Systematics of New Zealand Inuleae (Compositae-Asteraceae)—3 Numerical phenetic analysis of leaf anatomy and flavonoids

Abstract

Forty-five species of Inuleae (Compositae), predominantly from New Zealand and Tasmania, were subjected to numerical phenetic analysis using 49 leaf anatomy and 38 leaf flavonoid characters. Results indicate that on the basis of overall similarity in this suite of characters: (1) Leucogenes is a good genus; (2) an undescribed taxon of Inuleae is a distinct monotypic genus; (3) New Zealand species currently placed in Anaphalis, Cassinia, and Ewartia are generically distinct but are referred to the wrong genera; (4) similarity between species of Ewartia and Gnaphalium indicates that the boundary between these genera needs to be reassessed; (5) both Helichrysum and Raoulia are heterogeneous and need revision; (6) in New Zealand, Pseudognaphalium is distinct from other gnaphalioid genera.