Phylogeny of Arachis based on internal transcribed spacer sequences

Phylogenetic analysis, based on nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of Arachis species, corroborated a broad sub-classification of the genus. Three clustering algorithms were used to generate dendrograms which showed that Arachis Sections Extranervosae, Heteranthae and Triseminata were most primitive, and Section Arachis was most advanced, with Sections Caulorrhizae, Erectoides, Procumbentes, Rhizomatosae, and Trierectoides intermediate in evolutionary terms, in relation to the genus Stylosanthes, when it was used as the outgroup.