No abstract

Premise of research. Salvia is one of the most species-rich genera in the world. Its outstanding diversity and subcosmopolitan distribution have prevented the preparation of a modern comprehensive monograph and reevaluation of its classification. As phylogenetic efforts advance to untangle the evolutionary relationships of Salvia, the need for a solid taxonomic footing is increasingly imperative. Accordingly, we present an updated checklist of the species richness and distribution of Salvia subg. Calosphace, which constitutes more than half of the diversity of the genus. Methodology.A preliminary checklist of the species of Salvia subg. Calosphace was compiled through examination of the literature and online databases; this was revised and discussed by the authors in order to retrieve a consensus list. The distribution of each species by country or territory as well as by biome was also recorded from the sources consulted; affinities in composition were visualized with the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean based on a dissimilarity matrix (Sørensen's index).Pivotal results. Salvia subg. Calosphace comprises 580 species; 30 were qualified as unresolved and require further analysis. The countries with the highest species richness are Mexico (295 spp.), Peru (77 spp.), Colombia (60 spp.), Brazil (58 spp.), Guatemala (49 spp.), and Ecuador (41 spp.). The affinity in species composition between countries and between biomes is explained mainly by geographical proximity.Conclusions. The updated list of the species of Salvia subg. Calosphace will help to guide sampling for phylogenetic analyses, enabling the achievement of a more stable and solid phylogenetic hypothesis. At the same time, it is a potentially important tool for underpinning discussions toward a new sectional classification of the lineage.

Inflorescence and floral morphology and development were investigated in Aragoa (Plantaginaceae) and related genera. Each inflorescence of Aragoa is a reduced, axillary raceme, on which the actinomorphic floral apices generally arise successively. The inflorescences of Aragoa and Plantago are polytelic and lateral. The five sepals emerge from the abaxial to the adaxial side of the floral apex, but at maturity, the calyx is actinomorphic. The four stamens arise simultaneously and before emergence of the petals. The four petals emerge unidirectionally united, but the corolla becomes actinomorphic. Aestivation is cochlear ascendent. The two united carpels initiate simultaneously. The abaxial-adaxial inception of the calyx and corolla during early floral development in genera such as Aragoa, Digitalis, Plantago, and Veronica may indicate that the zygomorphic condition is ancestral in those genera. The tetramerous corolla, which is actinomorphic during middle and late development, and the presence of four stamens are possible synapomophies of the clade (Aragoa þ Plantago). Pentamery of the calyx and corolla appears to be plesiomorphic in the broader AragoaAngelonia clade. Characters related to development and morphology of inflorescences and flowers of Aragoa are essentially similar to those found in Plantago, which is consistent with the molecular-based sister group relationship between these genera.

Aim Long‐distance dispersal research in plants has long been dominated by the assumption that an association between plant diaspore adaptations and related transport vectors (standard dispersal) determines the success of colonization. However, the role of diaspore adaptations in a biogeographic context is being increasingly questioned, as evidence reveals that unspecialized plants have been successful colonizers by recurrent non‐standard dispersal. We studied wind and oceanic currents as vectors for long‐distance plant dispersal between the Americas and the Galápagos Islands with the focus on diaspore specializations to gain knowledge on the net contribution of standard and non‐standard dispersal mechanisms. Location Eastern Pacific Ocean: the American continent and Galápagos. Major taxa studied Non‐endemic angiosperms native to Galápagos and the American continent. Methods We used connectivity models for prevailing wind and ocean currents based on satellite data to explore the correspondence between connectivity and species distribution patterns. Using a randomization test to eliminate the effect of wind and current directionality, we evaluated whether the proportion of species that is more connected than randomly expected varies for the five diaspore specialization groups. Results We found that a large percentage of the plants are present in areas of the continent where ocean current connectivity with the archipelago is higher than expected by chance, while the percentage is small for areas with high wind connectivity. We did not find correspondence between species long‐distance dispersal specialization and the connectivity provided by either of the two abiotic vectors. Main conclusions Our results of ocean current connectivity – over wind connectivity – lead us to hypothesize that rafting dispersal has been significant in connecting the biota of Central/South America and the Galápagos Islands. This result supports a more prominent role of non‐standard dispersal mechanisms in a biogeographic context than accepted in traditional schemes.