Abstract
Seed morphology in the Melastomataceae has long been recognized as a variable trait with potential taxonomic, systematic, and evolutionary significance. However, seed diversity in the family has not been comprehensively studied and there is a lack of a consistent terminology to describe such variation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide standardized terminology that can be used to describe seed diversity and to elaborate seed morphological descriptions, at the generic level, for all subfamilies and tribes of the Melastomataceae. Based on a previous study of the Miconieae, 14 seed characters are proposed and applied to a large collection of unpublished SEM images and illustrations amassed, in part, for this study together with images in the published literature. As a result, 77% of the genera of Melastomataceae (131) were studied and described using the proposed terminology. The descriptive character states used here appear to be sufficient to capture seed morphological diversity within the family. However, more research is needed to clarify homology issues (e.g., shape, appendage) and to place morphological variation in an evolutionary context. Seed characters appear to be homoplastic which raises questions about the forces driving the enormous seed morphological diversity in the Melastomataceae.
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We thank Eldis Bécquer and Jesús Ricardo de Santiago Gómez for their valuable comments.
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Ocampo, G. et al. (2022). A New Perspective on Seed Morphological Features in Melastomataceae. In: Goldenberg, R., Michelangeli, F.A., Almeda, F. (eds) Systematics, Evolution, and Ecology of Melastomataceae. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99742-7_23
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