Gregory Anderson

University of Connecticut | UConn · Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Asteraceae are among the most abundant angiosperm families on oceanic islands. The reproductive biology of Asteraceae is reviewed and the attributes of the family contributing to their success on islands are discussed. Asteraceae are effective dispersers (the small, single-seeded fruits are moved great distances by wind and birds), and colonization...

Islands provide unique opportunities to integrated research approaches to study evolution and conservation because boundaries are circumscribed, geological ages are often precise, and many taxa are greatly imperiled. We combined morphological and hybridization studies with high-throughput genotyping platforms to streamline relationships in the enda...

We propose Culinary Cultural Conservation (CCC) and Cultural Keystone Food Groups (CKFG) as ethnobotanical concepts. Our two-decade study of fresh food markets showed impressive crop-consistency across space (Puerto Rico to Connecticut, Vietnam to Australia and to the USA) and time (1993–2015). Notably, fresh, mostly tropical and imported, starchy...

Graves' Beach Plum (Prunus maritima var. gravesii) has been notable for its unique morphological form since a single individual was first discovered on Esker Point in Groton, Connecticut and formally described in 1897. This original clone is now extinct in the wild and is presently kept in cultivation on the University of Connecticut campus, with n...

Understanding the genetic control of key reproductive traits/characters facilitates better understanding of systematics and evolution. Accordingly, we employed hybridization studies to investigate the Mendelian genetics of eight floral traits of two divergent populations of Jaltomata procumbens, which appear to have undergone an evolutionary shift...

Speciation is arguably the most fundamental process in plant evolution because it leads to evolutionary lines that represent the basic units of plant classification, the species, and is the means of diversification within lineages (Rieseberg and Brouillet 1994; Coyne and Orr 2004). In addition, the plant diversity for a given area is usually presen...

Oceanic islands have played a key role in the understanding of the evolution and dispersal of organisms on the Earth (Crawford and Stuessy 1997; Whittaker 1998; Emerson 2002; Cowie and Holland 2006). The extraordinary faunas and floras of oceanic islands containing unique assemblages of species, and high levels of endemism have long been of interes...

The focus of our investigations in the Juan Fernández Islands over the past 35 years has been, and continues to be, the evolution of the endemic angiosperms. Evolutionary aspects include numerous dimensions, but they all begin with phylogeny. To be able to understand any aspect of the evolutionary process, an appreciation of relatedness among taxa...

Background Solanum sect. Basarthrum is phylogenetically very close to potatoes (Solanum sect. Petota) and tomatoes (Solanum sect. Lycopersicon), two groups with great economic importance, and for which Solanum sect. Basarthrum represents a tertiary gene pool for breeding. This section includes the important regional cultigen, the pepino (Solanum mu...

With ca. 200 species, the informally named Potato clade represents one of the larger subgroups of the estimated 1500 species of Solanum. Because its members include the potato (S. tuberosum), tomato (S. lycopersicum), and pepino (S. muricatum), it is the most economically important clade in the genus. These crop species and their close relatives ha...

Plants on oceanic islands often originate from self-compatible (SC) colonizers capable of seed set by self-fertilization. This fact is supported by empirical studies, and is rooted in the hypothesis that one (or few) individuals could find a sexual population, whereas two or more would be required if the colonizers were self-incompatible (SI). Howe...

• Island plants are over-exploited and "under-explored." Understanding the reproductive biology of plants, especially rare species, is fundamental to clarifying their evolution, estimating potential for change, and for creating effective conservation plans. Clarification of sexual systems like dioecy, and unusual manifestations of it in specific st...

Dioecy has arisen at least five times in Solanum, each time presenting as a functional system in which a) individual staminate plants produce flowers with functional stamens and nonfunctional gynoecia, and b) pistillate plants produce flowers with a functional gynoecium and stamens bearing non-functional inaperturate pollen, or no pollen. Thus, bot...

