XVI International Botanical Congess

Bignoniaceae are a pantropical family of trees, lianas and shrubs. It is currently divided into eight tribes, of which Bignonieae (350 species) is not only the largest but also constes the most important group of lianas in lowland neotropical forests. Bignonieae species have diverse pollination systems and fruit morphology but the evolution of this great diversity cannot be understood easily because the tribe is problematic systematically and circumscription and interrelationships of its genera is uncertain. This project redefines Bignonieae genera based on morphological and molecular data, and identifies patterns of morphological diversification. New generic boundaries are proposed and a phylogenetic framework is used to address the evolution of morphological characters, of climbing habit, insect-plant interactions, pollination systems and seed dispersal. (Financial support: CAPES)