A continental realignment: Molecular evidence unites <i>Stomatanthes</i> within <i>Eupatorium</i> (Asteraceae)

Abstract Stomatanthes is the only genus of Eupatorieae (Asteraceae) considered to be native to Africa, but it closely resembles Eupatorium in morphology, and its generic status has never been analyzed using molecular data. Analysis of DNA sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal ITS and ETS regions and the plastid spacer trnH‐psbA showed that African species of Stomatanthes nested within the widely distributed Eupatorium (North America, Europe, Asia) and should be included within it. The necessary nomenclatural changes, including E. robinsonii nom. nov., E. tundavalaense comb. nov., and E. zambiense comb. nov., are proposed. A secondary focus was on relationships of the recently described E. leonardii , which was shown to be properly placed in Eupatorium and sister to E. toppingianum , both species endemic to the Philippines.