EVA WALLANDER¹ and V. A. ALBERT² (1999) Dimetra and Nyctanthes in Oleaceae. Flora Malesiana Bulletin 12(5): 231.

1) Systematic Botany, Botanical Institute, Göteborg University, Sweden.
2) The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, USA.

A paper being prepared for submission to the American Journal of Botany will present a molecular phylogeny of all 24 recognized genera of Oleaceae based on chloroplast DNA sequences. Of interest for the Flora Malesiana and Flora of Thailand Projects is evidence for inclusion in the Oleaceae of the long-debated genera Dimetra Kerr and Nyctanthes L.
    Dimetra is a monotypic genus endemic to Thailand, whereas the 3 species of Nyctanthes occur from India to China and Java (N. aculeata Craib is restricted to Thailand). Previously, there have been morphological arguments for their placement in the Verbenaceae or in a family of their own, Nyctanthaceae. Outgroups used in the phylogenetic analysis included representatives of the Loganiaceae, Myoporaceae, Rubiaceae, Strychnaceae, and Verbenaceae. The results clearly showed Dimetra and Nyctanthes as a sister group to Myxopyrum Blume in the subfamily Jasminoideae (with a parsimony jack-knife support of 99%). The Oleoideae was shown to be a monophyletic group, whereas relationships between basal clades, constituting the Jasminoideae, were not resolved. A revised classification of the family based on the molecular phylogeny will be included in a forthcoming paper (Wallander and Albert 2000).

Maintained by Eva Wallander | Last updated: 2006-11-07