A cladistic analysis of genus Anabasis (Chenopodiaceae) based upon anatomical and morphological characters

The genus Anabasis (Chenopodiaceae) according to new resource, has ten species and two varieties with wide distribution in Iran. This genus has taxonomical complexity in morphological study. A cladistic analysis using anatomical and morphological data in Anabasis was performed in order to search phylogenetic relationships among its species in Iran. Ten species were included as terminal taxa and four species of two genus, Haloxylon and Hammada include Hal. ammodendron, Hal. persicum, Ham. Salicornica and Ham. griffithii to root the trees. Twenty four anatomical and six morphological characters were used in the analysis. To study and avoid of polymorphism, we used replicates for samples. The character states considered as unordered because transformation series were unknown. 84 parsimonious tree according to Fitsch, with a 73 steps length was obtained (CI= 54, RI= 56). Most parsimonious Cladogram confirm the monophyly of Anabasis. Bootstrapping test for total characters matrix confirm the monophyly of Anabasis (BP=73), with a clade consisting of A. annua, A. setifera, A. eugeniae and A. salsa (BP=84). Results of this research confirmed position of species of Anabasis distributed in Iran, based on Flora of Iran.