ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 3992
Session = 12.11.1


WOOD ANATOMICAL DIVERSITY PATTERNS COMPARED WITH RECENT RESULTS IN MOLECULAR MACROSYSTEMATICS OF DICOTYLEDONS


P. Baas*, E.A. Wheeler' and M.W. Chase'' (National Herbarium, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands, 'Dept. Wood and Paper Science, P.O. Box 8005, N.C. State University Raleigh, NC 27695-8005, USA, ''Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK)


The recently proposed classification of angiosperms based on monophyletic groups (APG, Ann.MO Bot.Grd. 85: 531-553) is used to discuss wood anatomical diversity at the family and ordinal level. Homoplasy in wood anatomical characters, largely due to ecological adaptations, limits the value of wood anatomy at these higher levels of classification. Nevertheless there are many families and orders that appear characterized either by a combination of wood anatomical synapomorphies in e.g. Myrtales or by coherent Baileyan transformation series (e.g., Magnoliales). Some of the novelties in the ordinal classification and family delimitation based on molecular data find strong support in wood anatomy (e.g. inclusion of Vochysiaceae in Myrtales), other changes strongly increase the wood anatomical heterogeneity (e.g., the inclusion of the traditional Urticales in the newly delimited Rosales).


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