The relationships of microsorum (Polypodiaceae) species occurring in New Zealand

Abstract

Relationships of the three species of Microsorum occurring in New Zealand, M. no-vae-zealandiae, M. pustulatum, and M. scandens, were explored using evidence from four chloro-plast genomic markers: rbcL, rps4, rps4-trnS in-tergenic spacer, and trnL-F intergenic spacer. All three species were nested in a strongly supported lecanopteroid clade together with the ant-fern genus Lecanopteris and several species accepted as belonging to the polyphyletic genus Microsorum. M. scandens is sister to M. varians from New Caledonia, and in turn both are sister to M. linguiforme. M. novae-zealandiae and M. pustulatum form a clade together with the New Caledonian endemic M. viellardii. Support from morphological features is discussed, as is the possibility of a diversification of the lecanopteroids in Eastern Malesia and/or adjacent areas to the south after the collision of Australia and south-east Asia. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.