Shedding light on the <i>Chlorophytum comosum</i> complex through phylogenomics and species distribution modeling

Abstract The taxonomic circumscription of Chlorophytum comosum has been challenged throughout the decades. This name has become an umbrella term for several different genetic lineages. Here we utilize two synergistic approaches to characterize the evolutionary significant units of the C. comosum species complex. These approaches include the first usage in Chlorophytum taxonomy of: (1) target capture and phylogenomics, and (2) species distribution models as a proxy for abiotic niche composition and distribution. Our results identify three genetic lineages within the C. comosum species complex, three distinct environment preferences in three populations, and three semi‐isolated distributions. One lineage distributed in southern Africa displays a clear genetic, niche and distribution independence. As the type specimen was collected by Thunberg on his expedition to South Africa in the 1770s, it is this genetic lineage that should hold the name C. comosum . The other two genetic lineages are found in eastern Africa and are geographically distinct as a Tanzanian lineage and a Ugandan/Ethiopian lineage. As such, we provide evidence that Eastern Africa species previously sunk into C. comosum deserve the rank of species reinstated. The following three other names are suggested reinstated herein: C. miserum (Uganda, Ethiopia), C. rugosum (Tanzanian lineage) and C. kirkii , which represent the East African lineage, a high‐altitude taxon in East Africa, and an East African coastal taxon that does not fit the current description of C. comosum , respectively.