I.

Dramatis personae
A. How do we choose “model organisms”?
B. Climate change and the tropics.

II. Vascular flora of the tropics

A. Seedless plants
B. Gymnosperms
C. Angiosperms
1. Monocots
2. Dicots

http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html
I. Dramatis personae
A. How do we choose “model organisms”?
B. Climate change and the tropics.

II. Vascular flora of the tropics

A. Seedless plants
B. Gymnosperms
C. Angiosperms
1. Monocots
2. Dicots
Table 1. Plant species we will use for Thermometer 1.
Santa Rosa BCI La Selva
UNDERSTORY SHRUBS
Piper (Piperaceae) marginatum cordulatum cenocladum
Ouratea (Ochnaceae) lucens lucens lucens
Psychotria (Rubiaceae) horizontalis marginata panamensis
Faramea (Rubiaceae) occidentalis occidentalis suerrensis
Capparis (Capparidaceae) frondosa frondosa pittierii
Annona (Annonaceae) purpurea acuminata montana
Mabea (Euphorbiaceae) occidentalis occidentalis occidentalis
Moraceae Trophis racemosa Sorocea affinis Trophis involucrata
SHADE-TOLERANT
TREES
Hirtella (Chrysobalanaceae) racemosa triandra lemsii
Garcinia (Guttiferae) intermedia intermedia intermedia
Swartzia (Fabaceae) cubensis simplex simplex
Guarea (Meliaceae) excelsa guidonia bullata
Trichilia (Meliaceae) americana tuberculata septentrionalis
Burseraceae Bursera simaruba Protium tenuifolium Protium pittierii
Sapotaceae Manilkara chicle Pouteria unilocularis Pouteria unilocularis
PIONEER TREES
Cecropia (Cecropiaceae) peltata insignis obtusifolia
Luehea (Tiliaceae) speciosa seemannii seemannii
LIANAS
Dilleniaceae Dolicarpus dentatus Dolicarpus dentatus Pinzonia coriaceae
Bignoniaceae Callichlamys latifolia Callichlamys latifolia Callichlamys latifolia
Paullinia (Sapindaceae) cururu bracteosa pinnata
Fabaceae Dioclea megacarpa Clitoria javitensis Bauhinia guianensis
Hiraea (Malpighiaceae) reclinata reclinata reclinata
Bryophyta
Diversity of mosses has been classified in
approximately 10,000 species, 700 genera,
and about 110-120 families. This places the
mosses as the third most diverse group of
land plants, only after the angiosperms and
ferns. As a lineage, mosses are a historically
crucial group in the understanding of the
transition to life on land.

Lycopodiopsida
Lycopodiopsida

Selaginella sp.

Hugh Wilson
Polypodiopsida
Polypodiidae - Next to the flowering
plants, the leptosporangiate ferns are the most
diverse group of living land plants. Recent
estimates place their diversity at about 12,000
species in 300 genera. The earliest known
occurrence of leptosporangiate ferns is in the
Lower Carboniferous.
Cyatheales – tree ferns (e.g., Cyatheaceae)
Cyathea percrassa (common in PNG)
© M. Fagg Hymenophyllum flabellatum
(higher elevation)
Cycadaceae
 Gnetaceae
Welwitschia mirabilis
MONOCOTS
•Herbs
•Aerial roots often
present
•Leaves alternate, simple
•Flowers small, densely
congested into spadix,
subtended by a leaflike
spathe
Colocasia affinis jenningsii Alocasia odora
© Joe Wright C. Koch
Sauromatum guttatum
•Herbs, often epiphytic
•Usually with rosette
growth form
•Leaves alternate, simple,
margins often spiny
•Inflorescences frequently
showy and bracteate
•Mostly neotropical;
terrestrial xeromorphic to
stemless epiphytic

Pineapples originally grew in South

America. The pineapple plant was
spread over tropical areas by the
Spanish and Portuguese, and it was
also taken back to Europe to be grown
there. Europeans developed pineapple
plantations, improved the plant, and
brought it to Hawaii and Australia.
Today, China produces the most
pineapples in the world.
Heliconiaceae and Musaceae
Psuedostems formed by overlapping
leaf sheaths

