Phylogenetic relationships on 14 morphologically similar species of Pucciniastrum in Japan based on rDNA sequence data

We analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of 49 specimens comprising 14 morphologically similar species of Pucciniastrum distributed in Japan based on the sequence data of the large subunit rDNA (D1/D2), 5.8S rDNA, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Neighbor-joining and parsimony analyses generated six major groups for both the D1/D2 and ITS regions. Pucciniastrum circaeae and P. epilobii formed a single group. P. hydrangeae-petiolaris, P. coryli, P. fagi, P. hikosanense, P. tiliae, and P. boehmeriae were each a distinct clade, and P. fagi formed a close relationship with P. hikosanense. However, these analyses did not support the monophyly of the following species: P. kusanoi, P. actinidiae, P. corni, P. styracinum, P. yoshinagai, and P. miyabeanum.