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Relevant chorological notes of genus Carex L. (Cyperaceae) for the flora of the Balkans are provided, with an emphasis on Albania and adjacent countries (North Macedonia and Montenegro). Our findings include new national species records and/or confirmations for Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia (C. agastachys, C. atrata, C. curvula, C. demissa, C. hispida, C. parviflora), as well as other interesting records of rare and/or endangered Carex species in Albania (C. castroviejoi, C. myosuroides). Eventually, we provide relevant comments in order to clarify the taxonomy, distribution and/or ecology of Carex sections Rhynchocystis (C. agastachys, C. pendula) and Aulocystis (C. ferruginea, C. kitaibeliana, C. lazarei) in the Balkans.

Carex subg. Uncinia (Cyperaceae) constitutes one of six currently recognized Carex subgenera. This subgenus is mainly distributed on the American continent and in the Pacific region, and it is the only subgenus almost entirely absent from the Old World and primarily diversified in the Southern Hemisphere. It includes some of the few Carex species with clear epizoochoric traits: the representatives of C. sect. Uncinia possess utricles with an exserted and hooked rachilla that allows the diaspores to attach to feather or hair. We performed phylogenetic (ITS, ETS-1f, matK), biogeographic, and ancestral state reconstruction analyses to elucidate the systematic structure, origin and dispersal routes, and major morphological evolutionary patterns of the different lineages within the subgenus. Our phylogenetic reconstructions revealed that the subgenus comprises seven different clades that mostly match previously recognized sections. One of the clades, however, represents a new section described herein as C. sect. Wheelerianae. Unispicate lineages evolved repeatedly from ancestors bearing multispicate inflorescences, while the presence of a rachilla, often pictured as a plesiomorphy in Carex, seems to have developed four independent times in the evolution of C. subg. Uncinia. The origin of the subgenus dates back to the beginning of the Miocene, probably in North America from where it colonized the Southern Hemisphere. It first dispersed to South America during the Early Miocene. Later, in the Middle Miocene, representatives of C. sect. Uncinia would reach the Pacific Southwest region (New Zealand, Australasia) from South America in at least two independent dispersal events. The vast majority of the biogeographic events seem to be explained by long-distance dispersal. The remarkable dispersal ability of C. sect. Uncinia enabled by the hooked rachilla has allowed it to reach remote archipelagos in the Pacific and Subantarctic regions, probably bird-mediated.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes to the Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as Suppl. material 1.

— Populations of Carex sect. Rhynchocystis (Cyperaceae) from the Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores and Madeira) have traditionally been treated either as a variety of the widely distributed Western Palearctic C. pendula, or directly synonymized under it. However, recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Azorean populations of C. pendula display a certain degree of differentiation from mainland plants, while the phylogenetic relationships of Madeiran populations remain unclear. Here we perform an integrated systematic study focused on the Macaronesian populations of Carex sect. Rhynchocystis to elucidate their phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic status. We reconstructed a molecular phylogeny based on five DNA regions and conducted a multivariate morphological analysis. Divergence time estimates show that the Macaronesian populations can be traced back to a Plio-Pleistocene origin. Our results suggest that these island populations of C. pendula are better treated as two distinct species within Carex sect. Rhynchocystis (i.e. C. leviosa from the Azores and C. sequeirae from Madeira). We provide morphological characters to differentiate the new species from C. pendula s. s., detailed descriptions of the three taxa, a revised key for the entire section, as well as detailed analytical drawings of the two newly described species. We also perform a critical evaluation of the taxonomic diversity of Carex in the Azores and Madeira. Finally, we informally assessed the conservation status of the new species at a global scale under IUCN categories and criteria, resulting in the proposal of the categories Least Concern for C. leviosa and Critically Endangered for C. sequeirae.

Publisher Copyright: © This dataset is made available under the Open Database License (http://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1.0/). The Open Database License (ODbL) is a license agreement intended to allow users to freely share, modify, and use this Dataset while maintaining this same freedom for others, provided that the original source and author(s) are credited In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.

