PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE CARMICHAELIA COMPLEX, CLIANTHUS, AND SWAINSONA (FABACEAE), FROM AUSTRALIA AND NEW-ZEALAND

A phylogenetic analysis of Carmichaelia, Chordospartium, Corallosparti um, Notospartium, Clianthus, and Swainsona was undertaken to test the monophyly of each genus and to examine relationships among species. Th e data matrix included 42 terminal taxa and 47 mainly morphological an d anatomical characters. PAUP analyses resulted in two islands of equa lly parsimonious trees of 175 steps. Strict consensus trees identify a monophyletic New Zealand clade and a monophyletic Australian clade, a nd the phylogenetic analysis infers a single dispersal event to New Ze aland. The taxa in the New Zealand clade are characterised by being wo ody shrubs or subshrubs, having terminal innovation shoots, persistent pith, wide ray parenchyma, vessel elements with helical thickenings, and slender and flexuose phloem fibres. Swainsona is polyphyletic if S . novae-zelandiae is included, and Carmichaelia is paraphyletic if Cho rdospartium, Corallospartium, and Notospartium are excluded. Recommend ations are made for a revised generic classification with recognition of four monophyletic genera: Clianthus, Australian Swainsona, segregat ion of Swainsona novae-zelandiae from Swainsona, and enlargement of Ca rmichaelia to include Chordospartium, Corallospartium, and Notospartiu m. The inclusion of five quantitative characters and reweighting of al l characters by the rescaled consistency index assisted in resolving p olytomies within the Carmichaelia clade.