A Systematic Revision of the Genus \u3cem\u3eManekia\u3c/em\u3e (Piperaceae)

A systematic revision of the six nominal species of the Neotropical genus Manekia (Piperaceae) was completed after evaluation of morphological and molecular data. Phylogenetic analyses using four molecular markers [rpl32-trnLUAG spacer, psbj-petA intergenic intron regions 1 and 2, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)] provided little resolution among species, perhaps indicating recent evolutionary divergence. Canonical discriminant analyses using morphological data recovered three separate groups, here recognized as distinct species: Manekia incurva, Manekia obtusa, and Manekia urbanii. Significant discriminating characteristics included petiole vagination, number of primary veins, leaf apex shape, leaf base shape, presence of pellucid dots, and bract ciliation