Data from: Orchid phylogenomics and multiple drivers of their extraordinary diversification

Orchids are the most diverse family of angiosperms, with over 25 000
species, more than mammals, birds and reptiles combined. Tests of
hypotheses to account for such diversity have been stymied by the lack of
a fully resolved broad-scale phylogeny. Here, we provide such a phylogeny,
based on 75 chloroplast genes for 39 species representing all orchid
subfamilies and 16 of 17 tribes, time-calibrated against 17 angiosperm
fossils. A supermatrix analysis places an additional 144 species based on
three plastid genes. Orchids appear to have arisen roughly 112 million
years ago (Mya); the subfamilies Orchidoideae and Epidendroideae diverged
from each other at the end of the Cretaceous; and the eight tribes and
three previously unplaced subtribes of the upper epidendroids diverged
rapidly from each other between 37.9 and 30.8 Mya. Orchids appear to have
undergone one significant acceleration of net species diversification in
the orchidoids, and two accelerations and one deceleration in the upper
epidendroids. Consistent with theory, such accelerations were correlated
with the evolution of pollinia, the epiphytic habit, CAM photosynthesis,
tropical distribution (especially in extensive cordilleras), and
pollination via Lepidoptera or euglossine bees. Deceit pollination appears
to have elevated the number of orchid species by one-half but not via
acceleration of the rate of net diversification. The highest rate of net
species diversification within the orchids (0.382 sp sp−1 My−1) is 6.8
times that at the Asparagales crown.