Phylogenomic analyses unravel the tangled evolutionary history of Genisteae

This study explores the phylogenetic relationships between genera in Genisteae, a tribe in the subfamily Papilionoideae (Fabaceae). Many relationships at the generic level had been previously unresolved due to a lack of modern attempts. Taxa from 24 of the 25 genera of Genisteae were sampled, along with species from the historical genera Teline and Chamaecytisus. Complete plastomes and low-copy nuclear genes were used to construct phylogenies with maximum likelihood, coalescence, and Bayesian methods. This study resulted in fully resolved and strongly supported trees for both nuclear and plastid data that show four major clades inside of Genisteae: Argyrolobium group, Lupinus clade, Cytisus-Genista complex and the novel Anarthrophyllum group. This research provides an improved understanding of the generic relationships in Genisteae and a framework for future studies on the evolutionary history of this tribe.