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— The Neotropical woody bamboo genus Chusquea consists of 193 currently described species ranging from central Mexico and the Caribbean to Chile and Argentina, primarily in montane habitats. The six previously described species of Chusquea subg. Chusquea sect. Serpentes are scandent in habit, with infravaginal branching, few subsidiary buds per complement, and foliage leaves that tend to be relatively large compared to those of other members of Chusquea s.s. A review of available material of Chusquea sect. Serpentes, found throughout montane forests from Mexico south to the central Andes in Peru, revealed at least two undescribed species. One of the new species, Chusquea recurvata, is native to Venezuelan montane forests and is distinguished from Chusquea serpens by having circular central buds, asymmetrical, acute inner foliage leaf ligules, and 6‐12 foliage leaves per complement. The other new species, Chusquea acutigluma, has been found only in and around the Risaralda gorge in Colombia, and differs from all other known South American species of Chusquea sect. Serpentes by its broadly open paniculate synflorescences. This paper includes (re-)descriptions of all known species of Chusquea sect. Serpentes, along with detailed photographs of the two newly described species, and a vegetative morphological key to the eight species belonging to the section. The morphology and foliage leaf micromorphology and anatomy of the two newly described species are compared to C. serpens, to which they show the greatest macromorphological similarity.

— This paper presents Artocarpus buyangensis, a newly-described species known only from Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. A member of Artocarpus subgenus Artocarpus phylogenetically placed near A. section Artocarpus series Rugosi, A. buyangensis most closely resembles Artocarpus elasticus and A. sericicarpus, neither of which is found east of the Moluccas. The new species thus represents a substantial eastward expansion for the A. series Rugosi clade. Long-distance dispersal, perhaps by birds, is suggested as a possible explanation for the origin of A. buyangensis.

In a recent series of papers, Henderson (2004, 2005a,b) has described and employed a method for de limiting species for use in taxonomic analyses. Because his work has focused on phylogenetic analyses based on herbarium specimens, Henderson (2005b) has ar gued that some species concepts (e.g., the biological [BSC] and monophyletic species concepts) are simply not informative at this stage of research and that other concepts (e.g., the morphological [MSC] and taxonomic [TSC] species concepts) are unscientific. Having dis missed these and other species concepts as inappro priate, Henderson then adopts a modification of the phylogenetic species concept (PSC; Mayden's [1997] PSQ) as the only justifiable approach for delimiting species in the context of herbarium-based revisionary or monographic studies. Henderson (2005b) cites Luckow (1995) and Mayden (1997) to provide support for his rejection of various species concepts. What Henderson fails to do is to put these comments in context or verify exactly what was presented in those papers. I have no quarrel with Luc kow's (1995) comments: her intent was clearly stated ("Instead, I will review species concepts used in phy logenetics ... ") and she provided a thoughtful review. However, Luckow's discussion of the BSC, coupled with her failure to address the similarity of the PSC and the phenetic (PhSC) species concept, does invite examination with respect to what follows. Mayden (1997), on the other hand, is careless with at least one species concept. He quotes Sneath (1976) to provide a definition of the PhSC: "... the species level is that at which distinct phenetic clusters can be observed/7 First, this is not a definition of a species and, second, what's more pertinent is what precedes the ellipsis in the Sneath (1976) quote: "For the present discussion we may consider... " It is clear, at least to me, that Sneath was making no attempt to provide a phenetic definition of species, although his ideas were mirrored by Andersson (1990): "... the species is de fined as the category of clusters that are inwardly con tinuous and outwardly discrete,... ". Later, Mayden (1997) implies that the phenetic species concept, along with several others, is based on morphology alone, and identifies both the MSC and TSC as synonyms of the PhSC. May den (1997) is not alone in perpetuating this misrepresentation. For example, Claridge et al. (1997), commenting on Sokal and Crovello (1970; see below), state that critics of the BSC (i.e., Sokal and Crovello, among others) "... preferred either an overtly morpho species approach [my emphasis] or some sort of phenetic system/7 This view was stressed earlier by Doyen and Slobodchikoff (1974) who claimed that "... phenetic data are restricted to morphological and physiological characteristics'' as opposed to their approach which, like that of Sokal and Crovello (1970) begins with phe netic analyses, but then introduces both reproductive and ecological data to clarify putatively misleading phenetic results. Had Mayden (1997), Claridge et al. (1997), and Doy en and Slobodchikoff (1974) read Sokal (1973) and Sneath and Sokal (1973) more carefully, they would have realized that this is true of the "classical phenetic species concept/' which Sokal (1973) described as that based on morphological differences. The "phenetic species concept," as developed most fully by Sokal and Crovello (1970), who viewed it as a surrogate for the BSC, was dealt with by Sokal (1973) as the "phenetic species concept advocated by the numerical taxono mists," a concept that is, to quote Sokal (1973), "only a quantification and refinement of the phenetic species of the orthodox taxonomist." But, what a refinement? numerical taxonomists advocated the use of as many characters as possible, from as many data sources as possible (including chemical, behavioral, ecological and distributional characters; see Sneath and Sokal [1973], pages 90-96), for delimiting groups that could be equated with species and higher level taxa. There is nothing in Sokal and Crovello (1970), Sokal (1973), Sneath and Sokal (1973), or Sneath (1976) to suggest that the refined version of the phenetic species concept, which Sokal (1973) referred to as the "numerical phe netic species," is limited to morphological data. I have no real quarrel with much of what Henderson proposes. Additionally, I do not intend to engage in the debate over which species concept is to be pre ferred. Mayden (1997) presents a general overview of species concepts and any reader who has followed this literature knows that some of these concepts, such as

