Cuscuta seeds: Diversity and evolution, value for systematics/identification and exploration of allometric relationships

PloS One
Magdalena OlszewskiMihai Costea

Abstract

Cuscuta (dodders) is a group of parasitic plants with tremendous economic and ecological significance. Their seeds are often described as "simple" or "unspecialized" because they do not exhibit any classical dispersal syndrome traits. Previous studies of seed morphology and/or anatomy were conducted on relatively few species. We expanded research to 101 species; reconstructed ancestral character states; investigated correlations among seed characters and explored allometric relationships with breeding systems, the size of geographical distribution of species in North America, as well as the survival of seedlings. Seed morphological and anatomical characters permit the separation of subgenera, but not of sections. Identification of Cuscuta species using seed characteristics is difficult but not impossible if their geographical origin is known. Seeds of subg. Monogynella species, exhibit the likely ancestral epidermis type consisting of elongated and interlocked cells, which are morphologically invariant, uninfluenced by dryness/wetness. Subgenera Cuscuta, Pachystigma and Grammica have evolved a seed epidermis with isodiametric cells that can alternate their morphology between two states: pitted when seeds are dry, and papillose ...Continue Reading

References

Mar 27, 2001·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·D W Vogler, S Kalisz
May 5, 2005·The New Phytologist·Malcolm C Press, Gareth K Phoenix
Sep 1, 2009·American Journal of Botany·Mihai Costea, Sasa Stefanovic
May 22, 2016·American Journal of Botany·Mihai CosteaAndy J Green
Mar 1, 1977·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Robert William Cruden
Jun 10, 2017·Botanical Studies·Kanapol KetjarunPaweena Traiperm
Jan 1, 2018·Organisms, Diversity & Evolution·Miguel A GarcíaMihai Costea

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
Scanning Electron microscopy
optical microscopy
light microscopy

Software Mentioned

Grammica
Mesquite
PAST
it
XLSTAT
it ! 2
Pax

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