Alkaloids as taxonomic characters in the tribe Crotalarieae (Fabaceae)

• Published in: Biochemical systematics and ecology Vol. 18; no. 7; pp. 503 - 515
• Main Authors: Van Wyk, Ben-erik, Verdoorn, Gerhard H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1990; Elsevier
• Subjects: alkaloids; Biological and medical sciences; chemical constituents of plants; chemotaxonomy; Crotalaria; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Plant cytology, morphology, systematics, chorology and evolution; Plant evolution; Crotalarieae; pyrrolizidine alkaloids; Leguminosae; quinolizidine alkaloids; piperidyl alkaloids; generic relationships; chemotaxonomy; Alkaloid; Cladism; Taxonomy; Dicotyledones; Morphology; Angiospermae; Chemotaxonomy; Spermatophyta; Phylogeny
• ISSN: 0305-1978; 1873-2925
• DOI: 10.1016/0305-1978(90)90122-V

Recent studies of alkaloids have led to a better understanding of the intricate taxonomic relationships in the tribe Crotalarieae. Data from alkaloidal metabolites are largely congruent with morphological data, but allow refinement of the understanding of the phylogeny. A well-supported and almost fully resolved cladogram is presented, which shows that the genera can be grouped into four main clades: (1) an unspecialized group without α-pyridone alkaloids and without esters of alkaloids ( Aspalathus, Lebeckia, Rafnia, Wiborgia and perhaps Spartidiurn); (2) a group specializing in lupanine-type esters ( Pearsonia and Rothia); (3) a group with macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloids ( Crotalaria and Lotononis); and (4) a specialized group with α-pyridone alkaloids ( Argyrolobium, Dichilus, Melolobium and Polhillia).