Molecular Systematics of the Cactaceae

双子叶被子植物仙人掌科（仙人掌 家庭）将检查系统有用的变化， 叶绿体基因组 代表性分类群的DNA样本来自 将分析整个家族的基因序列变异 在叶绿体编码核酮糖二磷酸的基因中 羧化酶大亚基（rbcL）。 基因序列研究 变化将被用来解决长期存在的问题， 系统发育关系在家庭内的亚家族和 部落的水平，以及评估单系以前 提出的分类群。 数据来源于rbcL基因测序 将与获得的形态学数据相结合， 结构特征的比较研究，如 刺，花，果实和种子，并将进行分析，以开发 关于亚科内部和亚科之间关系的假设 在仙人掌科中，在亚科的部落中， 仙人掌亚科和仙人掌亚科。 DNA数据的分支分析 与形态学数据一起将提供额外的 可以从中做出推断以帮助 了解复杂的进化，形态的多样化， 以及仙人掌的放射线。

The dicotyledonous angiosperm family Cactaceae (the Cactus Family) will be examined for systematically-useful variation in the chloroplast genome. DNA samples of representative taxa from throughout the family will be analyzed for gene sequence variation in the chloroplast-encoded gene for ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit (rbcL). Studies of gene sequence variation will be used to address long-standing questions about the phylogenetic relationships within the family at the subfamilial and tribal levels, as well as to assess monophyly of previously proposed taxonomic groups. Data derived from rbcL gene sequencing will be integrated with morphological data obtained from comparative studies of structural characters such as those of spines, flowers, fruits, and seeds, and will be analyzed to develop hypotheses about the relationships within and between subfamilies of the Cactaceae, and within the tribes of the subfamilies Cactoideae and Opuntioideae. Cladistic analysis of DNA data together with morphological data will provide additional information from which inferences may be made to assist in understanding the complex phylogeny, morphological diversification, and biogeographic radiation of the cacti.