GRANT1, JASON R.* AND LENA STRUWE2. 1Institut de botanique, Laboratoire de phanérogamie, Université de Neuchâtel, ch. de Chantemerle 18, Neuchâtel 2007, Switzerland, 2 The Lewis B. & Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458 USA. - Generic level relationships in the Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae) based on plastid locus matK cpDNA sequences and traditional morphological characters.
The subfamily Tillandsioideae of the Bromeliaceae comprise some
1500 species widespread in the neotropics, largely representing the
entire range of the family. This group has undergone rapid speciation
and adaptation to every niche, habitat and pollinator available. The
plants occur as epiphytic or terrestrial, from sea-level beach dunes,
desert sand dunes, epipetric on sheer rock faces, humid lowland rain
forests, tropical dry forests, cloud forests, to high elevation
páramos. Plants range from minute (6 cm long) epiphytes to enormous 3
m tall terrestrial tank bromeliads. Floral adaptation in corolla
shape, color, and fragrance to its pollinators has taken place
repeatedly. While most species are bright-colored, day-blooming, and
hummingbird or insect pollinated, important species groups in such
genera as Werauhia and Vriesea are specifically adapted
to night-blooming and bat pollinators. Within this wide range of
morphological variation, convergence and possible parallel evolution
has contributed to the difficulty in circumscribing genera. The
Tillandsioideae have been subject to various generic-level
interpretations based largely on selective morphological characters
primarily derived from studies of herbarium material. In particular,
the genera Tillandsia, Vriesea, and Guzmania have
long been recognized as artificially circumscribed. With the goal of
achieving monophyletic and decisively natural genera, molecular
studies into this fascinating group have been initiated. Combining
the molecular data from plastid locus matK cpDNA sequences, and a
different emphasis on some of the same morphological characters
traditionally used in bromeliad systematics, new relationships in the
subfamily are revealed that will result in a recircumscription of the
genera.
Key words: Bromeliaceae, molecular systematics, taxonomy, Tillandsioideae