Phylogenetic Analysis of Viola Species
Summary
The genus Viola, comprising over 600 species worldwide, exhibits remarkable morphological diversity and complex evolutionary history. Traditional classifications based on floral and vegetative traits have been substantially revised through molecular phylogenetics, employing nuclear markers such as ITS and multiple plastid regions. These studies have clarified deep divergences between major clades, revealed repeated allopolyploid speciation events and elucidated biogeographic patterns of southern temperate origins followed by intercontinental dispersal. Advances in high‐throughput sequencing now allow complete chloroplast genomes to serve as robust datasets for resolving infrageneric relationships and for identifying mutational hotspots that underpin species delimitation. Such integrative approaches not only refine taxonomic frameworks but also have direct applications in conservation prioritisation and the authentication of medicinal Viola taxa.
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Phylogenetic Analysis of Viola Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in phylogenetic analysis of viola species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Phylogenetic analysis: Method to reconstruct evolutionary relationships among species using genetic or morphological data.
Chloroplast genome (plastome): The circular DNA within chloroplasts used for inferring plant phylogenies due to its conserved structure.
Internal transcribed spacer (ITS): A nuclear DNA region between ribosomal RNA genes commonly used as a marker for species-level phylogenetics.
Monophyly: The condition in which a group of organisms consists of all the descendants of a common ancestor.
Superbarcode: The use of complete chloroplast genomes or large genomic regions as high-resolution markers for species discrimination.
References
- An integrated study of Violae Herba (Viola philippica) and five adulterants by morphology, chemical compositions and chloroplast genomes: insights into its certified plant origin. Chinese Medicine (2022).
- A Revised Phylogenetic Classification for Viola (Violaceae). Plants (2022).
- The complete chloroplast genome sequences of four Viola species (Violaceae) and comparative analyses with its congeneric species. PLOS ONE (2019).
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