The distinction of the annual Sagina apetala and S. micropetala (= S. apetala subsp. erecta, S. filicaulis) is based mainly on the position of sepals in fruit and shape and colour of the sepals, but identification of the two species is difficult. A molecular phylogeny of material identified as S. apetala and S. micropetala as well as other species of the genus using two nuclear and two plastid markers showed that there exist two lineages that are sister to each other and can be unambiguously distinguished molecularly. Although many of the morphological characters used in the literature proved useful in distinguishing these two lineages, sepal indumentum is the most reliable character to discriminate between them in Germany. Whereas S. micropetala usually has glabrous sepals, the sepals of S. apetala usually are glandular-pubescent. The chromosome number of 2n = 12 for S. micropetala, here determined for the first time, is identical to that of S. apetala, supporting the close relationship between the two species. Sagina apetala and S. micropetala are sister to S. maritima, an annual species from European coasts, which may imply a coastal origin of the two species. A brief review of the possible origin of other European ruderals from coastal relatives is provided.

Citation: Dillenberger M. S. & Kadereit J. W. 2022: The distinction between Sagina apetala and S. micropetala (Caryophyllaceae: Sagineae), their phylogenetic relationships, and a note on the coastal origin of some widespread ruderals. – Willdenowia 52: 5–23.

Version of record first published online on 10 February 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

Benna is a new monospecific genus in the Melastomataceae, from the Benna Plateau in Forécariah Prefecture in Guinea, West Africa. Molecular sequence data show the genus Benna is nested within the tribe Sonerileae but clearly unrelated to the other African Sonerileae genera. The genus is weakly supported as sister to the South American Sonerileae genus Phainantha. Similarities and differences with African and American Sonerileae genera are listed. The new species Benna alternifolia is a perennial evergreen herb, half-spherical in shape, up to 1.2 m in diameter. A plant may have up to 60 alternate leaves, with petioles up to 45 cm long and blades up to 31 × 28 cm. The flowers are actinomorphic, with 4 sepals and 4 pink petals, 8 dimorphic stamens, and an inferior 4-locular ovary. The fruit is a capsule. The seeds are obovoid or nearly so, with a smooth testa. Benna alternifolia occurs in deep shade in canyons, on vertical or overhanging sandstone rocks out of reach of falling rain drops, and only where water is seeping all year round, including during the 6-month dry season. About 680 plants were found. Benna alternifolia is assessed to the IUCN category Near Threatened.

Citation: Burgt X. M. van der, Haba P. M., Magassouba S. & Veranso-Libalah M. C. 2022: Benna alternifolia (Melastomataceae: Sonerileae), a new herbaceous genus and species from Guinea, West Africa. – Willdenowia 52: 25–37.

Version of record first published online on 16 February 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

Nine new species of Meriania are described and illustrated and M. zunacensis, originally described from Ecuador, is recorded for the first time for Peru from Andean forests in the Amazonas Department. The new species are M. bicentenaria and M. vasquezii from Pasco, M. bongarana, M. callosa and M. juanjil from Amazonas, M. hirsuta from Piura, M. megaphylla from La Libertad, M. sumatika from Cusco and M. escalerensis from the Loreto-San Martín border. Following IUCN criteria, M. megaphylla is categorized as Data Deficient (DD) as it is only known from one collection made in 1914, M. bicentenaria and M. sumatika are categorized as Endangered (EN) and the remaining new species are categorized as Critically Endangered (CR). With these discoveries, N Peru (Departments of Amazonas, Cajamarca and Piura) harbours the highest number of Meriania species in the country. Also, Peru now has a total of 34 species of Meriania and is the country with the second highest diversity for the genus.

Citation: Fernandez-Hilario R., Rojas Gonzáles R. del P., Villanueva-Espinoza R., Lajo L., Wong Sato A. A., Paredes-Burneo D., Pillaca-Huacre L., Michelangeli F. A. & Goldenberg R. 2022: Nine new species and a new country record for Meriania (Melastomataceae) from Peru. – Willdenowia 52: 39–74.

Version of record first published online on 3 March 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

Chenopodium hoggarense Uotila & C. Chatel., a new species of the family Amaranthaceae s.l. (Chenopodiaceae s.str.) from the Hoggar and Tibesti mountains of the Sahara, in Algeria and Chad, is described and illustrated. The species was found in quantities from the Hoggar (Ahaggar) mountains in 2019. It had been observed there earlier several times, but it was confused with C. vulvaria L. because of its similar smell and dense cover of vesicular hairs. However, it differs from C. vulvaria in growth habit, leaf shape and flower characters. Its relationships to and the identity of C. vulvaria var. incisum Maire are discussed and var. incisum is lectotypified. Chenopodium hoggarense is known only from the isolated Hoggar and Tibesti mountains.

Citation: Chatelain C., Uotila P., Benhouhou S., Mombrial F., Mesbah M., Baa S. & Benghanem A. N. 2022: Chenopodium hoggarense (Amaranthaceae), a new species from Algeria and Chad. – Willdenowia 52: 75–81.

Version of record first published online on 14 March 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

The Hieracium (Compositae: Cichorieae) collection of Ferdinand Tessendorff (1879–1924) was recently located in the backlog of the Botanical Museum Berlin. It comprises 565 specimens, including several types, which have now been incorporated into the general herbarium. A digest of the life and work of Tessendorff, a high school teacher and amateur botanist in Berlin, is presented. The status of the 11 type specimens present in the collection is discussed, their taxonomy is assessed, new synonymies are proposed and four names are lectotypified.

Citation: Vogt R. & Gottschlich G. 2022: Ferdinand Tessendorff (1879–1924) and his Hieracium collection. – Willdenowia 52: 83–90.

Version of record first published online on 21 March 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

Recent reports of Najas marina L. (Hydrocharitaceae) from Sicily have been interpreted as a confirmation of its presence on the island, where it was earlier mentioned in the 1800s. However the recent finds do not represent “N. marina” (currently N. major All.) but N. marina subsp. armata Horn (= N. delilei Rouy), a different taxon, previously not recorded from Sicily. According to those reports and several new finds presented here, it appears to be invading reservoirs and lakes in southern Sicily and seems to be naturally expanding its range. Climate change is suggested as possible cause of this shift. The same trend appears to be taking place across the whole N Mediterranean area, from Portugal to Cyprus. The old Sicilian record of “N. marina” (i.e. N. major) remains unconfirmed: the only site where it was collected was completely destroyed to make space for houses and touristic exploitation.

Citation: Troia A. 2022: The unnoticed northward expansion of Najas marina subsp. armata (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Mediterranean area: an effect of climate change? – Willdenowia 52: 91–101.

Version of record first published online on 5 April 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

A new genus, Caucasoseris, is established to accommodate Prenanthes abietina, a species of hitherto uncertain systematic position distributed in the western Caucasus and northeasternmost Turkey in montane conifer and mixed forests. Agreement has existed that the species belongs somewhere in the Crepidinae or Lactucinae but its morphological features do not match any genus and previous molecular phylogenetic analyses could not establish its sister group. This study provides additional micro- and macromorphological, palynological and anatomical data, and used a molecular phylogenetic sampling designed to ascertain its relationship. A sister group relationship with the Chondrillinae is inferred from the phylogenetic tree based on nrITS. In the plastid DNA tree, where the Chondrillinae are resolved as a clade nested inside the Crepidinae, the species is resolved further remote from the Chondrillinae clade and in a rather early diverging position of the Crepidinae. In agreement also with the anatomical and micro- and macromorphological findings, it is considered an orphan lineage with affinities to the Chondrillinae, best treated as a genus of its own. A key to the genera of the Chondrillinae including Caucasoseris is provided.

Citation: Güzel M. E., Kilian N., Sennikov A. N., Coşkunçelebi K., Makbul S. & Gültepe M. 2022: Caucasoseris, a new genus of subtribe Chondrillinae (Asteraceae: Cichorieae) for the enigmatic Prenanthes abietina. – Willdenowia 52: 103–115.

Version of record first published online on 16 April 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.

An updated subtribal classification of the Compositae–Anthemideae is presented based on gene- and species-tree reconstructions considering sequence variation from the plastid (cpDNA ndhF, trnL-trnF) and nuclear genome (nrDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, ETS; nDNA dual specificity phosphatase DSP, plus-3 domain-containing protein of the vernalization independence 5 complex VIP5, major facilitator superfamily protein of the Nitrate Transporter1/Peptide Transporter NPF3.1) for 113 of the 115 hitherto accepted genera of the tribe. As a result, six subtribes are newly circumscribed, i.e. Anthemidinae (including also Xylanthemum), Artemisiinae (including also Hulteniella, Lepidolopha, Opisthopappus and Tridactylina), Glebionidinae (including also Otoglyphis, Endopappus and Nivellea), Handeliinae (including Cancrinia, Polychrysum and excluding Xylanthemum), Leucantheminae (including also Daveaua, Heteromera and Otospermum) and Leucanthemopsidinae (including Phalacrocarpum). Additionally, five unigeneric subtribes (i.e. Brocchiinae, Inulantherinae, Lepidophorinae, Lonadinae and Vogtiinae) are described as new to science due to their phylogenetically isolated positions, resulting in 19 subtribes accepted for Compositae–Anthemideae. Three new combinations are proposed to accommodate the former Aaronsohnia factorovskyi Warb. & Eig and A. pubescens subsp. maroccana (Ball) Fennane & Ibn Tattou in the genus Otoglyphis Pomel (1874), which was found to have priority over Aaronsohnia Warb. & Eig (1927), and to accommodate the former Tanacetum paleaceum Podlech in the genus Xylanthemum Tzvelev.

Citation: Oberprieler C., Töpfer A., Dorfner M., Stock M. & Vogt R. 2022: An updated subtribal classification of Compositae tribe Anthemideae based on extended phylogenetic reconstructions. – Willdenowia 52: 117–149.

Version of record first published online on 18 May 2022 ahead of inclusion in April 2022 issue.