Premium
A morphometric analysis of species boundaries in the Bonatea cassidea complex
Author(s) -
Ponsie Mariaan E.,
Johnson Steven D.,
Edwards Trevor J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0107-055x.2007.00080.x
Subject(s) - taxon , herbarium , biology , range (aeronautics) , taxonomy (biology) , species complex , key (lock) , variation (astronomy) , zoology , botany , ecology , phylogenetic tree , physics , astrophysics , biochemistry , materials science , gene , composite material
Taxa with large geographical ranges often exhibit clinal variation. Detailed morphometric analysis may be required to establish species boundaries in such taxa. The extensive morphological variation within the Bonatea cassidea complex (comprising the closely related taxa Bonatea cassidea Sond. Bonatea saundersiae (Harv.) T. Durand & Schinz and Bonatea saundersioides (Kraenzl. & Schltr.) Cortesi) was analysed by means of multivariate PCA‐based analyses of herbarium material and box and whisker plots of key characters. Additional data on clinal variation was obtained from seven populations of B. cassidea spanning its distribution range. The taxonomic status of B. saundersiae is reconsidered in light of evidence that this taxon lacks clear diagnostic characters that would separate it from B. cassidea . The taxon is thus reduced to synonymy with B. cassidea . A synopsis of B. cassidea and its sister taxon B. saundersioides is presented.