The generic position of two species of tribe Physaleae (Solanaceae) inferred from three DNA sequences: A case study on Physaliastrum and Archiphysalis

For the first time, samples of Physaliastrum and Archiphysalis are included in a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Physaleae based on the plastid loci ndhF and trnL-F and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS). We selected 38 species from 23 genera of tribe Physaleae (Solanaceae) as ingroup and two genera (Lycianthes, Capsicum) from Capsiceae as outgroup. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using maximum parsimony and Bayesian methods. The results indicate that Physaliastrum sensu Zhang et al. is not a monophyletic group. Neither Physaliastrum sensu Kuang and Lu nor Archiphysalis Kuang are members of Leucophysalis or Chamaesaracha or other genera as had been suggested by previous workers. They are independent genera which belong to subtribes Physalinae and Withaninae respectively.