Bibliography : leaves 64-79. / Both Ulva and Enteromorpha are very common, ubiquitous, and environmentally important genera of green seaweeds. The evolutionary history of Ulva species is poorly understood, stemming from a lack of diagnostic, non-molecular systematic characters. This study addresses the following questions: i) Do the two genera represent distinct entitiesj ii) What are the relationships among local putative species; iii) Do the recognized species represent monophyletic lineages; iv) How closely are local species related to those from elsewhere? These questions are addressed using nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequences from 48 local samples plus data on 16 samples from GenBank.

Bibliography: leaves 58-64. / The taxonomy of Dryopteris inaequalis complex is reviewed. The use of a large sample size permitted quantification of variation within and among groups. Phenetic methods in this study revealed the existence of six groups, five formerly described taxa and one new taxon, D. pseudopentheri sp. ined. The new species is defined on both macromorphological grounds. Dryopteris lewelleana Pic.Serm. and d. inaequalis (Schltdl.) Kuntze var. atropaleacae Schelpe are placed in synonymy under D.fadenii Pic.Serm. and D.inaequalis respectively. The phylogeny of the complex is reconstructed using cladistic analysis of morphological characters. Dryopteris manniana (Hook.) C.Chr., the probabl sister species is used as an outgroup for the analysis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that there are four monphyletic species and two metataxa in the complex. Evidence from Scanning Electron Microscopy, micromorphology, macromorphology and cytology is used as a basis for classification. Trichome characters, indusium, spore and guard-cell sizes proved to be of great taxonomic utility in defining species and cytotypes in the complex. Guard-cell and spore sizes in the different taxa are positively correlated to ploidal level. Illustrations of some microcharacters are provided. The taxonomic treatment includes a key, descriptions of the species based on the characters studied and a distribution map.

Bibliography: leaves 89-101. / This study expands on existing molecular (rpoC2 and ITS) and morphological data sets to further test the hypothesis of non-monophyly of Merxmuellera sensu lato. The results reveal that despite high levels of resolution, the morphological data yield poorly supported phylogenies due to high levels of homoplasy in the dataset.

Bibliography: leaves 25-31. / The Red-tailed Group of francolins falls within the class Aves, order Galliformes, family Phasianidae and genus Peliperdix. These are small francolins consisting of three putative species (Peliperdix coqui, P. albogularis and P. schlegelii) that are largely allopatric. Two species (P. coqui and P. albogularis) are considered to be polytypic species, but is a large discrepancy in the number of subspecies attributed to P. coqui and P. albogularis. The mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, organismal characters and combined data were used to identify diagnosable taxa, test the monophyly and reconstruct the phylogeny of the Red-tailed Group. Sixteen exemplars of the Red-tailed Group (representing all species and nearly all subspecies currently recognised in the genus Peliperdix) from different geographical localities were studied. Maximum likelihood (cyt b), maximum parsimony (cyt b, organismal, combined) , distance analysis (cyt b) were performed to resolve the phylogenetic relationships among them. The trees obtained from DNA sequence, organismal and combined data were incongruent in respect to the position of some taxa. The monophyly of the Red-tailed Group seems to be well supported, but the identity of, and interrelationships between the subspecies and species are less well resolved. The morphological and combined tree probably reflects the taxon phylogeny better than the tree based on mitochondrial DNA. only. The most remarkable result that is strongly supported by both organismal and combined trees was that they bring clear resolution between P. albogularis and P. schlegelii as two separate species from P. coqui. Due to the short number of DNA sequences obtained, one cannot make a decision as to whether the subspecies should be elevated to species. Finally, it is suggested that more systematic studies must be done based on multiple independent data sets in order to obtain a robust taxonomy and phylogeny for this group.

Bibliography: leaves 23-28. / The potential for using a combination of molecular and whole-organismal data has opened up new avenues for avian taxonomy, phylogenetics and biogeography. Such a multifaceted approach is used here to identify diagnosable taxa within the Orange River Francolin Scleroptila levaillanloides species complex and resolve evolutionary relationships between these taxa and other mono-and polytypic forms within the Red-winged Group of francolins (= genus Scleroplila sensli lalo). Mitochondrial cytochrome-b DNA sequence data (±250 b.p.) from 50 individuals and 19 morphological characters extracted from reports in published literature were employed to achieve these aims. These characters were analysed separately and also in combination using maximum parsimony (DNA sequences and organismal data), maximum likelihood (DNA sequences) and distance (DNA sequences) analyses. Monophyly of the Red-winged Group plus the Ring-necked Francolin Dendroperdix slreptophorus was supported by all the analyses (bootstrap support ranged from 50%-94%) except distance analysis. The Orange River Francolin complex was found to be non-monophyletic. Two distinct clades were identified, one comprising taxa from southwestern and the other from northeastern Africa. Morphological analysis yielded a distinct clade of the southwestern Orange River Francolin. The other polytypic species and assemblages thereof show poor resolution. The results of this study clearly demonstrate a need for further assessment of the taxonomic status of Scleroptila spp. and their phylogenetic relationships.

