The systematic relationships of Brunonia.

Abstract

Although Brunonia has had a long separate history from the other Goodeniaceae, they do appear to be related, and it remains a matter of personal preference whether one places it in a subfamily of Goodeniaceae or in a separate family. Since I prefer large families to give easily recognizable groups, I opt for the first alternative. The long separate history of Brunonia may be the result of its early entry into the arid areas, possibly before other goodeniads, with secondary invasions of the higher rainfall zones only much later. The relationship between Goodeniaceae and Campanulaceae is not very close, and it seems they must both have arisen quite early in the evolution of the Metachlamydeae. The evolution of the Goodeniaceae as a whole and the Campanulaceae occurred after the break up of Gondwanaland, in the temperate areas of each continent. The Stylidiaceae are primitively a cool to cold montane group of southern Gondwanaland.