Bursera vs Commiphora (Burseraceae), an analysis of Cuban taxa based on morphological and molecular characters

Abstract

Molecular phylogenies are invaluable for testing species delimitation based on the morphology of species complexes, as well as for examining hypotheses about the origin of species in these groups. Morphological and molecular traits of the Cuban species of Bursera and Commiphora are studied. The results obtained confirm the inclusion of all species in the genus Bursera. The monophyly of the genus and the diversification of the Antillean species are corroborated 12.9 million years ago, in the early Miocene, and an estimated divergence time of 5.3 million years for the species present in Cuba.