Table 1.

Pairwise similarity in the ecological niche using the indexes D and I in selected sister and non-sister species and time distances among them (**divergent with a 99% signification).

Clade (s: sister species)	Species pair	Time distances (Ma)	Biomes of species 1	Biomes of species 2	I	D
g (s)	M. herrei – M. multifida	0.64	SK	SK	0.790**	0.498**
	M. crassicaule – M. flavescens	1.54	SK, NK, F	SK	0.628**	0.318**
	M. salmoniflora – M. vanderietiae	1.56	SK, NK, D	F	0.378**	0.149**
	M. camdeboense – M. patersonii	1.16	F, NK	SK, NK	0.264**	0.112**
g	M. ciliata – M. herrei	3.96	SK	SK	0.963	0.792
	M. flavescens – M. inermis	4.08	SK	SK	0.949	0.769
	M. flavescens – M. multifida	4.08	SK	SK	0.913	0.697
	M. inermis- M. herrei	2.84	SK	SK	0.846	0.637
	M. inermis- M. multifida	2.84	SK	SK	0.811**	0.547**
	M. marlothii – M. mossamedensis	8.66	SK, NK, D	D	0.791**	0.493**
	M. ciliata – M. flavescens	2.10	SK	SK	0.751	0.526
	M. inermis- M. mossamedensis	7.41	SK	D	0.620**	0.314**
	M. inermis- M. marlothii	6.89	SK	SK, NK, D	0.587**	0.288**
	M. crassicaule- M. herrei	4.08	SK, NK, F	SK	0.566**	0.300**
	M. ciliata – M. crassicaule	1.95	SK	SK, NK, F	0.497**	0.260**
	M. marlothii – M. crassicaule	8.66	SK, NK, F	SK, NK, D	0.469**	0.227**
	M. lheritieri-M. salmoniflora	6.20	SK	SK, NK, D, F	0.373**	0.156**
	M. lheritieri-M. vanderietiae	6.20	SK	F	0.094**	0.017**
f (s)	M. natalensis – M. transvaalensis	0.20	ND	ND	0.169**	0.071**
	M. emarginata – M. praemorsa	0.38	ND	ND	0.604**	0.349**
f	M. grandifolia – M. praemorsa	1.56	ND	ND	0.810**	0.521**
	M. attenuata – M. brevirostrata	6.89	ND	ND	0.900	0.658
b (s)	M. luederitziana – M. umbellata	3.32	SK, NK, D	SK, NK, D	0.845**	0.571**
b	M. luederitziana – M. parvifolia	6.60	SK, NK, D	SK, NK	0.974	0.832
d (s)	M. deserticola – M. ignorata	24.3	SK	SK	0.603**	0.321**
g-d	M. deserticola – M. vanderietiae	36.6	SK	F	0.052**	0.009**
	M. deserticola – M. patersonii	36.6	SK	SK, NK	0.844	0.583
g-b	M. flavescens – M. drudeana	43.6	SK	SK	0.940	0.723
	M. salmoniflora – M. parvifolia	43.6	SK	SK	0.852	0.608
	M. salmoniflora – M. luederitziana	43.6	SK, NK, D	SK	0.903	0.684
	M. marlothii – M. umbellata	43.6	SK, NK, D	SK, NK, D	0.880	0.664
	M. inermis – M. drudeana	43.6	SK	SK	0.890	0.629
	M. patersonii – M. drudeana	43.6	SK	SK	0.905	0.667
d-b	M. drudeana – M. deserticola	43.6	SK	SK	0.885	0.708

Biomes: SK, Succulent Karoo; NK, Nama Karoo; D, Namib desert; N, Natal-Drakensberg; F, Fynbos.