Floral development will be compared in representative taxa of the monophyletic, morphologically diverse and unique flowering plant family Proteaceae. The proposed study will determine the relationship between flower development and hypothesized phylogenetic patterns of Proteaceae. This will be done by establishing a robust phylogenetic tree of the family using principles of systematic theory. Using the phylogeny, important morphological trends in the flowers will be identified and studied ontogenetically. The ontogenetic study will utilize scanning electron microscopy and anatomical techniques. Comparative ontogenetic analyses among proteaceous taxa will provide an invaluable data base to test putative intra-familial relationships, by establishing homologies of characters from early developmental stages, which in flowers tend to be conserved and phyletically informative (cladogenic) compared to later developmental events, which are generally associated with functional limitations like seed dispersal and pollination. The combination of ontogenetics and phylogenetics will elucidate the peculiar floral morphologies of Proteaceae which contribute to its isolated position among angiosperms. Preliminary results contradict the established classification of Proteaceae. The study will also provide evidence to clarify the taxonomic position of Proteaceae among other angiosperms.
