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Australian Systematic Botany Australian Systematic Botany Society
Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Generic concepts within hornworts: historical review, contemporary insights and future directions

D. Christine Cargill A D , Karen S. Renzaglia B , Juan Carlos Villarreal B and R. Joel Duff C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

B Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA.

C Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA.

D Corresponding author. Email: Christine.Cargill@deh.gov.au

Australian Systematic Botany 18(1) 7-16 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB04012
Submitted: 3 June 2004  Accepted: 1 November 2004   Published: 29 March 2005

Abstract

Although the hornworts (anthocerotes) are a relatively small assemblage of approximately 150 species, generic boundaries and relationships within the group are controversial. The four prevailing classification schemes are based mainly on morphology and show little congruency. Here we set the foundation for contemporary phylogenetic and taxonomic studies by presenting an historical overview of generic concepts within the anthocerotes. An overview of recent morphological and molecular studies that concentrate on hornworts points to intuitive, novel relationships and a degree of diversity hitherto unknown in the group. Phylogenetically informative characters at the morphological level are identified, with emphasis on newly acquired ultrastructural data. A recent molecular analysis based on rbcL sequences is presented and the levels of suitability of several molecular markers to answer phylogenetic questions within the group are explored. On-going intensive studies that sample a wider range of species and utilise multiple genes and comprehensive morphological data are likely to revolutionise interpretations of the taxonomic relationships and character evolution within hornworts.


Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Helen Hewson for her reading and discussion of drafts of the manuscript. We would also like to thank two anonymous referees for their comments. The senior author would also like to acknowledge an ABRS grant for the revision of the Australian Anthocerotales and the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research for ongoing support and availability of facilities for research into Australian hornworts. Support is acknowledged from National Science Foundation grants DEB-0235919, DEB-0235985 and DEB-0228679 as part of the Systematic biology and assembling the Tree of life programs, the Green Tree of Life Project (see http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/TreeofLife/ validated 28 October 2004)


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