Phylogenetic Relationships within Uvularia (Colchicaceae) Based on Morphology

The five species of bellworts in the genus Uvularia are common woodland herbs endemic to eastern North America. Two previous studies conducted phylogenetic analyses of Uvularia based on matK and rbcL gene sequences. The objective of this study was to create a phylogeny for Uvularia based on 18 qualitative morphological characters and 14 quantitative characters. Two phylogenetic analyses were performed, one including all 32 characters and one excluding the 14 quantitative characters. Strict consensus trees from the two analyses had the same topology and were congruent with published molecular phylogenies, supporting two sections of the genus.