Carex microcarpa (sect. Rhynchocystis) is a Central Mediterranean endemic known from Corsica, Sardinia and the Tuscan archipelago, that has been also reported from scattered localities in mainland Italy (Abruzzo, Lazio and Apulia). We tested by molecular means the identification of three specimens classified as C. microcarpa from continental Italy, as well as a voucher from the Montecristo island (Tuscany) and one from Sardinia, whose taxonomic identity could not be determined with certainty by morphological examination. We performed a DNA barcoding study based on four DNA regions (two nuclear, two plastid). Our results reveal that none of previous mainland Italian records corresponds to C. microcarpa, but to C. pendula, which also belong to section Rhynchocystis, and in other cases possibly to C. acutiformis, from a different species group (sect. Paludosae). The specimen from Montecristo island was confirmed to be C. microcarpa. We conclude that C. microcarpa is likely a Tyrrhenian endemic exclusively known with certainty in Corsica, Sardinia and the Tuscan Archipelago. The presence of C. microcarpa in the Italian peninsula remains highly doubtful and we recommend its exclusion from checklists. Our study highlights the utility of DNA barcoding approaches in Carex when a reliable morphology-based identification is not possible. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1897703 .

—We describe a new remarkable dwarf and apparently acaulescent species of Carex (Cyperaceae) from the Andes of northern Chile: Carex phylloscirpoides. Morphological and molecular data (two nuclear and three plastid DNA regions) were used to study the phylogenetic placement and systematic relationships of this species, which resulted in its assignment to Carex section Racemosae. However, despite being related to the other three species of the section present in the Southern Cone based on phylogenetic evidence, it displays a number of unusual morphological features. In addition, it is geographically disjunct and genetically differentiated from them. A preliminary conservation assessment was performed which resulted in the proposal of the Critically Endangered category at the global level under IUCN guidelines. We discuss the biogeographic and ecological peculiarities of the new species and its allies, with emphasis in the high number of acaulescent sedges present in South America. The features of C. phylloscirpoides emphasize its unique evolutionary position and its rarity highlights its conservation importance, especially in the context of the South American Andean flora.

This is the first work of a series of thorough studies into the taxonomy and systematics of Carex in South America. Here, we present the systematic placement, biogeographic insights, taxonomic accounts, formal typifications and summarized distributions for the 24 species of Carex subgenus Vignea with androgynous spikes in the continent. We performed a phylogenetic study using the barcode markers ETS, ITS and matK to check the placement of 22 of these species on a previous tree with > 1000 Carex spp. We examined > 600 specimens from 38 herbaria and conducted an exhaustive nomenclatural survey consulting all pertinent literature. South American androgynous species of subgenus Vignea are grouped in seven distinct lineages, corresponding with the same number of inferred colonizations. Most groups seem to have colonized South America during the Plio-Pleistocene, except for species of section Bracteosae, a local radiation that dates back to the Late Miocene. All colonizations by native species seem to have originated from North America. The two putatively introduced taxa are western Palaearctic species. An identification key is provided for the studied species. We make 19 new typifications and a new species (Carex pedicularis) is described.

Aim: Madagascar is renowned for its unparalleled biodiversity and endemism. With many ecosystems under threat, research is urgently needed on its unique plant diversity. This applies both to Madagascar's forests and treeless vegetation types. Sedges (Cyperaceae) are among the top 10 species-richest angiosperm families in Madagascar (310 native species, 38% endemic), of which two-thirds occur in open habitats. We aimed to infer the evolutionary history of sedges in Madagascar, by estimating the number, age and origins of endemic lineages, and how they diversified on the island. We tested contrasting hypotheses of (a) few colonizations but important in situ radiations against (b) a high number of anagenetic colonizations. Location: Madagascar and the surrounding Indian Ocean islands, integrated within a global dataset. Taxon: Sedge family Cyperaceae. Methods: We estimated time-calibrated molecular phylogenies encompassing a large proportion of Madagascar's known sedge flora (incl. 55% of native species), integrating sequence data for 1,382 accessions representing almost 25% of the c. 5,600 sedge species worldwide, combined with ancestral area reconstruction, diversification analyses and Bayesian stochastic mapping. Results: Cyperaceae lineages arrived in Madagascar from c. 40 Mya with many arriving more recently. About 20 endemic lineages of Cyperaceae occur on the island, of which only six encompass more than five species. All except one of the endemic lineages that diversified in Madagascar use the C3 photosynthetic pathway. The main biogeographical links of Madagascar's sedge flora are to Southern and Tropical Africa. Main conclusions: The biogeographical history of Cyperaceae in Madagascar is a chronicle of relatively recent multiple in and out processes of long-distance dispersal colonizations constrained by distance. Also, the Madagascar region is not only a ‘sink’ for immigrant taxa, in situ diversification and dispersal to other regions also occurred. Some of the most diverse endemic lineages show clear adaptation to local environments.

