Pereskia and the Origin of the Cactus Life‐Form

@article{Edwards2006PereskiaAT,
  title={Pereskia and the Origin of the Cactus Life‐Form},
  author={Erika J Edwards and Michael J. Donoghue},
  journal={The American Naturalist},
  year={2006},
  volume={167},
  pages={777 - 793}
}
The cactus life-form is cited as an example of a tight relationship between organism form and function: a succulent, long-lived, photosynthetic stem allows cacti to survive long periods of drought while maintaining a positive tissue water status. [] Key Method We selected seven Pereskia species, representing both clades, and characterized their water relations by measuring a suite of physiological traits in wild populations.
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82 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
5
Background Citations
42
Methods Citations
2
Results Citations
1

82 Citations

Anatomical variation in Cactaceae and relatives: Trait lability and evolutionary innovation.

It is hypothesized that high lability of many putative "precursor" traits may have been critical in generating the organismal context necessary for the evolution of an efficient and integrated photosynthetic stem.

Variations On A Theme: Repeated Evolution Of Succulent Life Forms In the Portulacineae (Caryophyllales)

It is suggested that this diversity provides a unique opportunity to evaluate early cactus evolution within a richer contextual framework and several hypothetical “pre-adaptations” and conditions in ancestral Portulacineae that may have promoted the repeated evolution of unusual succulent life forms are discussed.

Evolution of leaf and habit characters in Opuntioideae (Cactaceae): reconstruction of ancestral form

Diversity in Opuntioid morphological features (below ground storage organs, stem shape, and leaf persistence) in the phylogenetic context shows a trend towards increased size and surface area.

THE CLOSEST RELATIVES OF CACTI: INSIGHTS FROM

A combined analysis of ndhF, matK, and nadl sequence data from the chloroplast and the mitochondrial genomes indicates that the tribe Anacampseroteae is the sister group of the family Cactaceae.

Correlated evolution of stem and leaf hydraulic traits in Pereskia (Cactaceae).

  • E. Edwards
  • Environmental Science
    The New phytologist
  • 2006
It appears that many stem and leaf hydraulic properties thought to be critical to whole-plant water use have not evolved in response to habitat shifts in water availability, and the need for a lineage-based approach to understand the relative roles of functional traits in ecological adaptation is highlighted.

Insights on the evolution of plant succulence from a remarkable radiation in Madagascar (Euphorbia).

This work uses multivariate ordination of 19 climate variables to identify links between particular climate variables and three major forms of succulence-succulent leaves, cactiform stem succulence, and tubers, and confirms that plant water storage is associated with the two components of aridity, temperature, and precipitation.

Molecular phylogeny and character evolution in terete-stemmed Andean opuntias (Cactaceae-Opuntioideae).

Evolutionary history and leaf succulence as explanations for medicinal use in aloes and the global popularity of Aloe vera

Well-developed succulent leaf mesophyll tissue, an adaptive feature that likely contributed to the ecological success of the genus Aloe, is the main predictor for medicinal use among Aloe species, whereas evolutionary loss of succulence tends to be associated with losses of medicinal use.

Embryology and Seed Development in Pereskia lychnidiflora (Cactaceae)

The embryological characterization showed that basic features are homogeneous across the family and supported the placement of P. lychnidiflora as a member of one of two Pereskia clades, the one sister to remaining cacti, and the hypothesis that within the family Cactaceae, the evolutionary tendency is towards a reduction of the perisperm.

The Ecological Water-Use Strategies of Succulent Plants

...

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