Yams reclassified: a recircumscription of Dioscoreaceae and Dioscoreales

• DOI: 10.2307/1554967
• Publication Date: 2006-04-23T07:25:08Z
• Authors: Lizabeth R. Caddick; Paul Wilkin; Paula J. Rudall; Terry A. J. Hedde...; Mark W. Chase
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences

AbstractAnalyses of morphological and molecular characters for Dioscoreales Hook. f. (Chase & al., 1995b; Caddick & al., 2000a; Caddick & al., 2002) have redefined the order, which now comprises three families, Burmanniaceae, Dioscoreaceae, and Nartheciaceae. Since recent analyses of morphological and molecular data sets (Caddick & al., 2002) have indicated well­supported relationships within Dioscoreaceae R. Br., a formal reclassification of the family is presented here. Dioscoreaceae now contain four distinct genera,Dioscorea, Stenomeris, Tacca(previously in Taccaceae), andTrichopus. The Malagasy endemicAvetra sempervirensis close sister toTrichopus zeylanicus, and is here reclassified as a second species of this genus. The dioecious Dioscoreaceae genera,Borderea, Epipetrum, Nanarepenta, Rajania, Tamus, andTestudinaria, are nested withinDioscoreain phylogenetic analyses (Caddick & al., 2002), and are therefore sunk into it.