Abstract Detail

Systematics Section

Salazar, Jackeline [1], Santiago, Eugenio [2], Martinez-Millan, Marcela [3], Martinez, Nirzka [2], Mateo, Amelia [1].

Leaf epidermis of Tabebuia alliance (Bignoniaceae) and its systematics significance.

Tabebuia alliance is a Neotropical clade in the Bignoniaceae family with 14 genera and around 147 species, most found in the genus Tabebuia Gomes ex DC. In order to help assess patterns of morphological evolution of epidermal characters and its systematic significance, a survey of epidermal trichomes and stomata in Tabebuia alliance has been performed. These characters were evaluated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy with epidermal peeling maceration following the Gifford technique.The epidermal characters were mapped on the molecular phylogeny of the group published by Grose & Olmstead (2007). The analysis indicates that the general characteristics of the Tabebuia alliance include leaves that are hypostomatic as most of the species in Bignoniaceae, as well as glandular and eglandular trichomes. In addition, the clade has anomocytic type of stomata, a character that is also present in members of the Paleotropical clade, Bignoniae, and Jacaranda. The genus Sparattosperma at the base of the clade presents anomocytic stomata, peltate scales glandular and eglandular, and simple uniseriate tricomes. Although Tabebuia group plus Ekmanianthe mainly have glandular and eglandular scale peltate tricomes, a few species (e.g., Hispaniolan T. bullata) have acicular and filiform hairs. Spirotecoma and tribe Crescentieae are also groups characterized with scale peltate trichomes. On the other hand, Tabebuia group II, now genus Handroanthus (Grose & Olmstead, 2007), presents mainly branched hairs either dendritic or stellate or both, acicular or filiform, and glandular scale peltate tricomes. Thus, trichomes are important for defining two genera, Tabebuia and Handroanthus. However, a better resolved phylogeny is necessary to do the assessment of epidermal characters within these two genera.

Broader Impacts:

1 - Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), Escuela de Biología, Zona Universitaria, Santo Domingo, DN, República Dominicana
2 - University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras, Biology Department, PO Box 23360, San Juan, PR, 00931, USA
3 - 6622 130th Ave NE Apt D203, Kirkland, WA, 98033, USA

Keywords:
Bignoniaceae
Tabebuia alliance
epidermal characters.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PSY032
Abstract ID:635