— Lasiocarpus is a genus of bisexual, dioecious, or trioecious shrubs or small trees of Malpighiaceae endemic to the seasonally dry tropical forests of the Pacific slopes of Mexico. In this paper the monophyly of this genus is tested using a molecular phylogeny based on three plastid (ndhF, matK, rbcL) and a single nuclear (PHYC) markers that were newly sequenced for the three currently accepted species in this genus, along with representative taxa from the main phylogenetic groups previously recognized in Malpighiaceae. The three species of Lasiocarpus were retrieved in a well supported clade corroborating the monophyly of this genus. A taxonomic treatment of this genus is presented. Lasiocarpus ovalifolius is synonymized with L. salicifolius, and a new species, Lasiocarpus andersoniorum, endemic to Southern Mexico, is proposed. It is morphologically distinguished by characters such as axillary inflorescences, reflexed sepals, petals with crenate margin and strigose indumentum, large styles, and 2-lobed stigmas. The taxonomic revision includes morphological descriptions and distribution maps for the three accepted species of Lasiocarpus.

5 The 2010 American Society of Plant Taxonomy’s Peter Raven award for exceptional outreach efforts to nonscientists by a plant systematist was presented this year to Barney L. Lipscomb, curator extraordinaire, and Dorothea L. Leonhardt Chair of Texas Botany at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. While the title “Chair of Texas Botany” might imply regionalism, Barney is well known across the U. S. A. and Europe as the tireless and helpful editor of Sida (now the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas ) and Sida, Botanical Miscellany a position he has held since 1982. Two monumental books of which he is coauthor, Shinners and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas and the Illustrated Flora of East Texas vol. 1 have received widespread acclaim for their thoroughness, clarity, and illustrations. In addition, Barney annually brings Delzie Demaree alive as he presents the Delzie Demaree travel award to students attending the Missouri Botanical Garden Symposium. Barney began his academic career at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he received his undergraduate degree in biology. He went on to obtain an M. S. in Botany from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. From 1975 until 1987 he served as the Herbarium Botanist and Curator at the Southern Methodist University Herbarium. Barney has an interest in Cyperaceae but has published papers involving many other taxonomic groups and on regional floristics. He has also served as a consultant to at least a dozen governmental, corporate and environmental entities. Barney also serves the botanical community through his involvement with the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL), and through his current activities as treasurer for the Flora of North America project. Supporters of Barney’s nomination point out his contributions to the field of forensic botany, a fledgling science until 1935 when the use of wood anatomy by Kochler helped solve the infamous Lindbergh kidnapping case. In 1998 Barney coauthored with G. M. Diggs, Jr. an important paper in the field of forensic botany entitled “The use of animal-dispersed seeds and fruits in forensic botany.” He has not only helped in solving crimes, but he has also used these applied botanical solutions to interest lay people in plants, their distributions, and species-specific characters. Barney is well known for his engrossing lectures, most famously his presentation entitled “Murderous Plants: Poisonous Herbs,” a multimedia show involving smoking dry ice, spears, and other unusual props. One of the nomination letters for this award noted that the venue for this talk in Lufkin, Texas in 2007 had to be moved to the main auditorium at the Angelina College campus because of the size Barney L. Lipscomb–Recipient of the 2010 Peter Raven Award

