The Genera of the Sisyrinchium Alliance (Iridaceae: Iridoideae): Phylogeny and Relationships

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Abstract
A phylogenetic analysis of the New World members of Sisyrinchieae, most primitive of the four tribes of Iridaceae subfamily Iridoideae, using leaf anatomical and chromosomal data in conjunction with traditional morphological criteria suggests substantial realignments in the current taxonomy. The New World Sisyrinchieae constitute the majority of the taxa in the tribe; the remaining Bobartia and Diplarrhena, African and Australian, are not considered in the study. Phaiophleps, Chamelum, and Ona appear to be more closely related to Sisyrinchium sect. Eriphilema than the last does to sects. Sisyrinchium and Echthronema, although all these taxa appear to comprise a monophyletic assemblage based on the characters used in our study. Solenomelus, Tapeinia, and Orthrosanthus are more distantly related to Sisyrinchium and its satellite taxa, but the three genera share some features with the Sisyrinchium clade. We treat sects. Sisyrinchium and Echthronema as subgenera of Sisyrinchium and unite sect. Eriphilema and the genera Phaiophleps, Chamelum, and Ona in a single genus, Olsynium (1837). Appropriate changes to the taxonomy of Sisyrinchium are presented and necessary new combinations in Olsynium are made: O. acaulis, O. biflorum, O. lyckholmi, O. bodenbenderi, O. frigidum, O. luteum, O. filifolium, O. junceum, O. philippii, O. scirpoideum, and O. obscura. Additional anatomical observations are presented for Tapeinia, Ona, and Sisyrinchium spicatum, which complement extensive anatomical observations already published.

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