A phylogeny of the rice tribe Oryzeae (Poaceae) based on matK sequence data.

Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using nucleotide sequences of the chloroplast gene matK for 26 species representing 11 genera of the tribe Oryzeae and three outgroup species. The sequenced fragments varied from 1522 base pairs (bp) to 1534 bp in length with 15.4% variable and 7.9% phylogenetically informative sites when the outgroups were excluded. The aligned sequences were analyzed by maximum parsimony and neighbor-joining methods. Analyses of the sequence data indicated that species of Oryzeae form a strongly supported monophyletic group, concordant with previous morphological and anatomical evidence. The tribe Oryzeae can be divided into two monophyletic lineages, corresponding to the traditionally recognized subtribes Oryzinae and Zizaniinae. The first subtribe consists of Oryza and Leersia, while the subtribe Zizaniinae includes the remaining genera. The matK sequence data did not support the close affinities of the monoecious genera in Oryzeae, implying the possibility of multiple origins of the floral structures in the tribe. It is noteworthy that Porteresia coarctata is closely related to Oryza species, suggesting that it should be treated as a member in the genus Oryza rather than a separate monotypic genus.