T.J. Mabry – författare

The Caryophyllales are one of the few higher taxa of theflowering plants ofwhich the size and delimitation againstother taxa is undisputed. However, their derivation fromother taxa and the evolution of families within this orderin unsettled."Systematics and Evolution of the Caryophyllales" reviewsthe important characters of this taxon emphasizing theircontribution and influence towards a new proposal for boththe putative origin of the order and the classification ofits families. New results in molecular genetics,phytochemistry, ultrastructure, and morphology are providedand discussed in relation to both the classical andmolecular systematics of the order. In addition, characterslike betalains and sieve-element plastids, which have playeda major role in shaping the size of the order, and otherslike DNA-data or flower morphologythat can be useful todiscuss the position of the Caryophyllales within higherplants are critically evaluated.

The Caryophyllales are one of the few higher taxa of theflowering plants ofwhich the size and delimitation againstother taxa is undisputed. However, their derivation fromother taxa and the evolution of families within this orderin unsettled."Systematics and Evolution of the Caryophyllales" reviewsthe important characters of this taxon emphasizing theircontribution and influence towards a new proposal for boththe putative origin of the order and the classification ofits families. New results in molecular genetics,phytochemistry, ultrastructure, and morphology are providedand discussed in relation to both the classical andmolecular systematics of the order. In addition, characterslike betalains and sieve-element plastids, which have playeda major role in shaping the size of the order, and otherslike DNA-data or flower morphologythat can be useful todiscuss the position of the Caryophyllales within higherplants are critically evaluated.

T. J. MABRY and G. W AGENITZ The half-day symposium on "Multidisciplinary approaches to the systematics of Compositae", held as part of the XIV International Botanical Congress in Berlin, on July 26, 1987, was designed to complement the University of Reading Compositae Conference (1975). The latter had yielded two impressive and thorough volumes on "The biology and chemistry of the Compositae", which were edited by HEYWOOD, HARBORNE & TURNER (1977). The 1987 Berlin Symposium did not attempt to update the information from the earlier conference but instead focussed on selected new methods for investigating the systematics of the family as well as a few examples of new systematic approaches with classical methods. From mapping chloroplast DNA restriction sites JANSEN, PALMER, and MI­ CHAELS reported the astonishing fact that, with the exception of one group (the subtribe Barnadesiinae of the tribe Mutisieae), all investigated other members of Compositae exhibit a characteristic inversion in their chloroplast DNA, suggesting that the inversion occurred early in the evolution of the family and that at least its major part is monophyletic. Within those groups with the inverted segment, chloroplast DNA also suggests that most of the conventionally recognized tribes are also monophyletic. This lends high credit to our predecessors who laid the foundations for the taxonomic system of the Compositae. These chloroplast DNA studies have already been published and are not included here (JANSEN & PALMER 1987, 1988).