Beschreibung:
<p>A phylogenetic analysis of 39 species of the tribe Rubieae and of 15 taxa belonging to 12 other tribes of Rubiaceae has been performed using the DNA sequence of the chloroplast atpB-rbcL intergene region. The subfamily Rubioideae may be characterized as a monophylum, i.e., by a characteristic 204-bp deletion, shared by the representative tribes Coccocypseleae, Psychotrieae, Hedyotideae (paraphyletically linked to Spermacoceae), Anthospermeae, Theligoneae, and Paederieae, which, in this order, step-wise approach the advanced Rubieae. This tribe is clearly monophyletic and characterized by an additional 50-bp deletion. Five clades can be recognized within Rubieae, which mostly corroborate, but also partly contradict, traditional groupings (i.e., Galium and Asperula appear to be of polyphyletic origin); some of these results may have taxonomic implications.</p>