Format: ORAL

Lúcia G. Lohmann1, 2

1. University of California, Berkeley, California, USA. 2. Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

The tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae) comprise ca. 20 genera and 400 species that are broadly distributed through the Neotropics, representing the largest and most successful clade of lianas in this part of the World. Species of Bignonieae show diverse morphology, ecology, and distribution, occurring in all major ecological zones (dry to wet) and providing an excellent opportunity to further understand habitat movements, niche transitions, and adaptations to dry/wet environments. The comprehensive phylogenetic, morphological, distribution, fossil, and ecological datasets gathered during the past three decades allow us to test hypotheses on the evolution of morphology, ecology, and biogeography of this important plant clade. Some of this work involved detailed studies of traits associated with the climbing habit (e.g., wood anatomy, tendrils), insect-plant interactions (e.g., nectaries, mitedomatia, trichomes), pollination systems (e.g., traits associated with different flower whorls), and dispersal (i.e., seeds). While Bignoniaceae is a model system, our exhaustive exploration of the Neotropical Bignoniaceae established the basis for cross-taxonomic and multi-disciplinary studies that combine similar datasets for other organisms. The understanding of species’ movements to dry environments across clades is allowing us to gain a deeper appreciation of clade-specific differences in the ability to adapt to climate change. Information of this nature is crucial to manage biodiversity, design sound policy, and establish conservation priorities.