Abstract Plant species are mostly delimited solely by morphological characteristics, but this method has drawbacks and may result in identification errors. Pollination and ecological speciation studies may serve as additional tools for species delimitation. Sinningia lutea and S. allagophylla are species hitherto considered synonyms, and recent accounts suggest that the taxa present overlapping morphological features. Here we seek to improve the taxonomic circumscription of both taxa through the comparative study of floral traits, pollination and breeding systems. Our results indicate significant differences in morphological characters and confirm that the two species are pollinated by different animals. Therefore, both species are ecologically isolated and can be considered independent species. Our results highlight the potential of supplementing morphological analyses with ecological data to establish correct taxonomic relationships.

中文翻译：

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一种还是两种？Sinningia（苦苣苔科）物种范围的花卉特征和授粉生物学帮助

摘要 植物种类大多仅通过形态特征进行定界，但这种方法存在缺陷，容易导致识别错误。授粉和生态物种形成研究可以作为物种定界的附加工具。Sinningia lutea 和 S. allagophylla 是迄今为止被认为是同义词的物种，最近的报道表明该类群存在重叠的形态特征。在这里，我们寻求通过对花卉性状、授粉和育种系统的比较研究来改善这两种分类群的分类范围。我们的结果表明形态特征存在显着差异，并证实这两个物种由不同的动物授粉。因此，这两个物种在生态上都是孤立的，可以被认为是独立的物种。