Shelo Angielou R. Zurita.
BSBIO 1B
Unit III. Taxonomic evidence and Descriptive Terminology
Taxanomic characters are the taxonomic attributes that can be used to provide the evidence from which
relationships (the phylogeny) between taxa are inerred.
In Taxonomy, evidence is the information used in context for a purpose such as identification or classification. The
foundation of plant taxonomy was laid on a number of characters (attributes) of plants and plant groups studied
from time to time. Such taxonomic information can be realised in many ways to prove a hypothesis, solve a
problem, characterize a taxon, classify a group of plants or derive evolutionary relationship among plants.
The Different Taxonomic Evidence and Descriptive Terminology
1. Morphology (deals with the external characters)
• It mainly deals with the external characters of the plant such as Habit, Root structure, Stem structure, Stem habit, Bud
structure, Leaf structure, Inflorescence type, Flower type, Perianth structure, Androecium type, Stamen
character,Gynoecial type, Carpel structure, Ovule type, Fruit type, and Seed type.
• It provided the basic language for plant characterization, classification and identification etc.
• Morphological data is useful in taxonomic studies.
EVIDENCE: Taxonomy of the genus Padina (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) based on morphological and molecular evidences,
with key to species identification
Ni Ni Win, Takeaki Hanyuda, Stefano GA Draisma, Phaik-Eem Lim, Siew-Moi Phang, Hiroshi Kawai Taxonomy of Southeast
Asian Seaweeds II, 119, 2013
2. Anatomy and Physiology (the study of the structure of organisms and their parts)
• The evidences come from wood cell type, size and shape, Wood cell wall sculpture, pattern, Stealer pattern, Vascular
bundle type, Xylem type, wood type and ray type, Ground tissue type, Epidermal type, Mesophyll type, Scleried type,
Stomatal type, Trichrome type, crystal type, Nodal type, Venation type, Petiole vasculation type, Periderm origin, Phloem
cell type, Specialized cell type.
• The application of anatomical data to phylogenetic problem is of great value in elucidating taxonomic relationships.
Evidence: Leaf anatomical characters variation of Strobilanthes s.l. from Sumatra, Indonesia and its taxonomic implications
July 2022Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 23(7)
DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d230748
LicenseCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
S. SuratmanS. SuratmanSURANTO SURANTOMUZZAZINAH MUZZAZINAHPurnomo PurnomoPurnomo Purnomo
3. Embryology (the study of embryo)
• Embryology is the study of the successive stages of sporognesis, gametogenesis and the growth and development of
embryo.
• Basic evidences are another loculi number, arrangement, Anther wall formation and endothecium type, Archesporial cell
number, Aril presence, Embryo sac development type, Embryo and Embryogeny type, Endosperm type, Integument
number and structural type, Ovule orientation type and position, Tapetal type, Perisperm presence, Nucleolus character,
and Haustorium formation type. Cont.
• Embryological evidences are important at higher category level e.g., in conjunction with other types of evidences in
Shelo Angielou R. Zurita. BSBIO 1B
confirming the systematic position of taxa.
EVIDENCE: EFFICACY OF THE ISOZYME DATA AND EMBRYOLOGICAL CHARACTERS TO SOLVE THE RIDDLE OF
JUSTICIA-RUNGIA COMPLEX
March 2020Global Journal of Engineering Science and Researches 7(3):10-19
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3710444
Project: Justicia Rungia Complex
Nitin LabhaneNitin LabhaneNitin DongarwarNitin Dongarwar
4. Palynology (the study of plant pollen, spores)
• Basic evidentiary characters are Pollen unit type, Pollen grain polarity, Pollen grain shape, Pollen grain symmetry, Pollen
grains nuclear state, Pollen wall architecture, Exine stratification, Exine structure, Exine sculpture, Aperture type, Aperture
number, Aperture position, Aperture shape, and Aperture structure.
• In Magnoliidae the pollen is nucleate.
• In Caryophyllidae the pollen is trinucleate. Cont.
• In Ericaceae the pollen is in tetrads.
• In Asclepiadaceae pollen remain in Pollinia.
• In Taraxaccurn the pollen wall is echinate.
• In Quercus the pollen wall is scabrate
EVIDENCE: Palynological evidence for vegetation development and climatic change in the Sub-Himalayan Zone (Neogene
Central Nepal)
Carina Hoorn, Tank Ohja, Jay Quade
Hugo de Vries Laboratory, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 318, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Sultan Qaboos University, Department of Earth Sciences, PO Box 36, Al Khod 123, Sultanate of Oman
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Received 11 October 1999, Revised 22 June 2000, Available online 30 October 2000.
5. Cytocology in relation to taxonomy (the study of structure and function of cells)
• Cytology is the study of the morphology and physiology of cells.
• Normally anatomists deal with shapes, size, wall structure, pattern, etc. but cytologists deal with the internal organelles of
the cell and detailed structure of cell wall.
• Some evidential characters are chromosome number, structure, Chromosome meiotic behavior, Ploidy level and type,
and Chromosome aberration etc. Cont.
• Cytological evidences is used for distinguishing taxa.
• To determine the origin of groups and to understand the evolutionary history of related taxa particularly those at the
intraspecific and specific levels cytotaxonomy is a part of experimental taxonomy.
• Such studies are helpful in determining the categories of genus, species etc. generally in cases of controversy.
EVIDENCE: chromosomes number in ten species of Quercus, with some remarks on the contributiois pf cytology to taxonomy
Ray C. Friesner
Butler University Botanical Studies
Vol. 1, No. 6/7 (January, 1930), pp. 77-103 (27 pages)
Published By: Butler University
6. Phytochemistry in realtion to taxonomy (the study of phytochemicals, which are chemicals derived from plants)
Shelo Angielou R. Zurita. BSBIO 1B
• Chemo Taxonomy: The science of chemical taxonomy is based on classification of Plants on the basis of their chemical
constituents related with the molecular characteristics.
• Chemotaxonomy includes: i. Investigation of pattern of the compounds existing in plants. ii. Investigation pattern of the
compounds in plant parts likes bark, wood, eaves, roots etc. Cont.
• Basic characters as evidence come from: Flavonoids, Terpenoids, Carotenoids, Polysaccharides,Alkaloids,Aminoacids,
Fattyacids, Aromatic compounds, and C;-C, photosynthesis etc.
• Popularity of Phytochemistry is due to:
i. Development of rapid analytical techniques.
il. Belief that data from many sources should be employed for classification.
EVIDENCE: A comparative phytochemical study of nine Lauraceae species by using chemometric data analysis
Mira Oh ,Hyun-Seung Park ,Soohyun Um,Tae-Jin Yang,Seung Hyun Kim
Published: September 9, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273616
7. Ultra structure in relation to taxonomy (the architecture of cells and biomaterials the is measurement, arrangement of
genomic features)
• Electron microscopic studies also play an important role in taxonomy Heywood and Dakhshini (1971) demonstrated the
use of Electron microscopy in Taxonomy.
• Important characters used in classification are as follows:
1. Sieve-tube plastids: Behnke et.al. studied more than 1500 species belonging to 380 families (1977, 1981) for sieve tube
plastids and found 3 types of plastids depending upon accumulation of starch and protein(S-type, So-type, P-type).
Cont.
2. Dilated cisternae (DC):
• Iverson and Flood (1970) found Dilate cisternae (DC) in Capparales.
• DC in the endoplasmic reticulum were reported by Bonnet and Newcomb (1965) in the root cells of Raphanus sativus.
• Favali and Gerola (1968) reported DC in phloem parenchyma of foliar veins in Brassica chinensis. Jorgensem (1977)
found them is Capparis sieve elements in evolutionary origin.
EVIDENCE: The ultrastructure and taxonomy of the Chrysophyceae and Prymnesiophyceae (Haptophyceae): a survey with
some new observations on the ultrastructure of the Chrysophyceae
D. J. HIBBERD
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 72, Issue 2, February 1976, Pages 55–80, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-
8339.1976.tb01352.x
Published: 13 May 2008
8. Genome analysis and nucleic acid hybridization in relation to taxanomy:
• Genome Analysis and Nucleic Acid Hybridization contain identification, measurement, arrangement of genomic features.
• Genome analysis has a very crucial role in understanding genomic relationships among species and is important to
systematists, evolutionists, molecular biologists etc.
