Estrutura de flores e frutos em Malpighiaceae com ênfase no clado tetrapteroide

Abstract

The order Malpighiales is composed of 36 families. Among them, Malpighiaceae encompasses 77 genera and about 1300 species, which can be found in the Neotropics and Paleotropics. In Brazil, 38 of the 77 genera described for the family are present. The floral homogeneity is a remarkable feature of this family and, in contrast to the floral uniformity, the fruits of this family are extremely diverse, with drupes, nutlets and varied types of schizocarp found, with smooth, setous or variously winged mericarps. The Malpighiaceae family is currently divided into 14 clades with good statistical support in phylogenetic analyses, but still has gaps in internal circumscriptions and does not have recognized morphological synapomorphies for some groups. The tetrapteroid clade is one of the largest and most diverse of Malpighiaceae in the Neotropics, covering most of the non-monophyletic genera of the family. Thus, it is important to identify structural characters that can help resolve uncertain intrafamily relationships in Malpighiaceae, especially tetrapteroids. The study of floral vasculature can highlight relevant processes for understanding evolutionary relationships. In view of the above, our objectives are: 1- to describe the floral vasculature of species of all genera of the tetrapteroid clade and at least one genus of the other clades of the family, in order to recognize variations that may help in the positioning of genera or clades in the phylogeny of the family; 2- to assess whether there is a direct relationship between the vascularization of the gynoecium of these species and their respective fruit morphotypes. 3- to survey fruit descriptions and discuss the nomenclature used, proposing a unique terminology, in addition to providing an identification key for the fruit morphotypes of the family.