Phylogenetic relationships withinPelargonium sect. Peristera (Geraniaceae) inferred from nrDNA and cpDNA sequence comparisons

Bakker, F. T., Hellbrugge, D., Culham, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7440-0133 and Gibby, M. (1998) Phylogenetic relationships withinPelargonium sect. Peristera (Geraniaceae) inferred from nrDNA and cpDNA sequence comparisons. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 211 (3-4). pp. 273-287. ISSN 0378-2697 doi: 10.1007/BF00985364

Abstract/Summary

Phylogenetic analysis of nrDNA ITS and trnL (UAA) 5′ exon-trnF (GAA) chloroplast DNA sequences from 17 species ofPelargonium sect.Peristera, together with nine putative outgroups, suggests paraphyly for the section and a close relationship between the highly disjunct South African and Australian species of sect.Peristera. Representatives fromPelargonium sectt.Reniformia, Ligularia s. l. andIsopetalum (the St. Helena endemicP. cotyledonis) appear to be nested within thePeristera clade. The close relationship between the South African and AustralianPeristera is interpreted as being caused by long-range dispersal to Australia, probably as recent as the late Pliocene.