Without full knowledge of the reproductive biology of endemic species, the chances of effective conservation decline. We conducted multi-year field and laboratory studies of the sexual system and reproductive biology of Solanum vespertilio. Flowers are tetramerous, zygomorphic, heterantherous and sometimes enantiostylous. The species is andromonoec...

People retain culinary customs when they migrate. We tested this commitment via the study of Puerto Rican fresh produce markets in the continental United States over time, 18 yr, and space, by comparisons with source markets in Puerto Rico (PR). A survey of Puerto Rican markets in Hartford (HT), Connecticut in 1993-1994 was repeated in 2009-2010. A...

Este estudio documenta los usos que hacen los ulwas de 225 especies vegetales. Esto incluye 187 especies medicinales, 69 alimenticias y 84 para usos auxiliares. Las plantas medicinales tratan mas de 25 enfermedades y la mayoria (80%) son especies nativas del Caribe nicaraguense. Normalmente se trata de hierbas (48%) o arboles (33%). La mayor parte...

Missing covariates are a common problem in many biomedical and environmental studies. In this chapter, we develop a hierarchical Bayesian method for analyzing data with repeated binary responses over time and time-dependent missing covariates. The fitted model consists of two parts: a generalized linear mixed probit regression model for the repeate...

Berberis ×ottawensis is the hybrid of B. vulgaris (common barberry) and B. thunbergii (Japanese barberry). In the wild, this interspecific taxon appears to have been largely overlooked. Here, we report that this hybrid is relatively widespread in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Furthermore, we present evidence that the hybrid individuals are capable...

Knowledge of reproductive biology is fundamental to understanding successful colonization and subsequent evolution of island plants, to founding effective conservation programs for island biota, and for the insights provided from island studies to understanding the evolution of plants in general. We focus on the reproductive biology of plants of th...

Presence/absence tests for alkaloids of 31 medicinal vascular plant species from 31 genera and 26 families of eastern Nicaragua provided a baseline for bioactivity tests. Objective: To determine the bioactivity and cytoxicity of aqueous extracts of widely used medicinal species in eastern Nicaragua. Ethnomedicinal applications were obtained from in...

Since the review of the reproductive biology of island plants by Ehrendorfer (1979) three decades ago, there has been a veritable explosion of studies on plants of oceanic islands. Although the primary emphasis, particularly in the past two decades, has been on molecular phylogenetics of island lineages (Baldwin et al., 1998; Emerson, 2002), there...

We review the hypothesized origin and the methods of arrival of the angiosperm colonists to the Juan Fernandez Islands. We also summarize the dispersal capabilities of the current flora, including data on fruit type, fruit length, and dispersal unit length, correlating these features with dispersal and establishment. Most species originated from So...

Floral nectary structure and nectar composition of 12 species, including 11 endemics, are reported from Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile). These species are mostly hummingbird pollinated. Nectary morphology follows the general pattern within each of the families, suggesting it is an ancestral feature. The mean nectar concen...

Two species new to Solanum sect. Basarthrum (Bitter) Bitter are described. Solanum perlongistylum G. J. Anderson, Martine, Prohens & Nuez and S. catilliflorum G. J. Anderson, Martine, Prohens & Nuez are narrowly distributed species from southern Peru in the group that includes the Andean domesticate S. muricatum Aiton and are very closely related t...

The causes, consequences and correlates of dioecy have been the subject of much discussion since the days of Darwin. Several recent authors have stressed the importance of informing this body of theory, with studies focusing on lineages in which both dioecy and hermaphroditism are present. The genus Solanum is an ideal group for analysis, because d...

Myrceugenia fernandeziana (Myrtaceae) is a dominant, apparently anemophilous, tree endemic to Masatierra Island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago. These islands provide a natural laboratory for investigations of relationships within and among populations of threatened/vulnerable species. Leaf morphology was used to compare 25 populations from a div...

We develop a novel modeling strategy for analyzing data with repeated binary responses over time as well as time-dependent missing covariates. We assume that covariates are missing at random (MAR). We use the generalized linear mixed logistic regression model for the repeated binary responses and then propose a joint model for time-dependent missin...

