TITLE	Evolution of apocarpy in Alismatidae using phylogenetic evidence from chloroplast rbcL gene sequence data
AUTHOR	Jin-Ming Chen Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P.R. China Dan Chen Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P.R. China Wahiti Robert Gituru Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P.R. China Qing-Feng Wang Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P.R. China You-Hao Guo Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P.R. China
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ABSTRACT	The apocarpous groups in the monocotyledons are mainly concentrated in the subclass Alismatidae. The molecular phylogeny of Alismatidae based on analysis of chloroplast rbcL gene sequence data serves as a framework with which to evaluate character evolution with respect to the derivation of apocarpy in the group. 20 of the 27 genera in the subclass that display apocarpy have been included in our study. Our analysis indicates that apocarpy is polyphyletic within the subclass Alismatidae. Two independent origins of apocarpy in Alismatidae are explored in this study. Three separate origins of a single carpel and two separate origins of syncarpy in the subclass are also proposed. Basally connate carpel condition was the ancestral character in Alismatidae and evolved in two directions. It is possible for the unicarpellate condition to have been directly derived by reduction from syncarpy, and it could also be that the unicarpellate state has been derived from apocarpy by reduction in carpel number. The present results indicate that a progression has occurred in the evolution of carpels in Alismatidae from basally connate carpels through syncarpy or apocarpy to a single carpel.
KEYWORD	Alismatidae; Apocarpy; Basally connate carpels; RbcL gene; Single carpel; Syncarpy; Unicarpellate;
ARTICLE INFO	Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, Volume 45 Number 1 January 2004, page 33-40, 8 pages
PUBLISHER	Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China