Abstract
Phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that Schefflera, the largest genus of Araliaceae, is grossly polyphyletic, comprising five distinct clades within the family. In an effort to establish monophyletic genera among the elements that currently comprise Schefflera, the genus Plerandra is expanded to encompass all of the members of one of these clades. In this synoptical revision, a new infrageneric classification is presented (along with a key) in which six subgenera are recognized. Four of these subgenera are newly described (Plerandra subgenera Canacoschefflera, Costatae, Gabriellarum, and Veilloniorum) and a fifth represents a new combination (Plerandra subg. Dizygotheca). A total of 33 species (one with two subspecies) are accepted, one of which is newly described (P. veilloniorum), and 22 new combinations are made (P. actinostigma, P. baillonii, P. cabalionii, P. costata, P. crassipes, P. elegantissima, P. elongata, P. emiliana, P. gabriellae, P. leptophylla, P. nono, P. osyana, P. osyana subsp. toto, P. pachyphylla, P. pancheri, P. plerandroides, P. polydactylis, P. reginae, P. seemanniana, P. tannae, P. vanuatua, P. veitchii). Neotypes are provided for six accepted names and one heterotypic synonym, and lectotypes are designated for 13 accepted names and 16 heterotypic synonyms. For each accepted species, full synonymy is provided along with geographic range and notes.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following persons for assistance provided in the field and/or the herbarium: Sharon Bodine, Martin Callmander, Sam Chanel, Hélène Colas, Vanessa Hequet, Gunnar Keppel, Gordon McPherson, Craig Morely, Jérôme Munzinger, Antoine Nicolas, Fred Pitisopa, Isaac Rounds, Marika Tuiwawa, Daniel and Irène Letocart, Frédéric Tronchet, Hervé Vandrot and Carlos Rodriguez Vaz. We thank Roy Gereau for providing the Latin translations and John Myers for the wonderful illustration, and we are grateful to Matthew Jebb and Pedro Fiaschi for valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. The curators of the following herbaria kindly provided loans and/or access to specimens: A, BISH, BM, BO, BRI, E, F, G, GH, HBG, K, L, LA, MEL, MO, NOU, NSW, NY, P, PVNH, S, SING, SUVA, UC, US, W, WIS, Z (acronyms as given by Thiers 2010). Financial support was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation (DEB 9981641, 0613728, 0614152 and 0743355), the National Geographic Society (5793–96), the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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Lowry, P.P., Plunkett, G.M. & Frodin, D.G. Revision of Plerandra (Araliaceae). I. A synopsis of the genus with an expanded circumscription and a new infrageneric classification. Brittonia 65, 42–61 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-012-9260-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-012-9260-2