Systematics and Evolution (HA)
Asteraceae
 Program Leader:
The main project focuses on evolutionary studies in the tribe Gnaphalieae of the Asteraceae (sunflower family). The Gnaphalieae (paper daisies or everlastings) are a group of sunflowers that have their greatest diversity in Australia, followed by Southern Africa and South America and are poorly represented in the northern hemisphere. Phylogenetic relationships among the approximately 181 genera of the Gnaphalieae are poorly known and a recent morphology-based cladistic analysis (Anderberg, 1991) of the tribe has stirred up much controversy among the world's handful of experts. The short-term goal of the study is to resolve phylogenetic relationships among Australian and South African genera of the tribe using molecular tools (currently sequencing of several chloroplast spacer and gene sequences). The two longer term goals of the project are: (1) To complete phylogenetic studies including all genera and to resolve the relationships of the tribe to other tribes in the Asteraceae (2) To resolve phylogenetic relationships among species, and test the monophyly of the large Australian genera such as Angianthus, Gnephosis, Rhodanthe, and Helichrysum.
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