{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6245"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6245","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A re-assessment of the species boundaries in Merciera A.DC.","abstract":"Patterns of morphological variation were investigated in the genus Merciera A.DC. to re-assess the species boundaries. This study differs from previous studies in the genus because it employs multivariate statistical methods. Vegetative and floral characters obtained from herbarium specimens were analyzed. The results of the cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis support the recognition of six species, M. /ept%ba, M. brevifolia, M. tenuifolia, M. eck/oniana, M. azurea, and M. tetra/oba. M. azurea is re-instated as a species and a new species M. tetra/oba is described. An infra-generic phylogeny for the genus is proposed for the first time. A key to the species, descriptions, and distribution of all the species are also provided.","abstract_html":"Patterns of morphological variation were investigated in the genus Merciera A.DC. to re-assess the species boundaries. This study differs from previous studies in the genus because it employs multivariate statistical methods. Vegetative and floral characters obtained from herbarium specimens were analyzed. The results of the cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis support the recognition of six species, M. /ept%ba, M. brevifolia, M. tenuifolia, M. eck/oniana, M. azurea, and M. tetra/oba. M. azurea is re-instated as a species and a new species M. tetra/oba is described. An infra-generic phylogeny for the genus is proposed for the first time. A key to the species, descriptions, and distribution of all the species are also provided.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cupido, Christopher Nelson"],"institution":"Department of Biological Sciences","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2000,"date_issued":"2000","date_published":"2000","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:26Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6245","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cupido, Christopher Nelson"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-08-13T14:17:18Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-08-13T14:17:18Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2000"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6245"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Bibliography: leaves 41-47."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Patterns of morphological variation were investigated in the genus Merciera A.DC. to re-assess the species boundaries. This study differs from previous studies in the genus because it employs multivariate statistical methods. Vegetative and floral characters obtained from herbarium specimens were analyzed. The results of the cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis support the recognition of six species, M. /ept%ba, M. brevifolia, M. tenuifolia, M. eck/oniana, M. azurea, and M. tetra/oba. M. azurea is re-instated as a species and a new species M. tetra/oba is described. An infra-generic phylogeny for the genus is proposed for the first time. A key to the species, descriptions, and distribution of all the species are also provided."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A re-assessment of the species boundaries in Merciera A.DC."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Cupido, Christopher Nelson"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-08-13T14:17:18Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-08-13T14:17:18Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2000"],"dc:description":["Bibliography: leaves 41-47."],"dc:description.abstract":["Patterns of morphological variation were investigated in the genus Merciera A.DC. to re-assess the species boundaries. This study differs from previous studies in the genus because it employs multivariate statistical methods. Vegetative and floral characters obtained from herbarium specimens were analyzed. The results of the cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis support the recognition of six species, M. /ept%ba, M. brevifolia, M. tenuifolia, M. eck/oniana, M. azurea, and M. tetra/oba. M. azurea is re-instated as a species and a new species M. tetra/oba is described. An infra-generic phylogeny for the genus is proposed for the first time. A key to the species, descriptions, and distribution of all the species are also provided."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6245"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Biological Sciences"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["A re-assessment of the species boundaries in Merciera A.DC."],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:26Z"}