ABSTRACT--A
large collaborative effort has yielded a comprehensive study of the
phylogeny
and a new subfamilial classification of the grass family
(Poaceae/Gramineae).
The study was conducted on an integrated and representative set of 62
grasses
(0.6% of the species and ca. 8% of the genera) plus four outgroup taxa
using six molecular sequence data sets (ndhF, rbcL, rpoC2,
phyB,
ITS2, and GBSSI or waxy), chloroplast restriction site data, and
morphological
data. A parsimony analysis using 2143 informative characters (the
combined analysis) resulted in a single most parsimonious tree of 8752
steps with an RI of 0.556 and bootstrap support of > 90% for more
than
half of the internal nodes. Significant relationships that appear
consistently in all analyses of all data sets and are strongly
supported
by the combined analysis include the following: Joinvilleaceae are
sister
to a monophyletic Poaceae; the earliest diverging lineages of the
Poaceae
are the Anomochlooideae, Pharoideae, and Puelioideae, respectively; and
all remaining grasses form a clade. Multiple monophyletic
lineages
were recovered, including Bambusoideae s.str., Ehrhartoideae, Pooideae
s.l., Aristidoideae, Danthonioideae, Chloridoideae s.str.,
Chloridoideae
s.l., Panicoideae, Parianeae, Olyreae s.str., Oryzeae, Stipeae,
Meliceae,
Lygeum
+ Nardus, and Molinia + Phragmites. The
PACCAD
Clade is monophyletic, containing Aristidoideae, Danthonioideae,
Arundinoideae
s.str., Chloridoideae s.l., Centothecoideae, Panicoideae,
Eriachne,
Micraira,
and Gynerium. Based on the phylogeny, a classification of
11 previously published subfamilies (Anomochlooideae, Pharoideae,
Puelioideae,
Bambusoideae, Ehrhartoideae, Pooideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae,
Chloridoideae,
Centothecoideae,, and Panicoideae) and 1 new subfamily (Danthonioideae)
is proposed. Several changes in the circumscription of
traditionally
recognized subfamilies are included. Previous phylogenetic work
and
classifications are reviewed in relation to this classification and
circumscription,
and major characteristics of each subfamily are discussed and
described.
The matrix, trees, and updated data matrix are available at <http://www.virtualherbarium.org/grass/gpwg/default.htm>.