XVI International Botanical Congess

Monopetalanthus (Macrolobieae: Caesalpinioideae) consists of about 19 species of tropical African trees. The taxonomic position of the genus and its monophyly are uncertain. This has led to contradictory relationships between Monopetalanthus and the rest of the tribe Macrolobieae. A phylogenetic analysis of the chloroplast psbA-trnH spacer, of the trnL intron and of nuclear ITS sequences is used to verify the monophyly of Monopetalanthus and to test the different taxonomies. The analyses do not support the Cowan and Polhill generic groupings within the tribe and divide Monopetalanthus into two distinct non-sister clades. Morphological characters of the leaflet venation and the fusion of stipule support this separation of Monopetalanthus.