XVI International Botanical Congess

17 slowly evolving genes (and introns) spanning ~14 kb of cpDNA were used to resolve deep relationships among extant angiosperm lineages. The loci comprise rbcL, atpB, two ndh genes, three ribosomal protein genes and ten genes encoding Photosystem II proteins. One third of the data derive from the very slowly evolving Inverted Repeat region of the cp genome. Approximately 40 exemplar species were used to represent the major clades of angiosperms and seed-plant outgroups. The data provide strong support for a number of basal angiosperm relationships. The waterlilies are resolved as most basal, followed by several woody families distinct from core woody Magnoliids. This parallels previous studies of chloroplast and nuclear genes, but with stronger support and less dense taxon sampling.