Molecular phylogenetic studies in the genus Amanita

A group of 49 Amanita species that had been thoroughly examined morphologically and anatomically was analyzed by DNA sequence comparison to estimate natural groups and phylogenetic relationships within the genus. Nuclear DNA sequences coding for a part of the ribosomal large subunit were determined and evaluated using neighbor-joining with bootstrap analysis, parsimony analysis, conditional clustering, and maximum likelihood methods. Sections Amanita, Caesarea, Vaginatae, Validae, Phalloideae, and Amidella were substantially confirmed as monophyletic groups, while the monophyly of section Lepidella remained unclear. Branching topologies between and within sections could also partially be derived. Subgenera Amanita and Lepidella were not supported. The Mappae group was included in section Validae. Grouping hypotheses obtained by DNA analyses are discussed in relation to the distribution of morphological and anatomical characters in the studied species.