A morphological cladistic analysis of Lobostemon (Boraginaceae)

Abstract A cladistic analysis of Lobostemon (Boraginaceae) based on morphological data is presented. The data matrix comprises 28 ingroup taxa and Echiostachys incanus and Pontechium maculatum as the outgroups. 31 vegetative and floral characters are used. The three most parsimonious trees and the strict consensus tree derived from them produces 4 monophyletic groups within Lobostemon, corresponding to four sections within the genus. Section Grandiflori Levyns is paraphyletic. Medium sized flowers, and the presence of staminal scales and stigma branches are synapomorphies for Lobostemon. New hypotheses, include actinomorphic flowers to be derived and Section Argentei to be sister to the rest of the genus.