| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section/ASPT Aguirre Santoro, Julian [1], Michelangeli, Fabian [2], Stevenson, Dennis [3]. Systematics, Biogeography and Morphological Evolution of the Caribbean-endemic Hohenbergia subgenus Wittmackiopsis (Bromeliaceae). The core Bromelioideae clade is one of the most striking examples of adaptive diversification within the family Bromeliaceae. Although the conflictive taxonomic classification within this species-rich group has made it difficult to identify specific diversification events, recent phylogenetic studies have revealed interesting clades that deserve further investigation. An excellent candidate for this purpose is Hohenbergia subgenus Wittmackiopsis, a group of ca. 20 species mostly endemic to the Greater Antilles. Although conducted with limited species sampling, previous phylogenetic studies of the core Bromelioideae have suggested that Hohenbergia subgenus Wittmackiopsis is monophyletic and very distantly related to Hohenbergia subgenus Hohenbergia. Despite the potential of this group for evolutionary studies in the Caribbean islands, the taxonomic and morphological knowledge of the group is very limited due to lack of collections and exploration of their natural habitats. Therefore, we present a systematic study of Hohenbergia subgenus Wittmackiopsis that includes: (1) a species-level phylogenetic analysis based on multi-locus molecular data, (2) a biogeographic analysis, (3) a taxonomic revision, and (4) a survey of the morphological evolution within the group. Our phylogenetic results strongly support Hohenbergia subgenus Wittmackiopsis as a monophyletic group nested within a grade of species of the Aechmea lingulata complex and the Brazilian species of Ronnbergia. Our preliminary biogeographic analysis indicates that the group colonized the Greater Antilles from an event that permitted dispersal from Eastern Brazil, probably via the Lesser Antilles. We also discuss the importance of morphology to understand the taxonomy and diversification processes within the group. Broader Impacts:
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1 - The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, NYBG - Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA
2 - The New York Botanical Garden, Institute of Systematic Botany, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
3 - THE NY BOTANICAL GARDEN, 2900 SOUTHERN BLVD, BRONX, NY, 10458-5126, USA, 718/817-8632
Keywords:
Bromeliaceae
Core Bromelioideae
Caribbean
Hohenbergia
Aechmea.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 13
Location: Rosedown/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 1:30 PM
Number: 13001
Abstract ID:444
Candidate for Awards:George R. Cooley Award |
