Cyclanthaceae

Abstract: Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses prompted recircumscription of Pandanales into five families—Cyclanthaceae, Pandanaceae, Stemonaceae, and Velloziaceae, plus the mycoheterotrophic Triuridaceae—that were not hitherto regarded as closely related and so have not previously been compared in detail. Some species exhibit anomalous floral features, including apparently secondary apocarpy, loss of trimery, and an imprecise boundary between inflorescence and flower. Most noteworthy are the female reproductive structures of Triuridaceae, especially the “inside-out” flowers of Lacandonia. A phylogenetic cladistic analysis using 39 morphological characters of 23 genera spanning all five families of Pandanales yielded three fairly well-resolved and moderately supported most-parsimonious trees. Velloziaceae were sister to all other Pandanales. Cyclanthaceae and Pandanaceae formed a sister pair that was sister to Stemonaceae plus Triuridaceae. Triuridaceae were embedded within a paraphyletic Stemonaceae. P...

Abstract: The floral units of Triuridaceae, commonly regarded as flowers, may equally plausibly be interpreted as pseudanthia, i.e., modified and highly reduced partial inflorescences. This hypothesis is new for Triuridaceae, but earlier authors have noted strong similarities between the inflorescences of Cyclanthaceae and Pandanaceae (Pandanales) and the putatively pseudanthial floral units of some Alismatales (e.g., Potamogeton). The morphology of the floral units of Triuridaceae, particularly the female and hermaphrodite structures, closely resembles a smaller version of a Pandanus pistillate inflorescence. In some species of Pandanus, the female flower consists of a single uniovulate carpel with a single stigma, as in Triuridaceae. This striking morphological similarity is remarkable in the context of recent evidence from a single 18S nuclear rDNA sequence for Sciaphila that placed it as sister to Pandanaceae within Pandanales. However, because pseudanthia have been reported in both Alismatales and Pandanales, ...

Abstract: . A revised phylogenetic classification for derelomine flower weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Derelomini Lacordaire) is proposed, based on a cladistic analysis of 115 outgroup and ingroup taxa and 155 primarily morphological characters. The single most-parsimonious cladogram (length = 271, consistency index = 65, retention index = 95) indicates that several genera must be excluded from the tribe, as they lack certain modifications of the mouthparts and a primary reproductive association with the inflorescences of palms. These include Araucarietus Kuschel, Eisingius Kuschel, and Planus Kuschel, new placements (now all Trypetidini); Euryscapoides Wibmer & O'Brien, new placement (Curculioninae incertae sedis); Neopsilorhinus Bovie, new placement (Erirhinidae: Erirhinini); and Pedetinus Faust, new placement (Eugnomini). Five subtribes are recognized within Derelomini. The oldest African and South American Derelomina have a carinate rostrum and lamellate dorsal scales. Grasidius Champion (previously Erirhinini) and Terires Champion (Storeini) are placed therein, new placements.Neoderelomus Hoffmann is nested within Derelomus Schoenherr, syn.n., and its only species is therefore renamed as D. piriformis (Hoffmann), comb.n. The predominantly Asian Acalyptina are reduced from tribal status, stat.n., to now be part of Derelomini, new placement. They are defined (inter alia) by truncate elytra. They also contain Eudela Pascoe and Eudelodes Zimmermann, new placements (previously Curculioninae incertae sedis). The New World Notolomina, subtr.n., are distinguished by bifurcate maxillary lacinial teeth and other mouthpart characters. Andranthobius mariahelenae (Bondar) (formerly Derelomus), comb.n., is added to this entity. Phyllotrogina, subtr.n., are a very diverse and mostly Neotropical lineage. They have two-segmented maxillary palps, a densely pubescent prosternum, and long macrosetae along the basal fifth of the posterior wing margin. Within the subtribe there are independent transitions to host plant associations with various dicots (Phyllotrox Schoenherr), Cyclanthaceae (e.g. Perelleschus Wibmer & O'Brien and Systenotelus Anderson & Gomez), and Araceae (Cyclanthura Franz). Their life history traits show related changes, including losses of the ability to pollinate, and more detrimental (herbivorous, seed-predating) larval developments (e.g. Cotithene Voss). Phyllotrox tatianae (Bondar) (formerly Derelomus), comb.n., is assigned to Phyllotrogina. Hypoleschus Fall is nested within Phyllotrox, syn.n., and thereby the latter now contains P. atratus (Fall), comb.n. The Central American palm-associated Androtrox Franz, gen.n., is proposed to accommodate A. megalops (Champion) (formerly Phyllotrox), comb.n., a species with large contiguous eyes and a set of mouthpart attributes convergently present in Andranthobius Kuschel (Notolomina) and Phyllotrox. The Neotropical Staminodeina, subtr.n., with a labial prementum with two triangular projections and a large anal lobe on the wing, probably represent a young clade of weevils specialized to oviposit into the ephemeral staminodes of Cyclanthaceae inflorescences. The apparent phylogenetic sequence of the subtribes is (Derelomina ((Acalyptina, Staminodeina) (Notolomina, Phyllotrogina))), with a Juano- rhinini–Trypetidini clade as the most immediate outgroup, followed by various curculionine lineages. The revised system thus improves the taxonomy of derelomine weevils, and clarifies our understanding of their roles in the evolution of several tropical plant lineages – palms and cyclanths in particular.