—Subtribe Chusqueinae was previously composed of the genera Neurolepis and Chusquea. Following molecular-based phylogenetic studies, all species of Neurolepis were transferred to Chusquea and placed in two new subgenera: Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae and Chusquea subg. Platonia. Complete keys for the identification of taxa within C. subg. Magnifoliae and C. subg. Platonia are lacking. The present paper provides five new reports and a taxonomic revision of Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae and C. subg. Platonia in Peru involving 13 taxa. Vegetative and reproductive morphological diagnostic characters were analyzed. Complete illustrations of C. aristata, C. fimbriligulata subsp. peruviana, and C. spectabilis are provided. Chusquea elata, C. fimbriligulata subsp. fimbriligulata, C. mollis, C. nana, and C. spectabilis constitute new reports for Peru. Keys for the identification of the species of Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae and C. subg. Platonia occurring in Peru were prepared based on vegetative and reproductive characters and are here presented for the first time.

—The major aim of this paper was to investigate temporal diversification within Symphoricarpos (Caprifoliaceae, Dipsacales). We used recently published molecular sequences, along with fossil data, to examine when Symphoricarpos may have arrived in the New World and if current distributional patterns can be explained by data based on biogeographic, climatological, and geological events. We simultaneously estimated the phylogeny and divergence times within Symphoricarpos and related Caprifolieae species using BEAST. Based on these phylogenetic and divergence time estimations we reconstructed ancestral areas using the dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis (DEC) method implemented in Lagrange. For Symphoricarpos, our phylogenetic results inferred using BEAST were in strong agreement with previous studies, with a well-supported clade containing the North American species that was sister to the lone Asian species. Our divergence time results suggest that the North American species originated in the late Oligocene to mid Miocene (12‐25 million years ago) and quickly diversified. The DEC area reconstructions suggest that after entering the North American continent from Asia, species of Symphoricarpos became widespread across the continent, followed by range restrictions to that of what we see today. Although several recent studies have argued for the idea of phylogenetic niche conservatism as a general explanation for characterizing broad biogeographic patterns, our data suggest significant niche evolution within the North American species of Symphoricarpos, especially in regard to taxa found in the southwestern parts of the USA and Mexico. These observed biome shifts from mesic forest habitats to a much drier habitat appear to have happened across a highly diverse landscape in which species of Symphoricarpos occur. These results, along with results from other plant taxa, support the hypothesis that a climate shift in western North America played a role in the assemblage of the current flora via migration, as well as in situ adaptation in combination with diversification.

The genus Nolina on the Baja California peninsula has not been critically studied. Most of the taxonomic literature dealing with this group is older or incomplete in nature. Taxonomic problems with this genus arise because it is not easy to make herbarium specimens from plants in the field and the taxa are not well represented in collections. Species in this genus are difficult because they are dioecious, generally have large rosettes with many leaves, leaf margins that often cut skin, and the plants have large inflorescences. On older herbarium specimens, it is common to find only a leaf and an inflorescence fragment, and labels often do not provide taxonomically important information such as the plant's growth habit type. Consequently, distinctive inflorescence characters are usually missing from the specimen or from the label data. It is rare to find a complete specimen collection that includes all of the needed species-relevant data. Decisions for delimiting species in this genus are not easy, and in this case, were based mostly upon their morphological character consistency, geographic distribution, and environmental factors. Five species of Nolina are now registered for the Baja California peninsula: N. beldingii, N. bigelovii, N. interrata, N. palmeri, and the new nomenclatural combination N. brandegeei (Trelease) L. Hern. This paper includes: a species identification key, species taxonomic descriptions, ecological and geographical information, common names, taxonomic discussions of species, and pictures for species recognition of all taxa in the Baja California region.

