Open AccessSpecies delimitation in L ippia section G oniostachyum ( V erbenaceae) using the phylogenetic species concept
Author(s) -
O'Leary Nataly,
Denham Silvia S.,
Salimena Fatima,
Múlgura María Ema
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
botanical journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.872
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1095-8339
pISSN - 0024-4074
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2012.01291.x
Subject(s) - verbenaceae , biology , lippia , phylogenetic tree , section (typography) , phylogenetic relationship , botany , zoology , phylogenetics , evolutionary biology , taxonomy (biology) , genetics , essential oil , advertising , business , gene
L ippia section G oniostachyum comprises plants distinguished by their numerous axillary florescences (three to six, sometimes up to nine) and tetrastichous floral bracts. Species of section G oniostachyum occur in the N eotropics, from M exico to northern A rgentina. Delimitation of the species grouped under G oniostachyum has remained unclear. Forty‐one names exist under this section, but only c . eight to ten names have been used frequently. To resolve the taxonomy of this group, a modified population aggregation analysis, based on the phylogenetic species concept, was employed. As a result, G oniostachyum is here circumscribed to only four species: L . grata , L . origanoides , L . sericea and L . stachyoides . These species are supported by different combinations of three characters of the 13 qualitative attributes analysed: canescent sericeous pubescence, frondose or frondose‐bracteose inflorescences and free or fused florescence apical bracts. Two varieties based on significant differences among quantitative characters are recognized: L . stachyoides var. stachyoides and L . stachyoides var. martiana comb. nov. Fifteen lectotypifications and four neotypifications are proposed. © 2012 T he L innean S ociety of L ondon, B otanical J ournal of the L innean S ociety , 2012, 170 , 197–219.