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Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Interrelationships Among the Liliatae: a Graph Theory Approach

HT Clifford and WT Williams

Australian Journal of Botany 28(2) 261 - 268
Published: 1980

Abstract

The interrelationships of the families of Liliatae were investigated by using a network generating program (NETS) which, unlike minimum spanning tree programs, considers both first and second nearest neighbours. Within the resultant network the distribution of families reflects many traditionally accepted assemblages, including the Zingiberales and Alismatales. The affinities of the Arecaceae in particular suggests that the observed similarities between some families may be due to evolutionary convergence rather than to a shared ancestry. This fact, plus the tendency of the network to branch rather than to form loops, helps to account for the difficulty in classifying the class.

https://doi.org/10.1071/BT9800261

© CSIRO 1980

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