In a previous study using 94 nuclear orthologs, we reported the species status of the Daucus guttatus complex to be unresolved, partitioned into three clades. In the present study, a subset of ten of these 94 orthologs was used to infer the phylogeny of the D. guttatus complex and related species. A near parallel set of accessions, planted in a common garden, was used for morphological analyses. The molecular trees are highly resolved for most of the clades, grouping accessions of the D. guttatus complex into four clades. Bayesian concordance analysis and a coalescent approach gave slightly different topologies. Morphological data likewise support four taxa in the complex. Moreover, herbarium research from a companion study informs nomenclature for taxa of the complex. We identify these four clades as D. bicolor, D. conchitae, D. guttatus, and D. setulosus; internested in or among these ...

The Daucus guttatus complex includes two to four species growing from central and northern Italy to the Middle East. They are characterized by being typically annuals up to 50 cm high; with primary umbels up to 7 cm in diameter with fewer than 25(35) rays; discolored umbels frequent, bearing one to several dark colored umbellules which form different color patterns; and mericarps relatively small, ca. 2.0–4.5 mm. The taxonomy of this complicated group has not been satisfactorily resolved to date and is the focus of current research. Seven names of species belonging to the D. guttatus complex occurring in the central and eastern Mediterranean basin are typified here: Daucus guttatus, Daucus bicolor, Daucus involucratus, Daucus setulosus, Daucus broteri, Daucus hirsutus, and Daucus speciosus. Historical data are reported to justify lectotype and/or epitype selection, and selected morphol...

Daucus has traditionally been estimated to comprise 21–25 species, but a recent study expanded the genus to c. 40 species. The present study uses ten nuclear orthologues to examine 125 accessions, including 40 collections of 11 species (D. annuus, D. arcanus, D. decipiens, D. durieua, D. edulis, D. gracilis, D. minusculus, D. montanus, D. pumilus, D. setifolius and D. tenuissimus) newly examined with nuclear orthologues. As in previous nuclear orthologue studies, Daucus resolves into two well-defined clades, and groups different accessions of species together. Maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses provide concordant results, but SVD quartets reveals many areas of disagreement of species within these two major clades. With maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses Daucus montanus (hexaploid) is resolved as an allopolyploid between D. pusillus (diploid) and D. glochid...