LAMIALES NEWSLETTER LAMIALES Issue number 3 October 1994 Lamiales researchers. If you are not already on the directory, published CONTENTS THE IMPORTANCE in the 2nd edition of the Newsletter OF PERICARP (Nov. 1993), and would like to be Editorial 1 STRUCTURE IN THE included, please send details of CLASSIFICATION your address and research interests The importance of 1 OF LABIATES pericarp structure in the to the editors, including an e-mail address if you have one. classification of Labiates Olof Ryding A round table discussion on Labi- Dept. of Systematic Botany, Plectranthus esculentus 3 atae is to be held on the 27th Sep- Uppsala University, Uppsala, A minor tuber crop in dire tember 1995, during the 8th OPTI- Sweden need of rescue from extinction MA meeting, 25th Sept. - 1st Octo- ber 1995, to be held in Sevilla, Characters of fruit types, pollen Some useful indigenous 5 Spain. A provisional programme morphology, presence of Labiates from Ethiopia includes M. Mafei (Torino, Italy): endosperm and shape of the Chemical taxonomy of Labiatae; corolla, are known to be particu- Essential Oils of Labiate 6 N. Falciani & E. Nardi (Firenze, larly useful in the study of a phy- from Turkey Italy): Systematic revision of logeny, and play a most impor- Stachys sect. Stachys in Italy; T. tant role in a recent classifica- The role of Labiatae 11 Upson & S.L. Jury (Reading, UK): tions of the labiates at subfamil- in the vegetable resources Moroccan Lavandula; R.M. Harley ial, tribal and subtribal levels. of the USSR (Kew, UK): A new approach to the classification of the Lamiales: Wagner (1914) studied the peri- Flora of China vol. 17: 12 consequences for the Mediter- carp of many labiates in trans- Verbenaceae - Solanaceae ranean Flora. Information on the verse section, but his well illus- OPTIMA meeting can be obtained trated work seems to have been from Dr Mejias, Dept. de Biología forgotten during a long period. EDITORIAL Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Other major contributions have Biología, Avda. Reina Mercedes, been provided by Wojciechows- R. M. Harley & A. Paton s/n, 41012 Sevilla, Spain, FAX 34 ka (1966), Hedge (1970) and Herbarium, Royal Botanic (9)5 4557059. Ryding (1992a, 1993b, c, d). The Gardens, Kew, Richmond, studies provide several examples The Instituto de Quimica (UNAM, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK of pericarp characters that are Mexico City) have agreed to spon- very useful in classification at Welcome to the third Lamiales sor the next Lamiales Conference in different taxonomic levels. Newsletter. We still require more late 1996. The details have not yet articles for inclusion in the next been finalised, we hope to be able A typical example of the peri- Newsletter. We do rely on your to elaborate on plans in the next carp structure in Lamiaceae is support with articles to keep the edition. Meanwhile any institution shown in figure 1. In the exocarp Newsletter going. We can also print willing to co-sponsor the event (nutlet epidermis), there are any requests for living research should contact Mr Baldomero often cells which produce material or advertise any meetings Esquivel, Instituto de Quimica, mucilage when becoming wet. relevant to Lamiales research. The Cicuito Exterior, Ciudad Universi- The layers just below the exo- editors can be contacted by e-mail taria, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico carp are usually thin and/or soft using the following addresses: D.F., Mexico. If possible, copies of (mesocarp s.str.), and further [email protected] or correspondence should be sent to down, there is usually a layer of [email protected]. We are Dr T.P.Ramamoorthy, 412 Heart- vertically arranged bone cells constantly updating directory of wood Dr., Austin, TX 78745, USA. and/or layers of stone cells. The ➣ 1 inner epidermis of the pericarp is which several have become wide- did not consider any anatomical trinucula (which were not included from Verbenaceae by Cantino et usually thin. The coat of the seed spread as weeds. In the largest characters of the pericarp. If in Cantino’s analysis) have been al. (1992). I am sure that the new PLECTRANTHUS is usually thin. genus, Leucas, the variation in added, some pericarp characters found to have a very different type data will be very useful in studies ESCULENTUS N.E.BR. pericarp structure was found to will provide additional support of pericarp which contains large of the phylogeny, and contribute Hedge (1970), who studied many A MINOR TUBER be well correlated to Sebald’s to clades in Cantino’s phyloge- sclariform cells (Ryding 1993d). to further improvements of the species of Salvia, found that they CROP IN DIRE NEED infrageneric classification netic tree. However, in a few The three latter genera are proba- classification of the labiates. have a similar basic structure but OF RESCUE FROM (Sebald,1980). The distribution cases, there are conflicts between bly extraneous to Pogoste- show obvious differences in EXTINCTION. of pericarp characters and some pericarp characters and Cantino monoideae and their systematic thickness of the pericarp, pro- other morphological characters et al.’s (1992) classification. position is uncertain. Thus, the Literature Cited portions of the individual layers P.M. Kyesmu suggests that African Leucas are subfamily Pogostemonoideae had and colour. The most distinctive The largest subfamily, CANTINO, P.D. 1992. Evidence for a U.A.P.S., Dept. of Horticulture, more closely related to the perhaps better be abandoned or polyphyletic origin of Labiatae. species in general facies proved Nepetoideae, which forms a very Wye College, Wye, Ashford, African Acrotome and Leonotis given a new circumscription. