Secondary Phloem Diversity
Secondary Phloem Diversity
Secondary Phloem Diversity
Received: 13 April 2015 Returned for revision: 19 May 2015 Accepted: 29 May 2015
Background and Aims Phloem evolution has been explored in the literature across very broad scales, either for
vascular plants as a whole or for major plant groups, such as the monocotyledons or the former dicotyledons.
However, it has never been examined in a way that would elucidate evolutionary shifts leading to the diversification
of phloem in single lineages. Therefore, the present study explores in detail the patterns of phloem evolution in the
tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae). This group represents a particularly good model for phloem studies since it is
known to have a very conspicuous and diverse phloem.
Methods A total of 19 phloem characters were coded in 56 species from all 21 genera currently recognized in the
tribe Bignonieae, accounting for phloem wedge growth and for all the anatomical cell diversity encountered in the
phloem. Phloem evolution was explored by reconstructing ancestral character states using maximum-likelihood as-
sumptions with a time-calibrated molecular phylogeny for the group. Directionality and the effect of phylogenetic
transformations in the current variation of quantitative traits and evolutionary correlations of selected discrete
phloem traits were also tested under a maximum-likelihood approach.
Key Results Individual phloem features are quite diverse in the tribe, but generally conserved within smaller
clades. Contrasting phloem patterns were found when comparing major groups, with certain lineages having the
phloem marked by a background of phloem fibres where all other cells are embedded, tangentially arranged sieve
tubes and sieve-tubecentric parenchyma. In contrast, other lineages exhibited a scarcely fibrous phloem, regularly
stratified phloem, sieve tube elements in radial or diffuse arrangement, and diffuse parenchyma. We found signals
of directional evolution in fibre abundance and number of sieve areas, which increased in the ‘Fridericia and allies
extended clade’ and decreased in the ‘Multiples of four extended clade’, resulting in no signal of directionality
when the whole Bignonieae was considered. In contrast, no indication of directional evolution was found for the ax-
ial parenchyma, either in single clades within Bignonieae or in the entire tribe. Positive correlation was found be-
tween sieve element length and both sieve plate type and the presence of a storied structure. Correlated evolution
was also found between fibre abundance and several traits, such as sieve tube arrangement, sieve plate type, paren-
chyma arrangement, ray lignification and number of companion cells.
Conclusions The secondary phloem of Bignonieae is extremely diverse, with sister lineages exhibiting
distinct phloem anatomies derived from contrasting patterns of evolution in fibre abundance. Fibre abundance in
the tribe has diversified in correlation with sieve tube arrangement, sieve tube morphology, number of companion
cells and parenchyma type. The results challenge long-standing hypotheses regarding general trends in cell abun-
dance and morphological cell evolution within the phloem, and demonstrate the need to expand studies in phloem
anatomy both at a narrow taxonomic scale and at a broad one, such as to families and orders.
Key words: Phloem diversity, Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae, cambial variant, diversification, ancestral character state
reconstructions, directional evolution, lianas, sieve elements, parenchyma, sclerenchyma, fibres, correlated
evolution.
INTRODUCTION these cell types, their relative abundance in the tissue and their
spatial organization are all extremely diverse, although they
Phloem is a vascular tissue of vital importance to plants since it may be conserved within plant families, subfamilies and tribes
carries all the photosynthates produced by the leaves and sig- (Roth, 1981). Thus, these characteristics have been useful in de-
nalling molecules, such as mRNAs, to all plant parts. Formed scriptions and used as a tool to identify large plant groups
by more than one cell type, the secondary phloem is considered (Solereder, 1908; Zahur, 1959; Esau, 1969; Roth, 1981; Costa
a complex tissue composed of conducting cells (sieve et al., 1997). Despite all this diversity, few studies have ad-
elements), parenchyma (axial and radial) and generally scleren- dressed when and how all these different phloem cell types and
chyma (fibres and/or sclereids). The general morphology of their spatial organization evolved.
C The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.
V
All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected]
334 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
Lohmann et al., 2013), we only analysed the genus anatomi- IAWA Committee list (2016) for most terms and Pace et al.
cally, and data for it were not incorporated in the phylogenetic (2009) for phloem wedges and interwedges. Phloem wedges
analyses. Here we only consider the variant phloem of are characterized as the regions produced by the activity of a
Bignonieae since the regular interwedge phloem has been variant cambium that produces less secondary xylem and more
explored elsewhere (Pace et al., 2011). As the phloem is an secondary phloem. Interwedges are characterized as the regions
extremely fragile tissue, most samples were collected in their between phloem wedges, in which the cambium maintains reg-
natural habitat or from living collections (botanical gardens), ular activity (Pace et al., 2009) (Fig. 1). As a result of variant
with just a few specimens coming from wood collections (see cambial activity of the cambia within the phloem wedges, a
Appendix). All specimens had their transverse section surfaces variant phloem is formed (Fig. 1), while regular phloem is
clear-cut to allow better penetration of the fixative, and they located in the interwedges (Fig. 1). Furthermore, we use the
were immediately fixed in FAA 70 according to Berlyn and term ‘sieve-tubecentric axial parenchyma’ to refer to a sheath
Miksche (1976) or Karnovsky (1965) while in the field. After a of phloem present around the sieve tubes whenever the variant
test whether individual clades within the phylogeny had a dif- phloem wedges (hereafter termed ‘limiting rays’, a term
ferent evolutionary pattern when compared with the entire tribe. coined by Schenck (1893)).
