Molecular phylogenetics and historical biogeography of the tribe Lilieae

Revealing the role played by the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) for organismal diversification and biogeography of plants in the Northern Hemisphere, Huang et al. assess phylogenetic relationships and divergence time, and reconstruct ancestral range for the tribe Lilieae (Liliaceae), including primarily temperate and alpine lineages with disjunct distribution in the North Temperate Zone.

The biogeographic analyses, based on three plastid markers and nuclear ITS, reveal that the ancestor of Lilieae probably diversified in the QTP region during the Oligocene and the early Miocene, subsequently several lineages dispersal out of the QTP. Moreover, biotic interchange between the QTP region and Irano-Turanian region and the Mediterranean Basin were bi-directional.