Hey Nick, good point,
It is not just the size difference that disturbs me, the flower
differences, especially the structure of the lip. Growth pattern is quite
different, not simply bigger. Also Laelia tenenbrosa etc tend to be
fragrant, Sophronitis cernua is not, while not a critical factor, it does
speak to inhereted traits and adaptation to pollenators. The whole
"gestalht" is wrong, if the group were lined up in flower next to each
other, you would not naturally say they belong together, by eye you would
group the Laelias into one group, and the Sophronitis into another, and
the Rupiculous Laelias into a third. This does count for something.
Clearly the molecular guys are missing something important if their
groupings do not line up with the morphological groupings. A hetrogenous
genus tends to get split in usage regardless of the intent of the
taxonomists. For example, for many years we referred to Brazilian
Miltonias as a horticulturally distinct group from the Colombian
Miltonias. Low and behold, by the 1980's, the genus Miltoniopsis was
created and the Colombian Miltonias now belong to that group, it was
simply logical. I predict that the horticultural community will not accept
these over-broad genera, and come up with a way of distinguishing them, or
just ignore these changes all together.
To K, I'm not going to "Drink the Kool-Aide" just yet, I'm not
changing tags until Christiansen, Braem & a few other taxonomists who do
touch living specimens sign on. Molecular taxonomy is absolutely usless
for field work. Christiansen has a very valid point illustrated by the
capabilities of national universities of Peru. They absolutely must rely
on traditional taxonomy for their national flora surveys, the ability to
do the molecular work does not exist now, nor will it any time soon. The
countries with largely undocumented floras are the very countries that for
economic reasons can not use molecular cladistics. So molecular cladistics
must adapt itself to traditional taxonomy, not the other way around. The
molecular cladisitcs, if done right should yeild overall about the same
number of genera with similar homogenous traits inside the genus, with as
few as reasonable odd balls in each grouping. When that happens they have
the sensitivity right. Right now I don't think they have it right.
To VB - The subsidiary of BASF I am involved in does chemical
intermediates for modifying the set up characteristics of concrete.
Admixtures to be specific. The day job does not involve molecular biology.
So I have no opportunity to do my own research in this field. I simply
work in a small QC Lab, process control at a small manufacturing facility.
Leo
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