| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section/ASPT Retamales, Hernán [1], Scharaschkin, Tanya [1]. Phylogenetic relationships and character evolution in Australian Myrteae (Myrtaceae). The tribe Myrteae (Myrtaceae) is widely distributed in Australasia and South America. In Australia, Myrteae is represented by ca. 100 species in 11 genera. Most species occur in rainforests and mesic habitats, but some species can be found in coastal sands and shrublands. To date, phylogenetic analyses in Myrteae have primarily focused on neotropical taxa. There is a lack of information about the morphology and anatomy of a number of genera endemic to Australia (Austromyrtus, Lenwebbia, Lithomyrtus, Pilidiostigma) and their systematic position is uncertain. A phylogenetic study of the tribe Myrteae, including representatives from Australia, South America, Central America, New Caledonia, New Zealand and southeast Asia was conducted using separated and combined analyses of DNA sequences and morphoanatomical characters. Analysis of character history was undertaken in the software Mesquite 2.7 with maximum parsimony as optimization criterion. Preliminary results indicate that most Australian Myrteae (Austromyrtus, Lenwebbia, Pilidiostigma) have a typical mesophytic leaf, except for Lithomyrtus, which shows a number of xerophytic characters (e.g., a dense layer of hairs, thick epidermis, sunken stomata). Generally, character mapping suggested that the presence of xerophytic characters in lineages that are not closely related is mainly product of convergent evolution. This study will provide an updated phylogenetic framework for further investigations into Australian and South American species of fleshy-fruited Myrtaceae.
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1 - Queensland University Of Technology, School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, 2 George street, N/A, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
Keywords:
Anatomy
systematics
anatomical characters
xerophytic
mesophytic
histochemistry.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 31
Location: Salon 4/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: 31009
Abstract ID:995
Candidate for Awards:George R. Cooley Award |
