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IntroductionAthroisma DC., Blepharispermum Wight ex DC. and Leucoblepharis Arnott are Old World genera of Asteraceae Lindley hitherto placed in the tribe Inuleae Cass.The three genera together form a monophyletic group sharing the following synapomorphies: Capitula aggregated in glomerules; capitula with one distinct subtending bract and two involucral bracts subtending two opposite, filiform female florets; each capitulum with a narrow conical receptacle.During the beginning of my revisional work (in preparation) on these genera (here called the Blepharispermum group) it became apparent that they do not fit in the current systematic frame of the Inuleae. Several characters of the cypselas (their form, their coloration, and the nature of the pappus) differ significantly from those of their supposed relatives (e.g. Monarrhenus Cass., Pterocaulon Elliott and Sphaeranthus L.; Merxmiiller & al., 1977). These differences indicate that the genera were incorrectly placed in the Inuleae, especially since the reason for such a systematic position was merely the presence of a few key characters, and an Old World distribution. In the light of these observations I, in discussions with colleagues, proposed a transfer of the Blepharispermum group to the Heliantheae. Although this view was subsequently adopted by Bremer (1987), Jeffrey (1988) and Anderberg (1989), I believe that there still is reason to present the case in detail.Since Merxmiiller & al. (1977) presented their classification of the Inuleae, several new papers on tribal classifications relating to the subdivision of tribes and of the family as a whole have been published (Robinson, 1981;Bremer, 1987;Anderberg, 1989). This paper presents a better founded hypothesis of the systematic position of the Blepharispermum group, in accordance with the results of these authors.
Historical backgroundThe genus Athroisma was described by Candolle (1833), based on a plant collected in Burma by Natanael Wallich which appeared in his "Numerical List" (Wallich, 1828-1849) under the name Sphaeranthus laciniatus Wallich. Candolle considered his new genus "a neighbour" to Sphaeranthus L. due to ...