Disentangling morphologically similar species of the Andean forest: integrating results from multivariate morphometric analyses, niche modelling and climatic space comparison in Kaunia (Eupatorieae: Asteraceae)

Abstract

Six subtropical montane forest Kaunia spp. are remarkable for their superficial morphological similarity. We aim to explore different sources of data to clarify species delimitation in this complex of Kaunia. Morphological variation and environmental data of the species of the complex were assessed by using multivariate morphometric analyses. We performed a species distribution modelling approach applying BIOMOD2. Morphological quantitative traits allowed discrimination of some species in the complex. These Kaunia spp. have statistically different potential distributions, although some similarities between species in terms of climatic space were found. The species with the most similar climatic space were K. saltensis and K. lasiophthalma. The biogeographical context that could have affected the distribution of these two species is discussed. The results of our integrative study confirm the discrimination of three species, K. lasiophthalma, K. rufescens and K. saltensis, but the other three, K. arbuscularis, K. longipetiolata and K. uber, are here regarded as a single entity.