Cichorioideae
Encyclopedia
Cichorioideae is a subfamily of the family
Asteraceae
of flowering plants. Familiar members of Cichorioideae include lettuce
, dandelions and Gazania
s. The subfamily comprises about 240 genera
and about 2900 species
. It is heterogeneous and hard to characterize except with molecular characters.
of DNA sequence
s,
so a number of tribes
were moved to new subfamilies
. Names for the new subfamilies were published in 2002.
In 2004, 2007, and 2008, molecular phylogenetic studies further clarified relationships
within Cichorioideae.
Major works
on Asteraceae were published in 2007 and 2009. These were the only comprehensive treatments
of the family since 1994. In the 2007 book, Gundelia
and Warionia
were segregated
from the tribe Cichorieae
to form the tribe Gundelieae. Eremothamnus
, Hoplophyllum
, Heterolepis
, and Platycarpha
were placed incertae sedis
in tribe Arctotideae, while Distephanus
, Trichospira
, Moquinia
, and Pseudostifftia
were placed in the tribe Vernonieae
. Some of this classification
was not supported by phylogenetic studies that came out later. For example, the tribe Arctotideae was only weakly supported as monophyletic, but its two subtribes, Arctotidinae and Gorteriinae were strongly supported.
In the 2009 book, Gundelieae was sunk into Cichorieae
. The new tribe Platycarpheae was recognized, as well as the tribes Eremothamneae and Moquinieae. Heterolepis was placed in Arctotideae, at least provisoinally. Distephanus was not placed in Moquinieae or in Vernonieae, but is closely related to them. Trichospira
was placed in Vernonieae
, but its inclusion there is in doubt.
Information on the taxonomy of the Asteraceae can be found at Taxonomy
websites such as the Tree of Life Web Project
. More can be found at some of the biochemistry websites such as UniProt
.
is not included in Vernonieae.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
of flowering plants. Familiar members of Cichorioideae include lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, dandelions and Gazania
Gazania
Gazania is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Southern Africa. It is often planted as drought-tolerant ground cover.-Species:Species include:*Gazania caespitosa Bolus*Gazania ciliaris DC....
s. The subfamily comprises about 240 genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
and about 2900 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. It is heterogeneous and hard to characterize except with molecular characters.
Taxonomy
The subfamily as understood in 1998 turned out to be paraphyletic, based on studiesResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
of DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
s,
so a number of tribes
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
were moved to new subfamilies
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
. Names for the new subfamilies were published in 2002.
In 2004, 2007, and 2008, molecular phylogenetic studies further clarified relationships
Systematics
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of terrestrial life, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees...
within Cichorioideae.
Major works
Academic publishing
Academic publishing describes the subfield of publishing which distributes academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in journal article, book or thesis form. The part of academic written output that is not formally published but merely printed up or posted is often called...
on Asteraceae were published in 2007 and 2009. These were the only comprehensive treatments
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
of the family since 1994. In the 2007 book, Gundelia
Gundelia
The gundelia is a spiny, thistle-like flowering plant, any of several species of the genus Gundelia, in the sunflower family , particularly G. tournefortii...
and Warionia
Warionia
Warionia is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
were segregated
Segregate (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, a segregate, or a segregate taxon is created when a taxon is split off, from another taxon. This other taxon will be better known, usually bigger, and will continue to exist, even after the segregate taxon has been split off...
from the tribe Cichorieae
Cichorieae
Cichorieae is a tribe of plants in the family Asteraceae that includes 100 genera and more than 1,600 species. They are found primarily in temperate regions of the Eastern Hemisphere....
to form the tribe Gundelieae. Eremothamnus
Eremothamnus
Eremothamnus marlothianus is a species of shrub in the family Asteraceae, the only species in the genus Eremothamnus. It is native to the coastal desert of Namibia. It is a small shrub with spiny leaves.-Taxonomy and systematics:...
, Hoplophyllum
Hoplophyllum
Hoplophyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It has two species, Hoplophyllum spinosum and Hoplophyllum ferox, both native to South Africa....
, Heterolepis
Heterolepis
Heterolepis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It has three or four species, all endemic to the Western Cape South Africa....
, and Platycarpha
Platycarpha
Platycarpha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Until 2009, it was considered to comprise three species, Platycarpha glomerata, Platycarpha carlinoides, and Platycarpha parvifolia, all from South Africa...
were placed incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
in tribe Arctotideae, while Distephanus
Distephanus
Distephanus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is described by Harold Robinson as having over 40 species and by David Mabberley as having only 34 species. These sources differ sharply in their description of the range of the genus. Robinson has it ranging thruout Africa...
, Trichospira
Trichospira
Trichospira is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
, Moquinia
Moquinia
Moquinia is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
, and Pseudostifftia
Pseudostifftia
Pseudostifftia is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
were placed in the tribe Vernonieae
Vernonieae
Vernonieae is a tribe of about 1300 species of plants in the aster family. They are mostly found in the tropics and warmer temperate areas, both in the Americas and the Old World. They are mostly herbaceous plants or shrubs, although there is at least one tree species, Vernonia arborea.- Taxonomy...
. Some of this classification
Biological classification
Biological classification, or scientific classification in biology, is a method to group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. Biological classification is part of scientific taxonomy....
was not supported by phylogenetic studies that came out later. For example, the tribe Arctotideae was only weakly supported as monophyletic, but its two subtribes, Arctotidinae and Gorteriinae were strongly supported.
In the 2009 book, Gundelieae was sunk into Cichorieae
Cichorieae
Cichorieae is a tribe of plants in the family Asteraceae that includes 100 genera and more than 1,600 species. They are found primarily in temperate regions of the Eastern Hemisphere....
. The new tribe Platycarpheae was recognized, as well as the tribes Eremothamneae and Moquinieae. Heterolepis was placed in Arctotideae, at least provisoinally. Distephanus was not placed in Moquinieae or in Vernonieae, but is closely related to them. Trichospira
Trichospira
Trichospira is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
was placed in Vernonieae
Vernonieae
Vernonieae is a tribe of about 1300 species of plants in the aster family. They are mostly found in the tropics and warmer temperate areas, both in the Americas and the Old World. They are mostly herbaceous plants or shrubs, although there is at least one tree species, Vernonia arborea.- Taxonomy...
, but its inclusion there is in doubt.
Information on the taxonomy of the Asteraceae can be found at Taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
websites such as the Tree of Life Web Project
Tree of Life Web Project
The Tree of Life Web Project is an ongoing Internet project providing information about the diversity and phylogeny of life on Earth. This collaborative peer reviewed project began in 1995, and is written by biologists from around the world....
. More can be found at some of the biochemistry websites such as UniProt
UniProt
UniProt is a comprehensive, high-quality and freely accessible database of protein sequence and functional information, many of which are derived from genome sequencing projects...
.
Phylogeny
The following phylogeny is from Systematics, Evolution and Biogeography of the Compositae, except that the tribe Gundelieae is recognized and the genus TrichospiraTrichospira
Trichospira is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
is not included in Vernonieae.