Format: ORAL

S. Mota de Oliveira (1,2), C.C. Hoff, M. Ventayol (1)

(1) Naturalis Biodiversity Center; (2) Institute of Biology, Leiden University

The Neotropical Myristicaceae includes six genera. Virola (Myristicaceae) is the genus with the highest number of species and the broadest geographical range, occurring from Central America to South Brazil, with a peak of diversity in Amazonia. Species delimitation in Virola is mostly based on the number and the spacing of the secondary veins, the indument, inflorescence branching, length of anthers and filament column, and on fruit shape and size. Currently, around 70 species names are accepted, with a few disagreements on synonymies in the literature. During an ongoing treatment of the genus for Flora do Brasil and the Flora of the Guianas, morphological data had limited power to address the disputed synonymies and the status of the monotypic genus Bicuiba - also reduced to synonymy in the Brazilian literature, but still accepted elsewhere. As an attempt to add new evidence for species delimitation and to understand the evolutionary relationships among species, we generated different sets of molecular data. Plastome and ITS regions were sequenced in 86 herbarium samples of 35 species. We also carried out targeted sequencing of nuclear genes (Angiosperm 353 probe set) in part of these samples and new ones, in total 79 herbarium specimens of 36 species. Plastome and ITS data were in general not informative or incongruent. The sampling of multiple specimens per species and analysis of the different datasets have offered additional support for decisions on synonymies. The resulting phylogeny based on the targeted sequencing of nuclear genes indicated that Virola can be divided in three well supported clades; one of which formed by sub-canopy to canopy species including the widespread V. sebifera and V. calophylla, agrees with previous findings. The study of independent molecular datasets integrated to morphology is a strategy for supporting taxonomic decisions and better understanding the evolution of the genus.