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Abstract Detail



Anatomy and Morphology

Julier, Adele CM [1], Mander, Luke [2].

The morphology and ecology of Neotropical angiosperm flowers: an analysis using discrete characters.

Tropical rainforests are some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, both in the present day and in geological time. Here, the morphospace occupied by flowers produced by the angiosperms of Barro Colorado Island, Panama is explored, using an expansion of the character set used in the seminal work by G. L. Stebbins. Characters coded for in this analyses were: perianth state (calyx and corolla present, one-whorled, or perianth absent), nature of corolla (polypetalous or sympetalous), flower symmetry (actinomorphic, zygomorphic or asymmetrical), merism of flower, number of stamens, nature of gynoecium (apocarpous, syncarpous or monocarpous), number of ovules per locule, placentation of ovules, position of ovary (hypo-, hyper- or perigynous), petal length and stamen length. Occupied morphospace is compared to unoccupied morphospace, groups that exhibit high variability of form are compared to those that do not, and the relationship between flower morphology and ecological function is explored. The merits and limitations of this approach in exploring hyper-diverse tropical systems are discussed.


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1 - The Open University, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystems, Gass Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
2 - The Open University, Gass Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

Keywords:
Morphospace
Floral traits
morphology
Flower morphology
tropical forest
Tropical plants.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 6, Anatomy and Morphology I
Location: 113/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Monday, July 23rd, 2018
Time: 11:15 AM
Number: 6013
Abstract ID:831
Candidate for Awards:None


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