Tens of millions of dried seahorses (genus Hippocampus) are traded annually, and the pressure from this trade along with their life history traits (involved parental care and small migration ...distances and home ranges) has led to near global population declines. This and other forms of overexploitation have led to all seahorse species being listed in Appendix II under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The signatory nations of CITES recommended a 10-cm size limit of seahorses to ensure harvested individuals have reached reproductive maturity, and have thus had the chance to produce offspring, to maintain a more sustainable global seahorse fishery. We assessed adherence to CITES recommendations using DNA barcoding and size measurements to compare two prominent U.S. dried seahorse markets: (1) traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and (2) non-medicinal ecommerce and coastal curio (ECC). We also estimated U.S. import abundance from CITES records. Of the nine species identified among all samples (n = 532), eight were found in the TCM trade (n = 168); composed mostly (75%) of the Indo-Pacific species Hippocampus trimaculatus, and Hippocampus spinosissimus, and the Latin American Hippocampus ingens. In contrast, ECC samples (n = 344) included 5 species, primarily juvenile Indo-Pacific Hippocampus kuda (51.5%) and the western Atlantic Hippocampus zosterae (40.7). The majority of TCM samples (85.7%) met the CITES size recommendation, in contrast to 4.8% of ECC samples. These results suggest non-size discriminatory bycatch is the most likely source of imported ECC specimens. In addition, CITES records indicate that approximately 602,275 dried specimens were imported into the U.S. from 2004-2020, but the exact species composition remains unknown as many U.S. imports records list one species or Hippocampus spp. from confiscated shipments due to difficulties in morphological identification and large numbers of individuals per shipment. Molecular identification was used to identify the species composition of confiscated shipment imports containing undesignated species, and similar to TCM, found H. trimaculatus and H. spinosissimus the most abundant. By combining DNA barcoding, size comparisons, and CITES database records, these results provide an important glimpse into the two primary dried U.S. seahorse end-markets, and may further inform the conservation status of several Hippocampus species.
Historical climate changes have had a major effect on the distribution and evolution of plant species in the neotropics. What is more controversial is whether relatively recent Pleistocene climatic ...changes have driven speciation, or whether neotropical species diversity is more ancient. This question is addressed using evolutionary rate analysis of sequence data of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers in diverse taxa occupying neotropical seasonally dry forests, including Ruprechtia (Polygonaceae), robinioid legumes (Fabaceae), Chaetocalyx and Nissolia (Fabaceae), and Loxopterygium (Anacardiaceae). Species diversifications in these taxa occurred both during and before the Pleistocene in Central America, but were primarily pre-Pleistocene in South America. This indicates plausibility both for models that predict tropical species diversity to be recent and that invoke a role for Pleistocene climatic change, and those that consider it ancient and implicate geological factors such as the Andean orogeny and the closure of the Panama Isthmus. Cladistic vicariance analysis was attempted to identify common factors underlying evolution in these groups. In spite of the similar Mid-Miocene to Pliocene ages of the study taxa, and their high degree of endemism in the different fragments of South American dry forests, the analysis yielded equivocal, non-robust patterns of area relationships.
Sapindales is an angiosperm order of high economic and ecological value comprising nine families, c. 479 genera, and c. 6570 species. However, family and subfamily relationships in Sapindales remain ...unclear, making reconstruction of the order's spatio-temporal and morphological evolution difficult. In this study, we used Angiosperms353 target capture data to generate the most densely sampled phylogenetic trees of Sapindales to date, with 448 samples and c. 85% of genera represented. The percentage of paralogous loci and allele divergence was characterized across the phylogeny, which was time-calibrated using 29 rigorously assessed fossil calibrations. All families were supported as monophyletic. Two core family clades subdivide the order, the first comprising Kirkiaceae, Burseraceae, and Anacardiaceae, the second comprising Simaroubaceae, Meliaceae, and Rutaceae. Kirkiaceae is sister to Burseraceae and Anacardiaceae, and, contrary to current understanding, Simaroubaceae is sister to Meliaceae and Rutaceae. Sapindaceae is placed with Nitrariaceae and Biebersteiniaceae as sister to the core Sapindales families, but the relationships between these families remain unclear, likely due to their rapid and ancient diversification. Sapindales families emerged in rapid succession, coincident with the climatic change of the Mid-Cretaceous Hothouse event. Subfamily and tribal relationships within the major families need revision, particularly in Sapindaceae, Rutaceae and Meliaceae. Much of the difficulty in reconstructing relationships at this level may be caused by the prevalence of paralogous loci, particularly in Meliaceae and Rutaceae, that are likely indicative of ancient gene duplication events such as hybridization and polyploidization playing a role in the evolutionary history of these families. This study provides key insights into factors that may affect phylogenetic reconstructions in Sapindales across multiple scales, and provides a state-of-the-art phylogenetic framework for further research.
