PHYLOGENY AND RECLASSIFICATION OF THE GENUS LAPSANA (ASTERACEAE, LACTUCEAE)

A cladistic analysis of 40 morphological, fruit anatomical, and chromo somal characters in the five species of Lapsana and eleven other speci es of the Lactuceae (Crepidinae) shows that Lapsana is polyphyletic. T he genus is redefined to include only the European to S. W. Asian Laps ana communis and its allied taxa usually treated as subspecies. The fo ur E. Asian species formerly placed in Lapsana are transferred to a ne w genus, Lapsanastrum, and the new combinations L. apogonoides, L. hum ile, L. takasei, and L. uncinatum are made.