ORIGIN AND CLASSIFICATION OF MONOCOTS

Lecture Schedule

Lecture

The monocots - basal angiosperms: Introduction

monocotyledons vs. dicotyledons

Origin of the monocots (4 old views)

Cronquist's dicot origin of the monocots

Aquatic ancestry of the monocots
Alismataceae-like monocots primitive
Leaf morphology of the monocots due to aquatic ancestry
Aquatic to terrestrial to aquatic pathways in monocot

Dahlgren's view of the origin of monocots

Dioscoreaceae (yams)

Thorne's / Walker's view of the origin of monocots

Melianthioid lilies

Burger's monocot origin of the Angiosperms

Small monocot plants as first Angiosperms
"Ranalian" dicot complex derived from monocots but primitive in the dicots

Fossil record of the monocots

Molecular evidence for a new monocot classification - see APGII phylogeny

Monocot relationships to dicots — part of the basal angiosperms, specific relationships unknown

Acoraceae is sister to all other monocots

4 major monocot groups

Acorales

Alismatales

Lilioids (not monophyletic) - orders:

Liliales
Asparagales
Dioscoreales
Pandanales

Commelinids - orders:

Arecales
Commelinales
Zingiberales
Poales