Affinities of the Australian endemic akaniaceae: New evidence from rbcL sequences

Abstract

The affinities of the Australian monotypic endemic family Akaniaceae, traditionally assigned to the Sapindales, are reassessed on the basis of comparative sequence data for the chloroplast encoded gene, rbcL. Cladistic analyses show Akania to cluster robustly with Bretschneidera and then Tropaeolum, within the clade of glucosinolate Capparalean families. Eight species representing six other families assigned to the Sapindales, plus Leitneria, formed a monophyletic cluster in 100% of trees in a bootstrap analysis with 500 replicates. This Sapindalean clade is shown to be supported by 17 synapomorphs, only one of which occurs in Akania. Relationships at the ordinal level, among the Sapindalean, Malvalean, Capparalean and Myrtalean clades, are, however, not well resolved. While the most parsimonious arrangement has the Malvales as sister-group to the Sapindales, with the Capparalean and Myrtalean clades joining in sequence, the occurrence of an apomorphic triplet of bases at positions 294–6 in all members of the Malvales, Myrtales and Sapindales so far examined is tentative evidence that these orders may constitute a monophyletic group.

Stem and root anatomical correlations with life form diversity, ecology, and systematics in Moringa (Moringaceae)

“…With just 13 species throughout the dry tropics of the Old World, Moringa spans a vast range of life form (habit), from massive 'bottle trees' in Madagascar and Africa, to slender trees in Arabia and India, to shrublets with ephemeral shoots and underground tubers in northeast Africa (habit of each species is illustrated in Figures 1, 5 , 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, and 49). Diversity of form is a characteristic shared by many plant groups in dry tropical habitats, which are thought to support the the Caricaceae is strongly supported by molecular phylogenetic studies (Gadek et al, 1992;Chase et al, 1993;Rodman et al, 1996). This view contrasts with previous systematizations (e.g.…”

“…As a result, small stem or root chips were softened in 1 O O h ethylenediamine for 1-3 days before being dehydrated and embedded in paraffin (method of Carlquist, 1982). Samples were sectioned on a rotary microtome at 13 pm and stained in a staining series corresponding to Northen's modification of Foster's ferric chloride-tannic acid staining series (Johansen, 1940), with the exception that ferric aluminum sulphate was substituted for ferric chloride. For scanning electron microscope (SEW observation, paraffin sections were mounted on stubs using the same gelatin adhesive used for mounting the sections on glass slides.…”

“…The paraffin was cleared with xylene and the samples sputter-coated and observed with a Bausch and Lomb Nanolab 200 SEM. Macerations were prepared using Jeffrey's solution (Johansen, 1940) and stained in safranin.…”

Simaroubaceae, an Artificial Construct: Evidence from rbcL Sequence Variation

“…Capparales (Rodman et al, 1993;Gadek et al, 1992). a Assignment to rosid (rosI, rosII, rosIII), asterid (astIV), caryophyllid (car) and ranunculid (ran) clades in search II of Chase et al (1993) for taxa included in those analyses.…”

Plant introduction and hybridisation in colonial New South Wales: the work of John Carne Bidwill, Sydney's first director

“…H aving stum bled on a previously unlisted binom ial com m em orating Bidwill some years ago (M abberley 1978) and m ore recently had cause to ascertain the correct nam e for the single species of the rem arkable A ustralian endemic family Akaniaceae (Gadek et al 1992), which turned out to be Akania bidwUlii (M abberley 1989: 707), I becam e interested in the career of their little-know n eponym ous hero and here set dow n m y findings to date. The following m ust be seen as m erely am plifying the standard secondary sources (especially H erbert (1966) and references therein) through the exam ination of the rich MSS holdings at the M itchell Library, Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and elsewhere.…”