Many angiosperm families are distributed pantropically, yet for any given continent little is known about which lineages are ancient residents or recent arrivals. Here we use a comprehensive sampling ...of the pantropical sister pair Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae to assess the relative importance of continental vicariance, long-distance dispersal and niche-conservatism in generating its distinctive pattern of diversity over time. Each family has approximately the same number of species and identical stem age, yet Anacardiaceae display a broader range of fruit morphologies and dispersal strategies and include species that can withstand freezing temperatures, whereas Burseraceae do not. We found that nuclear and chloroplast data yielded a highly supported phylogenetic reconstruction that supports current taxonomic concepts and time-calibrated biogeographic reconstructions that are broadly congruent with the fossil record. We conclude that the most recent common ancestor of these families was widespread and likely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous and that vicariance between Eastern and Western Hemispheres coincided with the initial divergence of the families. The tempo of diversification of the families is strikingly different. Anacardiaceae steadily accumulated lineages starting in the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene while the majority of Burseraceae diversification occurred in the Miocene. Multiple dispersal- and vicariance-based intercontinental colonization events are inferred for both families throughout the past 100 million years. However, Anacardiaceae have shifted climatic niches frequently during this time, while Burseraceae have experienced very few shifts between dry and wet climates and only in the tropics. Thus, we conclude that both Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae move easily but that Anacardiaceae have adapted more often, either due to more varied selective pressures or greater intrinsic lability.
Display omitted
•Schinus is monophyletic, but most of its infrageneric categories are polyphyletic.•We propose a novel infrageneric classification recognizing eight sections.•New sections are ...correlated with particular geographic and ecological areas.•The cage-like arrangement may be a plant defense against mammalian herbivores.•Petal to stamen size ratio is mostly correlated with distinct geographical areas.
Schinus, best known by its few cultivated and invasive species, is the largest genus of Anacardiaceae in southern South America. It is remarkably diverse compared to closely related genera, with approximately 42 species, most of which occur in several arid vegetation types and extend into Andean and Atlantic moist forests. The most comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus dates to 1957, recognizing S. subg. Schinus and S. subg. Duvaua, the latter of which were further divided into two sections. Subsequent studies have highlighted morphological inconsistencies in this infrageneric classification, and species delimitation remains a challenge. Schinus has been poorly sampled in previous phylogenetic studies of Anacardiaceae, and thus any assumptions about its monophyly and relationships remain untested. We investigated the phylogenetic relationships of 44 Schinus taxa and sampled 122 specimens, including the outgroup, using nine nuclear and two plastid DNA sequence regions, most of them developed recently for Commiphora (Burseraceae, sister to Anacardiaceae). We used maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference to infer relationships among species. We also constructed a morphological dataset, including vegetative anatomical features, and compared these characters to hypotheses based on molecular evidence in order to achieve a better understanding of the relationships among the species of Schinus and to related genera, aiming also to identify morphological characters and putative synapomorphies for major clades, and to discuss hypotheses regarding the evolution of structural traits in the genus. Our analyses strongly support the monophyly of Schinus, but also indicate that S. subg. Schinus and the sections of S. subg. Duvaua are polyphyletic. The phylogenetic relationships that emerged from our analyses include eight relatively well-supported lineages, but relationships among closely related species remain unclear in some clades. Ancestral state reconstructions demonstrate that several morphological and leaf-anatomical characters are valuable in characterizing some lineages. By contrast, most of the traits that have traditionally been used to circumscribe groups in Schinus show high levels of homoplasy. In light of these results, we present a novel sectional classification of Schinus based on a combination of character states associated with geographic distribution, corresponding to lineages that are mostly allopatric or at least ecologically distinct.
