More links in the daisy chain: morphology and molecules delimit two new species in Coronidium and two in Leucozoma (Asteraceae; Gnaphalieae)

Timothy L. Collins

^A ^C , Alexander N. Schmidt-Lebuhn

^B , Rose L. Andrew

^A , Ian R. H. Telford

^A and Jeremy J. Bruhl

^A ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Botany and N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

^B Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (a joint venture of Parks Australia and CSIRO), Clunies Ross Street, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

^C Present address: New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 11 Farrer Place, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: jbruhl@une.edu.au

Handling Editor: Jennifer Tate

Australian Systematic Botany 38, SB24018 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB24018

Submitted: 3 June 2024 Accepted: 5 February 2025 Published: 13 March 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Taxonomic uncertainty in Coronidium has existed since its original circumscription. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses inferred Coronidium to be non-monophyletic and composed of four distinct clades, leading to the erection of Leucozoma and the confirmation that C. scorpioides (Labill.) Paul G.Wilson and related species are more closely related to other Australian Gnaphalieae. The present study focused on the delimitation of those species inferred to be part of Coronidium, Leucozoma and the closely related Helichrysum leucopsideum DC. We gathered DArTseq single-nucleotide polymorphism data and tested species limits by examining genotypic differences, ancestry, and morphological characters observed on herbarium specimens and living collections. Results support the recognition of four new narrowly endemic species, namely, C. batianoffii T.L.Collins & I.Telford, C. bruhlii T.L.Collins, L. alexandri T.L.Collins and L. wollumbin T.L.Collins. Results indicated that the narrow endemic C. fulvidum Paul G.Wilson is a variable hybrid between C. newcastlianum (Domin) Paul G.Wilson and C. rupicola (DC.) Paul G. Wilson, and subspecies of C. oxylepis (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson to be a polymorphic aggregate or ochlospecies, the subject of ongoing study. We lectotypify H. elatum A.Cunn ex DC. and Helipterum glutinosum Hook. and provide revised descriptions of all taxa in the genera, their conservation status, a dichotomous key, tables distinguishing closely related taxa and distribution maps.

Keywords: Australia, Compositae, DArT, endemic, Helichrysum, Helichrysum leucopsideum, hybrid, ochlospecies, paper daisy, taxonomy.

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