Chamaegeron

Farhani, Tayyebeh, Kazempour-Osaloo, Shahrokh, Zare-Maivan, Hassan & Mozaffarian, Valiollah, 2018, Evolutionary history of the tribe Astereae in the Flora Iranica area: Systematic implications, Phytotaxa 379 (1), pp. 95-117 : 109

Chamaegeron / Lachnophyllum

The monophyly of Chamaegeron and its close relationship with Lachnophyllum is well retrieved in the present study. This is consistent with our pervious nrDNA ITS analyses ( Jafari et al. 2015). The two genera do share several characteristics including stipitate glands, recurved ray flowers and 1-seriate pappus bristles basally connate, falling as a unit ( Grierson & Rechinger 1982, Nesom & Robinson 2007). Chamaegeron is a small-size genus of four species restricted to the Flora Iranica area ( Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) and Central Asia ( Grierson & Rechinger 1982, Nesom & Robinson 2007). All its species but Ch. oligocephalus Schrenk are endemic to Iran. Similar to the previous work, Ch. Bungei (Boiss.) Botsch. is sister to the remaining species of the genus. Lachnophyllum is a genus of two species only, of which L. gossipinum is restricted to Central Asia and eastern Iran ( Grierson & Rechinger 1982, Akhani & Joharchi 1995), whereas L. noeanum is confined to western Iran, eastern Turkey and Palestine ( Grierson & Rechinger 1982). In contrast to nrDNA ITS analyses of Jafari et al. (2015), the two species are well-united with Chamaegeron species in our nrDNA ITS+ETS and combined nrDNA ITS+plastid trees. However, in our analyses of plastid data, L. gossypinum was placed in a polytomy with eastern Asian Aster species, Asterothamnus and Callistephus . Apparently, this species has experienced chloroplast capture through hybridization and introgression events. Because of these events and disjunct distribution, the sisterhood of the two species, forming a single clade, is uncertain in the present study. More molecular data analysis and cytogenetic study are definitely necessary for evaluating the taxonomy of this genus.