The orchid genus Palmorchis consists of 34 species distributed in Central and South America. It is one of the most poorly known genera of the Orchidaceae. With vegetative organs resembling the seedlings of palm trees and having inconspicuous flowers, its representatives have rarely drawn the attention of botanists, resulting in scarce availability of materials in herbaria for proper examination. This paper focusses on the diversity of Palmorchis species, their morphology, ecology, and distribution compiled from herbarium material, fieldwork, and literature data. The genus is divided into six informal groups. This review has resulted in the discovery of five new species (P. dressleriana, P. antioquiensis, P. schneideri, P. rubioi, P. chocoensis) that are described herein. A dichotomous key for the determination of all the species of the genus is provided. Line drawings of flower details and plant habit for all species are included.

El presente trabajo describe e ilustra dos nuevas especies de Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae en Perú, C. longipedicellata y C. rugoloana. Se incluyen claves para la identificación de las especies, basadas en caracteres vegetativos y reproductivos, y una tabla comparativa con los caracteres morfológicos diagnósticos. Se incluyen caracteres micromorfológicos adicionales de las espiguillas y hojas y se presenta una descripción completa de la anatomía foliar. Se incorporan observaciones acerca de las características de las regiones fitogeográficas y la ecología de las nuevas especies. The present paper describes and illustrates two new species of Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae in Peru, C. longipedicellata and C. rugoloana. Keys for the identification of species, based on vegetative and reproductive characters, as well as a comparative table with morphological diagnostic features are included. Additional micromorphological characters of the spikelets and leaves are considered, and a complete description of foliar anatomy is presented. Also, some remarks about the characteristics of the phytogeographical regions and the ecology of these new species are provided. Fil: Alegría Olivera, J. José. Universidad Nacional Agraria la Molina; Perú Fil: Guerreiro, Carolina Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentina Fil: Vega, Andrea Susana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente. Cátedra de Botánica Agrícola; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

The subtribe Sicyinae includes six genera (Microsechiutn, Parasicyos, Sechiopsis, Sechiumn, Sicyos, and Sicyosperma). In this paper, monophyly of this subtribe and phylogenetic relationships among its genera are explored by means of a cladistic analysis. Twenty nine morphological and palynological characters, and 22 taxa representative of all genera of subtribe Sicyinae were included in the analysis. The taxa used as outgroup were the genera Cyclanthera and Echinopepon, two members of the subtribe Cyclantherinae, the sister group of Sicyinae according to the current classification of the family Cucurbitaceae. Two equally most parsimonious cladograms (L = 78, CI = 0.615, RI = 0.764, HI = 0.564) were obtained. In both cladograms, the members of the subtribe Sicyinae were clustered as a monophyletic group. However, the monophyly of Microsechiuni, Parasicyos and Sicyos was not clearly supported, and their relationships could not be defined. In contrast, Sechiopsis and Sechium formed a monophyletic group supported by the presence of defined floral nectaries at the base of the receptacle. The results confirm the strong relationships between these two genera suggested in previous papers. However, while the monophyly of Sechiopsis was clearly supported by the presence of winged fruits, no synapomorphy was found either for the whole genus Sechium or for its two currently accepted sections. Nevertheless, the results also revealed that there is not any evidence to place the members of Sechium in three different genera (Sechium, Frantzia and Polakowskia) as has been proposed by other authors.

