A study on the phylogeny and species diversity of the genus Cryptocarya in China

We combined morphological characters and molecular markers (ITS and RPB2) to study the phylogeny of Cryptocarya species in China, and briefly discussed the causes of species diversity. Results showed that both morphological and molecular evidence supported the division of Cryptocarya species in China into two groups according to their leaf venation characters:i.e., triplinerved leaf group and pinninerved leaf group. Furthermore, Hainan, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guangdong may be the "cradles" of species differentiation, with more than 90% of Chinese Cryptocarya species distributed in these areas. The morphological characters of most Cryptocarya species in China were very similar, and there were no significant differences in their molecular sequences. This may be due to recent rapid radiation of the species.