Molecular systematics and morphometrics in Veronica subsect. Canae (Plantaginaceae)

Veronica subsect. Canae constitutes a group of approximately 22 species, mostly endemic to China. The clade is an early branching taxon in the earliest branching subgenus of Veronica and its phylogenetic relationships are therefore relevant for understanding evolutionary patterns in the genus as a whole. In the present study, we aim to confirm the circumscription of the subsection, estimate phylogenetic relationships within the subsection, and compare patterns based on morphological similarities with this phylogenetic hypothesis. Using 80 individuals representing ten species for the molecular and 16 for the morphometric analyses, we confirm the monophyly of the subsection but present results that will require further testing using more intense intraspecific sampling. For example, V. szechuanica was shown to be polyphyletic in molecular analyses and morphologically heterogeneous. The distinction of V. cana and V. henryi requires further investigation. Finally, two migration events from China to Japan are inferred by the phylogenetic analyses.