Centropodieae and Ellisochloa , a new tribe and genus in Chloridoideae (Poaceae)

There has been confusion among taxonomists regarding the subfamilial placement of Merxmuellera papposa, M. rangei , and four species of Centropodia even though many researchers have included them in molecular studies. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of 127 species using seven plastid regions ( rps3, rps16‐trnK, rps16, rpl32‐trnL, ndhF, ndhA, matK ) to infer the evolutionary relationships of Centropodia, M. papposa , and M. rangei with other grasses. Merxmuellera papposa and M. rangei form a clade that is sister to three species of Centropodia , and together they are sister to the remaining tribes in Chloridoideae. We provide the carbon isotope ratios for four species indicating that Merxmuellera papposa and M. rangei are photosynthetically C 3 , and Centropodia glauca and C. mossamdensis are C 4 . We present evidence in favor of the expansion of subfamily Chloridoideae to include a new tribe, Centropodieae, which includes two genera, Centropodia and a new genus, Ellisochloa with two species, Ellisochloa papposa and E. rangei . The name Danthonia papposa Nees is lectotypified.