Flavonoids of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) [Paperback]

Flavonoids are secondary plant products that have previously been shown to be helpful in determining relationships among plant groups. This work presents comprehensively the occurrence, patterns of variation, and systematic and evolutionary importance of flavonoids in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), the largest family of flowering plants (23,000 species). It gathers together the more than 2500 reports of flavonoids in Asteraceae published between 1950 to the present and interprets these data in context of new taxonomic (especially generic) alignments. The authors discuss flavonoid patterns with reference to modern phylogenetic studies based on morphology and DNA data. This book provides, therefore, the most exhaustive synthesis and evaluation of the systematic and evolutionary import of flavonoids ever accomplished for any large family of angiosperms.Section I. Introduction to the Sunflower Family.- 1. Biology and Distribution.- 2. Classification, Phylogeny and Biogeography.- Section II. Introduction to the Flavonoids.- 3. The Use of Flavonoids as Taxonomic Markers.- 4. Structural Variation of the Flavonoids of Asteraceae.- 5. Biosynthesis of Flavonoids.- 6. Biological Functions of Flavonoids.- Section III. Flavonoid Data.- 7. Flavonoids of Anthemideae.- 8. Flavonoids of Astereae.- 9. Flavonoids of Calenduleae and Cardueae.- 10. Flavonoids of Eupatorieae.- 11. Flavonoids of Heliantheae s.l.- 12. Flavonoids of Inuleae s.l.- 13. Flavonoids of Lactuceae.- 14. Flavonoids of Mutisieae and Barnadesioideae.- 15. Flavonoids of Senecioneae.- 16. Flavonoids of Tageteae.- 17. Flavonoids of Vernonieae and Liabeae.- Section IV. Efficacy of Flavonoids at Different Taxonomic Levels.- 18. Flavonoids at the Subfamilial Level.- 19. Flavonoids at the Tribal Level.- 20. Flavonoids at the Subtribal Level.- 21. Flavonoids at the Generic Level.- 22. Flavonoids at the Specific Level.- 23. Flavonoids at Infraspecific Levels.- Section V. Flavonoids as Indicators of the Evolutionary ProceslÃ.