Format: ORAL

Isabel Larridon1, Tamara Villaverde2, Luciana Pereira-Silva3, Martin Xanthos1, Megan Griffiths1, Nina Mnder4, Abubakar Bello4,5,6, Alexandra N. Muellner-Riehl4,5, Muthama Muasya7

1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK 2 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain 3 Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopólis, Brazil 4 Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany 5 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany 6 Umaru Musa Yaradua University, Katsina, Nigeria 7 University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Cyperus or flatsedges represent the second most species-rich genus of Cyperaceae with almost 1000 species distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Historically, many segregate genera were split from Cyperus sensu stricto to accommodate the breadth of morphological, functional and ecological variation present in this group. Over the last 15 years, new insights into the evolution, diversity and distribution of this group were gained by integrating molecular phylogenetic data with in-depth morphological and anatomical studies. In the current phylogenomics-based classification, subtribe Cyperinae is monogeneric, placing the 13 segregate genera previously recognised in the morphology-based classification within a broadened circumscription of Cyperus. We also have strong evidence that a biodiverse clade of species using the C4 photosynthetic pathway is nested within a grade of C3 species. However, rapid diversification has hampered our understanding of the relationships within the C4 clade. Now, with the advent of phylogenomics, first inroads are made to study trait evolution in Cyperus. Yet, to build a complete picture of this megadiverse genus, a concerted effort will be needed to generate a species-level phylogenomic framework to investigate its evolutionary history, generate an infrageneric classification, and resolve species limits. We present the current state of knowledge and explore plans for integrating efforts towards purging the gaps.