Phylogenetic relationships of New Zealand Lycopodiaceae

We examine the global relationships of all New Zealand’s Lycopodiaceae species through DNA sequencing of the chloroplast rbcL gene and phylogeny reconstruction. The molecular phylogeny largely agreed with recent taxonomic schemes based on morphology. However, the grouping of Lycopodiella serpentina with Lycopodiella caroliniana, as either Lycopodiella sect. Caroliniana or Pseudolycopodiella was not supported in the phylogeny, indicating that these classification schemes need adjustment. Several New Zealand species showed intraspecific genetic variation within New Zealand and/or compared to conspecific samples from overseas. The chloroplast sequences could not distinguish Lycopodiella diffusa and Lycopodiella lateralis, nor the different morphologies of Phlegmariurus varius characteristic of high and low altitudes.