| A morphological and anatomical survey was carried out on seedlings of 62 taxa of palms representing all major groups. Results showed that the three previously recognized germination types in palms were not supported. A new seedling classification based on the orientation of the primary root is proposed. Plication types previously recorded as either reduplicate or induplicate are not supported for eophylls. There appears to be a third plication pattern that combines the two previous patterns. Cladistic analyses of anatomical and morphological seedling data were carried out. A combined analysis was performed using data from adult morphology. Outgroup selection was done within the family and using the monocot family Dasypogonaceae. The calamoids and Nypa fruticans as outgroups resolved some of the major groups. The combined analysis using Dasypogonaceae as the outgroup provided better resolution. Most of the clades were monophyletic as shown in previous studies, the coryphoids and arecoids were paraphyletic. |
