New insights into the systematics of the Schoenoxiphium clade (Carex, Cyperaceae)

Abstract

The Schoenoxiphium clade (Carex, Cyperaceae) exhibits a high species diversity in South Africa and a complex taxonomy. Previous phylogenetic studies did not resolve the species relationships within the Schoenoxiphium clade due to the lack of informative characters in DNA markers used. Our aim is to resolve the species relationships within the Schoenoxiphium clade by adding information from more markers and more samples to information from previous studies. We sampled 19 out of 20 recognized species in the former genus Schoenoxiphium. Four DNA regions (two nuclear ribosomal: internal transcribed spacer, external transcribed spacer; two plastid: matK and rps16) were sequenced for 134 samples. Phylogenetic reconstruction was performed using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses. The monophyly of the Schoenoxiphium clade was confirmed. Five main clades with strong support were retrieved in congruence with a previous phylogeny. Although species relationships within these clades are still partially unresolved, our phylogeny highlights the need for the description of at least two new species in this group. The monophyly of the former genus Schoenoxiphium, taken together with its morphological synapomorphies and the recent phylogenetic studies and subsequent recircumscription of the genus Carex to include all nested genera, advises the consideration of this clade as a section (Carex sect. Schoenoxiphium Baillon). Additional investigations based on genomic sequencing are needed to fully resolve the species relationships within each of the five main clades.