Main conclusion
Metabolites in
Rafflesia
-infected and non-infected
Tetrastigma
were compared which may have applications in
Rafflesia
propagation. Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, here reported for the ...first time in Vitaceae, were abundant in non-infected shoots and may be a form of defense. In
Rafflesia
-infected shoots, oxylipins, which mediate immune response, were elevated.
Endemic to the forests of Southeast Asia,
Rafflesia
(Rafflesiaceae) is a genus of holoparasitic plants producing the largest flowers in the world, yet completely dependent on its host, the tropical grape vine,
Tetrastigma
.
Rafflesia
species are threatened with extinction, making them an iconic symbol of plant conservation. Thus far, propagation has proved challenging, greatly decreasing efficacy of conservation efforts. This study compared the metabolites in the shoots of
Rafflesia
-infected and non-infected
Tetrastigma loheri
to examine how
Rafflesia
infection affects host metabolomics and elucidate the
Rafflesia
infection process. Results from LC–MS-based untargeted metabolomics analysis showed benzylisoquinoline alkaloids were naturally more abundant in non-infected shoots and are here reported for the first time in the genus
Tetrastigma,
and in the grape family, Vitaceae. These metabolites have been implicated in plant defense mechanisms and may prevent a
Rafflesia
infection. In
Rafflesia
-infected shoots, oxygenated fatty acids, or oxylipins, and a flavonoid, previously shown involved in plant immune response, were significantly elevated. This study provides a preliminary assessment of metabolites that differ between
Rafflesia
-infected and non-infected
Tetrastigma
hosts and may have applications in
Rafflesia
propagation to meet conservation goals.
The Spondioideae subfamily of the Anacardiaceae is widely distributed today in tropical regions. Recent molecular phylogenetic investigations indicate that the Spondioideae are not monophyletic, but ...rather comprise at least two separate clades that are difficult to distinguish using vegetative and floral characters. Nevertheless, the syndrome of finit characters traditionally used in identifying the subfamily is useful in discriminating genera of these clades and for identification of both modern and fossil anacardiaceous fruits. Here we document the morphology and anatomy of endocarps for representatives of all extant genera traditionally treated as Spondioideae, plus two genera that have been placed close to them in molecular investigations, Buchanania and Campnosperma. All genera are characterized by drupe-like fruits with sclerified stones that vary from uni- to multilocular depending on the genus. Germination modes vary throughout the Spondioideae. Some have characteristic plug-like opercula; others have recessed bilabiate germination valves, and still others open by apical flaps or simple slits. Although most currently recognized genera appear to be monophyletic, fruit morphology indicates that current circumscriptions of Cyrtocarpa, Poupartia and Tapirira are in need of revision.
Neotropical Anacardiaceae (cashew family) Mitchell, John D.; Pell, Susan K.; Bachelier, Julien B. ...
Revista Brasileira de Botânica,
03/2022, Letnik:
45, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Anacardiaceae is an ecologically and economically important plant family of about 200 species in 32 genera in the Neotropics. The family is particularly diverse in leaf architecture and fruit ...morphology, making it a model family to study the evolution of structural diversity as it correlates with lineage diversification. This fruit diversity is the primary reason 11 of the Neotropical genera are monotypic and that so many genera are recognized in the Anacardiaceae. The economic value of the family is driven by the global markets for cashews, mangoes, and pistachios, but there is great potential value in its medicinal properties. At least 10 Neotropical genera cause contact dermatitis, which is a rich area for research in the family. Here presented is a review of the systematics and structural diversity of the family. Particular attention is given to the morphology, economic botany, paleobotany, ecology, and taxonomy of native and naturalized genera. Keys to Neotropical Anacardiaceae subfamilies and genera are provided along with descriptions of native genera.
