Phylogenetic trends in the evolution of inflorescence odours in Amorphophallus.

The chemical composition of inflorescence odours of 80 species of Amorphophallus (Araceae) were determined by headspace-thermal desorption GC-MS. When compared to published molecular phylogenies of the genus, the data reveal evidence both of phylogenetic constraint and plasticity of odours. Dimethyl oligosulphides were found as common constituents of Amorphophallus odours and were the most abundant components in almost half of the species studied.

Endemic Amorphophallus (Araceae) from Madagascar: a revised key, a new species and molecular phylogeny.

Background: Since the revision of Amorphophallus of Madagascar (Bot Jahrb Syst 121(1):1-17, 1999) several additional new species have been described. The recent discovery of another new species promted the preparation of a revised key as well as the description of the new species. Amorphophallus hildebrandtii, never restudied since its analysis by Engler in 1881, has been refound and restudied.

Relationships within the Araceae: comparison of morphological patterns with molecular phylogenies.

Premise Of The Study: The first family-wide molecular phylogeny of the Araceae, a family of about 3800 published species in 120 genera, became available in 1995, followed by a cladistic analysis of morpho-anatomical data in 1997. The most recent and comprehensive family-wide molecular phylogeny was published in 2008 and included species from 102 genera. We reanalyzed the molecular data with a more complete genus sampling and compared the resulting phylogeny with morphological and anatomical data, with a view to contributing to a new formal classification of the Araceae.