Molecular analyses suggest a need for a significant rearrangement of Rutaceae subfamilies and a minor reassessment of species relationships within Flindersia

DNA sequencing has been used to construct two molecular phylogenies at the intrafamily and intrageneric level within the Rutaceae. Analysis of trn L- trn F sequence data for five Rutaceae subfamilies has shown that there is no molecular support for the current subfamily classifications within the Rutaceae. The Dictyolomatoideae and Spathelioideae belong to a clade separate from the clades containing the remaining Rutaceae subfamilies. Rutoideae and Citroideae do not form discrete clades which suggests a reassessment of the subfamily classification is necessary, particularly as Ruta falls within the majority Citroideae clade. Flindersioideae forms a clade within the Rutaceae and does not form a separate family or form a clade with Meliaceae. Sequencing of 17 Flindersia species produces a similar phylogeny to that proposed by other authors using morphological methods with two exceptions. The molecular phylogeny indicates F. amboinensis is associated with F. fournieri and F. laevicarpa and, in addition, F. oppositifolia and F. pimenteliana were found to be genetically identical.