Reassignment of Six Polyalthia Species to the New Genus Maasia (Annonaceae): Molecular and Morphological Congruence

Recently published molecular phylogenies of the Annonaceae have confirmed the long-held hypothesis that the large paleotropical genus Polyalthia is polyphyletic. Species previously assigned to Polyalthia are now known to belong to up to six distinct, generally well-supported clades. Three members of...

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Published inSystematic botany Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 490 - 494
Main Authors Mols, Johan B, Kessler, Paul J.A, Rogstad, Steven H, Saunders, Richard M.K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.07.2008
Subjects
Annonaceae
molecular systematics
new genus
phylogeny
plant taxonomy
Polyalthia
taxonomic revisions
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Summary:Recently published molecular phylogenies of the Annonaceae have confirmed the long-held hypothesis that the large paleotropical genus Polyalthia is polyphyletic. Species previously assigned to Polyalthia are now known to belong to up to six distinct, generally well-supported clades. Three members of a group of six species previously referred to as the Polyalthia hypoleuca complex form a monophyletic group (with 99% bootstrap support) that is only distantly related to the other species of Polyalthia sampled. Putative morphological synapomorphies are assessed, and justification provided for validating a new generic name, Maasia . Six species names in the Polyalthia hypoleuca complex are accordingly transferred to Maasia: M. discolor, M. glauca, M. hypoleuca, M. multinervis, M. ovalifolia, and M. sumatrana.
ISSN:0363-6445
1548-2324
DOI:10.1600/036364408785679752