Time-calibrated phylogeny of Daphne (Thymelaeaceae): Pre-mediterranean temporal origin of the sclerophyllous Daphne gnidium

The sclerophyllous syndrome is characterized by well-defined traits (evergreen coriaceous leaves, inconspicuous flowers, and fleshy fruits). It has been hypothesized that lineages displaying the sclerophyllous syndrome show lower speciation rates than non-sclerophyllous lineages after the establishment of the mediterranean climate. Daphne gnidium displays sclerophyllous traits and some differentiation into three subspecies (gnidium, mauritanica, maritima), but the spatio-temporal origin of this taxonomic group is unknown due to the lack of a time-calibrated phylogeny of the whole genus. Here, we inferred phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Daphne (32 species, 238 samples) and other genera of Thymelaeaceae (16 genera, 38 species, 34 samples) using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), which revealed that the current circumscription of Daphne is profoundly polyphyletic because some species are nested within the genera Wikstroemia and Edgeworthia. In contrast, D. gnidium formed a well-supported clade as recognized in taxonomic accounts (subgenus Spachia). We found morphological and phylogenetic support for Daphne mauritanica as a monophyletic lineage sister to D. gnidium. Divergence between D. gnidium and D. mauritanica appears to have predated the establishment of seasonally dry conditions, which supports a pre-mediterranean temporal origin of the lineage. A phylogeographical analysis within D. gnidium based on 66 nrDNA (ITS) and 84 cpDNA (rps16, trnV) sequences agreed with the low differentiation of the species in the Pleistocene despite its large distribution range. Altogether, D. gnidium illustrates one more example of the sclerophyllous syndrome with no speciation after the onset of the mediterranean climate. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Systematics and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

We thank the following botanists and institutions for providing plant material and permission for DNA isolation: Leopoldo Medina, Eva García and Alberto Herrero (MA), Hermann Voglmayr (WU), Robert Vogt (B), David E. Boufford and Dr. Michaela Schmull (HUH), Kurt Zernig (GJO), Dr. Jurriaan M. de Vos and Aurélie Grall (BAS/BASBG/RENZ), Lucia Amadei and Francesco Roma-Marzio (PI), Astrid Scharfetter (GZU), Laurence Loze and Dr Fred Stauffer (G), Neus Ibañez (BC), Emily Magnaghi (CAS), Peter otto (LZ) Zhirong Yang, Richard Ree (F), Manuel Pimentel (UDC), Chao Xu and Xiaohua Jin (PE), and María Jesus Ariza Molina and Francisco Javier Salgueiro González (SEV). We would also like to thank Manuel Nogales (Spanish Research Council, CSIC) for collecting Daphne gnidium from Canary Islands and Emilio Cano (laboratory technician at Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid) for help, guidance, and advice. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) (grant no. PGC2018-101650-B-I00).

Peer reviewed