Shelley Rowntree ‘Unpicking the complexity of Chrysocephalum (Gnaphalieae, Asteraceae)’

Shelley, a holder of a Friends ANBG scholarship, will look at questions about the Chrysocephalum genus, the limits of its species, and dominant processes affecting the breeding and conservation of Chrysocephalum.

Abstract
The Gnaphalieae (paper daisy tribe, Asteraceae) are the largest tribe of Asteraceae in Australia, with c. 500 species. Relationships within clades remain unresolved, and generic concepts are often based on few morphological characters rather than demonstrated relatedness and inference of synapomorphies.

Chrysocephalum Walp is a medium-sized genus in the Australian Gnaphalieae occurring across all states of Australia. The Australian Plant Census currently recognises nine species of Chrysocephalum and two phrase-name species. In revising the C. apiculatum / semipapposum complex, Wilson (2016) recognised 29 and 5 subspecies, respectively, based on morphological characters. The subspecies are highly complex, with some appearing as distinctive as traditionally recognised species and, in some cases, having previously been recognised as such (e.g. C. asperum Steetz). The project aims to answer the questions: (1) Does Chrysocephalum represent a cohesive genus? What is its relationship with other genera? (2) What are the limits of species within Chrysocephalum? What evolutionary processes explain the morphological complexity of the genus in eastern Australia? (3) What are the dominant processes affecting the breeding and conservation of Chrysocephalum?"

Biography 
Shelley Rowntree, PhD Candidate, University of New England, and recipient of a Friends ANBG scholarship.  Shelley left behind a career in IT to pursue her passion for plants. She is now doing a PhD at the University of New England, Armidale, in collaboration with CANBR. Her interests include the systematics and evolution of flowering plants, especially Asteraceae (daisy family) and Cyperaceae (sedges). She is passionate about documenting biodiversity and uses DNA sequence data and morphology to help make sense of diverse plant groups and evolutionary processes.

Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/CTFXH

Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and we thank all those who have donated. 

Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.

It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly.  Bookings can be made from about 30 days in advance until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached. 

Booking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/CTFXH

The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Many summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.