Leaves alternate, distichous, simple

Inflorescences with large conspicuous,

brightly colored bracts
Banana is a hybrid
between two old world
musaceaes – M.acuminata
and M. balbisiana
The banana is an
ecologically demanding
species. It requires
abundant moisture, high
temps, and soil with
abundant nutrients.
Rotation is required. Fungi
attack it and make the
fruits mature early; it is
attacked by more than 200
insect species.
Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
•Mostly epiphytes

•Roots thick, surrounded

by white stuff (velamen)

•Stems modified as
pseudobulbs

•Flowers impressively
variable; one petal
modified into a lip
 (Arecaceae)

Glabrous woody plants with erect stems

Bactris gasipaes
Rubiaceae
Melastomataceae
•Usually shrubs, treelets, herbs
•Leaves usually opposite, simple
•Fruits capsules or berries with
numerous small seeds
(Fabaceae)
•alternate leaves
•pinnately compound
•stipules
•root nodules with bacteria
(Rhizobium spp)
Dipteryx panamensis (Fabaceae)
 Conclusions

• Seedling growth was highly sensitive to

microsite variation in light availability
within the understory

• Species exhibited marked variation in

light-dependent patterns of growth and
biomass partitioning
Amburana acreana
Amburana acreana

Bolivia, Brazil (Acre, Mato

Grosso, Rondônia), Peru
Formerly abundant in non-
flooded
forest, this species has been
heavily exploited for its
wood, used for making
luxury furniture. In Rondônia
the number of sawmills,
which principally process A.
acreana, increased eightfold
between 1975 and 1982. The
species is now on the official
list of threatened species
PIPER CENOCLADUM
HERBIVORES OF P. CENOCLADUM
HERBIVORES OF P. CENOCLADUM
ANT MUTUALISTS OF P. CENOCLADUM
BEETLE PREDATOR OF ANTS
 Table 1: CATEGORIES OF ANT-PLANT INTERACTIONS (Modified from
Keeler)

