Abstract Detail

Tropical Biology

Lujan, Manuel A [1].

Playing the taxonomic cupid: Matching incomplete species of Clusia (Clusiaceae).

The neotropical genus Clusia L. (ca. 400 spp., Clusiaceae) comprises plants with a remarkable assemblage of morphological and physiological traits. These plants are mostly woody hemiepiphytes or trees; nearly all species are dioecious and some are apomictic. Clusia is the only genus of trees that includes species known to use the CAM photosynthetic pathway. It is also one of the few groups of angiosperms in which some species produce floral resins as the reward for pollinators. The center of diversity of the genus is northern South America, specifically the montane forests of the Andes and the Guyana Shield. An additional intriguing aspect of Clusia is the fact that many species have been described from plants of only one sex (i.e., staminate or pistillate). For these incompletely described species, staminate or pistillate plants must be discovered in order to complete their taxonomic circumscriptions. An extensive literature search was performed to compile original descriptions from all known Clusia species. It was found that nearly half of currently accepted species of Clusia have been described with either pistillate or staminate material only. Locality data from type specimens of incompletely described species was recorded or estimated. Extensive study of herbarium specimens of Clusia had been undertaken to locate specimens collected near the type localities of incompletely described species, with special emphasis on species described only from staminate individuals. Potential conspecificity between pistillate and staminate specimens has been assessed based on shared geographic distributions, similarity of vegetative characters and molecular data from nuclear ITS. Moreover, field collections have been made in the same general area as incomplete species type collections, and material from sexual conspecifics have been described. Species distribution maps and complete morphological descriptions of three species for which sexual conspecifics were found are presented here (i.e. C. araracuare Pipoly, C. columnaris Engl., C. eugenioides Planch. & Linden ex Planch. & Triana).

1 - Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

Keywords:
Clusia
taxonomy
Systematics
dioecy.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 21, Tropical Biology
Location: Fort Worth Ballroom 1/Omni Hotel
Date: Tuesday, June 27th, 2017
Time: 9:15 AM
Number: 21004
Abstract ID:465
Candidate for Awards:None