A morphological and molecular study was carried out on two species of Carex from the former genus Uncinia from mainland South America and Juan Fernández Islands: C. firmula (Kük) J.R. Starr and C. subsacculata (G.A.Wheeler & Goetgh.) J.R.Starr. Both species share the particular character of having articulated pistillate scales that leave behind on the spike rachis a saccate stipe-like appendage after falling. We detected within C. firmula morphological differences between mainland South American specimens and Juan Fernández specimens, mainly regarding flower density and utricle size. On the contrary, the molecular analysis showed no molecular differentiation between the two groups of populations. Whereas, strong molecular and morphological support were found for C. subsacculata. As such, we recommend that the populations of C. firmula found on Juan Fernández and those found in the mainland should be recognised as different subspecies: island Carex firmula subsp. firmula and mainland C. firmula subsp. tenuis (Poepp. ex Kunth) R.Ridley & Jim.-Mejías. We discuss that the morphological differences may be a result of isolation in an oceanic island environment and have effect on seed dispersal. Taxonomic descriptions, images of diagnostic characters and a key are included.

The field of systematics is experiencing a new molecular revolution driven by the increased availability of high-throughput sequencing technologies. As these techniques become more affordable, the increased genomic resources have increasingly far-reaching implications for our understanding of the Tree of Life. With c. 2000 species, Carex (Cyperaceae) is one of the five largest genera of angiosperms and one of the two largest among monocots, but the phylogenetic relationships between the main lineages are still poorly understood. We designed a Cyperaceae-specific HybSeq bait kit using transcriptomic data of Carex siderosticta and Cyperus papyrus. We identified 554 low-copy nuclear orthologous loci, targeting a total length of c. 1 Mbp. Our Cyperaceae-specific kit shared loci with a recently published angiosperm-specific Anchored Hybrid Enrichment kit, which enabled us to include and compile data from different sources. We used our Cyperaceae kit to sequence 88 Carex spp., including samples of all the five major clades in the genus. For the first time, we present a phylogenetic tree of Carex based on hundreds of loci (308 nuclear exon matrices, 543 nuclear intron matrices and 66 plastid exon matrices), demonstrating that there are six strongly supported main lineages in Carex: the Siderostictae, Schoenoxiphium, Unispicate, Uncinia, Vignea and Core Carex clades. Based on our results, we suggest a revised subgeneric treatment and provide lists of the species belonging to each of the subgenera. Our results will inform future biogeographic, taxonomic, molecular dating and evolutionary studies in Carex and provide the step towards a revised classification that seems likely to stand the test of time.

Carex acocksii is a sedge species known only from two populations in the Karoo of the Northern Cape in South Africa. It was described from a single locality (Hantam Mts., Calvinia) more than twenty years ago, and tentatively ascribed to section Petraea because of its unispicate inflorescence and utricles with membranaceous-papyraceous walls. However, its systematic relationships have remained largely unexplored. We perform molecular, morphological and biogeographic studies in order to elucidate the systematic relationships and origin of this poorly known species. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on two nuclear (ITS, ETS) and two plastid (matK, rps16) markers strongly supports that C. acocksii belongs to Carex sect. Schoenoxiphium (former genus Schoenoxiphium), a lineage with its center of diversity in South Africa. However, C. acocksii displays a remarkable molecular (i.e. long phylogenetic branch), morphological (i.e. unispicate inflorescence and poorly veined, weak utricle walls), geographical (isolated populations placed more than 100 kms from any other native Carex species) and ecological (the only Carex species known exclusively from the Great Karoo) differentiation with respect to the remainder of sect. Schoenoxiphium. The section has been inferred to have originated 15 Mya in the Drakensberg, and to have speciated after dispersal to other areas at least three times (C. chermezonii was not included in this study), one of these cases being C. acocksii. These features highlight the evolutionary singularity and conservation importance of this species, especially in the context of South African flora. We reassessed the conservation status of C. acocksii at a global scale under IUCN categories and criteria, resulting in the proposal of the Critically Endangered category for the species.

Here we present relevant records of nine species of the genus Carex (Cyperaceae) new for Peru: C. amicta, C. brehmeri, C. camptoglochin, C. enneastachya, C. livida, C. maritima, C. ownbeyi, C. ruthsatzae, and C. vallis-pulchrae. We perform the lectotypification of the names Carex camptoglochin, C. amicta and C. confertospicata.