Based on morphological characters a phylogenetic analysis of 97 African and Madagascan Cynanchum species is conducted. Of these, 93 are members of sect. Cynanchum and their relationships are explored using sect. Rhodostegiella, sect. Roulinia, and Pentarrhinum as outgroups. Stable clades of two to five taxa are identified, and their relationships to the outgroups and to the remaining four African Cynanchum species are explored using Tylophora as outgroup. All analyses are performed with all characters considered as unordered and under the assumption that some characters are ordered. Monophyly of the leafless succulent taxa is tested by excluding characters directly related to succulence. The Madagascan taxa as a whole are not monophyletic. The small Madagascan succulent genus Folotsia should probably be included in Cynanchum. Three African species are excluded from sect. Cynanchum and transferred to the small African genus Pentarrhinum as P. balense, P. gonoloboides, and P. somaliense. The position of C. ledermannii, of which only incomplete material is available, cannot be resolved at present. After a long period of neglect, research in the Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae has intensified in recent years around the globe, mainly in the course of major flora projects (e.g., Li et al. 1995, for China; Forster 1996, for Australia; Morillo, in press, for the Venezuelan Guyanas). Parallel to these studies, analyses of important character complexes have been undertaken (e.g., Liede and Kunze 1993; Liede and Weberling 1995; Liede 1996a), and a review of tribal assignments of all genera has been presented (Liede and Albers 1994). However, phylogenetic studies have been few and mainly restricted to the subtribal and generic level (Liede 1994a, 1996b, 1996d). There are probably three main reasons for this lack of phylogenetic studies on species level. First, the subfamily contains very few mediumsized genera; genera are either large (more than 100 species, e.g., Hoya, Marsdenia, Tylophora) or very small (less than five species). In all the larger genera, there is still a vast number of species insuffiently known. Second, differences between species are rather subtle, difficult to quantify and polarize. Third, as so little is known about generic relationships, identification of suitable outgroups presents a serious problem. By examining part of the large genus Cynanchum, this paper explores the possibilities and limits of a phylogenetic study on species level in the Asclepiadoideae. In the most likely highly derived tribe Asclepiadeae (Liede 1996a, 1997b), which is characterized by hanging pollinia, Cynanchum constitutes the largest genus. It is usually defined by a corona of gynostegial origin consisting of at least partly fused staminal and interstaminal parts. Due to this rather vague generic definition, however, circumscription and size of Cynanchum vary widely between workers. In the narrow sense, Cynanchum comprises ca. 200 species living mainly in secondary growth in the semi-arid tropics. The genus comprises a wide array of growth forms; most species are medium-sized leafy twiners sprouting from a woody rootstock; however, erect herbs and succulent twiners with leaves reduced to papery scales are also found. After completing a revision of Cynanchum on the African mainland (31 species; Liede 1993a, 1994b, 1996e) and Madagascar (66 species; Liede 1993b, 1996c; Meve and Liede 1994; Liede and Meve 1996) this paper explores relationships of the species involved by phylogenetic analysis. Regarding the choice of ingroup taxa, two questions need to be addressed: 1) why not examine the whole genus?, and 2) are the species included really monophyletic? Analysis of the whole genus Cynanchum is premature because its subgeneric delimitation is still subject to debate. Liede (1996b) found conclusive morphological and chemical evidence to separate Vincetoxicum from Cynanchum, and Liede and Meve (1997), following Stevens (1988), argued to re-established Metastelma as a separate genus, distinguished from Cynanchum by its bearded corolla lobes and corona of free staminal parts. Inclusion of Ditassa in Cynanchum has been recognized as untenable even by its earlier supporters (compare Morillo 1986, 1989). Liede (1997a) sug

The assumptions, methods, and applications of various species concepts prevalent in systematics are reviewed in order to clarify issues and terminology. Species concepts are classified as mechanistic-species as participants in the process of speciation, or historical-species as the end results of processes. Mechanistic concepts lack universality and testability because they rely on a knowledge of how speciation proceeded in any particular case. Historical species concepts are preferred because they can be consistently applied and provide a context in which processes of speciation can be investigated. Three historical species concepts are compared: the Genealogical Species Concept, the Species As Taxa Concept, and the Phylogenetic Species Concept. The Gene- alogical Species Concept supports the recognition of the smallest monophyletic lineages (those that occur at the boundary between reticulating and hierarchical systems of relationship), whereas under the Species As Taxa Concept, hierarchy is considered to occur below the level of species, and any monophyletic unit may be recognized as a species. The problems presented by applying the term monophyly to reticulating systems are discussed as they apply to each concept, as are several problems specific to the Genealogical Species Concept, such as metaspecies. An alternative to mono- phyletic species concepts is the Phylogenetic Species Concept, in which the smallest diagnosable unit is recognized as a species. Monophyly is not considered demonstrable at the species level because, in contrast to Species As Taxa, an assumption of the Phylogenetic Species Concept is that species are basal taxa, and thus mark the level at which hierarchic relationships begin. Finally, the application of species concepts is reviewed by surveying the literature in Systematic Botany and Systematic Zoology/Biology during the past five years. Papers in Systematic Zoology/Biology were generally more explicit about the species concept and the criteria being used to delimit species than were papers in Systematic Botany. Because it is clear that a number of different concepts are currently in use, and these are often distinguished only vaguely, botanists are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the various concepts, and to state explicitly which concepts and criteria are being employed in recognizing species.

