Systematics of (Celastraceae) inferred from plastid and nuclear DNA sequence data.

Résumé

We presented a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of covering approximately 80% of recognized species. By integrating five plastid markers (, , -, - and -) with nuclear marker ITS sequences and applying both maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference approaches, we reconstructed robust phylogenetic relationships within the genus. We presented notable differences between molecular phylogeny and the established sectional classification. While sect. emerged as monophyletic with strong support, sect. , sect. , sect. , and sect. were resolved as paraphyletic. The monotypic sect. represented a distinct evolutionary lineage, whereas the species-rich sect. was dispersed across multiple clades. Notably, three eastern Himalayan species (, and ) formed a well-defined clade with highly reduced staminodia. This study provided a critical molecular framework for reevaluating morphological evolution and revising the infrageneric classification of .