INTERACTION PLANT BENEFIT/LOSS ANT BENEFIT EXAMPLES

Mutualism Defended against Shelter and food Acacia-Pseudomyrmex
(Myrmecophytes) herbivores (and some Cecropia-Azteca
epiphylls) Piper-Pheidole
Mutualism Defended against Food (extrafloral Solanum-ants
herbivores nectaries) Ipomoea-ants
Mutualism Nutrients Shelter and food Ant gardens-
(Myrmecophytes) Camponotus
Myrmecodia-
Iridomyrmex
Commensalism Nothing Food (extrafloral Passiflora auriculatum
nectaries) - various ants
Commensalism Nothing Shelter Witheringia
asterotricha -
Crematogaster
Mutualism Seeds are dispersed Food Many plants-Tapinoma
(Myrmecochory)
Mutualism Gametes are delivered Food Leporella fimbriata -
(pollination) Myrmecia
"Predation" Leaf tissue, floral Food Various plants-Atta
structures, or seeds lost Various plants-
Pogonomyrmex
Indirect Various (can be both Various Desmanthus illinoensis
interactions positive and negative) - Crematogaster
 Table 1: CATEGORIES OF ANT-PLANT INTERACTIONS (Modified from
Mutualism Nutrients Keeler) Shelter and food Ant gardens-
(Myrmecophytes) Camponotus
INTERACTION PLANT BENEFIT/LOSS ANT BENEFIT Myrmecodia-
EXAMPLES
Mutualism Defended against Iridomyrmex
Shelter and food Acacia-Pseudomyrmex
Commensalism
(Myrmecophytes) Nothing
herbivores (and some Food (extrafloral Cecropia-Azteca
Passiflora auriculatum
epiphylls) nectaries) - various ants
Piper-Pheidole
Commensalism
Mutualism Nothing
Defended against Shelter
Food Witheringia
(extrafloral Solanum-ants
herbivores nectaries) asterotricha -
Ipomoea-ants
Mutualism Nutrients Crematogaster
Shelter and food Ant gardens-
Mutualism
(Myrmecophytes) Seeds are dispersed Food Many plants-Tapinoma
Camponotus
(Myrmecochory) Myrmecodia-
Mutualism Gametes are delivered Food Leporella fimbriata -
Iridomyrmex
Commensalism (pollination)
Nothing Myrmecia auriculatum
Food (extrafloral Passiflora
"Predation" Leaf tissue, floral nectaries)
Food -Various
various plants-Atta
ants
Commensalism structures,
Nothing or seeds lost Shelter Various plants-
Witheringia
asterotricha
Pogonomyrmex -
Indirect Various (can be both Various Crematogaster
Desmanthus illinoensis
Mutualism
interactions Seeds are
positive anddispersed
negative) Food Many plants-Tapinoma
- Crematogaster
(Myrmecochory) lineolata
Mutualism Gametes are delivered Food Leporella fimbriata -
(pollination) Myrmecia
"Predation" Leaf tissue, floral Food Various plants-Atta
structures, or seeds lost Various plants-
Pogonomyrmex
Indirect Various (can be both Various Desmanthus illinoensis
interactions positive and negative) - Crematogaster
lineolata
 Keeler)
(Myrmecochory)
Mutualism
INTERACTION Gametes are delivered
PLANT BENEFIT/LOSS FoodBENEFIT
ANT Leporella fimbriata -
EXAMPLES
Mutualism (pollination)
Defended against Myrmecia
Shelter and food Acacia-Pseudomyrmex
"Predation"
(Myrmecophytes) Leaf tissue,(and
herbivores floralsome Food Various plants-Atta
Cecropia-Azteca
structures,
epiphylls) or seeds lost Various plants-
Piper-Pheidole
Mutualism Defended against Pogonomyrmex
Food (extrafloral Solanum-ants
Indirect Various
herbivores(can be both Various
nectaries) Desmanthus illinoensis
Ipomoea-ants
interactions
Mutualism positive
Nutrientsand negative) - Crematogaster
Shelter and food Ant gardens-
(Myrmecophytes) lineolata
Camponotus
Myrmecodia-
Iridomyrmex
Commensalism Nothing Food (extrafloral Passiflora auriculatum
nectaries) - various ants
Commensalism Nothing Shelter Witheringia
asterotricha -
Crematogaster
Mutualism Seeds are dispersed Food Many plants-Tapinoma
(Myrmecochory)
Mutualism Gametes are delivered Food Leporella fimbriata -
(pollination) Myrmecia
"Predation" Leaf tissue, floral Food Various plants-Atta
structures, or seeds lost Various plants-
Pogonomyrmex
Indirect Various (can be both Various Desmanthus illinoensis
interactions positive and negative) - Crematogaster
lineolata
Solanaceae
•Shrubs, trees, vines,
herbs
•Leaves alternate,
usually simple
•Fruits are capsules or
berries
•Found in nearly all
habitats
Moraceae
Moraceae
•Usually woody, milky latex
present

•Stipules

•Leaves alternate (spiral or

distichous)

•Fruits often enclosed by

receptacle
Trophis racemosa
Pourouma aspera

Cecropia obtusifolia

Castilla elastica
 Cactaceae

•spines
•superficial roots
•vascular system forms
hollow cylindrical
Lophophora williamsii
skeleton
Cactaceae

Lophophora williamsii
 Euphorbiaceae

•Alternate leaves with stipules

•Many with latex
Hyeronima alchorneoides
(Pilon)
Rhizophoraceae
Hampea appendiculata (Malvaceae)
 Hampea appendiculata (Malvaceae)

Small herbaceous tree with alternate leaves.

Younger twigs and leaf petioles with tannish pubescence.
The leaves are entire (smooth margin), 3-palmately veined,
elliptic-ovate in shape, and are not lobed. The upper leaf
surface has 2 flaps of blade tissue that cover the petiole
at the base of the leaf blade. On the under-leaf surface
each of the three primary veins contains a gland.
Stem cross sectional cuts (10X) show a white cellular
pith region and produce no latex. The plants have
no unique odor.