Preprint Article Version 2 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Systematics, Evolution, and Phylogeography of Montiaceae (Portulacineae)

Version 1 : Received: 21 March 2019 / Approved: 21 March 2019 / Online: 21 March 2019 (13:47:44 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 28 March 2019 / Approved: 29 March 2019 / Online: 29 March 2019 (12:11:24 CET)
Version 3 : Received: 6 May 2019 / Approved: 7 May 2019 / Online: 7 May 2019 (11:26:22 CEST)

How to cite: Hershkovitz, M. Systematics, Evolution, and Phylogeography of Montiaceae (Portulacineae). Preprints 2019, 2019030206. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201903.0206.v2 Hershkovitz, M. Systematics, Evolution, and Phylogeography of Montiaceae (Portulacineae). Preprints 2019, 2019030206. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201903.0206.v2

Abstract

Montiaceae (Portulacineae) comprise a clade of at least 268 species plus ca. 27 subspecific taxa primarily of western North America, the Chilean Floristic Region, and temperate Australasia. This work uses existing phylogenetic metadata to elaborate a new cladistic taxonomic synthesis. A total of 24 taxa are validated, nine new and 15 necessary nomenclatural recombinations. Hypotheses of Montiaceae historical biogeographical, ecological, and phenotypic evolution are evaluated in light of recent metadata and in terms of classical, contemporary, and novel systematic and evolutionary epistemology.

Keywords

Montiaceae, Portulacineae, phylogeny, phylogeography, Chilean Floristic Region.

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Plant Sciences

Comments (1)

Comment 1
Received: 31 March 2019
Commenter:
The commenter has declared there is no conflict of interests.
Comment: There will be few changes to version 2, among them, citation of J. Watson, "Flores means Flowers ... of course! A new Cistanthe species (Montiaceae) from Chile's springtime north" International Rock Gardener 111, March 2019.

Therein, Watson described Cistanthe floresiorum, named after its collector, Anita Flores. The plant is known from one population, near the peak of Cuesta Pajonales, which separates Chile's Coquimbo and Atacama regions. Following my 2018 taxonomy (based on my 2006 molecular phylogenetic analysis), he classified it in Cistanthe sect. Rosulatae subsect. Rosulatae, though he noted its resemblance to Cistanthe sect. Cistanthe spp. in its erect, leafy stems. He suggested that molecular analysis might resolve its placement.

In fact, its placement in C. sect. Rosulate subsect. Rosulatae had been resolved by both nuclear and plastome genes in Hershkovitz 2006, based on my 2002 collection of the same plant, 02-80, from the same Cuesta Pajonales population. I classified it as an "aberrant" undescribed species, noting that, in its erect, leafy habit, it resembled a stunted member of C. sect. Cistanthe. Watson 2019 cited Hershkovitz 2006, but evidently overlooked this clue and identical locality.

I did not "discover" this plant, either. I found a specimen in ULS, collected in the 1950s by Claudomiro Marticorena. The latter grew up in Vallenar, at the foot of the Atacama side of Cuesta Pajonales. He likely traversed this site many times, since it abuts the only route to points south. It was collected a few times thereafter, but never identified.

Gina Arancio at ULS also knew the population and gave me precise instructions to its location.

The ULS sheet had been annotated by Donna Ford-Werntz as Calandrinia taltalensis (Cistanthe sect. Cistanthe!), but this was untenable, both morphologically and geographically. I sent live plant photos to both Ford and Iris Peralta and suggested it was an undescribed species. But I received no commentary from either.

Unfortunately, in 2016, my collections were thrown in the trash not once but three times by my Stalinist/Anarchist/Vivisectionist friends in the ex-Maturana lab in UChile. I managed to rescue them only twice. Apparently our friendship was no deeper than my pockets, as I had supported this lab and its members to the tune of about US$30,000 during the prior decade, not to mention considerable academic labors. My equipment contributions allowed them to initiate immediately new research following the fire that destroyed their lab. Once I became broke and homeless, well,.....

I had hoped to return to Cuesta Pajonales to recollect this plant and name it for its discoverer, Claudio Marticorena, along with some biography of his early collections near Vallenar.
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