Anatomy, Ecology and Evolution of Cactaceae

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 7690

Special Issue Editor

Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Interests: biogeography; hybridization; morphological evolution; polyploidy; seasonally dry tropical forests

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The family Cactaceae, with around 1800 species, is a phenomenal example of an American radiation of edaphic specialists with an exquisite morphological adaptation to environmental conditions. This Special Issue will deal with the anatomy, ecology, and evolutionary history of the family to put into perspective the complexity behind the formation and diversity of such a mesmerizing group of plants. For this Special Issue, we aim to publish papers from a broad array of fields to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the diversity and importance of this family across the Americas. Novel research and review articles are welcome.

Dr. Lucas C. Majure
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Internal anatomy
  • Biogeography
  • Co-evolution
  • Cytogeography
  • Dispersal
  • Edaphic endemism
  • Herbivory
  • Morphological evolution
  • Phenotypic plasticity
  • Phylogeny
  • Pollination
  • Speciation
  • Systematics
  • Umbrella species.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 6145 KiB  
Article
Phylogenomics of One of the World’s Most Intriguing Groups of CAM Plants, the Opuntioids (Opuntioideae: Cactaceae): Adaptation to Tropical Dry Forests Helped Drive Prominent Morphological Features in the Clade
by Lucas C. Majure, Serena Achá, Marc A. Baker, Raul Puente-Martínez, Matias Köhler and Shannon Fehlberg
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040570 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1882
Abstract
Opuntioideae, composed of roughly 370 species, occur in almost every biome in the Americas, from seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) to high-elevation Andean grasslands, American deserts and temperate zones. The interrelationships among the three major clades of Opuntioideae (Cylindropuntieae, Opuntieae and Tephrocacteae) are [...] Read more.
Opuntioideae, composed of roughly 370 species, occur in almost every biome in the Americas, from seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) to high-elevation Andean grasslands, American deserts and temperate zones. The interrelationships among the three major clades of Opuntioideae (Cylindropuntieae, Opuntieae and Tephrocacteae) are not well resolved, and thus, the ancestral habitat, biogeographic history and evolution of morphological characters, such as large photosynthetic leaves and flattened stems, are poorly understood. To test their geographic origin and evolution of key morphological characters, we built the largest phylogenomic dataset for Cactaceae to date using 103 plastid genes of 107 taxa of Opuntioideae. The subfamily Opuntioideae likely evolved in South America in a combination of seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF)/desert habitats. Opuntieae most likely evolved in South America in SDTF and, from there, moved into desert regions, Chaco and temperate/subtropical zones, while Tephrocacteae and Cylindropuntieae evolved in South America in desert regions and moved into SDTF, Chaco and temperate/subtropical zones. Analyses of morphological evolution suggest that, although large leaves are plesiomorphic in Opuntioideae, long-lived, photosynthetically active leaves in Cylindropuntieae and Tephrocacteae are homoplasious and do not represent retained plesiomorphy, as is often assumed. Flattened stems are synapomorphic for Opuntieae, possibly representing adaptation to competition for light resources in SDTF, their most likely ancestral area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anatomy, Ecology and Evolution of Cactaceae)
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18 pages, 2554 KiB  
Article
Floral Specialization and Bat Pollination in Subtribe Cereinae (Cactaceae): A Morphological Approach
by Sinzinando Albuquerque-Lima, Nigel P. Taylor, Daniela C. Zappi and Isabel C. Machado
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020207 - 01 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2008
Abstract
Cactaceae has many vertebrate-pollinated species, and in the subtribe Cereinae, several genera are indicated as being pollinated by bats. In this subtribe, we observed phenotypic specialization in floral morphological attributes associated with chiropterophily, allowing high precision in the determination of this pollination system. [...] Read more.
Cactaceae has many vertebrate-pollinated species, and in the subtribe Cereinae, several genera are indicated as being pollinated by bats. In this subtribe, we observed phenotypic specialization in floral morphological attributes associated with chiropterophily, allowing high precision in the determination of this pollination system. However, in loco pollination records of bats have been confirmed only in a few species. In this context, using a morphological approach, we studied the floral biology of 14 columnar cacti of Cereeae-Cereinae with emphasis on species with chiropterophilous attributes and confirmed the role of bats specialized in nectar consumption as pollinators of these taxa. The studied taxa have similarities in their floral bauplan, observed by analysing the overlap in the floral morphospace. The length and opening of the floral tube are important characteristics for pollen deposition. Approximately 156 visits by bats of the subfamilies Glossophaginae and Lonchophyllinae were observed among the studied taxa. Chiropterophily is the prevalent pollination system among Cereinae, and hereby, we verified this system in five of its genera. There is, however, much variation between diurnal and nocturnal systems within this subtribe, and variation among genera and within species of a given genus may reflect the evolutive pathways, this being worthy of future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anatomy, Ecology and Evolution of Cactaceae)
