A CHLOROPLAST DNA PHYLOGENY OF KALIMERIS AND ASTER, WITH REFERENCE TO THE GENERIC CIRCUMSCRIPTION

RFLPs of cpDNA of five species and one variety of Kalimeris, and eight species of Aster from Japan were investigated. Approximately 290 restriction sites were surveyed using 16 restriction enzymes. A total of 52 restriction site mutations was detected, and 21 of them were phylogenetically informative. Wagner parsimony analysis resulted in only one most parsimonious tree. In the tree obtained, Kalimeris sensu Kitamura is a polyphyletic group; K. miqueliana belongs to a different clade than the remaining species of Kalimeris. This result suggests that the shortening of the pappus has occurred in parallel in different evolutionary line. Thus, it is not appropriate to extend the generic circumscription of Kalimeris to include K. miqueliana, based on pappus length. The sister group of Kalimeris, except K. miqueliana, is the Aster ageratoides group. Aster ovatus is included in the Kalimeris clade and it is suggested that it represents an amphidiploid with some Kalimeris species as its maternal parent.