Experimental and Molecular Approaches to Plant Biosystematics by Peter C. Hoch; A. G.StephensonReview by: Jindřich Chrtek, Jun.Folia Geobotanica, Vol. 33, No. 3 (1998), pp. 368-369Published by: SpringerStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4201315 .

Accessed: 12/06/2014 21:45

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

Springer is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Folia Geobotanica.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 21:45:15 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

368 Bookreviews

gives a review of chemical aspects of the biology of the Araceae. Three other chapters stress such aspects of the ecology of the family as the life forms encountered in the aroids, pollination biology, and seed dispersal. Geographical distribution of the genera is briefly discussed in a separate chapter, and this information is further complemented in the part on taxonomy (maps, countries of occurrence) and in the Appendix, where a generic country list is provided. Three chapters describe uses, cultivation requirements, and conservation status of selected genera and species. Fossil records of pollen and different plant organs of the Araceae are reviewed in one chapter, and this is followed by accounts on phylogenetic relationships to other monocots and within the family itself. Compared to other modem and classical treatments of the Araceae, the authors propose a simpler hypothesis for their phylogeny. They accept the separate family of Acoraceae and present a list of distinguishing characters. The authors conclude that the Araceae is most likely a paraphyletic group, and as an example they provide one of the 100 equally parsimonious cladograms. The general part is closed by a chapter reviewing previous classifications, which are also given in the Appendix.

Part B (Taxonomy) begins with the author's classification of the Araceae, description of the family, and a key to the genera of the Araceae and Acoraceae. Chapters 26 and 27 describe the tribes and genera of the two families. The description of each genus is complemented with one or more plates of original line drawings by E. Catherine. Chromosome numbers, distribution range (with maps), ecology, etymology, and a list of taxonomic accounts are provided. The descriptions are supported by 94 colour photos.

The authors give an exhaustive list of references and taxonomic literature, and in the glossary they explain the botanical terms used. In the Appendix they also list fungal parasites of various members of the family. In the last chapter a new subfamily and a new species is described. Enclosed in the book is a multiplatform read-only CD containing the digital version of the book, which can be used for browsing and word searching.

The new treatment of the family of Araceae synthetizes what is known about the aroids and can be used by anyone interested in this diverse family. Though several chapters in part A may seem to be rather brief, the authors' intention to fill a gap in the taxonomy of the group has been achieved. The book will become the starting point for specialists undertaking out their research on the family and will assist in the recognition and understanding of the taxa. It will also provide thorough and up-to-date information to all other botanists. The book can be expected to encourage students and specialists alike to study plants from this interesting family, as was hoped for by the authors.

Petr Sklenar

Peter C. Hoch & A.G. Stephenson (eds.): EXPERIMENTAL AND MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO PLANT BIOSYSTEMATICS. Monographs in systematic botany 53; Missouri Botanical Garden, 1995, xxii + 392 pp. Price USD 60.-, ISBN 0-915279-30-4

The reviewed book contains papers presented at the fifth symposium of the International Organization of Plant Biosystematists (IOPB), held 11-15 June 1992 in St. Louis, Missouri (U.S.A.). It is divided into four main parts corresponding to the symposium sessions, i.e. DNA and plant biosystematics, Plant growth patterns and biosystematics, Plant reproductive strategies, Phylogenetic analysis and population biology. It consists of original papers as well as review articles. Rather than reviewing all of the papers, I will comment only on some selected subjects.

The first part is devoted to nucleic acid analyses as a means to study relationships among organisms as well as rates of evolution within lineages. Of particular interest is the paper "A phylogeny of seed plants resulting from analysis of DNA sequence variation among the rbcL loci of 499, with particular emphasis on alliances among monocotyledons" by M.R. Duvall et al. Although phylogenetic reconstructions based on molecular data have regularly appeared in many journals in the past few years, the range of the mentioned paper is unique. The unique basal position of the genera Ceratophyllum and Acorus within the angiosperms and the monocotyledons, respectively, is very interesting (similar results were achieved elsewhere using morphological and anatomical characters). The authors must be applauded for such a monumental task. The use of DNA markers in biosystematic research of individual genera is represented by the paper "Nuclear DNA markers for the evolution of Microseris (Asteraceae)" by K. Bachmann. It is an excellent contribution to the series of papers devoted to this extremely interesting genus. Another exciting new area is the analysis of fossil DNA sequences - in this volume it is documented in the paper by P.S. Soltis et al. The authors examined Miocene plant fossils from Clarkia, Idaho, U.S.A. The paper by A.F. MacRae focuses on plant transposable elements (TGE, pieces of mobile DNA) and among others discuss the use of TGE for systematic inferences. I believe