Despite centuries of intense work, the basic taxonomic knowledge of the flora of the Iberian peninsula is still incomplete, especially for highly diverse and/or difficult genera such as Carex. In this study, we conducted an integrative systematic study based on molecular, morphological and cytogenetic data to elucidate the taxonomic status of several problematic Carex populations from La Mancha region (S Spain) belonging to Carex sect. Phacocystis. These populations have been traditionally considered of uncertain taxonomic adscription, but close to C. reuteriana. A detailed morphological and cytogenetic study was performed with 16 sampled La Mancha problematic populations (Sierra Madrona, Montes de Toledo) in order to compare them with the other Iberian sect. Phacocystis species. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis was conducted using two nuclear (ITS, ETS) and two plastid (rpl32‐trnLUAG, ycf6‐psbM) DNA regions, including representatives from the whole sect. Phacocystis. We found a significant degree of molecular and morphological differentiation that supports the recognition of these populations as a new Iberian endemic species, Carex quixotiana. Our results reveal that, unexpectedly, C. quixotiana is more closely related to C. nigra than to C. reuteriana on the basis of phylogenetic relationships and chromosome number. However, the overall morphological appearance and ecological preferences were misleadingly suggesting affinities with C. reuteriana. These contrasting patterns reflect the taxonomic complexity in sect. Phacocystis and remark the need of integrative systematic approaches to disentangle fiendish evolutionary scenarios.

Sedges (Cyperaceae) are commonly pollinated by wind, but some transitions from wind to insect pollination have been reported in tropical sedges. Despite being a temperate sedge, the pollination strategy of Rhynchospora alba may partly depend on insects, as suggested by its white-colored inflorescences. Here we quantify the contribution of insects to the reproductive fitness of R. alba as an exploration of the success of entomophily in temperate sedges. Honeybees and hoverflies seem to be the primary visitors of R. alba in the study site, and pollen of R. alba was recovered from the mouthparts and legs of the insects. Treatments excluding insects led to a lower reproductive fitness (regarding fruit weight and fruit viability) than those not excluding them. Therefore, insects seem to contribute significantly to the pollination of R. alba despite moderate morphological adaptation. We highlight the role of entomophily as an overlooked reproductive mechanism in cold-temperate sedges.

Se presentan novedades y correcciones corológicas para cuatro especies de ciperáceas ibéricas de interés.

We identify specimens belonging to the original material of the names Onosmodium molle Michaux (Boraginaceae) and Verbena riparia Raf. ex Small & Heller (Verbenaceae). We designate the lectotype for O. molle. On the other hand, we present evidence that original material of V. riparia is indeed the holotype, which supersedes a previous lectotype designation.

Carex phleoides Cav. is the largest species of the former genus Uncinia Pers. It is widely distributed in the Neotropics and is also known from the Juan Fernandez archipelago off the coast of Chile. A second taxon, U. trichocarpa C. A. Mey., is often considered a synonym of C. phleoides, but also sometimes a variety of that species or even a distinct species. We performed a morphometric study using representative material covering the entire distribution and morphological variation of C. phleoides s.l. to clarify its taxonomy. Our analyses revealed that U. trichocarpa is distinct from C. phleoides. Accordingly, we coined the name C. quinquin Jim.-Mejias & Dorr to accommodate this species under Carex L. because combinations of other available names are all blocked. Carex phleoides displayed two extremes of variation with geographical correspondence, a southern form in the Southern Cone north to Bolivia, and a northern one ranging from Bolivia to Mexico. We propose to recognize two subspecies within C. phleoides, the nominate subspecies being the southern one, and the northern one based on the epithet koyamae. Plants from the Juan Fernandez archipelago were shown to be morphologically intermediate with the endemic C. plurinervata J. R. Starr, a result that might point to introgression between these two species. We selected lectotypes for nine names, including two of the accepted ones, as well as their synonyms.

