A morphological data base of 30 characters has been assembled for 33 t
erminal taxa in the tribe Styphelieae sensu Powell et al. (1996), as w
ell as four outgroup taxa representing the other major affinity groups
previously identified within the Epacridaceae on morphological and mo
lecular data. Heuristic and bootstrap analyses provided strong support
for the tribe, but indicated a need to modify several long-establishe
d generic concepts. Four genera are shown here to be polyphyletic. Six
new monotypic genera should be segregated from Astroloma. Brachyloma
should be divided into three segregates. Two distinct affinity groups
warranting generic status were identified within Cyathodes. The separa
tion of the monotypic Western Australian genus, Croninia, from Leucopo
gon s.l is supported, and four other separate entities are here recogn
ised: four species from section Heteranthus Benth. should be united wi
th Lissanthe, and the other three segregates warrant generic status. I
n addition, Monotoca is paraphyletic, and should be redefined to incor
porate Oligarrhena, while a new genus, 'Pseudactinia', is required to
accommodate two new species from Western Australia There seems little
justification for maintaining the distinction between Trochocarpa and
Decatoca. The pattern of intergeneric relationships resolved suggests
that Astroloma s.l., Coleanthera, Conostephium, Croninia, Melichrus, S
typhelia and much of Leucopogon s.l. constitute an affinity group, and
that Brachyloma s. str. and B. scortechinii are basal within the trib
e, but there is only weak support for these aspects of the topology wi
thin the data.