The analyses used the maximum-likelihood (ML) Pagel’s
(1999) test of models of evolution. This model approach is
Phloem wedges types. When phloem wedges are first formed,
based on ML estimation for two alternative models of evolu-
they typically have straight lateral margins (Fig. 2A), and in
tion, i.e. model A, which corresponds to the standard constant-
some species it seems that the wedges remain straight through-
variance (also called Brownian motion) random-walk model,
out stem development (Fig. 2C). However, in many species the
and model B, which corresponds to the directional random-
formation of lateral steps at both sides of the phloem wedges is
walk model, equivalent to model A, but with one additional
common (Fig. 2B). These steps represent parts of a regular
parameter accounting for the directional rate of evolution of a
cambium on the sides of the phloem wedges that switch from
trait. Model B detects any directional evolutionary signal.
regular to variant activity. According to the pattern these steps
Likelihood ratio tests (LRTs) were performed to evaluate the
A B
FIG. 2. Growth dynamics of phloem wedges. (A, B) Transverse sections of Stizophyllum riparium. (A) At the early stage of development, the phloem wedges have
straight margins and no lateral steps. (B) At later stages of development, lateral steps are formed on the margins of phloem wedges (arrowheads), while the stem
thickens. (C) Transverse section of Tanaecium pyramidatum: phloem wedges not forming lateral steps. Note the conspicuous multiseriate limiting rays on both sides
of the phloem wedges (arrows). (D) Transverse section of Tynanthus cognatus: phloem wedges with early and regular formation of lateral steps. (E) Transverse sec-
tion of Fridericia samydoides: phloem wedges with irregular formation of steps on each side of the phloem wedge. Scale bars ¼ 3 mm.
the xylem face) and once in the clade formed by Martinella and Conducting phloem Sieve elements on the conducting
Stizophyllum (Fig. 3D). phloem are generally grouped in multiples (Fig. 4A), but are
sometimes solitary. The sieve elements are usually >500 mm in
length, as seen in tangential section (Fig. 4B), and P-protein is
frequently found as a slime plug at the sieve plates (Fig. 4B).
Phloem diversity: characters, ancestral state reconstructions Inside the wedges, rays are always uniseriate to biseriate and
and tests of directional evolution shorter than 1 mm in tangential section (Fig. 4B), except when
Variant secondary phloem is located in phloem wedges (Fig. these are limiting rays. When a ray borders a group of sieve
1) and exhibits remarkable differences among genera. elements, their companion cells are usually adjacent to the ray
Nevertheless, here we first treat the features that are common to cells (Fig. 4C). Fibres in the fibre bands are more thick-walled
all genera and then discuss the variable characters, their ances- than xylem fibres (Fig. 4A, arrows) and frequently exhibit a
tral character state reconstructions and the results of directional polylamellate structure. Furthermore, fibres possess a distinc-
evolution. tive appearance, being square to rectangular in shape, as seen in
338 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
X VC
VC VC
VC
A B C
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Adenocalymma comosum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Dolichandra unguis cati
Perianthomega vellozoi
Mansoa onohualcoides
Bignonia campanulata
Fridericia samydoides
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Stizophyllum riparium
Anemopaegma laeve
Manaosella cordifolia
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Bignonia corymbosa
Neojobertia mirabilis
Fridericia platyphylla
Fridericia conjugata
Lundia corymbifera
Pyrostegia venusta
Bignonia magnifica
Cuspidaria pulchra
Tynanthus elegans
Fridericia speciosa
Martinella obovata
Pachyptera kerere
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
FIG. 3. Limiting ray lignification (variant portion). (A) Transverse section of Pyrostegia venusta. Limiting rays lignify only next to the xylem (white arrow), with its
phloem portion non-lignified (black arrow). (B) Transverse section of Tynanthus elegans. Limiting rays are lignified next to the xylem and phloem (black arrows),
with a row of cells remaining non-lignified in the middle portion (white arrow). (C) Transverse section of Dolichandra unguiculata. Limiting rays do not lignify,
even in the xylem (arrows). (D) Ancestral character state reconstruction of limiting ray lignification. VC, variant cambium; X, xylem Scale bars ¼ 200 mm.
transverse section (Fig. 4A). Radial sieve elements are rare, but expansion of the phloem parenchyma cells. Ray dilatation is
were found in many species and may be widespread in the rarely seen, but when present it occurs in the outermost part of
tribe. the wedge (Fig. 4E). A higher degree of crystal and starch accu-
mulation is commonly observed in the non-conducting phloem
Non-conducting phloem The cessation of function in variant (Fig. 4F) and sclerification of parenchyma cells is also com-
phloem usually starts 8–12 files of cells away from the mon. In species in which the fibres are very abundant, no col-
cambium. The first sign of loss of function is seen as loss of lapse of sieve tube elements is seen (Fig. 4E). On the other
protoplast in the companion cells, followed by accumulation of hand, for species with fewer fibres, total or partial collapse is
definitive callose at the sieve plates (Fig. 4D) and/or the evident (Fig. 5A).
Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae 339
Ph
X
A B C
R R
D E F
FIG. 4. Variant phloem, general aspects. (A–C) Conducting phloem of Bignonia magnifica. (A) Transverse section. Sieve tube elements grouped in multiples, fibre
bands with rectangular-shaped fibres that are more thick-walled than the xylem fibres (arrows). Rays uniseriate to biseriate. (B) Longitudinal tangential section.
Sieve tube elements longer than 500 mm and with conspicuous P-protein near the sieve plates forming a slime plug, rays uniseriate to biseriate and shorter than
1 mm. (C) Transverse section. Whenever a ray borders a group of sieve elements, their companion cells tend to lie adjacent to the ray cells. (D–F) Non-conducting
phloem. (D) Transverse section of Xylophragma myrianthum. Massive definitive callose deposition at the sieve plates (arrows). (E) Transverse section of
Neojobertia sp. nov. Rays rarely dilate in the variant phloem, and when they dilate it occurs only in the outermost part of the phloem wedges (arrowheads). (F)
Longitudinal tangential section of Bignonia magnifica. Large amounts of starch accumulate in the parenchyma cells of the non-conducting phloem. Scale bars:
(A, F) ¼ 100 mm; (B) ¼ 200 mm; (C–D) ¼ 50 mm; (E) ¼ 500 mm.
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Adenocalymma comosum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Dolichandra unguis cati
Perianthomega vellozoi
Mansoa onohualcoides
Bignonia campanulata
Fridericia samydoides
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Stizophyllum riparium
Anemopaegma laeve
Manaosella cordifolia
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Bignonia corymbosa
Neojobertia mirabilis
Neojobertia sp. nov.
