DNA barcoding and molecular phylogeny of the Philippine Mycetia reinw. (Rubiaceae) including an account of a new species from Agusan del Norte, Mycetia dagohoyi

• Main Authors: De la Bajan, Ulpiano P., Jr., Ordas, Jorge Anton D., Tandang, Danilo N., Alejandro, Grecebio Jonathan D.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Rubiaceae—Variation—Philippines; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/11188
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Philippines has four species of Myctia Reinw. (Rubiaceae), M. cauliflora, M. javanica, M. mindanaensis and M. apoensis with the later two recognized as endemics and new combinations from Adenosacme Wall. Currently, the taxonomy and phylogeny of the Myctia are imperfectly known. Several specimens were collected from Negros Oriental, Camarines Sur, Batanes, Agusan del Norte, Surigao, Camiguin and Davao. These were subjected to morphological and molecular assessments using six DNA markers: rps16, trnL-F, ITS, matK, rbcL and trnH-psbA. Bayesian analyses showed that M. cauliflora and M. apoensis are sister-taxa while M. mindanaensis belongs to a separate clade from M. javanica. Morphological data showed that they are distinct from each other. Interestingly, a species from Agusan del Norte differs in morphology and showed divergence with a high support and is hereby proposed as a new species, Myctia dagohoyi. In addition, the performance of the markers was assessed in terms of universality and discriminatory power through a DNA barcoding analyses. Based from the results, the combined rps16, trnL-F and trnH-psbA is the best barcode set to study the genus Mycetia.