Maianthemum [SEP] parent taxon
Maianthemum
Maianthemum (Latin ' "May" and Greek ' "flower"; including former "Smilacina") is a genus of rhizomatous, herbaceous, perennial flowering plants, native to the understory of woodlands. It is widespread across much of North America, Europe and Asia.
In the APG III classification system, "Maianthemum" is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae).
Because of genetic similarity, similar fruits, and evidence that the 4-tepal species evolved from a 6-tepal
Taxon in disguise
In bacteriology, a taxon in disguise is a species, genus or higher unit of biological classification whose evolutionary history reveals has evolved from another unit of similar or lower rank, making the parent unit paraphyletic. This happens when rapid evolution makes a new species appear radically different from the ancestral group, so that it is not (initially) recognised as belonging to the parent phylogenetic group, leaving the latter an evolutionary grade.
While the term is from bacteriology, parallel examples are found throughout the tree of