Liriodendron genome sheds light on angiosperm phylogeny and species–pair differentiation

The genus Liriodendron belongs to the family Magnoliaceae, which resides within the magnoliids, an early diverging lineage of the Mesangiospermae. However, the phylogenetic relationship of magnoliids with eudicots and monocots has not been conclusively resolved and thus remains to be determined 1–6 . Liriodendron is a relict lineage from the Tertiary with two distinct species—one East Asian ( L. chinense (Hemsley) Sargent) and one eastern North...