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Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 20(5)

Phenetic analyses of Homoranthus (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae) on the basis of morphology

Lachlan M. Copeland A C , Jeremy J. Bruhl A , Lyn A. Craven B and Curt L. Brubaker B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Botany, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

B Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: lcopela3@une.edu.au

Australian Systematic Botany 20(5) 417-427 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB07012
Submitted: 8 March 2007  Accepted: 9 August 2007   Published: 8 November 2007

Abstract

Homoranthus A.Cunn. ex Schauer is an endemic Australian genus widespread in southern and eastern mainland Australia. Phenetic analyses using clustering and ordination techniques were used to test the limits of all 23 currently recognised species. Data were analysed for 48 morphological characters from 139 specimens representing all species across their geographic ranges. Specimens of Homoranthus bornhardtiensis J.T.Hunter and H. prolixus Craven & S.R.Jones formed one group and appear to be the same entity. A putative natural hybrid between H. zeteticorum Craven & S.R.Jones and H. coracinus A.R.Bean was found to be phenetically intermediate between its putative parent species. Within each of H. biflorus Craven & S.R.Jones s.l., H. decumbens (Byrnes) Craven & S.R.Jones s.l., H. melanostictus Craven & S.R.Jones s.l. and H. porteri (C.T.White) Craven & S.R.Jones s.l., there are two or three distinct entities worthy of recognition as species. There was also strong support for the recognition of an entity from near Tenterfield in northern New South Wales as a distinct species most similar to H. montanus Craven & S.R.Jones. We conclude that a total of 28 species should be recognised within Homoranthus, including six new, currently undescribed species.


Acknowledgements

We thank Ian Telford, Paul Forster and Brendan Lepschi for collecting fresh material for the present study on our behalf, and Peter Wilson, the late John Williams, Ian Telford and John T. Hunter for useful discussions on the distribution of Homoranthus and potential characters to distinguish them. We acknowledge permission from National Parks authorities to collect plants in service and non-service areas of Queensland and New South Wales. The directors of BRI, CANB, CFSHB, MBA, MEL, NSW and QRS are also thanked for access to collections and/or loan of material. NE provided essential herbarium facilities for this project. Three anonymous referees provided useful feedback on the manuscript which ultimately improved the paper. LMC gratefully acknowledges the financial support received from an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) and the Noel C.W. Beadle and UNE Friends of Botany Scholarships.


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