Data from: Convergent morphology in Alpinieae (Zingiberaceae): recircumscribing Amomum as a monophyletic genus

The tropical ginger genus Amomum (Zingiberaceae) has always posed
challenges for classification based on morphological characters. Previous
molecular phylogenetic studies showed Amomum to be paraphyletic but
limited sampling and absence of the data of the type Amomum subulatum made
it impossible to resolve the paraphyly and make nomenclatural changes.
Here, Amomum is further investigated in a multi-marker phylogenetic
framework using matK and nrITS including multiple accessions of the type,
the genus Elettaria and additional accessions of Amomum, Alpinia,
Elettariopsis, Geocharis, Geostachys and Hornstedtia. Amomum is shown to
consist of nine clades and Alpinia of six. The genera Elettaria,
Elettariopsis, Plagiostachys, and species in Hornstedtia are nested within
these clades. Morphological studies of species previously subsumed in
Amomum support recognition of new genera that correspond to well-delimited
clades in the phylogenetic framework presented here. Recircumscription of
the paraphyletic genus Amomum facilitates identification and creates
nomenclatural stability. Three genera, Conamomum, Meistera and Wurfbainia,
are resurrected, and three new genera Epiamomum, Lanxangia and Sundamomum
are described, together with a key to the genera and a nomenclatural
synopsis placing 384 specific names (incl. all synonyms) into the new
generic framework. Of these 129 represent new combinations and 3 are
replacement names. Types of Geocharis and Geostachys are designated.
Further studies and specific sampling will be needed to resolve other
branches of Alpinioideae containing other polyphyletic genera.