Abstract: Definition of some vascular plant families is unsatisfactory and, consequently, it is impossible to classify them adequately. The lack of an analytical key to the families based on easily observed, widespread characters sometimes results in surprising misinterpretations. A striking example in this regard is the Casuarinaceae. Engler (1897) considered them to be true Angiospermae (Dicotyledoneae, Order 1. Verticillatae). Melchior (Engler's Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien, vol. 2. 1964) and Wettstein (1935) concur with Engler, but Hutchinson (1973) placed the Casuarinales (Order 18) between the Juglandales and Urticales. According to Takhtajan (1969, 1973) the Casuarinaceae probably arose from the Hamamelidales. Gaussen (1940) derived the Casuarinaceae from the Articulatae. Hegnauer (1964) recalls that authors have noted similarities between Casuarina, Equisetum, Ephedra, and the Coniferae, but states the chemistry of the family is not well enough known to determine its position in the system. The Nymphaeaceae is another difficult family to place in the system. In Engler's Syllabus, Order 16 Ranunculales includes the suborders Ranunculineae and Nymphaeineae. The latter contains families Nymphaeaceae, and Ceratophyllaceae. The first of these is divided into the subfamilies Cabomboideae, Nymphaeoideae and Nelumbonoideae. Wettstein places the Nymphaeaceae in Order 18, Polycarpicae, following Family 20, Berberidaceae. The Nymphaeaceae contains the same subfamilies as in Engler's Syllabus. The following family is Ceratophyllaceae, which is considered closely related to the Nymphaeaceae. Hegnauer (1969) states that the evidence is not sufficient to form an opinion with respect to the relationships of all the genera included in the Nymphaeaceae. Hutchinson puts the family in the Ranales and it includes Nelumbo, Euryale, Nuphar and Barclaya. He treats Cabombaceae and Ceratophyllaceae as separate families. According to Kubitzki (1972), the Nymphaeaceae, s. str., do not belong in the Polycarpicae. A third example is the Cyclanthaceae. Wettstein placed them in the Order Synanthae, with the Palmae and Araceae but the plants of the three families are very different. The Palmae are mostly derived, the Cyclanthaceae include at least two different plant types, and the Araceae, mostly herbaceous, exhibit distinctive features. In Engler's Syllabus, the Order Synanthae (Cyclanthales) comprises the family Cyclanthaceae with subfamilies Carludovicoideae and Cyclanthoideae. These are herbs of palm-like habit and deeply bilobed leaves. They are very old, reduced and derived relicts. Hegnauer considers the Palmae, Cyclanthaceae and Pandanaceae more closely related to one another than to the herbaceous Araceae, Typhaceae and Sparganiaceae. According to Takhtajan, the Arales, Arecales and Cyclanthales were derived from the immediate ancestors of the Liliales.