Dissertation Research: Systematics and Evolution of Calandrinia Subgenus Hirsutae (Portulacaceae)

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Graduate student Donna Ford, working under the supervision of Dr. Peter Raven, will conduct a taxonomic study of 20 or so species of annual plants of the genus Calandrinia of the purslane family Portulacaceae in Chile. Data will be obtained from new field collections made in Chile and from herbarium collections, with additional greenhouse and laboratory study of morphology, anatomy, chromosome numbers, pollen, and flavonoids. The distribution of character variation within and among populations of these plants will be examined, considering the roles of biogeography, ecology, and reproductive biology. Computer programs for deriving evolutionary patterns will be used to determine species relationships and to test hypotheses about modes of speciation and routes of migration. This project will provide valuable knowledge about the systematics and population biology of semi-arid zone plants and contribute information useful for the biotic inventory of South American plant resources.