Museomics Clarifies the Classification of Aloidendron (Asphodelaceae), the Iconic African Tree Aloes.

ABSTRACT: Arborescent succulent plants are regarded as keystone and indicator species in desert ecosystems due to their large stature and long lifespans. Tree aloes, the genus Aloidendron, are icons of the southern African deserts yet have proved elusive subjects due to the difficulty of obtaining material of known provenance for comparative study. Consequently, evolutionary relationships among representatives of the unusual arborescent life form have remained unclear until now. We used a museomics approach to overcome this challenge. Chloroplast genomes of six Aloidendron species and 12 other members of Asphodelaceae were sequenced from modern living collections and herbarium specimens, including the type specimens of all but two Aloidendron species, the earliest of which was c

SUBMITTER: Malakasi P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6803536 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature