Five research methods were used in Taxonomy, Systematics, and Biogeography of Ficus subsection Urostigma(Moraceae); Morphological characters, leaf anatomy, pollen morphology, molecular phylogeny,... Show moreFive research methods were used in Taxonomy, Systematics, and Biogeography of Ficus subsection Urostigma(Moraceae); Morphological characters, leaf anatomy, pollen morphology, molecular phylogeny, and historical biogeography. Seven topics are the result: 1) A revision was made based on morphology in which 27 species are recognized, but which also showed that morphology alone cannot solve all problems because of variation within the species. 2) Leaf anatomy displayed less variation in characters and anatomical characters proved to be useful for the classification of Ficus, especially in combination with morphology. 3) Pollen morphology appeared to be similar for all species and the characters can merely be used for generic recognition. 4) A new classification for subsection Urostigma is proposed in which the circumscription of the subsection and the species is the result of combining molecular phylogenetic information with morphology and leaf anatomy. 5) Ficus cornelisiana, a new species from Sino-Himalayan, was reported based on morphological and leaf anatomical evidence. 6) The historical biogeography was studied by using molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction. 7) The use of some Thai species within subsect. Urostigma is reported, six of them are used as food, as ornamental, or the uses are related to religion or sacred purposes. Show less
The thesis focuses on the tropical plant genus Mallotus. This genus belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), and comprises c. 110 species. These species are mainly found in (sub)tropical Asia... Show moreThe thesis focuses on the tropical plant genus Mallotus. This genus belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), and comprises c. 110 species. These species are mainly found in (sub)tropical Asia and the West Pacific, with only two species in Africa and Madagascar. Mallotus and its sister genus Macaranga are important components of the forest vegetation of Southeast Asia and show a large variety of life-history strategies (both pioneer and climax). Most Mallotus species are shrubs or trees, seldom climbers. The variable morphology of these species has resulted in three main subgeneric classifications, of which the latest recognizes eight sections. The study presented here was part of a large project involving ecological, revisional and phylogenetic work on Mallotus. Five of the eight sections of the genus Mallotus were revised in the framework of the Flora Malesiana project, hereby provisionally accepting the sectional division of Airy Shaw (1968). The remaining three sections were already revised in a previous study. The monophyly of all eight sections and their evolutionary relationships were analyzed using morphological and molecular data (the chloropast gene matK and the nuclear gene gpd). Finally, the phylogenetic significance of the morphological characters used in the classification by Airy Shaw was evaluated. Show less