Bibliography: leaves 84-100. / A phylogeny was produced for the eight taxa comprising the largely South African genus Melianthus L. based on two plastid markers (trnL-F and psbA-trnH) and one nuclear marker (ITS). Topological comparisons with a tree based on an existing morphological data set revealed significant incongruence leading to a loss of resolution upon combination. Ultimately, the combined three-gene data tree was selected as the strongest phylogenetic estimate for Melianthus based on its better resolution and greater support levels. This tree confirms the monophyly of Melianthus with M. major being resolved as sister to the remainder of the genus. Within the remaining clade, M. villosus is resolved sister to a clade comprising two morphologically distinct subclades, one of these being noted for a western distribution (comprising M. elongatus and the M. pectinatus complex), the other being centred farther east (comprising M. cocomosus and the M dregeanus complex). A molecular clock analysis was employed to date the emergence of specific taxa and clades, while ancestral range and habitat reconstructions were performed to determine historical conditions under which these groups and their morphological novelties arose. A scenario depicting the evolution and diversification of Melianthus is developed against a backdrop of the paleo-history of southern Africa. The genus appears to have originated in the eastern part of South Africa during a mild, mesic Oligocene with subsequent westward expansion into drier habitats of Miocene and Pliocene origins. Observations of bird visitors to a range of Melianthus species indicate that the genus employs a generalist pollination syndrome, thus refuting suggestions of a co-exclusive relationship with sunbirds (Nectariniidae). Nevertheless, the genus is undeniably ornithophilous. Nectar studies reveal interspecific variation in both the volume and concentration of nectar produced as well as in nectar colourition.

Character variation in Chaetobromus, a genus of palatable grasses endemic to the arid western areas of southern Africa, was used to derive a classification reflecting taxonomic and ecological pattern. The present study differs from earlier biosystematic investigations by its much more intensive approach to sampling, with 75 anatomical, morphological and cytological characters and 169 individual samples being used. The use of larger population samples permitted quantification of variation within populations, in addition to that among populations and groups. Phenetic methods revealed the existence of three groups, approximating three formerly described taxa and reflecting divergent ecological strategies in Chaetobromus. A lack of diagnostic field characters argues against their recognition at species level, and Chaetobromus Nees is here described as monotypic, the type species, C. involucratus (Schrad.) Nees, comprising three subspecies C. involucratus subsp. involucratus, C. involucratus subsp. villosus Verboom and C. involucratus subsp. dregeanus (Nees) Verboom. There is overlap among subspecies in most characters although many showed significant mean differences. Within subspecies, character variation appears to be homogeneously distributed with respect to population boundaries suggesting that these are likely to have little impact on sampling. An investigation testing the effect of sample strategy on variation capture and taxonomic group detection suggests that a sample of 10-15 specimens is likely to account for most variation present. Phylogenetically, Chaetobromus is included in the tribe Danthonieae, and, on morphological evidence, is probably basal to a clade containing Pentaschistis, Pentameris and Pseudopentameris. The genus appears to occupy a niche unique among the African danthonioids, favouring lime-rich, basic soils and a strongly-seasonal winter-rainfall regime with arid summers. Ecological differences among the subspecies are reflected in differences in growth form and vegetative and reproductive phenologies. The niche requirements of Chaetobromus may be adequately specific to explain the patchy distribution of the genus. Bibliography: pages 119-131.

Word processed copy. / Includes bibliographical references. / Jamesbrittenia is a genus of 84 largely perennial sub-shrubs and herbs with a wide distribution in southern Africa (except J. dissecta in Sudan, Egypt and India). Plastid (rps16 and psbA-trnH) and nuclear (GScp) sequences were obtained for 42 species, mostly from the arid winter-rainfall west and southern regions of southern Africa. Applying both parsimony and Bayesian inference to combined molecular and morphological data sets, a phylogenetic hypothesis which is robust at the deeper nodes, was produced. This supports the monophyly of Jamesbrittenia, and also indicates the early divergence of J. ramosissima and three major clades.

Selaginellaceae is a family within the lycophytes, and it comprises one genus, Selaginella. They are herbaceous seedless vascular plants found globally, with around 750 species. Selaginella is divided into several subgenera, but there is no classification that is agreed upon. This thesis is based on one of these classifications (Weststrand & Korall, 2016a,b). The subgenus Stachygynandrum is the most species rich from that study. Within the subgenus is an unresolved clade of South American species. The aim of this study is to contribute to resolve the phylogeny of that clade. A phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian inference was used on the chloroplast regions atpB, rbcL-atpB intergenic spacer and psbE-petL intergenic spacer. These have previously never been used for studies on the Selaginella phylogeny. New primers were constructed for these regions. The datasets from all three regions were also concatenated. This study’s data was also combined with data from Weststrand and Korall (2016b). There were successful amplifications of all new regions, but most specimens failed to be amplified. The phylogenies from the new three regions are mostly in agreement with the one presented by Weststrand & Korall (2016b). The clade splits into two larger groups. Some branch support differ between this study and the previous study. The position of S. huehuetenangensis was resolved in this study as a sister group to S. reflexa and S. apoda, with a posterior probability of 1. Two specimens identified as S. umbrosa are on different branches in the tree.

A combination of morphological and molecular techniques were used to investigate the taxonomy of th species of Ellescus Dejean, 1821 in North America (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Ellescini), as well as investigate the phylogenetic relationships amongst genera within the tribe Ellescini. Four valid species of Ellescus were documented from the Nearctic Region. These include the temperately distributed E. michaeli n. sp., the west coast endemic species E. californicus (Casey, 1885) (resurrected from synonymy with E. ephippiatus (Say, 1831)), the widespread, hypervariable E. ephippiatus, and the Holarctic E. bipunctatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (of which E. borealis (Carr, 1920) is found to be a junior synonym). The European species, E. scanicus (Paykull, 1792), is determined to have been erroneously reported from North America. The Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses based on CO1, CytB, 28S, and 16S sequence data found moderate to strong support for the monophyly of Ellescus and moderate to strong support for Proctorus LeConte, 1876 as a lineage nested within Dorytomus Germar, 1817. The genera Proctorus and Rodotymus Zumpt, 1932 are placed in synonymy under Dorytomus.