Numerical analysis of the inter-relationships of some extinct and extant taxa of Araucariaceae

The inter-relationships between extant and selected extinct taxa of Araucariaceae were explored using thirty morphological and anatomical characters. The sample of Araucariacae included all three extant genera of the family with three extinct species of Araucaria and the fossil genera Emwadea and Wairarapaia. The data were analysed using phenetic and cladistic methodology which revealed there was close agreement between the two when applied to extant taxa but not to extant plus extinct taxa. All analyses recognised that the araucarioid taxa with embedded seeds formed a group separate from the agathoid taxa whose seeds at maturity separate from the seed-scale. However, whereas the parsimony (cladistic) analyses failed to distinguish clades within Araucaria the phenetic analyses recognised four Sections within the genus and placed the three fossil species of Araucaria in Sect. Eutacta. The fossil genera Emwadea and Wairarapaia united with Agathis and Wollemia.