Meeting Abstract

1.6  Jan. 4  Systematics of Lysipomia based on Chloroplast and Nuclear Sequence Data WEST, Donnelly/A*; AYERS, Tina/J; Rollins College; Northern Arizona University DAWest@Rollins.edu

The plant genus Lysipomia Kunth (Campanulaceae) is comprised of two subgenera and approximately forty species that grow exclusively in the Andes at 3000-5000 m elevation. Recent work using molecular markers has revealed more species than previously known from earlier morphological data. In this study, using sequences of the nuclear marker ITS and the chloroplast spacer region between the atpB-rbcL genes, we expand upon recent results to examine phylogenetic relationships within the subgenus Rhizocephalum. From our analyses, we confirmed that the genus Lysipomia is monophyletic. A consensus tree using both markers generated three well supported clades within the subgenus and unequivocally placed L. caespitosa as a sister species to the clade containing L. biliniata, L. lehmannii, and L.cylindrocarpa. We also discovered a cryptic species lying within the morphospecies now known as L. sparrei.