Fridericia platyphylla
Tynanthus cognatus
Bignonia capreolata
Fridericia conjugata
Lundia corymbifera
Pyrostegia venusta
Bignonia magnifica
Cuspidaria pulchra
Tynanthus elegans
Fridericia speciosa
Martinella obovata
Pachyptera kerere
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
Predominantly diffuse
Predominantly radial core Bignonieae
Predominantly tangential
FIG. 5. Sieve tube arrangement in variant phloem. (A) Transverse section of Amphilophium crucigerum, with sieve tube elements diffusely arranged (arrows). (B)
Transverse section of Mansoa difficilis, with sieve tube elements radially arranged (arrows). (C) Transverse section of Cuspidaria convoluta, with sieve tubes tangen-
tially arranged (arrows). (D) Ancestral character state reconstruction of sieve tube element arrangement. Scale bars ¼ 100 mm.
Ancestral character state reconstructions unambiguously ancestral state was unambiguously reconstructed as having a
reconstructed several character states at the most inclusive tangential arrangement of the sieve tubes (Fig. 5D).
nodes (e.g. the ‘Fridericia and allies clade’ and the ‘Multiples
of four clade’; Fig. 5D), but ambiguously reconstructed the Sieve plates As seen in radial section, sieve tube elements have
ancestral state of the tribe (Fig. 5D), assigning both radial and simple (Fig. 6A) to compound sieve plates (Fig. 6B–C).
tangential arrangements with 50 % probability. The node for Compound sieve plates have few sieve areas (from three to
the core Bignonieae, which excludes Perianthomega, assigned five; Fig. 6B) or many sieve areas (>20; Fig. 6C), or even up to
54 % probability that the ancestral state of this node had a tan- 40 sieve areas. Sieve tube elements with simple sieve plates are
gential arrangement of sieve tubes (Fig. 5D). Adenocalymma shorter than 500 mm, while those with compound sieve plates
was a very diverse genus in sieve tube arrangement, but its are longer than this (Fig. 6), an observation confirmed by the
Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae 341
D Perianthomega vellozoi
Amphilophium elongatum
E Perianthomega vellozoi
Amphilophium elongatum
Amphilophium magnoliifolium Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Amphilophium bracteatum Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
FIG. 6. Sieve plate type in variant phloem. (A) Longitudinal radial section of Amphilophium crucigerum. Sieve tube elements bearing simple sieve plates. Detail of a
simple sieve plate with large sieve pores, as seen in transverse section. (B) Longitudinal radial section of Bignonia campanulata. Sieve tube elements bear compound
sieve plates with few sieve areas. (C) Longitudinal radial section of Fridericia samydoides. Sieve tube elements bear compound sieve plates with many sieve areas.
(D) Ancestral character state reconstruction of the sieve plate types. (E) Ancestral character state reconstruction of the average number of sieve areas per sieve plate.
Scale bar ¼ 50 mm.
342 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
D
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Adenocalymma comosum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Dolichandra unguis cati
Perianthomega vellozoi
Mansoa onohualcoides
Bignonia campanulata
Fridericia samydoides
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Stizophyllum riparium
Anemopaegma laeve
Manaosella cordifolia
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Bignonia corymbosa
Neojobertia mirabilis
Neojobertia sp. nov.
Fridericia platyphylla
Tynanthus cognatus
Bignonia capreolata
Fridericia conjugata
Lundia corymbifera
Pyrostegia venusta
Bignonia magnifica
Cuspidaria pulchra
Tynanthus elegans
Fridericia speciosa
Martinella obovata
Pachyptera kerere
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
FIG. 7. Number of companion cells per sieve tube element in the variant phloem. (A) Transverse section of Perianthomega vellozoi. Sieve tube elements are accom-
panied by one companion cell (arrows). (B) Transverse section of Tynanthus cognatus. Sieve tube elements are accompanied by two or three companion cells lying
at the same side of the sieve tube (arrows). (C) Transverse section of Adenocalymma flaviflorum. Sieve tube elements are accompanied by two companion cells, each
at one corner of the sieve tube element (arrows). (D) Ancestral character state reconstruction of the number of companion cells per sieve tube element. Scale
bars ¼ 50 mm.
correlation analysis (see Correlation analyses section). (Fig. 6E). Tree-scaling parameters (Table 2) indicated that evo-
Ancestral character state reconstructions unambiguously indi- lution in this clade was punctuational (j ¼ 00), with a high
cated compound sieve plates as the ancestral state in the tribe phylogenetic signal (k ¼ 094) and with most changes occurring
(Fig. 6D), with two independent origins for simple sieve plates, early in the phylogeny (adaptive radiation; d ¼ 054).
one in Perianthomega and another in Amphilophium (Fig. 6D). In the clade that contains the ‘Fridericia and allies extended
When the average number of sieve areas (Table 1) was clade’ (Fig. 6E), no directional evolution was detected in the
mapped as a continuous character, the ancestral condition for number of sieve areas (Table 2). However, here we observed
the tribe was reconstructed as having approximately three sieve the genera with higher numbers of sieve areas per sieve plate,
areas per sieve plate. We found no signal of directional evolu- with the ancestor of Manaosella and Pleonotoma showing 20
tion when the tribe was considered as a whole. However, two sieve areas per sieve plate and Pleonotoma tetraquetra with
major clades exhibited contrasting patterns. In the ‘Multiples of sieve plates having >30 sieve areas (Table 1). Tree-scaling
four extended clade’, sieve areas in the sieve plates decreased parameters (Table 2) indicated that the evolution of this charac-
in number towards most terminal nodes (Fig. 6E; Table 2), with ter was more conspicuous in the longer branches (j ¼ 228),
Amphilophium bearing mostly simple sieve plates and an ances- with high phylogenetic signal (k ¼ 10) and occurring early in
tor inferred as bearing sieve plates with two sieve areas the phylogeny (adaptive radiation; d ¼ 030).
Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae 343
Pc
Pc
Pc Pc
Pc
Pc Pc
Pc
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Adenocalymma comosum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Dolichandra unguis cati
Perianthomega vellozoi
Mansoa onohualcoides
Bignonia campanulata
Fridericia samydoides
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Stizophyllum riparium
Anemopaegma laeve
Manaosella cordifolia
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Bignonia corymbosa
Neojobertia mirabilis
Neojobertia sp. nov.
