Pereskia and the origin of the cactus life-form

The American Naturalist
Erika J Edwards, Michael J Donoghue

Abstract

The cactus life-form is cited as an example of a tight relationship between organism form and function: a succulent, long-lived, photosynthetic stem allows cacti to survive long periods of drought while maintaining a positive tissue water status. Pereskia (Cactaceae) comprises 17 species of leafy shrubs and trees that are thought to represent the original cactus condition. Recent phylogenetic work has shown that there are two separate clades of Pereskia species, which are basal and paraphyletic with respect to the rest of the cacti. We selected seven Pereskia species, representing both clades, and characterized their water relations by measuring a suite of physiological traits in wild populations. Additionally, we estimated basic climate parameters from collection localities for all 17 Pereskia species. Extant Pereskia species exhibit ecological water use patterns that are very similar to those of the leafless, stem-succulent cacti. Ancestral trait reconstruction for the physiological and environmental data provides a preliminary assessment of the ecology and water relations of the earliest cacti and suggests that several key elements of the cactus ecological niche were established before the evolution of the cactus life-form. ...Continue Reading

References

Mar 21, 2003·Oecologia·Frederick C Meinzer
Jul 22, 2004·The American Naturalist·J Cavender-BaresF A Bazzaz
Feb 25, 2005·The American Naturalist·Charles C DavisMichael J Donoghue
Jul 1, 1981·Plant Physiology·L Rayder, I P Ting
May 17, 2006·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·John J Wiens, Michael J Donoghue
Nov 4, 2006·Plant, Cell & Environment·Erika J Edwards, Miriam Diaz
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Mar 1, 1997·Journal of Plant Research·J D Mauseth, J V Landrum

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Citations

May 4, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Mónica ArakakiErika J Edwards
Aug 6, 2013·Journal of Experimental Botany·Erika J Edwards, Michael J Donoghue
Mar 12, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·David C PlachetzkiTodd H Oakley
Jul 20, 2012·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Samuel B SchmerlerErika J Edwards
Jun 17, 2010·PloS One·Jason M Kamilar, Kathleen M Muldoon
Jul 6, 2014·Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM·Sogand ZareisedehizadehHwee-Ling Koh
Jun 5, 2013·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·John J WiensNatalia Silva
Mar 3, 2012·Plant, Cell & Environment·R Matthew Ogburn, Erika J Edwards
Mar 18, 2015·The New Phytologist·Michael J Donoghue, Michael J Sanderson
Aug 11, 2012·Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution·C M RitzN Taylor
Jan 26, 2018·Plant Biology·J A M HoltumK Winter
Apr 29, 2016·Nature·Jovan Kamcev, Benny D Freeman
Feb 1, 2009·American Journal of Botany·R Matthew Ogburn, Erika J Edwards
Jan 1, 2010·American Journal of Botany·Patrick J HudsonTaylor S Feild
Apr 17, 2018·American Journal of Botany·Eric W GoolsbyErika J Edwards
Sep 9, 2021·Chemistry & Biodiversity·Agustín MacedaTeresa Terrazas
Nov 12, 2021·American Journal of Botany·Joyce G Onyenedum, Marcelo R Pace

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