XVI International Botanical Congess

Accurate inferences in evolutionary biology require careful hypotheses of structural and phylogenetic homology. Homology among diverse floral forms in the Amorpheae has been obscured by the evolution of novelty, such as the insertion of free petals onto fused stamens, and by the loss of organs. Here we synthesize results from morphological study and phylogenetic analysis, using matK sequence data, to assess the homology of floral traits in Amorpheae. We found petal-stamen fusion to be structurally and phylogenetically homologous among taxa in which it occurs. This finding requires a reconsideration of generic limits within the tribe. Other traits, e.g., petal loss, were found not to be phylogenetically homologous. We discuss these results in the context of the patterning of morphological evolution among clades within Amorpheae.