Eremocrinum: Where does it belong in Asparagales?
caterpillar
amscutellata at yahoo.com
Thu Apr 18 15:53:59 EST 2002
Hi,
I'm an amateur botanist who's been trying to figure out how the
family placement of North American plants has changed with the onset
of all this molecular data. Right now I'm looking everything that
used to be placed in the Liliaceae, and oh what a mess it is!
I think I've got all the genera in place (see below), except for
one. The monospecific genus Eremocrinum of Utah and Arizona was
formerly included in the Anthericaceae. According to the article by
Mark W. Chase et al [1996. New circumscriptions and a new family of
asparagoid lilies: Genera formerly included in Anthericaceae. Kew
Bulletin 51(4): 667-680], its position is unknown, although they do
say that the species is similar to Chlorogalum. Does that mean that
Eremocrinum belongs with Chlorogalum at the base of the Agavaceae?
Has anyone run the DNA on Eremocrinum?
Here's what I've come to understand is the botanists' new
understanding of family relationships in the Liliales and Asparagales
(only families & genera native to North America north of Mexico are
listed):
Haemodoraceae (Lachnanthes) Now placed in the Commelinales.
Nartheciaceae (Aletris, Lophiola, Narthecium) Now placed in the
Dioscoreales.
Tofieldiaceae (Harperocallis, Pleea, Tofieldia) Now placed in
the Alismatales.
Order Liliales
Colchicaceae (Disporum, Uvularia)
Melanthiaceae (Amianthium, Chamaelirium, Helonias, Melanthium,
Schoenocaulon, Stenanthium, Trillium, Veratrum, Xerophyllum,
Zigadenus)
Liliaceae (Calochortus, Clintonia, Erythronium, Fritillaria,
Lilium, Lloydia, Medeola, Scoliopus, Streptopus,
Smilacaceae (Smilax)
Order Asparagales
Orchidaceae
Hypoxidaceae (Hypoxis)
Iridaceae (Hypoxis is now in Hypoxidaceae)
Tecophilaeaceae (Odontostomum)
Alliaceae (Allium, Nothoscordum)
Amaryllidaceae (Cooperia, Crinum, Habranthus, Hymenocallis,
Zephyranthes)
Themidaceae (Androstephium, Bloomeria, Brodiaea, Dichelostemma,
Milla, Muilla, Triteleia, Triteleiopsis)
Agavaceae (Agave, Camassia, Chlorogalum, Furcraea, Hastingsia,
Hesperaloe, Hesperocallis, Manfreda, Schoenolirion, Yucca)
Anthericaceae (Echeandia, Leucocrinum)
Ruscaceae (Convallaria, Dasylirion, Maianthemum, Nolina,
Polygonatum)
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