Boliviadendron, a new segregate genus of mimosoid legume (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, mimosoid clade) narrowly endemic to the interior Andean valleys of Bolivia

Abstract

Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data sampling all species of <i>Leucochloron</i> alongside representatives of genera of the Inga and Albizia clades of the larger ingoid clade of mimosoid legumes (sensu Koenen et al. 2020) confirm the non-monophyly of the genus <i>Leucochloron</i>. We show that <i>Leucochloronbolivianum</i> is placed in the Albizia clade, while the remaining four species of <i>Leucochloron</i> are placed in the Inga clade, in line with previous results. To rectify this non-monophyly, <i>L.bolivianum</i> is segregated as the new genus, <i>Boliviadendron</i>, with a single species, <i>Boliviadendronbolivianum</i>, narrowly endemic to the interior Andean valleys of Bolivia. We illustrate this new segregate genus, present a map of its distribution and discuss the striking lack of morphological distinctions between <i>Boliviadendron</i> and <i>Leucochloron</i>, as well as the phylogenetic and morphological affinities of <i>Boliviadendron</i> to the genera <i>Enterolobium</i> and <i>Albizia</i>.