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 21:45:15 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Bookreviews 369

that even transposons could open many new perspectives for studies of differentiation pattern. Nevertheless, the extreme complexity of this topic needs the close collaboration of botanists, genetists and molecular biologists. Remaining papers by J. Doebley focus on the genetic basis of morphological evolution.

The second part "Plant growth patterns and biosystematics" is generally devoted to the analysis of plant architecture and branching patterns. A series of broad comparative analyses of patterns in fossil vascular plants, bryophytes, ferns, and angiosperms is followed by analyses of branching patterns in tropical trees, in the family Solanaceae, and in several clonal perennial herbs, demonstrating the utility of architectural models in both systematics and ecology.

The interdependence between the areas of reproductive biology and systematics is reviewed by G.J. Anderson. My personal preference is the paper "Gene flow among plant populations: Evidence from genetic markers" by J.L. Hamrick et al. The authors compare and discuss both indirect (distribution of genetic diversity among populations, frequency of alleles restricted to single population) and direct (multilocus analyses) estimates of gene flow. It is clearly demonstrated how little quantitative data concerning gene flow in natural populations are available and how rudimentary is our understanding of gene movement. And even the knowledge of this process is of crucial importance for studies of genetic differentiation, for population studies, etc.

The final part addresses the topic of phylogenetic analysis and population biology. W. Maddison (Phylogenetic histories within and among species) mentions the possible discordance between the branching of gene trees and species containing them. He pays attention to genetic processes within populations and to tree-like genetic histories. L.A. McDade turns attention to reticulate phylogenic histories of hybrids and discusses the possibilities of how to handle hybrids cladistically. I am glad that there are now computer programs seeking to identify hybrids. The author also discusses the evolutionary significance of hybridization. S.G. Weller et al. applied phylogenetic approaches to some related questions concerning self-incompatibility (SI) in flowering plants (is SI ancestral in angiosperms, did gametophytic and sporophytic SI arise independently, is SI in heteromorphic species homologous with SI in homomorphic ones).

The book shows the great potential of molecular techniques for the solution of many different questions. Many markers and techniques are now available and it is extremely important to choose those appropriate for selected kinds of study; it is always wise to incorporate at least two different types of assessments into any project. I highly appreciate the fact that contributors to this volume stress these facts! We should also keep in mind that the explosive development of molecular methods undoubtedly offers new perspectives to more "classical" plant systematics (for example the urgent need for the precise determination of studied plants, the knowledge of morphological variation). This is an excellent book.

JindFich Chrtek jun.

Phillip Cribb: THE GENUS CYPRIPEDIUM; The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1997, 301 pp. Price GBP 29.99, ISBN 0-88192-403-2

In the opening 100 pages of this book the author refers to the morphology, life history, cytology, phylogenetic relationship and biogeography, ecology, uses, conservation, artificial hybridization and cultivation of the genus Cypripedium (this latter chapter written by Holger Perner). The remaining 200 pages are devoted to the monograph of the genus itself. We find here a description of the genus, an outline of an infrageneric classification, a determination key and other chapters devoted to individual species. Cypripedium is a temperate genus that occurs as far south as Guatemala and Honduras in the Americas and the Himalayas in Asia. In this monograph 45 species (and four varieties) and four natural hybrids are treated.

Each species is provided with a scientific name with a full citation, type material and its place of deposition, list of synonyms, followed by a morphological description and description of its distribution, habitat and time of flowering. Map of distribution and an illustration is given for each species. In the book we find not only high-quality drawings (of each species) but also reprints of historical coloured paintings, and mostly very successful photographs. As a rule there are several photographs of each species, both from cultivation and natural habitats. Photographs from natural habitats in Tibet, Yunnan and remote regions of Mexico deserve special attention. It is hard to find any fault with this monograph and it is surely a good example for works of a similar type.

To conclude, the publication is not only an excellent scientific monograph, but also a delightful book in itself.

Ota Sida

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 21:45:15 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions