A REEVALUATION OF THE GENERIC STATUS OF AMPHITHALEA AND COELIDIUM (FABACEAE)

The generic distinctness of Amphithalea and Coelidium (Fabaceae) is re appraised. The fusion of the stamens, diadelphous in Amphithalea and m onadelphous in Coelidium, has been used as the only character to diffe rentiate between the two genera. A cladistic analysis of 16 morphologi cal and one alkaloidal characters indicates that they both, taken toge ther, are monophyletic, but that Amphithalea by itself is paraphyletic , Coelidium being nested in it. Coelidium is therefore reduced to syno nymy under Amphithalea, and the necessary nomenclatural changes are ma de.