Phylogenetic studies of the core Alismatales inferred from morphology and rbcL sequences

The phylogeny of Alismatales remains an area of deep uncertainty, with different arrangements being found in studies that examined various subsets of genes and taxa. Herein we conducted separate and combined analyses of 103 morphological characters and 52 rbcL sequences to explore the controversial phylogenies of the families. Congruence between the two data sets was explored by computing several indices. Morphological data sets contain poor phylogenetic signals. The homology of morphological characters was tested based on the total evidence of phylogeny. The incongruence between DNA and morphological results; the hypothesis of the 'Cymodoceaceae complex'; the relationships between Najadaceae and Hydrocharitaceae; the intergeneric relationships of Hydrocharitaceae; and the evolutionary convergence of morphological characters were analyzed and discussed. (C) 2009 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.