Anthony Richard Magee

Earlier phylogenetic analyses of the family Thymelaeaceae using combined plastid ( matK , rbcL , rps16, trnL‐F ) and nuclear (ITS) regions showed that the African‐Malagasy genus Gnidia was extensively polyphyletic in relation to the southern African genera Lachnaea , Passerina and Struthiola , as well as to other Southern Hemisphere genera such as Drapetes , Kelleria and Pimelea . We present here a robust and well‐sampled phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Thymelaeoideae, with sampling in Gnidia increased to 76% of the species, to better resolve the polyphyly of the genus . Our analysis retrieved seven lineages of Gnidia nested in four independent evolutionary clades within the “Gnidia group” of the subfamily Thymelaeoideae. We analysed the options available for re‐circumscribing Gnidia as a monophyletic genus, with secondary considerations of nomenclatural stability, phylogenetic and biogeographic information, and ease of identification. The option that we present retains the traditionally recognized genera Drapetes , Kelleria , Lachnaea , Passerina , Pimelea and Struthiola through the recognition of six lineages of Gnidia at the generic level. We propose that Gnidia be retained as a monotypic genus, including only the type of the genus name G. pinifolia . We reinstate the four previously recognized genera Basutica , Craspedostoma , Gnidiopsis and Thymelina and recognize the two new genera Epichroxantha and Phidia for the remaining two lineages of continental African Gnidia for which no names were available, plus the monotypic Zacharia for an anomalous Malagasy species that was previously excluded from Lasiosiphon. A taxonomic key and descriptions are provided for the genera in the “Gnidia group”. We also provide the necessary new combinations for names of Gnidia species now transferred to other genera.

Pteronia is a large genus of shrubs or woody perennials with more than 70 species. The genus is largely restricted to southern Africa, with one species in Zambia. The last taxonomic treatment of Pteronia was published in 1917 by J. Hutchinson and E. P. Phillips. In South Africa, where most of the species occur, the genus has been identified as one of the top priority genera for taxonomic research. Its taxa are poorly known in terms of their distribution and morphological variation within and among species. Morphological and anatomical studies revealed variation in characters such as leaf size, shape and vestiture, capitula shape, involucre shape, pappus series, cypselae shape, size and vestiture, presence or absence and type of trichomes, number of vascular bundles, type of secretory structure in the mesophyll, epidermal glands, epidermal cell shape in the leaves and cypselae (in transverse section) as well as the number of ribs and type of cells associated with vascular bundles at the ribs in the cypselae (in transverse section). A detailed taxonomic treatment is presented with descriptions, nomenclature, diagnostic characters, geographical distribution and maps, ecological information, as well as an updated key to the species. A total of 76 accepted and one imperfectly known species are recognised within the genus. Several species are treated as synonyms, and all names are typified, with justification presented for the choice of lectotypes.

Natural history collections are being revitalized by emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence. These advances enable collectomics—the large-scale extraction and analysis of specimen-derived data—creating new opportunities to address biodiversity loss, ecosystem change, and food security. However, they also raise ethical questions. Many collections are rooted in colonial and imperial histories, prompting questions about control, benefit sharing, representation, and responsibility, especially during political and social upheaval. As AI-powered collectomics expands, it may reproduce historical inequities and create new dilemmas. This article synthesizes the ethical dimensions of collectomics and offers practical recommendations for key stakeholders to support the responsible and fair mobilization of natural history collections, balancing scientific progress with equality, transparency, and fairness. This approach can help prevent the continuation of exploitative practices, strengthen global collaboration, and increase the societal value of collections in the Anthropocene.

Aim: The species‐rich flora of southern Africa results from Neogene species accumulation involving multiple geographically distinct radiations. This diversity was enhanced by lineage cross‐seeding amongst several broadly defined regional floras. We examine the relative ages and the role of shifts between southern African habitats in the Desert and Fynbos floras in a single lineage of Cape daisies, the resin daisy genus Pteronia . Using these xeric‐adapted shrublets, we more finely dissect the radiations to explore the relative ages of occupation and diversification in the different winter‐rainfall floras of South Africa (fynbos, renosterveld, and succulent karoo vegetation), as well as the adjacent arid and semi‐arid Desert, Nama Karoo and Kalahari Savanna floras. Location: Southern Africa, focusing on the winter‐rainfall floras and adjacent arid/semi‐arid regions in the south‐western corner of the subcontinent. Methods: A dated species‐level molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for Pteronia and outgroups is presented. Eight floristic and biogeographic areas of distribution are identified. Ancestral areas and the timing, frequency, and direction of range change events amongst these areas are inferred using the statistical DEC model on a sample of dated posterior trees. Results: Pteronia is strongly supported as monophyletic and began diversifying in the late Miocene, consistent with other Cape radiations, particularly those associated with arid regions. From the ancestral range of the genus in the northern parts of the Succulent Karoo and/or fynbos vegetation, the first novel vegetation type to be colonised was Nama Karoo at the end of the Miocene, followed by south‐eastern Succulent Karoo, renosterveld in the early Pliocene, and Kalahari Savanna in the Late Pliocene. The subtropical thicket and Bushmanland bioregions were colonised more recently in the Pleistocene. Early diversification in Pteronia gave rise to two lineages. The first lineage diversified in and remains strongly confined to the northern Succulent Karoo. The second lineage diversified in both fynbos and a range of adjacent arid/semi‐arid vegetation types, experiencing more frequent shifts between habitat types. Main Conclusions: Speciation in Pteronia is associated with two geographic patterns: firstly, diversification within single habitat types, which applies to the northern succulent karoo and to a lesser extent, the fynbos vegetation, and secondly, diversification associated with shifts between habitat types. Habitat shifts appear to be strongly influenced by habitat adjacency and ecological similarity. Understanding the nature and timing of historical habitat shifts in Pteronia may contribute to the knowledge of interactions between different floras within South Africa, both winter and summer rainfall, as well as the timing of colonisation of these areas, particularly the Succulent and Nama Karoo.