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Telopea 8(4): 2000 
with Restionaceae, increases tree length by four steps to 305 steps (Linder et al. 2000). 
If, on the other hand, the molecular tree is constrained to match the morphological tree 
by placing these genera as basal but ungrouped, tree length increases from 2742 steps 
to 2807, an increase of 65 steps. In addition, both the two indels common to the three 
genera would become homoplasious, requiring an additional four innovations. 
Our morphological studies suggest that most of the characters that are common to 
Restionaceae, Hopkfrish and Lyginia (Table 1), apart from dioecy and some aspects of 
culm anatomy, are plesiomorphic within Poales or are readily interpreted as 
homoplasies associated with occurrence in regions of low soil fertility and seasonal 
drought. Indeed, within the Poales, one of the most conspicuous similarities shared by 
Hopkinsia, Lyginia and Restionaceae is the xeromorphic habit with reduced leaf 
laminae, so that the culms are the principal photosynthetic organs. Some further 
relevant characters may arise from embryology (c.f. Linder & Rudall 1993) and from 
inversions within the chloroplast DNA (Doyle et al. 1992), but information on these 
features is lacking for Hopkinsia and Lyginia. 
;=A! 
Joinvillca 
Ecdeoicolea 
Gcorgcantlia 
Anarthria 
Hopkinsia <— 
Lcpvrodia 
Baloskion 
Ac ion 
Saropsis 
Gunngalia 
Choraifex 
Eurvchorda 
Diclsia 
Trcniulina 
Loxocarya 
Cvtogomdium 
Melanostachya 
Platvchorda 
Tv rbastcs 
Gaimardia 
Centrolepis 
Brizula 
Desmocladus 
Haqicria 
Onychoscpalum 
Cafacolea 
Colcocarva 
Lcnidobolus 
Kulima 
Empodisma 
A lexgcorgea 
vpoiacna 
Dapsilanthus 
Apodasmia 
Leptocamus 
Chactanthus 
Meeboldina 
S ten o tails 
Taraxis 
Witrifrcdia 
Stabcroha 
Ischvrolepis 
Thamnocnortus 
Rhodocoma 
Elegia 
Chondropetalum 
Dovca 
Askidiosperma 
Platvcaufos 
Restio 
Calopsis 
Ceratocarvum 
Willdenowia 
Hypodiscus 
Cannomois 
Nevillea 
Hvdrophilus 
A'nthochortus 
Mastersiella 
CaJorophus 
Sporadanthus 
Lyginia < - 
Loxocarya clade 
Centrolepidaceae 
Desmocladus clade 
Leptocarpus clade 
African clade 
consensu s tree from parsimony analysis of morphological data for genera. Joinvillea 
tMmrn formS the out 8 rou P- Arrows mark Lyginia and Hopkinsia. (Modified from Linder 
et al. ZUUu). 
