This study is the most comprehensive and up-to-date overview of style morphology and anatomy of the plant family Asteraceae (or Compositae; asters, daisies, sunflowers), using the most current generalized phylogenetic tree based on molecular data as reference.
The Asteraceae are the largest plant family (one out of about every 10 species of the flowering plants belongs to this family); they include about 25,000 currently accepted species in 14 subfamilies and 44 tribes. The authors distinguish 49 style types in the Asteraceae. The style characters are compared with other features that indicate a systematic relationship.
The style of an individual flower of the Asteraceae is one of the most important floral organs in two respects: Firstly, the characteristics of the style contribute to the systematics of the family, secondly, the different forms of styles are of utmost importance to secondary pollen presentation. The latter allows for optimizing pollination by pollen portioning, a widespread phenomenon in angiosperms.
Combining both morphology and function, the style types represent eight possibilities of secondary pollen presentation, which can be subsumed into four main functional categories. Style characteristics and mechanisms of secondary pollen presentation are plotted in up-to-date phylogenetic trees to illustrate and discuss possible evolutionary trends in the Asteraceae.
Evaluating style characters and the position of the style tip within the anther tube shortly before anthesis now allows – in most cases – to easily predict the mechanism of secondary pollen presentation.
The different style types are exquisitely illustrated by high-quality greyscale and colour images and numerous line drawings. The study is complemented by an extensive bibliography, a table of the specimens studied (species, collection, etc.) and an index.
This style atlas is useful not only to botanists (especially synantherologists) and entomologists but addresses a wider audience interested more generally in the systematics of flowering plants and the evolution of floral characters and function.
Preface 3
Abstract 5
I. Introduction 7
II. Material and Methods 11
III. Characterization of style types 13
IV. Style morphology and anatomy and some remarks on other characters used for classification in the past and present – An overview 27
A. Basal families of Asteraceae (Barnadesioideae, Famatinanthoideae, Mutisioideae, Stifftioideae, Wunderlichioideae, Gochnatioideae, Hecastocleidoideae) 27
I. Subfamily Barnadesioideae 29
I.1. Single tribe Barnadesieae 29
II. Subfamily Famatinanthoideae 29
II.2. Single tribe Famatinantheae 29
III. Subfamily Stifftioideae 34
III.3. Tribe Stifftieae 34
III.3a. Stifftieae – Stifftia 34
III.3b. Stifftieae – Hyaloseris clade 36
III.3c. Stifftieae – Gongylolepis clade 36
III.4. Tribe Hyalideae 36
IV. Subfamily Mutisioideae 38
IV.5. Tribe Onoserideae 39
IV.6. Tribe Nassauvieae 42
IV.7. Tribe Mutisieae 45
V. Subfamily Wunderlichioideae 49
V.8. Single tribe Wunderlichieae 49
VI. Subfamily Gochnatioideae 52
VI.9. Single tribe Gochnatieae 52
VII. Subfamily Hecastocleidoideae 52
VII.10. Single tribe Hecastocleideae 52
B. Pertyoideae, Carduoideae, and Gymnarrhenoideae 54
VIII. Subfamily Pertyoideae 55
VIII.11. Single tribe Pertyeae 55
IX. Subfamily Carduoideae 57
IX.12. Tribe Oldenburgieae 57
IX.13. Tribe Tarchonantheae 59
IX.14. Tribe Dicomeae 60
IX.15. Tribe Cardueae 61
X. Subfamily Gymnarrhenoideae 64
X.16. Tribe Gymnarrheneae 64
C. Vernonioideae, Cichorioideae, and Corymbioideae 69
XI. Subfamily Vernonioideae 69
XI.17. Tribe Arctotideae 69
XI.17a. Subtribe Arctotidinae 70
XI.17b. Subtribe Gorteriinae 70
XI.17c. Tribe Arctotideae, unplaced genus: Heterolepis 73
XI.18. Tribe Platycarpheae 74
XI.19. Tribe Eremothamneae 74
XI.20. Tribe Liabeae 77
XI.21. Tribe Moquinieae 77
XI.22. Tribe Vernonieae 78
XII. Subfamily Cichorioideae 81
XII.23. Single tribe Cichorieae 81
XIII. Subfamily Corymbioideae 84
XIII.24. Single tribe Corymbieae 84
D. Subfamily Asteroideae 86
D1. Supertribe Senecionodae 87
XIV.25. Tribe Senecioneae 87
D2. Supertribe Asterodae 92
XIV.26. Tribe Calenduleae 92
XIV.27. Tribe Gnaphalieae 95
XIV.28. Tribe Astereae 100
XIV.29. Tribe Anthemideae 104
D3. Supertribe Helianthodae 107
XIV.30. Tribe Inuleae 107
XIV.30a. Subtribe Inulinae 109
XIV.30b. Subtribe Plucheinae 112
XIV.31. Tribe Athroismeae 114
XIV.32. Tribe Feddeeae 116
XIV.33. Tribe Helenieae 116
XIV.34. Tribe Coreopsideae 117
XIV.35. Tribe Neurolaeneae 119
XIV.36. Tribe Tageteae 120
XIV.37. Tribe Chaenactideae 122
XIV.38. Tribe Bahieae 123
XIV.39. Tribe Polymnieae 124
XIV.40. Tribe Heliantheae 124
XIV.41. Tribe Millerieae 129
XIV.42. Tribe Madieae 130
XIV.43. Tribe Perityleae 133
XIV.44. Tribe Eupatorieae 133
V. The value of style characters for more detailed phylogenetic considerations 136
1. Style characteristics in basal subfamilies of Asteraceae 136
2. Style characteristics in Pertyoideae, Carduoideae (Oldenburgieae, Dicomeae, Cardueae), and Gymnarrhenoideae 139
3. Style characteristics in Vernonioideae, Cichorioideae, and Corymbioideae 143
4. Style characteristics in Asteroideae 149
4.1. Senecionodae / Senecioneae 149
4.2. Asterodae 150
4.3. Helianthodae 154
4.3.1. Basal Helianthodae: Inuleae, Athroismeae, and Feddeeae 154
4.3.2. "Heliantheae alliance" 157
5. Stigma characters 164
5.1. 'Non-Asteroideae' group 164
5.2. Asteroideae clade 167
VI. Secondary pollen presentation 169
1. Pollen portioning and optimization of pollination 169
2. The mechanisms 169
3. Assignment of the mechanisms based on style characters and the position of the style tip just before pollen presentation 173
4. Secondary pollen presentation – comparative comments on morphology and function 195
VII. Final remarks 202
VIII. Acknowledgements 206
IX. References 207
X. Appendix (Table 1) 227
Index 254