Survey of the vascular plants

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Survey of the vascular plants

• Why we put what where and to determine families

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Outline

• How is relatedness among plant families
  determined?
• Different representative phylogenetic trees
• Using a synoptic key
• Tips for learning plant families

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How were plant families related?

• Relatedness among plant families was determined
  in the past primarily by floral traits
• Linnaeus used plant sexual organs as a primary
  basis in distinguishing families and genera.

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Family Relatedness Now

• With the advent of molecular technology, there
  are many other ways to determine relatedness.
• Mostly, phylogenetic work is now done according
  actual differences in the DNA chloroplast genes
• The goal is to always create a monophyletic group

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Monophyletic Groups

• A group containing only and all descendents of a
  common ancestor, and it is often characterizable
  by apomorphies, that is, shared, derived
  characters that appeared in the ancestral lineage
  or stem clade of that monophyletic group.

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Cronquist classification system
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http//www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/welcome.
htmlFrom the Missouri Botanic GardenNote that
these are only to order, but we focus on the
familyMostly based on APG
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Another example of a flowering plant phylogeny
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Amborella
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A.P.G.

• Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
• Group of scientists that wanted to standardize
  the previous groupings
• Based on molecular data monophyletic groups
• See chapter 6 for more info
• Two seminal papers resulted
• APG or APG I
• APG II

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APG II

• Published in 2003
• Made clarifications from the 1998 paper
• Basically just incorporated newer molecular data
• Always changing and being revised, but with a
  good standard, that of the monophyletic group

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An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
classification for the orders and families of
flowering plants APG IITHE ANGIOSPERM PHYLOGENY
GROUP
A revised and updated classification for the
families of the flowering plants is provided.
Newly adopted orders include Austrobaileyales,
Canellales, Gunnerales, Crossosomatales and
Celastrales. Pertinent literature published since
the first APG classification is included, such
that many additional families are now placed in
the phylogenetic scheme. Among these are
Hydnoraceae (Piperales), Nartheciaceae
(Dioscoreales), Corsiaceae (Liliales),
Triuridaceae (Pandanales), Hanguanaceae
(Commelinales), Bromeliacae, Mayacaceae and
Rapateaceae (all Poales),
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Why focus on the family?

• Over 400,000 plant species
• Only about 400 plant families
• Many families are already monophyletic

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Synoptic key

• These keys define major characteristics of a
  taxon
• Page 128-129 in your book
• Useful to help in your discovery of plant
  families
• Lets try it out!

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Using a Synoptic Key

• Keys are great, but if you can recognize a
  family, you can go a lot quicker
• None of you need a key to recognize a conifer now
  (at least I hope not)
• We will focus on knowing families

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Tips for learning families

• Practice keying plants to family
• Practice keying plants to genus
• Consult books and the internet
• Prepare a set of one-character/family tables
• Make a family/character table
• Flash cards
• Study with friends

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One Character Table
Superior Inferior Both
Grossulariaceae Onagraceae Rosaceae Saxifragaceae
Caprifoliaceae Apiaceae Ericaceae Liliaceae
Betulaceae Fagaceae
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Class / Trait Table
Character Magnoliopsida Liliopsida
Cotyledons Usually 2 Usually 1
Leaves Often reticulate veined Often parallel veined
Vascular Cambium Often present (ca. 50 woody) Absent
Primary Vascular Bundles Arranged in a ring Often scattered
Pollen Various types Monosulcate
Floral Parts Often in 4s or 5s Usually sets of 3
Root System Primary and adventitious Adventitious only