Systematics of Polemoniaceae Subfamily Cobaeoideae

密歇根州立大学的拉里·普拉瑟博士正在探索凤尾草科(Phlox科)热带亚科Cobaeoideae的多样化过程，方法是对所有物种进行全面的分类和系统发育研究，并结合形态、生态和系统发育数据来探索谱系的进化模式。这里定义的热带亚科包括五个属：棘皮亚科、波兰迪亚属、坎图亚属、眼镜蛇亚科和虎尾亚属。分类学研究将以植物标本馆、田间和温室研究为基础，并将包括形态变异、花粉和种子形态、分布、生态、染色体数量、授粉、生殖生物学、生物地理学和系统发育的新数据。形态系统发育研究将通过使用核(ITS)和叶绿体DNA序列(TRNT-trnL 5‘和trnL 3’-trnF间隔区，以及部分ndhF编码区)的分子研究来补充。帕拉瑟、研究生安娜·K·威斯和兰乔·圣安娜植物园的J·马克·波特将进行为期12周的南美实地考察，以记录形态变异和授粉系统。系统发育数据将与至少两组具有与相似授粉机制相关的汇聚花形态的物种的比较形态研究相结合。这些分析将有助于辨别同源性和特征进化如何有助于相似花卉综合征的重复进化。已有突破性的进化和生态学研究在植物科的成员上进行，但对这类植物中的热带成员知之甚少。这些物种中有几个具有重要的文化贡献；它们从印加时代就开始种植，印加人用这些美丽的植物来装饰他们的太阳穴。一种名为Cantua buxifolia的植物是玻利维亚和秘鲁的国花。这些物种分布在新热带地区，出现在从沙漠到热带雨林的环境中；许多是狭隘的特有物种，面临灭绝的威胁，因此本研究将为保护这些物种提供所需的基本信息。初步研究表明，几个新种可能被描述为本研究的一部分，从而加深了我们对热带多样性的理解。这项研究也将提供对进化多样化的机制和模式的洞察。例如，至少两组不相关但具有相同花朵形状、大小和颜色的物种将被详细研究，以便我们能够了解这些相似的形态是如何多次出现的。这些研究将提供洞察这些进化模式如何不仅在Polemoniaceae中发展，而且在一般植物中发展。

Dr. Larry Prather of Michigan State University is exploring the process of diversification in the tropical subfamily Cobaeoideae of the Polemoniaceae (Phlox family) by providing comprehensive taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of all the species and by combining morphological, ecological, and phylogenetic data to explore patterns of evolution in the lineage. The tropical subfamily, as defined here, includes five genera: Acanthogilia, Bonplandia, Cantua, Cobaea and Huthia. Taxonomic studies will be based on herbarium, field, and greenhouse studies and will include new data on morphological variation, pollen and seed morphology, distribution, ecology, chromosome numbers, pollination, reproductive biology, biogeography, and phylogeny. Morphological phylogenetic studies will be complemented by molecular studies using nuclear (ITS) andchloroplast DNA sequences (trnT - trnL 5' and trnL 3' - trnF spacer regions, and partial ndhF coding region). Prather, graduate student Anna K. Wiese, and J. Mark Porter of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, will perform twelve weeks of South American fieldwork to document morphological variation and pollination systems. Phylogenetic data will be combined with comparative morphological studies in at least two sets of species that have convergent floral morphologies associated with similar pollination mechanisms. These analyses will help to discern how homology and character evolution contribute to the repetitive evolution of similar floral syndromes. Groundbreaking evolutionary and ecological studies have been performed onmembers of the plant family Polemoniaceae, yet little is known about the tropical members of this group. Several of these species have important cultural contributions; they have been in cultivation since the time of the Incas, who used these beautiful plants to adorn their temples. One species, Cantua buxifolia, is the national flower of both Bolivia and Peru. These species are distributed in the neotropics and occur in environments from desert to rainforest; many are narrow endemics and are threatened with extinction, thus this study will provide the basic information needed for conservation of these species. Preliminary studies suggest that several new species may be described as a part of this study, thus furthering our understanding of tropical diversity. This study will also provide insight into the mechanisms and pattern of evolutionary diversification. For example, at least two sets of species that are unrelated, but that have the same floral shape, size, and color, will be studied in detail so that we can learn how these similar morphologies arise multiple times. These studies will provide insight into how these evolutionary patterns develop not only in the Polemoniaceae, butin plants in general.