Brocchiinae Oberpr. & Töpfer, 2022

Oberprieler, Christoph, Töpfer, Alisha, Dorfner, Marco, Stock, Miriam & Vogt, Robert, 2022, An updated subtribal classification of Compositae tribe Anthemideae based on extended phylogenetic reconstructions, Willdenowia 52 (1), pp. 117-149 : 129

10. Brocchiinae Oberpr. & Töpfer , subtrib. nov.

Type: Brocchia Vis. ( Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. ).

Description — Annual herbs. Indumentum of basifixed hairs. Leaves alternate, pinnatipartite to pinnatisect, sometimes entire to lobed. Capitula solitary or in lax corymbs, discoid, pedunculate. Involucre hemispheric. Phyllaries in 2 rows, with narrow, pale membranous margins. Receptacle hemispheric to conic, epaleate. Disc florets hermaphrodite, fertile; corolla yellow, apically 4-lobed. Achenes obovoid, circular in cross-section, with c. 4 inconspicuous lateral and adaxial ribs; apex slanting, marginally rounded; pericarp with large, elongated myxogenic cells, without resin sacs. Embryo sac development unknown. Base chromosome number x = 9.

Distribution — N Africa, SW Asia.

Members — Brocchia Vis. (1).

Notes — As discussed in detail by Oberprieler (2004a), there are a number of morphological, anatomical and cytological characters that argue against the close relationship of Brocchia cinerea with Cotula , in which this primarily N African species was described by Delile (1813). The superficial similarity with Cotula due to the 4-merous disc florets is paralleled both by a number of other genera from Cotulinae ( Hilliardia , Inezia , Leptinella , Lidbeckia , Schistostephium , Soliva , Thaminophyllum ), but also from Anthemidinae ( Nananthea ), Artemisiinae ( Artemisiella , Filifolium , Phaeostigma ), Handeliinae ( Lepidolopsis ), Matricariinae ( Matricaria ) and Pentziinae ( Foveolina , Myxopappus , Oncosiphon ). A close evolutionary relationship of Brocchia and any of those generic assemblages, however, is excluded by the present phylogenetic reconstructions (gene trees based on cpDNA, nrDNA ITS, nDNA NPF3.1, Fig. 1, 2, Online Fig. S3; species trees, Fig. 3, 4) and the groupings seen with Matricaria in nDNA DSP (Online Fig. S 1) and Nananthea in nDNA VIP 5 (Online Fig. S2) are not supported by any significant posterior probability values.