New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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The reinstatement of Leptinella at generic rank, and the status of the 'Cotuleae' (Asteraceae, Anthemideae)

DAVID G. LLOYD

Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences
University of Canterbury
Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand

C. J. WEBB

Botany Division, DSIR
Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract Leptinella Cass. has for more than one hundred years been relegated to sectional rank within Cotula L. All species of Leptinella are dis- tinguished from those of the other two sections of Cotula, and other Anthemideae, by the conspicu- ous "inflated" corollas of the female florets and by chromosome numbers based on x = 26 where known; most species are also distinguished by a suite of habit characters. Of the genera at times included in the 'Cotuleae', only Soliva sens. lat. is clearly related to Cotula; most other genera have been referred to other tribes or are of uncertain affinities. The relationship of Leptinella to Cotula sect. Cotula and sect. Strongylosperma, and to Soliva remains unclear, but Leptinella is undoubt- edly monophyletic and is sufficiently distinct to warrant recognition at generic level. We reinstate the genus Leptinella and make all necessary com- binations. Leptinella is a genus of 33 species dis- tributed in New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, the Subantarctic Islands, and South America.

Keywords Asteraceae; Anthemideae; Cotuleae; Cotula; Leptinella; taxonomy; generic limits; New Zealand; Australia; New Guinea; South America

Received 26 May 1986; accepted 23 June 1986
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1987, Vol. 25: 99-105
0028-825X/87/2501-0099$2.50/0 © Crown copyright 1987

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