Genomic relationship among diploid species:
Genomic relationship among diploid species is determined as:
i. Crossing affinity:
Interspecific crosses involving parental species with similar genus usually set normal pods and seeds while crosses
between dissimilar species, seeds are commonly abortive. Some hybrids do not set seeds. Sometimes the crossing is
successful in one direction and is genotype dependent.
Shelo Angielou R. Zurita. BSBIO 1B
Il. Chromosome pairing:
In inter specific hybrids the degree of chromosome pairing facilitates the analysis, of phylogenetic relationships among
species; providing information about ancestral types.
The DNA based molecular markers are applied in various aspects of taxonomy to analyze:
i. Genetic identity.
il. Genetic relatedness among populations, geographic populations and species.
ill. Pedigree. iv. Differentiation among isolated species.
v. Phylogenetic structure at various micro and macro levels.
EVIDENCE: Molecular Taxonomic Evidence for Two Distinct Genotypes of Mycobacterium yongonense via Genome-Based
Phylogenetic Analysis
March 2016PLoS ONE 11(3):e0152703
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152703
LicenseCC BY 4.0
Byoung-Jun KimByoung-Jun KimBo-Ram KimSo-Young LeeSo-Young Lee Bum-Joon KimBum-Joon Kim
Shelo Angielou R. Zurita. BSBIO 1B
Unit IV. Resources in Taxonomy
Herbarium specimens are plant samples that have been collected, preserved and stored for future references they are
important resources for taxonomists, Botanists and other researchers, as they provide a permanent record of Plant
species and their characteristics the proper collection and preparation of herbarium specimen, as well as the method of
identification, are Crucial to ensure their usefulness for future studies
Collection and preparation of herbarium specimens
Identify the plants - make sure you have correctly identified the plant that you wish to collect.
Choose the specimen - Select a healthy and fully developed plant
Record the necessary data - Document important detail such as scissors, Forceps, and a knife to
carefully remove the plant.
Collect the specimen- Use appropriate took such as sec and a knife to carefully remove the plant part.
Dry the specimen - place the plant pert on a sheet of newspaper.
Mount the specimen - Arrange the dried plant part on a herbarium sheet and use glue or small strips of
paper.
Label the specimen- write the plants scientific name collection information and any additional information.
Methods of Identification and character states in Plants:
Morphological characters - There are physical characteristics such of the shape and size of
leaves, flowers, and fruits.
Anatomical characters - these are internal features of plants such as the structure of leaves,
stems and roots.
Chemical Characteristics - These are specific molecules or compounds found in plants that can be
used to identify them.
Molecular character - There are DNA sequences or other genetic markers that can be used to
identify plants.
Rules Involved in the concept of Nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature - A unique scientific name convicting of a genus and species name.
Type specimens - A specific plant specimen designed or the standard for the name of a species.
Principle of picrity - The fire validly published name for a species takes precedence over any
subsequent names.
Herbarium Operations and Data Information systems:
• Data management - Proper documentation and storage of metadata Such as location, habitat, and
collector's name.
• Accussioning - The process of adding new specimens to a herbarium collection and ensuring their proper
documentation / preservation.
• Cataloging - Proper labeling, identification, and organization of specimens are crucial for easy retrieval and
reference
Shelo Angielou R. Zurita. BSBIO 1B
• Digitization - scanning and archiving of specimens in digital Format can make them more accessible
researchers.
Illustrate the different character and character states present in plants:
• In plants, characters are the observable traits or features that can be used to differentiate between different
species or groups of plants. Character states, on the other hand, are the different variations or expressions
of a particular character that can be observed in different plants.
Here are some examples of different characters and their character states in plants:
Leaf morphology
• Simple vs compound leaves
• Toothed vs smooth leaf margins
• Lobed vs unlobed shape
• Needle-like vs flat leaf shape
Stem morphology
• Herbaceous vs woody stem texture
• Smooth vs hairy stem surface
• Square vs round stem cross-section
• Branching vs non branching stem structure
Flower morphology
• Number of flower petals
• Flower colors (e.g. red, yellow, blue, etc.)
• Flower symmetry (e.g. radial vs bilateral symmetry)
Fruit morphology
• Fleshy vs dry fruit texture
• Single-seeded vs multi-seeded fruit
• Dehiscent vs indehiscent fruit
Root morphology
• Taproot vs fibrous root system
• Thick vs thin roots
• Adventitious root formation (whether roots form from non-root tissue such as stems or roots)
