XVI International Botanical Congess

The monophyly of Hintonia and its position within Rubiaceae are tested using parsimony analyses of rbcL and morphology. The rbcL analyses include 149-854 terminals with all available sequences for Rubiaceae and a dense sample of Asteriidae. Large data sets were analyzed exploring various search strategies including different implementations of the parsimony ratchet. Preliminary rbcL global parsimony analysis supports the monophyly of Hintonia corroborating a position nested within Cinchonoideae associated to the Portlandia complex and to the Catesbaeae and Chiococceae. A unique combination of morphological characters also supports the monophyly of Hintonia. Pollen shows a complex pattern of endexine deposition never described for the Portlandia complex that provides additional cladistically informative characters diagnostic at infra- and supra-generic levels.