International audience; Molecular phylogenetic studies based on Sanger sequences have shown that Cyperaceae tribe Fuireneae s.l. is paraphyletic. However, taxonomic sampling in these studies has been poor, topologies have been inconsistent, and support for the backbone of trees has been weak. Moreover, uncertainty still surrounds the morphological limits of Schoenoplectiella, a genus of mainly small, amphicarpic annuals that was recently segregated from Schoenoplectus. Consequently, despite ample evidence from molecular analyses that Fuireneae s.l. might consist of two to four tribal lineages, no taxonomic changes have yet been made. Here, we use the Angiosperms353 enrichment panel for targeted sequencing to (i) clarify the relationships of Fuireneae s.l. with the related tribes Abildgaardieae, Eleocharideae, and Cypereae; (ii) define the limits of Fuireneae s.s., and (iii) test the monophyly of Fuireneae s.l. genera with emphasis on Schoenoplectus and Schoenoplectiella. Using more than a third of Fuireneae s.l. diversity, our phylogenomic analyses strongly support six genera and four major Fuireneae s.l. clades that we recognize as tribes: Bolboschoeneae stat.nov., Fuireneae s.s., Schoenoplecteae, and Pseudoschoeneae tr. nov. These results are consistent with morphological, micromorphological (nutlet epidermal cell shape), and embryo differences detected for each tribe. At the generic level, most sub-Saharan African perennials currently treated in Schoenoplectus are transferred to Schoenoplectiella. Our targeted sequencing results show that these species are nested in Schoenoplectiella, and their treatment here is consistent with micromorphological and embryo characters shared by all Schoenoplectiella species. Keys to recognized tribes and genera are provided.

Cyperaceae (sedges) are the third largest monocot family and are of considerable economic and ecological importance. Sedges represent an ideal model family to study evolutionary biology because of their species richness, global distribution, large discrepancies in lineage diversity, broad range of ecological preferences, and adaptations including multiple origins of C4 photosynthesis and holocentric chromosomes. Goetghebeur’s seminal work on Cyperaceae published in 1998 provided the most recent complete classification at tribal and generic level, based on a morphological study of Cyperaceae inflorescence, spikelet, flower and embryo characters plus anatomical and other information. Since then, several family‐level molecular phylogenetic studies using Sanger sequence data have been published. Here, more than 20 years after the last comprehensive classification of the family, we present the first family‐wide phylogenomic study of Cyperaceae based on targeted sequencing using the Angiosperms353 probe kit sampling 311 accessions. Additionally, 62 accessions available from GenBank were mined for overlapping reads and included in the phylogenomic analyses. Informed by this backbone phylogeny, a new classification for the family at the tribal, subtribal and generic levels is proposed. The majority of previously recognized suprageneric groups are supported, and for the first time we establish support for tribe Cryptangieae as a clade including the genus Koyamaea. We provide a taxonomic treatment including identification keys and diagnoses for the 2 subfamilies, 24 tribes and 10 subtribes and basic information on the 95 genera. The classification includes five new subtribes in tribe Schoeneae: Anthelepidinae, Caustiinae, Gymnoschoeninae, Lepidospermatinae and Oreobolinae. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Carex section Schoenoxiphium (Cariceae, Cyperaceae) is endemic to the Afrotropical biogeographic region and is mainly distributed in southern and eastern Africa, with its center of diversity in eastern South Africa. The taxon was formerly recognized as a distinct genus and has a long history of taxonomic controversy. It has also an important morphological and molecular background in particular dealing with the complexity of its inflorescence and the phylogenetic relationships of its species. We here present a fully updated and integrative monograph of Carex section Schoenoxiphium based on morphological, molecular and cytogenetic data. A total of 1,017 herbarium specimens were examined and the majority of the species were studied in the field. Previous molecular phylogenies based on Sanger-sequencing of four nuclear and plastid DNA regions and RAD-seq were expanded. For the first time, chromosome numbers were obtained, with cytogenetic counts on 44 populations from 15 species and one hybrid. Our taxonomic treatment recognizes 21 species, one of them herein newly described (C. gordon-grayae). Our results agree with previous molecular works that have found five main lineages in Schoenoxiphium. We provide detailed morphological descriptions, distribution maps and analytical drawings of all accepted species in section Schoenoxiphium, an identification key, and a thorough nomenclatural survey including 19 new typifications and one nomen novum.

