Systematics of Planchonella Pierre: The largest Sapotaceae genus in subfamily Chrysophylloideae

Abstract Planchonella is the largest genus in subfamily Chrysophylloideae (Sapotaceae), believed to circumscribe about 110 species, occurring throughout tropical Asia, Australia, and Oceania, as well as the Seychelles and Hawaii. Previous studies have confirmed the monophyly of Planchonella but also identified problems such as species limits of the name‐bringing taxon P. obovata , paraphyly of the widespread P. chartacea , confusion between the large‐leaved and often cultivated species P. maclayana and P. pomifera , and the variable species P. torricellensis . Species limits of P. chartacea , P. duclitan , P. obovata and P. torricellensis are investigated by sampling multiple accessions. We examine these problems in a Bayesian framework using BEAST by using three nrDNA loci (ETS, ITS, RPB2 ) and indel data of 184 terminals, which represent about 90% of the recognised species. Five morphological characters for the P. chartacea complex were mapped onto the resultant tree. Our analyses agree with previously obtained Planchonella phylogenies with four major clades recovered. Planchonella obovata is found to be a variable taxon, and two species, P. clemensii and P. mindanaensis , are synonymised with P. obovata , opposed to P. merrillii , which is reinstated. Three species are synonymised under P. chartacea , a widespread species that ranges from Singapore in the west to different Pacific islands in the east. Leaf morphology is very similar in P. maclayana , P. macrantha , and P. pomifera , but they can be distinguished on tertiary leaf venation patterns. Our molecular phylogeny demonstrates that P. duclitan as currently circumscribed represents two species: P. duclitan mainly distributed east of Wallace's Line and P. spectabilis west of Wallace's Line. Ninety‐six described species are recognised, for which we provide full nomenclature and typification. Seven undescribed species are identified. Four species require transfer to the related genus Pleioluma , one to Sideroxylon , and two species, P. erringtonii and Chrysophyllum rhodoneurum , are excluded from Planchonella . We designate lectotypes for 71 names, make one new combination, viz. Planchonella bakhuizenii , and designate neotypes for P. duclitan and P. endlicheri .