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THE GIANT LOBELIAS: PACHYCAULY, BIOGEOGRAPHY, ORNITHOPHILY AND CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Author(s) -
MABBERLEY D. J.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1975.tb02623.x
Subject(s) - biogeography , continental drift , biology , ecology , pollination , habit , herbaceous plant , geography , paleontology , pollen , psychology , psychotherapist
SUMMARY Recent revisions of the Asian, Jamaican and African species of pachycaul lobelias raise a number of evolutionary and biogeographical problems. Discussion of the apparent forest pachycaul ancestry of the African species is applied to problems of biogeography, pollination and Continental Drift. The available facts are accommodated in an hypothesis, wherein the African species are considered to have had an American ancestry. Herbaceous habit, dry fruit, wingless seeds, enhanced alpine pachycauly and entomophily are considered advanced characters. Further investigations, particularly with regard to the American species, are suggested to test the hypothesis.