Seedling Characters and Phylogenetic Relationships in the Informal Series Ovatae of Eucalyptus, Subgenus Symphyomyrtus

Using seedling characters, the relationships of 16 taxa of the informal series Ovatae of Eucaiyptus were investigated. The method of multidimensional unfolding proved useful in determining ancestral states of different characters and testing for conformity amongst characters when outgroup comparison was not possible. The analyses included Wagner trees, a branch and bound algorithm (which produced the shortest trees) and an additive similarity tree. Neighbour relationships were examined using a network procedure (TWONET). The results suggested that series Ovatae is a paraphyletic group, although one subgroup, approximately equivalent to subseries Ovatinae, is probably monophyletic. The biogeography and ecology of the taxa support this conclusion. A broader study of section Maidenaria is recommended before taxonomic revision.