Phylogenetic positions of Actites megalocarpa and Sonchus hydrophilus (Sonchinae: Asteraceae) based on ITS and chloroplast non-coding DNA sequences

Phylogenetic positions of the Australian endemic taxa Actites megalocarpa and Sonchus hydrophilus within the subtribe Sonchinae were determined on the basis of ITS sequences of nuclear rDNA and the psbA-trnH^(GUG) intergenic spacer of chloroplast DNA. Both ITS and cpDNA phylogenies suggest that the monotypic genus Actites is not closely related to the members of Sonchus section Asperi, as previously suggested. Rather, this study indicates that it is more closely related to the members of Sonchus sections Maritimi (S. maritimus) and Arvenses (S. arvensis). It also suggests that S. maritimus from section Maritimi is one of the closest relatives of Actites in Australia, although an alternative origin from section Arvenses is possible. Actites and Embergeria, once treated as congeneric taxa, appear to have originated independently in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. Sonchus hydrophilus is closely related to the S. asper complex, S. oleraceus and S. kirkii. This study suggests that S. kirkii may be involved in the origin of S. hydrophilus in Australia.