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16 pages, 3115 KiB  
Article
A Multivariate Study of Morphological Characters for Echinocactus horizonthalonius and E. texensis (Cactaceae) and Description of a New Subspecies, E. horizonthalonius subsp. australis
by Marc A. Baker
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121020 - 23 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1666
Abstract
A study was conducted to ascertain the taxonomic validity of the endangered taxon Echinocactus horizonthalonius var. nicholii and whether there may be other groups of populations worthy of subspecies status within the range of the species. To test the hypothesis that individuals of [...] Read more.
A study was conducted to ascertain the taxonomic validity of the endangered taxon Echinocactus horizonthalonius var. nicholii and whether there may be other groups of populations worthy of subspecies status within the range of the species. To test the hypothesis that individuals of E. horizonthalonius var. nicholii are morphologically distinct from those of the typical variety, a multivariate analysis was done to compare the degree of morphological variation or phenotypic plasticity of stem characters within populations to the variation among populations of E. horizonthalonius throughout its known range. Populations of E. texensis were sampled for outgroup comparison. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) assigning individuals by population showed loose groupings of geographically correlated populations. The DFA assigning individuals to regions or potential subspecific taxa indicated high percentages of correct classification for individuals within populations grouped into the Chihuahuan Desert, Sonoran Desert, and Central Mexican Plateau regions. Taxonomically, these groups correspond to E. horizonthalonius subsp. horizonthalonius (Chihuahuan Desert), E. horizonthalonius var. nicholii (Sonoran Desert), and unnamed taxon of E. horizonthalonius (Central Mexican Plateau). Because these morphological entities are correlated with regional distributions, they are placed here under subspecies, including a newly described taxon, E. horizonthalonius subsp. australis. Because no type for E. horizonthalonius could be located, a neotype is designated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anatomy, Ecology and Evolution of Cactaceae)
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14 pages, 5639 KiB  
Article
Biomass Partitioning and Morphoanatomical Traits of Six Gymnocalycium (Cactaceae) Species Occurring along a Precipitation Gradient
by Solana B. Perotti, Nayla L. Aliscioni, Natalia E. Delbón, Mario Perea, Ariadna Hammann and Diego E. Gurvich
Diversity 2022, 14(9), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090749 - 11 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1346
Abstract
As a group, cacti are regarded as plants that tolerate water scarcity, since they present a number of adaptations. However, little is known about how species of the family varied their morphoanatomical characteristics along environmental gradients. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
As a group, cacti are regarded as plants that tolerate water scarcity, since they present a number of adaptations. However, little is known about how species of the family varied their morphoanatomical characteristics along environmental gradients. The aim of this study was to analyze how six Gymnocalycium species occurring in three sites along a precipitation gradient (arid site: G. pugionacanthum, G. marianae; semiarid site: G. hybopleurum, G. stellatum; subhumid site: G. oenanthenum, G. baldianum) differ in their biomass partitioning and morphoanatomical characteristics. We collected mature individuals of each species and analyzed their biomass partitioning (to spines, aboveground stem, underground stem, main root, and lateral and thin roots), morphological characteristics (such as size ratios, spine length and width, and areole density) and anatomical characteristics (stoma number, and cuticle, epidermis, and hypodermis width). Species differed, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in most of the analyzed variables. For example, biomass allocated to spines was highest in G. pugionacanthum, lowest in G. baldianum, and intermediate in the remaining species. However, these variations were not clearly associated with aridity, but were related to the subgenus of the species. These patterns were clearly observed in the PCA. Phylogenetic relatedness is the main factor associated with morphoanatomical characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anatomy, Ecology and Evolution of Cactaceae)
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