Data from: Molecular data and ploidal levels indicate several putative allopolyploidization events in the genus Potentilla (Rosaceae)

Several naturally occurring hybrids in Potentilla (Rosaceae) have been reported, but no molecular evidence has so far been available to test these hypotheses of hybridization. We have compared a nuclear and a chloroplast gene tree to identify topological incongruences that may indicate hybridization events in the genus. Furthermore, the monophyly and phylogenetic position of the proposed segregated genera Argentina, Ivesia and Horkelia have been tested. The systematic signal from the two morphological characters, style- and anther shape, has also been investigated by ancestral state reconstruction, to elucidate how well these characters concur with the results of the molecular phylogenies.
Six major clades, Anserina, Alba, Fragarioides, Reptans, ivesioid and Argentea, have been identified within genus Potentilla. Horkelia, Ivesia and Horkeliella (the ivesioid clade), form a monophyletic group nested within Potentilla. Furthermore, the origin of the proposed segregated genus Argentina (the Anserina clade) is uncertain but not in conflict with a new generic status of the group. We also found style morphology to be an informative character that reflects the phylogenetic relationships within Potentilla. Five well-supported incongruences were found between the nuclear and the chloroplast phylogenies, and three of these involved polyploid taxa. However, further investigations, using low copy molecular markers, are required to infer the phylogeny of these species and to test the hypothesis of hybrid origin.

已有研究报道蔷薇科（Rosaceae）委陵菜属（Potentilla）内存在多种天然杂交类群，但目前尚无分子生物学证据可验证这些杂交起源假说。本研究通过比对核基因与叶绿体基因的系统发育树，旨在识别该属内可能指示杂交事件的拓扑结构冲突。此外，本研究还验证了此前提议从委陵菜属中分出的阿根廷委陵菜属（Argentina）、艾委陵菜属（Ivesia）与霍克草属（Horkelia）的单系性及其系统发育位置。本研究同时通过祖先性状重建分析了花柱形态与花药形态这两个形态学性状的系统分类信号，以阐明这些性状与分子系统发育研究结果的契合程度。
研究在委陵菜属（Potentilla）内识别出6个主要演化支：鹅绒委陵菜演化支（Anserina）、白背委陵菜演化支（Alba）、草莓叶委陵菜演化支（Fragarioides）、匍匐委陵菜演化支（Reptans）、艾委陵菜演化支（ivesioid）与银叶委陵菜演化支（Argentea）。霍克草属（Horkelia）、艾委陵菜属（Ivesia）与霍克丽亚属（Horkeliella，即ivesioid演化支）构成一个单系群，且嵌套于委陵菜属内部。此外，此前提议分出的阿根廷委陵菜属（Argentina，即Anserina演化支）的起源尚不明确，但该类群的独立属地位并未与分子系统发育结果相悖。本研究同时发现，花柱形态是反映委陵菜属内系统发育关系的有效分类性状。核基因与叶绿体系统发育树之间共存在5个得到充分支持的拓扑冲突位点，其中3个涉及多倍体类群。但未来仍需利用低拷贝分子标记开展进一步研究，以明确这些物种的系统发育关系并验证其杂交起源假说。