Abstract
Within the tribe Veroniceae (Scrophulariaceae), Synthyris and Besseya have been grouped at times with Wulfenia, because of their rosette habit, and with cauline-leaved Veronica, because of similarities of pollen and seed morphology. Floral development patterns of Synthyris reniformis, Besseya alpina, and Wulfenia carinthiaca were studied with quantitative methods to contribute additional evidence towards resolving the phylogenetic relationships of those genera. For each species, 19 flower organ measurements were taken on each of 50 buds from all stages of development. Compared to the fast early corolla development observed in most Scrophulariaceae, all species examined shared a delay in early corolla tube growth which was less extreme than that observed in Veronica. A strong delay in early corolla lobe growth was shared only between Veronica, Synthyris, and Besseya. This derived attribute is a possible synapomorphy supporting hypotheses of monophyly of those genera. Summarizing all measurements with multigroup principal components analysis showed that the overall floral allometries of Wulfenia have more similarity with those of Digitalis than with Veronica and relatives; this concurs with evidence from vegetative and reproductive morphology. Key words: floral development, allometry, phylogeny.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
