Número Especial: Amaryllidaceae
Editorial
Un Viaje A Través De Las Amaryllidaceae:
Una Perspectiva Desde Las Américas
A Journey Across The Amaryllidaceae: An Outlook
1
2
Editores Invitados
1
2
. Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
. Herbario EIF & Laboratorio de Evolución y Sistemática, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y de la Conservación de la Naturaleza,
Universidad de Chile, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
*sassone@ipk-gatersleben.de; ngarcia@uchile.cl
The family Amaryllidaceae includes species distributed all over the Globe, with centers of higher
taxonomic diversity and species richness in South America, Asia, and southern Africa (Stevens, 2001
onwards). The family is divided into three subfamilies and includes ca. 2200 species, of which > 1200
are part of Allioideae, > 1100 belong to Amaryllidoideae, and only ca. 10 species to Agapanthoideae.
The family encompasses genera and species of huge economic interest, ornamental species cultivated all
over the World, and a rich history in the traditional medicinal practices of indigenous populations around
the World (Scarpa et al., 2020). Given the degree of canalized evolution and the presence of convergent
morphological characters (Meerow, 2010) many taxa were a real challenge to place confidently within
traditional classifications until the advent of DNA sequence analyses. As a result, Amaryllidaceae and
particularly their South American representatives have been poorly studied. Some reasons for the lack
of study can be summarized in 1) the overall difficulty of collecting geophytes in the field and posterior
preservation in herbaria, 2) phenology, such as fall or winter flowering periods when collection trips are
infrequent or the lack of records of complete individuals due to proteranthy or histeranthy, 3) the lack of
unequivocal morphological characters to diagnose certain taxa. The present issue aims to bring together
studies including representatives of the family (endemic and cultivated species in the American continent),
to recognize patterns among them as a first step towards understanding the evolutionary history and
increasing the awareness of Amaryllidaceae.
The published articles cover a diversity of botanical areas as well as different taxonomic levels within
Amaryllidaceae. Meerow reviews the intricate systematic history of the family in the last three decades.
This manuscript highlights the significative contribution of molecular phylogenetics to the current
understanding of the family’s evolutionary history and classification. In line with the conflictive systematics
of the group, Goyeneche et al. compile the taxonomic history of Zephyranthes bifida (Herb.) Nic. García
&
Meerow (Hippeastreae, Amaryllidoideae). According to their nomenclatural research, this species is
associated with 43 legitimate synonyms, three illegitimate names, and two isonyms without nomenclatural
status. Moreover, the authors call attention towards within-individual variation of spathe morphology in Z.
bifida, dismissing the idea that this variation may be indicative of different taxonomic entities. Additionally,
Campos Rocha et al. describe a new species of Nothoscordum (Leucocoryneae, Allioideae). The new
species is endemic to Brazil and is described based on integrative taxonomy. Furthermore, they provide a
detailed description of the habitat and raise the need of preserving the type locality.
Valdes-Ibarra et al. focus on the geographic distribution and species richness of subtribe Hippeastrinae
(
Hippeastreae, Amaryllidoideae) in Mexico. Mexican species of Hippeastrinae exhibit a modern
Neotropical pattern of richness and distribution. Species richness and endemism are concentrated in the
Neotropical Region and the Mexican Transition Zone. Also, the authors propose that the Sierra Madre
Oriental is a local center of diversity for the group.
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