title: Inflorescences in Eriocaulaceae: taxonomic relevance and practical implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inflorescences are thought to be of enormous taxonomic relevance; however, at the same time they are regarded as being notoriously difficult. This is partly due to the conflicting needs of floristics and evolutionary botany, but partly also due to the complicated and confusing terminology introduced by W. Troll and his school.
  
  
  METHODS
  The branching patterns of representatives of the genera Eriocaulon, Syngonanthus and Paepalanthus have been studied in the field and from preserved material by scanning electron microscopy. Branching patterns and formation sequences have been analysed and documented in longitudinal schemes and diagrams. Repetitive units of different levels are detected and related to the body plans of other species of the family.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The repetition of very few different branching patterns on different levels of complexity may lead to highly complex inflorescences. However, terms are needed only for patterns; levels may be numbered consecutively. While complex inflorescences are often described as additions or aggregations of units, there is some evidence that complex inflorescences are often the result of fractionation of inflorescence meristems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Precise descriptions of inflorescences useful for diagnostics and phylogenetics can be much simpler than they often are today. If complex inflorescences are the result of meristem fractionation, intermediate morphotypes cannot be expected. On the other hand, such intermediate morphotypes should occur if a complex inflorescence is formed following an aggregation pathway. Unless the repetitive patterns shown here are not correlated to complementary gene activities the inflorescences are not fully understood.
authors.affiliation: Evolution and Biodiversity of Plants, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stützel
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trovó
mesh_terms: D039262:Eriocaulaceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D009024:Morphogenesis; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Eriocaulaceae; Paepalanthus; comparative morphology; inflorescence evolution; meristem fractionation; repetitive patterns