Premise of research. The Blakeeae (Melastomataceae) comprise nearly 200 species in Blakea and Topobea and another 10 species in Chalybea and Huilaea. The former two genera have been separated primarily on the basis of characters pertaining to anther morphology. Combined molecular and morphological phylogenetic analyses were conducted to evaluate generic limits, reconstruct patterns of morphological character evolution, and identify clades within the tribe.Methodology. To test the monophyly of Blakea and Topobea, we analyzed 111 morphological characters, nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region, the accD-psaI and atpB-rbcL spacer regions, and trnL-trnF nucleotide sequence data, using maximum likelihood and parsimony in individual and variously combined data sets comprising up to 3955 characters and 135 terminals.Pivotal results. Chalybea and Huilaea were recovered as a clade sister to the clade of Blakea and Topobea. Neither of the latter two genera was resolved as being monophyletic in any ana...