STUDY ON THE NUMBER OF SPECIES AND ORIGINS OF GENUS PYRULARIA MICHX. (CERVANTESIACEAE)

Abstract

Pyrularia is a small parasitic genus of the Cervantesiaceae with two to five species exhibiting in a well-known classical intercontinental disjunct distribution between Eastern Asia and Eastern North America. The present study was based on comprehensive taxon sampling of Pyrularia and five DNA regions including three chloroplasts (matK, rbcL, trnLF) and two nuclear ones ((small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA), large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA)) to clarify the phylogeny and historical biogeography of Pyrularia. Results of the study supported that Pyrularia in Eastern Asia (including P. edulis, P. sinensis, P. bullata and P. inermis) may best be treated as a single species, P. edulis. The genus Pyrularia includes two speices P. pubera in Eastern North America and P. edulis in Eastern Asia. Results of molecular dating and historical biogeography indicated that Pyrularia was originated in Africa and then dispersed to Asia, and subsequently to North America via the Bering land bridge, resulting in the current intercontinental Eastern Asia and Eastern North America distribution of Pyrularia.