Droseraceae germination patterns and their taxonomic significance

The Droseraceae exhibit a range of"germination patterns which are of possible taxonomic usefulness at the sectional and higher levels. Three patterns were observed in the family: phanerocotylar ( Drosera subgen. Drosera and Regia ); cryptocotylar (subgen. Ergaleium and Rorella ); and a new category, hemi-cryptocotylar, where both cotyledon apices remain in the seed coat, but the remainder emerges forming a photosynthetic cotyledon loop ( Dionaea, Drosophyllum and Drosera adelae ). Subgenus Drosera , especially sect. Drosera , is heterogenous for germination, and other features, with Drosera indica , sect. Lasiocephala and D. neocaledonica anomalous on current placements, and in need of further study. Conversely, the merger of sects Psycophila and Stelogyne and subgenl Ptycnostigma with subgen. Drosera sect. Drosera is supported by their germination features. Further studies are needed to determine the significance of environmental effects on the germination characteristics, although because the results of this study largely agree with recent morphological and molecular studies, this suggests that germination characteristics are useful at the sectional level, potentially providing additional characters for phylogenetic investigations within the Droseraceae.