Professional taxonomy. What s in a name?

Transcription

1 Professional taxonomy What s in a name?

2 Appearances can be deceptive Knowing what a plant is can help us in predicting things about it Standardised names allow us to share knowledge Accurate naming is essential in, e.g., biodiversity assessments, conservation, medicine and forensics

3 When is a cactus not a cactus?

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5 When it s a spurge

6 When it s a spurge or a phone mast

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8 Similar structures in unrelated plants can confuse identification and predictions about characteristics Nepenthes -similarity due to shared function, not ancestry e.g. succulent stems and reduced leaves in plants adapted to growing in arid areas (including cacti and some spurges) pitcher plants have modified leaves for trapping and digesting insects Cephalotus Sarracenia

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11 Excitement when new plant discovered near Harrogate but was it native or introduced? Lady s slipper orchid one of Britain s rarest plants

12 U K 2 a lle le Y U K 5 a lle le T U K 9 a lle le Z It a ly a lle le Y C h it in s k a 1. 5 a lle le W F r a n c e a lle le X common types in western Europe, including all UK natives

13 U K 2 a lle le Y U K 5 a lle le T U K 9 a lle le Z It a ly a lle le Y C h it in s k a 1. 5 a lle le W F r a n c e a lle le X Harrogate plant didn t match phylogenetic studies showed it wasn t even the right species!

14 C. calceolus in the traditional (broad) sense

15 parviflorum var. pubescens calceolus parviflorum var. parviflorum

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17 North America Eurasia Yellow and brown flowered species have evolved twice

18 Change in conservation activity as a result All seedlings from cross pollination excluded from reintroduction programme Plant left where it was too far from any true C. calceolus, so no risk of natural cross pollination.

19 The torso in the Thames Comparison of fragments of plant tissue (bits of seeds and leaves) with intact specimens showed this to be a ritual killing of a boy

20 The torso in the Thames Comparison of fragments of plant tissue (bits of seeds and leaves) with intact specimens showed this to be a ritual killing of a boy Pollen grains from lungs showed that he had only recently arrived in Britain from West Africa

21 Cost C Amyris Santalum Santalum Eremophila Santalum balsamifera spicatum austrocale- mitchelli album donicum Origin of Sandalwood Essential Oil

22 GC-MS Chromatograms of Three Trade Sandalwood Samples Amyris balsamifera % Sandalwood % Santalum album % Time

23 Illicium verum (star anise) don t eat your pot pourri! Freshly steamed fruits are dried in sun Dried fruits used for medicinal purposes and food

24 Is Chinese star anise adulterated with Japanese star anise? Illicium anisatum Japanese star anise Illicium verum Chinese star anise

25 Japanese star anise HO O O Illicium anisatum L. HO HO O OH O Associated with adverse effects: emesis, bradycardia, hallucinations, convulsions Neurotoxic sesquiterpene lactones e.g. anisatin

26 GC-MS total ion chromatograms of thermally desorbed components of Illicium verum and I. anisatum fruit pericarps 100 A 4 I. verum % B 2 5 I. anisatum % 8 15a Time (min) 1 = limonene, 2 = 1,8-cineole, 3 = estragole, 4 = (E)-anethole, 5 = safrole, 6 = eugenol, 8 = (E)-caryophyllene, 9 = asaricin, 12 = methoxyeugenol, 13 = foeniculin, 14 = eugenol derivative, 15a = methoxyeugenol derivative.

27 Taxonomy Getting the correct name on a plant is essential for understanding relationships biological inventory conservation medicine and forensic science

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29 Sagina in the British Isles Eight native spp. plus two hybrids in BI (Stace, 1997)

30 Sagina in the British Isles Eight native species plus two hybrids in BI (Stace, 1997) Only seven in New Atlas (2002) as S. boydii, a presumed native, is of uncertain origin

31 S. procumbens S. maritima S. nivalis

32 ? S. procumbens S. maritima S. nivalis S. boydii Supposed to have been found in Braemar in 1878 by Mr W. B. Boyd. He does not remember gathering it... He had received about that time living plants from Switzerland for his garden, and there is the chance that it may be of foreign origin [Druce, 1920]

33 Sagina boydii (Boyd s pearlwort) Is this a distinct species? If so, is it a Scottish endemic? Preliminary studies showed close relationship to S. procumbens, S. saginoides and their hybrid, S. x normaniana More detailed study..

34 S. normaniana S. normaniana S. x normaniana S. normaniana S.saginoides S. saginoides S. boydii is embedded in S. procumbens and should be included in that species 0.05 changes S. procumbens Vienna, Austria S. procumbens Ringmore, England S. procumbens Newport, Wales S. procumbens Cardiff, Wales S. procumbens Cwm Idwal, Wales S. procumbens RBGE S. procumbens Killin, Scotland S boydii1 S. procumbens Czech Rep. S boydii1 S. procumbens Uppsala, Sweden S. procumbens

35 Sagina boydii (Boyd s pearlwort) R.I.P. = Is this a distinct species? NO If so, is it a Scottish endemic? n/a

36 monocots plus primitive dicots eudicots (tricolpates)

37 Nelumbo Lotus Nymphaea waterlily triaperturate pollen Protea Proteaceae triaperturate pollen Platanus Platanaceae

38 Differentiating frequently confused species Mu Tong group Akebia quinata Lardizabalaceae Clematis montana Ranunculaceae Aristolochia manshuriensis Aristolochiaceae

39 Differentiating frequently confused species Mu Tong group Akebia quinata Lardizabalaceae Clematis montana Ranunculaceae Aristolochia manshuriensis Aristolochiaceae