Garrya (Garryaceae)

Molecular phylogenetics of the plant genus Garrya (Garryaceae)

The genus Garrya Dougl. ex Lindl. (Garryaceae) contains around 15 species of wind-pollinated, dioecious, evergreen trees and shrubs distributed in North America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (Dahling 1978). The species are separated into two sub-genera, Garrya and Fadyenia, which differ in morphology and distribution (Dahling 1978). The precise phylogenetic position of the genus Garrya, and its Asian sister genus, Aucuba, has only recently become clear, following decades of uncertainty (Bremer et al. 2002), and the status of many species and sub-specific taxa within the genus remains uncertain, owing to a paucity of informative morphological features, high rates of intraspecific variation, and hybridization between species (Dahling 1978). My research on Garrya makes use of molecular phylogenetic data to test taxonomic hypotheses within the genus, examine the evolution of morphology, and reconstruct the geographic history of this intriguing group of plants.

References Cited:

Bremer, B. et al. 2002. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 24: 274-301.

Dahling, G.V. 1978. Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University 209: 1-104.