Phylogeny and systematics of Crescentieae (Bignoniaceae), a Neotropical clade of cauliflorous and bat-pollinated trees

The tribe Crescentieae includes Amphitecna (21 species), Crescentia (six
species), and Parmentiera (10 species), three genera of understory trees
with a center of diversity in Central America and a small number of
species in the Antilles and northern South America. Species in
Crescentieae are united by their fleshy, indehiscent fruit and
cauliflorous, bat-pollinated flowers. The large fruits are presumed to
have evolved to be mammal dispersed, although water dispersal is known to
occur. To lay a foundation for examining morphological, ecological, and
biogeographic patterns within the tribe, we inferred the phylogeny for
Crescentieae using both chloroplast (ndhF, trnL-F) and nuclear markers
(PepC, ITS). The most recent circumscription of Crescentieae, containing
Amphitecna, Crescentia, and Parmentiera is supported by our phylogenetic
results. Likewise, the sister relationship between Crescentieae and the
Antillean-endemic Spirotecoma is also corroborated by our
findings.  This relationship implies the evolution of fleshy and
indehiscent fruits from dry and dehiscent ones, as well as the evolution
of bat pollination from insect pollination. Fruits and seeds from species
in Crescentieae are consumed by humans, ungulates, birds, and fish.