| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section Yu, Chih-Chieh [1], Chung, Kuo-Fang [1]. A preliminary taxonomic study of Berberis sect. Wallichianae in Taiwan. The taxonomy of Taiwanese species of Berberis sect. Wallichianae is notoriously difficult. Subsequent to the first Taiwanese barberry described by Hayata in 1911, disparately different taxonomic opinions had been presented by various authors. These controversies stood largely from the fact that previous taxonomic treatments were mostly based on limited and scattered specimens. These herbarium collections, however, are at best random representatives sampled from a wide spectrum of morphological variation of Berberis species found in their natural habitat. Despite its controversial taxonomy, most previous authors have agreed that all Taiwanese Berberis species are endemic to the island (100% endemicity), unparalleled by any other groups of this size in Taiwan. This poster presents our preliminary effort toward a consensus on the taxonomy of Taiwanese Berberis sect. Wallichianae. Our ultimate goal is to provide a stable taxonomic framework for our ongoing research project using Berberis as a model system to study the evolution of high endemicity of Taiwan’s alpine flora. Based on comprehensive literature review, extensive herbarium work and field observation, our study suggests that leaf and fruit morphology alone, both of which were emphasized in previous studies, might not be very informative in separating these species if distributional data are not considered. We tentatively recognize nine species; they are B. alpicola, B. aristatoserrulata, B. brevisepala, B. chingshuiensis, B. hayatana, B. kawakamii, B. mingetsuensis, B. tarokoensis, and a putative new species waited to be described.
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1 - National Taiwan University, School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
Keywords:
Berberidaceae
endemic plants
high elevation plants
morphology.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for BSA Sections
Session: P1
Location: Event Tent/Cliff Lodge
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: P1SP005
Abstract ID:819 |
