The evolution and taxonomy of the core members of subtribe Vellinae (Brassicaceae), comprising Vella aspera, V. bourgeana, and V. pseudocytisus, is still poorly known. We reconstructed the evolutionary relationships among these taxa and other Vellinae and close Brassicaceae using nuclear ITS and plastid trnTF phylogenies, and analyzed the phenotypic traits that differentiate the infraspecific ranks of V. pseudocytisus. | Turkish Journal of Botany Turk J Bot (2015) 39: 472-486 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Phylogeny and systematics of the western Mediterranean Vella pseudocytisus-V. aspera complex (Brassicaceae) 1,2, 1 1, , 1,3 Violeta I. SIMÓN-PORCAR *, Ernesto PÉREZ-COLLAZOS * **, Pilar CATALÁN Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic School of Huesca, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain 2 Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK 3 Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia Received: Accepted: Published Online: Printed: Abstract: The evolution and taxonomy of the core members of subtribe Vellinae (Brassicaceae), comprising Vella aspera, V. bourgeana, and V. pseudocytisus, is still poorly known. We reconstructed the evolutionary relationships among these taxa and other Vellinae and close Brassicaceae using nuclear ITS and plastid trnTF phylogenies, and analyzed the phenotypic traits that differentiate the infraspecific ranks of V. pseudocytisus. Our phylogenetic analyses show: i) an early divergence of Succowia within the BrassiceaeSisymbrieae sensu lato clade; ii) the nested positions of Vella bourgeana (syn. Euzomodendron bourgaeanum) and V. aspera (syn. Boleum asperum) within the Vella clade; and iii) the split of 5 lineages within the V. pseudocytisus clade (NW African subspecies glabrata 2x; SE Spain subspecies pseudocytisus 2x; C Spain subspecies pseudocytisus 4x; NE Spain subspecies paui 4x Alfambra Valley; and NE Spain subspecies paui 4x Turia Valley). Phenotypic traits support the differentiation of the diploid and tetraploid cytotypes of V. pseudocytisus subsp. pseudocytisus. Our data support the separation of Succowia from the Vellinae and the erection of a new subspecies within V. pseudocytisus (Vella pseudocytisus subsp. .
