Wood anatomy of Ranunculiflorae: a summary

Abstract

Recent surveys of wood anatomy of Bereridaceae, Glaucidiaceae, Lardizabalaceae, Menispermaceae, Papaveraceae, and Ranunculaceae reveal that wood anatomy is more closely related to habits than to systematic distinctions. The families can, however, be ranked from primitive to specialized in terms of vessel element length and “F/V ratio” (length of imperforate tracheary elements divided by length of vessel elements) as well as in terms of morphology of imperforate tracheary elements. Lardizabalaceae — especially the genus Decaisnea — rank as the family of Ranunculiflorae with the most primitive wood features. Wood characters that are of prime importance in determining relationship of Ranunculiflorae to other families include vessel restriction patterns, storying, and ray type; characters of less value include helical sculpturing in vessels, axial parenchyma type, and mode of crystal occurrence. The families of Piperales, (Aristolochiaceae, Lactoridaceae, Piperaceae) show more numerous resemblances to the families of Ranunculiflorae than do families of other orders. Paeoniaceae, thought by some closely related to Glaucidiaceae, have wood unlike that of Glaucidium or other families of Ranunculiflorae. The wood of Eupteleaceae is similar to that of Decaisnea, but this resemblance may derive merely from similarity in phylogenetic level. Wood anatomy supports inclusion of Hydrastis in Ranunculaceae and Nandina in Berberidaceae.