Abstract
A new genus, Nephoanthus, is established based on morphological and molecular data. It comprises two species distributed in montane forests of central to southern Vietnam and Hainan Island: the type species N. prostratus and a new species N. nubigenus. Nephoanthus is morphologically similar to Phyllagathis but phylogenetically remote from the type species of Phyllagathis in the analyses of both plastid genome and nrITS sequences. Nephoanthus is genetically associated to but significantly morphologically distinct from Driessenia, Heteroblemma, Medinilla and Tigridiopalma. A detailed morphological comparison of Nephoanthus and related taxa is provided.
References
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<p>Cámara-Leret, R., Ridder-Numan, J.W.A. & Veldkamp, J.F. (2013) Revision of <em>Heteroblemma </em>gen. nov. (Dissochaeteae–Melastomataceae) from Malesia and Vietnam. <em>Blumea</em> 58: 229–240. https://doi.org/10.3767/000651913X674945</p>
<p>Cellinese, N. (2002) Revision of the genus <em>Phyllagathis</em> Blume (Melastomataceae: Sonerileae) I. The species of Burma, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. <em>Blumea </em>47: 463–492.</p>
<p>Cellinese, N. (2003) Revision of the genus <em>Phyllagathis</em> (Melastomataceae: Sonerileae) II. The species in Borneo and Natuna Island.<em> Blumea</em> 48 (1): 69–97. https://doi.org/10.3767/000651903X686060</p>
<p>Chen, C. (1979) A new genus<em> Tigridiopalma </em>C. Chen of Melastomataceae. <em>Acta Botanica Yunnanica</em> 1: 106–108.</p>
<p>Chen, C. & Renner, S. (2007) Melastomataceae.<em> In: </em>Wu, Z.Y., Raven, P.H. & Hong, D.Y. (Eds.) <em>Flora of China</em> 13: 360–399. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Missouri.</p>
<p>Gaudichaud, C. (1830) Botanique, part 12. <em>In</em>: Freycinet, H.L.C. de (Ed.)<em> Voyage autour du monde: entrepris par ordre du roi […] execute sur les corvettes de S. M. l’Uranie et la Physiciene</em>. Pilet-Ainé, Paris, pp. 465– 522, pls. 111–120.</p>
<p>Hansen, C. (1990) New species and combinations in <em>Allomorphia</em>, <em>Phyllagathis </em>and <em>Sporoxeia </em>(Melastomataceae) in Indo-China. <em>Bulletin du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Section B, Adansonia, 4e série</em> 12 (1): 37–41.</p>
<p>Jack, W. (1823) On the Malayan species of <em>Melastoma</em>. <em>Transactions of the Linnean Society of London</em> 14: 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1823.tb00077.x</p>
<p>Korthals, P.W. (1842–1844) Bijdrage tot de kennis der Indische Melastomaceae.<em> In</em>: Temminck, C.J. (Ed.) Verhandelingen over De natuurlijke geschiedenis der Nederlandsche overzeesche bezittingen, Botanie. Natuurkundige Commissie, Leiden, pp. 236–243.</p>
<p>Lin, C.W., Chen, C.F., and Yang, T.Y.A. (2017) Ten new species of <em>Phyllagathis</em> (Trib. Sonerileae, Melastomataceae) from Sarawak, Borneo. <em>Phytotaxa</em> 302 (3): 201–228. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.302.3.1</p>
<p>Liu, Y., Veranso-Libalah, M.C., Kadereit, G., Zhou, R.C., Quakenbush, J.P., Lin, C.W. & Wai, J.S. (in press) Systematics of the tribe Sonerileae.<em> In: </em>Goldenberg, R., Michelangeli, F.A. & Almeda, F. (Eds.) Systematics, Evolution, and Ecology of Melastomataceae. Springer.</p>
<p>Zeng, S.J., Xu, Y.C., Wang, G.T., Jia, P. & Cui, D.F. (2021) <em>Tigridiopalma exaltata</em>, a new and endangered species of Melastomataceae in China. <em>Phytokeys</em> 176: 33–42. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.176.63619</p>
<p>Zhou, Q.J., Lin, C.W., Dai, J.H., Zhou, R.C. & Liu, Y. (2019a) Exploring the generic delimitation of <em>Phyllagathis</em> and <em>Bredia</em> (Melastomataceae): A combined nuclear and chloroplast DNA analysis. <em>Journal of Systematics and Evolution</em> 57 (3): 256–267. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12451</p>
<p>Zhou, Q.J., Dai, J.H., Lin, C.W., Denda, T., Zhou, R.C. & Liu, Y. (2019b) Recircumscription of <em>Bredia</em> and resurrection of <em>Tashiroea</em> (Sonerileae, Melastomataceae) with description of a new species <em>T. villosa</em>. <em>Phytokeys</em> 127: 121–150. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.127.36608</p>
<p>Zhou, Q., Lin, C.W., Ng, W.L., Dai, J., Denda, T., Zhou, R. & Liu, Y. (2019c) Analyses of plastome sequences improve phylogenetic resolution and provide new insight into the evolutionary history of Asian Sonerileae/Dissochaeteae. <em>Frontiers in Plant Science</em> 10: 1477. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01477</p>