Fridericia platyphylla
Tynanthus cognatus
Bignonia capreolata
Fridericia conjugata
Lundia corymbifera
Pyrostegia venusta
Bignonia magnifica
Cuspidaria pulchra
Tynanthus elegans
Fridericia speciosa
Martinella obovata
Pachyptera kerere
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
Diffuse
Sieve-tubecentric
FIG. 8. Phloem parenchyma type in the variant phloem. (A) Transverse section of Perianthomega vellozoi. Diffuse phloem parenchyma. Radial rows were also found
in the phloem (here shown with asterisks). (B) Transverse section of Neojobertia sp. nov. Sieve-tubecentric phloem parenchyma. (C) Ancestral character state recon-
struction of phloem parenchyma type. Pc, axial parenchyma cell. Scale bar ¼ 50 mm.
Companion cell Companion cells always accompany the sieve sieve tube elements with two or three companion cells lying at
tube elements in one or more of their corners. However, the the same side of the sieve tube element in the ‘Fridericia and
number and position of the companion cells are variable. In allies clade’ (except from Lundia), Pleonotoma and
most Bignonieae a single companion cell is found per sieve Stizophyllum (Fig. 7D), but a single origin of two companion
tube element (Fig. 7A, D), while two or three companion cells cells lying at the two opposing sides of the sieve element in
lying at the same corner of the sieve tube element are found in Adenocalymma, although the ancestor of Adenocalymma was
Cuspidaria, Fridericia, some Lundia, Pleonotoma, reconstructed as having a single companion cell lying on the
Stizophyllum, Tanaecium, Tynanthus and Xylophragma corner of the sieve tube (Fig. 7D).
(Fig. 7B) or, as in some Adenocalymma, two companion cells
per sieve tube element, each lying on an opposite corner of the
element (Fig. 7C). Perianthomega is polymorphic, sometimes Axial phloem parenchyma Axial parenchyma generally occupies
having just one and sometimes two companion cells, lying at <50 % of the transverse area (Table 1). Short radial rows of
opposite sides of the sieve tube. three to seven cells are ubiquitous in the variant phloem, inter-
Ancestral character state reconstructions revealed that the secting other cell types. In addition to these radial rows, two
ancestral state in the tribe was a single companion cell per sieve types of arrangements were delimited: (1) diffuse (Fig. 8A) and
element (Fig. 7D), with at least three independent origins of (2) sieve-tubecentric (Fig. 8B). Sieve-tubecentric axial
344 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Adenocalymma comosum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Dolichandra unguis cati
Perianthomega vellozoi
Mansoa onohualcoides
Bignonia campanulata
Fridericia samydoides
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Stizophyllum riparium
Anemopaegma laeve
Manaosella cordifolia
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Bignonia corymbosa
Neojobertia mirabilis
Neojobertia sp. nov.
Fridericia platyphylla
Tynanthus cognatus
Bignonia capreolata
Fridericia conjugata
Lundia corymbifera
Pyrostegia venusta
Bignonia magnifica
Cuspidaria pulchra
Tynanthus elegans
Fridericia speciosa
Martinella obovata
Pachyptera kerere
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
Absent
Present when touching the fibres
Present in random portions
FIG. 9. Ray lignification on the variant phloem. (A) Transverse section of Amphilophium crucigerum. Rays are never lignified (arrows). (B) Transverse section of
Adenocalymma peregrinum. Rays lignify only when touching the fibre bands (arrowheads). (C) Transverse section of Tanaecium pyramidatum. Rays are lignified
(arrowhead) or non-lignified (arrow), randomly distributed. (D) Ancestral character state reconstruction of ray lignification. Scale bars (A) ¼ 200 mm; (B,
C) ¼ 50 mm.
parenchyma forms a sheath of cells around each sieve tube (k ¼ 028), accelerating towards the terminals (species-specific
element (Fig. 8B). adaptation; d ¼ 3).
Ancestral character state reconstruction revealed that the
ancestral state for the tribe was the diffuse axial parenchyma
type (Fig. 8C), with multiple independent origins of the sieve- Lignification of the phloem rays Rays are predominantly uniseri-
tubecentric: once in Pleonotoma, once in the ‘Fridericia and ate to biseriate in the variant phloem (Figs 4B and 9), except for
allies clade’, once in Neojobertia and probably more than once the limiting rays. The diversity of rays is related to their state of
in Adenocalymma (Fig. 8C). lignification. Three different states of lignification are encoun-
When the axial parenchyma of the variant phloem was ana- tered: (1) non-lignified, where the rays are never lignified, not
lysed for directional evolution, we encountered no directional- even when crossing the fibre bands (Fig. 9A); (2) rays always
ity (Table 2). Furthermore, tree-scaling parameters indicated lignified when crossing the fibre bands (Fig. 9B); and (3) rays
that the axial parenchyma evolved independently of branch randomly lignified, sometimes lignified when touching the fibre
lengths (gradually, j ¼ 11) and independently of phylogeny bands and sometimes lignified far from them (Fig. 9C).
Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae 345
Perianthomega vellozoi
Perianthomega vellozoi
D Amphilophium elongatum E Amphilophium elongatum
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Amphilophium crucigerum
FIG. 10. Phloem types according to their fibre arrangement in variant phloem. (A) Transverse section of Callichlamys latifolia, a scarcely fibrous species, with more
than ten cells of phloem parenchyma and sieve tube elements between fibre bands (arrows). Note that the phloem fibres (arrows) are thicker than the xylem fibres
(arrowheads). (B) Transverse section of Adenocalymma comosum, a semifibrous species, with fewer than ten cells of phloem parenchyma and sieve tube elements
between fibre bands (arrows). Note the undulated arrangement of the fibre bands. (C) Transverse section of Xylophragma myrianthum, a fibrous species, with the
fibres forming a background tissue where other cell types are embedded. (D) Ancestral character state reconstruction of phloem type evolution. (E) Ancestral charac-
ter state reconstruction of the percentage of fibres per tranverse area. Scale bars (A, B) ¼ 200 mm; (C) ¼ 120 mm.