Pernetttya rigida is endemic to the Juan Fernández archipelago. Although all flowers are complete, with seemingly fertile stamens and pistils, differences in fruit production and detailed field, anatomical, and morphological studies indicate they are functionally unisexual, and the species is consequently dioecious. A comparison of 15 features demo...

ISHS Acta Horticulturae 745: VI International Solanaceae Conference : Genomics Meets Biodiversity. The causes, consequences and correlates of dioecy have been the subject of much discussion since the days of Darwin. Several more recent authors have stressed the importance of informing the body of theory with studies that focus on lineages in which...

The pepino (Solanum muricatum) is a vegetatively propagated, domesticated native of the Andes, where it grows with wild relatives. We used AFLPs and a 1-kb sequence of the 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase gene to study variation of 27 accessions of S. muricatum and 35 collections of 10 species of wild relatives (Solanum section Basarthrum). A total...

Solanum vespertilio and S. lidii (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum) are endangered Canary Islands endemics with unique characteristics, particularly of the reproductive system and ecological value. We studied the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) diversity in a total of five populations of S. vespertilio and three of S. lidii, populations ra...

Solanum vespertilio Aiton and Solanum lidii Sunding are endemic, endangered wild species from the Canary Islands. These species are of potential value for eggplant (S. melongena) breeding, given that they are part of the secondary genepool of this crop. We study genetic diversity with amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) markers from 5 p...

Conservation is a crisis discipline requiring rapid action with limited funds. This study examines the potential of socioeconomic variables to predict forest use values. If natural resource use can be predicted from socioeconomic data, conservation planners could rapidly identify and focus conservation programs on the sectors of local populations t...

We confirmed functional dioecy of Withania aristata via field and greenhouse studies. Male flowers are significantly larger. Female flowers bear stamens with no pollen; males bear 220 000 grains. Stigmata of male flowers senesce in buds. Anatomical observations confirm more ovules in females and an ovarian nectary in both sexes. We detected nectar...

A morphometric karyotype analysis was performed on the two Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum spe-cies of the Canary Islands (S. lidii and S. vespertilio) to understand patterns of chromosome differentiation, taxo-nomic relationships and evolutionary implications. The somatic chromosome number, 2n = 24, was documented for both species, supporting the b...

The endemic and rare Solanum vespertilio and S. lidii from the Canary Islands are notable in being andromonoecious, self compatible, highly heterandrous (with short >reward= anthers and one very long >pollination= anther), and bearing strongly zygomorphic corollas. Solanum vespertilio flowers are also tetramerous, and some display enantiostyly. Giv...

This is the first extensive molecular phylogeny for any group of Solanum in Australia. A total of 64 specimens representing 29 taxa were sampled, including 18 endemic Australian members of subgenus Leptostemonum (the "spiny solanums") section Melongena sensu Symon. Data from the rDNA ITS region were analyzed using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and...

The wild species associated with the Andean domesticate, the pepino, and closely associated with the wild and cultivated potatoes, are morphologically and ecologically variable. We studied 10 of the 11 known species, represented by 35 accessions, of Solanum section Basarthrum, plus material of two putative new species. Given the morphological varia...

Effective conservation programs require data on both biodiversity and resource use. The rapid loss of biologically diverse areas adds urgency to the task. This study tests a forest valuation technique that provides essential data in a very short time on local resource use that can serve as a foundation for integrated conservation and development pr...

Results of an ethnopharmacognostic study of snakebite treatments in eastern Nicaragua are presented. Data and specimens were collected during several years of field studies. Field work consisted of plant collecting trips and interviews of snakedoctors. The annual mortality from snakebites in eastern Nicaragua is about 25% and most bites are caused...

The chromosomes of two nearly sterile hybrids (Solanum quitoense X S. sessiliflorum) have been doubled by colchicine treatment and the resulting tetraploids are described as a new species, S. indianense. The parents, now grown in Ecuador under the names Puyo and Palora, are dignified with cultivar status.

