A review of Leonureae – taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography

Abstract

The tribe Leonureae (Lamioideae, Lamiaceae) is distributed in Eurasia and mainly in Central Asia, known as valuable herbal medicine. It comprises ca. 80 species in six genera: the Chaiturus, Lagochilus, Lagopsis, Leonurus, Loxocalyx, and Panzerina. Although the monophyly of Leonureae is well‐supported, the relationships within the tribe remain unclear, and the non‐monophyly of Lagopsis and Leonurus needs to be revised. Leonureae is particularly diverse in the arid regions of Central Asia, and it has been indicated that the diversification of Lagochilus and Panzerina was affected by the Qinghai‐Xizang Plateau's uplift and Quaternary climate oscillation. As the present understanding of Leonureae is deficient in taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography, this review aims to consolidate the current knowledge, hoping to promote the research progress.