Genetic relationships of Atractylodes plants

The phylogenetic relationships of the genus Atractylodes DC. was analyzed using the nuclear  ribosomal ITS and three chloroplast fragments, including atpB-rbcL, psbB-psbF and trnL-trnF intergenic spacer (IGS) sequences.  Phylogenetic analyses revealed that A. lancea subsp. 1uotianensis and A. lancea, A. chinensis var. liaotungensis and A. coreana form monophyletic terminal clade, separately.  The trees, within each the pairwise genetic distances, did not support Hu’s classification.  Authors suggested that A. lancea Subsp. 1uotianensis should be included in A. lancea rather than be treated as a separate subspecies.  A. carlinoides was placed in the basal position of Atractylodes, which had a distant relationship with the others of the genus.  The results lead us to suggest that A. chinensis var. liaotungensis be put into A. coreana, A. chinensis as a subspecies of A. lancea.