Molecular phylogenetics clarifies generic boundaries of the papilionoid legume subtribe Clitoriinae

Clitoriinae is a morphologically distinctive and pantropically distributed subtribe within the legume tribe Phaseoleae (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae), yet its genus‐level taxonomic classification remains uncertain. This study presents the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Clitoriinae to date, integrating plastid ( matK/trnK ) and nuclear (ITS) sequence data from all traditionally recognized genera, including Barbieria and Clitoriopsis , sampled here for the first time. Our results support the monophyly of the Clitoriinae and its placement as an early‐diverging lineage within a broader clade comprising tribes Abreae, Millettieae, Desmodieae, Diocleae, Psoraleeae, and Phaseoleae. Within Clitoriinae, Barbieria and Clitoria form a well‐supported clade, sister to a clade containing Centrosema and Periandra . Periandra was recovered as monophyletic, while Clitoriopsis nests within Clitoria , supporting its subsuming within the latter. Centrosema is resolved as paraphyletic, with C. platycarpum and C. triquetrum forming a clade sister to Periandra . This isolated, morphologically distinctive clade is recognized under the re‐established genus Platysema . These findings establish a robust phylogenetic framework for Clitoriinae, clarify long‐standing taxonomic ambiguities, and highlight the need to revise broader tribal classifications within the Phaseoleae to reflect evolutionary relationships more accurately.