Collaborative Research: Revisionary Studies in BromeliaceaeSubfamily Tillandsioideae

在一个合作项目中，华盛顿州立大学的艾米·让·吉尔马丁博士和怀俄明大学的格雷格·布朗博士正在研究热带菠萝科菠萝科部分成员的形态、染色体和繁殖系统。在该科的2100种植物中，至少有一半作为附生植物生长在其他植物上，但对寄主没有寄生影响。许多是肉质植物，能够依靠有限的和零星的水分来源生存。这些旱生(喜旱)植物的进化是一个关键问题，这项研究将有助于回答这个问题。该项目得到了来自9个拉丁美洲国家的16名常驻植物学家的帮助。这些人和他们的学生收集标本，包括用于染色体分析的花蕾小瓶。这一常驻收藏家网络已被证明是有效的，并在几个南美国家促进了更广泛的收藏。继续进行的分类学工作的主要焦点是“西班牙苔藓”植物的大而困难的属，Tillandsia。完成的工作将改善对这一群体的物种识别，绘制整个原生范围的地理分布图，并提供物种之间进化关系的分析。

In a collaborative project, Drs. Amy Jean Gilmartin of Washington State University and Greg Brown of The University of Wyoming are studying the morphology, chromosomes, and breeding systems of select members of the tropical Bromeliaceae, the pineapple family. Among the 2100 species of the family, at least half grow as epiphytes upon other plants, although without parasitic effect on the host. Many are succulents that are able to survive on limited and sporadic sources of moisture. The evolution of these xeric (dry-loving) plants is one critical question which this research will help to answer. The project enlists the aid of 16 resident botanists from nine Latin American countries. These individuals and their students collect specimens including vials of floral buds for chromosome analysis. This network of resident collectors has proven effective and has stimulated more general collecting in several South American countries. The primary focus of the continuing taxonomic work is on the large and difficult genus of "Spanish moss" plants, Tillandsia. Completed work will improve species recognition in this group, map geographic distributions throughout native ranges, and provide an analysis of evolutionary relationships among the species.