A REASSESSMENT OF RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN EPACRIDACEAE

An extensive database of predominantly morphological characters has be en assembled for the family Epacridaceae. Problems of homology across the family and its outgroups were encountered for several characters. A phylogenetic analysis, using only those characters for which we were fairly confident of our assessment of homology, was undertaken to est ablish broad relationships within the family as a basis for a re-asses sment of the supra-generic classification. The resultant phylogeny is weakly resolved and lacks robustness in the basal clades. Previous cla ssifications of the family are assessed in the light of this analysis, and an alternative arrangement of four tribes is proposed. (C) 1996 A nnals of Botany Company