<p>Vanguerieae is a tribe in the mainly tropical angiosperm family Rubiaceae. The tribe currently comprises around 600 species in 27 genera, with the major part of the species distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. </p><p>The phylogeny of the tribe was investigated using both molecular and morphological data. ITS sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA are used in all of the included papers, and in three papers also in combination with sequences from the plastid <i>trnT-F</i> region and/or the <i>rpl16</i> intron. Thirty morphological characters were also investigated and used in combination with molecular data. Several strongly supported groups are found, but eight of the currently recognized genera are also revealed as para- or polyphyletic, i.e., <i>Canthium</i>, <i>Fadogia</i>, <i>Lagynias</i>, <i>Pachystigma</i>, <i>Pyrostria</i>, <i>Rytigynia</i>, <i>Tapiphyllum</i>, and <i>Vangueria</i>. A new classification based on the phylogenetic analyses is suggested and a review of the morphology of Vanguerieae with a focus on taxonomically informative characters is also included. </p><p>The morphologically similar <i>Ancylanthos</i>, <i>Lagynias</i>, <i>Pachystigma</i>, and <i>Tapiphyllum</i> together with a species of <i>Rytigynia</i>, <i>R</i>. <i>fuscosetulosa</i>, are suggested for transfer to <i>Vangueria</i>. All dioecious species of Vanguerieae are found to form a strongly supported group. A study of the group is performed in which all dioecious genera and also twelve undescribed species from Madagascar are included. It is concluded that the whole group should be included in <i>Pyrostria</i>, which necessitates transfers of <i>Canthium</i> subgenus <i>Bullockia</i> and <i>Scyphochlamys</i>. <i>Canthium</i> subgenus <i>Afrocanthium</i> is found to have a position isolated from the type species of the genus and it is suggested that the subgenus is given generic rank as <i>Afrocanthium</i>. A comparison of nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies shows that several species in a subgroup of the tribe have incongruent positions, and possible explanations for the incongruencies are discussed. </p>

Vanguerieae is a tribe in the mainly tropical angiosperm family Rubiaceae. The tribe currently comprises around 600 species in 27 genera, with the major part of the species distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. The phylogeny of the tribe was investigated using both molecular and morphological data. ITS sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA are used in all of the included papers, and in three papers also in combination with sequences from the plastid trnT-F region and/or the rpl16 intron. Thirty morphological characters were also investigated and used in combination with molecular data. Several strongly supported groups are found, but eight of the currently recognized genera are also revealed as para- or polyphyletic, i.e., Canthium, Fadogia, Lagynias, Pachystigma, Pyrostria, Rytigynia, Tapiphyllum, and Vangueria. A new classification based on the phylogenetic analyses is suggested and a review of the morphology of Vanguerieae with a focus on taxonomically informative characters is also included. The morphologically similar Ancylanthos, Lagynias, Pachystigma, and Tapiphyllum together with a species of Rytigynia, R. fuscosetulosa, are suggested for transfer to Vangueria. All dioecious species of Vanguerieae are found to form a strongly supported group. A study of the group is performed in which all dioecious genera and also twelve undescribed species from Madagascar are included. It is concluded that the whole group should be included in Pyrostria, which necessitates transfers of Canthium subgenus Bullockia and Scyphochlamys. Canthium subgenus Afrocanthium is found to have a position isolated from the type species of the genus and it is suggested that the subgenus is given generic rank as Afrocanthium. A comparison of nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies shows that several species in a subgroup of the tribe have incongruent positions, and possible explanations for the incongruencies are discussed.

Most of the species of the family Rubiaceae with flowers arranged in head inflorescences are currently classified in three distantly related tribes, Naucleeae (subfamily Cinchonoideae) and Morindeae and Schradereae (subfamily Rubioideae). Within Morindeae the type genus Morinda is traditionally and currently circumscribed based on its head inflorescences and syncarpous fruits (syncarps). These characters are also present in some members of its allied genera, raising doubts about the monophyly of Morinda. We perform Bayesian phylogenetic analyses using combined nrETS/nrITS/trnT-F data for 67 Morindeae taxa and five outgroups from the closely related tribes Mitchelleae and Gaertnereae to rigorously test the monophyly of Morinda as currently delimited and assess the phylogenetic value of head inflorescences and syncarps in Morinda and Morindeae and to evaluate generic relationships and limits in Morindeae. Our analyses demonstrate that head inflorescences and syncarps in Morinda and Morindeae are evolutionarily labile. Morinda is highly paraphyletic, unless the genera Coelospermum, Gynochthodes, Pogonolobus, and Sarcopygme are also included. Morindeae comprises four well-supported and morphologically distinct major lineages: Appunia clade, Morinda clade (including Sarcopygme and the lectotype M. royoc), Coelospermum clade (containing Pogonolobus and Morinda reticulata), and Gynochthodes-Morinda clade. Four possible alternatives for revising generic boundaries are presented to establish monophyletic units. We favor the recognition of the four major lineages of Morindeae as separate genera, because this classification reflects the occurrence of a considerable morphological diversity in the tribe and the phylogenetic and taxonomic distinctness of its newly delimited genera.

This thesis deals with phylogenetic relationships at different taxonomic levels. All the plants studied are or have been included in the order Gentianales, which comprises about 17 200 species. The phylogenies are based on parsimony analyses of nucleotide sequence data (DNA) from different regions in the chloroplast genome, but morphological characteristics have also been studied. Analyses of sequence data from the genes rbcL and ndhF provide the interfamilial structure of the order Gentianales, shown to comprise the families Apocynaceae (incl. Asclepiadaceae), Gelsemiaceae, Gentianaceae, Loganiaceae, and Rubiaceae. Exclusion of certain genera from the Loganiaceae is confirmed and their phylogenetic positions are clarified. Some of these genera remain within the Gentianales, while others belong to other orders. Exclusion of the tribe Buddlejeae from the Loganiaceae is confirmed, and a monophyletic group formed by Buddleja, Emorya, Gomphostigma, and Nicodemia is recognized and placed in the Lamiales. The Loganiaceae s.str. forms, after these exclusions, a strongly supported monophyletic group comprising 13 genera. The tribe Paederieae in the family Rubiaceae is analysed using sequence data from the regions rbcL gene, rps16 intron, and the regions trnT-F, and is shown to be paraphyletic. These results lead to a new circumscription of Paederieae comprising the genera Leptodermis, Paederia, Serissa, and Spermadictyon. The tribe Putorieae is reestablished with the single genus Plocama, including 34 species. Aitchisonia, Choulettia, Crocyllis, Gaillonia, Jaubertia, Pseudogaillonia, Pterogaillonia, and Putoria are reduced to synonyms of Plocama based on the molecular analyses and morphological studies. The Mediterranean species of the re-circumscribed Plocama, previously segregated as the genus Putoria, are revised. Two species, Plocama calabrica and P. brevifolia, are recognized, their synonymics are established, and seven lectotypes are selected.