346 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma comosum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Anemopaegma robustum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Perianthomega vellozoi
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Manaosella cordifolia
Stizophyllum riparium
Fridericia samydoides
Anemopaegma laeve
Neojobertia mirabilis
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Fridericia platyphylla
Bignonia corymbosa
Tynanthus cognatus
Fridericia conjugata
Lundia corymbifera
Tynanthus elegans
Bignonia magnifica
Martinella obovata
Pyrostegia venusta
Cuspidaria pulchra
Pachyptera kerere
Fridericia speciosa
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
Absent
Present in phloem parenchyma and sieve elements
Present for axial and radial elements
FIG. 11. Storied elements in the variant phloem. (A) Longitudinal tangential section of Callichlamys latifolia, without a storied structure. (B) Longitudinal tangential
section of Amphilophium elongatum, with axial elements storied. (C) Longitudinal tangential section of Dolichandra unguis-cati, with radial and axial elements
storied. (D) Ancestral state reconstruction of the storied structure evolution. Scale bars ¼ 200 mm.
Ancestral character state reconstruction revealed that the Fibre Phloem fibres are generally more thick-walled than xylem
ancestral state for the tribe was having rays that lignify only fibres, as seen in transverse section (Fig. 10A, C). Depending on
when touching the fibre bands (Fig. 9D). Six independent ori- the abundance of fibres, it is possible to qualitatively divide the
gins of rays that never lignify have occurred: once in variant phloem into three types: (1) scarcely fibrous; (2) semifi-
Perianthomega, once in Amphilophium, once in Bignonia brous; and (3) fibrous. Scarcely fibrous phloem is marked by the
magnifica, once in Dolichandra, once in Pleonotoma (except presence of fibre bands two to five cells wide that alternate with
P. albiflora) and once in Lundia corymbifera. The ancestral more than ten cells of phloem parenchyma and sieve tube ele-
state for both Bignonia and Lundia was having rays that lignify ments (Fig. 10A). Semifibrous phloem has undulated fibre bands
when touching the fibre bands (Fig. 9D). The ‘Fridericia and that alternate with fewer than ten cells of sieve elements and
allies clade’ is marked by the exclusive presence of rays that phloem parenchyma between them (Fig. 10B). Finally, fibrous
lignify in random portions, except for a reversal in Lundia phloem has fibres that are closely arranged, forming a back-
corymbifera (Fig. 9D). ground tissue in which all other cells are embedded (Fig. 10C).
Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae 347
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Amphilophium elongatum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Adenocalymma comosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Perianthomega vellozoi
Stizophyllum riparium
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Fridericia samydoides
Manaosella cordifolia
Anemopaegma laeve
Neojobertia mirabilis
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Fridericia platyphylla
Tynanthus cognatus
Bignonia capreolata
Fridericia conjugata
Tynanthus elegans
Bignonia magnifica
Martinella obovata
Lundia corymbifera
Pyrostegia venusta
Fridericia speciosa
Cuspidaria pulchra
Pachyptera kerere
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
FIG. 12. Crystal types in the phloem and ray parenchyma. (A) Transverse section of Perianthomega vellozoi: acicular crystals (arrows). (B) Transverse section of
Pleonotoma tetraquetra: prismatic crystals (arrows). (C) Transverse section of Neojobertia sp. nov.: elongate crystal (arrow) and acicular crystals (arrowhead). (D)
Ancestral character state reconstruction of crystal type in the phloem and ray parenchyma. Scale bars (A, B) ¼ 30 mm; (C) ¼ 20 mm.
Ancestral state reconstruction of fibre band types revealed four extended clade’, while other lineages exhibited directional
that the ancestral state for the tribe was the scarcely fibrous evolution towards an increase in fibre abundance, such as the
type, with well-spaced fibre bands (stratified phloem), and mul- ‘Fridericia and allies extended clade’ (Table 2). Fibres in the
tiple parallel origins of the two other types (Fig. 10D). The tribe as a whole seems to be evolving toward higher stasis in
entire ‘Fridericia and allies clade’, Stizophyllum, Neojobertia the long branches (Table 2), in a more punctuated fashion
and Pleonotoma have fibrous phloems. (j ¼ 027), with closely related taxa resembling each other
When the percentage of fibres per total phloem area (k ¼ 081), within a mode compatible with Brownian motion
(Table 1) was mapped as a continuous character (Fig. 10E), fol- (default gradualism; d ¼ 133).
lowed by directional analysis (Table 2), it was seen that the When the two major lineages of the tribe were analysed for
tribe as a whole exhibited no sign of directional evolution. parameters of evolution, contrasting models were demonstrated
However, when certain lineages were considered separately again. In the ‘Fridericia and allies extended clade’, the parame-
within the tribe, two contrasting results were found. Some line- ter showed that this lineage differed from the tribe in having
ages exhibited directional evolution towards a decrease in the minimal effect of phylogeny (k ¼ 033) and accumulating
amount of fibres (Table 2; Fig. 10E), such as the ‘Multiples of changes in the long branches (species-specific adaptation;
348 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Adenocalymma comosum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Perianthomega vellozoi
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Fridericia samydoides
Stizophyllum riparium
Anemopaegma laeve
Manaosella cordifolia
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Fridericia platyphylla
Bignonia corymbosa
Neojobertia mirabilis
Tynanthus cognatus
Bignonia capreolata
Lundia corymbifera
Bignonia magnifica
Tynanthus elegans
Cuspidaria pulchra
Fridericia speciosa
Pachyptera kerere
Martinella obovata
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
Absent
Present in non-lignified cells
Present in lignified cells
Present in both lignified and non-lignified cells
FIG. 13. Location of crystals according to the lignification state of the parenchyma cells. (A) Transverse section of Bignonia magnifica. Acicular crystals are present
in non-lignified axial and ray parenchyma cells. (B) Transverse section of Pleonotoma tetraquetra. Prismatic crystals are present in the non-lignified ray cells. (C)
Transverse section of Adenocalymma divaricatum. Prismatic crystals are present in lignified ray cells. (D) Ancestral character state reconstruction of the presence
and place of occurrence of the crystals. Scale bars (A–C) ¼ 50 mm.
d ¼ 28). The ‘Multiples of four extended clade’ differed only Ancestral character state reconstruction showed that the
in the fact that most changes occurred early in the phylogeny, ancestral state in the tribe was unambiguously a non-storied
followed by stasis, a scenario compatible with adaptive radia- structure (Fig. 11D), with three independent origins of a storied
tion (d ¼ 068). structure: once in Amphilophium, once in Perianthomega and
once in Dolichandra (Fig. 11D).
