Cladistic analysis of Millotia (Asteraceae-Gnaphalieae)

Abstract

A cladistic analysis of Millotia Cass. has been undertaken and includes the taxa formerly placed in Toxanthes Turcz. and Scyphocoronis A. Gray. Ixiolaena leptolepis Sond. & F. Muell. and Podotheca gnaphalioides Graham were used as outgroup taxa to assess character polarity and to root the cladogram. Two congruent, equally parsimonious cladograms were obtained, showing that both Toxanthes and Scyphocoronis are small monophyletic ingroups in Millotia. Millotia would be paraphyletic if Scyphocoronis and Toxanthes were treated as separate taxa. A discussion of character evolution in the genus is presented and it is concluded that inbreeding taxa have independently evolved three times.