A REEXAMINATION OF NORTH-AMERICAN SATUREJA SL (LAMIACEAE) IN LIGHT OFMOLECULAR EVIDENCE

Cantino, P. D. (Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio Un iversity, Athens, OH 45701-2979, U.S.A.) & S. J. Wagstaff (Manaaki Whe nua, Landcare Research, P.O. Box 69, Lincoln 8152, New Zealand). A ree xamination of North American Satureja s.l. (Lamiaceae) in light of mol ecular evidence. Brittonia 50: 63-70. 1998.-Satureja s.l. (Lamiaceae) is a large complex (ca. 225 spp.) that is variably treated as comprisi ng from one to as many as 17 genera. The North American representative s are usually assigned to Calamintha, Clinopodium, Micromeria, Piloble phis, or Satureja. A recent chloroplast DNA restriction site analysis indicates that inclusion of Satureja s.str., Micromeria, and Pilobleph is in the group renders it non-monophyletic. After exclusion of these three genera, a study of morphological variation in the remainder of t he complex suggests that it is best treated as three genera, two of wh ich do not occur in North America (Cyclotrichium and ''Obtegomeria'' [ Doroszenko, ined., to be validated elsewhere]). The third comprises ca . 100 species, 11 of them native to North America north of Mexico. Wit h Satureja s.str. excluded, the name with priority for the latter genu s is Clinopodium. The indigenous North American species and their more frequently used synonyms are tabulated. A new combination, Clinopodiu m chandleri, is made.