Pertyeae (Pertyoideae)

FREIRE, SUSANA E.

Systematics and Evolution of the Compositae (Book TICA).

International Association for Plant Taxonomy

Año: 2009; p. 315 - 326

The tribe Pertyeae comprises four genera, i.e. Ainsliaea DC. Macroclinidium Maxim.,  Myripnois Bunge, and Pertya Sch. Bip. with about 80 species distributed in Asia from Afghanistan to Japan. The geographic center of diversity for the tribe is in northwestern Yunnan within the Meridional Ranges of China. The monophyly of the tribe Pertyeae based on molecular phylogenetic studies is supported in this treatment by morphological characters, i.e. three-veined leaves, homogamous capitula with one to few florets, style branches dorsally pilose, and its zygomorphic corollas (pseudoligulate or pseudo-bilabiate). Some characters, such as pseudo-bilabiate corollas, relate the Pertyeae to the Mutisieae s.l., whereas some other character, e.g. pollen with echinate exine in Macroclinidium, suggest that the Pertyeae have affinity with the Cardueae. Chromosomally, the ancestral base numbers of the tribe appear to have been n=14 in Pertya, with lower numbers n=12, 13 in Ainsliaea possibly the result of an aneuploid reduction.