Evolutionary Lineages in Sapotaceae (Ericales): A Cladistic Analysis Based on ndhF Sequence Data

The phylogeny of the Sapotaceae was investigated by DNA sequence analysis of the chloroplast gene ndhF. Three or possibly four main evolutionary lineages were identified. Sarcosperma is the sister group of all other Sapotaceae, which together form two strongly supported monophyletic groups. One large clade with strong support is comprised of the tribes Isonandreae, Mimusopeae, and Sideroxyleae, and also includes the genus Capurodendron of tribe Chrysophylleae. The second large clade with strong support is formed by the tribes Chrysophylleae and Omphalocarpeae, as well as Diploon of tribe Sideroxyleae. Weak support was found for a position of the genus Xantolis as sister to the Chrysophylleae‐Omphalocarpeae, but this genus could equally well constitute a separate evolutionary lineage. The relationships between many of the genera within each of the larger clades are still unclear, but based on the results, a discussion of diagnostic characters in the Sapotaceae from a cladistic perspective is presented.