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Campanula L. is among the genera with the highest number of endemics in the Caucasus ecoregion. A group of attractive alpine and subalpine perennial rosette plants with short single-flowered stems centred in the Caucasus has been treated as Campanula subg. Scapiflorae or at other ranks, with considerably varying circumscription and classification. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of three plastid DNA regions (trnK/matK, petD, rpl16) of a strongly extended sampling, comprising 23 of the 27 commonly accepted taxa (85%) with 330 accessions built on and guided by the results of our previous study of the group, confirmed the polyphyly of C. subg. Scapiflorae in any of its circumscriptions. The core clade of the group comprises exclusively endemics and near-endemics of the Caucasus and is treated here as C. sect. Tridentatae in a revised circumscription. The phylogenetic relationships of the disparate other elements of the Scapiflorae group are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic backbone of the Plumbaginaceae is presented and the current state of knowledge on phylogenetic relationships and taxon limits is reviewed as a basis for the accepted taxon concepts. In total, 4,476 scientific names and designations are treated of which 30 are not in the family Plumbaginaceae. The Plumbaginaceae are subdivided in three tribes with 26 genera and 1,179 accepted species. Two subgenera, 17 sections, two subsections and 187 infraspecific taxa are accepted. At the species and infraspecific level 2,782 synonyms were assigned to accepted taxa, whereas 194 names were excluded from the core checklist (i.e., unplaced taxa, infrageneric subdivisions with still uncertain application, names of verified uncertain application, invalid horticultural names, excluded names from other families, other excluded designations, and unresolved names). The EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy was utilized as the tool to compile and manage the names and further taxonomic data under explicit taxon concepts. Secundum references are given in case taxon concepts were taken from the literature, whereas this study serves as reference for newly circumscribed taxa. The family's division into the tribes Aegialitideae, Limonieae, and Plumbagineae departs from earlier two-subfamily classifications, prompted by recent phylogenetic findings that challenge the subfamilial affinity of Aegialitis. The genus Acantholimon was extended to include Gladiolimon, as currently available phylogenetic and morphological data support this merger. In Limonium, all accepted species could be assigned to sections and subsections or the "Mediterranean lineage", respectively, making use of the phylogenetic distribution of their morphological characters and states. A new combination and/or status is proposed for Dyerophytum socotranum, Limonium thymoides, Limonium × fraternum, Limonium × rossmaessleri, and Limonium sect. Jovibarba. Special attention is given to nomenclatural issues, particularly for Statice nomen ambiguum to resolve the names under accepted names. The use of artificial groupings like "aggregates", "complexes" and "species groups" in alpha-taxonomic treatments is discussed. The taxonomic backbone will receive continued updates and through the Caryophyllales Taxonomic Expert Network, it contributes the treatment of the Plumbaginaceae for the World Flora Online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gynoxyoid clade of the Senecioneae (Asteraceae) until now included the five genera Aequatorium, Gynoxys, Nordenstamia, Paracalia and Paragynoxys as diagnosed using selected morphological characters. In their pre-phylogenetic circumscription, the genera Aequatorium and Paragynoxys were considered to inhabit the northern Andes in contrast to Nordenstamia and Paracalia that occur in the central Andes. The most species-rich genus, Gynoxys, was believed to be distributed throughout the Andes. We use a recently established plastid phylogenomic framework that rendered Gynoxys paraphyletic to further evaluate the delimitation of genera in the Gynoxyoid clade. We examine the morphological variation of all members of the Gynoxyoid to identify characters potentially informative at genus level. This results in a matrix of eleven, mostly multistate characters, including those originally used to diagnose these genera. The ancestral character state inference displays a high level of homoplasy, but nevertheless supports the recognition of four genera. Aequatorium is characterised by white radiate capitula. Paracalia and Paragynoxys share white flowers and floral characteristics, such as flower opening and length of disc flowers lobes, as plesiomorphic states, but differ in habit (scandent shrubs vs. trees). Paracalia also retained white flowers, but its two species are characterised by the absence of outer phyllaries. The genera Gynoxys and Nordenstamia comprise species with yellow capitula which appear to be a derived feature in the Gynoxyoids. The genus Nordenstamia, with eight species, is synonymised under Gynoxys since molecular evidence shows its species nested within various parts of the Gynoxys subclade and the morphological variation of Nordenstamia falls well within that of Gynoxys. With the goal to assign all species to four genera (Aequatorium, Gynoxys, Paracalia and