XVI International Botanical Congess

Anthemideae is composed of 109 genera and 1740 species, with the majority of species in 5 large genera - Achillea, Anthemis, Artemisia, Seriphidium, and Tanacetum. It occurs worldwide, primarily in the Old World and in North Temperate regions, with the Mediterranean Region and South Africa the primary centers of diversity. We constructed phylogenies based on chloroplast gene ndhF and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The well-resolved phylogenies resulted in the South African genera forming a basal grade, while the Northern Hemisphere genera formed a monophyletic clade. The most strongly supported clade is composed of Eurasian genera that includes large genera and smaller Mediterranean endemics. Clearly biogeography has played a major role in the evolution of this tribe.