Presentation

The evolution of
Fuchsia based on
DNA sequence data
Paul E. Berry, with
William Hahn, Kenneth Sytsma,
Jocelyn Hall and Austin Mast
()

Two hummingbird species on
Fuchsia petiolaris in Colombia

Issues addressed in this study
• What is the genealogy of Fuchsia, both within
the genus and within the family?
• Are the traditional eleven sections of Fuchsia
supported by DNA sequence data?
• Where in the world and when did Fuchsia
originate and subsequently diversify?

Other genera
of Onagraceae
Calylophus
Chamerion
Gaura
Clarkia

Oenothera

Ludwigia

Epilobium section Zauschneria
(western U.S.)

Family tree of the
Onagraceae

Meet Fuchsia’s closest siblings:
Hauya
Circaea

Circaea (enchanter’s nightshade),
closest living relative of Fuchsia
Currently restricted to high
northern latitudes

Quelusia – 8 species in SE Brazil, & 1 in S Andes
South America
Sect. Fuchsia - 64 spp
Hemsleyella (apetalous, 15 spp)

Central American
sections
Encliandra – F. thymifolia
Ellobium – F. splendens
Schufia – F. arborescens

Fuchsia procumbens, on
the North Island of New Zealand

Fuchsia excorticata &
bellbird pollinator
Section Skinnera – New Zealand
F. cyrtandroides
… and Tahiti

Fuchsia verrucosa

Fuchsia verrucosa
Fuchsia verrucosa
was misplaced in
section Fuchsia

Fuchsia decidua, a rare Mexican species

Where would Fuchsia decidua fit in?

F. excorticata
F. procumbens F. cyrtandroides

South American
“Araucaria
Disjunction”
F. brevilobis
Araucaria angustifolia, Brazil

Conclusions
• We now know Fuchsia’s position
within the family (Circaea is sister)
• Morphological-based sections are
supported, except for F. verrucosa
• There was an early but rapid
divergence into sectional lineages
(> 30 my ago)
• There is a lot of morpholgical
convergence between sections
• We can now estimate the dates of
key divergences in the genus
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, Coeligena bonapartei, on F. venusta

What are some of the future
directions in Fuchsia research?
• Denser sampling in larger sections and
analyze more areas of the genome to
resolve basal nodes of Fuchsia
• Re-evaluate species complexes:
regia/radicans, loxensis, vulcanica groups
• Study cultivar origins with molecular tools
• Target key areas – Hispaniola, Brazil, Andes
• (and complete Fuchsia species book... soon)

Fuchsia at the Getty Museum
in Los Angeles

A place to retire?