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 79: in general to have the most dis- distinct group and constitutes a Kent, TN25 5AH, UK than to the Asiatic Leucas (Ryd- 361–379. tinctive pericarp. well corroborated clade in Canti- ing 1993c). The above-mentioned Ocimeae is a rather distinctive no’s phylogenetic tree, gets addi- CANTINO, P.D., HARLEY, R.M. AND The tropical genus Coleus, to examples show how pericarp tribe under the subfamily Just as it is likely that many tropi- tional support by the presence of WAGSTAFF, S.J. 1992. Genera of which the painted nettle characters can be useful in classi- Nepetoideae. It has a tropical dis- cal grasses were at one time myxocarpy (Ryding 1992b). The Labiatae, status and classification. belongs, differs from the related fication at generic and lower lev- tribution and is characterized by In: R. Harley and T. Reynolds. grown for their grains, so it is phenomenon has only been found Plectranthus by having the sta- els. Several pericarp characters, having the stamens lying on the Advances in Labiate Science. Royal likely that a number of African in Nepetoideae, and within the mens united, but as this differ- particularly the ones of the scle- lower lip of the corolla. The two Botanic Gardens, Kew. pp. 511–522. tubers were formerly cultivated subfamily, about 70% of the ence is not quite consistent, renchyma (bone cells or stone predominantly African subtribes, more than now and have come to species are mucilaginous. Absence HEDGE, I.C. 1970. Observations on Coleus has been reduced to a cells), have been found to be Plectranthinae and Ociminae, are be displaced by more successful of myxocarpy in this subfamily the mucilage of Salvia fruits. Notes synonym. Ryding (1992a) found rather conservative, to be consis- traditionally considered to differ ones. The native crops that sus- can generally be regarded as a Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 30: that most species with united tent within genera and to vary in size and shape of the lower lip 79–95. tained local populations and secondary derived condition. of the corolla, but these differ- early civilisation for centuries are stamens also have crystals in the only at higher taxonomic levels. RYDING, O. 1992a. Pericarp struc- ences are apparently inconsistent. mesocarp. The correlation of Such characters apparently pro- In five articles, Wojciechowska ture and phylogeny within Lami- neglected and unexplored. A However, Ryding (1992a) found characters suggests that the vide very important evidence, studied the nutlet shape and peri- aceae subfamily Nepetoideae tribe social stigma leading to prefer- species with united stamens useful in the classification at sub- carp characters in European labi- that there are consistent differ- Ocimeae. Nordic J. Bot. 12 (3): ence for exotic crops has probably represent a separate family, tribe and subtribe levels. ates. In her largest work (1966), ences in pericarp characters. 273–298. emerged. This has threatened the line of evolution, and a cladistic she divided the family into six Hoslundia, a genus known by its existence of native crops which Cantino et al. (1992) divided the RYDING, O. 1992b. The distribution analysis might well support the informal groups based on pericarp berry-like and edible fruiting are now being considered as family into eight subfamilies, and evolution of myxocarpy in resurrection of Coleus as a characters. Her division agrees calyx, had to be moved from Plec- ‘endangered species’ (Miège, essentially on the basis of a Lamiaceae. In: R. Harley and T. genus. Solenostemon and several strikingly well with Cantino et al.’s tranthinae to Ociminae. The wide- 1988). Many tuber crops so cladistic analysis presented by Reynolds (eds.). Advances in Labi- other related genera may have (1992) subfamilial classification: ly disjunct genus Rabdosiella was threatened, are known to be of Cantino (1992). Among many ate Science. Royal Botanic Gar- to be included in this genus. group A includes the subfamily found to be very polymorphic in dens, Kew. pp. 85–96. local origin and there are long other characters, Cantino (1992) Scutellarioideae; B includes Aju- pericarp characters. Later it was established traditions about their Leucas, Leonotis and Acrotome included fruit types, shape of RYDING, O.