Transfer of Senecio karelinioides (Asteraceae−Senecioneae) to Synotis based on evidence from morphology, karyology and ITS/ETS sequence data

Abstract

Senecio karelinioides (Asteraceae−Senecioneae) is a species with a rather distinctive habit and an uncertain position in the genus. Based on evidence from macro‐ and micro‐morphology, karyology and ITS and ETS sequence data, we demonstrate that it is actually a member of Synotis and closely related to Synotis atractylidifolia. The relationship is further supported by the approximately unbiased and the Swofford–Olsen–Waddell–Hillis statistical topology tests. We thus transfer the species to Synotis as Synotis karelinioides and place it in the same section as S. atractylidifolia. Senecio sect. Karelinioidei is recombined as Synotis sect. Karelinioidei for this section, and a lectotype of Synotis karelinioides is designated.

Synotis jinpingensis (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), a new species with white ray florets from southeastern Yunnan, China

“…3C ). All these characters match well those reported previously in Synotis ( Jeffrey and Chen 1984 ; Tang et al 2013a , b , 2014 ; Tang 2014 ; Li et al 2018 ) and further confirm the generic affiliation of our new species.…”

“…Our ML and BI analyses produce almost identical topologies, and they are also consistent with the results of previous studies ( Pelser et al 2007 , 2010 ; Tang et al 2014 ; Tong et al 2017 ; Li et al 2018 ). As shown in the ML tree (Fig.…”

“…Chen ( Asteraceae , Senecioneae ), was segregated from Senecio L. based on its sub-shrubby habit and anther bases with sterile tailed auricles. Synotis is endemic to the Sino-Himalayan region, except for two species occurring in northwestern China and Kyrgyzstan ( Jeffrey and Chen 1984 ; Li et al 2018 ). Sixty species are currently recognized in the genus, with 48 recorded in China ( Jeffrey and Chen 1984 ; Chen 1999 ; Chen et al 2011 ; Tang et al 2013a , b , c , 2014 , 2017 , 2022 ; Tong et al 2017 ; Li et al 2020 ; Liu et al 2020 , 2021 ; Tang and Chen 2021 ; Zhang et al 2021 ; Fan et al 2022a , b ).…”