Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Strobilanthinae comprise approximately 350 species from south and southeast Asia and Melanesia. Three main classifications of Strobilanthinae have been advocated, differing markedly in the number of groups recognised, their circumscription, and the rank assigned to them. But there remains no consensus concerning the best approach to the classification of the group. To investigate this issue, a morphological cladistic analysis of the southern Indian and Sri Lankan Strobilanthinae, comprising 66 species, is described. The results of the analysis demonstrate significant limitations of all three historical approaches to the classification of the group and, furthermore, suggest that any attempt to provide an informative formal classification of Strobilanthinae will be problematic. The only satisfactory approach consistent with these results is to place all previously recognised taxa in synonymy of an expanded Strobilanthes and to recognise informally those infrageneric monophyletic groups that can be clearly diagnosed.

Original publication

DOI

10.2307/1554926

Type

Journal article

Journal

Taxon

Publication Date

01/01/2002

Volume

51

Pages

259 - 279