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Relationships among the roughly 55 species of Iris subgenus Scorpiris have been studied. A matrix of six plastid DNA regions ( matK, rpl14-rps8 spacer, infA- rpl36 spacer, trnE- trnT spacer, trnL intron and trnL-F spacer) was produced from 57 accessions (52 taxa) and analysed with both parsimony and Bayesian methods. Five major clades are identified, of which four have strong geographical correlations, whereas the fifth corresponds to Iris section Physocaulon. In our results, several species are placed with species not previously considered to be related, although, in some cases, there are morphological characters that suggest that these newly indicated relationships are reasonable. For some of the other oddly grouped species, we can only assume that remarkable parallelisms in morphology have occurred or hybridization is involved. Presently, with plastid DNA as our only comprehensive data resource, we are not able to evaluate more thoroughly these more puzzling associations of species. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 167, 281-300. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of all monocotyledons the Arecaceae displays by far the richest fossil record, and there is an extensive literature. The earliest unequivocal fossil palm material probably dates from the early to mid Late Cretaceous (Turonian > Coniacian > Santonian). The records are geographically widespread and comprise a wide range of organs: leaves, cuticles, stems, rhizomes, roots, fruits, seeds, endocarps, rachillae, peduncles, inflorescences, individual flowers and pollen. For some of these organs records are rare while for others, such as leaves, stems and pollen, records are abundant. However, fossil material often lacks sufficient diagnostic detail to allow reasonable association with living palm taxa beyond, or even to, subfamilial level. Nevertheless, many fossil genera and numerous species have been described. A brief survey of palm fossil records is presented, and their taxonomy and morphological limitations are considered. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 39–67. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen morphology has been extensively studied in the Arecaceae, and pollen aperture organization is usually distal monosulcate, as in many monocot families. Much is known about the influence of microsporogenesis on aperture configuration, but the key processes during microsporogenesis responsible for aperture type, number and arrangement are still poorly understood. In order to clarify the developmental sequence underlying aperture type and organization in palm monosulcate pollen, a study of the characteristics of male postmeiotic development was carried out in representative species of four genera of subfamily Coryphoideae, and four genera of subfamily Arecoideae. We found evidence for the occurrence of successive cytokinesis in addition to simultaneous cytokinesis in three Coryphoideae species. Tetrad shape was highly diverse within all species. Our results reveal an unexpected diversity in microsporogenesis from which it may be possible to gain further insight into pollen evolution within the family. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 93–102. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Burseraceae are a medium-sized family in which 18 genera are currently recognised. They are the subject of a long-term project to describe the pollen morphology from light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. The pollen morphology of tribe Protieae has been published, as well as an account of the pollen of the African taxa in the family. Pollen data for the other two tribes, Bursereae and Canarieae, are more or less complete. The pollen of all the genera have been examined, with the exception of the recently described Pseudodacryodes Pierlot for which, currently, there is no pollen material available. This paper summarises the results. There is considerable variation in exine and aperture features between, and occasionally within, the genera and 14 major pollen types are defined, including two previously undescribed types: ‘ Canarium oleiferum ’ and ‘ Canarium gracile ’. The distribution of pollen characteristics throughout the family is compared with previously published tribal and subtribal groupings, as well as with current ideas of generic relationships from molecular analyses. Comparisons show notable congruence of pollen data with molecular data. To some extent pollen morphology is different for each of the subtribes. Nevertheless, there are some notable exceptions, for example, the pollen of Garuga and Boswellia are remarkably similar, although Garuga has been included, somewhat tenuously, in tribe Protieae, and Boswellia is included in tribe Bursereae, subtribe Boswelliinae. In a recent molecular tree Garuga and Boswellia appear to be closely related, and this supports the conclusion, based on several macromorphological characters as well as pollen, that Garuga should be transferred to tribe Bursereae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triapertury is rare in monocotyledons. The well-defined, regularly spaced, circular porate apertures that occur in Arecaceae: Areca klingkangensis from Borneo, and species of the West African genus Sclerosperma, appear to be unique in monocotyledons. There is evidence to suggest that tripory in Arecaceae has been derived from trichotomosulcy, although in Areca equatorial zonosulcy may have an important role. The apical triporate, and zonosulcate pollen of Areca are described, as well as examples of mono- and trichotomosulcate pollen within the genus. The sub-apical distal triporate pollen of Sclerosperma gilletii and S. mannii are described. Notably, in Sclerosperma pollen, aperture position at post-meiotic tetrad stage follows the rare 'Garside's rule' (four groups of three apertures), previously only demonstrated for Proteaceae and Olacaceae. Possible reasons for the occurrence of these rare triporate pollen phenomena in palms are considered. The bearing this may have on the transition from the distal polar position of the single sulcus, to the radial symmetry of the triaperturate condition in many dicotyledons is discussed in comparison with other examples of triapertury in monocotyledons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a monocotyledonous family, the Arecaceae possess unusually varied pollen, not only in aperture number and orientation, but also in exine ornamentation. Although the majority of species have monosulcate pollen, 17 aperture types, and 13 exine types, have been described. The family belongs to a minority of monocotyledonous families in which both successive and simultaneous cytokinesis occur. The aperture types that have been described for the Arecaceae can be separated into those associated with successive, and those associated with simultaneous, cytokinesis. Palms have a long fossil record, mainly leaves and pollen, but also fruits, stems, and roots. Flowers have also been recovered. Distinctive aperture and/or exine combinations, in the pollen of some species, have prompted comparisons with fossil pollen taxa, certainly from the Late Cretaceous onwards. Occurrences of various fossil pollen taxa, frequently associated with palms, are reviewed, and their morphologies, particularly aperture characteristics, are compared with those of living palm pollen. The systematic rarity of most palm aperture types places limitations on their value in cladistic analyses. Nevertheless, certain aperture characters are of value, and do contribute to a better understanding of the evolution and phylogeny of the family. The differences between aperture types and aperture characters are addressed. The seventeen aperture types are described, and the interpretation and use of aperture characters in cladistic analyses of the Arecaceae are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces various reports published within the issue, including one by Stefan Vinckier, Pascal Cadot and Erik Smets on the description of orbicules in the order Gentianales and another by Madeline M. Harley, Unsook Song and Hannah I. Banks on pollen morphology and systematics of Burseraceae.

A correction to the article on the validation of palm Laccospadicinae is presented.