PREMISE Most of the Paleotropical flora widely distributed in the Western Palearctic became extinct during the Mio-Pliocene as a result of global geoclimatic changes. A few elements from this Cenozoic flora are believed to remain as relicts in Macaronesia, forming part of the Macaronesian Laurel Forest. Although the origins of the present species assembly are known to be heterogeneous, it is unclear whether some species should be considered climatic relicts with conserved niches. An ideal group to study such relict characteristics is the Miocene lineage of Carex sect. Rhynchocystis, which comprises four species distributed in the mainland Palearctic and Macaronesia. METHODS We reconstructed the current and past environmental spaces for extant mainland and Macaronesian species, and for the occurrence of Pliocene fossils. We also studied the bioclimatic niche evolution. Species Distribution Modeling and Ensemble Small Modeling were performed to assess the potential distribution over time. KEY RESULTS The ecological requirements of Macaronesian species did not overlap with those of either mainland species or with the Pliocene fossils. Conversely, the niches of mainland species displayed significant similarity and equivalence. The ecological differentiation within Macaronesia and similarity across the continent were evaluated in bioclimatic evolution and distribution modeling analyses. CONCLUSIONS Macaronesian species are not climatic relicts from the Paleotropical flora, but instead seems have changed the ecological niche from their ancestors. By contrast, despite their ancient divergence (Late Miocene), mainland C. pendula and C. agastachys show conserved niches, with competitive exclusion likely shaping their mostly allopatric ranges. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Here, we present relevant records of three species that are new at national level (Carex jamesonii Boott and C. pseudomacloviana G.A.Wheeler for Bolivia, and C. ruthsatziae G.A.Wheeler for Argentina), six new regional records for Bolivia (C. acutata Boott, C. bonariensis Desf. ex Poir., C. crassiflora Kuk., C. feddeana H.Pfeiff., C. fuscula d’Urv., and C. pachamamae Jim.Mejias & Reznicek), and additional records of rare plants (C. pachamamae and C. ruthsatziae). We describe C. giovanniana Jim.Mejias as a new species previously misidentified as C. subdivulsa (Kuk.) G.A.Wheeler. In addition, we perform the typification for four names (C. acutata, C. crassiflora, C. jamesonii, and C. tessellata Spruce ex C.B.Clarke). Comments on the taxonomy of C. ruthsatziae are provided. We synonymise C. obtusisquama (Gross) G.A.Wheeler & S.Beck to C. crassiflora, and C. tessellata to C. acutata.

Geography and climate have been the main drivers of evolution in recent geological epochs. While new lineages of species have been formed in the last millions of years (speciation) and others have vanished as a result of historical climate changes (extinction), some ancient lineages appear to have persisted to the present day without net diversification. In this paper, evolution of ancient lineages is addressed by combining phylogenetic and conservation approaches to test the concept of ‘endangered living fossil’ (ELF). Using endangered, monospecific genera as starting point, we propose three criteria to identify ELFs (in order): (1) scarcity and narrow distribution of populations, i.e. the species (and thus the genus) is categorised as either ‘endangered’ or ‘critically endangered’ using IUCN criteria; (2) evolutionary distinctiveness, i.e. phylogenetic singularity of a single-species lineage as a result of a null net diversification rate; (iii) ancient divergence, i.e. split from the closest extant relatives predating the dramatic climate changes of particular geological epochs (specifically changes since the Miocene-Pliocene boundary). The vascular flora of the Iberian Peninsula offers a suitable study system to reliably test the ELF concept. Indeed, time-calibrated phylogenies revealed that five of the six critically endangered, monospecific genera endemic to the Iberian Peninsula are ELFs. These five genera appear to have diverged from their closest relatives in the Oligocene (Gyrocaryum), Miocene (Avellara, Castrilanthemum, Gadoria) and around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary (Naufraga). This result entails long-term survival (with no net diversification) through at least three dramatic climate changes: the Messinian Salinity Crisis (late Miocene), the establishment of the mediterranean climate (Pliocene), and the glacial-interglacial cycles (Pleistocene). Using results from the literature, we found examples of ELFs for the mediterranean floras of California (Dodecahema), Chile (Avellanita, Gomortega, Legrandia) and other Mediterranean areas of Europe (Petagnaea, Phitosia). ELFs are unique and threatened lineages representing an exceptional evolutionary heritage, and therefore they should be prioritised in biodiversity research and conservation programs.

Iberodes M. Serrano, R. Carbajal & S. Ortiz es un genero de Boraginaceas subendemico de la peninsula Iberica, con poblaciones disyuntas en Francia (region sureste y costa oeste en el Golfo de Vizcaya). Este genero comprende cinco especies de plantas anuales (una de ellas con dos subespecies), originalmente consideradas dentro del genero Omphalodes (Serrano et al., 2016). Si tenemos en cuenta la especializacion ecologica de las cinco especies, el genero se puede dividir en dos grupos: por un lado, tres especies de ambientes continentales del interior; y por otro, dos especies litorales que viven sobre dunas costeras. Otra peculiaridad anadida de este genero es que cuatro de las cinco especies estan catalogadas dentro de las categorias de riesgo y amenaza de la UICN, y tres de ellas cuentan con proteccion legal de acuerdo con los catalogos regionales de Castilla y Leon y Galicia, el Catalogo Espanol, la Directiva de Habitats y el Convenio de Berna