A search for phylogenetically informative wood characters in

A search for phylogenetically informative wood characters in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae (Apocynaceae) Frederic Lens 1, Mary E. Endress 2, Pieter Baas 3, Steven Jansen 4 and Erik Smets 1, 3 1 Laboratory of Plant Systematics, K. U. Leuven, Belgium; 2 Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland; 3 Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden branch, The Netherlands ; 4 Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW 9 3 DS, United Kingdom

INTRODUCTION • • OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Ca. 1000 spp. , 84 genera, 10 tribes Small to medium-sized trees, tropical lowland forests Lianas in 24 genera, most diverse in Willughbeieae Uniform flower morphology – Traditional classifications based on seed and fruit characters Plumeria rubra Catharanthus roseus Vinca minor

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Stemmadenia littoralis Allamanda schottii Carissa macrocarpa Cascabela thevetia

Simões et al. 2007: 5 chloroplast genes + morphology climbing taxa Rauvolfioideae paraphyletic APSA clade: -Apocynoideae -Periplocoideae -Secamonoideae -Asclepiadoideae

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION • (1) Detailed wood anatomical descriptions – LM and SEM observations – 91 species, 50 genera, all 10 tribes – CTFw, Lw, MADw, SJRw, Tw, WAGw • (2) Find meaningful wood features characterizing Rauvolfioideae tribes • (3) Compare anatomy of climbers vs. nonclimbers • (4) Unravel wood evolution within Apocynaceae

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION Vessel grouping CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION Vessel perforations, vessel pitting CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION Imperforate tracheary elements CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION Axial parenchyma distribution CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS Rays DISCUSSION CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION Calcium oxalate crystals CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION Laticifers and intraxylary phloem CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Diagnostic wood features within Tabernaemontaneae s. s. …

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION … lead to recognition of the former tribe Ambelanieae

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Climbing vs. nonclimbing genera in Willughbeieae

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Climbing vs. nonclimbing genera in Willughbeieae

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Vessel element length: — > 700 µm — 400 -700 µm — < 400 µm RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Aspidospermeae Alstonieae Kopsia-Vinceae Cli-Willughbeieae Noncli-Willughbeieae Ambelanieae (Tabern s. l. ) Tabernaemontaneae s. s. Diplorhynchus Melodineae Alyxieae climbing taxa Hunterieae Plumerieae Carisseae Wright. , Nerieae, Malouet. Periplocoideae Remaining Apocynoideae Secamonoideae Asclepiadoideae

INTRODUCTION Vessel grouping: — solitary vessels — radial multiples — clusters common OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Aspidospermeae Alstonieae Kopsia-Vinceae Cli-Willughbeieae Noncli-Willughbeieae Ambelanieae (Tabern s. l. ) Tabernaemontaneae s. s. Diplorhynchus Melodineae Alyxieae climbing taxa Hunterieae Plumerieae Carisseae Wright. , Nerieae, Malouet. Periplocoideae Remaining Apocynoideae Secamonoideae Asclepiadoideae

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Axial parenchyma: — excl apotracheal — apo- & paratracheal — excl paratracheal — absent RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Aspidospermeae Alstonieae Kopsia-Vinceae Cli-Willughbeieae Noncli-Willughbeieae Ambelanieae (Tabern s. l. ) Tabernaemontaneae s. s. Diplorhynchus Melodineae Alyxieae climbing taxa Hunterieae Plumerieae Carisseae Wright. , Nerieae, Malouet. Periplocoideae Remaining Apocynoideae Secamonoideae Asclepiadoideae

INTRODUCTION No cells per axial parenchyma strand: — 8 -10 — 4 -8 —<4 OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION Aspidospermeae Alstonieae Kopsia-Vinceae Cli-Willughbeieae Noncli-Willughbeieae Ambelanieae (Tabern s. l. ) Tabernaemontaneae s. s. Diplorhynchus Melodineae Alyxieae climbing taxa Hunterieae Plumerieae Carisseae Wright. , Nerieae, Malouet. Periplocoideae Remaining Apocynoideae Secamonoideae Asclepiadoideae

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES RESULTS DISCUSSION CONCLUSION • Rauvolfioideae wood anatomically diverse • Typical wood characters for most tribes – Vessel grouping, vessel element length – Number of cells per axial parenchyma strand – Fibre type • Climbing vs. nonclimbing anatomy: – Paratracheal vs. apotracheal parenchyma – Tracheid presence vs. absence • Some wood characters are diagnostic at the family level – E. g. Baileyan trend for vessel element length