Phylogeny and generic delimitation in Molluginaceae, new pigment data in Caryophyllales, and the new family Corbichoniaceae

The circumscription of Molluginaceae has changed radically in recent years, with Corbichonia being moved to Lophiocarpaceae, Limeum to Limeaceae, Macarthuria to Macarthuriaceae and all species of Hypertelis, except the type, to Kewa in Kewaceae. In a broad analysis of core Caryophyllales using plastid trnK-matK and rbcL sequences, the position of Molluginaceae in a strict sense as sister to the Portulacineae clade is corroborated, as are the positions of Corbichonia, Limeum and Kewa outside the family. The phylogeny of Molluginaceae is reconstructed based on trnK-matK and nuclear ITS sequences of about half of the currently recognized species in the family and with representatives from all recognized genera. Mollugo is found to be polyphyletic and a new taxonomy for the family with 11 genera is proposed. Mollugo in its new restricted sense is a mainly American genus of about 15 species, including M. ulei comb. nov., previously placed in the monotypic Glischrothamnus. The Australian and ...