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Australian Systematic Botany Australian Systematic Botany Society
Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
RESEARCH ARTICLE

A reappraisal of the generic concepts of Epacris, Rupicola and Budawangia (Ericaceae, Epacridoideae, Epacrideae) based on phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular data

Christopher J. Quinn A B C , Ronald K. Crowden D , Elizabeth A. Brown A G , Michael J. Southam B , Andrew H. Thornhill C E and Darren M. Crayn C F H
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- Author Affiliations

A National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.

B School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

C Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University, McGregor Road, Smithfield, Qld 4878, Australia.

D Tasmanian Herbarium, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, College Road, Sandy Bay, Tas. 7001, Australia.

E Centre for Tropical Environmental Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia.

F Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4814, Australia.

G Deceased.

H Corresponding author. Email: darren.crayn@jcu.edu.au

Australian Systematic Botany 28(1) 63-77 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB13009
Submitted: 6 March 2013  Accepted: 16 June 2015   Published: 10 September 2015

Abstract

The genus Epacris Cav. (Ericaceae, Epacridoideae, Epacrideae) contains 46 species in south-eastern Australia and two species in New Zealand. Two small genera, Rupicola Maiden & Betche (four spp.) and Budawangia I.Telford (monotypic), both having restricted distributions in the mountains of central eastern New South Wales, have been generally regarded as closely related to but distinct from Epacris. We tested the monophyly and relationships of these three genera using parsimony and Bayesian analysis of morphological and plastid atpB–rbcL DNA sequence datasets. Separate and combined analyses all place Budawangia and Rupicola within Epacris with moderate to strong support. We conclude that there are insufficient grounds for maintaining Rupicola and Budawangia as distinct from Epacris. The required nomenclatural changes are made herein.


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