Storied structure A storied structure is absent in most genera
(Fig. 11A), being present exclusively in Amphilophium,
Dolichandra and Perianthomega (Fig. 11B–D). In both
Crystal inclusions in the secondary phloem
Amphilophium and Perianthomega, only the axial elements are
storied (parenchyma, sieve tube elements and fibres; Fig. 11B), The presence of crystals is widespread in Bignonieae.
while in Dolichandra both axial and radial elements are storied However, their type and location are variable. Three distinct
(Fig. 11C). types of crystals are found in the axial and ray parenchyma: (1)
Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae 349
C
Multiples of four + Dolichandra
Adenocalymma tanaecicarpum
Anemopaegma chamberlaynii
Amphilophium magnoliifolium
Adenocalymma neoflavidum
Adenocalymma salmoneum
Adenocalymma divaricatum
Adenocalymma peregrinum
Adenocalymma bracteatum
Amphilophium paniculatum
Amphilophium bracteatum
Amphilophium crucigerum
Adenocalymma flaviflorum
Adenocalymma comosum
Amphilophium elongatum
Adenocalymma nodosum
Anemopaegma robustum
Xylophragma myrianthum
Tanaecium pyramidatum
Dolichandra quadrivalvis
Dolichandra unguiculata
Pleonotoma stichadenia
Pleonotoma tetraquetra
Perianthomega vellozoi
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Bignonia campanulata
Fridericia samydoides
Stizophyllum riparium
Manaosella cordifolia
Cuspidaria convoluta
Pleonotoma albiflora
Anemopaegma laeve
Neojobertia mirabilis
Fridericia platyphylla
Tynanthus cognatus
Bignonia capreolata
Bignonia corymbosa
Cuspidaria pulchra
Lundia corymbifera
Bignonia magnifica
Pachyptera kerere
Martinella obovata
Fridericia speciosa
Mansoa standleyi
Bignonia prieurei
Lundia damazioi
Mansoa difficilis
Bignonia binata
Fridericia chica
Lundia longa
Absent
Acicular
Prismatic
Styloid
FIG. 14. Types of crystal in fibre-associated crystalliferous parenchyma. (A) Transverse section of Perianthomega vellozoi crystalliferous parenchyma sheath bearing
acicular crystals (arrows). (B) Transverse section of Mansoa standley: crystalliferous parenchyma sheath bearing prismatic crystals (arrows). (C) Ancestral character
state reconstruction of type of crystals in fibre-associated crystalliferous parenchyma. Scale bar ¼ 50 mm.
acicular (Fig. 12A), (2) prismatic (Fig. 12B) and (3) styloid/ Pleonotoma (Fig. 12D). Two Adenocalymma species (A. laeve
elongate (Fig. 12C). and A. robustum) are polymorphic, with prismatic and acicular
Ancestral character state reconstruction revealed that the crystals co-occurring (Fig. 12D). Styloid and elongate crystals
ancestral state for the tribe was the presence of acicular crystals are found exclusively in four of the analysed species:
(Fig. 12D), with two to four independent origins of phloem and Adenocalymma comosum, Neojobertia sp. nov., Bignonia cam-
ray parenchyma bearing prismatic crystals, once in the clade panulata and Bignonia capreolata. However, except for
formed by Adenocalymma and Neojobertia and another in B. capreolata, the other species are polymorphic, always having
350 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
FIG. 15. Drawing summarizing the two contrasting phloem anatomies present in Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae).
acicular crystals mixed with the styloid/elongate crystals, and clade’, except Amphilophium, in Manaosella cordifolia, in
co-occurring with prismatic crystals in the case of Neojobertia Fridericia and in Adenocalymma (Fig. 13D).
sp. nov. (Fig. 12C). In species with scarcely fibrous and semifibrous phloem,
Crystals are found exclusively in the non-lignified axial and parenchyma sheaths bearing crystals are common around the
ray parenchyma cells (Fig. 13A, B), exclusively in lignified fibre bands (Fig. 14A, B). Ancestral state reconstruction
cells (Fig. 13C), and in both lignified and non-lignified cells. revealed unequivocally that the ancestral state for the tribe is
Only rarely are crystals absent altogether. the absence of crystalliferous sheaths (Fig. 14C). Three
Ancestral state reconstructions indicated that the ancestor of lineages, however, have such crystalliferous sheaths,
all Bignonieae likely had crystals in the non-lignified paren- Perianthomega, Pachyptera and the members of the ‘Multiple
chyma (Fig. 13D) and further suggest a single origin in of four’ extended clade, except for punctual reversals
Adenocalymma for species with crystals exclusively in the lig- (Fig. 14D), such as that of Amphilophium magnoliifolium,
nified cells (Fig. 13D) and at least five independent origins for Bignonia capreolata, B. corymbosa and Anemopaegma
the presence of crystals in both lignified and non-lignified axial chamberlaynii. A single origin for the appearance of prismatic
and ray parenchyma, as observed in the ‘Multiples of four crystals was inferred for the ‘Multiples of four clade’ and
TABLE 1. Anatomical characters of the variant phloem of Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae)
Secondary phloem characters and character states Cell inclusions in the phloem
Taxon Lateral Limiting ray Storied Sieve Sieve Sieve Number of Percentage of Phloem Ray Phloem type Percentage Crystals in Type of Crystalliferous Type of
steps on lignification2 structure3 tube plate areas companion parenchyma per parenchyma lignification8 according to of fibres phloem and crystals in parenchyma crystal in the
the phloem arrangement4 type5 per sieve cells6 transverse area type7 fibre ray phloem and sheath crystalliferous
wedges1 plate frequency9 parenchyma10 ray parenchyma
(average) parenchyma11 sheath11
(continued)
351
A; asymmetrical; S, symmetrical. 2X, to the xylem face; XP, to both faces. 3A, present in axial parenchyma; AR, present in axial and ray parenchyma. 4R, radial; T, tangential; D, diffuse. 5S, mostly sim-
þF, present when touching the fibre bands. 9SCF, scarcely fibrous; SF, semi-fibrous; F, fibrous. Fibres: N, narrow; W, wide. 10L, present in lignified cells; N, present in non-lignified cells; B, present in
ple; C, compound. 61, one per sieve tube; 2D, two per sieve tube at different sides; 2S, two or more per sieve element at the same side. 7STC, sieve-tubecentric; D, diffuse. 8þR, present in random portions;
styloid/elongate crystals within the crystalliferous parenchyma
(Fig. 14C).
crystalliferous
crystal in the
parenchyma
sheath11
Type of
P
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Correlation analyses
Crystalliferous
Cell inclusions in the phloem
parenchyma
relations between (1) sieve tube length and sieve plate type, and
(2) sieve tube length and storied structure. Also, we tested sev-
parenchyma11
phloem and
crystals in
ray
?
