Revised circumscription of Nothofagus and recognition of the segregate genera Fuscospora, Lophozonia, and Trisyngyne (Nothofagaceae)

Abstract

The generic taxonomy of the Nothofagaceae is revised. We present a new phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters and map these characters onto a recently published phylogenetic tree obtained from DNA sequence data. Results of these and previous analyses strongly support the monophyly of four clades of Nothofagaceae that are currently treated as subgenera of Nothofagus. The four clades of Nothofagaceae are robust and well-supported, with deep stem divergences, have evolutionary equivalence with other genera of Fagales, and can be circumscribed with morphological characters. We argue that these morphological and molecular differences are sufficient for the four clades of Nothofagaceae to be recognised at the primary rank of genus, and that this classification will be more informative and efficient than the currently circumscribed Nothofagus with four subgenera. Nothofagus is recircumscribed to include five species from southern South America, Lophozonia and Trisyngyne are reinstated, and the new genus Fuscospora is described. Fuscospora and Lophozonia, with six and seven species respectively, occur in New Zealand, southern South America and Australia. Trisyngyne comprises 25 species from New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. New combinations are provided where necessary in each of these genera.

Phylogenetic insights into Andean plant diversification

“…The subantarctic, Andean species of Nothofagus s.str. (Nothofagaceae; see Heenan and Smissen, 2013) diverged around 20 Ma (scenario 1 of Sauquet et al, 2012). Unfortunately, the phylogeny of Nothofagus in this part of the tree is not yet well-resolved (Sauquet et al, 2012;Heenan and Smissen, 2013).…”

“…(Nothofagaceae; see Heenan and Smissen, 2013) diverged around 20 Ma (scenario 1 of Sauquet et al, 2012). Unfortunately, the phylogeny of Nothofagus in this part of the tree is not yet well-resolved (Sauquet et al, 2012;Heenan and Smissen, 2013). Also in the Southern Andes, the diversification of the genus Oriastrum (Asteraceae; nomenclature following Davies, 2010) in high-elevation environments contrasts between southern and central Andean clades : while the southern Andean centered subgenus Oriastrum may have diversified about 13 Ma, crown node age of the central Andean subgenus Egania was estimated to ca.…”

Mycorrhizal co‐invasion and novel interactions depend on neighborhood context

“…We selected sites that had an established P. menziesii plantation .20 years in age, P. menziesii seedlings naturalized from this source, and both a native forest (southern beech, Fuscospora cliffortioides (Hook.f. ), previously Nothofagus solandri [Heenan and Smissen 2013]) and a grassland within 1 km of the mature P. menziesii plantation. Detailed site histories are not known, but grasslands in our study system were originally native forests that were transformed to grasslands through anthropogenic fires, initially by Māori ca.…”

Variability in seed germination and seedling growth at the intra- and inter-provenance levels of Nothofagus glauca (Lophozonia glauca), an endemic species of Central Chile

“…Krasser (Lophozonia glauca) Heenan & Smissen (Hualo) (Heenan and Smissen 2013). Nothofagus glauca is a temperate deciduous hardwood species, monoecious, wind pollinated and dispersed by small mammals.…”