Galatella

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 : 110

Galatella group

Similar to previous molecular phylogenetic studies ( Brouillet et al. 2009 a, Li et al. 2012, Jafari et al. 2015, Korolyuk et al. 2015), our analyses retrieved the well supported Galatella group, comprising three genera: Crinitina , Galatella and Tripolium . These genera do share sculpturing pattern with glandular trichomes on the achene surface and a glabrous cuticular surface ( Nesom & Robinson 2007, Korolyuk 1999). The combined tree shows a week relationship between this group and Bellis , which is concordant with the findings of recent works ( Fiz et al. 2002, Li et al. 2012, Jafari et al. 2015). Within this group, Galatella with the inclusion of Crinitina species formed a well-supported clade. The taxonomic history of the genus Crinitaria Cass. is a little bit complicated. The type species of the genus, C. biflora (L.) Cass., was treated as a member of Gallatella ( Tzvelev 1959). Hence, Soják (1982) created a new genus, Crinitina , encompassing five species with C. linosyris (L.) Soják as the type, which was distinguished from Gallatella in lacking ray flowers. On the other hand, Greuter (2003), without paying attention to Soják’s treatment, broadely defined Galatella to include Crinitaria ( = Linosyris Cass. ). Our analyses are in agreement with the previous molecular studies ( Li et al. 2012, Korolyuk et al. 2015) and support the merger of Crinitina into the expanded Galatella . In contrast to our analyses, in the nrDNA ITS analysis of Korolyuk et al. (2015) Tripolium with three accessions formed a distinct clade with a long branch and nested among Gallatela species. This placement may be because of insufficient or homoplastic characters in the nrDNA ITS data. Korolyuk et al. (2015) argued, however, that Tripolium should be kept separate and differs from Galatella in terms of morphology, ecology and genetics.