Three newly described species of Ziziphus from Maharashtra, India based on morphological and molecular evidence

Three new species of Ziziphus (Rhamnaceae) from Maharashtra, India, Z. bhandarii Gholave & S.P.Gaikwad, Z. naikii Gholave & S.P.Gaikwad, and Z. bhansalii Gholave & S.P.Gaikwad are described here. These species occur in isolated fragments of the Deccan thorn scrub forest ecoregion on the Deccan plateau. Their placement in Ziziphus is confirmed by molecular analyses combining ITS and trnL-F regions. Given this phylogeny is the most robust to date of Ziziphus, a previously proposed intrageneric classification was tested, and the classification was not supported suggesting a need for additional investigations in this genus. The new species are most closely related to three Indian species, Z. horrida Roth, Z. xylopyrus (Retz.) Willd., and Z. caracutta Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb, respectively, which are morphologically similar and sympatric, and are distinguishable from known species based on several vegetative and reproductive characteristics presented here. A diagnostic key to the Zizip..., Please see the accompanying published article: Gholave et al. (2023). Three Newly Described Species of Ziziphus from Maharashtra, India Based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence. Systematic Botany., , Data from: Three Newly Described Species of *Ziziphus* from Maharashtra, India Based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence
[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7sqv9s4zg](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7sqv9s4zg)

Avinash R. Gholave, Asif S. Tamboli, Melissa B. Islam, Suhas K. Kadam, Sayajirao P. Gaikwad, Sanjay P. Govindwar, Yeon-Sik Choo, Jae Hong Pak

Description: Aligned ITS and *trnL-F* sequences in nexus format. And the maximum likelihood best trees for the *trnL-F* spacer and the ITS regions with the maximum likelihood bootstrap values at the nodes.

本文记述了产自印度马哈拉施特拉邦的3个鼠李科（Rhamnaceae）枣属（Ziziphus）新种，分别为Z. bhandarii Gholave & S.P.Gaikwad、Z. naikii Gholave & S.P.Gaikwad以及Z. bhansalii Gholave & S.P.Gaikwad。上述物种均分布于德干高原上德干荆棘灌丛生态区的孤立生境片段中。通过结合内转录间隔区（ITS）与trnL-F区的分子分析，确认了这3个新种在枣属中的分类位置。鉴于该系统发育分析是截至目前针对枣属开展的最稳健的研究成果，我们对此前提出的属内分类系统进行了检验，结果显示该分类系统并不成立，提示枣属类群的分类学研究仍需开展更多工作。这3个新种分别与3个印度本土枣属物种——Z. horrida Roth、Z. xylopyrus (Retz.) Willd.、Z. caracutta Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb.——亲缘关系最近，这3个物种在形态上与新种相似且同域分布，可通过本文所列出的若干营养及繁殖特征与已知枣属物种相区分。枣属分类检索表详见配套已发表论文：Gholave等（2023）《基于形态与分子证据的印度马哈拉施特拉邦枣属3新种》，刊载于《Systematic Botany》。数据集来源：《基于形态与分子证据的印度马哈拉施特拉邦枣属3新种》，DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7sqv9s4zg。作者团队：Avinash R. Gholave、Asif S. Tamboli、Melissa B. Islam、Suhas K. Kadam、Sayajirao P. Gaikwad、Sanjay P. Govindwar、Yeon-Sik Choo、Jae Hong Pak。数据集描述：采用nexus格式存储的比对后ITS与trnL-F区序列，以及针对trnL-F间隔区与ITS区构建的最大似然法最优树，节点处标注有最大似然法自展支持值。