?
A
A
A
A
A
P
plate type, (2) sieve tube arrangement, (3) parenchyma type, (4)
the same side of the sieve tube. The results from correlation
phloem and
Phloem type Percentage Crystals in
B
B
N
–
–
N
N
N
SF
F
F
SF
F
F
F
þF
–
STC
STC
STC
STC
STC
STC
STC
7
type
D
Secondary phloem characters and character states
and two or three companion cells lying at the same side of the
sieve tube whenever the phloem has a higher abundance of
transverse area
DISCUSSION
6
cells
2S
2S
2S
2S
2S
2S
2S
1
both lignified and non-lignified cells. 11A, acicular; P, prismatic; S, styloid or elongate.
plate
37
17
19
19
21
25
8
6
the onset of development, the stem has the exact same pattern
of growth as that of most woody plants, with the vascular
Sieve
5
plate
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
to the outside and with equal activity across its entire girth
Sieve
tube
R
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
S
S
na
na
A
A
A
A
Xylophragma myrianthum
Tanaecium bilabiatum
Stizophyllum riparium
Tynanthus elegans
Schenck (1893), are not all equal and vary in their lignification
Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae 353
TABLE 2. Scaling parameters of evolution for the continuous characters analysed following Pagel (1999), and their
implications for the pattern of evolution of these characters
*Significant deviations from 10 for the scaling parameters values kappa (j), lambda (k), and delta (d), assessed with the likelihood ratio (LR) test.
LR values greater than 2 indicate directional evolution.
TABLE 3. Pagel’s 1994 correlation analyses of discrete phloem characters, from 1000 simulations. Continuous characters
were made categorical and their respective character states are presented in parentheses
Length of sieve tube (shorter or longer than 500 mm) 3886 2541 1344* <001*
and sieve plate type (simple or compound)
Length of sieve tube (shorter or longer than 500 mm) 3618 901 2717* <001*
storied structure (absent or present)
Percentage of fibres (non-fibrous or semi-fibrous to fibrous) 5281 2780 2500* <001*
compound sieve plates (absent or present)
Percentage of fibres (non-fibrous or semi-fibrous to fibrous) 5827 3326 2501* <001*
tangential arrangement of sieve tubes (absent or present)
Percentage of fibres (non-fibrous or semi-fibrous to fibrous) 4523 2769 1754* <001*
sieve-tubecentric parenchyma (absent or present)
Percentage of fibres (non-fibrous or semi-fibrous to fibrous) 4359 4292 066 0798
ray lignification (absent or present)
Percentage of fibres (non-fibrous or semi-fibrous to fibrous) 3834 2962 872* <001*
2 or 3 companion cells on the same side (absent or present)
*Significant correlations.
state. The limiting rays may be entirely non-lignified, only lig- African Hippocrateoideae (Celastraceae s.l.), which also have
nified next to the xylem face, or lignified at both sides but with disjunct included cambia (Obaton, 1960). Limiting rays are
a core middle part of non-lignified ray cells. Given that the var- also present in other plant families in which an included
iant cambia are included within the phloem wedges and sur- cambium produces phloem wedges, such as Icacinaceae
rounded by a matrix of stiff secondary xylem, a non-lignified (Bailey and Howard, 1941; Lens et al., 2008) and some lianas
ray portion, even if just a central core, is critical to allow cell of Mimosa (Leguminosae; Angyalossy et al., 2015). Other
division in order to guarantee the possibility of cell dislocation authors, like Schenck (1893), on the other hand, believed that
from within the wedges. Thus, while cambial derivatives are normal ruptures would be formed periodically at these limiting
periodically formed and pushed outwards from within the rays, while new secondary phloem was produced from inside
phloem wedges, the limiting rays divide along with these newly the wedge, given its mechanical fragility. Careful developmen-
formed phloem cells. This mechanism was first proposed for tal analyses with fresh material have shown, however, that these
354 Pace et al. — Secondary phloem diversity and evolution in Bignonieae
ruptures are only artefacts and, hence, non-existent (Ozório- sieve plates with many sieve areas are the most common, with
Filho, 2002). some species bearing >30 sieve areas per sieve plate (e.g.
As another possible mechanism to accommodate secondary Pleonotoma tetraquetra). Compound sieve plates evolving
growth, some Bignonieae develop successive lateral steps on from ancestors with fewer sieve areas is a pattern opposite to
the sides of the original phloem wedges. These steps are formed that proposed for the angiosperms as a whole (Hemenway,
by portions of cambium on the sides of phloem wedges that 1913; Esau, 1969). These two sister clades are thought to have
switch from regular to variant activity; these steps can be sym- split from an ancestral lineage inhabiting lowland Amazon,
metrical, asymmetrical or, more rarely, lacking altogether, with diversifying in the Amazon and (re)colonizing the Atlantic rain-
much wider limiting rays present in these cases, such as in forest (Lohmann et al., 2013). A smaller clade nested within
Tanaecium. While most Bignonieae have asymmetrical phloem the ‘Fridericia and allies clade’, formed by Fridericia and
steps at the wedges, three genera (two clades), Cuspidaria þ Xylophragma, occupies the South American dry areas
Tynanthus, which together form a clade, and Manaosella, (Lohmann et al., 2013). One could envisage a physiological
variant cambia within the phloem wedges, similar to what has where a matrix of parenchyma has been substituted for a matrix
been proposed for the fibrous secondary phloem of Carya cor- of fibres. Fibres in Bignonieae as a whole seem to be evolving
diformis (Juglandaceae; Eames and MacDaniels, 1947), possi- in a punctuated fashion. When the ‘Fridericia and allies
bly avoiding damage from natural girdling. Collapse of the extended clade’ is considered alone, phylogenetic statistics
sieve tube elements has never been recorded in the phloem of indicate that most changes in this lineage occur at the terminal
fibrous species, not even in the non-conducting phloem, as branches, which agrees with a species-specific type of adapta-
opposed to the ‘Multiples of four extended clade’, where most tion. Meanwhile, its sister group, the ‘Multiples of four
species experience total collapse of their sieve tube elements in extended clade’, exhibits the opposite pattern, with most
the non-conducting phloem. Evolution towards a decrease in changes occurring early in the evolution of the lineage and with
fibre frequency in the ‘Multiples of four extended clade’, on the stasis in the terminal branches, a hypothesis consistent with a
other hand, may be enhancing the flexibility of these stems to scenario of ancient diversification.
climb, as some species of this group were suggested as the Other characters encountered in this study were shown to be
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cheadle VI, Gifford EM, Esau K. 1953. A staining combination for phloem
and contiguous tissues. Stain Technology 28: 49–53.
