Format: ORAL

Sonia Molino 1,2,Guillermo Santos Rivilla1, Mario Mairal1, Weston Testo3,Peter DeLange4,Rosenber Hurtado5, James Rodger6, Rafael Medina Bujalance1

1Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid. Spain 2 Universidad Europea de Madrid. Madrid. Spain 3 Pringle Herbarium, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA 4 Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand 5 Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, La Paz, Bolivia 6 Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Parablechnum is the most speciose genus of the fern family Blechnaceae, particularly represented in vulnerable habitats such as tropical montane cloud forests. Its 68 species exhibit a Gondwanan distribution, predominantly spread across two major centers of diversity one in the Neotropics and the other in Australasia; additionally, there are only three African species found in Southern Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarene archipelago. Reconstructing the evolutionary history of these ferns has been hampered by their singular circumstances. Recent studies show that the genus is undergoing a rapid diversification that obscures its backbone phylogeny and hence the explanation of its current disjunct distribution. The taxonomy of the genus is still poorly understood as several species groups need further attention to be adequately circumscribed. Additionally, phenomena such as hybridization and cryptic speciation seem frequent in the genus, making it difficult to complete the phylogenetic approach. Combining the specimens from two recent field campaigns with herbarium material, we are attempting to improve the quality and quantity of molecular data. Our approach aims to reach a more detailed phylogenetic resolution via Hyb-Seq using the GoFlag probe set. Our preliminary results show a complex evolutionary history of a dynamic group shaped by long-distance dispersal events and ongoing diversifications. Guided by these results we are undertaking a comprehensive taxonomic reevaluation of the whole genus with the perspective of completing a global monograph.