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Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Leonardoxa (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) inferred from chloroplast trnL intron and trnL-trnF intergenic spacer sequences¹

² Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (UPR 9056), C.N.R.S., 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France, and Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (UMR CNRS 5554), CC 065, Université Montpellier II, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France; and ⁴ Laboratoire de Biologie des Populations d'Altitude, CNRS UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, B.P. 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France

The African genus Leonardoxa (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) comprises two Congolean species and a group of four mostly allopatric subspecies principally located in Cameroon and clustered together in the L. africana complex. Leonardoxa provides a good opportunity to investigate the evolutionary history of ant–plant mutualisms, as it exhibits various grades of ant–plant interactions from diffuse to obligate and symbiotic associations. We present in this paper the first molecular phylogenetic study of this genus. We sequenced both the chloroplast DNA trnL intron (677 aligned base pairs [bp]) and trnL-trnF intergene spacer (598 aligned bp). Inferred phylogenetic relationships suggested first that the genus is paraphyletic. The L. africana complex is clearly separated from the two Congolean species, and the integrity of the genus is thus in question. In the L. africana complex, our data showed a lack of congruence between clades suggested by morphological and chloroplast characters. This, and the low level of molecular divergence found between subspecies, suggests gene flow and introgressive events in the L. africana complex.

Key Words: Caesalpinioideae • cpDNA • introgression • Leguminosae • Leonardoxa • myrmecophytes • phylogeny

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