XVI International Botanical Congess

An overview of the current state of taxonomic knowledge on the Apiaceae genera of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar will be presented. Generic delimitations have not yet reached stability, so that monographic work, in which morphological, anatomical and some chemical characters are rigorously analysed, are contributing steadily to an improved understanding of generic relationships. The possible polarity and thoughts on phylogenetic implications of some anomalous characters present in genera of the region, such as woodiness, hysteranthy, extreme sexual dimorphism, heteromorphous fruits, co-occurrence of intrajugal and vallecular vittae and kaurene type terpenoids will be discussed. Some African and Madagascan genera may provide clues to a better understanding of basal lineages in the Apioideae and perhaps even in some of the clades within the Araliaceae.