Format: ORAL

Akanksha S. Jeswani1, Siddharthan Surveswaran2, Manoj M. Lekhak1

1 Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India 2 University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India

Senecio L. (Senecioneae: Asteraceae) is one of the most speciose genera globally, comprising approximately 1250 species primarily concentrated in southern Africa and South America. The genus is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to varied habitats which is probably the reason for its widespread distribution and high species numbers. The sheer magnitude of species and huge variation has hindered comprehensive phylogenetic reconstruction. For a long period of time phylogenetic studies have revealed the paraphyletic or polyphyletic nature of the genus prompting the need for better sampling as well more sequence markers. However, despite extensive molecular studies on Senecio worldwide, the Indian species have remained largely unexplored. In India, the genus is represented by about 53 taxa (47 species and 6 varieties), exhibiting high species diversity in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. Of the 21 endemic species identified in India, 80% are confined to the Western Ghats. We sampled six species and two putative new species from the northern Western Ghats to study their phylogenetic status.Based on different nuclear ITS and plastid markers (trnT-L, trnL, trnK, psbA-trnH), the analysis reveals that these taxa are closely related to Senecio saxatilis Wall. placed within Austrosynotis-Cineraria clade, as identified in Pelser et al. (2007). Furthermore, the study strongly supports the placement of these species under Section Madaractis (DC.) Hook.f. represented with species occurring in central Asia.