Dm. Crayn et al., PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION OF EPACRIDS - A MOLECULAR ANALYSIS USING THE PLASTID GENE RBCL WITH A REAPPRAISAL OF THE POSITION OF LEBETANTHUS, Australian Journal of Botany, 46(2), 1998, pp. 187-200
An expanded rbcL sequence dataset has been assembled for all capsular-
fruited genera and a majority of fleshy-fruited genera in Epacridaceae
sensu Powell et al. (1996), including a new accession of the South Am
erican monotypic Lebetanthus Endl. Parsimony and maximum likelihood an
alyses strongly support an epacrid clade which includes both Lebetanth
us and Prionotes R.Br. These two taxa are robustly grouped and placed
sister to the rest of the family. Most of the remaining epacrids fall
into several well-supported groups, some of which correspond to previo
usly recognised infrafamilial taxa: the Cosmelia, Epacris, Richea and
Styphelia groups. Needhamiella L.Watson and Oligarrhena R.Br. form a c
lade that is distant from the Styphelia group, to which they have trad
itionally been allied on the basis of their fleshy fruit and uniovulat
e locules. Archeria Hook.f., a small genus found in New Zealand and Ta
smania, is distant from all of these well-supported groups, including
its traditional ally, the Epacris group. Several novel generic relatio
nships are evident on the rbcL tree. Epacris Cav. is paraphyletic; one
of the included species clusters robustly with Budawangia Telford and
Rupicola Maiden & E.Betche. Strong evidence is also advanced for the
position of Pentachondra R.Br. as sister to the remainder of the Styph
elia group. Beyond this, however, relationships within the Styphelia g
roup are poorly supported. On the basis of these results, a new taxono
my of the epacrids, comprising seven tribes, is proposed. Six of these
correspond to previously recognised taxa; one new tribe, Archerieae,
is recognised. A key to the tribes is provided. Character evolution wi
thin the family is discussed and reinterpreted in the light of the rbc
L tree.