Suggested Characters for Phylogenetic Analysis of Asterid Eudicots


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Given below are characters you may wish to consider. It will be your group's responsibility to determine the number of appropriate character states, and whether they form a transformation series (logical steps). Some of the characters you may wish to exclude if your group thinks they may not be independent relative to other characters, are too variable in some families, or inappropriate at the level of subclasses.

 

Vegetative:

1.  Leaf phyllotaxy
2.  Stipules present
3.  Latex present
4.  Habit
5.  Pubescence
6.  Inflorescence type
7.  Bracts below flowers

Floral:

8.  Number of sepals or petals
9.  Fusion of sepals
10. Fusion of petals
11. Symmetry of flower
12. Number of stamens
13. Epipetalous stamens
14. Staminode present
15. Position of ovary (check hypanthium)
16. Number of carpels
17. Carpels further divided
18. Position of style relative to ovary
19. Number or fusion of styles
20. Nectary present
21. Placentation type
22. Number of ovules
23. Fruit type

Secondary chemicals (check Cronquist's An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants ):

24. Iridoids

Anatomical (check Cronquist's An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants ):

25. Internal phloem
26. Number of integuments in ovule
27. Type of ovule integuments

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