COMPARATIVE ANATOMY AND SYSTEMATICS IN Polystachya (ORCHIDACEAE) By JAMES MICHAEL HEANEY A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2006 Copyright 2006 by James Michael Heaney This document is dedicated to the graduate students of the University of Florida. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to many faculty in the Department of Botany at the University of Florida, especially William Louis Stern for his helpful advice and constructive criticisms throughout my graduate career. I appreciate the help of Walter S. Judd and Norris H. Williams for their guidance in the cladistic analysis. I am also very thankful for the advice of Barbara S. Carlsward during many stages of this study. I acknowledge, with thanks, the cooperation of Frieda Billiet, Curator of Living Collections, Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, Meise, and Ronald Determann, Conservatory and Conservation Director, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Atlanta, Georgia, for sending preserved materials of some specimens used in this study. I must thank Isobyl la Croix, Uzumara Orchids, Gairloch, United Kingdom, for providing several plants and advice. Several plants were supplied by Countryside Orchids, Corrales, New Mexico, J & L Orchids, Easton, Connecticut, and White Oak Orchids, San Francisco, California, for which I am grateful. I appreciate specimens provided by Mario Blanco (Jardin Botanico Lankester, Cartago, Costa Rica), Wesley E. Higgins, Director of Systematics, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida, and from the personal collection of William Louis Stern. Assistance in photographic processing provided by the Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, is greatly appreciated. iv Portions of this study were carried out with financial assistance from the American Orchid Society (American Orchid Society 11th World Orchid Conference Fellowship) through Thomas J. Sheehan, University of Florida. v TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS .................................................................................8 3 RESULTS...................................................................................................................24 Polystachya, Section Affines.......................................................................................24 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................24 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................26 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................26 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................27 Polystachya, Section Aporoidea.................................................................................32 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................32 Polystachya, Section Calluniflora..............................................................................33 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................33 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................33 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................33 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................36 Polystachya, Section Caulescentes.............................................................................36 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................36 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................38 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................38 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................39 Polystachya, Section Cultriformes .............................................................................44 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................44 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................45 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................45 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................46 Polystachya, Section Dendrobianthe..........................................................................50 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................50 vi Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................51 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................51 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................51 Polystachya, Section Eurychila..................................................................................54 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................54 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................54 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................54 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................55 Polystachya, Section Humiles ....................................................................................56 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................56 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................56 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................57 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................57 Polystachya, Section Isochiloides ..............................................................................59 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................59 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................60 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................60 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................60 Polystachya, Section Polychaete................................................................................63 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................63 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................64 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................64 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................65 Polystachya, Section Polystachya ..............................................................................66 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................66 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................71 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................71 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................72 Polystachya, Section Superposita...............................................................................75 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................75 Pseudobulb ..........................................................................................................75 Pseudobulb Anatomy...........................................................................................75 Root Anatomy .....................................................................................................76 Neobenthamia gracilis................................................................................................78 Leaf Anatomy......................................................................................................78