Leguminosae research projects
- Molecular and morphological phylogeny of Eperua (Leguminosae)
- Bikinia & Tetraberlinia (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae)
Molecular and morphological phylogeny of Eperua (Fabaceae)
Danae Rozendaal - NHN Utrect
(MSc project supervised by Dr. L. Chatrou and Dr. H. ter Steege;
funding by Alberta Mennega Stichting)
A molecular phylogeny is currently reconstructed of the species of the South American legume genus Eperua using DNA sequences of the nrITS regions and plastid trnL-trnF spacers and matK gene. This phylogeny will hopefully shed more light on whether pending inflorescences arose once or mutiple times during the evolution of the genus. Secondly, the area of origin of the genus (either the Guianas or Brazil) will be analysed. Thirdly, ecological preferences will be mapped on the phylogeny.
Bikinia & Tetraberlinia (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae)
Jan Wieringa - NHN Wageningen
After detailed morphological analyses of the genera Bikinia and Tetraberlinia (Wieringa 1999) their relationship is now being tested using molecular techniques. A newly discovered species of Tetraberlinia plays an important role because its morphology suggests it may bridge some of the gaps between the two genera. A skeleton phylogeny will be made using trnl sequences, more detailed research is done using AFLP's. The AFLP's will also be used to resolve the internal topology of Bikinia and to see if aberrant material from Gabon may represent an undescribed species of Bikinia. A first result from the first AFLP analysis is that a seedling proved to be a hybrid, and that AFLP's can be used to trace such hybrids.