Neillia Includes Stephanandra (Rosaceae)

Recent phylogenetic analyses of tribe Neillieae in Rosaceae, which comprises Neillia, Physocarpus, and Stephanandra, based on both nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences revealed that Neillia and Stephanandra together form a strongly supported monophyletic group and that species of Stephanandra are nested within Neillia. The close relationship between Neillia and Stephanandra is also supported by leaf morphology, inflorescence type, and carpel number. In order to better reflect the evolutionary relationships among species of Neillia and Stephanandra, based on molecular phylogenetic and morphological evidence, Stephanandra is united with Neillia, and three traditionally recognized species and a hybrid of Stephanandra are transferred to Neillia. This treatment results in new combinations as follows: N. hanceana (Kuntze) S. Oh, N. incisa (Thunberg) S. Oh, and N.6nakatsu-riparia (H. Takahashi) S. Oh. Stephanandra incisa (Thunberg) Zabel var. macrophylla Hideo Takahashi is treated as a new synonym of Neillia incisa.