XVI International Botanical Congess

Historically, establishing relationships both within Proteaceae and among angiosperms has been problematic due to differing interpretations of homology. Recent molecular phylogentic analyses have provided new hypotheses regarding the relationships. These hypotheses provide an independent framework that is useful for reassessing morphological characters. The goal of this study is to examine the developmental and phylogentic basis of character evolution in Proteaceae. The pattern of floral character change are examined at inter- and intrafamilial levels. At and intrafamilial level, there is significant degree of morphological disparity between Proteaceae and its putative Nelumbonaceae, Platanaceae, and Sabiaceae. This relationship is examined in detail using fossil, developmental, and molecular data. This information is then used to examine hypotheses of character change within the family, particularly features associated with divergent floral symmetries.