A Phylogenetic Analysis of Miconieae (Melastomataceae) Based on Molecular and Morphological Characters.

牡丹科是一个大的植物科，约160属，约5000种。该科的成员很容易通过其典型的具有近平行的次脉（肩顶脉）和多孔和弯曲的花药（膝曲）的叶子来识别。该科中超过40%的物种属于Miconieae部落，该部落有30个属，其肉质果实仅在新世界热带地区发现。在新热带森林中，蜜松科是五个最多样化的科之一，是蜜松科部落的代表，是森林林下植被的主要组成部分。Miconieae在这些环境中对食果鸟类和一些哺乳动物的饮食起着重要的作用。此外，夏威夷和其他太平洋岛屿上最著名的两种杂草属于这一组：科斯特的诅咒（Clidemia hirta）和天鹅绒树（Miconia calvescens）。尽管如此，人们对Miconieae的种间关系以及属内的界限和关系了解甚少。本项目将利用Miconieae所有三个基因组（细胞核、叶绿体和线粒体）的DNA序列和形态学数据来评估Miconieae的进化关系。形态学数据将采用范例种方法直接从植物标本馆、液体保存标本和活标本中编码收集。总的来说，我们预计将包括该部落所有属中所有物种的五分之一。由此产生的系统发育分析将成为特征进化研究（例如，a-蚁的起源；b-花序位置）和生物地理研究（例如，加勒比植物区系和生物地理的起源）的基础。形态学数据（连同其他诊断特征）将用于生成基于网络的Miconieae属的交互式密钥，以及选定属中的种。最后，我们的研究结果将作为属类重组的基础，从而形成一个新的部落内分类系统。本研究将对教育、国内和国际合作、加强代表性不足群体的参与和知识传播产生广泛影响。两位博士候选人将密切参与这里提出的研究，并与将要访问的不同国家的当地科学家直接互动，这将有助于增加他们对系统理论和实践的知识，特别是在植物标本馆和大学中，这些学科的研究生培训是无法获得的。pi和合作者来自美国、欧洲和拉丁美洲的各种机构（博物馆、大型大学和文理学院）。由于缺乏部落中较大属的专著和当地专家鉴定标本，交互式密钥将对生态学家，保护生物学家和当地科学家非常有用。在本研究过程中收集的资料将有助于增加当地植物标本馆、NYBG和FMNH的收藏。收集数据、照片和其他信息将通过互联网提供。最后，PI Fabian Michelangeli是一位年轻的西班牙裔科学家（他将与共同PI Walter Judd和来自巴西的共同PI Renato Goldenberg合作），通过这项研究获得的知识将增强未被充分代表的少数民族对科学的参与。

Melastomataceae is a large plant family with approximately 5000 species in about 160 genera. Members of the family are easily recognizable by their typical leaves with sub-parallel secondary veins (acrodomal venation), and porose and flexed anthers (geniculate). Over 40% of the species in the family belong to the tribe Miconieae, a group of 30 genera with fleshy fruits found exclusively in the New World tropics. In Neotropical forests the Melastomataceae are among the five most diverse families and representatives of the tribe Miconieae are a dominant element in the forest understory. Species of Miconieae play an important role in the diet of frugivorous birds and some mammals in these environments. Moreover, two of the most notable weeds in Hawaii and other Pacific islands belong to this group: Koster's curse (Clidemia hirta) and velvet tree (Miconia calvescens). In spite of all of this, the relationships among species of the Miconieae, and the limits and relationships within genera in this group are poorly understood. This project will assess the evolutionary relationships within the Miconieae with the use of DNA sequences from all three genomes (nucleus, chloroplast and mitochondrion) and morphological data. The morphological data will be gathered using an exemplar species approach coding directly from herbarium, liquid-preserved and live specimens. In total, we expect to include about one fifth of all species from all genera in the tribe. The resulting phylogenetic analyses will be the foundation of character evolution studies (e.g. a-origin of ant-domatia; b-inflorescence position) and biogeographical studies (e.g. origin of Caribbean flora and biogeography). Morphological data (along with other diagnostic characters) will be used to produce interactive web-based keys to the genera of Miconieae, and to species in selected genera. Lastly, our results will be used as the basis of generic realignments, leading to a new intratribal classification system. The present study will have broad impacts in education, domestic and international collaborations, enhancement of participation of underrepresented groups, and dissemination of knowledge. Two doctoral candidates will be intimately involved in the research here proposed, and direct interaction with local scientists at the different countries to be visited will help to increase their knowledge of systematic theory and practices, especially in herbaria and universities where graduate training in these disciplines is not available. The PIs and collaborators come from a variety of institutions, (museums, large universities, and liberal art colleges) from the US, Europe and Latin America. Because of a lack of monographs for the larger genera in the tribe and local experts to identify specimens, the interactive keys will be extremely useful for ecologists, conservation biologists and local scientists. Collections made during the course of this study will help to increase the collections of local herbaria, the NYBG, and FMNH. Collection data, photographs and other information will be available through the internet. Finally, the PI, Fabian Michelangeli, is a young Hispanic scientist (who will collaborate with Walter Judd, co-PI, and Renato Goldenberg co-PI from Brazil) and knowledge gained through this study will enhance the participation of underrepresented minorities in science.