Sophora fernandeziana is the only legume endemic to Isla Robinson Crusoe (Archipelago Juan Fernández, Chile); it is uncommon and becoming rare. Although its preservation status is listed as "vulnerable," as with many species, little is known of its reproductive biology. Flowering phenology, floral morphology, nectar features, breeding system, and v...

The karyotype of Sophora tetraptera (Fabaceae (Leguminosae), subfam. Papilionoideae) is reported for the first time. The chromosome number, 2n = 18, coincides with former reports and is the most common number for the genus. The chromosomes are small (average length 1.65 (Am). The karyotype is composed of 8 m (metacentric) + 1 sm (submetacentric) pa...

The role of the androecium differs in male and hermaphroditic flowers of the andromonoecious Solanum carolinense. Although the anthers in male, and in the much more abundant hermaphroditic flowers, are the same size and they bear the same quantity of pollen, these organs exhibit some specialization in the two flower types. Experimental results impl...

Pepino (Solanum muricatum) is a little studied Andean crop grown for its edible fruit. It is propagated clonally. Selection of new clones with improved fruit quality has contributed to the market development of this crop. In this paper, we study the possibilities of using wild relatives from section Basarthrum for the genetic improvement of the pep...

Systematics and reproductive biology have been closely intertwined through botanical history because both rely on reproductive characters. We consider interconnections between systematics and reproductive biology from notable papers and reviews. In addition, a review of over 6,000 journals and millions of articles using the ISI Web of Science(R) de...

Sixteen populations and 89 individuals of Lactoris fernandeziana were examined for variation in intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) banding patterns. The species is a rare endemic of Masatierra Island in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, and is the only member of the endemic family Lactoridaceae. Five populations showed a single genotype whereas the o...

Hamamelis virginiana flowers from late September to late November. In 1977, we began studying the reproductive biology of this eastern North American arborescent shrub by examining floral phenology and rewards, pollen-ovule ratios, breeding system, pollination, pollinator and resource limitation, and seed dispersal. The homogamous, self-incompatibl...

The level and apportionment of allozyme diversity were determined for 29 endemic (and 1 native) species from the Juan Fernández Islands, Chile. Mean diversities at the species level (H(es) = 0.065) are low but comparable to those measured for other insular endemics in the Pacific. A high mean proportion (0.338) of species-level diversity resides am...

A survey of the reproductive features of the angiosperm flora of the Juan Fernández Archipelago (Chile) is presented to provide a species-based review of reproduction and pollination, to identify generalizations associated with these systems, to understand the evolution of these features, and to utilize these data to promote conservation. The colle...

We conducted field studies on the Juan Fernández Islands flora on the breeding system of 25 endemic species from 17 families. We recorded data on flower features, pollen and ovule number, pollen/ovule ratio, pollen size, self-compatibility, floral visitors, and pollination. Flowers are mostly hermaphrodite, inconspicuous, small, and green. Six spec...

The mitotic chromosome number and karyotype of Sophora fernandeziana (Phil.) Skottsb. (subfamily Papilionoideae) are reported for the first time. The chromosome number, 2n = 18, is the modal number reported for the genus. The chromosomes are small (average length 1.55 ± 0.23 μm) and bear no satellites. The intrachromosomal and interchromosomal asym...

Dioecy in the Solanaceae is rare, occurring in < 1 percent of the species worldwide and known in only two species from South America. We report the occurrence of cryptic dioecy in the Neotropical genus Deprea. Studying herbarium material of the Venezuelan endemic D. paneroi revealed morphological distinctions that tentatively served to divide colle...

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to measure genetic diversity within and divergence among species of Dendroseris (Asteraceae: Lactuceae), a genus endemic to the Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile. Results were compared to previous studies employing allozymes. For five of the species, RAPD banding patterns distinguished all indiv...

