reveal incongruence with current taxonomy, and frequent long-distance dispersal. Plant Syst Evol 308, 25 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-022-01818-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-022-01818-y