Surprise addition to flowering plant family tree
Biologists have added a new addition to the base of the flowering plant family tree. The classification, reported in this week’s Nature, should help those trying to fathom the evolutionary history of angiosperms.

Hydatellaceae are a small, obscure family of aquatic herb usually reckoned to be flowering plants akin to grasses. But a new study of their anatomy and molecular biology by Sean W. Graham and co-workers now places them, surprisingly, next to the water lilies as among the most primitive flowering plants.

Although the relationship of flowering plants to other seed plants remains controversial, great progress has been made in identifying some of the most primitive members of the angiosperm family tree. These include water lilies, magnolias and the New Caledonian shrub Amborella trichopoda. The addition of Hydatellaceae at the same level should help biologists as they puzzle over the evolution of the distinctive reproductive structures whose appearance led to the dominance of flowering plants seen in modern ecosystems.

This week’s Nature also includes a package of features about Carl Linnaeus’ legacy as it applies to modern debates concerning conservation and taxonomy. Celebrating the 300th anniversary of Linnaeus’ birthday, the package also includes two commentaries on the future of Linnaean science - not to mention a portrait of his pet racoon.

CONTACTSean W. Graham (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada)
Tel: +1 604 822 4816; E-mail: swgraham@interchange.ubc.ca

James A. Doyle (University of California Davis, CA, USA) Co-author
Tel: +1 530 752 7591; E-mail: jadoyle@ucdavis.edu

Else Marie Friis (The Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden) N&V author

Tel: +46 8 5195 4155; E-mail: elsemarie.friis@nrm.se