Abstract:Phytomelanin is a mechanically hard, blackish, and inert substance rarely found in plants. In Asteraceae, this substance was historically associated with the Heliantheae alliance, but recent studies have observed it in unrelated groups as Heterocoma and Wunderlichia. During a taxonomic investigation, we found phytomelanin in cypselae of Lychnophora salicifolia an unusual feature in Vernonieae previously found only in Heterocoma. Furthermore, phytomelanin fi lls the intercellular spaces of the sclerenchymatic o… Show more
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.