This study focuses on reconstructing the time-calibrated phylogeny of the nine families comprising the order Sapindales, representing a diverse and economically important group of eudicots including ...citrus, mahogany, tree-of-heaven, cashew, mango, pistachio, frankincense, myrrh, lychee, rambutan, maple, and buckeye. We sampled three molecular markers, plastid genes rbcL and atpB, and the trnL-trnLF spacer region, and covered one-third of the generic diversity of Sapindales. All three markers produced congruent phylogenies using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods for a set of taxa that included outgroups, i.e., members of the closely related orders Brassicales and Malvales, and the more distantly related Crossosomatales, Ranunculales, and Ceratophyllales. All results confirmed the current delimitation of the families within Sapindales, and the monophyly of the order. Concerning inter-familial relationships, Biebersteiniaceae and Nitrariaceae formed a basal grade (or sister clade) to the rest of Sapindales with moderate support. The sister relationship of Kirkiaceae to Anacardiaceae and Burser-aceae was strongly supported. The clade combining Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae as well as the clade combining Meliaceae, Simaroubaceae, and Rutaceae each received strong support. The sister relationship between Meliaceae and Simaroubaceae was moderately supported. The position of Sapindaceae could not be resolved with confidence. The Sapindales separated from their sister clade, comprising Brassicales and Malvales, in the Early Cretaceous at ca. 112 Ma, and diversified into the nine families from ca. 105 Ma until ca. 87 Ma during Early to Late Cretaceous times. Biebersteiniaceae and Nitrariaceae have the longest stem lineages observed in Sapindales, possibly indicating that extinction may have had a greater role in shaping their extant diversity than elsewhere within the order. Divergence within the larger families (Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Meliaceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae, Simaroubaceae) started during the Late Cretaceous, extending into the Paleogene and Neogene.
The large-flowered parasitic genus Rafflesia R.Br. (Rafflesiaceae) has long fascinated naturalists and scientists and is an iconic symbol for plant conservation. Techniques to effectively propagate ...members of the genus outside of their natural habitat are sparse, and grafting infected Tetrastigma K.Schum.(Vitaceae) host plants has previously been reported as a successful strategy for ex situ conservation of Rafflesia. Here we report our attempts in the United States to propagate host cuttings infected with Rafflesia speciosa Barcelona & Fernando and R. lagascae Blanco collectedfrom the Philippines, as well as uninfected host material. We also describe efforts to germinate R. speciosa seeds in vitro using various plant growth regulators (PGRs). After rooting, infected host cuttings survived for a maximum of 11 months, but did not produce shoots. However, an uninfected cutting of T. cf. magnum grafted onto an established Malaysian species of Tetrastigma in June 2017 has succeeded in the commencement of new growth. Three propagules of a second potential host, T. harmandii Planch., have also been vigorously growing at the United States Botanic Garden since June 2017. However, Rafflesia seeds did not germinate with the application of PGRs, even though the seeds were viable according to tetrazolium (TZ) testing.These ex situ propagation attempts have revealed challenges in propagating these species outside of their native ranges, but our incremental success in rooting infected Tetrastigma, as well as grafting interspecific Tetrastigma species, bodes well for further advances. With Philippine host species, T. harmandii and T. cf. magnum in cultivation, we can begin using these specimens for future experimentation involving grafting of infected material and Rafflesia seed inoculation trials.Furthermore, we describe new avenues of propagation techniques for Rafflesia as practised by Marius Gabin, one of the owners of the Vivian Rafflesia garden, which contains a natural Rafflesia forest habitat at Poring Springs, Sabah, Malaysia. Gabin openly shared his successes in artificially inoculating Rafflesia seeds into a mature Tetrastigma vine. Gabin’s willingness to share his experience highlights the importance of collaborating with practitioners who have developed local knowledge of Rafflesia horticulture and conservation.
PDF
