ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess

Abstract Number: 2262
Poster No. = 344


SEXUAL SYSTEMS OF NEW CALEDONIAN ARALIACEAE: A PRELIMINARY PHYLOGENETIC REAPPRAISAL


*Mark A. Schlessman, #Gregory M. Plunkett, °Porter P. Lowry II, & *David G. Lloyd. *Vassar College, #Virginia Commonwealth Univ., °Missouri Bot. Gard. & Museum National d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, & *Univ. of Canterbury


The highest concentration of diversity and endemism of Araliaceae occurs on New Caledonia, where many taxa represent ancient lineages. Schlessman, Lloyd and Lowry (1990) published a tentative scheme for the evolution of sexual systems in New Caledonian araliads. Recent molecular phylogenetic work by Plunkett appears to support the central tenets of our scheme. Paniculate inflorescences, andromonoecism, and duodichogamy are ancenstral traits. Derived traits such as umbellate inflorescences and hermaphroditism appear to have arisen independently in different lineages.

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