The classification and phylogenetic relationships of the genera within the Malvaceae have received little recent attention despite the widespread distribution of the family and the economic importance of some of its members. Traditional classifications have utilized morphological, biogeographical, and chromosomal data. We have mapped the chloroplast genome from 23 of the approximately 110 genera of Malvaceae, representing four of the five tribes. Six equally most parsimonious phylogenetic reconstructions resulted from parsimony analysis of 236 variable restriction sites. Members of the Hibisceae and Malvavisceae did not form monophyletic groups, while members of the Gossypieae and Malveae did form monophyletic groups. The Abutilon alliance formed a sister group to the remainder of the Malveae. Members of other alliances within the Malveae did not form the monophyletic groups proposed in the classical literature. The Malvaceae are a worldwide family with a primary concentration of genera in the tropical regions. There are approximately 110 genera and over 2,300 species divided into five tribes: Decaschistieae, Gossypieae, Hibisceae, Malvavisceae, and Malveae. Previous workers have made strong statements supporting recognition of the tribal units in the family. Bates and Blanchard (1970, p. 927) stated about the tribes: "In an evolutionary sense these tribes probably have been long distinct and thus should be considered separately when evaluating most kinds of relationships within the family." Fryxell (1975, p. 172) stated: "Although exceptions are known for certain characters given in the table, these exceptions do not detract from the conclusions that the tribes are natural groups." Both were speaking of the then four recognized tribes. Fryxell (1975) went on to describe the fifth tribe: Decaschistieae. The tribes range in size from the Decaschistieae with only one genus, to the Malveae with nearly 70 genera. Many authors have discussed the circumscription of the family (e.g., Edlin 1935; Kearney 1951; Bates 1968; Fryxell 1968a). They have primarily focused on two issues: 1) how the Malvaceae differ from the other families in the Malvales, and 2) how the genera within the family are related. We will concentrate on the second issue in this paper. Tribal circumscription in Malvaceae currently is based on morphological, chromosomal, and biogeographical data. Fryxell (1968a) summarized the nomenclatural history of the Gossypieae and the Hibisceae and argued strongly for retaining the members of these tribes in the Malvaceae. Fryxell (1975) provided supportive evidence for the recognition of the new tribe Decaschistieae. Some of the most detailed work with genera in the Malvaceae has been with the Malveae by Bates (1968) and Bates and Blanchard (1970). These papers used morphological, biogeographical, and chromosomal data to divide the Malveae further into informal groups called "alliances." These are not nomenclaturally recognized categories but serve to associate related taxa. The objectives of this study were to test hypotheses of monophyly of groups in the Malvaceae, with particular emphasis on the intergeneric relationships in the Malveae. Data from chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) restriction site mapping are used to hypothesize phylogenetic relationships. MATERIALS AND METHODS Representatives of four of the five tribes were sampled (Table 1). A single species was sampled

In this paper we assess the impact of polyploidy and hybridization in the Bouteloua curtipendula species complex (BCC). The BCC is a monophyletic group of perennial grasses in the Chloridoideae subfamily. We tested for evolutionary signatures of hybridization and polyploidy in the BCC by obtaining 77 chromosome counts from anther mother cells (2n = 20 to >100) and comparing the phylogenetic pattern of diploids and polyploids in nuclear and chloroplast trees. We sequenced ITS and trnT-L-F regions for 96 and 70 individuals, respectively, resulting in 150 nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences, including 54 cloned sequences. We found no evidence for recombination between ITS sequences with a PHI test. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses were used to estimate the ITS phylogeny. Diploid samples were found in all clades, while most of the polyploid samples were concentrated in a single clade. Cloned diploids contained one to three copies of ITS with >99% sequence similarity. The tetraploids B. purpurea and some B. curtipendula samples had a low amount of variation among ITS copies, while the cloned polyploids possessed several highly divergent ITS copies. Pollen size correlates with ploidy-level in the BCC, but is not a clear indicator of genome size. We found evidence that the BCC lineage has a complicated evolutionary history that has included autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy.