Systematics of the Arctioid group: Disentangling Arctium and Cousinia (Cardueae, Carduinae)

Abstract

[EN] We investigated the phylogeny of the Arctioid lineage of the Arctium-Cousinia complex in an attempt to clarify the conflictive generic boundaries of Arctium and Cousinia. The study was based on analyses of one nuclear (ITS) and two chloroplastic (trnL-trnT-rps4, rpl32-trnL) DNA regions of 37 species and was complemented with morphological evidence where possible. Based on the results, a broadly redefined monophyletic genus Arctium is proposed. The subgenera Hypacanthodes and Cynaroides are not monophyletic and are suppressed. In contrast, the traditional sectional classification of the genus Cousinia is maintained. The genera Anura, Hypacanthium and Schmalhausenia are reduced to sectional level.