XVI International Botanical Congess

The Celastraceae contains approximately 94 genera of shrubs and trees distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The lack of understanding of its biology, morphology, and geographic distribution translates into a difficult taxonomy and consequently a poor understanding of phylogenetic relationships. In this preliminary study utilizing representatives from 40+ genera, the chloroplast markers ndhF and trnL-trnF were used to elucidate generic level phylogenetic relationships within the Celastraceae. The results help confirm the placement of problematic genera, support a monophyletic Celastraceae (including Hippocrataceae), and demonstrate a need for the reevaluation of the current taxonomic structure to reflect phylogenetic history.