The reproductive biology ofW. berteroi, W. fernandeziana, and a putative hybrid betweenW. fernandeziana andW. grahamiae, endemic to Robinson Crusoe Island (Juan Fernndez archipelago, Chile) was studied. Flowers are hermaphroditic, protandrous, offer nectar, and exhibit secondary pollen presentation involving pollen collecting hairs on the style. Th...

Pernettya rigida is endemic to the Juan Fernández archipelago. Although all flowers are complete, with seemingly fertile stamens and pistils, differences in fruit production and detailed field, anatomical, and morphological studies indicate they are functionally unisexual, and the species is consequently dioecious. A comparison of 15 features demon...

The Sumu (Ulwa) are one of three Amerindian groups of eastern Nicaragua. Their uses of 225 species of plants in 174 genera and 72 families were documented in two years of fieldwork. Included are 187 medicinals, 69 food plants, and 84 for other uses. Ulwa medicinals treat more than 25 human ailments, and most (80%) are native to eastern Nicaragua. O...

Lactoris fernandeziana, monotypic in its family, is endemic to the cloud forests of Robinson Crusoe Island. Although there has been considerable study of the relationships of Lactoris, as a rare species and as a putative primitive paleoherb, little is known of its reproductive biology. Knowledge of the latter is essential for effective conservation...

Mitotic chromosomes of seven artificial hybrids fromSolanum L. sect.AnarrichomenumBitter &Basarthrum (Bitter) Bitter were studied(S. caripense Humb. & Bonpl. ex Dunal ×S. basendopogon Bitter,S. caripense × S. muricatumAiton, S. muricatum ×S. basendopogon, S. muricatum× S. caripense,S. muricatum× S. cochoae G.J. Anderson & Bernardello, S. sodiroi Bi...

Lactoridaceae are a monotypic family confined to the Juan Fernandez (= Robinson Crusoe) Islands, Chile, an archipelago four million years old. Interest in the lone species, Lactoris fernandeziana, has increased in recent years due to its suspected role in early angiosperm evolution, as well as its endangered conservation status. Reports of fossil p...

Pollination biology, reproductive output, and population structure of male and female plants and flowers of Smilax herbacea were studied in nearly 900 individuals from 11 roadside populations in northeast-central Connecticut over a three-year period. Percentages of either sex did not vary across sites or between years. Reproductive plants represent...

Apios americana, also known as the groundnut or potato bean, has long been used as a food source by Native Americans perhaps as a cultivated plant. This member of the Fabaceae has a number of small tuberous rhizomes that are edible and may reach two inches in diameter in the wild. The potential as a modern crop has long been recognized. In 1995 an...

Oceanic archipelagos often hold very specialized floras with high degrees of endemism. These floras are frequently highly vulnerable to disturbance by natural causes and human intervention. The Juan Fernandez Islands (Chile) in the Pacific Ocean are a small archipelago of only three islands. Since discovery in 1574 by Juan Fernandez, human activiti...

Stellate trichomes (epidermal, star-shaped plant hairs) recovered from the stored wreckage of an aircraft's engine were used as a basis for arguing that faulty engine design led to the plane's crash near Ruidoso, New Mexico. Light and scanning electron microscope analyses of the trichomes recovered from the engine wreckage and other associated debr...

Pollen from the dioecious species Solanum appendiculatum H. et B. ex Dun. is dimorphic. Pollen from the functional male flowers is tricolporate and pollen from the functional female flowers is inaperturate. Pollen from both types of flowers exhibit a high percentage of viability. Ultrastructural studies of the development in both pollen types is si...

The pepino (or pepino dulce:Solanum muricatum) is a domesticate, of interest because of its close relationship to tomatoes and potatoes, because it is enjoying increasing exposure in the international market, and because it is a cultigen with no known wild ancestor. Morphologically this South American native is a member of the Solanum sect. Basarth...

As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garífuna of eastern Nicaragua, the 229 species representing 177 genera and 72 families used for medicinal purposes were assayed for the presence of bioactive compounds. A review of the literature for alkaloids and glycosides showed that 113 species contained at least one of these bioactive compoun...

peer reviewed only by the editor, Dr. Michael Nee