Paragynoxys), we assess the states for the eleven characters for all members of the Gynoxyoids and generate new ETS and ITS sequences for 171 specimens belonging to 49 species to further support their generic placement. We provide a taxonomic treatment for the four genera recognised here including amended diagnoses and morphological descriptions. Furthermore, a species-level taxonomic backbone is elaborated for all genera using electronic tools that list 158 currently accepted names and synonyms (209 names in total) with the respective protologue and type information, as well as notes on the current understanding of species limits. Eleven names are newly synonymised, two are lectotypified and eight are newly transferred to other genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present an overall phylogenetic framework for Dianthus using four plastid regions (matKtrnK-psbA, rpl32-trnL, trnQ-rps16) and nuclear ITS and a species-level checklist for the genus developed by using all available databases and the literature. The trees from the plastid dataset depict a clade of Dianthus that also includes Velezia and a few taxa of Petrorhagia. New combinations in Dianthus are provided for these species. The checklist of Dianthus in this new delimitation covers 1781 names, with 384 accepted species, 150 subspecies, 12 heterotypic varieties and two forms (not counting autonyms), 1050 synonyms, 22 hybrid names and 172 unresolved names, 3 names were excluded. Implications for the evolution of flower characters, life forms, biogeography, as well as sectional classification are discussed based on the phylogenetic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campanula L. is among the genera with the highest number of endemics in the Caucasus ecoregion. A group of attractive alpine and subalpine perennial rosette plants with short single-flowered stems centred in the Caucasus has been treated as Campanulasubg.Scapiflorae or at other ranks, with considerably varying circumscription and classification. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of three plastid DNA regions ( trnK/matK , petD , rpl16 ) of a strongly extended sampling, comprising 23 of the 27 commonly accepted taxa (85%) with 330 accessions built on and guided by the results of our previous study of the group, confirmed the polyphyly of C.subg.Scapiflorae in any of its circumscriptions. The core clade of the group comprises exclusively endemics and near-endemics of the Caucasus and is treated here as C.sect.Tridentatae in a revised circumscription. The phylogenetic relationships of the disparate other elements of the Scapiflorae group are outlined., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Nana Silakadze, Marine Mosulishvili, Thomas Borsch, Norbert Kilian.)

A taxonomic backbone of the Plumbaginaceae is presented and the current state of knowledge on phylogenetic relationships and taxon limits is reviewed as a basis for the accepted taxon concepts. In total, 4,476 scientific names and designations are treated of which 30 are not in the family Plumbaginaceae. The Plumbaginaceae are subdivided in three tribes with 26 genera and 1,179 accepted species. Two subgenera, 17 sections, two subsections and 187 infraspecific taxa are accepted. At the species and infraspecific level 2,782 synonyms were assigned to accepted taxa, whereas 194 names were excluded from the core checklist (i.e., unplaced taxa, infrageneric subdivisions with still uncertain application, names of verified uncertain application, invalid horticultural names, excluded names from other families, other excluded designations, and unresolved names). The EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy was utilized as the tool to compile and manage the names and further taxonomic data under explicit taxon concepts. Secundum references are given in case taxon concepts were taken from the literature, whereas this study serves as reference for newly circumscribed taxa. The family's division into the tribes Aegialitideae, Limonieae, and Plumbagineae departs from earlier two-subfamily classifications, prompted by recent phylogenetic findings that challenge the subfamilial affinity of Aegialitis . The genus Acantholimon was extended to include Gladiolimon , as currently available phylogenetic and morphological data support this merger. In Limonium , all accepted species could be assigned to sections and subsections or the "Mediterranean lineage", respectively, making use of the phylogenetic distribution of their morphological characters and states. A new combination and/or status is proposed for Dyerophytumsocotranum , Limoniumthymoides , Limonium×fraternum , Limonium×rossmaessleri , and Limoniumsect.Jovibarba. Special attention is given to nomenclatural issues, particularly for Staticenomenambiguum to resolve the names under accepted names. The use of artificial groupings like "aggregates", "complexes" and "species groups" in alpha-taxonomic treatments is discussed. The taxonomic backbone will receive continued updates and through the Caryophyllales Taxonomic Expert Network, it contributes the treatment of the Plumbaginaceae for the World Flora Online., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Maryam Malekmohammadi, Konstantina Koutroumpa, Manuel B. Crespo, Gianniantonio Domina, Nadja Korotkova, Hossein Akhani, Sabine von Mering, Thomas Borsch, Walter G. Berendsohn.)