Rhinantheae is a tribe with fewer than 20 genera of herbaceous plants in the family Orobanchaceae.

Phylogeny

The phylogeny of the genera of Rhinantheae has been explored using DNA markers. Three assemblages can be distinguished in this tribe:

  • Rhinanthus is the sister genus to Lathraea, and then to Rhynchocorys. These taxa are closely related to the core Rhinanteae.
  • In the core Rhinantheae, Odontites sensu lato, including Bornmuellerantha and Bartsiella, is the sister genus to Bellardia, including Parentucellia and Bartsia canescens + B. mutica. These taxa are closely related to Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora) and Tozzia. In turn, these genera share phylogenetic affinities with Euphrasia, and then with Bartsia sensu stricto (Bartsia alpina).
  • Melampyrum occupies an isolated, deep-branching position.
Genus-level cladogram of the Rhinantheae.
Rhinantheae Melampyrum Rhynchocorys Lathraea Rhinanthus Core Rhinantheae Bartsia sensu stricto (Bartsia alpina) Euphrasia Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora) Tozzia Odontites sensu lato (including Bartsiella and Bornmuellerantha) Bellardia Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
RhinantheaeMelampyrum Rhynchocorys Lathraea Rhinanthus Core Rhinantheae Bartsia sensu stricto (Bartsia alpina) Euphrasia Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora) Tozzia Odontites sensu lato (including Bartsiella and Bornmuellerantha) Bellardia Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
Melampyrum
Rhynchocorys Lathraea Rhinanthus Core Rhinantheae Bartsia sensu stricto (Bartsia alpina) Euphrasia Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora) Tozzia Odontites sensu lato (including Bartsiella and Bornmuellerantha) Bellardia Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
Rhynchocorys Lathraea Rhinanthus
Rhynchocorys
Lathraea Rhinanthus
Lathraea
Rhinanthus
Core RhinantheaeBartsia sensu stricto (Bartsia alpina) Euphrasia Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora) Tozzia Odontites sensu lato (including Bartsiella and Bornmuellerantha) Bellardia Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
Bartsia sensu stricto (Bartsia alpina)
Euphrasia Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora) Tozzia Odontites sensu lato (including Bartsiella and Bornmuellerantha) Bellardia Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
Euphrasia
Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora) Tozzia Odontites sensu lato (including Bartsiella and Bornmuellerantha) Bellardia Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
Hedbergia (including Bartsia decurva + B. longiflora)
Tozzia
Odontites sensu lato (including Bartsiella and Bornmuellerantha)
Bellardia Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
Bellardia
Neobartsia (New World Bartsia) Parentucellia
Neobartsia (New World Bartsia)
Parentucellia
The cladogram has been reconstructed from nuclear and plastid DNA molecular characters (ITS, rps16 intron and trnK region).

The median crown age of Rhinantheae was estimated to be ca. 30 Myr.

Systematics

Rhinantheae is defined as the least inclusive crown clade that includes Pterygiella nigrescens, Rhinanthus cristagalli, Melampyrum pratense, and Tozzia alpina. It comprises 19 genera.