We thank Alexandre Zuntini, André Amorim, André Lima, Costa CG, Coradin VTR, Czarneski CM, Pereira BAS. 1997. Bark anatomy
Anselmo Nogueira, Daniel Villavoel, Diana Sampaio, of arborescent Leguminosae of Cerrado and gallery forest of central Brazil.
IAWA Journal 18: 385–399.
Geraldo Damasceno, Gregório Ceccantini, Juliana El Ottra, Den Outer RW. 1983. Comparative study of the secondary phloem of some
Luzmilla Arroyo, Márdel Lopes, Mariane S. de Sousa-Baena, woody dicotyledons. Acta Botanica Neerlandica 32: 29–38.
Milton Groppo Jr, Renata Udulutsch and Rosani Arruda for Den Outer RW. 1993. Evolutionary trends in secondary phloem anatomy of
field assistance or for sending us specimens for the present trees, shrubs and climbers from Africa (mainly Ivory Coast). Acta Botanica
study; Harry Lorenzi for allowing us to collect in the Neerlandica 42: 269–287.
Dobbins DR. 1969. Studies on the anomalous cambial activity in Doxantha
Plantarum Institute and Botanical Garden; Antonio C. F. unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae). I. Development of the vascular pattern.
Barbosa for assistance with anatomical procedures, especially Canadian Journal of Botany 47: 2101–2106.
at the beginning of this work; and André Lima, José R. Pirani, Dobbins DR. 1971. Studies on the anomalous cambial activity in Doxantha
unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae). II. A case of differential production of second-
Marcati CR, Angyalossy V. 2005. Seasonal presence of acicular calcium oxa- Pagel MD. 1999. Inferring the historical patterns of biological evolution. Nature
late crystals in the cambial zone of Citharexylum myrianthum 401: 877–884.
(Verbenaceae). IAWA Journal 26: 93–98. Parameswaran N, Liese W. 1970. Mikroskopie der Rinde tropicher Holzarten.
Maddison WP, Maddison DR. 2009. Mesquite: a modular system for evolution- In: H Freund, ed. Handbuch der Mikroskopie in der Technik, Band V, Teil 1,
ary analysis. Version 2.6. http://mesquiteproject.org. 2nd edn. Frankfurt: Umschau Verlag, 225–305.
Metcalfe CR, Chalk L. 1950. Anatomy of the dicotyledons: leaves, stems, and Parthasarathy MV. 1968. Observations on metaphloem in vegetative parts of
wood in relation to taxonomy with notes on economic uses. Oxford: palms. American Journal of Botany 55: 1140–1168.
Clarendon Press. Richter HG, Mazzoni-Viveiros SC, Alves ES, Luchi AE, Costa CG. 1996.
Midford P, Maddison WP. 2006. Pagel 94 analysis module of Mesquite, v1.12. Padronização de critérios para a descrição anatômica da casca: lista de
http://mesquiteproject.org/mesquite/CharacterEvolution/Pagel94.html. caracterı́sticas e glossário de termos. IF Série Registros 16: 1–25.
Obaton M. 1960. Les lianes ligneuses a structure anormale des forêts denses Roth I. 1981. Structural patterns of tropical barks. In: HJ Braun, S Carlquist, P
d’Afrique Occidentale – Les divers types d’anomalies. Annales des Ozenda, I Roth, eds. Encyclopedia of plant anatomy. Berlin: Gebrüder
Sciences Naturelle Botanique et Biologie Végétale 12: 20–220. Bornstraeger.
O’Brien TP, Feder N, McCully ME. 1964. Polychromatic staining of plant cell Rupp P. 1964. Polyglykol als Einbettungsmedium zum Schneiden botanischer
walls by toluidine blue O. Protoplasma 59: 368–373. Präparate. Mikrokosmos 53: 123–128.
Lohmann, Pace 105, Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Brazil, analysed at MADw wood collection, voucher in MAD,
Dolichandra unguiculata (Vell.) L.G. Lohmann, Zuntini 176, MO, MG; Dos Santos 317, Gurupa, Moju riverside, tributary
Vale do Rio Doce Forest Reserve, Espı́rito Santo, Brazil. of the Amazon River, Pará, Brazil, analysed at MADw,
Dolichandra unguis-cati (L.) L.G. Lohmann, Ceccantini voucher in MAD, MO, MG. Neojobertia mirabilis (Sandwith)
2687, Matozinhos, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Groppo 322, São L.G. Lohmann, Dos Santos 48, Buriticupu Forest Reserve,
Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Fridericia chica (Bonpl.) L.G. Maranhão, Brazil, received from the MADw wood collection,
Lohmann, Pace 50, Livings collection Plantarum Institute, vouchers in the MAD, MO, and MG. Neojobertia sp. nov.,
Nova Odessa, São Paulo, Brazil. Fridericia conjugata (Vell.) Zuntini 18, Vale do Rio Doce Forest Reserve, Espı́rito Santo,
L.G. Lohmann, Pace 44, Livings collection Plantarum Brazil. Pachyptera kerere (Aubl.) Sandwith, Castanho 143,
Institute, Nova Odessa, São Paulo, Brazil. Fridericia platy- Lohmann 834, Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil. Perianthomega
phylla (Cham.) L.G. Lohmann, Pace 22, Pace 23, Uberlândia, vellozoi Bureau, Pace 10, Pace 15, Viçosa, Minas Gerais,
Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fridericia samydoides (Cham.) L.G. Brazil; Pace 28, Pace 29, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz,