Fruits of H eterocoma ( V ernonieae‐ L ychnophorinae): taxonomic significance and a new pattern of phytomelanin deposition in A steraceae

H eterocoma is a B razilian endemic genus resulting from the dismemberment of S ipolisiinae, in which only representatives with fruit containing phytomelanin were included in the genus. As the fruits of A steraceae are known to be systematically important at various taxonomic levels and H eterocoma fruit has not been described previously, we studied the morphology and anatomy of the cypselas of all species of the genus, comparing them with other fruits in the family containing phytomelanin and evaluating the systematic potential at the specific and tribal levels. The fruits were analysed by scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ) and light microscopy. The morphological features of the fruit, including the carpopodium, ribs and pappi, varied in the genus and demonstrated potential for species discrimination. The anatomy showed a pattern for the genus with a uniseriate exocarp, the outer mesocarp composed of fibres arranged in several layers, the inner mesocarp composed of several layers of parenchyma, the endocarp, and phytomelanin deposited between the inner and outer mesocarp. This anatomical pattern of phytomelanin deposition differs from that of other Asteraceae with phytomelanin in their fruit. H eterocoma is also the only genus in V ernonieae that has phytomelanin deposition in the cypselas. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2015, 179 , 255–265.