Synopsis of Nekemias Raf., a segregate genus from Ampelopsis Michx. (Vitaceae) disjunct between eastern/southeastern Asia and eastern North America, with ten new combinations.
The genus Nekemias (Vitaceae) was first recognized by Rafinesque in 1838. It has been treated as a synonym of Ampelopsis Michx. Recent phylogenetic studies suggest that Ampelopsis as traditionally delimited is paraphyletic. To maintain the monophyly of each of the genera of Vitaceae, we herein segregate the Ampelopsissect.Leeaceifoliae lineage from Ampelopsis and recognize these taxa in Nekemias Raf., which has a disjunct distribution in eastern to southeastern Asia and eastern North America. Nomenclatural changes are made for nine species and one variety: Nekemiasarborea (L.) J. Wen & Boggan, Nekemiascantoniensis (Hook. & Arn.) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie, Nekemiascelebica (Suess.) J. Wen & Boggan, Nekemiaschaffanjonii (H. Lév. & Van.) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie, Nekemiasgongshanensis (C.L. Li) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie, Nekemiasgrossedentata (Hand.-Mazz.) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie, Nekemiashypoglauca (Hance) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie, Nekemiasmegalophylla (Diels & Gilg) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie, Nekemiasmegalophyllavar.jiangxiensis (W.T. Wang) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie, and Nekemiasrubifolia (Wall.) J. Wen & Z.L. Nie. A taxonomic key is provided for the genus to facilitate identification.
Department of Botany, MRC-166 Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington D.C. 20013-7012, USA.
Jun
J
Wen
Department of Botany, MRC-166 Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington D.C. 20013-7012, USA.
John
J
Boggan
Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China ; Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization and College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, 416000, Hunan, China.
Ze-Long
ZL
Nie
Ampelopsis, Asia; Nekemias; Vitaceae; eastern North America