Current Projects:

Evaluation of B-group genes in the perianth of Malvaceae

Phylogeny and floral structure of Bombacoideae and Malvoideae (Malvaceae s. l.) with emphasis on the androecium development

The delimitation of families in the core Malvales has traditionally been problematic, and taxa have often been moved between the Bombacaceae, Malvaceae, Sterculiaceae, and Tiliaceae. Molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed the monophyly of the core Malvales, but do not support the traditional family level classification. One of the newly recognized monophyletic groups was named Malvatheca and comprises the traditional Bombacaceae (except for Durioneae), traditional Malvaceae, and some taxa of uncertain affinities (e.g., Fremontodendron, traditionally Sterculiaceae, and Pentaplaris, traditionally Tiliaceae). Stamen number and arrangement, level of filament union, and anther structure are highly variable within the Malvatheca clade. We study the development and structure of flowers to test alternative transformational hypotheses that have been used to explain the origin of the modified anthers.