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Abstract
The New Zealand monotypic sedge Desmoschoenus is indistinguishable from the predominantly temperate South African Ficinia. Both genera share the presence of a condensed paniculate inflorescence and seeds bearing a gynophore, and Desmoschoenus is embedded within a Ficinia DNA phylogeny. Therefore, the current recognition of Desmoschoenus as a distinct genus cannot be justified, and we provide nomenclatural changes to merge the two genera.
Acknowledgements
We thank Jeanette Keeling, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, for assistance with DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing; Leon Perrie of Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand for assistance with information on Achille Richard and Banks & Solander specimens; and Ewen Cameron for comments on Banks & Solander gatherings of Desmoschoenus. Peter Heenan, Kerry Ford and Shannel Courtney provided useful comments on a draft of this manuscript. Jeremy Rolfe prepared and and . AMM received funding to undertake study from the South African NRF and plant collecting permit from Cape Nature. PdL thanks Tony Orchard (Australian Botanical Liaison Officer 2009) and Philippe Morat (P) for assistance with locating type material of Isolepis spiralis, and Hellmut Toelken and Rhys Gardner for help with translating Hooker's Latin diagnosis.