This volume contains the papers and posters contributed to the International Conference "Systematics and Evolution of the Ranunculiflorae" held on 10/11 September 1994 at Bayreuth/Germany. These contributions deal, on different systematic level s and in different contexts, with virtually all taxa contained in the group, explore a wide array of characters employed for the classification of higher plants, and also discuss aspects of the biology of the plants in question. After the consideration of the entire Ranunculiflorae, emphasis is place d on the Papaveraceae s. l. , Lardizabalaceae, Ranunculaceae and Berberidaceae including various segregate genera. Unfortunately little new information was presented for the M enispermaceae apart from their possible phylogenetic position within the group. This certainly illustrates our unbalanced knowledge of reasonably small temperate versus large tropical flowering plant families, and emphasizes the need for intensified research in the latter. The particular strength of this volume is the combination ofmorphological and molecular evidence used for the understanding of the phylogeny of the Ranunculi- fiorae and its constituent famihes.
On a theoretieal basis the issue of data combina- tion is addressed by BANDELT. Following an introduction into the history of the concept of the Ranunculiflorae (Ranunculidae, Ranunculanae) and its problems by KUBITZKI, comparative interpre- tations of wood anatomy (CARLQUIST), sieve-element plastids and phloem proteins (BEHNKE), epicuticular wax structure (BARTHLOTT & THEISEN), floral structure and floral biology (ENDRESS), structure of the androecium (RONSE DECRAENE & SMETS), palynology (BLACKMORE & al.